Abbot Cuthbert Johnson explains his new companions to the Liturgy

Abbot Cuthbert Johnson’s booklet Understanding the Roman Missal was very well received when it was published earlier in the year. Here, he explains the differences between that one and his new booklets which he sees as companions to it. He points out that they were written to coincide with the priests and people getting used to the new English translation of the Mass, and tells of how the success of his first text was a springboard to writing more, looking at different aspects and consequences of the changes to the Liturgy.

The first booklet Understanding the Roman Missal was written before the texts of the Order of Mass came into use. There had been some concerns about the new translation of the third edition of the Latin Roman Missal which was published in 2002. Since these concerns were dealt with in publications by those who had been more closely involved in the preparation of the texts, it seemed more appropriate for me, as a monk and liturgist, to prepare a more directly liturgical and spiritual commentary in preparation for the introduction of the new text.

It would appear that this small work was much appreciated and I was encouraged to write similar works as part of the catechetical preparation for the introduction of the full Missal in Advent. The Simple Guide to the Mass is designed to be read in the light of the experience of the Order of Mass which was introduced last week. It is similar in style to the booklet Understanding the Roman Missal and is a companion to it. Several of the points touched upon in the first booklet are developed in this short and concise study of the Mass.

The third booklet Participating in the Mass, Celebrating the Liturgy with dignity and beauty is meant to provide practical assistance to both clergy and lay faithful to ensure a celebration of the liturgy which is both spiritually enriching and aesthetically pleasing. Many people have felt that the beautiful dimension of liturgical worship has been undervalued. This work, which could be described as a guide to the art of celebration, should make a contribution to the restoration of what some have described as the “loss of a sense of mystery”.

All of them are available from the CTS website.

Of related interest:

Simple Guide to the Mass – Abbot Cuthbert Johnson OSB, a Consultor to the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship, provides a simple and concise guide to the new translation of the Mass introduced by the Church on Sunday, 4 September 2011.

Pope Benedict XVI has expressed the wish that the introduction of the new translation will mark the beginning of: “A renewal and a deepening of Eucharistic devotion all over the English-speaking world”.

Participating in the Mass -Abbot Cuthbert Johnson OSB, in this companion to his widely acclaimed CTS booklet Understanding the Roman Missal, provides an informative, step-by-step guide to the celebration of the Mass, to enable the Liturgy to be celebrated with reverence.

Understanding the Roman Missal – the New Translation -A presentation and explanation of the new translation, accompanied by liturgical and spiritual reflections. This presentation and explanation of the new translation is accompanied by a series of liturgical and spiritual reflections.