missaal

A missal is a liturgical book containing the prayers, chants, and instructions for the celebration of Mass in the Roman Catholic Church, and in some other Western Christian denominations. The word "missal" comes from the Latin word "missale," meaning "missionary's book," or "book for the mission." It contains the liturgical texts for each day of the year, organized by liturgical season and feast day.

Historically, missals were compiled by individual dioceses or religious orders, leading to variations in content. The Council of Trent, in the 16th century, led to the standardization of the Roman Missal, which became the basis for most subsequent editions. The most recent significant revision occurred after the Second Vatican Council, resulting in the current Roman Missal, first published in its definitive Latin edition in 2002.

A typical missal includes the Order of Mass, which outlines the structure of the liturgy, including the introductory rites, the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of the Eucharist, and the concluding rites. It also contains the proper prayers for each day, such as the collect, prayer over the offerings, and prayer after communion, as well as the readings from Scripture and the chants. Different editions of the missal may exist for various liturgical uses, such as a missal for bishops or a missal for special celebrations.