To an unaccustomed eye, the Ritual of the Holy Sacrifice might appear very intricate and bewildering, a long tissue of prayers and ceremonies. This, however, will not be so, if we take some little pains to learn the meaning of such prayers and ceremonies. The Council of Trent insistently urges the necessity of the Faithful being instructed in all that concerns the Holy Sacrifice, and requires the priest to explain it to them (Sess. XXII., c. viii.).
A chapter, therefore, must be devoted to the subject of the Ceremonies, Prayers, and other portions of the Mass. It is a point of great importance that the Faithful should have a clear understanding of what goes on at the Altar during the Holy Sacrifice, so that the intellect being enlightened, the heart may be inflamed with love towards God for the Sacred Mysteries enacted in our midst. No deep research or learning is required in the bulk of the Faithful nor is the writer qualified to give them. But in accordance with the title of this little work, simple explanations and developments may be here presented to the reader, to complete what has been said above, to enable him to take an intelligent interest in what he sees, and so be able to give some reason for the faith that is in him, and, when asked a question on the subject, give a satisfying answer.
During the early persecutions, the Church spent weary years in weaving together the present web of the Sacred Liturgy, whereby to surround the Divine Mysteries with becoming stateliness and splendour. She evolved the rite of Holy Mass, as we know it today, in all its essential features, so that outward signs and ceremonies might speak to the inward sense. In lessons taken from Holy Writ, she poured out her heart in praise and prayer, inspired utterances recurring in her services, “like gems threaded on a golden cord.” The Liturgy, the full service of God, satisfies the highest aspirations of the heart. It leads us on from the full confession of sin at the foot of the Altar, through the ceremonious singing of Epistle and Gospel, Creed and Preface, to the thrilling climax of the Consecration. “Then all the people together made haste and fell down to the earth upon their faces, to adore the Lord their God, and to pray to the Almighty God the most High” (Ecclesiasticus 1:19).
The Chapter devoted to this explanation must necessarily be somewhat long, hence it may be well to divide it into four parts, corresponding with the fourfold division already made above. It must be premised that Solemn High Mass, with ministers and choir, is the standard on which the rubrics are based. Thus, High Mass is not simply a Low Mass with ceremonies added, but rather is Low Mass the Liturgy shorn of its splendour and stately ceremonial. In the early Church, scarcely any but High Mass was known, hence its being the Church’s standard, when dealing with the question of ceremonies.
Preparation – From the Beginning down to the Creed
When the priest is vested and ready to say Mass, he proceeds with chalice in hand from the Vestry to the Altar, where he genuflects, or bows profoundly, according as the Blessed Sacrament is, or is not, present thereon. Genuflection implies an exterior act of respect and humility, very favourable to the spirit of prayer and penance, which bowing, in its own measure, also signifies; in the latter half of the Mass, both are frequent. He then ascends the step, arranges the chalice, and opens the Missal at the required place. He returns once more to the foot of the Altar to humble himself before God, as His unworthy minister, and begins Mass by making on himself the Sign of the Cross, invoking the most Holy Trinity in the usual form of words.
The Sign of the Cross is of very ancient use in the Church, probably going back even to the days of the Apostles, and some assert that Our Lord Himself used it to bless them, as He rose in the air and ascended into Heaven. It is made some fifty times over during the Holy Sacrifice, and is frequently used in the administration of the Sacraments, and in all the Church’s blessings, excepting that of the Paschal Candle. An indulgence of fifty days may be gained by making it devoutly on ourselves, and saying the words as we do so. We should endeavour, therefore, to make it thoughtfully and with reverence; it will then help to enliven our faith, strengthen our hope, and nourish our charity and love of God; especially should we make it in time of trial or temptation, for the Devil was overcome by the Cross, hence he fears it greatly, and is put to flight by its use.
The words that accompany the making of the Sign were spoken by Our Lord Himself, as given at the end of Saint Matthew’s Gospel, 28:19. They give us an accurate description of the Holy Trinity, one God in three Divine Persons. It is quite congruous and becoming to make here the Sign of the Cross, and invoke the three Holy Persons, for the Mass is a memorial of Calvary, and gives to the ever Blessed Trinity more glory and praise than any other act of Religion.
The Amen (“be it so”) that follows is a Hebrew word expressing a desire that our prayers may be heard in God’s name. On the Cross of Calvary, whereon Our Lord died, Pilate wrote a title: “The writing was Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews … and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin” (John 19:19,20). This is the origin of the letters we often find on a crucifix: I.N. R.I.
Now, the same three languages are found also in the Mass, and thus we have at the very outset another reminder of the Sacrifice of the Cross.
The Hebrew is represented by this word Amen, so frequently used throughout, from beginning to end. Other Hebrew words are Cherubim, Seraphim, Sabaoth, Hosanna, and the frequent Alleluia.
The Greek is represented by the Kyrie and Christe, eleison; and
The Latin, by the rest of the Liturgy, at least in the Western Church.
After this beginning, the Priest and Server recite alternately the verses of the forty-second psalm of King David, Judica me, Deus. It is a psalm of gladness and joyful longing, expressing the desire of the royal prophet for the Altar and Temple of God, a desire that should animate the priest in like manner, as he stands at the foot of the Altar, like the Publican in the Temple, yet full of confidence and hope. This psalm is omitted in Masses of the Dead, and during Passiontide, as being unsuitable to such occasions of grief and penance, while some Religious Orders never say it at all.
The psalm ends with the Gloria Patri. The first part of it is supposed to have been framed by the Apostles, while the other part dates probably from the Council of Nicea, held a.d. 325, in condemnation of Arius, who taught that the Son was not from the beginning, nor equal in all things to the Father. This Doxology, as it is called, terminates nearly all the psalms, as used in the Divine Office, and should be said with head bowed down and in all reverence, as an act of faith in the dogma of the Blessed Trinity.
Then the priest recites the Confiteor – the “I confess,” acknowledging his sinfulness before God and His Saints, and His unworthiness to approach the Altar; he asks pardon of his offences, which is one of the ends, of sacrifice, and he also begs the Saints to pray to God for him for that purpose. Here we have a distinct profession of faith in that consoling doctrine of the Church, the Communion of Saints, whereby we of the Church Militant on earth can appeal to the members of the Church Triumphant in Heaven for the help of their prayers in our behalf. Such invocation is authorised in many places of Holy Writ, both in the Old Testament and the New. While saying the Confiteor, (which has been in use from the eighth century,) the priest profoundly bows his body, and strikes his breast thrice, imitating the humble Publican, who “would not so much as lift up his eyes towards Heaven, but struck his breast saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Confession of sin always preceded sacrifice, even in the Old Law.
Then the Server repeats the Conjiteor, for and in the name of the Faithful; it must always be remembered that the Server throughout represents the Congregation present at the Mass.
A few ejaculatory prayers follow, the last of which is Dominus vobiscum, ” The Lord be with you,” an expression that occurs several times during the course of the Mass; this is the first greeting of the priest to the people, wishing them the grace and blessing of God. It is the same as is found in the Book of Ruth 2:4: “Booz said to the reapers: the Lord be with you; and they answered him: the Lord bless thee.” Through the Server the people reply, Et cum spiritu tuo, “and with thy spirit,” O priest – an expression taken from the second epistle of Saint Paul to Timothy 4:22 – a mutual salutation between priest and people.
Then the priest slowly goes up to the Altar, earnestly praying, as he does so, that God would purify his heart and make him worthy to enter the Holy of Holies. He next bows down and kisses the Altar, which symbolizes Jesus Christ, as an act of love and reverence towards Him and the relics of the Martyrs, which, as we have seen, must always be found there.
Proceeding now to the Epistle side, he reads from the Missal what is called the Introit, or entrance, to the Mass, all that has gone before being taken as the introduction thereto. The Introit usually consists of a passage from Holy Scripture. This was formerly followed by one of the psalms, but, when the prayers of the Mass were shortened, the first verse only of the psalm was retained, concluding with the Gloria Patri, after which the Introit is repeated, as a sort of antiphon to the psalm. In Masses for the Dead, etc., the Gloria Patri is always omitted, its tone being one of gladness and joy.
Formerly, the Kyrie, eleison was said at the Epistle corner, and the custom survives even yet at High Mass; at Low Mass, it is said at the middle of the Altar, before the Crucifix. It is a threefold cry for mercy addressed to the three persons of the Blessed Trinity, and is appropriately used at the beginning of Mass, begging the grace to offer it, or assist at it, in worthy dispositions.
The Gloria in excelsis has been called the Angelic Hymn, because its opening words are those sung by the Angels on the first Christmas night, as they announced the birth of the world’s Redeemer to the Shepherds, watching their flocks on the hillside near Bethlehem (Luke 2:14). The remainder of the hymn, dating back as far as the Council of Nicea, a.d. 325, forms a sublime melody of pious aspirations, composed by various pastors and doctors of the Church, whose very names remain quite unknown to the world. It addresses the three Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and it contains the four objects of sacrifice: Adoration (adoramus Te): Thanksgiving (gratias agimus tibi): Propitiation {miserere nobis): and Supplication (suscipe deprecationem nostrani).
This glorious hymn, so majestic and beautiful, when first admitted as part of the Liturgy, was restricted exclusively to the feast of Christmas. Afterwards its use was extended to other festivals, but even then confined to Bishops only, till at last it came into general use on all feast days and by all priests.
We may naturally expect to learn that a hymn, so expressive of joy and gladness, would have no place in Masses for the Dead, nor during penitential seasons, except on feast days occurring then: and this we really find so to be. At the end of this hymn, the priest once again uses the greeting, Dominus vobiscum, but in doing so, he this time turns and faces the people. Whenever he thus turns towards the congregation, he first of all kisses the Altar, as though receiving from Jesus Christ typified thereby the kiss of peace and all blessings, which he then opens his hands to pour out on his people.
Then comes the Collect of the day. This, a principal prayer of the Mass, varies according to the festival, or the mystery, of the day, and is nearly always addressed to God the Father, as Our Lord Himself used to do, when on earth, and it begs graces and favours through the intercession of the Saint whose feast is being kept, or through the merits of some incident in Our Lord’s life being then commemorated. Following the wish of the Apostle (Colossians 3:17), the Church concludes her prayers and petitions in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
It often happens that more than one collect is said; for a secondary feast may fall on the same day, and of it a commemoration is made. A Vigil may also coincide with the feast, or an Octave mav be running”, and of these likewise a commemoration is made, while, again, the Bishop, for some grave cause, may order a prayer to be added in the Mass, for some days or weeks together; thus the number of collects will vary according to these different circumstances. It may be added, that some of the collects are among the most beautiful of the Church’s prayers, both in the sentiments they contain and in the language wherein they are expressed, and many are of very ancient date.
While reading the collects and other prayers of the Mass, the priest, when his hands are not otherwise engaged, raises them upwards, according to a long established and impressive custom. It was thus that Moses prayed on the mountain for his people, as they were fighting against the Amalekites in the plain (Exodus 17:11). In different parts of the psalms, David makes frequent reference to the custom, which is thus shown to be very ancient. Our Lord prayed with extended arms on the Cross, and the practice was adopted by the primitive Christians, as early documents in writing and the paintings in the Catacombs clearly show, but it is one that is seldom seen nowadays.
After the Collects, comes the Epistle, or Lesson. The Jews, on their Sabbath day, used to read passages from the books of Moses and the Prophets (Acts 13:15). This example the first Christians followed, by reading extracts from the Scripture during Divine worship on Sunday, chiefly, though not exclusively, from the epistles of Saint Paul. As Our Lord used to send some of His disciples before Him to those places He was about to visit, so the Church reads first from the writings of the Apostles, before coming to the Gospel, which contains the teachings of Our Lord Himself. The present arrangement of the Epistles and Gospels throughout the year, was made by Saint Jerome, at the request of Pope Damasus, in the fourth century. At the end of the Epistle, the Server answers Deo gratias, “Thanks be to God,” for the gift of His holy doctrine and spiritual nourishment contained therein.
Then comes the Gradual, a sort of transition from the Epistle to the Gospel, consisting usually of two or more verses from the psalms.
On five different occasions, the Gradual is followed by a Sequence, or hymn, suitable to them. Formerly they were more numerous, but now five only are found in the Roman Missal. They are all of them very beautiful, and because well known deserve to be at least mentioned here. They are: the Victimae Paschali, for Easter Day; Veni, Sancte Spiritus, on Pentecost; Saint Thomas of Aquin’s Lauda, Sion, on Corpus Christi; the Stabat Mater, on the feast of the Seven Dolours; and the Dies irae, in Masses of the Dead.
Here the Missal is taken from the left-hand side of the Altar to the right, as being the more honourable. “Mystically, this ceremony is intended to remind us of the translation of the Word of God from the Jews, represented by the Epistle side, to the Gentiles, represented by the Gospel side, in accordance with what is said by Saints Paul and Barnabas, in the Acts of the Apostles 13:46: ‘To you it behooved us first to speak the word of God: but, because you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.’ The bringing back of the Missal afterwards denotes the final return of the Jews to Christianity, at the preaching of Enoch and Elias.” – Durandus. Meanwhile, the priest bows down before the Crucifix, saying a prayer wherein he begs, out of reverence for the Word of God, that his lips and heart may be cleansed, in order worthily to announce –
The Gospel, taken from Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, or Saint John. Here the people rise and stand, expressing thereby their respect for the Divine Word, and their readiness to obey its commands. The priest makes a small sign of the Cross, with his thumb, on the opening words of the Gospel, implying it is the book of Jesus crucified. Then a triple cross upon himself, on his forehead, his lips, and his heart, wherein the Faithful should imitate him, symbolizing their resolve to profess boldly the doctrine of the Gospel, to confess it with their lips, and to love it with their hearts. At the conclusion, the priest kisses the sacred volume, as a token of affection for Our Lord’s teaching, and says: “May our sins be blotted out by the words of the Gospel.” But these words are omitted, as well as the signing and kissing of the Missal, in Masses of the Dead, though the Server always answers: Laus tibi, Christe, “praise be to thee, O Christ.”
It cannot have failed to strike many that, in reading the Gospel, the priest does not stand square to the Altar, as he did in reading the Epistle, but turns somewhat to his left, at an angle to the Altar. Why is this? And what does this position imply? It may be that the Church, with her conservative genius, desires to preserve a vestige of the ancient practice of reading the Gospel to the people from the pulpit; hence, the priest still turns somewhat towards the congregation.
Moreover, if the Altar is, as it should be, towards the east, then the priest, in turning to his left, turns also towards the north. As it has just been stated, the Epistle, on the south side, is like a preparation for the Gospel, and symbolizes the preaching of the Word to the Jews. They rejected Our Lord and His doctrines, then was the Gospel preached to the Gentile world, typified, in the words of Saint Gregory, by the north: “The dark, cold north is a figure of the heathen world, for idolatry has hardened their hearts, just as the cold has frozen the northern lands.” The following words of Jeremias 3:12, though spoken primarily of the Jews in captivity at Babylon, further north than Judea, may also have reference to the establishment of the Church and to the conversion of the Gentiles: “Go, and proclaim these words towards the north.” Hence the position that the priest takes, when reading the Gospel, either at this point or at the end of Mass.
The Sermon
The very ancient practice of the Bishop or Priest turning to explain to the people the Epistle and Gospel just read has fixed this stage of the Liturgy as the most appropriate for the Sermon or Instruction. From the very earliest times, it was recognized as an essential duty of the Clergy to instruct the Faithful in the truths of religion, and as to the fulfillment of their duties. Though this is in no sense part of the Liturgy, yet it usually takes place in connection with it, and is of such paramount importance, that the reader will perhaps be indulgent enough to allow a short digression, as this opportunity offers, on the subject of hearing instruction.
It is a thousand pities that so many nowadays are reluctant to hear sermons, and can ill brook attendance at any form of instruction; too often they go designedly to an early Mass, when such can seldom be given, and never appear again in Church till the following Sunday comes round. Similarly, it is becoming more and more the custom to overlook and neglect Evening Service and Instruction, as though they were beneath notice; whereas, our minds could here again be enlightened with the truth, and our hearts sanctified by the blessing of our Sacramental Lord raised over our heads. This is why men grow up in lamentable ignorance of even the elementary truths, and of the common laws and practices of the Church; the result is they take no interest in the spiritual welfare of their souls, and so run imminent risk of eternal damnation.
To guard, so far as may be, against so great an evil, the Council of Trent strictly enjoined on the Clergy the duty of instructing their flocks, especially on Sundays; this consequently implies the correlative duty of the Faithful to be present at such instruction. In these days of ours, it is perhaps more than ever necessary, for the spirit of irreligion and indifference is abroad, the Gospel morality is being attacked on all sides, the law of obedience and respect is vanishing. It thus becomes absolutely necessary to be well grounded in the knowledge of our Religion, and of our Christian duties, so that we may be able to withstand the onslaughts of those who write or speak against God and all things good and holy.
Therefore, let all Catholics, as they value their immortal souls, do their best to assist at the Sunday instructions, and to hear them with the soil of their hearts well prepared by prayer and humility, goodwill and attention, and then, like the seed in the Gospel parable, the Word of God will bring forth abundant fruit, which will show itself in their daily lives, and will be their strength both in life and in death.
Be it also the anxious care of parents, for similar reasons, to see that their children attend the instructions meant for them, in the form of Catechism, on Sunday afternoon or evening. Train them to this simple and efficacious practice while they are young, and we may reasonably hope that in after years they will adhere to their religion, in spite of all difficulties, to the common joy of their parents and pastors, no less than to their own best interests.
For nearly five hundred years after the institution of the Church, when the Gospel had been read and the instruction upon it had been given, the “Mass of the Catechumens” ended, that is, those who were being prepared for Baptism were dismissed from the assembly of the Faithful, in virtue of the Discipline of the Secret, already referred to, whereby such persons were not yet considered fit to see or learn more of the Sacred Mysteries. – This, then, completes the first division of the Mass.
Offertory – From the Credo to the Sanctus
Now comes the Offertory, one of the three most important parts of the Sacrifice. When the Credo is said at Mass, it forms the transition from the first to the second part of the Liturgy. Before the Apostles separated, to begin their missionary work in various portions of the world, they drew up a symbol of faith, containing the chief doctrines they had received from their Divine Master. This was known as the Apostles’ Creed, the standard of belief and teaching, which they were to carry forth to the nations of the earth, and for many generations it was the only formulary of faith in existence. It seems never to have been committed to writing, lest Catechumens or enemies should come to a knowledge of it, but it was handed down by word of mouth only. Saint Cyril and Saint Ambrose both warn the Faithful against writing it out. Some authors say it was used in the Mass into the early part of the fourth century.
About this time, Arius, priest of Alexandria, had been troubling the peace of the Church, by falsely teaching that Our Lord was not truly God, denying, in other words, the divinity of the world’s Redeemer. The Council of Nicea was held in a.d. 325, and the three hundred and eighteen bishops there assembled condemned the impiety of Arius, giving forth the clear teaching of the Church on the divinity of Our Lord, as truly the Son of God, and enlarging upon some of the articles of the Apostles’ Creed, which especially refer to the Son; thus it is we have the Nicene Creed, which is merely a development of that of the Apostles.
Before the end of the same fourth century, errors arose also as to the divinity of the Holy Ghost, and these were condemned by the Council of Constantinople, in a.d. 381, when the Fathers enlarged and developed the Creed of Nicea, by adding the Church’s teaching as to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity; it is this Credo that we now recite in the Mass. It is usually styled the Nicene Creed, yet really it is the Creed of the Council of Constantinople.
It is said or sung after the Gospel, or after the Sermon, should there have been one. The congregation stand during its recital, as a mark of respect, and also as a bold profession of faith in the doctrines contained in it. At the words, however, which tell of the loving mystery of the Incarnation, the priest genuflects, bending his right knee to the ground, and the Faithful do the same, as an act of veneration to the Son of God made man: Et homo factus est.
When is the Creed said in the Mass? Not in every Mass, but only on stated occasions, clearly defined and laid down by the rubrics, as follows:
1. On all Sundays and Holidays of obligation.
2. On the various feasts of Our Lord and His Holy Mother.
3. On feasts of the Apostles, who by their arduous labours propagated it over the earth.
4. Usually on feasts of the Doctors of the Church, who in their writings have explained and developed the doctrines it contains.
5. On the feast of the Patron Saint of the Church or Diocese where Mass is said, and on feasts of the Angels.
6. Whenever the Creed is said on any feast day having an octave, it is said also each day throughout the octave, when the Mass of the feast is repeated.
Except on the occasions here enumerated, it is omitted. But it is interesting to remark that Saint Mary Magdalen is the only female Saint, apart Our Blessed Lady, that has the Credo peculiar to the Mass of her feast, 22nd July. This privilege she enjoys, because, in the language of the Church, she is styled the “Apostle of the Apostles,” for, as Holy Scripture avers, it was to her that Our Lord first appeared on His rising from the tomb, and commanded her to go and tell His disciples (John 20:17).
After greeting the people once again, the priest, standing in front of the Crucifix, now reads from the Missal what is known as the Offertory. The origin of this anthem and of its name goes back to the days, when the Faithful themselves used to bring up to the Altar the bread and wine needed for the Sacrifice, this antiphon being said or sung as they were doing so. Here we have the principle and origin of the custom of the Faithful making an offering to the priest, when they desire Mass to be said for their intention; a money offering is now made, towards their support, instead of gifts in the form of bread, wine, or fruit, etc. But a vestige of the old practice is still seen in the Mass of Ordination or Consecration, when wax candles, loaves of bread, and wine are, at this point of the ceremony, solemnly offered to the presiding Pontiff.
A word of explanation may be given here on an expression found in the Offertory of the Requiem Mass, which may puzzle pious souls who read it. Our Lord therein is begged to deliver the souls of the Faithful departed from the pains of hell and to deliver them from the mouth of the lion! Yet, out of hell there is no redemption, and once souls are in the power of the Devil, never can they be freed from it. The simple answer to the difficulty is that in early ages, Mass could be said at any time of the day for a person who was considered to be at the point of death. The priest who received such intimation could, whether fasting or not, straightway offer the Holy Sacrifice for such person. The merit of the Mass could thus ascend to Heaven, and God was therein implored to have mercy and not allow such soul to fall into hell. The learned Pope Benedict XIV. is one of those who hold to this explanation. The ancient custom of thus saying Mass at any moment for a soul about to leave the earth is no longer in existence; but the Church has not deemed it necessary to change the words of this Offertory, once again displaying her conservative instinct, by retaining words that refer to an extinct practice, which is here recalled by a seemingly inappropriate expression, so easily explained by a knowledge of its origin. Similarly, during Advent, we still pray that the clouds may “rain down the Just One,” though the expected Messiah has long ago come and gone from the earth.
After reading the Offertory, the priest uncovers the chalice, and taking the paten in his hands, with the bread upon it, he makes the oblation thereof to God, begging Him to accept it as a victim for his own sins and offences, and those of all present, as well as for the benefit of Christians generally, whether living or dead. At the conclusion, he makes a cross with the paten over the corporal, and then, as it were, lays the victim upon it. The corporal aptly recalls the linen of the Crib and the shroud of the Tomb.
Then taking the chalice, he advances to the Epistle corner, where he receives the wine cruet, from which he pours a little into the chalice, saying nothing while so doing. Then from the other cruet, he pours in a few drops of water, begging of God that we may be united by grace to Our Lord’s divinity, who deigned to become partaker of our humanity. Something has already been said in a previous chapter on this mingling of water with the wine, so that further comment here is unnecessary.
Returning to the middle of the Altar, the priest makes now the oblation of the chalice, praying that it may ascend with the odour of sweetness to Heaven, for the salvation of mankind. Lowering then the chalice, as he did the paten, he places it on the corporal, and covers it with the palla, which prevents flies or dust falling into it.
After bowing down a short time in prayer, the priest proceeds once more to the Epistle corner, where he washes the tips of the thumb and first finger of each hand; these alone are allowed to touch the Blessed Sacrament, and were, on the day of his ordination, solemnly consecrated and anointed for that purpose. While the water is being poured, he recites a few verses from the twenty-fifth Psalm and says the Lavabo: “I will wash my hands among the innocent.” Apart from the literal meaning of these words and the need of washing his fingers, to cleanse them from all soil and dust, especially after using the thurible at High Mass, there is also a figurative meaning in this little ceremony, namely, that his soul must be free from sin and defects, for the worthy celebration of Holy Mass.
Then, shortly, comes the Orate, fratres. The celebrant turns round to the congregation and addresses these words to them, asking them to pray that their common sacrifice may be acceptable in the eyes of God Almighty. Only these two words does he utter aloud, saying the rest to himself, perhaps that the choir might not be disturbed, who were still singing the Offertory at High Mass, and the custom has since been retained at every Mass. Or it may be that the earnestness and piety of some great Pontiff, in making the request, may have led him to utter these first words as a sigh and exclamation from the heart, an example that was followed by others, till it became general and universal. Of this we shall meet similar instances later on.
This is the last time the priest turns towards the people, till the Sacrifice is completed and the Communion received. He is now beginning the more solemn portion of the Mass, and entering, as it were, the Holy of Holies, like the High Priest of the Old Covenant. Knowing his own frailties and unworthiness, he appeals to his people to pray for him who is their fellow-being, their priest and mediator. By the lips of their representative, the Server at the Altar, they do his bidding, and pray: “May the Lord receive this Sacrifice from thy hands, for the praise and honour of His own name, for our benefit, and for that of the whole Church.” When priest and people are thus united in prayer for each other, they may well expect Our Lord to fulfill His promise, and be in the midst of them, to grant their petitions.
After the Server’s reply to the greeting addressed to the people, the priest recites the Secret. This is a prayer so named because said in a low voice, not heard by those around, and said thus for the same reason again, namely, that the choir, formerly situated close to the Altar, were still singing the Offertory, or some other anthem. As the Collect usually asks some grace or blessing from God, so the Secret generally begs Him to accept the gifts laid upon the Altar, and to reform our hearts that they may be acceptable in His sight.
There may be more than one Secret, but the number always corresponds with that of the Collects, read at the beginning of Mass; at the end of the last one, the priest raises his voice and, after three versicles and their answers, he begins –
The Preface, most probably of Apostolic origin, a sort of introduction to the Canon, not an essential, but very impressive part of the Mass. It is an invitation to raise our hearts to God and tender Him our thanks, through His Divine Son, and in unison with the heavenly choirs mentioned by name, for His many favours, and for the great work He is about to accomplish, by the ministry of His priest, at the Consecration. Thus did Our Lord act, before instituting the Blessed Sacrament, as we read in the Gospels.
There are in the Roman Missal eleven different prefaces, used on various occasions, and serving to bring under our notice the characteristics of the feast, or the mystery for which we should thank and adore God. These prefaces are for the Nativity, the Epiphany, for Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Ascension for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, for feasts of the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles; lastly, what is called the Common Preface, for ordinary use when no other is prescribed, and which is probably the oldest of them all.
At High Mass, the Preface is sung, and the Church here employs a chant most simple, yet most exquisitely thrilling and soul inspiring; apart from its venerable antiquity, dating back perhaps to the very days of the Temple, this plain chant has ever been regarded by musical experts with the greatest enthusiasm and admiration, often moving people to tears as they listened to it. Whichever preface be said or sung at Mass, it always concludes with –
The Sanctus. Here the bell is rung to recall the wandering thoughts of the people, and to remind them that the Canon, the solemn part of the Mass, is commencing. This short hymn is said in a lower tone of voice than the preface, leading by a gentle transition to the Canon, the whole of which is inaudible to the congregation. The first words recall the glorious vision of Isaias 6:3, wherein he heard the Seraphim crying out before the throne of God: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” While the second part consists of the words of King David, which the Jews sang to Our Lord, as He solemnly entered Jerusalem: Benedictus qui venit, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9). These words are again a most appropriate welcome given to Our Lord, as He comes down upon the Altar, at the Consecration. Hosanna in excelsis is a shout of joy, concluding both parts of the Sanctus.
The Canon – From the Sanctus to the Pater
This, the most sacred portion of the whole Sacrifice, is called the “Canon of the Mass,” because, derived from a Greek word meaning a rule, it is the fixed rule to be strictly followed by the priest, there being only five Feasts during the ecclesiastical year, on which a slight variation in the words of one prayer is at all tolerated; apart from these, there is never any change. The Church has a most jealous care of this part of her Liturgy, and severely forbids any innovation here, on account of its venerable antiquity, which all writers seem agreed to admit.
As an instance of this, it may be stated that in the year 1815, at a time when devotion to Saint Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, was spreading and gaining favour throughout the Church, an application was made, for this very reason, that his name might be added to those already found in the Canon. The reply, however, was in the negative, and his name has never been introduced; no addition has ever been made since the days of Pope Gregory the Great, in the sixth century.
The whole of the Canon, portions of which are probably the work of the Apostles themselves, is said in an inaudible voice, so as to promote recollection and devotion, in both priest and people, at this most solemn time. Moreover, it is desirable to prevent such sacred words becoming too familiar, as they might do, if they were recited aloud on every occasion, like other portions of the Mass. Silence, therefore, prevails, and, like a mysterious veil, envelops the Divine Mysteries, recalling Our Lord’s sublime silence, at the time of His Passion, and also serving to remind us of the ancient Discipline of the Secret.
During the Canon, the Celebrant frequently makes the sign of the Cross over the Elements on the Altar, both before and even after the Consecration! In the former case, it is the usual manner of imparting a benediction or blessing to creatures. But, in the second case, the idea of blessing the true Body and Blood of Our Lord, present on the Altar, is altogether repugnant. Then, the idea is to recall to our minds the Sacrifice of the Cross and its continuance in the Mass; or, it is a profession of faith that, in the Mass, Christ crucified is present as priest and victim.
In the first prayer of the Canon, the Te igitur, we beg that God may vouchsafe to accept the gifts that are being offered to Him, and to grant peace to His Church; we likewise pray for the Pope, the Vicar of Christ and Head of the Church, for the Bishop of the diocese where Mass is being said, and finally for all members of the Church on earth.
The Memento of the Living is the second prayer of the Canon. Here the priest pauses a little while, to make a spiritual remembrance of those for whom he particularly wishes to pray, and especially of the person or object for which he is offering the Sacrifice.
A word should be said here on the ancient use of the Diptychs, often referred to in early Church history. The diptychs were folding tablets, on the inner sides of which were inscribed names of persons living and dead. Among the former were included the Supreme Pontiff, the Bishop, and the ruling Sovereign, those also for whose special benefit the Holy Sacrifice was being offered, who supplied the wants of the Altar, or contributed to the support of its ministers. In another column were inserted the names of deceased Faithful; to this reference will be made later.
These diptychs used to be read up to the assembled congregation, at High Mass by the Deacon, at Low Mass by the celebrant himself. This practice remained in vogue for many long centuries, till vanity led so many to have their names inscribed and announced, that in the eleventh century the Church thought well to discontinue what was proving to be a source of sin and disedification; hence, the custom no longer exists, except in some churches of the East.
But a further instance of the Church’s conservative spirit is seen in the fact that the letters N.N. are still to be retained in the Missal at this point, though the practice of reading up the names has long ceased to exist.
Next comes the Communicantes, wherein we beg of God to grant us His help and protection, through the merits and intercession of His Saints. The Mother of God and the twelve Apostles are first mentioned, and to their names are added those of twelve Martyrs, well known and honoured in and about Rome, who adorned the early days of the Church by shedding their blood in defense of her doctrines. Those who had died for the Faith, by being thus named in the Canon, were said to be canonised, that is, found worthy of being named at this point of the Mass; thus was canonisation originally effected. A vestige of this is still retained at the present day; for, when the Pope has solemnly declared any servant of God to be worthy of the honours of the Altar, he invokes him, in the Mass said on the occasion, after the other Saints named in the Canon.
While reciting the next prayer, Hanc igitur, the priest spreads his hands over the bread and wine, a ceremony borrowed from the Old Law, as we read in Exodus 29:10,15,19, where God commanded that Aaron should place his hands on the head of the victims he was about to offer in sacrifice. This action denotes that the priest charges the victim with his own sins and with those of the people whom he represents, the victim which is to mystically suffer and die instead of the sinner. What was symbolism in the olden day is reality now in the Christian Mass, wherein the Lamb of God, who took upon Himself the sins of the world, daily renews the sacrifice of Calvary for their expiation. As this prayer and its accompanying action so closely precede the Consecration, the Server here rings the bell, to remind the people of the near approach of the solemn moment.
During the next few words, five times does the priest again make the sign of the Cross over the oblations, recalling the five Wounds of Victim of Calvary, and reminding us it is the sacrifice of the Cross that is here being renewed.
And now we have reached the sacred moment of the Consecration, the essential act of the Sacrifice, when the Angels of Heaven are preparing to come down upon earth to adore their sacramental Lord. The words of this part of the Liturgy are almost the same as those of the Gospel, relating the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. Suiting the action to the words, the priest, in imitation of Our Lord, takes the bread in his hands, and raising his eyes heavenwards, as tradition says Our Lord did, he blesses it, and pronounces the mystical words: “This is my body,” and behold! transubstantiation is thereupon effected – the bread has become the true Body of Christ!
How stupendous a change! How sublime a miracle! How awful an act! Yet how marvellously simple is it all! Man utters a few words, and God’s love and power fulfill the wondrous change. It is a repetition of the act of creation: “Be light made: and light was made” (Genesis 1:3). It is a commemoration also of another sublime mystery, expressed in the simplest terms: “The Word was made flesh” (John 1:14).
At once the priest bends his knee to adore his Creator whom, all unworthy though he be, he now holds in his hands! The bell here rings gently, to remind the Faithful of what has taken place at the Altar, and invite their adoring worship. This tinkling of the bell should bring ease to our souls: there is joy in the very ringing of it, for does it not signify the new birth of the God-made-man, ever living to make intercession for us?
“Sound, sound His praises higher still,
And come, ye angels, to our aid:
Tis God! Tis God! the very God
Whose power both man and angels made!”
This adoration of the Holy Eucharist is attested by all antiquity, even the earliest Fathers of the Church instructing their flocks to renew their faith in the Real Presence, and adore Him whom their faith acknowledges to have descended from Heaven to earth, surrounded by the invisible angels of His Court.
The priest rising immediately, elevates the Sacred Host for the Faithful to look upon and adore, symbolizing the lifting up of Christ on the Cross. Reverence and devotion have led them to bow down during the whole time of the Consecration and Elevation, and the deep-rooted custom has become universal. Yet the very object of the priest’s thus raising the Sacred Host is that the Faithful may rest their eyes on It and see their Lord in His sacramental form! To urge them to revert to the original idea, the late Pontiff Leo XIII granted an indulgence to all such as should reverently look upon their uplifted Lord at this moment. Hence, such as assist at the Holy Sacrifice should raise their eyes, for a moment at least, and so justify the Elevation, which otherwise would have no meaning, while, at the same time, they will gain with ease the indulgence that is offered for the mere act of thus looking devoutly on the Sacred Host, as it is raised up before them!
The reader must here be reminded that this elevation of the consecrated elements did not take place till the eleventh century. In 1047 Berengarius, who has already been referred to, began to broach errors on the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. These were promptly repudiated and condemned by the Church, and this ceremony – the Elevation – was unanimously adopted as a protest against the impieties and new doctrines of this heretic, and as a practical profession of faith in Our Lord’s presence on the Altar, after the words of consecration have been uttered.
Devout Catholics must, during this solemn time, manifest both by outward demeanour and inward faith, the reverence they cherish towards the Eucharistic mysteries; silent adoration is then their duty. Silence during these moments produces a most impressive effect, and is by. all means to be encouraged.
Then follows the second Consecration, that of the wine in the chalice, with similar adoration and elevation. Thus two elements, bread and wine, are necessary for the Eucharistic Sacrifice, though one suffices for the Eucharistic Sacrament. This separate consecration of the bread and wine is, in a mystical sense, the painless immolation of the Divine Lamb, typifying that separation of His Blood from His Body, which took place on Calvary with the most painful reality.
It may be repeated here that, should the Celebrant die suddenly after either consecration, or be taken so seriously ill as to be unable to proceed further with the Mass, another priest must, if possible, be found to continue and complete it, even though (perhaps) he be not fasting; for, the Natural Law, requiring the completion of the Sacrifice, prevails over the law of fasting, which is merely of Ecclesiastical origin.
The first prayer after the Consecration is Unde et memores. The Mass of itself cannot but be pleasing in the sight of God, for Christ, the Victim, is His Own beloved Son, of infinite merit before him. Yet the priest and the Faithful also share in offering the Sacrifice, and this privilege should overpower them as they reflect upon their sins and unworthiness. Hence, as guilty beings, they here beg of God to accept their Sacrifice, as of old He was pleased to receive the offerings of Abel, Abraham, and Melchisedech. The sacrifices of the first two were, more than others, typical of the bloody Sacrifice of the Cross, while that of Melchisedech was a figure of the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass. The Celebrant asks also that God’s angel may carry the offering to the Altar on High, in sight of the Divine Majesty and His heavenly Court – a reference to the golden altar of the Apocalypse 8:3.
The sign of the Cross that the priest now makes over the consecrated elements is no longer here a blessing given, but a reminder that the Victim who died on the Cross now lies before us on the Altar. The Church avails herself of every occasion to impress on the minds of priest and people alike this great truth – that the Sacrifice of the Altar is the selfsame as that of the Cross. Hence, the frequent use of the Cross over the oblations, even after the Consecration.
The next point to notice is the Memento of the dead. The Church, from the days of the Apostles, has ever taught and practised prayer for her deceased children. It has ever been her belief that there is a Purgatory, or place of suffering after death, where those who die in the state of grace, but as yet not pure enough to enter Heaven, are detained for awhile, till their souls are sufficiently cleansed to appear in the presence of God. It was hardly likely, therefore, that the Church would pray for her living members, in this august Sacrifice, and omit to pray for those who are no longer with her on earth, but have entered the home of their eternity. Hence, we have at this point the “remembrance” of the dead, that is, the names of departed Faithful, inscribed on the Diptychs, were read up, and prayers were asked that they might be granted “a place of refreshment, light, and peace,” that their sufferings might be mitigated, or even ended by their release from Purgatory and their entrance into Heaven. We are thus requested to pray, as Saint Augustine remarks, “that such religious duty, whenever it becomes neglected by parents, children, relations, or friends, may be supplied by our pious and common mother, the Church.”
Should a departed soul for whom Mass is offered be unable to benefit by it, either because eternally lost, or because already in Heaven, theologians commonly teach that such sacrifice is by no means lost, but the fruit of it becomes part of the general treasury of the Church, whence indulgences may be granted by the dispensers of God’s mercy.
And next, the priest strikes his breast, like the Publican in the Temple, and utters aloud the words Nobis quoque peccatoribus, beginning the last prayer of the Canon. After interceding for the souls of the Faithful departed, he prays now for sinners upon earth, whose future is still uncertain and exposed to many dangers. By way of showing the earnestness of his petition, or as a sigh from the heart, he pronounces these first three words aloud, (the only words heard during the Canon,) all the rest being recited in a subdued voice throughout. Mention is made of Martyrs and Saints belonging to different orders and states in the Church, with whom we ask God to grant us, in spite of our sins, some part and fellowship.
At the end of this prayer, the priest holds the Sacred Host over the chalice and raises them a little from the Altar, and then replaces them. This was formerly the Elevation of the Mass, and, till the eleventh century, the only one. But it has been already explained how, during that century, the principal Elevation came to be made at the time of the Consecration, as a protest against the errors of Berengarius. With the second (and now, minor elevation), the priest concludes the prayer, raising his voice, and saying Per omnia scecula saeculorum, “World without end: amen.” This ends the Canon of the Mass, and leads us into the last division.
Conclusion – From the Pater to the End of Mass
The fourth part, called the Communion, comprises the final ceremonies of Holy Mass and completes the Sacrifice. The Holy Eucharist, as we have seen, is not only a sacrifice, but also food for our souls. Hence, if the Divine Lamb has been mystically immolated in our behalf at the Consecration, the Mass would be incomplete, unless that Divine Food were consumed, at least by the officiating minister, through his own sacramental communion, from which this last part of the Liturgy takes its name. “The Communion of the celebrant is essential to the Mass in this sense, that, like the offertory, it appears to be of Divine institution, and cannot be dispensed with, even by the Church herself. The Mass was instituted, not only to provide the redeemed people of God with a Sacrifice, but also to furnish them with the greatest of all Sacraments. The priest when he communicates, receives as a Sacrament, that Divine Victim whom he has first offered up as a Sacrifice. The sacrificial meal is the Sacrament.”
This communion of the priest is introduced by a series of beautiful prayers. The first is the Pater Noster, the family prayer, as it were, of the Church, forming the transition to this part of the Mass, as the Preface served to introduce the Canon. This is the prayer Our Lord Himself taught to the Apostles, and through them to the world, in answer to their request: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). “Thus shall you pray,” replied Our Saviour, and He gave them the Lord’s Prayer, as it is termed, the ” Our Father.” This most excellent of all prayers contains a summary of perfection and sanctity. It consists of seven petitions or requests, the first three of which refer to the glory of God, in and through us, while the remaining four concern our own wants, spiritual and temporal. In this respect it recalls the Seven Words spoken by Our Lord on the Cross, and thus becomes a further memorial of the Sacrifice of the Altar being the same as that of Calvary. It is thought to have been introduced into the Mass by the Apostles, at the command, says Saint Jerome, of Our Lord Himself! Its present position was assigned to it by Saint Gregory the Great, in the sixth century.
The Pater is said at Low Mass, and sung at High Mass, in each case aloud, whole and entire, for the Catechumens were not present at this portion of the service, therefore the ancient Discipline of the Secret did not hold.
The concluding petition (deliverance from evil) is further developed in the prayer which follows, namely, the Libera nos, wherein we ask to be freed from all evils, past, present, and future, and beg the intercession of the Saints that our days may be spent in peace and free from all disturbance of mind and body. Over and over again do the prayers of the Church beg this favour of God, for peace is one of the greatest blessings of Heaven, essential for our happiness and welfare here below, and most conducive to the attaining of eternal peace hereafter. It is the blessing Our Lord wished His Apostles on more than one occasion (John 14:27; 20:19,26).
Towards the end of this prayer, the priest divides the Sacred Host into two equal parts, an important act and a liturgical ceremony full of meaning. In this, he acts as the Divine Master had done at the Last Supper, when He broke bread and divided it amongst the Disciples (Matthew 26:26). In the early days of the Church, the breaking of bread was synonymous with consecrating the Blessed Eucharist (Acts 20:7). Such fraction of the Host typifies Our Lord’s violent death on the Cross, and represents the Blessed Eucharist as the food of our souls, broken and divided among those who desire to receive it.
From the half remaining in his left hand, the priest, after laying down the other on the paten, again breaks off a small portion, which he places in the Chalice, praying that the commingling of Christ’s Body and Blood may be to all who receive it effectual to eternal life. As the separate Consecration denoted the mystical death of Christ, so this union of the two Species in the Chalice represents the return to life of the Lamb that was slain on Calvary.
It may be well to briefly recall here what was said on a previous occasion, that when the sacred Species are thus broken and divided, Our Lord Himself is in no way affected by such act; He is now beyond all pain and suffering, and remains whole and entire under every portion and particle; what is broken is but the appearance of bread.
“There is no breakage, no dividing,
Whole He comes to everyone.”
Hitherto the Celebrant has directed his prayers to the eternal Father, but now he turns to God the Son, lying before him on the Altar, and soon to be sacramentally received by him; for this he now prepares himself, and says the Agnus Dei. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him, he said: “Behold the Lamb of God: behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). These words the Church here uses three times over, and the priest twice begs the Lamb to grant us mercy, and the third time asks the blessing of peace’, a most appropriate request, as he is on the point of receiving the very Author of peace. At each petition, he strikes his breast, recognizing himself as unworthy of such a favour. In Masses for the Dead, as we are not praying for ourselves, we do not strike our breasts; the priest contents himself with words of address to the Divine Lamb, and instead of mercy and peace, implores rest, eternal rest for the Faithful departed, in their restless yearning for God.
The three prayers that follow are by way of immediate preparation for the priest’s Communion. The first one (which is omitted in a Requiem Mass) begs once more the blessing of peace, and prays for the unity of faith and love in the Church. After which, at High Mass, the priest kisses the Altar and then gives the kiss of peace to the deacon, and by him to the rest of clergy present. The Apostles instructed the Faithful to salute one another with a holy kiss (I Corinthians 16:20; II Corinthians 13:12; I Peter 5:14). This apostolic advice was introduced into the celebration of the Divine Mysteries, even laymen saluting thus their fellow-laymen. Hence, the primitive custom, still observed in some places, of men and women occupying separate sides of the church.
In the second prayer, the priest begs the grace of perseverance, and in the third implores that his reception of the Holy Eucharist may not turn to his judgment and condemnation, but prove to be a safeguard and blessing to both soul and body.
Then, holding the Blessed Sacrament in his left hand, he with the other strikes his breast thrice, and says each time the words: Domine, non sum dignus. These are the first words of the exclamation which the centurion uttered, when Our Lord proposed to go to his house and heal his servant, lying sick of the palsy and grievously tormented (Matthew 8:8). The Church has adopted them, with the change of one word, as most appropriate to the present moment. The priest, realising his utter unworthiness to receive into his heart the great God of Heaven, as his guest, repeats this prayer thrice within himself, saying only the first words aloud, giving vent, as it were, to the depth of his feeling, in the form of a sigh from the heart, just as he did at the Nobis quoque peccatoribus, and as a public confession of his unworthiness before Heaven and earth. Each time the ejaculation is made, the Server rings the bell again, and this is a signal for the Faithful to go up to the Altar rails, if they desire to receive Holy Communion.
Taking reverently both parts of the Sacred Host in his right hand, the celebrant makes with them the sign of the Cross on himself, and devoutly receives them; then, after a few moments’ silent recollection, he gathers up most carefully on to the paten such small particles of the consecrated Host as may be lying on the corporal, just as the Apostles gathered up the fragments, after the miraculous feeding of the multitudes (Matthew 14:20; 15:37; John 6:13). These particles he puts into the chalice, and devoutly receives with the Precious Blood. As far back as the middle of the fourth century, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem wrote: “Let not one single crumb of that which is more precious than gold escape you.” Such solicitude and scruple would never have been displayed for particles of mere common bread. Evidently, then, the sainted writer fully believed each particle of the Blessed Sacrament to be the real body of Christ.
Only the priest who celebrates receives under both forms, as Our Lord directed at the Last Supper: “Take ye and eat . . . Drink ye all of this” (Matthew 26:26,27). But the Apostles alone were then present, and He then ordained them sacrificing priests. All others of whatever rank, who receive without saying Mass, do so under one form only, as has been fully explained before.
Hence, the priest, when his own Communion is over, takes the ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament under the form of bread only, and distributes It to those who have approached to receive it, and says to each one: “May the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul to life everlasting”; to these words the communicant formerly answered “Amen.” Though this is not done nowadays, each one should endeavour to feel in his heart what that word implies, namely, a desire that his holy Communion may indeed bring him to life eternal.
After returning to the Altar, and replacing the ciborium in the Tabernacle, the priest holds out the Chalice to the Server, who pours a little wine into it. A second time is this done and some water is added, both being poured over the fingers that have touched the Blessed Sacrament, so that all particles that have adhered to them may be removed; he again receives the Chalice, and then dries both his fingers and it with the mandatory. These pourings of wine and water are called the « ablutions,” or washings; they secure the priest receiving any particles of the sacred species adhering to the Chalice or his fingers. When all this is done, he rearranges and adjusts the Chalice veil, and proceeds to the Epistle side of the Altar whither the Missal has meanwhile been carried, and therefrom he reads aloud
The Communion; this is a short anthem, which varies with the feast, and is usually a verse or two taken from a psalm, which for many centuries was said in full. It bears its present name, because formerly it was chanted or sung during the time that Holy Communion was being distributed to the Faithful. It is like a spiritual bouquet, we should carry away with us, of the spirit of the feast of which Mass has been said. Once more turning to the people, the priest addresses them, at the middle of the Altar, with the usual greeting, Dominus vobiscum, and returns to the Missal to read –
The Post-Communion: this prayer always contains some reference to the great Sacrament he has just received, and some expression of gratitude and thanks for the ineffable favour thus bestowed on him.
Whatever be the number of Collects said at the early part of the Mass, there is always the same number of Secrets said, and the same number of Post-Communions. Comparing together these three sets of prayers, we may say, broadly speaking, that the Collect asks of God some grace or favour, through the intercession of the Saint whose feast is being observed; the Secret generally prays God to look with favour on the offerings that lie on the Altar and be pleased to accept them to the glory of His Name; while the Post-Communion contains an act of thanksgiving for the graces received through the Holy Eucharist.
Proceeding now to the middle of the Altar, which he kisses, the priest again greets his people, adding the words Ite, missa est, “Go, you are dismissed.” This was once the completion of the Mass of the Faithful, as the Mass of Catechumens ended with their dismissal after the Gospel, or the Sermon. On days, however, when the Gloria is not recited, instead of the Ite, Benedicamus Domino is said, “Let us bless the Lord.” The omission of the Gloria usually denotes a penitential time, such as Lent, Advent, etc., and when the actual Mass was ended, instead of dismissing the people, the priest invited them to remain for the canonical hours that followed, saying, “Let us continue to bless the Lord.” Although this is no longer done, the Church once again shows her conservative spirit, and retains the expression used anciently when such services were the custom, and in doing this reminds us of an ancient practice. Then again, in Masses of the Dead, neither of these greetings is used, but their place is taken by Requiescant in pace, a petition that the souls of the deceased may rest in peace.
Up to the tenth or eleventh century, the Mass ended with these formulas. What follows them at the present day was added gradually only, and finally made obligatory by Saint Pius V. in 1570.
The priest now bows profoundly before the Crucifix, begging the most Holy Trinity to accept the sacrifice he has offered, making it a propitiation for himself and all those for whom he has offered it. Then, kissing the Altar, he turns to the people and blesses them with the sign of the Cross, which he makes over them. This blessing at Mass is reckoned as one of the Sacramentals, or rites which have some outward resemblance to the Sacraments, but which are not of divine institution. They excite increased love of God in the heart and also hatred for sin, and, because of these movements, remit venial sin. In the Old Law, we read how the High Priest stretched forth his hands and blessed the people (Leviticus 9:22), while Our Saviour blessed His Apostles, before ascending to Heaven (Luke 24:50). In the beginning, Bishops alone gave this blessing, forming a triple sign of the Cross in so doing; later on priests were allowed to give it, with a single Cross only: in a Requiem Mass, the blessing is always omitted.
The priest next goes to the Gospel side of the Altar, and there reads the last Gospel, with the same ceremonial that accompanied the reading of the first one, as already described.
Usually, it is the beginning of the Gospel according to Saint John that is here read, telling us of Our Lord’s eternal birth in the bosom of His Father, and ending with the august formula of His Incarnation and birth in time. We genuflect at the words Verbum caro factum est, “The Word was made flesh,” an act of adoration towards the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who was pleased to become man for our redemption. This Gospel used at first to be recited out of private devotion, as an act of thanksgiving, by the priest who had just said Mass. It became of precept under Pope Saint Pius V in the sixteenth century.
On many days, however, throughout the year, another Gospel is read from the Missal, which is again removed to the other side. Certain days, such as the ferias of Lent, Ember days, and Vigils, have a complete Mass of their own; if this be superseded by the Mass of a feast that takes precedence, a commemoration is made, as we have seen, in the Collect, etc., and then the Gospel of the omitted Mass is read at the end, instead of that of Saint John. But should a Requiem Mass be said on any of those days, no commemoration of them is made, nor is any other Gospel ever read but that of Saint John. At the end, the people answer by the Server Deo gratias, “Thanks be to God,” for the great mystery of the Incarnation, source of all our blessings, and for the Holy Mass, at which they have been privileged to assist.
And now, the priest, taking the Chalice in his hands, descends the Altar steps, genuflects, if necessary, and returns to the Vestry where he unvests, and proceeds to make his thanksgiving. What the priest here does, those who have assisted at Mass, especially if they have been to Communion, should also do, before they leave, namely, make acts of adoration and love, along with good resolutions, which would be equivalent to a worthy act of thanksgiving.
In concluding this long chapter, we may add that there is no sacrifice or service so pleasing and so acceptable to God as the offering of Holy Mass. There is nothing that so effectually disarms the Divine anger against sin, or strikes a more crushing blow at the powers of Hell. This the Devils know full well and hold It in dread; hence the hatred they bear to It; hence their efforts to discredit It, not only in the enemies of all religion, but even in the hearts of the Faithful, whom they ply with distractions, and fill with tepidity and indifference to It. No other prayer is so effectual in bringing relief to the suffering souls in Purgatory; none obtains so many graces for men upon earth, or gives greater joy to the Blessed in Heaven. Thus the Universal Church of God, Militant, Suffering, and Triumphant, benefits very effectively by every Mass that is offered. The great Judgment day will verify all this!
Be it, therefore, our endeavour to cultivate lively faith and deep devotion towards this Divine work, to be present at Mass, as our circumstances may allow, and thus show our appreciation of the mercy and goodness of God who has established It in our midst. The more we know and understand the Divine Mysteries, the greater should our fervour be, when present at them. It is hoped that these pages of explanation on the prayers and ceremonies of the Liturgy may be an aid to the Faithful to that end. They do not profess to go deeply into matters, but merely offer instruction and suggest interpretations of the various portions of the Mass, which an instructed Catholic should know, and which, it is desired, may prove helpful to his piety and devotion.