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This exhibit presents illustrations of Canon Missae from catholic liturgical books from various periods.

"Canon (Canon Missæ, Canon Actionis) is the name used in the Roman Missal for the fundamental part of the Mass that comes after the Offertory and before the Communion. The old distinction, in all liturgies, is between the Mass of the Catechumens (the litanies, lessons from the Bible, and collects) and the Mass of the Faithful (the Offertory of the gifts to be consecrated,Consecration prayer,  Communion, and dismissal) The name Canon (kanon) means a norm or rule; and it is used for various objects, such as the Canon of Holy Scripture, canons of Councils, the official list of saintes' names (whence "canonisation"), and the canon or list of clerks who serve a certain church, from which they themselves are called canons (canonici). Catholic Encyclopedia)"

The canon is also a wonderful piece of art.

The Canon is a mosaic of spiritual art. It is a mosaic historically: apostles and martyrs, the Roman pontiffs with the Fathers of the Church, have contributed colors, figures, ideas, and prayers. The Canon is a mosaic of Scripture texts selected from the Old and the New Testament, which make it a comprehensive picture of God’s revelation about the Eucharistic sacrifice. Canon is a mosaic of the classic period of this early Christian art: the same motives are found in the Canon as in the mosaics of Rome and Ravenna.