Saint Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, Lectionary, and Gradual [UPDATED]

Those who have visited the Jogues website will have read about the companion volumes, namely, the hymnal and the weekday book.

Today, I received the introductory pages for the forthcoming Saint Isaac Jogues Daily Mass Companion, with permission to post here at NLM.

THIS DAILY MASS COMPANION provides every possible Entrance, Responsorial, and Communion antiphon that could occur during any liturgical year—more than 2,400 possibilities in all—printed in a large typeface with a clear numbering system. Parishes can now stop spending money on disposable Missalettes. We recommend purchasing the Jogues Illuminated Missal for Sundays (as it contains the Vatican II “Sung” Propers and Lectionary readings) and this Daily Companion for weekdays. Because daily Mass crowds are usually much smaller than Sundays, an excessive amount need not be purchased. Indeed, 30-40 copies may suffice.

Below is the review of the Jogues Missal itself, which is already in print and available for purchase.

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Saint Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, Lectionary, and Gradual. 818 pages, hardcover, with full color section. Owasso, OK: Pope John Paul II Institute for Liturgical Renewal, 2014. $22.99 (single copy); bulk discounts from $21.99 to $13.99.

We are living in the midst of a veritable renaissance of beautiful new resources for celebrating the liturgy of the Roman Rite in both forms. It is as if, at last, the best of our tradition and the best prescriptions of Sacrosanctum Concilium are coming together for the benefit of the faithful. There is a kind of momentum building for the hermeneutic of continuity. Where just a few years ago it was hard to find the Propers of the Mass in vernacular plainchant, today there is a plethora of options, along with many fine articles explaining the whys and wherefores; where publications for the old rite were out of print and/or outrageously expensive, today there are reprints and new editions pouring forth from the presses.

The new liturgical movement is finding its singing voice and its material means for long-term growth and expansion. In this sense, although the Reform of the Reform faces enormous difficulties and the resurgence of the traditional Latin Mass has an uphill climb, there is also the hope of real progress after 40 years of the People of God wandering in the desert. Pastors and chaplains, musicians and music directors, DREs, everyone involved with the liturgical life of the Church, finally have fantastic products to choose from that can guide and sustain their pastoral programs for years to come. An example for the Ordinary Form would be the Lumen Christi Simple Gradual, reviewed here by NLM's David Clayton; an example for the Extraordinary Form would be the Saint Edmund Campion Missal & Hymnal, which I reviewed here.

It is to another project associated with Corpus Christi Watershed that I now turn my attention: the recently released Saint Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, Lectionary, and Gradual. (I should note that while Jeffrey Ostrowski was chief editor of this book and promotes it via the CCW website, it is the fruit of a group called the Pope John Paul II Institute for Liturgical Renewal.) There is a lot to say about this multi-layered book, a true labor of love and a work of beauty from start to finish. I could sum up my reaction by saying that the Jogues Missal does for the Ordinary Form what the Campion Missal does for the Extraordinary Form.

As its full title indicates, the Jogues Missal brings together the rich texts of the Roman Gradual (i.e., the Introit, Gradual, Alleluia or Tract, Offertory, and Communion antiphons) and the readings of the Lectionary (including responsorial psalms and Gospel acclamations) and places in their midst a magnificent full-color Order of Mass (pp. 251-314). Like the Campion Missal, the Jogues Missal is for Sundays and Solemnities of the Church year. Unlike the Campion, which includes a substantial hymn section, the Jogues is simply for following along with the texts and ceremonies of the liturgy; a planned companion volume, the Saint Isaac Jogues Hymnal, will be a dedicated music resource with hundreds of hymns, but there is no particular reason that the Jogues Missal could not be paired with other musical resources such as the Lumen Christi Simple Gradual. (The Jogues Missal does include a modest amount of music: the Chabanel Psalm setting for each Mass; Sequences in metrical English versions with simple tunes, with the original Latin texts and literal translations in an appendix; a couple of hymns for Benediction; and the Mass in Honor of St. Isaac Jogues, a plainchant setting that includes the Creed.)

When I first opened the package, I was blown away by the aesthetic qualities of the Jogues Missal. The elegance of the page layout is what first strikes the eye: graceful drop caps of hierarchically gradated size and design are used for various propers and readings, drawing the eye gently to their place in the liturgy; decorative borders set apart the different days; exquisite full-page black and white etchings for major feastdays, surrounded by Scripture verses, plunge us into the mysteries of God and the saints. These qualities render the book a truly worthy instrument for deeper interior participation in the sacred liturgy.

The Order of Mass section is the most striking feature of the Jogues Missal. I have access to a very large collection of liturgical books, and I regret to say that practically none of them manages to convey any conscious or subconscious impression that the Ordinary Form can be a beautiful thing. We have been plagued by utilitarianism and pragmatism for decades, and it often seems as if the traditional Latin Mass is the only surviving refuge for a heightened sensitivity to beauty in every last detail. What the Jogues Missal accomplishes in this regard is nothing short of astonishing. The photos call to mind the historic heritage of the Roman Rite: the glory of its musical heritage; the pregnant symbolism of the different parts and actions of the Mass, with a loving attention to details of ritual; the fittingness of suitable architecture and vesture; even the sacredness of particular words. There is a kind of programmatic “re-enchantment” of the missal that takes place in these pages, simply by the force of loving what the Church herself offers and not filtering it through a reductionistic Bauhaus lens.

This brings me to an interesting angle: the Jogues Missal as an instrument of liturgical renewal and reform. It is no secret that the way the OF Mass is celebrated in most communities bears little likeness to the images provided in this missal's pages. The celebrating priest is wearing a maniple (e.g., p. 263 and p. 277) which matches his ornate red and white chasuble; the altar server is in cassock and surplice, and even the men’s schola is similarly attired (p. 273). One lady is wearing a mantilla (p. 265). Mass is being celebrating ad orientem towards a Gothic high altar with six lit candles and a statue of Our Lady (e.g., p. 266, p. 300); naturally, incense is featured (p. 276). The chalice is gloriously ornate gold and silver (e.g., p. 292). The priest holds his thumb and forefinger together after consecration (p. 300). Holy communion is distributed on the tongue to those who are kneeling (p. 310). And throughout, the assumption is that the Propers are being chanted, whether in the vernacular or in Latin (the second color image, on p. 252, is of a Gregorian chant manuscript with an Introit). Indeed, the very first color image (p. 251; see below) is a Crucifixion-Trinity scene surrounded by the nine orders of angels, with a priest at the bottom raising the chalice ad orientem—a paradigm of the entire approach here, which could be described as “ROTR to the Max.”

All this makes the Jogues Missal an ideal tool for pastors who are seeking to move their community towards a more elevated, solemn, beautiful, and traditional celebration of the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite or who, already blessed to be at that point, wish to consolidate the good they have. The book itself seems to anticipate such a purpose: along with the Order of Mass, printed in large readable type, one finds small blocks of commentary in fine print explaining aspects of the Mass and its ceremonial. To some this might appear overly didactic, but my impression is that it is tastefully done and appropriate, especially in an age when liturgical formation is desperately needed. It could certainly be a marvelous tool for liturgical catechesis, whether in preaching or during RCIA and other religious education programs.

Best of all, the Jogues Missal carries on the copyright page the following notice: “Published with the approval of the Committee on Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 20 March 2014,” followed by the Imprimatur of Most Reverend Edward J. Slattery, Bishop of Tulsa. No one can point to these features—the ad orientem worship, the use of the maniple, the wearing of the mantilla, kneeling for communion, etc.—and say: “This is not to be done in the Ordinary Form.” Those of us who have studied the relevant documents know that they are permissible, but does the average Catholic? And should one have to be a scholar in order to defend traditional practices or common sense views? The Jogues Missal provides a key piece that was missing in the English-speaking world until now: a “This, folks, is really how it’s done” pew resource that unashamedly embraces the ROTR model of Benedict XVI.

The Ordinary Form of the Mass is going to be around for a very long time, regardless of what we may think about its strengths and weaknesses, and it would be hard to dispute that it should be offered as beautifully and solemnly as can be done, ad majorem Dei gloriam. As a matter of fact, proponents of the traditional Latin Mass (like myself) would do well to remember that a plentiful source of future interest in and support of the TLM will come from those fortunate Catholics who are brought up in (or who seek out) communities that embody the hermeneutic of continuity. For these Catholics, the step to the TLM is much more natural; it is like meeting a long-lost relative of the same family, rather than a stranger from a foreign country. Between the current situation of a minority presence of the EF and the future situation of a predominance of it, there will need to be a middle period characterized by parishes across the country that, to put it in a nutshell, have both the Campion Missal and the Jogues Missal in their pews.

The patron of this new book, Saint Isaac Jogues, S.J., knew long before the Second Vatican Council that the Mass is the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church—which is why, even after his thumb and forefinger had been cut off during his enslavement and torture by the Iroquois, he was willing to return to the Indian missions and to continue offering this great Sacrifice, for the salvation of the world. Our attitude should not be any less radical than his when it comes to giving God the greatest and the best we can.

For more information, videos, and reviews, see the Jogues Missal site.

PDF Download: The Fulton J. Sheen Sunday Missal (1961)

A GUEST POST BY JEFF OSTROWSKI

The famous Fulton J. Sheen Sunday Missal (1961) is now available for free download. Needless to say, Archbishop Sheen did not produce the Missal alone: it was a joint effort by many, especially the Jesuit priests Rev. Philip Caraman and Rev. James Walsh. However, Sheen did compose the lengthy Introduction (which every Catholic ought to read) and seems to have exercised an influence on the general contents. For example, the choice of English translations—Msgr. Ronald Knox for the Lauda Sion, Gerald Manley Hopkins for the Adoro Te, and so forth—is a clear signal of Sheen's involvement, because of his well-known admiration for those literary giants.

Download: "Part 1 of 2" : Fulton J. Sheen Sunday Missal (1961) 

Download: "Part 2 of 2" : Fulton J. Sheen Sunday Missal (1961) 

In addition to the aforementioned Introduction, Sheen's Missal has several other remarkable features. The descriptions of priestly vestments are excellent. It also includes the entire "Fore-Mass" (as Fortescue called it) alongside the readings for every feast. That choice meant printing the "Kyrie Eleison," for example, close to eighty times. Finally, certain translations employed are noteworthy, especially poetic texts like the sequences and Pange Lingua. Similar to the Campion Missal, the editors made judicious use of drop caps and went out of their way to print all the "extra" post-Pentecost Masses in addition to every feast that could ever occur on a Sunday—a tremendous help to Catholics in the pews. The date of publication (1961) is fascinating, considering what would come a year later! The pages use a single numbering system for matching Latin/English pages. Furthermore, it's nice that this book contains most of the changes of the 1962 Missal, such as the Holy Week of Pius XII and optional dialogue Masses.

This book must have been in production for many years. For one thing, it shows such elegance. The unified, lovely images (such as the Divine Pelican, often preached on by Sheen) appear to have been created specifically for this layout. In general, the book seems like an effort to make a significant contribution to Catholics' liturgical life. I mentioned earlier the distinctive translations such as: "Raise your hearts."—"They are raised to the Lord."

For myself, the most interesting part of the book is the translation used for the Pange Lingua of Fortunatus (Good Friday). Producing the Campion Missal, we spent two whole weeks searching for different translations of this magnificent hymn. Sheen ultimately decided upon a metered translation which doesn't rhyme: a truly marvelous choice.

The Beauty of Holiness: An Appreciation of the Campion Missal

Among my favorite verses from Saint Paul is this, in the Epistle to the Philippians:

Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil 4:8). 

Unlike worldly men who think, speak, and act more or less as they please (to the extent that they can get away with it), Christians are supposed to live conscientiously in the sight of their heavenly Master, thinking on Him and how to please Him. Instead of thinking on what is ugly, clumsy, vile, ignoble, or vicious, they should train their minds to true doctrine, honorable principles, just deeds, pure affections, lovely and gracious ideas, images, and words. In short, they are to strive for praiseworthy excellence in all things—and that striving should, of course, extend especially to everything connected with the sacred liturgy, the very “source and summit” of the Christian life. Here, we do not, we cannot, settle for what is mediocre, slipshod, superficial, profane, or unworthy of the temple of God; we aim at the beautiful, the holy, the finely made and nobly done, as much as lies in our tradition and in our power.

These words in Philippians bring to mind a statement in Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Romans: 

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:2)

“Good and acceptable and perfect.” Is this our program for liturgical life, for sacred music, books, vestments, vessels, furnishings, architecture? Do we seek that which is good because it has the requisite qualities of holiness, artistry, and universality? That which is acceptable to the Lord because it accords with the traditions, teachings, and laws He has given us? That which is as perfect as we can make it, because it shares in that litany of attributes related in Philippians?

A comparison of the Campion Missal (Solemn Mass section)
and a popular daily missal

It is such thoughts as these, together with a compelling sense of good news that must be shouted from the rooftops, that prompt me to share with the readers of NLM my personal reaction to the Saint Edmund Campion Missal & Hymnal. I say “personal reaction” because I do not intend to offer a standard review; the content and layout of the Campion Missal have already been reviewed and discussed in a number of excellent articles, which may be found gathered here. 

My intention is to praise this book as a book that, to an unusual degree, embodies exactly what Saint Paul says to the Philippians and the Romans—to such an extent, indeed, that it should grace the shelf of every Catholic layman, deacon, priest, and bishop, and fill the pews of every church and chapel privileged with at least the Sunday celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. I would add that no Catholic bookstore or gift shop should fail to stock this book.

Why are the reviews gushing with superlatives, exclamations, and imperatives for acquisition? Why all this enthusiasm, this (as it were) sober inebriation? After all, a book is just a book, one might think, and there are several missals already in print for the usus antiquior. What makes the Campion Missal special?

A comparison of the Campion Missal (Low Mass section)
and the familiar red booklet

Let me try to say this as simply as possible: this book is a magnificent book. It is stunningly beautiful. It contains all the texts of the Mass for Sundays and Holy Days, well translated, handsomely typeset, tastefully ornamented, and lavishly illustrated. It is a treasure-trove of all that is most true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious in the Roman Rite; from the first to the last page, it is a manual of liturgical, spiritual, and theological excellence, speaking and singing of mysteries and mercies and majesty, of all that is ultimately and eternally worthy of praise. And as a result, it causes one to think about these things—to ponder them long, with joy and wonder, with fear and trembling, with inward peace and consolation, with a spirit of reverence and adoration. Its greatest glory, one might say, is precisely that it humbly helps along that process of the Christian’s transformation by the renewal of his mind, turning it again and again to heavenly realities. It could have been called the Epiphany or Theophany Missal, so well does it open up vistas of meditation and prompt one to prayer.

In a world of video games and movies, sexual utilitarianism, flashy advertising and journalistic manipulation, people have a hard time understanding beauty pure and simple—beauty as a gift from God, to be welcomed and rejoiced in as part of our prayer of praise and thanksgiving to Him. The traditional Mass and sacramental rites and Divine Office are full of a transcendent spiritual beauty that brings deep joy and peace to a receptive soul, but obviously not without the participation of the body at every stage. It is precisely the aesthetic dimension, the sensuous appeal, that first captivates the mind and stirs the heart, leading the worshiper from shadows and images to mystery and truth, and back again, in an upward spiral. The external beauty of the traditional liturgy serves an evangelistic and catechetical role even as it prepares the way for a more profound internal experience of the Lord. The external and the internal are in harmony, as body and soul are created to be.

The Campion Missal layout for the Propers of the Mass:
here, Palm Sunday

Because man has both a soul and a body, it is important that the entire experience of worship be dignified, well-ordered, and beautiful, as befits its inner nature. By providing in a single book all that is or could be needed for Sunday and Holy Day Masses—the Order of the Mass, the Propers of the day, a complete Kyriale, and a generous selection of hymns—the Campion Missal facilitates a full and fruitful participation in the Mass, both interiorly (which is the most important kind of participation) and exteriorly, in all the ways called for by Holy Mother Church, in keeping with the teaching of Pope Saint Pius X and all of his successors.

The care for beauty in the Campion Missal extends to the smallest detail, and, far from being old-fashioned, has an adventurous side as well: Corpus Christi Watershed commissioned Kevin Allen, one of our most gifted composers of sacred music, to contribute several new hymn tunes for the book. Exquisitely crafted and eminently singable, with noble lyrics truly worthy of the liturgy, these new hymns stand as worthy heirs of the English hymn tradition brought to its peak by the likes of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst almost a century ago.

(A digression on hymns: if any reader is wondering whether the Campion Missal has enough hymns in it, this would be my response. There are 151 hymns in the book—a generous number in the context of the Extraordinary Form, where hymn-singing, though it finds a legitimate place, does not have nearly the prominence it does in many Ordinary Form situations. Nevertheless, to focus on the quantity of hymns is to miss a crucially important point. Like the Campion Missal’s chief editor Jeffrey Ostrowski, I have in my personal library a large collection of traditional hymnals from the 19th century to the present, and I have found, in scanning their pages, that it is rare indeed to find a hymnal from which a discerning music director could make use of even 50% of the pieces included. The rest are just too painfully sentimental or musically inept or textually vapid or all of the above. The genius of Ostrowski is that, drawing upon his good taste as a musician and his sound theology as a traditional Catholic, he has brought together 151 of the choicest hymns—the most singable and beloved, as well as lesser known or new hymns with soaring melodies and profound texts. Whereas most hymnals are like a flea market of good, bad, and indifferent, an Ostrowski hymnal is like a satchel of precious and semiprecious stones: every item is beautiful and apt for its purpose. Hence, I would rather have the 151 choiceworthy hymns of the Campion Missal and sing every single one, than sift through 400 hymns of wildly variable musical and textual quality in hopes that I can find enough to satisfy.)

from the Low Mass section

As I draw to a close, I am afraid that my words will be inadequate for those who have not yet held and viewed and prayed with the Campion Missal and totally unnecessary for those who have already seen it with their eyes and taken it to heart. All that I can do is express my amazement that such a book has been created and published in our day and age, when so much of the print world seems to be vanishing into the internet, and so much that remains in print has declined desperately and pathetically in quality. Whoever owns the Campion Missal will find it a princely book, a golden measure for what can be done when human talent throws itself passionately into the glories of the sacred liturgy, for the glory of God. I predict that it will become a cherished, even necessary companion to every Catholic who uses it to pray the traditional Mass.

To read more about the Campion Missal, for more photographs, and for information on placing orders, go here.

A postscript: the Campion Missal is now in its second edition. The first edition had a very colorful cover and florid graphics in the center section. The second edition, while mostly the same, has a more “classic” look to it: the cover is a subdued slate gray, the Solemn Mass section more restrained and easier to follow. A handy ribbon has been added and a few typos were corrected. However, the pagination and contents of both editions are IDENTICAL in all other respects, so they are entirely compatible.