Chapter 5 of the Introduction to the Season of Advent: On Hearing Mass During the Time of Advent, from Volume I of "The Liturgical Year" by Dom Prosper Guéranger.Chapter 5 of the introduction to the season of Advent presents Advent as a particularly grace-filled time for hearing Mass, urging the faithful to participate with deeper recollection and longing for Christ’s coming. Guéranger walks through the structure of the Mass step by step, explaining how each prayer, gesture, and ritual acts as an invitation to penance, expectation, and interior renewal. From the opening rites through the Offertory and into the Canon, the Church prepares her children for the mystery of the Incarnation made present on the altar, drawing them into the reverent silence in which the Word descends. The faithful are encouraged to unite their intentions with the priest’s, pray for the living and the dead, and make acts of humility and desire that dispose their souls for Communion. Throughout, the chapter stresses that Advent Mass is both a memorial of Christ’s first coming and a preparation for His future coming, forming hearts to receive Him with greater purity, gratitude, and hope.Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805–1875) was a French Benedictine monk, liturgical scholar, and founder of the Solesmes Abbey, renowned for his pivotal role in reviving the Benedictine Order in France and restoring the Roman liturgy after the disruptions of the French Revolution. Born in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, he entered the priesthood in 1827 and, inspired by a vision to restore monastic life, reestablished the Benedictine community at Solesmes in 1833, becoming its first abbot. A staunch defender of ultramontanism and traditional Catholic worship, he also championed the revival of Gregorian chant, significantly influencing the liturgical renewal movement.Please note: The entries of the Liturgical Year are primarily authored by Dom Prosper Guéranger, but occasionally contain editors’ additions of subsequent information and events that are relevant to the given feast.Link to the Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year playlist (updated daily, unless a Ferial day): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKdyYnV_bkh7rH6piW0ShgsdcefFoOvJ