ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 19, 2024 / 15:20 pm (CNA).
In his new book, “A Short History of the Roman Mass” (Ignatius Press, Sept 2024), Father Michael Lang, a priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri and professor of theology, offers a detailed and accessible overview of the historical development of the Mass from its origins to the present day.
In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Lang, who is from London, shared his motivations for writing the book and the importance of the liturgy in the life of the Catholic Church.
“I am certainly passionate about liturgy; it is my main research interest,” said Lang, who holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford and is a former consultant to the Holy See. He also explained that his passion for liturgy has been a constant driving force in his academic and pastoral life.
This interest led him to explore in depth the history of Christian worship, moving away from his initial studies in patristics to focus on the Roman rite of the Mass.
“This book is really the abbreviated and more popular version of a larger monograph I published in 2022 on the history of the stable core of the rite, beginning with the origins of the Eucharist and ending at the Council of Trent in the 16th century,” he said.
The priest emphasized that the basic structure of the Mass and its evolution over time are key elements in his work: “I focus on the basic structure of the Mass. I answer [the questions], ‘Why is the structure of the Mass the way it is? How did it develop? How did the pieces come together?’”
Continuity of today’s Mass with Jesus at the Last Supper
Through his research, Lang seeks to show how, despite historical and cultural transformations, “the essential continuity … takes us back to the time of the apostles and to Jesus at the Last Supper.”
Asked about the relevance of this topic today, Lang stressed that “the liturgy of worship is really at the heart of what the Church does: It is the worship of God from which everything else flows.”
“As Vatican II so rightly said, especially the Eucharist, the Mass, is the most important act of worship and the most important of the sacraments.”
He also said that understanding historical development is crucial to full participation in the liturgy.
“History is very important to our understanding of the faith. We believe that God revealed himself in history… and the history of the Church is important to us,” Lang explained.
According to the priest, this historical awareness also “helps you enter into the prayers of the Mass, it helps you to make these prayers your own, to make them part of your own spiritual life.”
The aim of the book, according to the author, is to provide Catholics with a tool that will enable them to better understand the liturgy and, consequently, to participate more consciously in it.
“I hope that my little book will help readers to have an idea of this and that it will make their participation in the Mass more fruitful,” Lang concluded.
The book can be purchased at Ignatius.com and on Amazon.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Ever sincere & serious Catholic is marked by their passion for and absorbtion in Holy Mass; yet general knowledge of the origins of this uniquely important liturgy & the significance of its key components is rare. This book can help us to develop beyond the typical instinctive love of a routine, repetitive, religious ritual to a far deeper, participatory involvement of our heart and mind and soul.
As the author of this short review, Diego López Marina, says Fr Michael Lang’s book provides Catholics: “with a tool that will enable them to better understand the liturgy and, consequently, to participate more consciously in it.”
As a lay Catholic with qualifications & wide experience in Christian theology I’m in awe of the perfection of the liturgy of Holy Mass. In every healthy congregation we begin with a sincere, trinitarian welcome to each other. We then acknowledge that none of us can approach God’s Holiness except by confessing our sins and confidently assuring one another of God’s mercy for all who are truly repentant.
Then, being newly shriven, we are confident to approach The Throne with loud exclamations of God’s Glory; recalling that Christians began singing ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’ before 128 AD. That brings us to the place where we can feast on the soul food of God’s Word: Epistles read and Psalms sung to prepare the way for The Good News of God Himself, welcomed by our cry of: “Glory to You, O Lord!”
Reverently marking our minds, lips, and hearts with the Cross of Jesus Christ – we’re proclaiming – “We believe – We will tell others – We will forever love Christ’s Word”. How precious it is to listen to the Apostles’ account of Jesus’ teachings & life of miracles that confront the world with Eternal Truth, in texts that have come to us from the very start of Christian community, still fresh & vibrant today. “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!”
The earliest known creed – the old Roman – dates back to about 110 AD and we join together in loudly procliming our unchanging Catholic Christian faith in its descendant Nicene or Apostles Creed. This is all a grand and meaningful preparation for our approaching the table of The Lord as shriven, praising, worshipful, Gospel informed, orthodox believing Catholics.
How wonderful: Catholics have been singing ‘The Sanctus’ from before 96 AD.
Jesus, our King, calls us to His table to feed on His Holy Body and drink His Precious Blood, so that we can have LIFE in Him and He can LIVE in us. Oneness with Christ is our guarantee of eternal life with God & all those who love God (the whole point of our faith & of The Catholic Church).
We pray out loud ‘The Our Father’ – given us by Jesus Christ, to express His Peace to all our sisters & brothers. Since every Catholic who has ever lived is incorporate in the One Savior, we are given a very potent reason to persevere in loving & serving each other. This is the love that will demonstrate to the world that Jesus Christ is truly The Son of God, given to save us (see, e.g., John 17:23)
As a passionate human: incorporation in this amazing love is highly addictive. As a highly trained academic: the logic of the liturgy of Holy Mass is mightily convincing.
Hopefully the book reviewed will draw clergy & lay together to contemplate the unique wonders we celebrate together in every Holy Mass.
Yes, we read: “How wonderful: Catholics have been singing ‘The Sanctus’ from before 96 AD.”
AND, regarding the threefold “Sanctus” at the beginning every Mass, then near the end we have the culminating Doxology, immediately prior to our sacramental incorporation into Communion: “Through [!] Him, and with Him [!!], and in Him [!!!], O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, forever and ever. Amen.”
Surely, St. Augustine was onto something when he saw from Christ: “You will not change me into yourself, as you change food into your flesh, but you will be changed into me [!]” (Confessions, Bk. 7, Ch. 10). It is “IN” Him that, at each Mass, we join Christ to ultimately give honor and glory to the Father.
So, about Synodality vs/plus (?) Eucharistic Adoration, it’s almost as if, in some neglected sense, “time is [NOT] greater than space.”
Yes, dear Peter D. Beaulieu:
“It is ‘IN’ Him that, at each Mass, we join Christ to ultimately give honor and glory to the Father.”
After who-knows how many millenia of humanity’s futile religiosities, Jesus Our LORD gives us the one & only Way to come confidently into Father GOD’s Awesome Presence.
With two massive consequences, we hope & pray:
1) that at Holy Mass every person will overflow with overwhelming gratitude;
2) that each of us will be whole-hearted to lovingly lead others to The Way.
The logic of this liturgy enacts the most profound reality in (& far above) our cosmos (independently of the authenticity of the celebrant & their assistants).
Understanding Christ’s provision, no proper Catholic will ever hang their head.
Seeking to hear & lovingly follow King Jesus Christ; blessing from marty
Thank you for that Dr. Rice. The reality of the words of institution of our Lord believed is where I found the freedom that Jesus promises those who continue in His Word – knowing the truth and the truth setting us free. Indeed, this body has been given for us – this blood has been shed for us – for the remission of sins.
I wanted to ask you if you know when Roman Catholic theology began teaching that only venial sins are forgiven here in the Eucharist? Whenever that took place, I suppose Mary was sought after 53 times in a singular prayer session to intercede for the one praying at their point of death.
If you don’t have faith in what Jesus is testifying to us in the Eucharist by giving the Father’s children the very body and blood Mary already provided us through her completed intercession, we remain in bondage to unbelief and sin; we are not free, if we don’t believe Christ’s body and blood have been given to us in the Eucharist – for the remission of sins. Just what does the Roman Catholic person who prays the Rosary want Mary to do at the time of their death that Jesus giving of His body and blood has not already completed?
Dear Jeff Lahman, I’m sure you are right, for in John 6:53-59 Jesus assures us of the necessity for true believers to eat His flesh and drink His blood. That is a challenging but foundational part of Christ’s salvific ministry to humankind.
Saint Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, shows us that – from the very start – believers in Jesus Christ gathered together to do that. This scripture also reveals that – from the very start – some received the Sacred Body & Precious Blood of Christ worthily, whilst others received in an unworthy state.
As you observe, at Holy Mass today, those not shriven of serious sin cannot depend on The Penetential Rite for forgiveness. They should have accessed sacramental penance, in a spirit of true repentance & firm resolve to reform & make restitution where possible, PRIOR TO receiving Holy Communion at Holy Mass.
Thus: unshriven Catholic murders, adulterers, robbers, etc., etc. and those with forbiden allegiances to mafia, freemasonry, satanism, witchcraft, etc., etc. are committing sacrilege by insisting on receiving Holy Communion.
Sadly, no Australian archbishop, bishop, or priest, that I’m aware of, is game to preach this eternal truth. They just permit the unshriven to commit sacrilege without warning them of the serious consequences for their eternal souls.
Paul taught the Corinthian church that: to do this is sinning against the Body & Blood of The LORD; bringing them under GOD’s judgement.
Perhaps this is one reason why we see judgment so clearly impacting The Church?
Dr. Rice, Thank you, again!
I love Fr. Lang’s works, especially “Turning Towards the Lord,” but I must say George Weigel’s lead endorsement on Amazon had me reaching for my liturgical revolver. Whatever the value of his insights on other aspects of the Church, on the liturgy Mr. Weigel is to be avoided.
At 63 pages, this is pretty superficial. I guess it depends on what you want.
I’d go with Adrian Fortescue’s “The Mass:A Study of the Roman Liturgy.”
Oh I’m sorry. I looked at the wrong book with the same title. I still recommend Fortescue’s book, but Fr. Lang’s book seems like a worthy read.