The Mass Explained to Children

This is a reprint of a 1933 classic, The Mass Explained to Children. This book saw many printings in the days before the auto-demolition of the Church, and we owe Angelico Press a debt of gratitude for reprinting it as a handsome and affordable paperback, now that so many in the Church are worshiping once again in the classical Roman Rite, for which Montessori obviously wrote this and all her other books on the liturgy. In its pages we find Montessori's remarkable gift for explaining objects, movements, texts, and other signs to children in a way they can relate to, bolstered by her conviction that children have a capacity for wonder, symbolism, and sacred action that most adult educators leave entirely untapped.Montessori explains in her Preface that this book is not meant to be used at Mass, but before Mass, to help prepare children to understand what they will be seeing and hearing and doing. It serves that catechetical purpose admirably. It strikes me as an ideal religion text for somewhere in the grammar school years, depending on the aptitude of a given child.

I'm reading this book with my 7 year old as he prepares for First Communion next year. It is so well written and easy to understand, and I am also learning so much that I didn't know about the Mass! My son has looked forward to Mass each week to see things he has learned about in this book. We attend a diocesan Latin Mass, so it is nice to find a book for children that is more geared toward that Mass. However, I grew up attending the Novus Ordo Mass and believe it would have applied there as well.

I should have returned the book. There’s a lot of reading and limited illustrations. The reading is too extensive for an elementary school aged child. A parent will have to read this book to their child. I ended up buying The Illustrated Mass instead for my almost 7 year old daughter because it’s in “comic book” format, which is perfect for her because she loves reading comics like Calvin and Hobbes.

This book is intended to be a resource for parents who want to teach their children about the Mass, but I think it's useful for anybody who would like a concise but beautiful overview of theTraditional Latin Mass. It's clear that Maria Montessori loved her Faith, and I'm so greatful that she was able to use her educational gifts to share it in such a simple and knowledgeable way. This book will open your eyes to the profound meaning and symbolism behind the various items, gestures, and prayers that are used during the sacrifice of the Mass.

MUST HAVE FOR ALL CHILDREN. WE LOVE IT

Such a great book, Dr Montessori was amazing and she does a beautiful job of explaining such an integral and beautiful thing in the Catholic faith.

As someone new to traditional Latin mass, I got this for myself. I needed to start from the basics and learn as a child would. So far so good! Pretty easy to understand and makes me more excited about TLM.

One of my daughters had searched for years to find this book for my grandchildren, and it was such a blessing to find it here on Amazon. A wonderful book by the renowned Catholic educator, Maria Montessori, explaining the Traditional Latin Mass to children. It arrived in perfect condition and with great joy.

It’s a good book, with enough practical language for a parent to use as a guide for their children to reference between the mass and the Catechism. The print is somewhat off-centred, but is alright overall, and will not inhibit one’s reading pleasure.

Simple enough for my seven year old to read and the illustrations are brilliant! We are going to read a little each night to the younger ones too.

Essential reading for those who love the Mass and want to help children understand it better.

VERY HELPFUL LITTLE BOOK