Books used for the performance of the liturgies or services of the Christian rites. In the Roman Catholic rite, there are seven books: the missale (missal) contains texts for the Mass without musical notation; the graduale (gradual, Antiphonale missarum for early graduals) chants of the Proper and Ordinary of the Mass; the breviarium (breviary) texts for the Divine Office; the antiphonale or antiphonarium (antiphoner) chants for the Office, except Matins; the martirologium (martyrology) the lives of the saints; the pontificale (pontifical) the ceremonies performed by a bishop; and the rituale ceremonies performed by a priest in the administration of sacraments. Other modern books include the Kyriale, containing the chants of the Ordinary; the Vesperale, with Vespers and sometimes Compline; and the Liber usualis. The Liber responsorialis includes chants, particularly responsories, for Matins, and the Processionale monasticum chants for processions before Mass. Both are used in monastic communities.
Books used in the Middle Ages include the sacramentary, with prayers for Mass; the lectionary, with lessons for Mass; the evangeliarium, with the Gospel readings for Mass; the ordinal, describing the order and procedures of the liturgy; and the cantarium, with the gradual allelluia chants and tract of the Mass.
