The Liturgical Year: Volume IV - Septuagesima

The Liturgical Year #4

by Prosper Guéranger, Peter Holm (Editor), Eric Hamric (Editor)

The Liturgical Year is an essential addition to the library of any historian. It is a detailed written work, spanning 15 volumes, describing the depth and beauty of the liturgical year of the Catholic Church. The series was written by Dom Prosper Louis Pascal Guéranger, a French Benedictine priest and abbot of Solesmes, starting in 1841. In 1875, after writing nine volumes, Dom Guéranger, passed away. The remaining volumes of the series were later completed by another Benedictine monk under Dom Guéranger's name. This eye-opening series highlights the full span of the intricate and meaningful history of the Catholic Church for all to see. It details the traditions, celebrations, and liturgical practices of faithful Catholics throughout the liturgical year as they commemorate the life of Christ and His followers. Guéranger lays significant emphasis on the historical development of the liturgy in both Western and Eastern traditions, across multiple rites of the Mass. And he details how the Catholic tradition differs from the later Protestant traditions, established after 1517. Contained within the depths of Guéranger’s writings are the significances of each liturgical season, the holy days, and biographies of the saints with portions of the liturgies recited on their feast days. This is a must-have for any Christian historian or apologist who wishes to understand the foundation of European culture and the later years of Christendom. In this book you will get detailed writings - The History of Septuagesima - The Mystery of Septuagesima - The Practice during Septuagesima - The Proper of the Time (5th Sunday after Epiphany to Saturday after Ash Wednesday) - The Proper of the Saints (February 3 - March 10)

Genres: Nonfiction, Catholic

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1845

About the author

Dom Prosper Louis Pascal Guéranger, Servant of God, was a Benedictine priest, abbot of Solesmes Abbey (which he founded in the disused priory of Solesmes) and founder of the French Benedictine Congregation (now the Solesmes Congregation). Dom Guéranger was the author of The Liturgical Year, which covers every day of the Catholic Church's Liturgical Cycle in 15 volumes. He was well regarded by Pope Pius IX, and was a proponent of the dogmas of papal infallibility and the Immaculate Conception. Dom Guéranger is credited with reviving the Benedictine Order in France, and revitalizing the Tridentine Mass.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosper...

Reviews

[Raul]

As a Systems Engineer and a father, I tend to look for structure and "blueprints" in everything I do. Dom Guéranger’s fourth volume of The Liturgical Year provides exactly that for the spiritual life. While modern life often treats the weeks leading up to Lent as a throwaway "pre-season," Guéranger reveals the profound necessity of the Septuagesima cycle as a bridge between the joys of the Manger and the rigors of the Cross.

What makes this volume stand out is the masterful way it weaves together history, liturgy, and raw human experience. The sections on the "History of Septuagesima" are intellectually satisfying, explaining the numerical logic of the "70 days" as a spiritual exile in Babylon. However, it’s the "Practice" and "Meditations" that hit home. Guéranger doesn’t pull any punches; he presents the "unvarnished" reality of the Fall and the Deluge not as dusty historical footnotes, but as urgent mirrors for our own personal infidelities.

I particularly appreciated the deep dives into the lives of the "Apostolic" saints—like St. Titus and St. Simeon—which provide a grounded, heroic contrast to the more somber meditations on Adam and Eve. The prose is eloquent and "liturgically thick," yet surprisingly practical for anyone looking to "set their house in order" before Ash Wednesday.

If you are looking to move beyond a "surface-level" Lent and truly understand the "military service" of the Christian soul, this volume is an indispensable guide. It turns the "noisy distractions" of the world into a "cell of solitude," teaching you that the "Sword of the Spirit" is only sharpened when we finally accept our identity as "dust and ashes."

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable aid for a season that the modern Church has abandoned -- Septuagesima, or pre-Lent, which prepares us to have a thoughtful, focused Lent.

Dom Gueranger was a French priest and Benedictine monk (abbot of Solesmes Abbey) who wrote beautifully about Scripture, Church history, and her practices to help us to live out our faith. He died in 1875, but even now he's a spiritual father to many.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

reflections still relevant

These reflections on this liturgical season are still relevant today as human nature struggles with the same issues. Draws you to prepare for the Lenten season.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I had discovered this series years ago!!
Amazing!