What Is a Missal?
A missal is a book that contains all of the prayers said at the altar and all that is read or sung during Mass during the ecclesiastical year. Missals are used by both Catholics and Anglicans.
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Origin
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Missal originated in the Middle Ages. Originally there were multiple books that contained only what each priest needed for his part of the service since materials to make them were scarce.
Parts
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Missals are divided into two parts. The first part called the Ordinary of the Mass or Ordo Missae contains the parts of the mass that are said in every mass. The second part contains the parts of the mass that are specific to the season.
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Variations
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During the Middle Ages the missal was not standardized, and each diocese had its own variant. The Canon of the Mass was the same, but the prayers were frequently different.
Printing Press
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The printing press saw an explosion in the numbers of missals produced since they didn't have to be hand copied. Missals for England were printed in both England and France.
Evolution
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Missals evolved over time, for example the Sarum Missal had almost 70 different editions between 1487 and 1557. The Sarum Missal is a pre-Reformation missal of the English Church that was a major influence to the 1549 Book of Common Prayer.
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