Missalen

Missalen, known in English as missals, are liturgical books that contain the texts, prayers, and rubrics needed to celebrate the Mass in various Christian rites. The term comes from Latin missale, from missa, the dismissal at the end of Mass. In Dutch, missaal plural is missalen, reflecting its usage in Dutch-speaking contexts.

A missal typically includes the Ordo Missae (the order of the Mass), the Eucharistic prayers and the Canon, prayers used at the Offertory and Communion, and the proper prayers and readings for specific days and feasts. In many editions the readings (the lectionary) are printed in the same volume, though in other contexts the readings may appear in a separate book. The missal also contains rubrics that guide the celebrant’s actions, gestures, and responses of the congregation.

Historically, missals developed from sacramentaries, which contained only the prayers spoken by the presiding priest, and from early lectionaries that carried scriptural readings. The Roman Missal, in its consolidated form, became standard in the Latin Rite, with later revisions following the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Modern missals commonly present texts in Latin alongside vernacular translations, and they may be produced for use by priests, deacons, or lay readers.

While most closely associated with the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, missals or equivalent liturgical books are used in various rites and churches, including Anglican and some Lutheran traditions, each with its own version and arrangement of texts.

See also: Missal, Lectionary, Eucharistic Prayer.