Ritual Edition Roman Missal from Liturgical Training Publications

Shown is a Ritual Edition Roman Missal from Liturgical Training Publications.

This is obviously not a pew missal but the actual missal that a priest will use at the altar to pray the Mass. Few get to see the Roman Missal up close and so I thought I'd share some pictures for those who have never seen one.

There are several publishers of chapel edition (smaller) and ritual edition (larger) Roman Missals. This particular Missal was on clearance sale for a very attractive price. It was suggested that the sale might be an effort by the publisher to clear out the stock of old Missals which do not include St. Joseph's name in Eucharistic Prayers II-IV as was recently required by Rome. Most priests with older missals include the name of St. Joseph by memory or have a reminder note hand-written in the margin and some publishers are including stickers to be placed on the relevant portions of the text.

This book originally sold for $189 and with or without St. Joseph, $60 is a bargain and so I present it for your viewing and discussing pleasure. Pictures are clickable with commentary in the captions.

Cover Page

These are the tabs used by the priest or emcee to quickly find the appropriate parts of the book - Order of Mass, Eucharistic Prayers I-IV, Prefaces, Masses for Various Needs, Communion Rite, Solemn Blessings and so forth. The priest or emcee does not want to be fumbling with pages so every page for Eucharistic Prayers I-IV are tabbed, not just the first page.

This is a typical page for a Sunday showing the opening antiphon, collect and prayer over the offerings. This particular Sunday, the first Sunday of Lent, has a proper preface before the Eucharistic prayer which is included with chant notation. The word proper means that something specific is required for that day. Since this is Lent, the priest has to say that particular Preface prayer and cannot choose his own.

This is an example of a prefaces to the Eucharistic Prayers which may be used at the priest's discretion during ordinary time. Each preface has a theme. This particular preface's theme is "The Mystery of Salvation."

Smyth sewn binding and ribbons. This particular book is brand new and some of the ribbons have yet to be disturbed.

The words of institution for Eucharistic Prayer I. EPI is also called "The Roman Canon". Holding this book in my hands and reading the actual words said by the priest takes my breath away.
 

Two color artwork before EPII.

Another look at the tabs.

Entrance antiphon, collect, prayers over the offeringas, communion antiphon and prayer after communion for the first Sunday in Advent. 

 A sung Mass is called a Missa Cantata. Appendix I has chant notation for almost the entire Mass. 

An idea of the heft and size of this book. Very young altar servers often cannot hold the book for the priest. I have seen the priest grab the book and plop it on the altar server's head!

That's enough pictures for now and I'm sure I'm dangerously close to violating copyright laws. It is amazing to hold such a book and ponder all the Masses that will be prayed with it.

And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD. (2 Kings 23:2)

-Tim-