The Liturgical Year, Vol. 7: Paschal Time, Vol. I

The Liturgical Year #7

by Prosper Guéranger

Covers Easter to the end of the Octave.

376 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 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

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dom Prosper Guéranger was a name familiar to me, not easily forgotten once heard. But I never knowingly read his works, though he is quoted by good Catholic writers. Recently an article called, The History of Pascal tide so fascinated me I had to know more. I checked out and found his individual volumes available on Kindle for $1.50 or so each. (The complete set of his fifteen Volume Liturgical Year—sadly not finished—is considerably more.)

This volume covers just one week. There were many interesting things I learned from it. For example, yesterday, known as Divine Mercy Sunday to us now, was known then as Quasimodo Sunday for the first words from Introit, referring to the new catechumens just come into the church Easter Sunday. The hunchback of Notre Dame was named after that Sunday because that is when he was abandoned on the cathedral’s doorsteps.

I have finished this first volume, with considerable skimming. On to the next, to which I hope to do much more justice to.

[Raul · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the previous volumes were a journey through the "vale of tears," Volume VII is a radiant homecoming. Dom Guéranger captures the triumphant spirit of the Resurrection with a theological depth and poetic beauty that is unmatched. This isn't just a book of rubrics or history; it is a profound spiritual immersion into the "Feast of Feasts."

Guéranger’s genius shines particularly bright in this volume as he explains the "Eighth Day" and the transition from the Old Law to the New. His daily meditations—from the intimate encounter at Emmaus to the majesty of the Great Commission—transform the reader from a mere spectator into a participant in the Risen Life.

The historical details regarding the Quartodeciman controversy and the ancient rites of the Neophytes (the newly baptized) provide a rich, scholarly backbone to what is, at its core, a work of burning devotion. For anyone who has ever felt that the joy of Easter Sunday fades too quickly, this book is the perfect remedy. It teaches you how to sustain the "Alleluia" in your heart for the entire fifty days. A transformative, essential read for any serious spiritual library.