History of the mass

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vince2paul

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Is there any books/websites that explain the history of the mass? and why we do what we do today?

I was talking to someone and he told me that
  • In the past children/unbaptised people are not supposed to be blessed during the Holy Communion, it can only be done after mass.
  • The tabernacle should be empty before the mass, because to keep body of Christ is inappropriate.
But for covenience, these are allowed now.

I’m very curious to find out about what happened in the past, especially before Vatican II.
Thanks.
 
There are some good books on the history of the Mass, but a brief history that I put together several years ago is available at:

stjosephplacentia.org/RCath-L/rcath-l.htm

This was a 12-part series. Warning, it’s full of typos and misspellings because this was originally part of a mailing list and the data was captured as I sent it (usually without proof-reading). The series does include references to other works.

As for the tabernacle – the Blessed Sacrament was always reserved there for the sick. It was only later that people began adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (and then only in the West).

Deacon Ed
 
Fr Alfred McBride has a very good short book on the history of the Mass, it is available from several CAtholic book catalogs, one being St. "Anthony Messenger press, it is also listed in other catalogs. called the History of the Mass,
 
There is a site that has a bunch of FREE Catholic Homes Study Books they will mail to you. One is called We Worship. It includes a brief history of the mass, but probably not as detailed as you would want.

amm.org/chss.htm

Peace
 
Pax vobiscum!

There is a book called The Mass of the Early Christians. I don’t recall the author’s name off the top of my head, but I believe you can find it in the store on this site.

In Christ,
Rand
 
  • Jungmann’s masterful work, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development, published only a decade before the Second Vatican Council, now reads like an obituary. Indeed a prominent Consilium expert, Joseph Gelineau, S.J., has had the honesty to declare: “Let it be candidly said: the Roman Rite which we have known hitherto no longer exists. It is destroyed.” His conclusion is based on the liturgy being a symbolic action enacted with meaningful forms, to change any of which is to change the rite. In this respect, he reasons like the German scholar Msgr. Klaus Gamber who states: “Each rite constitutes a homogenous unity. So the modification of some of its essential components means the destruction of the entire rite.” However, the whole outlook of Gelineau is diametrically opposed to that of Gamber. The former applauds and the latter deplores the destruction of the Roman Rite.
  • In regard to the present, blitzed condition of the Mass of all ages, it would take a genius comparable to that of Jungmann to give a comprehensive picture of what has befallen in the past thirty years. For the time being, we can only peer dimly at the murky scene of “devastation” (the mot juste of Cardinal Ratzinger).
    unavoce.org/aotrr.htm

The Mass of the Roman Rite is available from Amazon​

It’s very thorough, though it is a history of what its title suggests, and is dated in parts. To quote the first review:
  • Jungmann’s magnificent work actually deserves five stars. The problem with this edition is that it is simply a reprint of the early 1950’s translation of the 2nd German edition (1949). Jungmann went up to a 5th edition (1962), which, being on the eve of Vatican II, was of considerable importance. Some sections had undergone major revision by that time, for example, the Commingling. Very little of this section in the English corresponds to the final German edition. Other sections, however, do remain unchanged.
    This publication is still handy for those who cannot read German, but readers need to bear in mind that some parts are seriously dated. A truly great service would be provided by the publishers if they were to update their translation.
    amazon.com/Mass-Roman-Rite-2-Set/dp/0870611291
 
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