The Liturgical Year, Complete Set, 15 Volumes

Knowing the historical context of France in the 19th century when Dom Prosper Guéranger's seminal book, The Liturgical Year, was published is crucial to grasping the significance of this collection. From 1789 (the French Revolution) until the 20th century, France was rocked by an endless stream of political, social, and religious upheavals. There were at least six different governments put in place at that time. The French people were afflicted by several wars, revolutions, and economic depressions. Dom Guéranger, moved by the anguish he saw in the French Catholic Church and among her people, started work on his colossal opus in 1841. When he passed away in 1875, he had completed nine books.

Under Dom Guéranger's name, a fellow Benedictine finished the remaining volumes. Dom Guéranger thought that the Mass and the Church's annual cycle might help rebuild what had been abandoned. Indeed, Dom Guéranger's goal was to revive the rich Christian heritage that had been neglected since the French Revolution. In the years after the French Revolution, in 1836, he established the first Benedictine community. The Catholic Mass, the fountainhead of all graces and the very heart of Catholic devotion, was the inspiration for him to launch the Liturgical Year in 1841 and, by extension, to restore Catholic culture and, by extension, Western Civilization. The insights, explanations, and historical observations he offers in this text are deep and illuminating. Appropriate explanations of the Introits, Collects, Epistles, Gospels, Offertory prayers, etc., highlight the Mass's depth and beauty.

Features a sturdy, light blue, stitched hardcover binding. The spine numbers of these books correspond to the seasons they cover.