Have you ever done something repeatedly and it gets to the point that you do it without putting too much thought into it? This was the thinking I had when I picked up a copy of the book A Simple Explanation of the Mass at the end of a Mass I attended at my Catholic church.

As someone who embraces the term “practicing Catholic,” I certainly don’t pretend to be a religious scholar. That being said, I went through traditional religious education (aka CCD) as a youth, and I should already know everything in this book, right?

As I read through this short yet encompassing book, I had a few takeaways.

Reminded of the Smaller Details – From the origins of some prayers to some of the things the priest says in the course of the Mass that the congregation may not hear, there were several reminders or refreshers on some of the things that are important in a Mass but can be easily overlooked.

More than a Commentary – The subtitle of this book, by Catholic priest Fr. Eamon Tobin, is “A Step-by-Step Commentary on Each Part of the Mass and The Seasons of the Liturgical Year.” Where there is some opinion throughout the book, I say this is more of an explanation and guide to the Catholic Mass. Sports books I have read and shared takeaways from here at The Hot Iron tend to be more commentary than this work.

A Good Explanation and Guide – I was pleased with the format and flow of the book, first walking through the elements of the Mass from beginning to end, then the liturgical calendar for the Catholic Church. Where I of course learned all of this over my many years, I don’t recall it in such a well-structured format.

Whether you’re a Christmas and Easter Catholic or someone who is there every Sunday – or someplace in between as I am – you will find A Simple Explanation of the Mass a good read and refresher of what you, like me, may be taking for granted. As I pass along all books I read, I am going to drop this off in a new Little Free Library that is in my neighborhood. Perhaps this will shed some enlightenment on someone as it did for me.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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