Catholic Worship

THE following little book is intended as a sequel to the published by its compiler many years ago in a cutechetical form, entitled 'The Order and Ceremonial of the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass explained in a Dialogue between a Priest and a Catechumen.' It will be found to contain a good deal of information already supplied by its predecessor; but the compiler has thought it better to risk the charge of superfluous repetition than to make constant references to a book which his readers might not have before them. It is hardly necessary to add that the present work, like that of which it forms the sequel, is intended, not for the direction of Priests or the information of experienced Catholics, but for the assistance of recent converts and non-Catholic inquirers. Though it presents what its compiler believes to be the most approved construction of the rubrics, his object has been that rather of exhibiting the general practice of the Church (except where otherwise noted) than of adjusting such practice with the proper standards. The care now bestowed in this country on the orderly conduct of Divine Worship goes far to supersede the necessity of any such adjustment. Two or three quotations have been made in the following pages from a volume of sacred poetry, lately published under the title of Lyra Liturgica. The object of that work 'was in many ways illustrative of the one now presented to the public; while not a little will be found in this manual which is illustrative of its poetical companion. By a comparison between these two works of one common author, the reader will at all events understand the light in which that author humbly conceives that the ceremonial provisions of the Church should be regarded; and thongh he docs not pretend that this light is the only true one, yet, in justice tn himself, and in the way of apology for so very mater of fact a treatise as the pre3ent. he thinks it but fair to ask that the technical and the meditative aspects of Ceremonial which he has thus tried to set forth should be used to explain one another.