The Liturgical Year: Volume VI - Passiontide and Holy Week

The Liturgical Year #6

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 Passiontide and Holy Week - The Mystery of Passiontide and Holy Week - The Practice during Passiontide and Holy Week - The Proper of the Time (Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday)

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2012

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Volume V is the desert journey of Lent, Volume VI is the climax of the entire liturgical drama. In this volume, Dom Guéranger rises to his greatest heights as a spiritual guide, walking the reader step-by-step through the most sacred days of the Christian calendar.

Guéranger’s genius lies in his ability to make the Passion of Christ feel immediate and contemporary. He doesn’t merely recount historical events; he invites the reader to stand in the crowds on Palm Sunday, to sit at the table of the Last Supper, and to keep watch at the foot of the Cross on Good Friday. His commentary on the Tenebrae services and the Adoration of the Cross is particularly moving, stripping away academic coldness to reveal the raw, pulsing heart of the Church’s grief and love.

This volume is more than a book; it is a liturgical retreat. Guéranger’s deep knowledge of ancient rites—from the Gallican to the Roman—provides a rich tapestry of prayer that anchors the soul during the "Great Week." For anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the complexity of Holy Week, Guéranger provides a clear, beautiful, and profoundly transformative map to the Resurrection. It is, quite simply, the definitive companion for the most important week of the year.