Catechism of the liturgy for young and old


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catech:

of

THE LITURGY
for

YOUNG and OLD

Compiled from Approved Sources

by

A Religious of the Sacred Heart

THE PAULIST PRESS
NEW YORK





FOREWORD

rilHIS little work deserves a warm welcome from Catholic Schools and
homes, for it gives in small compass the rudiments of a subject which

has been too little studied amongst us, but which is happily regaining its
lawful place. This growing appreciation is a matter for congratulation, for

where the Liturgy of the Church is loved and lived, Christian principles are

sure to be vigorous.

The Liturgy is the form of public worship prescribed and arranged by
the Church. Theology teaches that the Church is a living body, an or-
ganism, which has the duty of offering, as a body, praise and sacrifice to
Almighty God, and for the fulfillment of this duty the Church has designed

a form of prayers and actions, which we call the Liturgy. The Liturgy, then,
is the official prayer of the Church. In it she offers to God homage and
expiation, draws down His blessings, renders Him thanks. Through it she
sanctifies every part of the day and night, and converts the whole year into

a continuous circle of prayer. This center is formed by the Holy Mass, in
which the Adorable Sacrifice is surrounded by a magnificent set of prayers
and actions. Round the Mass, in a wider circle, we have the Canonical
Hours, i. e.y forms of prayer distributed over the hours of day and night.

Then dividing the mystery of the divine work of the Redemption into its
various phases, as the prism divides the light into colors, it establishes a

series of festivities encircling the whole year. Through Advent, with its
sombre but joyful expectation, we are led to Christmas, which is followed
by the austere periods of Septuagesima' and Lent, preparation for the holiest

seasons of Passiontide and Easter. Paschaltide gives us a long extension of

the joy of the Resurrection, and ends with the crowning festival of Pentecost.
Then, with new sets of offices, we are led on, week by week, to another
Advent. With such inspiration the Christian life is nurtured, mentally and
morally, and the true Catholic character is formed.

'We can frame no better wish for this little catechism than that it may
serve as an introduction to the Church’s treasure-house.

Stanbrook Abbey, Worcester.

November 20, 1919.

Nihil Obstat :

Die 7 Julii 1919.

Alois can. Attard, Cens. Theol.

Imprimatur

:

25 Julii 1919.

^ Maurus, O.S.B., Arch. Epus. Melitae.

Nihil Obstat: Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D., Censor Librorum.

Imprimatur

:

New York, July 19, 1921.

^ Patrick J. Hayes, D.D., Archbishop of New York.

(Reprinted by permission of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Malta.)



2 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

THE LITURGY
1. What is the meaning^ of the word Liturgy?
Originally it meant a public duty, a service to the State, under-

taken gratis by a citizen. The meaning is extended to cover
general service of a public kind.

2. Where is the word first used in Scripture?
In the Septuagint it is used for the public service of the tem-

ple (Exodus xxxviii.). Thence it comes to have a religious sense
as the function of the priests, the ritual service of the Temple
(Joel).

3. What does the term Liturgy now include?
The whole complex order of official services, all the Rites,

Ceremonies, prayers and Sacraments of the Church as opposed to
private devotions.

4. How could you find out which services are Liturgical?
Those services are Liturgical which are contained in any of

the official books of a Rite: e, g., Compline is a Liturgical service,
the Rosary is not.

5. In what sense is the word Liturgy used in the Greek
Church?

The Greek Church restricts it to the chief official service

—

the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist which in our Rite we call the
Mass. When a Greek speaks of the Holy Liturgy he means only
the Eucharistic service.

6. What do you mean by Liturgical Books?
The Liturgical Books are all the Books published by the au-

thority of the Church, that contain the text and directions for her
official services.

7. Name the Liturgical Books.
The Liturgical Books are: The Missal, the Pontifical, the

Breviary, the Ritual, the Bishop’s Ceremonial, the Memorial of
Rites, and the Martyrology.

8. When was the Roman Missal first published?
The Roman Missal as we now have it, was published by St.

Pius V. in 1570. It has been revised in several succeeding Pontifi-

cates, new Masses have been added according to need, but it is
still that of Pius V.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 3

9. What does the text of the Missal contain?
The first part contains the “Proper of the Season’^ from the

first Sunday of Advent to the last after Pentecost. The proper
of each Mass is given in order of the ecclesiastical year, that is
the Masses of each Sunday and other days (vigils, ember days,
etc.) that have a proper Mass. Certain rites not Eucharistic,

but connected closely with the Mass are in their place in the
Missal, such as the blessing of ashes, candles, palms; all the

morning services of Holy Week (except the Vespers of Thurs-
day and Friday). After the service of Holy Saturday the whole
Ordinary of the Mass with the Canon is inserted.

10. What is the Ordinary of the Mass?
The Ordinary is that part of the Mass which does not change

except for the thirteen proper Prefaces and the few changes
that occur in the Canon. After the Ordinary comes Easter Day
and the rest of the year in order.

11. What does the second part of the Missal contain?
It contains the Proper of Saints, that is, the feasts that oc-

cur through the year. It begins with the Vigil of St. Andrew,
which generally falls at the beginning of Advent.

12. What does the third part contain?
It contains the Common Masses, that is, general Masses for

Apostles, Martyrs, .etc. Masses for the dead. Supplements, i, e.,
a collection of Votive Masses, special Masses for certain dioceses.

13. What is the Pontifical?
The Pontifical is the Bishop’s book, and contains the rites of

Confirmation, Ordination, Blessing of Abbots, consecration of

Churchs, Altars, Chalices, etc.

14. What is the Breviary?
The Breviary contains all the Divine Office without Chant.

It is divided into four parts: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn.
15. By whom is the Divine Office said?
The Divine Office is said by all Priests and by the members

of several religious orders, men and women.
16. What are the Canonical hours?
As each day has its own office, the office is divided into Hours

founded on the ancient Roman divisions of the day. The night
Hours are Matins and Lauds, Matins being divided into three
noctums, to correspond with the three watches of the night, and
Lauds was supposed to be recited at dawn.



4 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

The Day Hours are: Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and
Compline.

17. What does the Ritual contain?
The Ritual contains all the services a priest needs beside those

of the Missal and Breviary; directions for the administration of
the various Sacraments, processions, funerals, exorcisms, etc.

18. What does the Ceremonial of Bishops contain?
In spite of its title it contains much matter needed by other

people than Bishops. It contains general directions for Episcopal

functions, and for the Bishop’s attendants, full directions for
everything connected with Mass, Divine Office, its chanting in

Choir and the ritual belonging to it. It is an indispensable sup-
plement to the rubrics of the Missal, Breviary, Ritual and Pon-
tifical.

19. What is the Memorial of Rites?
The Memorial of Rites or the Little Ritual gives direction

for certain rites, blessing of candles, ashes, palms, etc., in small

churches where there is neither deacon nor subdeacon.
20. What is the Martyrology?
It is an enlarged calendar giving the names, and very short

accounts of all saints (not martyrs only) commemorated in vari-
ous places each day.

21. Name the Liturgical colors?
White, Red, Green, Violet and Black are Liturgical colors.
22. What is meant by Chant?
In the strict sense “Chant” means a melody executed by the

human voice only; in a wider sense the word is taken to mean
such singing even when accompanied by instruments; it may also
mean instrumental music alone.

23. What is Liturgical Chant?
Liturgical Chant means Liturgical or Sacred music. Sacred

music embodies four distinct, but subordinate, elements: plain

chant; harmonized chant; one or other of these accompanied by
organ and instruments; and organ and instruments alone.

24. What is meant by plain chant?
This name only came into use in the twelfth and thirteenth

centuries, it was given to the old church music to distinguish it
from the “musica mensurata” which began to be developed at

that time. Plain chant is synonymous with Gregorian or Roman
Chant, by which is now meant not only early Church Music, but



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 5

all similar compositions written to the end of the sixteenth cen-

tury and even later.
25. Why is the Roman Chant also called Gregorian?
The Roman Chant is also called Gregorian because this digni-

fied and solemn Chant was taught and brought to perfection in a
school founded by St. Gregory the Great for which he gave land
and two houses. He collected into one volume, called the Anti-
phonary

,

all that was to be sung during Mass and other church
ceremonies. He wished these chants to be spread through the
whole Latin Church. He is said to have himself presided at the
lessons given and even to have taught the younger children him-
self. When they were sufficiently instructed he sent his scholars
to both England and France. Two centuries later the Chants sent
by Pope Adrian to Charlemagne came from this Gregorian School
of Music.

26. What is meant by extra-Liturgical music?
The music which accompanies non-Liturgical functions of

Catholic worship is usually and accurately styled extra-Liturgi-
cal. Music for these functions should assume as far as possible
the character without the extreme severity of Liturgical music.

27. Which are the principal Liturgies in use in the East-
ern Church in the present day?

The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in its Slavonic form, is
used by the Russian church in Russia itself. It is also used in
Greece and by the Bulgarians, Albanians, Ruthenians, etc., as well
as by the United Greeks of the four patriarchates and some others.

28. Is this the only Liturgy used in these places?
No, the Liturgy of St. Basil is used on certain days in the

year instead of that of St. Chrysostom.
29. Which are the Liturgies of the Western church?
With the exception of one or two rites, the Roman Liturgy

has universal sway.

30. Which other rites are used in the West?
The Ambrosian Liturgy is used in Milan and the Mozarabic

Liturgy in Toledo in Spain.
31. What do you know of these Liturgies?
The Ambrosian Liturgy, so-called from St. Ambrose, Bishop of

Milan a. d. 374, is very ancient. The Milanese say it is the
work of St. Barnabas, Apostle. Many attempts haye been made
to abolish this rite and to substitute the Roman, but to no purpose.



6 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

32. What are some of the particularities of this rite?
It allows no ‘^Agnus Dei^^ except in Masses for the Dead.

On Easter Sunday two Masses are prescribed, one for the newly
baptized and one for the feast and throughoi^t the whole of Lent
there is no Mass on Friday.

33. What is the Mozarabic rite?
The Mozarabic rite is a survival of the Gothic Liturgy that

was formerly in use throughout Spain but is now restricted to
the city of Toledo only.

34. What was the Sarum rite?
The Sarum rite prevailed throughout Great Britain generally,

until the reign of Queen Mary in 1560, when through the medi-
tation of Cardinal Pole the regular Roman Liturgy was intro-
duced.

35. How did the Sarum rite originate?
The Sarum rite was introduced by St. Osmund, Bishop of

Sarum, in Wiltshire, England, in 1078, and was renowned for the
magnificence of its ceremonies.

36. Which of the Religious Orders have rites of their
own?

Three Religious Orders have rites of their own, namely the
Carthusians, the Carmelites and the Dominicans.

37. What are some of the different kinds of Mass?
Solemn High Mass, is celebrated with deacon and subdeacon

and a number of inferior ministers. It is called “High’’ from the
fact that the greater part is chanted in a high tone of voice.

38. What is a Missa Cantata?
A Missa Cantata or simple sung Mass is so called when there

is neither deacon nor subdeacon.
39. What is a Low Mass?
A Low Mass is so called from its being said without deacon

and subdeacon and without the usual marks of solemnity of a
High Mass.

40. What is a conventual Mass?
A conventual Mass, strictly speaking, is that which the canons

attached to a Cathedral are required to celebrate daily after the

hour of Terce—that is—about 9 o’clock.
41. What is a Nuptial Mass?
A Nuptial or Bridal Mass is a special service set apart in the

Missal for the Bridegroom and Bride and which has a few cere-



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 7

monies peculiar to it alone. It is of very ancient origin and has

the singular rite of interrupting the Canon itself after the Pater
Noster to pronounce a blessing over the newly married pair.

42. What is meant by a Golden Mass?
The Golden Mass was one that used to be celebrated formerly

cm the Wednesday of the Quarter Tense of Advent in honor of the
Mother of God. It was a solemn High Mass of the most gorgeous
kind and often lasted three or four hours. The Bishop and all his
canons assisted at it. At the Church of St. Guduld, in Brussels, this
Mass is celebrated every year on the twenty-third of December.

43. What is a votive Mass?
A votive Mass is a Mass not in accordance with the office

of the day. As every day in the year has a Mass peculiar to it-
self, whenever this order is broken in upon, the Mass said instead
is called votive, or a Mass of devotion. Votive Masses may not
be celebrated on Sundays or within the octaves of Christmas,
Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi nor in Holy Week.
The ‘^Gloria in Excelsis’^ and the Creed are omitted in votive
Masses, and a commemoration is always made of the Mass of the
day.

44. What exception is there in regard to the ^‘Gloria” in
votive Masses?

In the votive Mass of the Angels and in the Saturday votive
Mass of Our Blessed Lady, the ‘‘Gloria in Excelsis” is allowed.

45. When is Midnight Mass allowed?
Midnight Mass is now only allowed at Christmas, but mid-

night Masses used to be common during times of persecution, and
later on certain festivals had the privilege of Midnight Mass.

46. What is a Requiem Mass?
A Requiem Mass is a Mass for the dead.
47. When may a Requiem Mass be celebrated ?
Requiem Masses are accustomed to be said: 1st. When a per-

son dies, or on any day between the day of the death and that of
the burial; 2nd. on the third day after death, in memory of Our
Lord’s Resurrection; 3d. on the seventh day; 4th. on the thirtieth

day; 5th. at the end of a year, that is on the anniversary day.



8 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

THE ALTAR

48. What is the altar?
The altar is the sacred table on which Mass is offered. Be-

fore Mass may be celebrated on it, it must first be consecrated
by the Bishop.

49. What is meant by the right and left sides of the altar?
The right and left sides of the altar are so called from the

right and left hands of the crucifix so that the right side is the
Gospel side and the left side is the Epistle side. Up to the fif-
teenth century it used to be just the opposite according to the
right and left hand of the priest.

50. How must the altar be covered?
It is of strict obligation that every altar upon which the Holy

Sacrifice is offered should be covered with three linen cloths. Be-
fore these cloths are used they must be blessed by the Bishop or
by one of his delegates.

51. Why are three altar cloths used?
Three altar cloths are used in honor of the Blessed Trinity,

as well as to commemorate the linen cloths in which Our Lord^s
Body was wrapped in the sepulchre.

52. Why are relics of Saints placed in the altar?
Relics of Saints are placed in the altar because in the time

of persecution it was customary to say Mass on the tombs of the
Martyrs. When peace was restored to the Church this custom
gradually gave way to that of laying in the newly consecrated
altars some portion of the Martyrs’ bodies.

53. Who places the relics of the Martyrs in the altar?
The Bishop, who consecrates the altar, places the relics in it.

54. What must be on the altar whenever Mass is said?
There must be, besides the three altar cloths, a crucifix and

two lighted candles and usually a Missal, Missal-stand and three
altar cards.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 9

THE MASS
55. What is the meaning of the Word ‘‘Doxology”?
Doxology means a word of praise or glory. The minor

Doxology is the ^^Glory be to the Father,” and the major Dox-
ology is the “Gloria in Excelsis.”

56. How many languages are used in the Mass?
Three languages are used in the Mass: Latin, Greek and He-

brew.

57. Why are these three languages used?
Because the title of the Cross was written in these three lan-

guages.

58. Which are the Greek and Hebrew words used in the
Mass?

The Greek words are “Kyrie Eleison” and “Agios o Theos,
etc.,” on Good Friday; and the Hebrew words are “Hosannah—
Sabaoth—Alleluia—Amen—Seraphim and Cherubim.”

59. How many Collects are allowed in the Mass?
It is forbidden to say more than seven Collects at any time,

and this number is rarely said. On great feasts, only one is said
but on ordinary occasions three is the usual number.

60. Why is the Gradual so called?
The Gradual is so called not as some suppose from the steps

of the altar, for it was never read there, but rather from the steps
of the ambo.

61. What was the ambo?
The ambo was an elevated lectern or pulpit placed generally

in the nave of the church from which the epistle used to be read
or chanted. Specimens of these may yet be seen in the ancient
Church of San Clemente in Rome.

62. What is a Sequence ?
A Sequence is a rhythmical composition which on certain oc-

casions in the year is added immediately after the Gradual.
63. What other names are given to Sequences?
Sequences are also called proses or jubilations.

64. What is the reason of these names?
They are called “proses” because, though in verse, they have

not the qualities of regular metrical compositions, i. e., more at-
tention is paid to accent than to quantity. The name “jubilation”
was given for their being employed for the most part on occasions
of great solemnity and rejoicing; and because the musical phrase



10 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

following the Allel, to which the early Sequences were set, was
called a jubilus, the name Sequence came from their following the
“alleluia/^

65. How many Sequences have now a place in the Mass?
There are only five Sequences: 1st. The “Victimse Paschali/'

proper to Easter; 2d. the “Veni Sancte Spiritus,” proper to Pente-
cost; 3d. the “Lauda Sion/’ proper to Corpus Christi; 4th. the
“Stabat Mater/’ proper to the feast of the Seven Dolors of the
Blessed Virgin Mary; 5th. the “Dies Irse,” proper to Masses for
the dead.

66. What do you know of the authorship of any of these
Sequences?

The “Veni Sancte Spiritus” is generally ascribed to Blessed
Hermann Contractus or the Cripple; by others it is ascribed to
Pope Innocent 111. and to Robert, King of the Franks.

67. Who composed the ‘‘Lauda Sion”?
The “Lauda Sion” was composed by St. Thomas Aquinas at

the request of Pope Urban IV.

68. Who was the author of the “Stabat Mater”?
The “Stabat Mater” is generally ascribed to Jacopone da Todi,

a Franciscan Friar.

69. What was the Discipline of the Secret?
The “Disciplina Arcana,” or Discipline of the Secret, was the

custom which prevailed in the Church during the first five cen-
turies, of carefully concealing the principal mysteries of Our Holy
Faith from pagans and Catechumens, and those were therefore
dismissed before the most solemn part of the Mass began.

70. What is meant by the Mass of the Faithful?
The Catechumens were dismissed from Mass the moment the

sermon was finished at the end of the Gospel, and then the Mass
of the Faithful began with closed doors.

71. Who also were dismissed besides Catechumens?
Besides the Catechumens there were also dismissed, those

troubled with unclean spirits; the lapsed, or those who openly
denied the faith; public sinners whose term of penance had not
yel expired, and Jews, Gentiles and pagans.

72. What is meant by the Mass of the Catechumens?
The Mass of the Catechumens means that part of the Mass

when Catechumens might be present, that is, up to the sermon.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 11

73. On what feasts is the Creed said at Mass?
The Creed is said on all Sundays of the year, feasts of Our

Lord, the Blessed Virgin, the Holy Angels, the Apostles, and Doc-
tors of the Church. The only woman saint besides the Blessed
Virgin who has a Creed in her Mass is St. Mary Magdalene be-
cause she was the ‘^Apostle of the Apostles.’^

74. What old dictum gives the feasts upon which the Creed
is not said at Mass?
.

The dictum, ‘‘MUC NON CREDUNT,^^ M stands for Mar-
tyrs, U or V for Virgins, widows and non-virgins, C for Confes-
sors, all of whom have no Creed special to them.

75. What is the origin of the Nicene Creed?
The Nicene Creed was framed in the year 325 at the general

Council of Nicea, a town of Bithynia in Asia Minor, where three
hundred and eighteen Fathers assembled at the call of Pope Syl-
vester, to condemn the heretic Arius, who denied the Divinity of
Our Lord.

76. Which was the principal clause inserted in the Creed by
the Fathers?

“Consubstantial with the Father’^ was the clause which took
from Arius the last prop on which his heresy rested.

77. When was the Creed further added to ?
The Nicene Creed was added to at the Council of Constanti-

nople a. D. 381, which condemned the heresy of Macedonius, who
denied the Divinity of the Holy Ghost.

78. How many Prefaces are in use in the Roman Church
now?

The number of Prefaces in use in the Roman Church is thir-
teen: 1st. The Preface of the Nativity; 2d. of the Epiphany; 3d.
of Lent; 4th. of the Cross and Passion; 5th. of Easter Sunday;
6th. of the Ascension; 7th. of Pentecost; 8th. of the Blessed

Trinity, used on every Sunday; 9th. of the Blessed Virgin; 10th.
of the Apostles; 11th. of St. Joseph; 12th. of the Dead, 13th. of
the Common.

79. What is the meaning of the word Canon?
The word CANON in Greek signified a straight rod, then a

rule used by masons *and carpenters for measuring; now, by a
metaphor, it is used as a rule in art, and accordingly the sense
of something fixed is found in the various uses of the word Canon
as applied by the Church,



12 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

80. What are some of the uses of the word Canon?
The Canon of Scripture is the fixed list of books which the

Church recognizes as inspired. Ecclesiastical laws and defini-
tions of councils are called CANONS and are the fixed rules of
faith or conduct. CANONIZATION is the inscribing the name
of a Servant of God on a fixed list of Saints whom the Church
places on her altars. CANON as an ecclesiastical dignity, means
originally one on a fixed list of clerics attached to a church or
a cathedral.

81. What is the Canon of the Mass ?
The Canon of the Mass means the fixed rules according to

which the Holy Sacrifice is offered. It m^ans the fixed portion
of the Mass. Its present form was arranged chiefly by St. Gregory
the Great.

82. What is meant by the term, ‘‘Within the Action”?
The Canon was sometimes called by ancient writers the Ac-

tion or the Great Act of the priest, as it included the consecration
of the Bread and Wine, changing them into the Body and Blood
of Our Lord. The words, “Within the Action,” are now applied
to the prayer in the Canon which begins with the word, “Com-
municantes.”

83. What is -to be noticed about the prayer, “Communi-
cantes”

?

Although this prayer is part of the Canon of the Mass which
otherwise never changed, an addition is made to it on five great
feasts of the year: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and
Pentecost.

84. What Saints are mentioned by name in the Canon of
the Mass before the Consecration?

Before the Consecration there are mentioned by name, the
Blessed Virgin, the twelve Apostles and twelve Martyrs, the first
five of whom were Popes.

85. Which of the Apostles is omitted from the list?
St. Matthias is omitted because he was not an Apostle at the

time of Our Lord’s Passion and St. Paul is inserted, though not
one of the twelve Apostles as he is always united to St. Peter in

the Liturgy of the Church.

86. Name the five Popes mentioned in the Canon?
SS. Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus and Cornelius, the first

three of whom were fellow laborers with St. Peter.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 13

87. Which are the other Martyrs, not Popes, mentioned at
this place in the Canons? '

St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage; SS. Lawrence, Chryso-

gonus, John and Paul, brothers; Cosmos and Damian, also broth-
ers and physicians.

88. What persons of the Old Testament are mentioned in
the Ordinary of the Mass?

Abel, Abraham, Melchisedech and Isaias are mentioned in the
Ordinary of the Mass.

89. Are any women Saints mentioned in the Canon ?
Yes, SS. Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia

and Anastasia are mentioned in the Canon after the Consecration.

90. What custom formerly prevailed at the Memento of the
living and of the dead?

Up to the twelfth century in the Latin Church it was custo-
mary to read aloud from the diptychs the names of those to be
prayed for.

91. What were the diptychs?
Diptychs were tablets on which were inscribed the names of

the living and the dead, and the deacon read them aloud from the
ambo. In the Mozarabic rite the custom of the reading of the
diptychs is still in use.

92. What was the origin of the elevation of the Host after
the Consecration?

The present custom of the elevation of the Host after the Con-
secration dates from the eleventh century and was introduced as
a protest against the heretic Berengarius, who denied the doctrine
of transubstantiation.

93. What is the minor or little elevation ?
The minor elevation takes place a little before the “Pater

Noster” at the words, “omnis honor et gloria,’^ when the priest
raises the chalice and Host a few inches from the altar. This
used to be the only elevation.

94. How many ceremonies is the priest obliged to observe
while saying Mass?

The priest has to observe SOO ceremonies while saying Mass,
besides 400 rubrics, which makes in all 900 obligations which he
is bound to observe under pain of sin.



14 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

95. What are some of the ceremonies he is bound to ob-
serve?

He has to turn six times towards the people, to kiss the altar
eight times, to raise his eyes to heaven eleven times, and to strike
his breast ten times in Masses for the Living, seven times in
Masses for the Dead.

96. How many times does the priest join his hands and
bow his head during Mass?

He joins his hands fifty-four times and bows his head twenty-
one times; and he puts both hands on the altar twenty-nine times.

97. How many times does the priest make the sign of the
cross?

The priest makes the sign of the cross thirty-three times over
the offering, sixteen times on himself and twice when he turns and
blesses the people; once on the book; and he makes the sign of
the cross with the Host before he gives Holy Communion to each
communicant.

98. What are some of the differences between a High Mass
and a Low Mass?

High Mass differs from Low Mass merely by way of addition.
Music is of obligation, the Gospel is solemnly chanted by the
deacon and the Epistle by the subdeacon. The altar and the people
are incensed, and the Pax or Kiss of Peace is given by the priest to
the deacon and by him to the subdeacon after the Pater Noster.

99. Which parts of a High Mass are sung by the choir?
The choir sings the Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, Creed, Of-

fertory, Sanctus, and Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Communion.
100. What powers does a deacon receive at Ordination?
The deacon at Ordination receives the power of assisting the

priest at High Mass, of solemnly singing the Gospel, of preach-
ing, and of administering solemn baptism.

101. How does the deacon wear the stole?
The deacon wears the stole across the left shoulder instead

of crossed in front like the priest.

102. How does a Mass for the Dead differ from a Mass for
the Living?

Chiefly by way of omission—The psalm, “Judica me,^^ is
omitted—also the Gloria and Creed as in other votive Masses.
At the Agnus Dei the words, ‘‘Dona eis requiem,” are substi-
tuted for “Miserere nobis” and before the last Gospel instead



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 15

of saying, ^Tte Missa est,’^ the words, ^‘Requiescat in pace,’^ are
said, and the priest’s blessing is not given.

103. What is the special advanta^re of a Requiem Mass?
So far as the essence of the Sacrifice is concerned, all Masses

are equal, but the prayers in the Requiem Mass are said in the
Church’s name and by the Church’s order, and consequently ob-
tain special graces for the departed.

104. Mention some differences between a Bishop’s Mass
and a priest’s Mass.

The Bishop vests at the altar. He receives the maniple only
at the ^Tndulgentiam” after the Confiteor. He says “Pax Vobis”
after the Gloria instead of the “Dominus Vobiscum.”

At the blessing the Bishop makes three signs of the cross
over the people. In the first prayer of the Canon, instead of say-
ing the words, “our Bishop N.,” he says, “and I Thy unworthy
servant.” He is always assisted by a priest.

105. What is a Pontifical Mass?
A Pontificial Mass is the solemn High Mass celebrated by a

Bishop. The full ceremonial is carried out when he celebrates
at the throne in his own Cathedral Church or with permission at
the throne in another diocese.

106. What are some of the ceremonials?
The Canons assist in their vestments, besides priests, deacons

and subdeacons. Nine acolytes or clerics minister the book,
bugia, mitre, crosier, censer, two candles, gremiale and cruets
and four minister in turn at the washing of the Bishop’s hands.
There should also be a train-bearer and at least four torch-bearers
at the Elevation.

107. What are the ornaments worn by a Bishop or Arch-
bishop besides the usual Mass vestments?

The ornaments worn by a Bishop or an Archbishop are the
buskins, sandals, pectoral cross, tunic, dalmatic, gloves, pallium,

mitre, ring, crosier which he carries and the gremiale or apron.
108. What peculiar ceremonies has the solemn Pontifical

Mass celebrated by the Pope in St. Peter’s?
In a Papal Mass a Cardinal Bishop acts as assistant priest

—

a Cardinal Deacon is the deacon of the Mass, and an auditor of
the Rota is subdeacon. The Epistle and Gospel are sung first in
Latin and then in Greek. While elevating the Host and the
Chalice the Pope turns in a half circle towards the Epistle and



16 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

Gospel side. The Pope receives Communion standing at the
throne, the deacon bringing him the Chalice and the subdeacon
the paten with the Host.

109.

What privilege is retained in the Pope^s solemn Mass
at the tombs of the Apostles?

The deacon and subdeacon are privileged to partake of the
Precious Blood from the Chalice. This is the only survival of a
usage which was almost universal in the Church for eleven hun-
dred years.

THE LITURGICAL YEAR

ADVENT
110. Why are the weeks preparatory to Christmas called

Advent?
From the Latin word, ‘‘Adventus,’’ which means coming.
111. When did the custom of keeping Advent originate?
The custom of keeping Advent originated in the fourth cen-

tury in the churches of the East. It was only towards the end
of that century that the date of Christmas was fixed for December
2Sth.

112. When is the first Stmday of Advent?
The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday nearest to the Feast

of St. Andrew, November 30th.
113. How is Advent kept?
Advent is kept by special prayer.
114. What is the earliest proof of special Advent exercises?
In a passage of St. Gregory of Tours^ History of the Franks

we find that St. Perpetuus, one of his predecessors in the See,
had decreed in a. d. 480 that the faithful should fast three times
a week from the feast of St. Martin (November 11th) to Christ-
mas.

115. What was this period called?
This period was called St. Martin’s Lent and his feast was

kept with the same kind of rejoicing as Carnival.
116. When did this original observance of Advent cease?
Probably in the twelfth century, but the change was gradual,

and in time Advent came to be observed in its now modified form.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 17

117. Which are the three ^^comings” of Our Lord so often
alluded to in the Liturgy for Advent?

1st. His coming in the Incarnation. 2d. His coming to each
soul. 3d. His coming at the Last Judgment.

118. What does St. Bernard say of these comings?
He says, in the first Our Lord comes in the weakness of hu-

man nature; in the second, He comes in spirit and with power;
in the third He comes in glory and in majesty.

119. What connection is there between the first coming and
the length of Advent?

The world waited four thousand years for the Incarnation,
we wait four weeks spent in special preparation.

120. What color is worn for church fimctions during Ad-
vent?

Purple is worn except on feast-days. This color shows with
what sincerity the Church unites herself in spirit with the true
Israelites who waited, in sackcloth and ashes, the coming of the
Messiah.

121. What omission is there in the Ordinary of the Mass
during Advent?

Except on the feast-days of Saints, the ‘‘Gloria in Excelsis” is
omitted and instead of “Ite Missa est’’ the priest says “Benedica-
mus Domino.”

122. Is Advent a time of mourning then?
No, because though the “Gloria in Excelsis” and the “Te

Deum” are not said, the “Alleluias” are continued.
123. Where is the station for the first Sunday in Advent?
In the Church of St. Mary Major under the protection of Our

Lady and in this basilica where the Manger is kept, the Church
begins Advent.

124. What is meant by the word station as used in the
Missal?

The stations marked in the Missal, refer to former times when
the clergy and people of Rome went in procession to the particu-
lar church named for that day and there said office and cele-
brated or assisted at Mass.

125. Where is the station of the second Sunday?
In the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, one of the

oldest churches in Rome. Here the relics of the True Cross with



18 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

the title, ^Tresented by Constantine the Great to this Church”
are kept with great care.

126. Is there anything special to the third Sunday?
The third Sunday is called “Gaudete” because of the first

word in the Introit
;
the organ is played, the priest wears a rose-

colored vestment and the deacon and subdeacon wear dalmatic
and tunic respectively. In the Cathedral the Bishop assists wear-
ing the mitre, known as “precious” (/. e,, a mitre adorned with
precious stones). The station is at St. Peter’s.

127. When do the Advent Ember Days occur?
The Advent Ember Days occur on the Wednesday, Friday and

Saturday after the third Sunday in Advent.

128. When did this custom originate ?
From the very first centuries, the Church set apart three days

in each of the four seasons as special days of petition and thanks-
giving.

129. Besides consecrating the season to God, what other
object has the Church in the Advent Ember Days?

She wishes to secure God’s blessing on the ceremony of or-
dination, fixed for the Saturday of this week and (formerly at
least) proclaimed to the people on Wednesday.

130. Is there anything special to the December ordination?
Yes, according to the directions of the early Popes, December

was the only month during many centuries in which Holy Orders
were conferred. Exceptions were made only for some extraor-
dinary reason.

131. When the fourth Simday and Christmas Eve coincide
which takes precedence?

The vigil takes precedence.
132 Name some of the feasts which occur during Advent?
The feast of St. Andrew (November 30th) though it does

not always occur in Advent will be found in the Missal at the
opening of the Ecclesiastical year.

133. In order of time what feast comes next?
The feast of St. Francis Xavier (December 3d). He is called

the Apostle of the Indies; he converted hundreds in India, and

when his mission was well established there, he longed to go to
China, but he died on the Island of Sancian, within sight of his

Piomised Land.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 19

134. What feasts are kept on December 8th and December
18th?

On December 8th the feast of the Immaculate Conception of
Our Lady, and on the eighteenth the feast of the Expectation of
Our Lady.

135. When was the dogma of the Immaculate Conception
defined?

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was defined an
article of faith on December 8, 1854, by Pope Pius IX.

136. What do you mean by the ^‘O Antiphons”?
The “O Antiphons” are special Antiphons sung at Vespers

from the seventeenth to the twenty-fourth of December. They
are so called because each one begins with the interjection O
(e, g., O wisdom proceeding from the mouth of the Almighty,
etc.).

137. How is the vigil of Christmas Day spent?
In prayer and fasting but in the spirit of hope which sees its

desires on the eve of fulfillment. If the vigil falls on Sunday, the
office and Mass of the vigil are said in preference to those of the
fourth Sunday.

CHRISTMAS

138. How does the Church celebrate the Midnight Birth?
By Midnight Mass, which the faithful as far as possible at-

tend.

139. What special privilege is granted to priests for this
feast ?

Each priest is allowed to say three Masses in honor of the
triple birth of Our Lord: 1st. His generation from Eternity from
the Father. 2d. His birth as man. 3d. His birth in the souls of
the faithful.

140. Has the privilege been extended to any other days?
Yes, the Holy Father extended the privilege to November 20

since 1915, for the repose of the souls of those fallen in the War,
and others according to his intentions.

141. Name some of the feasts which fall within the Octave
of Christmas.

St. Stephen, St. John, The Holy Innocents, St. Thomas of
Canterbury.



20 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

142. How does the Church show her sympathy with the
mothers of the Holy Innocents?

She leaves aside the color of joy (white) and uses purple
vestments which is the color of mourning. She also suppresses
the Gloria (unless the feast falls on Sunday then the color of the
vestments is red) and the Alleluias.

143. How does the feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury dif-
fer from those we have been speaking about?

He does not belong to the first ages of the Church, neither is
his name written in Scripture as those of St. Stephen, St. John and
the Holy Innocents.

144. What are the next great feasts?
The feast of the Circumcision and the feast of the Epiphany,

which are kept on January 1st and January 6th respectively.
145. What is the meaning of the word Epiphany?
The word Epiphany means ^^manifestation” and was chosen

to signify God’s showing Himself to man.
146. By what other name is the feast sometimes called?
It is sometimes called the feast of the Holy Lights, because it

was one of the days chosen in the early Church for baptism,
which is the sacrament of illumination, in memory of the baptism
of Our Lord in the Jordan which tradition fixed for January 6th.

147. Has it still another name?
Yes, it is familiarly called King’s Day in honor of the Magi

whose arrival in Bethlehem the Church commemorates on this day.
148. What is meant by the triple manifestation?
The three manifestations of Our Lord mentioned in the offices

on this one feast, are: 1st. His manifestation to the Magi guided
by a star which had led them to His abode in Bethlehem; 2d. The
manifestation of His divinity declared by the voice of the Father
at the Baptism in the Jordan; 3d. The manifestation of His
Power in changing water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana.

149. How did Christian Sovereigns once honor the faith of
the Eastern kings?

By offering gifts of gold, incense and myrrh on the feast of
the Epiphany.

150. Name some of the Sovereigns whom history records
as faithful to the practice.

Theodosius and Charlemagne; Stephen of Hungary; Edward
the Confessor; Ferdinand of Castille; Louis IX of France.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 21

151. Name some of the feasts which fall between the Oc-
tave of the Epiphany and Septuagesima.

St. Paul the Hermit, St. Agnes, the Conversion of St. Paul,

St. John Chrysostom, and St. Francis of Sales.

152. When is the feast of St. Agnes kept?
On January 21st, and on this day the Church honors her

name by blessing two lambs. These lambs are then sent to a
Monastery of nuns, by whom the lambs are tended.

153. What is made with their wool?
From their wool are made the Palliums sent by the Holy

Father as a sign of their jurisdiction to all Patriarchs and Arch-
bishops throughout the Catholic world.

LENT

154. When is Septuagesima Sunday celebrated?
Septuagesima Sunday is the ninth Sunday before Easter. The

Liturgy from this day forward is of a penitential character. The
altar is unadorned, the hymn ‘‘Gloria in Excelsis’’ is not sung,
and purple or violet colored vestments are used. Besides this the
Hebrew ejaculation of praise Alleluia is omitted no matter how
solemn be the feast that is celebrated.

155. What other changes appear in the Liturgy?
After the Gradual of the Mass a Tract, i, e,, a series of verses

from the psalms, is substituted for the^ Alleluia.

156. What does the word Lent mean?
Lent is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning Spring. It is the name

given to the solemn fast observed by Catholics in preparation for
Easter.

157. Is the practice of the Lenten fast an ancient one?
The Lenten fast dates back to Apostolic times as is attested

by St. Jerome, St. Leo the Great, St. Cyril of Alexandria and
others.

158. What custom prevailed up to the ninth century?
Up to the ninth century it was the custom not to break the

fast until sunset. After that it was allowed to break the fast at
the hour of none, that is 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and in the
twelfth century this had become general. In the fourteenth cen-
tury it became the general custom to break the fast at midday.



22 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

159. What other custom prevailed in the Middle Ages dur-
ing the time of Lent?

From the ninth century onwards it was forbidden to carry
arms or wage war during Lent.

160. Of what are we reminded by the forty days of Lent?
In the fast of forty days we are reminded of the forty days

deluge—the forty years wandering in the desert, the forty days
fast of Moses before he received the Tables of the Law, the forty
days fast of Elias—and Our Lord^s fast of forty days.

161. Mention some of the Rites which formerly prevailed
in the Western Church during Lent.

All during Lent an immense veil or screen of violet was hung
between the choir and the altar, so that the faithful could no
longer see the sacred Mysteries which were celebrated at the
altar.

162. What did this veil symbolize?
This veil symbolized the mourning and spirit of penance of

sinners who are not worthy to behold the Majesty of God. It also
signified the humiliations of Christ, which veiled His divinity.
This custom is still observed in the Metropolitan Church of Paris.

163. Did the Lenten fast always last forty days?
No, the length of the Lenten fast varied, and up to the time

of Pope Gregory the Great, a. d. 600, lasted only thirty-six days
and this older practice is still observed at Milan according to the
Ambrosian Liturgy, but after the example set us by Our Lord
Himself, a Lent of forty days has become practically universal.

164. From what ceremony does Ash Wednesday take its
name ? ^

Ash Wednesday takes its name from the ceremony of the
faithful receiving ashes on that day, which is a vestige of the
primitive rite, when public sinners did penance each year in sack-
cloth and ashes.

165. How are the ashes obtained for the ceremony of Ash
Wednesday?

The Rubrics prescribe that the ashes used on this day, should
be obtained by the burning of the palms blessed on Palm Sunday
of the year before.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 23

166. When do the Lenten Ember Days occur?
The Lenten Ember Days are on the Wednesday, Friday and

Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent.
167. What is meant by Ember Days?
The Ember Days called in Latin “Quatuor Tempora” are the

Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays of four weeks taken in each
of the four seasons of the year and set apart as days of strict
fasting and abstinence.

168. When did they originate?
They originated in Rome at the time of the Emperor Con-

stantine. They were first days of prayer and later were chosen
as the regular days for giving Holy Orders.

169. What addition is there to the Mass on the Ember
Wednesdays, and Saturdays?

Two or more Epistles or Lessons are added, together with ad-
ditional prayers or Collects.

170. What is there to be noticed about the fourth Sunday
in Lent?

On the fourth Sunday in Lent which is called Mid-Lent Sun-
day, the Liturgical austerity of Lent is somewhat relaxed. The
altar is adorned with flowers, the organ is played, and the orW
may wear rose-colored vestments instead of violet ones.

171. What custom is observed at Rome on this Sunday?
On the fourth Sunday of Lent the Pope blesses a rose made

of gold, known as the Golden Rose, and carries it himself in pro-
cession. The rose is afterwards bestowed as a mark of special
favor on some remarkable personage.

172. What is Passion Sunday?
Passion Sunday is the fifth Sunday in Lent. From this date

the Preface of the Holy Cross is said daily at Mass, and as in
Masses for the dead the Psalm, “Judica me” and the “Gloria
Patri” are omitted.

173. What striking practice is customary in the churches
from Passion Sunday to the end of Lent?

The crosses, statues and pictures in the churches are all veiled
from Passion Sunday till Holy Saturday.

174. Why are they covered?
All crosses and images are covered during Passiontide to in-

spire the faithful with greater compunction, in being deprived of
the consolation of seeing these objects of devotion,



24 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

175. What Feasts of Saints usually occur during Lent?
St. Matthias, Apostle, February 24th or 2Sth; St. Thomas

Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, March 7th; St. Gregory the
Great, Pope and Doctor, March 12th; St. Patrick, Apostle of
Ireland, March 17th; St. Joseph, March 19th; St. Benedict,
March 21st; St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor, April 11th.

176. When the Feast of St. Joseph and the Annunciation of
Our Lady fall in Passiontide when are they kept?

The feast of St. Joseph is transferred to Wednesday in Low
Week and the Annunciation to Monday in Low Week.

HOLY WEEK
177. Why is Holy Week so called?
It is so called on account of the grandeur and holiness of the

great mysteries which it commemorates.
178. Since when has Holy Week been set apart for special

veneration by the faithful?
In the third century it was already in great veneration, and

in the fourth century St. John Chrysostom speaks of it in one
of his homilies as “the Great Week.”

179. How does the Church prepare us by her Liturgy for
the celebration of the Passion in Holy Week?
The “Gloria Patri” is no longer said. The Lamentations of

Jeremias are sung at the evening office. The vestments of violet
are changed for black on Good Friday. The crosses are veiled
and the statues and pictures also.

180. Why is Palm Sunday so called and what mysteries
are commemorated on that day?

It is so called because palms are solemnly blessed on that day
and distributed to the faithful in memory of Our Lord^s entry into
Jerusalem on the colt of an ass.

181. What meaning do the Fathers of the Church give to
the use of these animals?

The ass represents the Jews who had been long under the
yoke of the Law, and the colt “upon which no man yet hath sat”
represents the Gentiles.

182. What Gospel is read on Palm Simday and what is
the meaning of the procession on that day?

The Gospel of St. Matthew is read at Mass on Palm Sunday
because St. Matthew was the first Evangelist to write the Pas-



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 25

sion, and the procession in memory of the deliverance of the Jews
from their slavery in Egypt and of their entrance into the Prom-
ised Land. It signifies also Christas triumphal entry into Jeru-
salem.

, 183. Why is the office of Tenebrae so called?
Tenebrae means darkness, and it is so called from the cere-

mony of extinguishing the candles during it, till at last it is
finished in total darkness recalling that of Calvary.

184. What is the meaning of the candles lighted during
Tenebrae ?

They mean the light of faith; the Mystery of the Blessed
Trinity being symbolized by the triangular candlestick.

185. When are these candles extinguished?
At the end of each of the fourteen Psalms a candle of the

triangular candlestick is extinguished, and a candle on the altar
at the end of every second verse of the Benedictus, showing how
the Jews were deprived of the light of faith when they put Our
Lord to death. The fifteenth candle representing the Light of
the world is hidden for a time behind the altar and brought out
at the end of Tenebrae still burning.

186. On which days of Holy Week are the other three
Gospels of the Passion read?

St. Mark’s Gospel is read on Tuesday, St. Luke’s on Wednes-
day, and St. John’s on Good Friday.

187. In olden times how many Masses were celebrated on
Maundy Thursday?

Three solemn Masses were celebrated. Before the first there
took place the ceremony of the “reconciliation of the penitents.”
The second Mass was accompanied with the blessing of the Holy
Oils (and Chrism). The third Mass which is the only one said
in our days, is in memory of the Last Supper and the Institution
of the Blessed Sacrament. It is one of the most solemn of the
whole year.

188. Why are there fewer Masses on Maundy Thursday?
The Church wishing to bring before us the grandeur and unity

of the Last Supper given by Our Lord to His Apostles and in
their persons to us all, forbids the celebration of private Masses
on this day unless in a case of great necessity. Only one Mass
is offered in each church at which all the priests assist and com-
municate, wearing the stole as symbol of the priestly office.



26 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

189. In what does this Mass differ from the others in Holy
Week?

Though the office of this day is of the Passion, the Mass is of
the Holy Eucharist and is therefore filled with joy and thanks-
giving. The vestments are white like those worn on Christmas
Day and Easter Sunday the ‘‘Gloria in Excelsis” is sung during
which the bells joyfully peal.

190. Why are the bells and the organ silent after the
Gloria?

The silence is to honor Our Lord’s silence during His Passion
and also to express the mourning of the Church.

191. Why is the kiss of peace not given as is usual at a
High Mass?

This is to remind us of Judas, who chose this sign of friend-
ship, a kiss, with which to betray Our Lord, and the Church wishes
to remind us of this traitorous act.

192. What do the Rubrics prescribe on this day at the
consecration ?

That two Hosts should be consecrated, one for the sacrifice of
the Mass, the other for Good Friday.

193. What is done with the second Host?
After Mass It is borne in solemn procession to a side-altar

or Repository decorated with lights and flowers, where It remains
for the adoration of the faithful until Good Friday morning.

194. What is the meaning of stripping the altars after
Vespers?

This ceremony refers to the stripping of Our Savior’s gar-
ments and the bareness of the altars signifies that in His Passion
He lost all His beauty and comeliness. The priest and choir say
or chant the twenty-first Psalm, “Deus, Deus meus,” during the
ceremony.

195. How is the Blessed Sacrament carried to the altar of
repose?

The Blessed Sacrament is not carried in a monstrance as on
the feast of Corpus Christi, but in a chalice veiled in white silk.
The faithful follow, carrying candles and singing the “Pange
Lingua.”

196. What is the ceremony of the ‘‘Mandatum”?
The washing of the feet called in the Rubrics “Mandatum,”

or the “Commandment,” owes its institution to the words and



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 27

example of Our Savior when He washed the Apostles’ feet before
the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament. It reminds us to imitate

Our Lord’s humility in offices of charity, as well as to cleanse
our souls from the stains of sin.

197. Is there any other reason why this ceremony is called
the ^‘Mandatum”?

Yes, it is so called because the first word of the Antiphon sung
during the washing of the feet begins with the word “Mandatum,”
taken from the Gospel of the day.

198. Is this custom of ancient origin?

Yes, St. Paul speaks of it as one of the holy widows’ offices

to the Saints. It was customary in the times of the martyrs.
In the Lives of the Saints frequent allusions are made to it, and
today the Holy Father gives the example to the whole Church,
which is followed by Bishops and Catholic sovereigns as in ancient
times.

199. Who are generally chosen to take part in this cere-
mony?

Twelve poor people are chosen, but the Holy Father washes
the feet of thirteen priests of thirteen different nations. In Cathe-

dral Churches thirteen is the number chosen.

200. What is the reason of this number?
It is supposed to arise from an incident in the life of St.

Gregory the Great; one day as he was washing the feet of twelve
beggars, a thirteenth was found among them. He had entered
unperceived and was an angel sent by God to show how pleasing
to Him was St. Gregory’s charity.

201. What pious custom is there of honoring the Blessed
Sacrament on Maundy Thursday?

It is customary to pay seven visits to the altar of repose on
this day, either to seven different churches or to one, and in re-
ligious houses there is night-adoration.

202. What are the principal ceremonies on Good Friday?
The Divine service is divided into four parts: 1. There is

reading of prophecies; 2. then follow the beautiful prayers in

supplication for all men imploring that the fruit of the Passion
may be applied to all; 3. after these prayers there is Adoration
of the Cross; 4. the Mass of the Presanctified.



28 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

203. Why is the Mass so called?
The Mass of the Presanctified is so called because the priest

does not consecrate on Good Friday, but consumes the second
Host, which he consecrated during the Mass on Maundy Thurs-
day.

204. Which are the principal ceremonies on Holy Satur-
day?

On this day the altars deprived of their ornaments on Maundy
Thursday are again clothed. The office begins with the lighting
of a triple candle to signify the light of Christ and the mystery
of the Blessed Trinity.

205. What special blessings precede the office of Holy
Saturday?

Outside the Church door the celebrant and deacons go to a
place prepared for the blessing of the new fire and incense. The
fire represents Christ risen from the tomb outside the Gates of
Jerusalem, hence the reason that fire is blessed outside the Church.

206. When is the Paschal Candle blessed and what does it
signify?

The Paschal Candle is blessed by the deacon before the office
and is a figure of the Body of Jesus Christ; not lighted at first,
it represents Him dead and the five blessed grains of incense
fixed in it denote the aromatic spices that embalmed His five
Sacred Wounds.

207. What does the lighting of the Paschal Candle signify?
It is a representation of Our Lord’s Resurrection, and the

lighting of the lamps and other candles afterwards teaches us that
the Resurrection of the Head will be followed by that of the
members.

208. What other special blessing takes place on Holy Satur-
day?

The baptismal font is also blessed with very beautiful and
sacred ceremonies.

209. Does Mass begin immediately after the blessing of
the new fire?

No, the celebrant now changes his white vestments for a pur-
ple chasuble and reads twelve Prophecies in a low voice at the
Epistle corner of the altar while one or more deacons in turn read
them aloud in the church.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 29

210. Why are the Prophecies read before Mass?
The Prophecies are read before Mass because in olden times

the neophytes received baptism, and the Prophecies, each followed
by a prayer, were read during the long baptismal rites.

211. What follows the reading of the Prophecies?
The priests and deacons sing the Litany of the Saints prostrate

on the altar steps, to implore heavenly blessing on all the neo-
phytes in the different parts of the world.

212. What takes place immediately after the Litany?
While the deacons are singing the last ‘‘Kyrie Eleison,” the

celebrant goes up to the altar clad in white vestments. He in-
censes the altar and intones the ^^Gloria,” then the bells ring, the
organ peals and the church is flooded with light.

EASTER TO ADVENT
213. What is the origin of the word Easter?
The word Easter is of pagan origin, but by a coincidence of'

dates has been, by the Teutonic and other peoples whose lan-
guage they have influenced, preserved to denote the feast of the
Resurrection. In other languages a word is employed derived
from the word Pasch or Passover.

214. When is the feast kept?
Easter is kept on the first Sunday following the full moon

after March 21st. The earliest possible Easter day is March 2 2d,
the latest, April 2Sth.

215. What is the distinctive feature of the Easter rite?
The constant repeating of the word ‘‘Alleluia,” the Hebrew

shout of joy, which means “Praise the Lord.”
216. Why is the following Simday called Low Sunday?
Low Sunday is so called by contrast with Easter or High Sun-

day. It has this name, however, only in English, in the Liturgy
it is called “Dominica in Albis,” Sunday in white garments, as
those baptized on Holy Saturday laid aside the evening before
this day their white robes worn since then.

217. What are the Rogation Days?
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day are

called Rogation Days from the Latin word signifying Asking or
Petitioning. The Roman Church, in the eighth century, set them
apart as days of special prayer for the fruits of the earth. On
each day the Litany of the Saints is sung or said.



30 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

218. Are they fast days?
There are no fasts between Easter and Whitsun Eve in

memory of the word of Our Lord: ‘‘Can the children of the Bride-
groom fast whilst the Bridegroom is with them?’’

219. What special ceremony is there on Ascension Day?
On Ascension Day the Paschal Candle is extinguished. It has

burned during Mass for forty days since Easter, symbolizing the
life upon earth of the risen Christ.

220. What likeness is there between Whitsun Eye and
Holy Saturday?

Like Holy Saturday, Whitsun Eve was set apart by the primi-
tive Church for the administration of solemn baptism. Six
prophecies are read, the font is blessed, the Litany of the Saints

sung, and bells are rung at the “Gloria.”
221. Whence the name of Whitsunday?
It is so called in English in allusion to the white robes of the

newly baptized, the Ecclesiastical name is Pentecost.
222. What is the meaning of the word Pentecost?
The word Pentecost means fiftieth. It is the Jewish Feast

of Weeks, celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Pasch and made
sacred to Christians by the coming down of the Holy Ghost on
the Apostles.

223. Why are the vestments red on Whitsunday?
The vestments on Whitsunday are red in memory of the Holy

Ghost having come down in the form of tongues of fire.
224. What is the Octave day of Whitsunday called?
The Octave day of Whitsunday is called Trinity Sunday, as it

is celebrated in honor of the Holy and Undivided Trinity.
225. Why is a feast kept in honor of the Blessed Sacra-

ment on the following Thursday as well as on Maundy Thurs-
day?

Maundy Thursday is partly taken up with commemoration
of the Passion and therefore the Church cannot rejoice as fully
as she would wish to do in the thought of the institution of the
Holy Eucharist. We owe the feast to a vision of St. Juliana of
Liege.

226. Is there any great feast kept at this time?
The Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christ! is consecrated

to the Sacred Heart in response to an appeal for reparation made
by Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary.



A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY 31

227. How many Sundays after Pentecost are there?
The least number is twenty-four. If Easter has been an

early one and the Sundays after Epiphany omitted, these are in-
serted after the twenty-third Sunday.

228. What feasts of Our Lady are kept between March 22d
and December 1st?

The greatest feast is that of the Annunciation, called in Eng-
land, Lady Day, March 2Sth. It is kept in honor of the an-
nouncement made by the Archangel Gabriel to Our Lady of the
Incarnation of the Son of God.

229. What lesser feast do we keep in her honor?
Our Lady Help of Christians, May 24th, instituted in thanks-

giving by Pope Pius VII. for the end of the exile of the Sovereign
Pontifs; the Visitation, July 2d; Mount Carmel, July 16th; her
Nativity, September 8th.

230. Are any of Our Lady^s feasts Holydays of obli-
gation ?

Yes, the feast of the Assumption of her body into Heaven,
which we keep August 15th, is a holyday of obligation, and the
Immaculate Conception, December 8th.

231. Name some other feasts in honor of Mary at this
time of the year?

The Immaculate Heart on the Saturday following the Octave
of the Assumption and the Holy Name of Mary, September 12th,
instituted in thanksgiving for the defeat of the Turks at Vienna
by Sobieski and the deliverance of Europe from the infidels.

232. Why is the Litany of the Saints sung on the feast of
St. Mark, April 25th?

This day sacred to the gods of Pagan Rome was by some of
the early Popes set apart as a day of special prayer for the avert-
ing of God’s anger, and the imploring of His blessing on the
labors of the year. St. Gregory the Great obtained on this day
the miraculous cessation of a terrible plague.

233. Why are some feasts, such as those of the Apostles,
said to have vigils?

A vigil means a watch. The early Christians spent the eve
of the feast in prayer and watching. All vigils were formerly fast
days.

234. Why is the Nativity of St. John the Baptist kept on
June 24th, whilst no other SainPs birthday is kept?



32 A CATECHISM OF THE LITURGY

Because, unlike all other saints who were born in original
sin, the birth of St. John was holy owing to the visit of our
Blessed Lady.

235. Is there any reason for the single feast of SS. Peter
and Paul?

SS. Peter and Paul were both martyred on the same day at
Rome, St. Peter crucified, St. Paul beheaded. Now, one is never
mentioned without the other.

236. What is Petertide?
The time between the Feast of St. Peter, June 29th, and the

Feast of his Chains, August 1st, is called Petertide.
237. Why is this latter day called Lammas?
At the Altar of St. Peter at Vincula where his chains are kept,

it was formerly the custom on this day to offer the first bread
baked from the wheat harvest of the year. This gave to the
feast its popular name of “Loaf-Mass” or Lammas.

238. Why is the Creed said at Mass on the feast of St.
Mary Magdalene, alone of all women saints?

Because she is styled by the Church “the Apostle of the Apos-
tles,” being sent by Our Lord to them to announce His Resurrec-
tion.

239. When is the feast of the Seven Dolors of Mary?
The Seven Dolors of Mary are commemorated on September

ISth. This is one of the few Masses that has a Sequence, viz.,
the Stabat Mater.

240. What feast is kept on September 14th?
The feast of the Eh^altation of the Holy Cross to commemo-

rate the victory of the Emperor Heraclius over the Persians when
he recovered the True Cross from their possession, and carried
it in triumph to Jerusalem.

241. What is the special devotion of October?
The Rosary recited in common to obtain perfect liberty for

the Holy Father.
242. Why do we keep one feast in honor of all the Saints

on November 1st?
To honor all those in Heaven, canonized or uncanonized. It

is a day of rejoicing in the Communion of Saints. Because of
this same communion the following day we commemorate all the
faithful departed who are still suffering in Purgatory and we try
to assist them by our prayers.