Mass

The development of the Roman Mass into its present form is also difficult to trace, at least in some of its earlier stages. Clement I of Rome, Justin Martyr, Hippolytus, and Novatian are in substantial agreement as to the liturgies which they describe or mention; but our in formation as to the developments of the Roman rite during the latter half of the 3d and nearly the whole of the 4th century is extremely scanty. What we find is that between the 2d and the 5th century certain important changes were made. When we reach the 5th century we are on surer ground, for the We Sacra mentis) and Innocent the First's letter to De centius prove not only that the Mass was then said in Latin but also that it is in essence the rite still in use. In the Sacramentary,) of the 6th or 7th century, showing the service considerably shortened, we have what is prac tically the present Roman Mass. Pope Saint Gregory I (590-604) made certain modifica tions, and left the Roman liturgy largely in the state in which it exists to-day. He it was, in particular, who gave the final touches to the Canon. *No pope," says Benedict XIV (1740 58), "has added to or changed the Canon since Saint Gregory." The Council of Trent (1545 63), wishing uniformity everywhere in the celebration of the Roman Mass, appointed a commission to examine and revise the Missal and restore it to its earlier form, °according to the custom and rite of the holy Fathers." This commission, named on 16 Feb. 1562, had not finished its labors at the close of the Council. 4 Dec. 1563, and its authority was continued and action on its report left to the Pope, Pius IV (1559-65). It was not, however, until the reign of his successor, Pius V (1566-72), that the revision was completed. On 14 July 1570 the reformed Missal —

Of the Mass, so instituted, developed, re formed, authorized and promulgated, it remains to say a few words. It is, indeed, not within the scope of the present article to give in detail the many complicated rules and the mi nute rubrics that are to be observed in the cele bration of Mass. These things, which must be mastered before ordination by every aspirant to the priesthood, are to be found fully set forth in books on ceremonial. All that can be given here is a general outline of the pray ers and of some of the ceremonies used. The norm is Missa Solemnis, or High Mass, sung by celebrant, deacon, subdeacon, and choir. The following sketch therefore refers to High Mass and, further, to High Mass as celebrated on an ordinary Sunday. The procession, con sisting of thurifer, acolytes, master of cere monies, subdeacon, deacon, and celebrant, all appropriately vested in accordance with the rubrics, having reached the foot of the altar, the celebrant makes the sign of the cross, and he and his assistants say certain preparatory prayers, including the 42d [43d in Rev. vers.] Psalm and the Confiteor or General Confes sion. Going up to the altar, the celebrant says silently two short prayers asking forgiveness of his sins. Then, having blessed the incense and incensed the altar, he reads the Introit, consisting of an antiphon, a verse of a psalm, and the little doxology, Gloria Patri, etc. The Introit has previously been sung by the choir. The Kyrie Eleison follows, said by the cele brant and the assistant ministers, and sung by the choir. The celebrant then intones the first words of the great doxology, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, and he and the ministers say the re mainder of it together, while the choir sings it. Turning to the congregation, the celebrant greets them, in his singing voice, with the salutation, Dominus vobiscum (The Lord be with you), to which the choir answers, Et cum spiritu tuo (And with thy spirit). He then sings the word, Oremus (Let us pray), and, turning his face to the altar, he sings the prayers known as the Collects, which are dif ferent every day. These are followed by the Epistle, which the celebrant reads while the subdeacon chants it. After the Epistle comes the Gradual, consisting of two separate chants, of which the first is the Gradual proper and the second is the Alleluia or, in Lent and on certain fast days, the Tract. Five times in the year, as well as in all Requiem Masses, the Gradual chants are followed by a canticle known as the Sequence. The celebrant then says silently the prayers, Munda cor meum, etc. (Cleanse my heart, etc.), and Dominus sit, etc. (May the Lord he in my heart and on my lips, etc.), reads a selection from one of the four Gospels, and blesses the incense. The sub deacon then holds the Gospel-book and the deacon incenses it, and then sings the Gospel as previously read by the celebrant. At the end the response, Laus tibi, Christe (Praise to thee, Christ), is said At this point, a sermon, if there is one, is preached, in the vernacular of course. After the sermon, the celebrant intones the first words of the Nicene Creed, Credo in unum Deum (I believe in one God), and says the remainder, which is sung by the choir. When the singing of the Creed is fin ished, the celebrant sings Dominus vobiscum and, after the response as before, he sings the word Oremus (Let us pray). Then follow in order the three principal parts of the Mass, namely, the Offertory, the Consecration, and the Communion. The Offertory is the begin ning of the action of sacrifice. While the choir sings the Offertory antiphon, the cele brant offers the bread, wheaten and unleavened, with the prayer, Suscipe, sancte pater, etc. (Accept, holy father, etc.). Then, blessing the water and mixing a little of the water with the wine in the chalice, he says the prayer, Deus, qui humane, etc. (God, who didst wonderfully create, and still more wonderfully renew, the dignity of man's nature, etc.). Next, offering the chalice, he and the deacon say, Offerimus tibi, Domine, calicem salutaris, etc. (We offer unto thee, Lord, the chalice of salvation, etc.). Bowing before the altar, the celebrant says the prayer, In spiritu humilitatis, etc. (In the spirit of humility, etc.), and then blesses the bread and wine with the prayer, Veni, sanctificator, etc. (Come, Sanctifier, etc.).

He then blesses the incense and incenses first the bread and wine with the prayer, Incensum istud, etc. (May this incense, etc.), and then the altar with the prayer, Dirigatur, Domine, oratio mea, etc. (Let my prayer, Lord, be di rected, etc.). Handing back the censer to the deacon, he says, Accendat in nobis Dominus, etc. (May the Lord enkindle in us, etc.). Here the celebrant, the ministers, the clergy present, and the congregation are all incensed. Wash ing his fingers at the side of the altar, the cele brant recites the Lavabo, that is, the last seven verses of Psalm 25 [26], concluding with the little doxology. Then, bowing before the mid dle of the altar, he says the prayer, Suscipe, Sancta Trinitas, bane oblationem, etc. (Re ceive, holy Trinity, this oblation, etc.). He then turns to the congregation and gives the exhortation, Orate, fratres, etc. (Pray, brethren, etc.), to which the ministers make answer, Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium, etc. (May the Lord receive the sacrifice, etc.). Next follow the Secreta, or secret prayers, which, like the Collects, vary every day, but are said, not sung, by the celebrant. The last Secret, which ends the Offertory act, he brings to a close with the Ecphonesis, Per omnia sacula saeculorum, sung aloud, to which the choir responds, Amen. There follow three short chants sung dialogue wise by the celebrant and the choir. The cele brant then sings the Preface, which ends with the Sanctus, etc., said by him and sung by the choir. At the Sanctus a bell is rung thrice. The Canon, which is the fundamental part of the Mass, follows. Its form never varies, except for slight changes (1) when the Roman See is vacant, (2) when the Episcopal See is vacant, (3) when the Mass is celebrated (a) in Rome and (b) in some French churches, (4) when it is celebrated by (a) a Pope or (b) a bishop, (5) when a bishop is being conse crated, (6) on Maundy Thursday, and (7) at the time of the five chief feasts of the year, namely, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. The Canon is said in a low tone (secreto) by the celebrant. He beseeches God to accept and bless the sacrifice, and to and and protect the Church, the Pope, and the -bishop; he prays for the living, present and absent; he commemorates the saints; he again begs the acceptance of the sacrifice; he asks for peace and for deliverance from eternal damna tion; he once more implores God to bless, ap prove, and ratify the oblation, so that it may become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Then, reciting what Christ did with the bread the day before He suffered, he consecrates the Host by saying, secretly, plainly, and attentively, the words, Hoc est enim corpus meum (For this is my body). Immediately he genuflects on one knee and adores and elevates the Host, to show it to the people. Next, reciting what Christ did with the cup of wine, he consecrates t the wine by saying the words, Hic est enim calix sanguinis met, novi et aterni testament]: mysterium fidei: qui pro vobis et pro muftis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum (For this is the chalice of my Blood, of the new and eternal testament: the mystery of faith: which shall be shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins). Adding the words, Rae quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis (As often as ye do these things, ye shall do them in remembrance of me), he again genuflects on one knee and adores the precious Blood and elevates the chalice containing it. During each elevation, a bell is rung thrice, additional lighted candles are borne by the acolytes, and the thurifer incenses thrice the consecrated bread and thrice the consecrated wine. Proceeding with the Canon. the cele brant says the Anamnesis prayer, in which a solemn commemoration is made of Christ's passion, resurrection, and ascension, and offers to the Lord the victim now on the altar, asking the Almighty Father to accept the offerings, and to command them to be carried by the hands of the holy angel to the altar on high, so that those who receive the most sacred Body and Blood of His Son may be filled with all heavenly blessing and grace. He next prays for the dead, prays again for the living, and makes a further commemoration of the saints, closing with the second Ecphonesis, Per omnia sacula saculorum. The answer, Amen, sung by the choir, brings the Canon to an end. Here follows that part of the Mass known as the Communion. The celebrant sings a short exhortation and clause, and then sings the Pater Noster as far as the word, tentationem. The choir sings the last petition, Sed libera nos a malo (But deliver us from evil). After this comes an Embolism, containing a further prayer for deliverance from evil and for peace, said by the celebrant, and ended by the third Ecphonesis, the words of which are the same as those of the two former ones. During the last part of the Embolism, he breaks the Host in the middle, over the chalice. Following the Ecphonesis and its response, he sings the greet ing, Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum (May the peace of the Lord be always with you), to which the choir replies, Et cum spiritu tuo. Putting a particle of the Host into the chalice, with the prayer, Hue commixtio et consecratio, etc. (May this mingling and consecration, etc.), he genuflects, bows down, strikes his breast thrice, and says the Agnus Dei, etc. (Lamb of God, etc.), which contains two petitions for mercy and one for peace. The choir sings the Agnus Dei. The celebrant, having made a further prayer for the peace and unity of the Church, gives the kiss of peace to the deacon, who in turn gives it to the subdeacon, and he in turn to the clergy present. The celebrant then prays for deliverance from his iniquities and from all evils, and asks that the participa tion of Christ's body may not turn to his judg ment and condemnation, but may profit him to the safety and health of soul and body. Hav ing said the words, Panem ccelestem accipiam, et nornen Domini invocabo (I will take the Bread of heaven, and will call upon the name of the Lord), he recites three times the Domine, non sum dignus, etc. (Lord, I am not worthy, etc.), a bell being rung each time, and, with specified and appropriate short prayers, he eats the consecrated bread and drinks the conse crated wine. During the two ablutions, that is, of the chalice and of his fingers, which follow, he says two other short prayers. While the choir sings the antiphon known as the Commun ion, the celebrant reads it, and this ends the Communion act. The last division of the Mass now begins. The celebrant, having sung the Post-Communion prayers, sings also the Domi nus vobiscum, to which the choir gives the customary response. Then the deacon sings, Ite, missa est (Go, the Mass is ended), or, in peni tential seasons, Benedicamus Domino (Let us bless the Lord), and the choir answers, Deo gratias (Thanks be to God). The celebrant says a final prayer, Placeat tibi, Sancta Trini obsequium servitutis mem, etc. (Holy Trinity, may the performance of my homage be pleasing to thee, etc.), and blesses the congrega tion. He then reads the last Gospel, which is normally the beginning of the first chapter of the Gospel of Saint John (vv. 1-14), and, when he finishes, the ministers respond, Deo gratias. So ends the Mass.