Illustrated explanation of the prayers and ceremonies of the Mass

Front matter

Chap, Copyright No..

Shelf.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Preface

As the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist is the centre of our holy religion, so the altar is its principal visible emblem, which forms the centre of attraction and of importance in a Catholic church. All the parts of the building should be directed to give the sanctuary and altar prominence and beauty ; and the eyes of all the faithful should be concentrated on the altar of God, for it is on the altar that the highest and holiest mysteries and ceremonies of God's Church are enacted. The altar implies a sacrifice ; a sacrifice demands a priest ; what then of more interest to the faithful than to understand fully the meaning of the altar and of the sacrifice offered by the priest thereon? This book, " Explanation of the Prayers and Ceremonies of the Holy Mass," deals with these important topics, and clearly explains the meaning of the altar, of its ornaments, of the vestments, and of the ceremonies performed by the celebrant and his ministers.

6 Preface.

If the faithful understood better the full meaning of the holy sacrifice of the Mass, understood the ornamentation of the altar, the vestments of the priest, the different parts of the Mass, their faith in the holy mysteries would be strengthened, and an intelligent and strong faith would develop into an active faith. If all Catholics possessed this intelligent and active faith, surely it would not be necessary for the Church to command the assistance at Mass, but Catholics would consider it a great privilege to be allowed to assist at holy Mass, not merely on Sundays and holydays, but even on ordinary week-days. This treatise will do an immense amount of good. There is no charity so effective in our days for the good of faith and virtue as to scatter this and other books of the kind among the people, so as to enlighten them in their faith, to make them practise their religion, to be a consolation to them in the miseries of life, and thus to add peace and contentment to their lot here below, and smooth the way that leads to the eternal joys of heaven.

fF. JANSSENS,

Archbishop of New Orleans,

Contents

PAGE

Preface, by Most Rev. F. Janssens, D.D. , Archbishop of

New Orleans, 5

Introduction

The Church is a moral body, its Head is Christ, its members are the faithful. The Head and the members co-operate in the actions of the Church, and principally in the holiest and sublimest act of religion — the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Through the sacred liturgy, and chiefly from the holy Mass, the spirit and the life of Christ flow into His mystic body and all the members who take part in it with attention and devotion. It is possible for one to be present at the mysteries of our holy religion and yet not partake of the fruits thereof. Although one may be present bodily at the holy sacrifice of the Mass, yet if he take no part in it, and is in nowise a co-offerer with the High-Priest of the New Law, he will not experience the salutary influence which Christ exerts in His mystic body. We see this clearly exemplified by the many spectators at the bloody sacrifice on Golgotha.

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Introduction,

What did it benefit the impenitent thief? What profit did the obdurate Jews derive from it? In order to benefit by the holy sacrifice, the members must be united to the Head, and be co-offerers with Him. Such were the Blessed Virgin and a few other pious persons who were present at the sacrifice of the cross. The same may be said of the apostles in the Cenacle. They prayed with Jesus and Jesus with them. They heard His words and followed His actions, they thought or spoke only of what was being done before them ; in a w T ord, they were co-offerers in the holy sacrifice. The Christians of the primitive Church acted in the same manner at their meetings. Bishops, priests, and laity were so closely united that they formed but one heart and one soul. The Prince of the apostles, in his first epistle (ii. 9), calls the first Christians "a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood,'* surely not in the sense which the Reformers of the sixteenth century attached to these words, as if each of the faithful were exalted to the priesthood of the New Law, but because they were chosen to take part in the holy mysteries of the Christian altar. Would to God that the unity of the first Christians might ever have permeated the mem-

Introduction.

1 1 bers of Jesus* mystic body. Would to God that Christians would now assist at the awful sacrifice of our altars animated with the feelings and the dispositions of the apostles and the first Christians. But, alas! how degenerate have we become in the religious sentiments of our ancestors in the faith. And why? Because our faith languishes, and because we do not strengthen our weakness by the means which made heroes of them. Why do Christians show so little respect and devotion for the sacrifice which is daily offered on the altar for their salvation ? Why do they so readily dispense themselves from assisting at holy Mass, often for imaginary reasons only? Because they do not sufficiently reflect over the sublime work at which they assist as sleeping members, or because they do not know how to unite themselves with their Head in the combined offering of the sacrifice to God. We are certain, therefore, that our respect and devotion for the august sacrifice of our altars would increase in proportion to our knowledge of the ceremonies and prayers of holy Mass. We could then make the words of the Psalmist our own : "How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts: my soul longeth and fainteth for the

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Introduction.

courts of the Lord. . . . For the sparrow hath found herself a house : and the turtle a nest for herself, where she may lay her young ones. [I find] Thy altars, O Lord of hosts ; my King and my God" (Ps. Ixxxiii. 2-4).

Explanation of the Prayers and Ceremonies of the Mass.

Chapter I. The Altar

The idea of~ an altar is as old as that of sacrifice itself. We find traces of it among the first descendants of Adam. Abel, Noe, Abraham, and all the patriarchs erected altars tinder the blue canopy of heaven to offer thereon their sacrifices to the Lord. When the people of Israel, after a long and dreary journey in the desert, had reached the Land of Promise, after they had ended their wanderings, and had now permanently set up their tents, they erected a magnificent altar in the Temple of Jerusalem. This wonder of art, on which neither gold nor silver was spared, was a figure of our altars, on which, from the rising of the sun even to the going down, a clean oblation is offered (Mai. i. u).

The first and most venerable altar, on which Christ Himself offered the unbloody sacrifice, was a wooden table, which even at this day may be seen among the precious relics in the Church of St. John Lateran in Rome. In the beginning of Christendom, when the blood of martyrs flowed in streams, every place became a temple; anything that could be used as such, an altar. In the prisons, in the catacombs, wherever the Christians thought themselves safe against the mad ferocity of their persecutors, the holy sacrifice was offered. An ordinary table, a common board, served then as an altar. Sometimes the first Christians would go aboard ships in order to be protected by the sea and be able to celebrate the holy mysteries. At last, when the field of the Lord had been sufficiently irrigated by the blood of martyrs, and the dawn of peace had risen with the conversion of Con stan tine and his elevation to the imperial throne, the Christians began to erect altars of stone, endeavoring thereby to make them worthier of the sacrifice offered on them. The Church, inspired by the Holy Ghost, ever intent to preserve unity, which is one of her divine attributes, judged that the one real offering of the New Law required uniformity in the construction of altars which would subsequently be erected in the Christian world. It is therefore ordered:

1. That the altar-table (mensa) must be a single stone. This stone is the figure of Christ, who has said of Himself : " The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner" (Matt. xxi. 42). On this cornerstone is built the spiritual edifice of the Church. To this corner - stone the Church owes her strength. It makes her imperishable.

2. That the attar be consecrated. The altar-stone represents not only the rock of Calvary, but Christ Himself, "who is the spiritual and mystic Rock" (1 Cor. x. 4), and is also emblematic of the virtue and holiness required of those who offer the holy sacrifice, assist at it, or receive the sacrificed God in holy communion. The consecration of an altar-stone is one of the most solemn ceremonies of our holy religion. After many prayers and ceremonies, the bishop blesses salt, ashes, and wine, and mixes them in holy water. These elements are figures both of the human and the divine nature of Christ, as well as of the mortal body and the immortal soul of man and of the union of both in the blood of Christ. It is not our object to explain the whole ceremony of the consecration. We must add, however, that the bishop makes with the above mixture five crosses on the altar-stone, one in the middle, the others on the four corners. This reminds us of that stream of grace which flows from the five wounds of Jesus, and which diffuses itself from the altar upon the Church and the faithful.

3. That in the altar-stone be inclosed relics of saints. This prescription is grounded on the general practice of the first Christians, who erected altars on the tombs of the martyrs. Those who shed their blood for Christ rest at the feet of Christ, who is the real Altar, and who gave them strength to conquer their enemies — on the altar the Lamb; under the altar those who sacrificed their life for the Lamb, in order that love and its grateful return may be united even in death. This is corroborated by a vision of St. John, as related in the book of Apocalypse (vi. 9). " When He [the Lamb] had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held."

4. That the altar be on an elevated place, and as far as possible be turned towards the east.

COPYRKjHT 1896 BY BE.NZIGER BROTHERS.

THE PRIEST PRAYS AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR.

The altar must be turned towards the east because, as we said before, it represents Christ, the Sun of justice. The altar must be on an elevated place, to put us in mind of Calvary's mount and to remind us that we ought to elevate our hearts heavenwards. The altar, on which our eucharistic God and King has His throne, is the noblest sanctuary on earth ; it is the chosen paradise of devout souls. There Our Lord calls us far away from the noise of the tumultuous world ; there the thirsty soul finds a foretaste of heavenly

happiness, a

Chapter II. Altar Decorations

The altar is the holiest place that can be found on earth. The majesty of God descends upon it; and the body and blood of the Lord rest upon -it for the salvation of the world. Love and gratitude towards the God-Man make it a duty for Christians to see that the altar be not without ornaments. Could man, after having received so many blessings from the Lord, content himself with offering Him in return a bare stone for a resting-place? No! A heart in which every sentiment of love towards God is not extinguished cannot but desire that the best, the most beautiful, and the most precious be devoted to His service; it wishes to be able to exclaim with David: "I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house " (Ps. xxv. 8). We should not content ourselves with w T hat is strictly necessary. When Magdalen anointed the feet of Jesus with precious ointment, one of the disciples remarked that this was not necessary, that the money could have been put to better use. But who was it that said so? Judas, the traitor. The New Testament seems to vie with the Old in embellishing the altar with costly and magnificent decorations. The chief things which the liturgy prescribes or recommends for the ornamentation of the altar are as follows :

1 . The altar must be covered with three white linen cloths, blessed by the bishop, or by a priest empowered to bless them. These cloths remind us of the linen towels in which the dead body of the Saviour was shrouded and in which it was buried. They at the same time represent the faithful, who are as a precious garment of Christ. The altar must be so covered throughout the year, except on Holy Thursday, when after Mass the altar is laid bare, to put us in mind of the shameful stripping of Christ's most chaste body and of his abandonment during His passion.

2. On each altar there must be two, four, or \ six candlesticks with wax candles ; two for a Low j Mass, four for a High Mass, and six for a Solemn j High Mass. The sacrifice can never be offered I except there be at least two lighted candles. History proves abundantly that in the first ages

Altar Decorations.

of Christianity costly candlesticks adorned the altar. The first Christians followed the example of the faithful of the Old Law, on whose altars shone several candlesticks of pure gold and the finest workmanship. The Church prescribes that the candles used during Mass be of wax, for the lighted wax candle is one of the most impressive figures of Christ. As the virgin bee gathers pure wax from the flowers, so did Jesus assume His pure body in the womb of the Flower of Nazareth, the most holy Virgin Mary. Even as a bright flame glitters from the pure wax candle, so did the divinity of Jesus shine forth in His doctrine, His life, and His miracles. The burning wax candle signifies, moreover, the participation of the faithful in the holy sacrifice and their union with Christ ; numerous texts of Holy Scripture testify to this. The burning wax candle is also a figure of our hope. " Light is risen to the just and joy to the right of heart " (Ps. xcvi. n). The hope in a future Redeemer on the part of the faithful in the Old Law finds its fulfilment on the Christian altar : " To them that sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up " (Matt. iv. 16). In the midst of the cares and anxieties of this life the Christian

Altar Decorations.

must, like the burning candle, whose flame ever rises on high, even when inclined or upset, raise his eyes and heart to the Origin of all hope and of all consolation : Sursum corda. Lastly, light is a figure of our love. The candle consumes itself, while it burns and gives light. So did Christ during the whole term of His mortal life, and especially during His passion, consume Himself out of love for us. On the altar, during Mass, and in the tabernacle, Jesus continues that life of love till the end of ages. There glitter as in their centre the rays of His divine love and enkindle in our hearts the fire of the sincerest return of love. On the altar Jesus, the Light of the world, sacrifices Himself for us, — He who is the hope of our life, the fire of divine love, and in the light of glory will be our happiness without end. To remind us of these great truths, could there be a more beautiful, a more appropriate figure than the burning wax candle ?

3. The chief requisite on each altar is the crucifix, which serves to remind priest and faithful, during the holy sacrifice, of the life and death of Christ. The cross is the glorious standard of the Redeemer, who, during Mass, offers in an un-

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Altar Decorations.

bloody manner the same sacrifice which He once offered in a bloody manner on Calvary.

4. Next come the sacred relics and the images. Costly reliquaries are placed between the candlesticks, and not without reason ; for whatever is said of the grave of the Saviour applies to a certain extent to the resting-places of His saints. "His sepulchre shall be glorious" (Is. xi. 10). They surround the cross, and silently tell us that the sacrifice at which we assist procured for the saints the grace to obtain the crown of life. They speak to us of the love which Christ bears to all the members of His mystic body. Round the altar kneel rich and poor, young and old, and all are received by Jesus with the same affectionate love, when, animated with the same feelings, they offer themselves to Him in offering the holy sacrifice.

5. It is a praiseworthy custom, which has its origin in the subterraneous oratories of the first Christians, to decorate the altar, especially on festive occasions, with natural or artificial flowers. Flowers are the charming remnants of a formerly blessed world, and seem not to have been comprehended in the general doom ; they are striking revelations of God's beauty. A pious follower of the gentle saint of Assisi used to say : " Three things has God left us from the earthly paradise, viz. : the stars, the flowers, and the eye of a child." The flowers are one of the most beautiful of liturgical images. Not only is Jesus Christ Himself called a flower out of the root of Jesse, but flowers also are emblems of His saints, as recorded in many passages of Holy Scripture. " The just shall flourish like the palmtree " (Ps. xci. 13). "I was exalted as a roseplant in Jericho " (Ecclus. xxiv. 18). " As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters " (Cant. ii. 2). The flowers admonish us in their language to adorn our souls with the various virtues by which we may glorify God. Adorned with innocence and purity of heart, we will be found worthy to take part in the offering of Him who grazes among the lilies.

6. From time immemorial costly carpets and artistic laces have formed part of the altar decorations. St. Gregory of Tours testifies that, in his day, not only the altars, but even the walls of churches were decorated with precious curtains and draperies. Noble and pious women vied with each other, and spared neither time, money, nor pains to work with their own hands pieces of art wherewith to enhance the glory of the Christian altar. The Old Testament speaks of costly curtains for the decoration of the Tabernacle and the Temple, and these but prefigure the Christian altar and church. Thus spoke the Lord to Moses: "Thou shalt make ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, diversified with embroidery " (Ex. xxvi.). In this and following chapters is clearly laid down all that is required for the decoration of the Temple and the altar with all their appurtenances; nothing is omitted. Hence we may draw this conclusion : if at the express command of God so much was required for the decoration of the Temple, which comprised but a little manna, the tables of the Law, and a few other figures, in themselves all needy elements, what should not a Christian do towards decorating the altar of which the King of heaven and earth deigns to make His throne? The most beautiful products of our love ought to be devoted to the glory of God's house. It is only then that we can in truth say with David : " I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house; and the place where Thy glory dwelleth" (Ps. xxv. 8).

AT THE INTROIT.

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Chapter III. The Chalice And Its Appurtenances

The chalice and the paten take the first place among the requisites for the holy sacrifice : the paten, on which the body of the Lord rests, and the chalice, in which His adorable blood flows. Before being used, both must be consecrated by a bishop; after that laymen are not allowed to touch them. The chalice out of which the Saviour gave His blood to His disciples to drink was not of gold, and yet it was precious and venerable. It is not known with certainty of what composition the chalice was which Jesus used at the Last Supper; some maintain that it was of silver, while others assert that it was an earthen cup. In the beginning of Christianity, when the oratories reflected more the poverty of the stable of Bethlehem, wooden, glass, or copper chalices were used. In the first half of the third century the wooden chalices were abolished by Pope Urban I. (222-230); afterwards those of glass, horn, stone, etc., were equally forbidden. If the means of churches permitted, chalices of costly metal and fine workmanship were used. According to the present rulings of the Church, the chalice must be either of gold or silver ; only in cases of extreme poverty are base-metal chalices permitted. But if the cup be of silver or base metal it must be gilt, at least inside. This also applies to the paten. It is, however, clear that the validity of the sacrifice does not depend upon the value of the chalice. But it is desirable that the most costly metal be used for the holiest and sublimest work that can be accomplished on earth. The chalice is a striking figure of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The divine Heart is the blessed fountain from which the blood of the Saviour flows into thousands upon thousands of chalices on the Golgotha of the Christian altar. In His sacrament of love Jesus makes His blood flow by means of the chalice of salvation into the hearts of the faithful, to enliven them and to enable them to bring forth fruits unto salvation.

Chalice and paten remind us, moreover, of the wood of the cross on which the body of Christ hung, and of the holy sepulchre in which the

Saviour's body rested after He had offered the bloody sacrifice.

The chalice represents also in a striking manner the passion of Jesus. The Saviour Himself often attached that meaning to it. In the Garden of Olives, sorrowful even unto death, and clearly seeing all the tortures which ungrateful humanity had reserved for Him, He prayed His heavenly Father to remove that chalice from Him (Matt. xxvi. 39) ; at the same time offering Himself to drink it to the last drop if it were His Father's will. Jesus alluded to this meaning when He asked His apostles: "Can you drink the chalice which I shall drink?" (Matt. xx. 22). The apostles and the martyrs have answered gloriously by shedding their blood for the Crucified. The confessors and virgins who were not privileged to give to Jesus that shining testimony of their love, at the remembrance of what their Lord and Master had done for them, asked themselves with the Royal Prophet : u What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that He hath rendered to me?" And they have answered : " I will take the chalice of salvation : and I will call upon the name of the Lord" (Ps. cxv. 12, 13). They have endeavored to follow their God by voluntary penance and patient forbearance.

Lastly, the chalice is a figure of love coupled with purity. The Latin word calix, or the Greek xdko^ seems to indicate that meaning. These words mean cup ; also a flower. Pure souls drink out of it the wine which bringeth forth virgins; they draw from it, as pure bees, the honey of divine love.

Among the appurtenances of the chalice are the corporal, on which the body and blood of Christ are consecrated, and the pall, used to cover the chalice. Originally the pall was part of the corporal ; even now the same formula is used for the blessing of both. The corporal must be of pure white linen. This was ordered by Pope Eusebius, who governed the Church in the beginning of the fourth century. Great respect is due to the corporal and the pall, as well as to the purificator. The Church, therefore, orders that after having been used at the altar they first be washed by a cleric who has received one of the higher orders, and that the water be poured into the sacrarium. The corporal reminds us of the white linen cloth wherein the body of Jesus was wrapped; the pall the winding-sheet wherein His sacred head was enveloped; while the chalice signifies the grave, the pall, the tombstone. The purificator is used for wiping the chalice and the fingers and mouth of the priest after communion. The corporal must be handled with great respect, and ought not to be carried back and forth with bare hands, nor be left on the altar. The Church uses the burse to enclose it. The burse should be open only on one side and large enough to receive the folded corporal ; it must besides be of the same material and color as the vestment. The veil, wherewith the chalice is covered before the Offertory and after the Communion, must be of silk and of the same color as the vestment. It is called veil because it covers the chalice, and also because it alludes to the deep mysteries accomplished in the chalice, w T hich are hidden from us.

Chapter IV. The Priestly Vestments

When in the Old Law God notified His people by what offerings He willed that they should acknowledge His supremacy, He appointed Aaron and his descendants as mediators between Himself and man. In the exercise of their duty they had to wear a singular yet appropriate apparel. God ordered Moses (Ex. xxviii. 2) to make a holy vesture for his brother Aaron, for glory and for beauty. "Thou shalt speak to all the wise of heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom," thus spoke the Lord, " that they may make Aaron's vestments, in which he being consecrated may minister to Me. And these shall be the vestments that they shall make : A rational and an ephod, a tunic and a strait linen garment, a mitre and a girdle. And they shall take gold, and violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine linen." The obvious question now arises : If the Lord in the Old Law required such superb and precious vestments for the priests in offering sacrifices, which were mere figures, shadows of the sacrifice of the New Law, how ardently must He not desire that the priests appear in beautiful and rich vestments when they proceed to offer the unbloody sacrifice with the High-Priest of the New Law? In the very first ages of Christianity the Church prescribed for her priests a separate apparel, which was quite different from the common fashion, and ran no risk of being adopted by the laity. She had a very good reason for doing so; these visible signs were to inspire the faithful with greater respect for the invisible sacrifice. When the Reformers of the sixteenth century, as precursors of Antichrist, to whom power shall be given against the continual sacrifice, succeeded in replacing in some places holy Mass by soulless services of prayers and lectures, they began also to mock at the priestly vestments, in order to screen their apostasy. Many of our separated brethren have acknowledged the mistake of their ancestors, and resumed by degrees the very vestments which they once rejected. Unfortunately they have no real priests and consequently no offering, for their religion is a body without soul. The priestly vestments for the holy sacrifice are the following: the amice, alb, girdle, maniple, stole, and chasuble. Pope Innocent III., speaking on this subject, says that the different vestments which the priest wears at the altar signify one thing in regard to the Head, namely, Our Saviour, and another thing in regard to the members. Because the priest at the altar takes the place of Head and members, these vestments signify now the one, then the other.

The amice, or shoulder-dress, is so called because it must cover the head and the shoulders of the priest. The priest first holds the amice before his face; to signify Jesus Christ, the hidden God, who concealed His divinity under cover of His humanity, especially during His passion. It reminds us besides of the mockeries which Jesus bore when the bloodthirsty Jews blindfolded Him and buffeted Him in the face, saying: " Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck Thee" (Matt. xxvi. 68). In a moral sense the amice admonishes the priest and the faithful to be vigilant during holy Mass, that neither their eyes nor their understanding may be carried away nor they busy themselves with vain i

COPYRlCrHf - 1896 BY BENZIQE.R BROTHERS.

AT THE KYRIE ELEISON.