This 18-movement work marked Messiaen's return to the organ after nearly a decade of absence. A commission from the American Guild of Organists, the Livre du Saint Sacrement is a huge work, approximately two hours in duration—Messiaen is said to have been apologetic about the length—and is deeply religious. As musicologist Gillian Weir notes, the work is based on a theological plan: the first four movements are "acts of adoration before Christ," the next seven describe Christ's life, and the final seven refer to transubstantiation and Communion. The Livre du Saint Sacrement, true to form for Messiaen, contains birdsong, plainchant melodies, mixtures of tonal and modal material, chromatic harmonies, and wide, angular lines. The music is also profoundly descriptive and evocative—particularly as Messiaen narrates the life of Christ, from the gentle Nativity scene to the fierce fortissimo representation of the Resurrection. The more abstract final movements are carefully colored and structured to illustrate Christ's presence in the event of Communion.

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