Review: Angelus Press 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Top to Bottom: Angelus Press EF Missal, MTF OF Missal,
Baronius Press EF Missal

Over the years, I have attended the Extraordinary Form of the Mass on probably a little under a dozen occasions.  I happen to live in an area where there are a number of options each weekday and Sunday for the EF.  One of the things I enjoy doing, particularly before Mass, is to see what Missal is the most popular in the congregation.  By far, at least in the EF Masses I have attended, the Missal I have seen most often is the Angelus Press 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal.  And since I know that there are at least a couple people who read this blog and attend the EF, I contacted Angelus Press to see if I could obtain a review copy of their 1962 Missal.  They graciously accepted that offer.  I am happy to post some of my random thoughts and photos of this Missal after having spent some time with it.  All of these observations come from someone who is a bit of an outsider to the Extraordinary Form, one who will likely only attend on occasion.  When I do attend the EF, this Missal will certainly accompany me and be an exceptional aid to participating in the Mass.

One of the things I have noticed in many of the pre-Vatican II missals that I have seen is that they are true works of art.  They typically have a classic look and feel to them, along with being accompanied with many beautifully rendered images.  This missal is no exception.  The total page count is 1980 (not counting the endpages) and the size is 6.75 x 4.2.  It fits very well in the hand, and in many ways I prefer the size and feel of the Angelus Press missal to the Baronius missal, even though they are very similar.

Note the extensive introduction

The volume is smythe sewn, which should be mandatory for not only Missals but every Catholic bible (in leather) that is produced.  This will ensure that it will last, which for something as personal as a daily missal, is a necessity.  One of the things I treasure most is an Italian language prayer book/missal which was brought to the United States by one of my relatives.  It is over 100 years old now but remains in great shape due to it being sewn.  I think about it often as I, myself, have young children.  What better gift to pass down to a son or daughter than a well-made missal or bible, that has been lovingly used and prayed with by a parent?   The smythe sewn binding is very firm and tight.  At first, it may seem to be a bit too tight, at least in comparison to, say, the Baronius 1962 Missal. Over the time I have used it, it has loosened up a bit and isn't really an issue.  In regards to the cover, it is a leather-like Skivertex polymer gold-embossed flexible cover.  Like the binding, it is a bit stiff at first.  It will soften a bit over time.  There are five liturgically colored ribbons which fit the needs for the occasional flipping that any daily missal (EF or OF) makes necessary.  To round out the ascetic quality of this volume, it comes with gilt edges which are also rounded.  (For some reason, I particularly like the feel of rounded edges on my higher quality book.)  

Angelus Press edition on top

When you open the missal, the first thing that will strike you is that the color of the page is a bit yellow-ish.  When you compare it to the Baronius Missal, the differences become quite evident.  This will be, perhaps, the biggest issue one will have to decide on if they are deciding between the two.  Depending on the type of lighting there is at your local EF parish may ultimately be what decides it for you.  After using it on a couple of occasions, I have found that I'm quite ok with the Angelus Press (yellow-ish) pages.  It was not an issue for me in any way at Mass.  The lighting in the church where I attended the EF wasn't particularly great, but I still had no issue reading along with the Mass parts.  

This is an new typesetting and not a photographic reproduction, which was often the case before release of Summorum Pontificum.  All the liturgical texts are in Latin and English, with the biblical texts coming from the venerable Douay-Rheims (Challoner) translation.  The words are in black, with the rubrics being in a the traditional red.  The liturgical text is that of the 1962 typical edition of the Missale Romanum. The liturgical calendar is keyed to that edition and it includes the revised Holy Week Liturgy of 1962.  The Latin is found on the inside of the page, slightly smaller than the English.  This edition contains plenty of commentary and explanations to help the person who is new to EF utilize this Missal.  

Note the commentary on the right side of
the page

One of the most helpful additions to this Missal, particularly as one who does not attend the EF every week, are the inclusion of the commentaries that are found on the right side of the page in Ordinary of the Mass section.  As one who has attended the OF all my life, I learned a number of things which has enlightened my appreciation of both forms of the Mass.  

Angelus Press notes that this is the "most complete missal ever."  If you to their website, they list the additional features that this missal contains.  It is quite extensive.  Contained in this missal are plenty of prayers and devotions which one could use outside of Mass throughout the liturgical year.  As one who has used the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the past, I was grateful to see that they included Vespers and Compline for Sundays from the traditional office.  While I don't mind the repetition of the Little Office, it is certainly nice to be able to change things up a bit once a week on Sundays.  (They also included Vespers for parts of the Triduum as well in this edition.) This, of course, reminds me that Angelus Press has a lovely Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary in paperback, which includes the Office of the Dead and is very readable.  That, with their 1962 Missal, would make a great pair for daily prayer.

Overall, I am very pleased with this Missal by Angelus Press and encourage those who attend the EF to consider it when looking for a Missal.  In comparison with any missal that is currently available for the OF, I find that the Midwest Theological Forum Daily Roman Missal comes the closest to it in quality.  Yet, I really enjoy the format and feel of the Angelus Press version considerably more, as well as finding it to be more helpful in the additional prayer resources are included in it.  

Thank you, again, to Angelus Press for providing this review copy in exchange for an honest review. 

N.B. If anyone is interested in obtaining a very good edition of various editions of the 1962 Missal, please email me.  I have obtained a few additional copies and would be happy to part with them for a reasonable offer.

Vespers for Sundays

A Review: 2 Little Offices of the Blessed Virgin Mary

I have mentioned before on this blog that one of my favorite devotions is The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  There are a number of things that have attracted me to this liturgy of the Church over the years.  First, the history of this office goes back many centuries, some say even back to the 8th century.  Even though the Little Office has certainly changed over the years, I love the fact that there is this connection to the medieval Church.  Secondly, it is an office in honor of Our Lady.  Devotional to the Blessed Virgin has been an important part of my spiritual life since I started to take my faith seriously.  With my wife and I praying a family rosary every Sunday night, I have found that this office is a great aid during the rest of the week.  Those who have a strong devotion to Our Lady will find the Little Office to be quite powerful.  Third, I love praying the Psalms, in particular the gradual Psalms (or Psalms of Ascent).  The daytime Psalms for the Little Office are centered around those Psalms, which I always find a great comfort when I read them in the middle of the day.  Fourth, this office is simple and compact.  It fits easily in my bag for work or even into my pocket if necessary.  Because there isn't much in the way of variation each day, unlike the older full Breviary or even more so in the newer Liturgy of the Hours, many, including myself, enjoy the comfort of hearing the same prayers and Psalms each day.  I have prayed both of the full and shorter breviaries in the past, but I find myself attracted to the Little Office.  Perhaps that has to do with my state in life, married with two (soon to be three) children, as well as two teaching jobs.  Finally, I love having the Latin and the English side by side.  It is great to be able to pray in both languages.

Baronius Press, back in 2007, were the first to re-publish the Little Office.  Since then, it has gone through four different printings.  As usual, the quality of the edition is top-notch, with a blue leather "flexible" (with boards) cover and a sewn binding.  Two ribbons are added to make flipping through this small office quite easy.  It looks and feels great, and it will certainly last a lifetime.  Baronius recently sent me a review copy (4th printing), which thankfully will replace my older copy.  My original edition was used lovingly and often to the point that I had it outside while it was raining, which ended up marking up the gold gilding.  Yet, it remains quite readable and sturdy, with no issues with the binding or the leather cover.  (Although you can see some finger-print marks at the bottom of each page.)  This newer edition comes with a 2011 nihil obstat/imprimatur and is in conformity with Pope Emeritus Benedict's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.   There is a short introduction along with an over 50 page appendix with articles explaining the Little Office.  The appendix also includes the older liturgical calendar, various Marian prayers, and a short article on indulgences related to this prayer.  There are also commemorations of St. Joseph and the Saints, which can be added to Lauds and Vespers for additional variety on these feast days and solemnities. Content is the same between the four editions, although the earlier editions had some typos that have been fixed in subsequent editions.  The Baronius Little Office has the English and Latin on the same page, which makes it easy to pray using both languages.  In addition, this Little Office contains the complete Gregorian Chant for praying all the hours.  

Angelus Press recently published their own edition of the Little Office.  Like the Baronius edition, it comes in a very compact 4" x 5" size.  Unlike Baronius, it is a soft paperback cover, with glued binding.  Both editions are completely re-typeset, which means they are not facsimiles.  This edition, instead of having both the English and Latin on the same page, places the English and Latin on facing pages.  This may be more beneficial to those who need a larger print or prefer that type of format.  The great advantage to getting this edition is that it includes the Matins, Lauds, and Vespers for the Office of the Dead.  I prayed this a couple days back for All Souls and appreciated the different antiphons, Psalms, and collects which are absent in the Baronius edition, since it only has the Little Office.  Each office has the various seasonal antiphon options before and after their respective Psalm or the Benedictus/Magnificat/Nunc Dimittis, thus there is no need for ribbons or flipping through to a different section of the book.  (The Baronius has the different seasonal antiphons in collected together after the "ordinary time" office.)  I noticed that while the translation of the antiphons are similar between the two editions, the Psalms are slightly different.  They both come from a translation of the Vulgate, but there are some minor differences.   (Perhaps one was done from the New Latin Psalter?)

I really like both of these editions.  I have used the Baronius one for at least four years, so I am much more familiar with it.  The Angelus Press version, I think, would be a good option for those who are not sure if they want to commit to this devotion, but are more interested in trying it out.  I would also say that if you have bad vision, the Angelus Press one would be much easier to read.  One of its other great strengths is that it contains the Office for the Dead.  On the other hand, if you want a much fuller edition of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary and you plan on using it daily, the Baronius edition is probably the one you want to go with.  It has the look and feel of a book that will be your constant prayer companion for years to come.  It also has more information about the Little Office, itself, along with the added section of Gregorian Chant.  I will continue to use the Baronius Press Little Office on a daily basis, supplemented by the Angelus Press one on days I wish to pray the Office of the Dead.  Both editions are affordable, with the Angelus Press one listed for $19.95 and the one from Baronius Press for $29.95.

I would like to thank both Baronius Press and Angelus Press for each providing a review copy of their edition of the Little Office.  Please make sure to support both publishers.