Enter into the joy of Easter and experience the first great days of Paschal Time through the prayer and tradition of the Catholic Church.
Volume 7 of Dom Prosper Guéranger’s monumental The Liturgical Year begins the three-volume section devoted to Paschal Time, opening with the triumph of Easter Sunday and carrying the reader through the Easter Octave and its immediate aftermath.
Dom Guéranger begins by explaining the history, mystery, and spiritual character of the Easter season—showing how the Resurrection is not merely one feast among many, but the central victory around which the entire Christian year revolves. He then guides the reader into the Church’s liturgy day by day, helping explain the prayers, ceremonies, Scripture readings, and spiritual themes that unfold during the first days of Easter.
Readers will explore:
- The history and development of Paschal Time
- The spiritual mystery and meaning of Easter
- Traditional practices for living the Easter season
- Morning and evening prayers during Paschal Time
- Guidance for assisting at Mass and receiving Holy Communion
- Vespers and Compline during the Easter season
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Easter Sunday, including Matins, Lauds, Mass, and Vespers
- Easter Monday through Easter Saturday
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The ancient Blessing of the Agnus Dei
- The traditional ceremonies marking the close of Easter Week
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Quasimodo Sunday, also known as Low Sunday
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The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary when it occurs within this portion of the liturgical cycle
A major focus of the volume is the Easter Octave, when the Church continues to celebrate the Resurrection with extraordinary solemnity for eight days. Dom Guéranger explains the ancient liturgical practices surrounding these days, including the traditions associated with the newly baptized and the distinctive Masses and prayers assigned to each day.
Rather than allowing Easter to end after a single Sunday, this volume reveals the older Catholic understanding of Easter as the beginning of an extended season of joy.
Dom Guéranger connects the Resurrection to the entire mystery of redemption: Christ’s victory over death, the liberation of souls, baptism and new life, the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and the hope of eternal resurrection for every Christian.
His commentary draws together Scripture, Catholic doctrine, Church history, ancient hymns, liturgical texts, and devotional meditation, allowing the reader to experience the Easter liturgy with far greater understanding.
The Liturgical Year was written to help Catholics unite themselves more closely to the prayer of the Church throughout the year. Volume 7: Paschal Time I is especially valuable for anyone who wants to experience Easter not simply as a feast day, but as the beginning of the Church’s great season of resurrection and joy.
By: Dom Prosper Guéranger, O.S.B.
Translated by: Dom Laurence Shepherd, O.S.B.
Series: The Liturgical Year, Volume 7 of 15
Season: Paschal Time — Book I
