What does a Catholic child see when he looks around a church—and what does it all mean?
An Alphabet of the Altar begins with the familiar simplicity of an alphabet book: A is for Altar, B for Bell, C for Chalice. But with every turn of the page, E. Vincent Wareing opens those familiar things into the larger world of the Faith. The altar leads to Sacrifice; the chalice to the Precious Blood; the sanctuary lamp to the Real Presence; the Missal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Before long, the alphabet has carried the child beyond the furnishings of the sanctuary into the mysteries and living realities of the Catholic Faith—and his own place in God's Kingdom.
And what pictures! Every letter is surrounded by an extraordinary wealth of Catholic imagery: angels and saints, priests and religious, churches and sacred vessels, scenes from the Mass and the life of Our Lord. Often the illustrations reveal more than the verse itself can say, helping children to see the heavenly realities hidden beneath the familiar things of Catholic life. Scripture passages woven throughout the designs quietly connect what they see at the altar with the Word of God.
By the time the alphabet reaches Y for “You” and Z for “Zeal,” the purpose becomes wonderfully clear. This has not simply been an alphabet of Catholic things. The child himself belongs within the world he has been exploring—and is called to love Christ, serve Him, and help further His Kingdom.
First published in 1927, this remarkable book is as much a work of Catholic art as a children's book. Our edition faithfully reproduces all of the original illustrations, printed in warm brown ink on heavy cream paper and bound in cloth with gold embossing to recapture as closely as possible the beauty and character of the original.
Beautiful enough for the coffee table, simple enough to share with a young child, and rich enough to discover something new on every page, An Alphabet of the Altar is a book children can grow into—and adults may find themselves lingering over long after story time is finished.
8.5" x 11" hardcover 48 pages
Read our blog post about how we brought this book back into print!