Tomorrow, January 30, 2025, will be the 150th anniversary of the death of Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875), who founded the congregation of Solesmes, to which Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey belongs. This monk fed from the heart of the Christian life—the liturgy—and both explained liturgical spirituality in his most famous work, The Liturgical Year, and initiated the study of the Church’s liturgical chant, which led Solesmes to bear much fruit.

We can scarcely do any better than share the first few paragraphs from the General Introduction of the Liturgical Year:
Prayer is man’s richest boon. It is his light, his nourishment, and his very life, for it brings him into communication with God, who is light, nourishment, and life. But of ourselves we know not what we should pray for as we ought; we must needs, therefore, address ourselves to Jesus Christ, and say to Him as the apostles did: ‘Lord, teach us how to pray.’ He alone can make the dumb speak, and give eloquence to the mouths of children; and this prodigy He effects by sending His Spirit of grace and of prayers, who delights in helping our infirmity, asking for us with unspeakable groanings.
Now it is in the holy Church that this divine Spirit dwells. He came down to her as an impetuous wind, and manifested Himself to her under the expressive symbol of tongues of fire. Ever since that day of Pentecost, He has dwelt in this His favoured bride. He is the principle of everything that is in her. He it is that prompts her prayers, her desires, her canticles of praise, her enthusiasm, and even her mourning. Hence her prayer is as uninterrupted as her existence. Day and night is her voice sounding sweetly in the ear of her divine Spouse, and her words are ever finding a welcome in His Heart.
At one time, under the impulse of that Spirit, who animated the admirable psalmist and the prophets, she takes the subject of her canticles from the Books of the old Testament; at another, showing herself to be the daughter and sister of the holy apostles, she intones the canticles written in the Books of the new Covenant; and finally, remembering that she, too, has had given to her the trumpet and harp, she at times gives way to the Spirit who animates her, and sings her own new canticle. From these three sources comes the divine element which we call the liturgy.
You can read more about Dom Guéranger from Father Abbot in his letter, “The Unequaled Liturgist” here.