The Mass of the Early Christians

Inthis remarkable bookauthor Mike Aquilina reveals the Church’s most ancient Eucharistic beliefs and practices. Using the words of the early Christians themselves – from many documents and inscriptions – Aquilina traces the Mass’s history from Jesus’ lifetime through the fourth century. The Mass stood at the center of the Church’s life, evident in the Scriptures as well as the earliest Christian sermons, letters, artwork, tombstones, and architecture. Even the pagans bore witness to the Mass in the records of their persecutions. In these legacies from the early Church, you’ll hear and “taste and see” the same worship Catholics know the altar, the priests, the chalice of wine, the bread, the Sign of the Cross … the “Lord, have mercy”… the “Holy, holy, holy”… and the Communion. You’ll see vividly how Jesus followed through on his promise to be with us always, until the end