PRESENTED TO

NON-CATHOLICS
REV. JOHN P. McGUIRE



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in 2016

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THE MASS

PRESENTED TO

NON-CATHOLICS

A Brief Study of the Mass
for Those Who Accept
the Teachings of the Bible

REV. JOHN P. McGUIRE

THE BRUCE PUBLISHING COMPANY
MILWAUKEE



Nihil obstat: George
J.

Ziskovsky, Censor deputatus

January 2, 1943

Imprimatur: 4" Joannes Gregorius Murray, Archiepiscopus Sancti Pauli

Paulopoli, February 10, 1943

The parts of the text of the New Testament contained in this book are reproduced
by license of Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D. C., the owner of

the copyright of “The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ— a
Revision of the Challoner-Rheims Version.” Used with its permission.

All rights reserved.

(Revised Edition— 1944)

Copyright, 1943, 1944, by The Bruce Publishing Company

Made in the United States of America



CONTENTS

PAGE
#

The Mass Presented to Non-Catholics 5

Part One: Concept of the Mass 7

1. Characteristics of Sacrifice 7

2. God Wills a Particular Sacrifice 9

3. Many Things About the Mass Explained 16

Part Two: The Mass-Liturgy 21

1. General Explanation of the Mass-Liturgy 21

2. Liturgy of the Catechumens 22

3. The Mass of the Faithful 39

Part Three: Living the Mass 77

3





THE MASS PRESENTED TO

NON-CATHOLICS

In our country, Catholics, Protestants, and Jews mingle freely in

everyday life. They see much of one another in the business world;

often, too, they are socially on terms of the most intimate friend-

ship. With them, however, religion is often something to be avoided

as a topic of conversation, although sometimes it is, unfortunately,

a subject of heated discussion. For the most part, however, if we

allow for certain notable exceptions, a commendable spirit of toler-

ance may now be said to prevail generally.

In addition, a measure of mutual understanding has been per-

haps achieved in recent years by the adoption here and there

throughout the country of certain forums. On such occasions priest,

minister, and rabbi have met on a common platform to enter dis-

cussion designed to promote good will among the members of

their respective creeds. But the existence of such interreligion dis-

cussion groups has not implied in any sense belief that one religion

is as good as another, or even that one religion is good for one

although not for another. For truth is after all objective. And since

essential doctrines of great religions contradict one another, only

one of these religions can be true.

It is not our intention here, however, to offer proofs for the

truth of the Catholic religion, but rather to introduce the average

non-Catholic reader to the study of the official act of worship of

the Catholic Church— the Mass. For since so many regard the
Mass as the supreme act of Christian worship, it would seem prob-

able that it possesses some interest for all Christians, whether Cath-

olic or non-Catholic. Accordingly, this explanation of the Mass is

intended for the latter rather than for professed member of the

Catholic Church.

Perhaps, therefore, it would be well to state at the outset that

much of what the non-Catholic has learned about the Mass may

be untrue. For it may have been obtained from unreliable or biased

sources. Those unfriendly to the Catholic Church may have en-

5



6 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

deavored to convey to him an unfavorable impression of her wor-

ship. In such an event (and cases of this kind are by no means

rare) the non-Catholic will need to be especially on guard against

prejudice— that common though terrible obstacle to right thinking
and acting.

But perhaps he has been sufficiently broad-minded to attend Mass

himself occasionally— even though only because of social reasons.
A Catholic friend, let us say, has passed away and he has gone

to the funeral Mass. Or, someone he knew in business got married

in a Catholic church and he attended the nuptial Mass. Or, again,

he simply accompanied a Catholic friend to Mass on Sunday.

On such occasions, however, his impressions of the Mass could

have been at best but superficial. He had observed how everyone

appeared to be quite reverent during the service. He had, indeed,

perhaps commented on the fact afterward. But the whole service

— with the exception, of course, of the sermon— had been in Latin.
And this, he did not like. For he did not know Latin. Then, too,

the robes of the priest appeared quite strange to him.

These and other externals of the Mass had indeed easily come

within the range of his observation. He probably would have, how-

ever, no way of knowing that the service he had just attended was

actually a real sacrifice, and that it was furthermore a renewal of

Christ's death on the cross.

To the non-Catholic this will seem, indeed, strange. Perhaps he

will think it impossible. Yet we shall presently show that this is

nevertheless quite true. Let us, therefore, begin by discussing the

subject of “sacrifice.” For we must first of all have a clear idea

of what sacrifice considered as an act of worship really is.



PART ONE

CONCEPT OF THE MASS

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF SACRIFICE

Sacrifice is a common word. Everyone knows something of its

meaning. In time of war all must sacrifice pleasures, money, even

life for victory over the common foe. We often speak of the sacri-

fices which parents make for their children or which athletes and

scholars make to attain their goals.

This is using “sacrifice” in the broad sense of giving up some

desirable thing for a more important object. Father and mother

would like to take a vacation but education for John or Mary is

more important and so they stay at home. By this sacrifice they

demonstrate in a concrete and visible way their parental love and

devotion as well as their sense of duty and responsibility.

But let us see what “sacrifice” means in a more restricted sense,

particularly as it applies to religion. We all have met “sacrifice” in

this connection because the Old Testament makes countless refer-

ences to it, for example, “Let us go and sacrifice to our God”

(Exod. 5:8), “To adore and to offer sacrifice to the Lord”

(1 Kings 1:3).

As used in these quotations and elsewhere throughout the Bible,

sacrifice means to “make sacred” and is an offering to God of

something visible— perceptible to the senses— to recognize God’s
absolute supremacy and to acknowledge man’s complete dependence

upon Him. Furthermore, sacrifice here expresses in a visible way

the homage and veneration owing to God. The offering is made

by destroying the physical object or bringing about some change

in it equivalent to destruction. In the Old Testament sacrifice was

had by slaying a lamb or some other animal or by offering the

first fruits of the field and by other ways.

Such an act of worship is natural to man. He tends to express in

a concrete and visible fashion his thoughts and desires. If he cares

a great deal for someone, he shows it by giving that person gifts.

7



8 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

Christmas presents are expressions of love just as gifts to heroes

and great leaders are tokens of a nation’s gratitude and respect. A
true American does not stop at saying “I love my country.” He

makes sacrifices of time and self for her security and welfare.

Parental love cannot be limited to words; parents, simply because

they are parents, must express their love and devotion in concrete

and visible acts. Likewise, man cannot limit his religion to thoughts

or words: he necessarily must show it in visible acts of worship,

namely, by offering sacrifice.

True, the visible act of worshiping God is of no great importance

in itself . But if both the outward and inward elements are not

present, the act of worship is incomplete. Man is composed of a

body as well as a soul, and his entire self should take part in an

act of adoration of his Creator.

That sacrifice is natural to man is also evident from its universal-

ity. No race, no people, no land, no time has been without this act

of worship. Pagan Egypt, Rome, and Greece had daily sacrifices to

appease the gods and to petition their blessings. Today’s savages in

South Africa and interior Australia acknowledge Somebody’s su-

premacy and their own complete dependence by sacrificing animals

or objects of value. The universality of sacrifice indicates that man

tends to express his feelings toward God in an outward way, namely,

by offering gifts to Him— by sacrifice.
Not only is sacrifice natural to man but it is commanded of him

by God. Speaking to Moses, God said, “When thou shalt have

brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to God

upon the mountain” (Exod. 3:12). Moreover, in the Book of

Leviticus, God laid down with remarkable detail the manner and

method of sacrifice. In the holy temple of Jerusalem whose erection

God had commanded and guided, sacrifice was offered daily.

Finally, as we shall see, God willed that His own Son should

offer Himself a bloody sacrifice on the cross. St. Paul tells us,

“Christ also hath loved us and hath delivered himself for us, an

oblation and a sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:2). god furthermore

WILLED AND INDEED COMMANDED THAT THIS SACRIFICE BE CONTINUED

IN AN UNBLOODY MANNER UPON THE EARTH THROUGH A MEANS

KNOWN AS THE MASS.

For the present, however, let us bear in mind what is generally

considered characteristic of sacrifice. As an act of worship it is



CONCEPT OF THE MASS 9

offered for a number of different reasons, such as, to atone for

sin, to thank God for blessings, and to ask favors of Him. The

priest, who represents the people, acts in a sense between God and

man, and is therefore known as a mediator. The object sacrificed

also symbolizes the offering of the people’s lives to God. Some-

times, too, there is a sacrificial meal

,

which is a token of man having

obtained God’s friendship. Finally we should keep in mind that a

sacrifice is a public act.

2. God Wills a Particular Sacrifice

The pages of the Old Testament not only tell of the sacrifices

commanded and prescribed by God but they foretell a particular

sacrifice which God willed from all eternity. The sacrifices offered

by the Jews were types and figures of the coming great sacrifice

which would be offered on Calvary and which, as the Mass, would

be daily renewed throughout the world until the end of time. In

this connection certain sacrifices of the Old Testament are especially

significant. And just what are these?

In the early history of mankind Cain and Abel offered sacrifice.

“And it came to pass after many days, that Cain offered of the

fruits of the earth gifts to the Lord. Abel also offered of the firstlings

of his flock, and of their fat; and the Lord had respect to Abel and

to his offerings. But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect”

(Gen. 4:3-5). Here God made it evident that not all sacrifice is

pleasing to Him. The offering of Abel prefigured a coming sacrifice

which would be pleasing to God because He who would offer it

would be holy. God did not look with favor on the sacrifice of

Cain because of his lack of proper interior disposition.

Later in the history of man, we read of Melchisedech, king and

priest, offering sacrifice. “Melchisedech, the king of Salem, bring-

ing forth bread and wine, for he was priest of the most high God,

blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram (Abraham) by the most

high God who created heaven and earth” (Gen. 14:18-19). As

St. Paul tells the Hebrews in the seventh chapter of his Epistle to

them, Melchisedech foreshadows Christ. The offering of bread and

wine made by Melchisedech would one day be a daily occurrence

throughout the entire world.

Abraham whom Melchisedech had blessed in offering bread and

wine was to be the father of the Jewish race. “Look up to heaven



10 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

and number the stars if thou canst. So shall thy seed be” (Gen.

15:5). Christ, so far as His human nature was concerned, would

be of this “seed.” In the sacrifice of Abraham as related in the

twenty-second chapter of Genesis, we have a forecast of the com-

plete sacrifice later to be offered on Calvary.

At the command of God, Abraham took Isaac, his son, up

to the mountains to sacrifice him to the Lord, but an angel of

God stayed his hand and the Lord declared Himself pleased with

Abraham’s obedience and accepted a different sacrifice.

Finally, in the Book of Exodus, a sacrifice was offered which,

together with its circumstances, pointed in a most particular and

special way to the coming supreme sacrifice.

When the Israelites1 were freed from slavery in Egypt, there was

a sign of a great event that was to occur centuries later. In each

Jewish family a lamb was to be slain and its blood sprinkled upon

the doorpost. That night the hand of God passed over each Israelite

home. But it struck down the first-born son in each Egyptian fam-

ily, for the blood of the lamb had not been sprinkled there.

This never-to-be-forgotten event in Jewish history was always to

be celebrated. Death had passed over Israelite homes. To com-

memorate this, the “Passover” or Paschal feast was instituted at the

command of God. Annually at this festal occasion on a given day,

each family was to partake of the flesh of a lamb, of unleavened

bread, and of wine. And there was to be a hymn and prayer, for

it was a religious festival.

After his people were at last freed from slavery, Moses gave

them the famous law received from God. In doing so he sprinkled

them with the blood of sacrifice and said, “This is the blood of the

covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all

these words” (Exod. 24:8). According to the manner prescribed

in detail by the Mosaic law, many sacrifices were offered by the

Jews both at the Tabernacle and in the great Temple of Jerusalem.

But these sacrifices, though for a while pleasing to God, were im-

perfect and insufficient to salvation. They were to be replaced and

superseded by the sacrifice of the Cross which would be perpetuated

by the Sacrifice of the Mass.

In the “fulness of time” Jesus came upon earth. He, the Messiah,

1
Strictly speaking, not all of Abraham’s descendants were God’s chosen people.

But his grandson, Jacob, and his descendants, known as “Israelites,” were.



CONCEPT OF THE MASS II

had the nature of man and the nature of God— united in one
person. During His lifetime He spent Himself in the interest of

His heavenly Father. “My meat is to do the will of him that sent

me.” And, as we shall see, His death was in a strict sense a sacri-

fice for the sins of men.

Let us now, therefore, carefully consider events as they transpired

at the end of Jesus’ life on earth.
2

Knowing that the time of His

death was near at hand, He exclaims to His Apostles, “I have

greatly desired to eat this passover with you” (Luke 22:15). But

His last supper was to be much more than an ordinary passover

feast. It was to mark the beginning of a new covenant and the

end of the old. This new covenant was to be not with the Jews only

but with all mankind. St. Matthew writes: “And while they were

at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke, and gave it to

his disciples, and said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ And

taking a cup, he gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, ‘All of

you drink of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which

is being shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins’ ” (Matt.

26:26-28).

In view of these words it is apparent that the “Last Supper”

was closely fused with “Calvary!” St. Paul tells us what happened

on Calvary: “Christ also loved us, and delivered himself up for

us an offering and a sacrifice to God to ascend in fragrant odor”

(Eph. 5:2). In another letter he writes: “For if the blood of goats

. . . sanctify the unclean unto the cleansing of the flesh, how much

more will the blood of Christ, who through the Holy Spirit offered

himself unblemished unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead

works, to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:13-14.) The same Apostle

refers to the Saviour as a mediator and a high priest
3

of the new

covenant
4

according to the order of Melchisedech
5— the royal

priest who offered bread and wine.

St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, introduced Christ:

“Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”

(John 1:29). Isaias had prophesied of Him: “And the Lord was

pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life

2

Later, the life of Jesus upon earth in a different form will be explained.
3

Heb. 5:10; 9:15.
*

Heb. 9:15.

“Heb. Ch. 7.



12 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

for sin” (Isa. 53:10). The Saviour Himself said: “For them 1

sanctify myself” (John 17:19).

In view of such passages from Sacred Scripture, it seems hardly

necessary to state that Christ was both priest and victim. Nor is

there anything inherent in the office of priest to prevent one from

being also victim. The priest may willingly offer himself as a

victim. True, others put Christ to death; but He willed to die for

mankind.

Thus occurred on Calvary a sacrifice— a perfect sacrifice. Its
object was chiefly to atone for sin; but it was also to ask favors of

God, return thanks to Him, and express love of Him. The Old

Testament sacrifices had been but types of the “New”; they had

been prophetic of it. They had conferred only an external kind

of holiness; both priest and victim had been imperfect. But Jesus

being both God and man was the perfect priest— the perfect
mediator. As a victim too, He alone was worthy of God’s acceptance

— an external sign of which was the Resurrection of Christ from
the dead and His Ascension into heaven.

Thus on Calvary mankind was represented by One who was

sinless and perfect, Jesus Christ, even as man had once been repre-

sented in the Garden of Eden by Adam who had fallen by dis-

obeying God. The obedience of Christ, the second Adam, atoned

for the disobedience of the first and that of his posterity.
6

# # #

But what precisely had taken place at the Last Supper? On

Calvary Christ had really died. At the Last Supper He died

mystically; that is, through a marvelous means He represented

His death. Creative power had already achieved much for man.

Redemptive love would now go further. The former had given

the sunset its delicate hues and formed celestial bodies, fixing their

course in space. The latter had, some years before, caused the

Word 7 to become flesh. Now it caused elements (bread and wine)

to become the Word.

To explain, the Saviour had once promised to give His flesh to

eat. He had even allowed followers objecting to the literal meaning

of His words to leave Him. Now at the Last Supper He redeemed

6

Rom. 5:17.
7

The expression “Word” is sometimes used in Scripture for Christ.



CONCEPT OF THE MASS 13

His promise. His words, “This is My body,” caused the substance8

(although not the appearances) of bread to become His body and

blood.
9
The appearances of bread which remained represented His

body only. Similarly His words, “This is My blood,” caused the

substance (but not the appearances) of wine to become His body

and blood. The appearances of wine which remained represented

His blood only. In this way there was a marvelous representation

of Christ’s death, for his body was represented in a unique man-

ner as separated from his blood. The act by which the change was

made is called consecration. The separate consecration of the bread

and its transubstantiation into the Body of Christ and the con-

secration of the wine and its transubstantiation into the Blood of

Christ is essentially the Mass.

Early Christians, however, knew the Mass by other names, such

as the “Lord’s Supper,” the “Eucharist,” or the “Breaking of

Bread.” The name “Mass” was not used until many years later

when the custom began for the deacon to dismiss the people for-

mally from the service. His word were “Go, it is the dismissal.”

The phrase in Latin is he, missa est. And Missa, the Latin word

for “dismissal,” is in English “Mass.”

The word “Mass” then is in itself of no special significance, but

that for which it stands is of the utmost importance, for it is the

same sacrifice as Calvary. On the cross, it is true, Christ really

died— the Victim was destroyed. But in the Mass there is the
moral equivalent of Christ’s death; that is, the very nature of

what is accomplished at Mass is such as to express in a special man-

ner the Saviour’s death.

Christ’s death on the cross was, as we have seen, a sacrifice for

all mankind. Identical with it in a certain sense, the Mass is also

a sacrifice and offered for the same ends for which Christ’s death

on Calvary was offered. It is spoken of as a “continuation,” a “re-

newal” of Christ’s passion and death. To celebrate Mass is, as St.

Paul tells us, to “proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes”

(1 Cor. 11:26).

When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies soon after

the death of Christ, its Temple was also destroyed and the sacri-

8

Substance, as opposed to appearances, is that which makes a thing what it is.
9

See the Gospel of St. John, Chapter VI. Excellent pamphlets on the subject

of the Real Presence are available from the Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Ind.



14 the mass presented to non-catholics

fices of the Jews ceased from that time. There began then the

fulfillment of a prophecy contained in the Old Testament. God

had declared Himself displeased with the sacrifices of the Jews,

and foretold that oblations would be made Him by the Gentiles.

They were to be worthy offerings, “clean,” as the prophecy puts it.

And they were to be made ceaselessly throughout the day, and in

every part of the earth. “For from the rising of the sun even to

the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in

every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a

clean oblation: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the

Lord of hosts” (Mai. i:ii).

Truly, the Mass is the fulfillment of this prophecy for it is the

official worship of a universal religion. Throughout the world some-

where at every hour of the day the renewal of Christ’s passion

and death is taking place by this means.

Yet how can Mass be celebrated today? True, Christ offered the

first Mass at the Last Supper— there He changed bread and wine
into His body and blood. But how can this be accomplished in our

time? To answer this we must remember the Saviour’s words: “Do

this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Such was the com-

mand of our Lord to His Apostles, who were the only disciples

with Him on this occasion. Clearly the Apostles must have re-

ceived the power to do what He had done— change bread and
wine into His body and blood, for Christ would not have com-

manded something impossible of fulfillment.

In other words, the Saviour ordained the Apostles priests. No

ceremony, seemingly, took place as the priesthood of Christ was

conferred upon them. The Saviour’s words alone were sufficient.

But when the Apostles selected other men upon whom to bestow

the priestly power, they imposed hands on them and spoke words

indicative of what was being granted. St. Paul writes of this

imposition of hands (laying hands upon the heads) to his fellow

missionary and bishop:
10
“Do not lay hands hastily upon anyone”

(1 Tim. 5:22). And he exhorts him: “Stir up the grace of God

which is in thee by the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6).

The conferring of the priesthood upon anyone has always been

regarded as the bestowal of the greatest honor. St. Paul writes:

10 A bishop possesses the fulness of the priesthood and can ordain others.



CONCEPT OF THE MASS 15

“No man takes the honor to himself; he takes it who is called

by God .
.

(Heb. 5:4). Finally, the Christian priesthood is found

only in the Catholic Church, where it has come down in a direct

lineal manner from the Apostles and Christ Himself.

Thus, by instituting the priesthood Christ made it possible for

the sacrifice of the Mass to be offered. But He did not say how it

was to be celebrated. What should be the words of the Mass serv-

ice? What was to be the action (ceremony) to symbolize that

which was taking place? These were matters which were to be

determined by various factors and only in the course of time.

Although there was little uniformity as to the mode of cele-

brating Mass among the Christians of the first three centuries—
except, indeed, as to the essential rite of consecration, there was

even then some similarity of outline. In fact, several of the phrases

used were the same throughout Christendom. A definite period

of crystallization followed. Prayers and ceremonies became identi-

cal in larger centers of Christianity. Rites, in other words, had

come into existence. They corresponded with the centers of pop-

ulation in the early Church: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and

Rome.

It is the last mentioned rite, the Roman, which will hereafter

claim our attention. Mass offered in this rite is still in the Latin

language, Latin having been retained even where it has not been

the language of the people, for it is a “dead” language and unlike

modern tongues is not subject to change, both as regards to form

and meaning of words. We know that English has changed greatly

in a few centuries. The famous poem, “Canterbury Tales,” for

example, cannot be intelligently read by one who has not some

knowledge of the English of Chaucer’s time. The use of Latin in

the Mass preserves the original meaning of the texts of the Mass

for succeeding generations.

Then, too, the Mass is celebrated everywhere in the world; so

that Latin is the official language of a universal Church and there

are obvious reasons of convenience in celebrating the Mass in the

same language in the various parts of the world. Latin, moreover,

is a very sonorous or musical tongue and is, therefore, well suited

to the purpose when Mass is chanted.



i6 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

3. Many Things About the Mass Explained

Before we begin to describe the prayers and ceremonies of the

Mass of the Roman rite
,

11
several things require explanation. When,

for example, the priest who celebrates
12

Mass is assisted by two

clergymen— a deacon and a subdeacon— and incense is used, the
service is known as “Solemn Mass.” At such a service much of

the text of the Mass is sung. Again, sometimes the Mass is sung

but the celebrant is not assisted by other clergymen. In this case,

it is often known as “High Mass.” But generally the priest simply

reads the Mass, and then it is known as “Low Mass.”

An irremovable altar at which Mass is offered should be of

stone. In certain great churches such an altar is supported by stone

columns that rest on the earth. Within the altar are sealed relics

of saints— several or at least two of which are of martyrs of the
Church. The altar is solemnly consecrated by a bishop. It repre-

sents the Victim of the sacrifice of the Mass— Christ.
It is frequently difficult and indeed impossible to have such an

altar for the celebration of the Mass. For the holy sacrifice takes

place in the humble chapel as well as in the great cathedral. In

place of the stone altar, there is usually a slab of stone, or, as it is

usually called, an altar stone. It also is consecrated by the bishop and

contains the relics of saints just as the fixed or stone altar does. Gen-

erally a framework of wood or of some other material is built about

the altar stone. We commonly refer to the entire structure as the

altar. Sometimes missionaries and military chaplains simply carry a

small altar stone in a “Mass-kit” and place the stone on any suit-

able surface to say Mass. Chaplains often offer Mass close to the

firing line in time of war, and even on the deck of warships.

Several things must be on the altar when Mass is celebrated.

Three white linen cloths are spread over it. At least two lighted

wax candles are placed on it. These are symbolic of Christian

faith, but were once a necessity when Mass was celebrated in the

darkness of the catacombs .
128

Above the altar there must be, as one

might suppose, the “emblem” of Christ suffering, the crucifix.

11

Mass is offered today much more often in this rite than in any other.
12

The priest who celebrates Mass is often referred to as the “celebrant.”

12a Here we find, too, the origin of the relics of saints in the altar. For Mass

in the catacombs was celebrated over the body of a martyr.



CONCEPT OF THE MASS 17



18 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

A place also is arranged on many altars in which the Blessed

Sacrament
13

can be kept. This is a receptacle fixed to the altar.

Called a “tabernacle,” it is often plated with gold or silver and

is always lined with silk. The Eucharist is kept in the tabernacle

from one Mass to the next for many reasons; among them being

the desire to show the continuity of the sacrifice and the need to

have the Eucharist immediately ready for anyone in danger of

death. Furthermore, the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle makes

the church literally the house of God. This is the reason why

Catholics show such reverence in church— they do not talk except
when necessary, and why they bend a knee to the floor on entering

and leaving the church, or passing before the altar— in this way
they acknowledge Christ’s sacramental presence. On the altar there

is also the Mass-book or missal. The Roman missal is, of course,

in Latin. Although the celebrant reads the Mass in Latin, those

present at Mass can and should follow the service by means of a

translation.

At the beginning of Mass a small square piece of linen is un-

folded and placed on the altar. It is the cloth on which the bread

and wine will be consecrated. And because on it bread and

wine are changed into the body of the Lord, it is called a “corporal,”

from the Latin word corpus
,
meaning “body.”

The wine to be consecrated is poured into a chalice, a cup some-

times o£ solid gold. Like the altar itself, it is consecrated by the

bishop. The chalice is cleansed toward the end of Mass with a

piece of linen cloth called a “purificator.” The particle of un-

leavened bread that will be consecrated for the priest’s Communion

rests on the “paten,” a plate of the same metal as the chalice, and

like it is consecrated by the bishop. Smaller particles of unleavened

bread are placed in a vessel known as a “ciborium” for the Com-

munion of the people. These sacred vessels are not ordinarily to be

touched by lay persons.

The vestments worn by the priest at Mass are of considerable

interest. In design they are in a general way the same as those

worn in the Graeco-Roman world in the time of Christ. The

“stole,” the long vestment worn about the neck and hanging

13 An expression for the consecrated bread or wine in which Christ is really

present. “Eucharist” is another expression used. To “consecrate” means both to

dedicate solemnly and to change bread and wine into the body and blood of the

Lord.



CONCEPT OF THE MASS 19

down in front, is perhaps the descendant of the court dress of the

Roman judge. The “alb,” or long white garment, according to

some authors, is none other than the flowing Roman toga.

But the use of such garments in the service of the Church for

so long a period has naturally caused them to assume a sacred

character. And through the centuries innumerable saints, minister-

ing at the altar, have worn them. Perhaps, then, it may be well to

describe them in some detail, pointing out the symbolism they

have acquired in the course of time.

The “cassock,” or long black garment the priest wears, is not

a Mass vestment. It is his clerical garb and because it covers his

body from head to foot is a sign of his having given himself to

God and the service of the Church. The “biretta,” or square cap

with ridges, is also worn outside the celebration of Mass.

As the priest “vests” for Mass he puts on first an “amice” (over

the cassock). This is an oblong piece of white linen with strings

attached for tying it into position. It is worn about the shoulders.

Priests of some religious orders, such as the Dominicans and Fran-

ciscans, wear it over the head as a hood as they come to the altar

to celebrate Mass. It signifies the helmet of faith. The word “amice”

is from the Latin meaning “outer garment.” The priest next puts

on the “alb,” to which we have already referred. It is white as

the name implies and signifies the virtue of purity.

The “maniple” is then attached to the left arm. This is a small

narrow vestment. In early Roman days it was probably nothing

more or less— as the name would suggest— than a handkerchief.
It symbolizes good works. The next vestment is worn about the

neck and down in front. It is quite long and narrow, and is called

a “stole.” It is a sign of authority and has come to symbolize

immortality.

The last vestment to be put on is quite large. It reaches down

over the alb some distance in front and back and is open
14

at the

sides. This is called a “chasuble,” from the Latin meaning “little

house.” It originally served as a protection against the weather and

has come to signify protection against the powers of evil.

The chasuble, stole, and maniple vary in color according to the

Mass celebrated. At Easter they are, appropriately, white, for then

14

Earlier chasubles were not opened thus at the sides.



20 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

we fix our thoughts upon the glory of the risen Saviour. White is

used also on all the feast days of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary,

and all the saints who are not martyrs. The vestments are red at

Pentecost because the Holy Ghost came in the form of tongues

of fire. They are red also at other Masses of the Holy Ghost and

at all Masses of martyrs. Purple is used in seasons of penance,

Advent and Lent, and on days before many great holydays. On Sun-

days during the long period between Pentecost and Advent the vest-

ments are green. At Requiem Masses the vestments are black.

The official music of the Church, when the Mass is sung, is

plainchant. This is a type of music common in the Church from

early times. Simple but very different from other kinds of music,

it is not merely prayerful music but actually musical prayer. The

Gregorian chant, the variety used in the Roman rite, is recognized

by great authorities as surpassingly beautiful and expresses ad-

mirably the thought and sentiment of the Church in the holy

sacrifice of the Mass. Certain parts of the Mass may be sung in

polyphony, provided such music is deemed suitable by the Church

for divine worship.



PART TWO

THE MASS-LITURGY

1. GENERAL EXPLANATION OF THE

MASS-LITURGY 1

For the present let us define the Mass-liturgy simply as the

prayers, acts, and ceremonies of the Mass. These are officially pre-

scribed by the Church and must, therefore, be always carefully,

adhered to wherever Mass is celebrated.

The Mass-liturgy is not the result of any planning at some

particular period in the history of the Church. Rather, it is the

product of a long period of development. Thus there may be

found in it comparatively recent additions such as the “Prayers

at the Foot of the Altar” which occur at the beginning of Mass

and the “Last Gospel” which comes at the end of Mass.

In other respects the text of the Mass has been abbreviated. The

chants of the Introit, Offertory, and Communion, for instance, are

now a single verse or two whereas they each once comprised a

whole psalm. At the Offertory, however, because the procession

which was once customary has been discontinued, certain prayers

have been added since medieval times. On the other hand, the

Canon or Consecration prayer, which is of considerable length

and the most important part of the Mass, has remained the same

for thirteen hundred years or more.

The complete text of the Mass is not the same each time the

sacrifice is offered. Certain parts are not subject to change. These

belong to the “Ordinary of the Mass” and are said each time

the sacrifice is offered. Other parts belong to the “Proper of the

Mass” and vary with the day, the season, or the occasion. The

Church calendar determines the content of the “Proper.” If the

calendar records the feast day of some saint to be celebrated, the

“Proper” will contain appropriate references to that saint. But if

the calendar marks a season, for instance, Lent, Advent, or Easter,

the mood of the season will be reflected in the “Proper.”

1

The word “liturgy” means a public duty or work and is, therefore, very

appropriately applied to the great official prayer of the Church, the Mass.

21



22 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

The Proper of the Mass or the changeable parts generally consist

of the Introit, Collects, Epistle, Gradual, Sequence, Tract, Gospel,

Offertorium, Preface, Secrets, Communion, and Postcommunions.

These parts will be explained in the order in which they occur in

the Mass as will also the other prayers which comprise the Ordinary

of the Mass.

# # #

Finally there are two main divisions to the Mass. The reason

for this is as follows. Sometime in the early days of Christianity,

there developed a prayer service as a preparation for the Mass.

In time it became known as the Liturgy or Mass of the Catechumens

and became part of the Mass-liturgy. The Catechumens were those

studying Christian doctrine who had not yet been admitted to

the ranks of the Faithful by Baptism. They were permitted to be

present at this prayer-service but not at the Mass proper, which

has, therefore, become known as the Mass of the Faithful. The

Liturgy of the Catechumens comprises that portion of the Mass

up to the Offertory. The Mass of the Faithful, the actual Eucha-

ristic sacrifice, includes all from the Offertory to the end of Mass.

These two parts of the Mass may be in turn divided in quite a

different manner. The first part of the liturgy of the Catechumens,

the prayers and hymns (under “hymns” the Kyrie and Gloria are

included), express that which we give to God, and the second

part, the biblical readings, express that which God gives to us.

Likewise, in the first part of the Mass of the Faithful, which com-

prises the Offertory and Consecration and is sometimes known as

the sacrifice-oblation
,

2
there is expressed that which we give to God,

namely ourselves. In the latter part, the Communion, which is

sometimes known as the sacrifice-banquet, there is expressed that

which we receive from God, namely Himself. We are now ready

to look at the text of the Mass.

2. Liturgy of the Catechumens

The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

Once the private preparation of the priest about to celebrate

Mass, “the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar” are today part of the

service itself and are said by both priest and people alike. They

2
William Busch, The Mass-Drama (Collegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press).



THE MASS-LITURGY 23

are recited at Low Mass after the priest has placed the chalice,

covered by a veil, upon the center of the altar, and has opened

the missal at the place from which he is to read. At Solemn Mass

the chalice is in its proper place and the missal marked before

the priest enters the sanctuary. As a set preparation for Mass these

prayers are of comparatively recent origin, dating back only to

the sixteenth century. But before that time these or other appropriate

prayers, the selection of which was more or less left to the cele-

brating priest, were recited during an entrance chant .
3

Sometimes

they were even said by the priest while he was vesting in the

sacristy.

The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar very fittingly begin with

the Sign of the Cross, that well-known symbol by which Christians

have for centuries professed their faith in the sufferings and death

of Jesus Christ as well as their belief in the existence of the other

two Persons of the Trinity. There then follows an antiphon. “I

will go unto the altar of God: unto God who giveth joy to my

youth.” The psalm which follows is the forty-second, one tradi-

tionally ascribed to King David. It expresses the longing of a

Jew exiled from the Holy City to return in order to take part

once again in its rich religious life. The thought of the psalm is

adapted to the Christian about to participate in the sacrifice of

the New Law. In the psalm are expressed feelings of joy, as well

as ones of hope and confidence in God. The psalm (as is usual in

the liturgy) closes with the well-known doxology: “Glory be to

the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in

the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.”

The above mentioned antiphon is then repeated.

Conscious of the virtue and even the holiness expected of one

who celebrates Mass, yet mindful of his own unworthiness, the

priest now continues to pray in the language of Sacred Scripture:

“Our help is in the name of the Lord,” and the people, through

the server, answer: “Who made heaven and earth.”

The most important part of the preparation of Mass follows in

the recital of the Confiteor. In this prayer both priest and people

publicly acknowledge their sins before God, and ask the inter-

cession of His heavenly court. The prayer, as may be noticed from

3

See Introit, page 27.



24 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar very fittingly begin with the

Sign of the Cross.



THE MASS-LITURGY 25

the text, is primarily an expression of sorrow or contrition for sin.

A few verses and responses in common use in the Church’s liturgy

conclude the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.

The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

Priest

:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Ghost. Amen.

Priest: I will go up to the altar of God.

People: Unto God, who giveth joy to my youth.

Priest: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation
that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.

People: For Thou art God my strength. Why hast Thou cast me
off? And why do I go sorrowful while the enemy afflicteth me?

Priest: Send forth Thy light and Thy truth: they have conducted me,

and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy tabernacles.

People: And I will go into the altar of God: to God who giveth

joy to my youth.
Priest: To Thee, O God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp.

Why art thou sad, O my soul? And why dost thou disquiet me?
People: Hope in God, for I will still give praise to Him: the salva-

tion of my countenance, and my God.

Priest

:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy

Ghost.

People: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world

without end. Amen.

Priest: I will go up to the altar of God.

People: To God who giveth joy to my youth.

Priest: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

People: Who made heaven and earth.
Priest: l confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever virgin, to

blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy

Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, brethren, that

I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my

fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore

I beseech blessed Mary ever virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel,

blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the

saints, and you, brethren, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

People: May almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your

sins, and bring you to life everlasting.

Priest: Amen.

People: I confess to almighty God, etc .
4

4

The same prayer is recited by the people as that said by the priest except

that the word “father” is used in place of “brethren.” The responses of the

people in the Prayers at the foot of the Altar, as well as other parts of the

Mass, are made by the server who represents the congregation.



26 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins,
and bring you to life everlasting.

People: Amen.

Priest: May the almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, abso-
lution, and remission of your sins.

People: Amen.

Priest: Thou wilt turn, O God, and bring us to life.
People: And Thy people shall rejoice in Thee.

Priest: Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy.
People: And grant us Thy salvation.

Priest

:

O Lord, hear my prayer.
People: And let my cry come unto Thee.
Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with thy spirit.

Priest: Let us pray.

Ascending the steps of the altar, the celebrant begins the recitation

of two brief prayers: “Take away from us our sins, we beseech

Thee, O Lord, that we may be worthy to enter with pure minds
into the holy of holies. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.” And,

“We beseech Thee, O Lord, by the merits of Thy saints, whose
relics are here

,

5
and of all the saints, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe

to forgive me all my sins. Amen.”

As the priest pronounces the phrase, “whose relics are here,”

he kisses the altar. He does this because the altar represents Christ

Himself.

If it is a Solemn Mass incense is now used. Such was not

the practice in the early Roman rite of the Mass. But it was only

natural that so fitting a symbol of reverence and prayer as incense

should in time have found its way into the liturgy of the Mass.

In pre-Christian times incense was often used in religious rites,

and as a mark of respect toward civil rulers. Among the Greeks

and Romans there was a custom of bearing it in processions before

great persons. One of the Magi brought a gift of frankincense to

the Infant Saviour at Bethlehem. Frequent reference to incense is

to be found in the Bible. The law of Moses prescribed that the

Jewish high priest swing the censer in the Holy of Holies. The

psalmist besought the Lord: “Let my prayer be directed as incense

in Thy sight.” St. John, the beloved disciple, in a description of a

heavenly vision, referred to the “golden vials full of odors” as the

prayers of the saints.

6
See page 1

6

regarding relics in the altar.



THE MASS-LITURGY 27

The celebrant blesses the incense which he puts in the thurible,

saying: “Be thou blessed by Him in whose honor thou shalt be

burned.” He then incenses the altar, after which the deacon in-

censes the celebrant. (Later on, at the Offertory of the Mass, not

only the altar is incensed but the offerings of bread and wine as

well.) After this incensing at Solemn Mass or immediately after

kissing the altar at Low Mass, the priest reads the Introit.

The Introit

Although the Mass may not be said to begin with the “Introit,”

since the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar are now part of the

service, the Introit is still the first of its variable parts and at a

chanted Mass the choir may sing the Introit as the priest comes

to the altar and it is then the opening part of the service. It is impos-

sible to appreciate the significance of the Introit of the Mass, unless

we consider the role it played in Masses of an earlier period. For

it was at one time the solemn processional chant sung by the

choir as the celebrant entered the church. In fact, the word itself

means “he enters.”

Formerly the Introit consisted of a whole psalm, an antiphon

being repeated after each verse; but today it is generally only a

single verse with an antiphon. In its earlier and longer form, as

one might suppose, it served better the purpose of introducing the

Mass and providing a motif for its variable parts.

The Introit is a more important part of the Mass than the

Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, for the latter are but preparatory

in nature, having become a regular part of the liturgy only in

comparatively recent times. The Introit is always read by the

priest at the Epistle side of the altar. (When formerly the celebrant

faced the people at Mass the right-hand side of the altar was to

his right. Now he generally does not face the people at Mass but

the old manner of speaking of the right and left side of the altar

is retained.)

Introit for the Feast of the Transfiguration

(August 6)

Thy lightnings enlightened the world. The earth shook and trembled

(Ps. 76:19). How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My
soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord (Ps. 83:2-3).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As



28 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen. Thy lightnings enlightened the world. The earth shook and

trembled .
6

The Kyrie

Having gone to the center of the altar, the priest recites the “Kyrie.”

Kyrie eleison are Greek words for “Lord have mercy” and together

with the accompanying invocation “Christe eleison” (Christ have

mercy) are almost the only Greek phrases now found in the Roman

rite of the Mass. Since Greek was the language of the civilized

world in apostolic times and once the language of the liturgy in

Rome, it might seem that the Kyrie is but a relic of that early

period. Some liturgists, indeed, believe it to be a fragment of an

ancient Greek litany once recited in its entirety before the Mass.

But a more probable explanation of its origin is to be found in the

practice of the early Christians at Rome of holding “station”

processions.

The “station” churches appeared at Rome soon after the Roman

persecutions ceased. They were sometimes selected because they

represented certain important shrines of Christianity in the Holy

Land, as in the case of the Basilica of St. Mary Major which repre-

sented the place of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. Or, again, they

were churches erected on sites hallowed by the martyrdom of some

saint, such as the Basilica of St. Paul, which was built on the spot

where the Apostle of the Gentiles was beheaded. On appropriate

days of the year the pope celebrated Mass in these different station

churches, large numbers of Christians repairing there for the serv-

ice. As they marched to the church, they sang the simple refrain,

Kyrie eleison, repeating the phrase over and over again.

But as time went on the custom of station procession began to

disappear. The singing of the Kyrie, however, was not discon-

tinued, but took place rather within the church and as part of

the Mass.

At first the number of repetitions in the Kyrie was indefinite.

But in the time of St. Gregory the Great (who added the phrase

Christe eleison) the number became fixed at nine, a number which

has remained constant to this day. At chanted Mass, Kyrie eleison is

8

For all variable parts of the Mass, the Proper for the Feast of the Transfiguration

(August 6) will be given.



THE MASS-LITURGY 29

sung three times to God the Father; Christe eleison is sung three

times to God the Son; and Kyrie eleison is sung three times to

God the Holy Ghost. At Solemn Mass the priest
7

recites the Kyrie

alternately with the ministers
8
and at Low Mass with the server.

A prayer for mercy and forgiveness, the Kyrie lends a note of

sadness to the Mass. For it is an appeal of suppliant creatures to

an all-powerful God.

The Gloria

“Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth among men

of good will”

It is little wonder that the “Gloria,” which the priest recites im-

mediately after the Kyrie, is one of the best known and most loved

of all Christian hymns. According to the Gospel its opening lines

were sung by the angels on the first Christmas night to herald the

birth of the new-born Saviour.

We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we adore Thee, we glorify Thee.
We give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heavenly
King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten
Son. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who takest away
the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Who sittest at the right hand
of the Father, have mercy on us. For Thou only art holy. Thou only

art the Lord. Thou only, O Jesus Christ, art most high, together with
the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Gloria is essentially a hymn of praise, dwelling more at

length, however, on Christ than on the other two Persons of the

Trinity. In it are found the four motives of prayer: adoration,

thanksgiving, atonement, and petition. The thought expressed in

the introduction is the most important in the hymn— glory to
God and peace to men who are united with Him by grace. And

this is precisely what is achieved by the Mass, the continuation of

the sacrifice of the Cross. The joyous, exuberant character of the

hymn expresses triumph over sin rather than consciousness of it

as in the case of the Kyrie. The Gloria contemplates the greatness

and goodness of God Himself rather than man and his need of

God’s mercy.

7
Here as elsewhere in this book the word “priest” is used synonymously with

the word “celebrant.”
8
The deacon and subdeacon.



30 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

'Glory be to God in the highest and peace on earth among

men of good will."



THE MASS-LITURGY 3 1

At one time the Gloria had a place only in the Mass of Christ-

mas, but today it occurs in all feast day Masses and those of Sun-

days, save during Advent and Lent, and on Saturdays when the

Mass is celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Originally

it was sung only at the Mass celebrated by a bishop
,

9
but it is

today sung at the Mass celebrated by a priest as well. At all Masses,

even at High Mass, when the choir sings the Gloria, the celebrant

recites the entire text before the middle of the altar.

The Collect

Like the Introit, the “Collect” is a variable part of the service.

It also bears a definite relation to the whole of the Proper of the

Mass, for it suggests its mood. It is a typically Roman prayer,

receiving the name “Collect” from the fact it was originally recited

at Rome (by a bishop) when the Christians had assembled (or col-

lected) at a certain church before forming a procession to the

station church.

This prayer now appears in the Mass after the Gloria, or after

the Kyrie if the Gloria is not said. It is read or sung by the cele-

brant at the Epistle side of the altar. That it is a public prayer and

that the priest acts in the name of the people as Christ’s special

representative is apparent. He introduces the Collect by kissing

the altar (which represents Christ) and extends the liturgical

greeting Dominus Vobiscum (“The Lord be with you” 10
)

to the

people. He then prefaces the prayer with the word “Oremus” (“Let

us pray”), and the people conclude the prayer with the response,

“Amen.”

The Collect normally consists of an invocation addressed to God

the Father; a petition, containing the name of the saint if it is a

Mass of a saint; and a conclusion referring to the mediatorship

of Christ. For some time in the early Church, it was customary

for the celebrant of the Mass to freely compose the Collect, the

pope composing a special one each year.

9
Here, perhaps, it would be well to state that at a Pontifical High Mass the

bishop remains at the throne for all of the Liturgy of the Catechumens except,

of course, for the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. The fact that he is before

the altar only for the Mass of the Faithful helps us to realize that the latter alone

is the actual sacrifice.

10

This is a very ancient form of greeting. That used by a bishop, “Peace be

to you,” is, however, still older.



32 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

The literary style of the early collects is marked by brevity and

simplicity indicating Roman origin in contrast to the florid and

figurative language of the East. The collects are written in a

special kind of rhythm known as cursus.

The position of the celebrant during the reading of the Collect

is worthy of note, for it is the same as that used by the ancients

at prayer. He stands erect— as he does during the other parts of
the Mass— but with arms and hands extended. The famous pic-
ture in the, Roman catacomb “Orantes” shows early Christians

praying thus, and St. Paul advises Timothy: “I wish, then, that

men pray everywhere, lifting up pure hands” (i Tim. 2:8).

Collect

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with thy spirit.

Priest: Let us pray: God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of

Thy only begotten Son hath strengthened the mysteries of faith through

the testimony of the fathers, and who by Thy voice from the bright

cloud hath wonderfully signified the perfect adoption of sons, establish

us in Thy loving kindness, we beg Thee, as coheirs with Him, who

is the King of glory, and in that very glory call us in the end to share.

Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, Thy Son who with Thee

and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth world without end.

People: Amen.

The Epistle

The reading of a number of passages or lessons from the Bible

has ever been the important part of the Liturgy of the Catechumens.

In very early Christian times, Jews who had been converted to the

Church continued to attend synagogue services
11

before assisting

at the Mass. These services consisted largely of the reading of

selections or lessons from the Sacred Scriptures. Soon these Jewish

Christians stopped attending regular synagogue services; yet the

practice of reading portions of the Old Testament, in addition to

selections from the New Testament, was continued at a special

service which they attended, in preparation for the Mass. Thus be-

gan what was later to become known as the Liturgy of the

Catechumens.

11
It was probably customary to attend services in the synagogue during the

day and to take part in the Eucharistic sacrifice in the homes of the Christians

in the evening.



THE MASS-LITURGY 33

The position of the celebrant as he reads the Collect is the same as

that adopted by the ancients at prayer.



34 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

At first the number of lessons from Sacred Scripture, and even

their length, was not determined. But as time went on the number

became fixed at three. One was from a prophetical book of the

Old Testament,
12

a second from an Epistle, and a third from a

Gospel. The custom of reading three lessons from the Bible con-

tinued for some centuries. But finally the Old Testament reading

began to disappear, and today there are generally only two biblical

readings, one from an Epistle and one from a Gospel, although

sometimes ^n Old Testament selection is read instead of a portion

from an Epistle.

The “Epistle” reading always takes place at the right side of

the altar.
13

At Solemn Mass the Epistle is chanted by the sub-

deacon while the celebrant reads it; at an ordinary High Mass it

is generally chanted by the celebrant but occasionally read by a

special lector (reader). At Low Mass it is read only by the celebrant.

Epistle

Reading from the Epistle of blessed Peter, the Apostle (2 Pet. 1:16-

19): For we were not following fictitious tales when we made known

to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had

been eyewitnesses of His grandeur. For He received from God the
Father honor and glory, when from out the majestic glory a voice

came down to Him, speaking thus: “This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased.” And this voice we ourselves heard borne from

heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mount. And we have
the word of prophecy, surer still, to which you do well to attend, as

to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning

star rises in your hearts.

Response: Thanks be to God.

When the Epistle reading is over, the server says: Deo gratias

(thanks be to God). This is in gratitude for the instruction re-

ceived. These words, pronounced after the Epistle passage has

been read, reminds us that a change has already taken place in

the Liturgy of the Catechumens. In the first portion we were offer-

ing to God (our prayers). Now, He is offering to us (wisdom) by

means of the inspired word. In the Greek rite of the Mass this

change is very apparent, for the word “wisdom” is pronounced

before the first biblical reading begins.

12
Readings from the Bible and from books of lesser authority are known in the

liturgy as “lessons” (Latin, lectiones). When at times in the Mass the first of the

two lessons is from some part of the Bible other than an Epistle, it is usually,

though inaccurately, called the Epistle of the Mass.
13
In more correct rubrical language, the left side. See page 27.



THE MASS-LITURGY 35

The Gradual

As in the Synagogue worship, a psalm was sung after a passage

from the Bible had been read and before another followed; so,

too, in the Church it was customary for the choir to sing a psalm

after the first and second lesson of the Mass. When, however,

the Old Testament lesson was no longer read at Mass, the psalm

which had been sung after it was sung before the psalm occurring

between the Epistle and Gospel lessons. But neither psalm was

sung in its entirety, the former being reduced in the course of

time to two verses and the latter to one.

Because the former psalm was originally sung by cantors on a

step of the platform from which the scriptural lessons were read,

it became known as the “Gradual” from the Latin gradus, meaning

a “step.” The same name is now applied to the two verses of the

first psalm that still remain in the liturgy, the third verse
14

being

known as the Alleluia since it is preceded by two and followed by

one Alleluia.

In certain Masses, for example, those of Lent, the Alleluia would

be inappropriate and so it is replaced by the Tract. The latter is

often made up of a number of verses of a psalm so chosen as to

express the thought of penance. Sometimes the Sequence is sung

in place of the Alleluia, usually at the important festivals of the

year. The Sequence is a beautiful religious poem. During the

Middle Ages, sequences were sung at many of the Masses through-

out the year. But after the liturgical reforms of Pope Pius V in
the sixteenth century, only five of these remained in the Missal, all

of which are of unusual merit. The celebrant reads the Gradual

and Alleluia (Tract or Sequence if they occur in the Mass) at the

Epistle side of the altar, even when they are sung by the choir at

High Mass.

Gradual

Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad

on Thy lips. My heart hath uttered a good word. I speak my works
to the King.

Alleluia, Alleluia. He is the brightness of eternal light, the unspotted

mirror, and the image of His goodness. Alleluia.

14
Representing the second psalm.



36 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

The Gospel

In the early Church the reading of the “Gospel”— the word
means good tidings— brought the liturgy of the Catechumens
to a close. After it the Catechumens were dismissed. The Gospel

selection marked the climax of the service. The first scriptural

lesson taken from the Old Testament contained instruction

from one of the Prophets, the second, the Epistle, presented

counsel from an Apostle, but the third, the Gospel, relating as it

does the words and deeds of Christ, gave one a message from

Christ Himself.

In the Middle Ages the Book of the Gospels was often very

richly adorned. Before the age of print the manuscript was gen-

erally of the finest of vellum, its bindings being at times inlaid

with precious stones. The reason for this embellishment was due

to the fact that the book not only contained the inspired word, but

being an account of the Saviour’s life, was revered as a symbol of

Christ Himself.

The Gospel book then was looked upon with great reverence,

and the reading from it at Mass took place with much ceremony.

At Solemn Mass a deacon read the appointed passage from a

special pulpit. Before leaving the altar, he knelt to recite the prayer:

“Cleanse my heart and my lips, O almighty God, who didst
cleanse the lips of the prophet Isaias with a burning coal. Vouch-

safe of Thy gracious mercy so to cleanse me that I may worthily

announce Thy holy Gospel. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Then, having received the celebrant’s blessing he proceeded in

company of the subdeacon and others bearing lights and incense

to the pulpit. Arriving there, the deacon ascended alone and pro-

nounced th Dominus Vobiscum (the Lord be with you) to indi-

cate that an important part of the service was to begin. All in

church stood. The lesson from the Gospel being read, the book

was then kissed by everyone present.

The manner of reading the Gospel at Solemn Mass today is not

gready changed. The subdeacon, however, usually holds the book

during the reading as very few churches have a special pulpit

from which to read the Gospel. The book is today kissed only by

the celebrant and by the bishop of the diocese if he is present in

the sanctuary. The celebrant at all Masses reads the Gospel at the



THE MASS-LITURGY 37

The celebrant at all Masses reads the Gospel at the left side of the altar.



THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS38

left side
15

of the altar, pausing first at the center to recite the

prayer: “Cleanse my heart, etc.”

Gospel

Priest: The Lord be with you.

Response: And with thy spirit.

Priest: The continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St.

Matthew.

Response: Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,

and led them up a high mountain by themselves and was transfigured

before them. And his face shone as the sun, and his garments became

white as snow. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elias

talking together with him. Then Peter addressed Jesus, saying: “Lord,

it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us set up three tents here,

one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.” As he was still speak-

ing, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold, a voice

out of the cloud said: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased, hear him.” And on hearing it the disciples fell on their faces

and were exceedingly afraid. And Jesus came near and touched them,

and said to them: “Arise, and do not be afraid.” But lifting up their

eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus cautioned

them, saying: “Tell the vision to no one, till the Son of man has risen

from the dead.”

Response: Praise be to Thee, O Christ.

The Creed

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and

earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God

of God, light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, of

one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made.

Who for us men, and on account of our salvation, came down from
heaven (here all in church \neel

)
and became incarnate by the Holy

Ghost of the Virgin Mary; and was made man. He was also crucified

for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried. And the third

day He rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into

heaven. He sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And He shall

come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and of His

kingdom there shall be no end.

15
Again this is the left hand side when the celebrant is facing the altar; this is

usually known as the Gospel side.



THE MASS-LITURGY 39

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, who proceedeth

from the Father and the Son. Who together with the Father and the
Son is adored and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And in one,

holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism unto the

remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the

life in the world to come. Amen.

The Nicene Creed given above is sometimes recited at Mass.

It is a very ancient and well known symbol of Christian belief,

containing a clear, explicit statement of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Its history takes us back to the Council of Nice (325), from which

it gets the name Nicene and at which Arius was condemned for

denying the divinity of Christ.

The custom of reciting the “Creed” at Mass began in Rome, it

would seem, only in the year 1015, but long before this time it had

been used at Masses of Eastern rites. It was recited also in the

early Roman ceremony of Baptism. Today the Creed is said on

Sundays and certain feast days. The celebrant recites the Creed

as he stands before the center of the altar. At a chanted Mass

it is also sung by the choir. Occurring as it does at the end of the

Liturgy of the Catechumens and before the beginning of the Mass

of the Faithful, the Creed provides at the right moment an excel-

lent opportunity for those in church to express formally their faith

in the divinity of Christ before taking part in the sacred mysteries

that follow.

3. The Mass of the Faithful

The Liturgy of the Catechumens being over, the Mass of the

Faithful begins. The former is a prayer service in preparation for

the latter, and probably had its early beginnings in the Temple

or Synagogue worship, as we have already seen. The latter is the

real Eucharistic sacrifice, for it re-enacts the Last Supper and re-

news the Sacrifice of the Cross.

There is an important reason for calling it the “Mass of the

Faithful.” In the early Church, because of cruel and relentless per-

secution, there was the discipline of the secret. The unbaptized or

uninitiated were not told of the Christian teaching regarding the

Eucharistic sacrifice, lest a distorted notion of it be conveyed to



40 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

those unfriendly to the faith.
1
For this reason the unbaptized were

dismissed before the Mass of the Faithful began.

However, there was also a theological reason for excluding the

Catechumens from participation in the Eucharistic rite. The Church

has always taught that Bap'bsm unites one in a special manner with

Jesus Christ . Such is the Catholic teaching regarding the Mystical

Body of Christ. It is often referred to in St. Paul’s epistles, where the

union that exists between the baptized and Christ is likened to

that which exists between the various members of the human body

and the head. The Saviour Himself made reference to it through

the use of the metaphor: “I am the vine; you are the branches.”

Because of this union, the prayers of the Faithful living in the

state of grace
2

are regarded by the heavenly Father as the prayers

of His divine Son. Furthermore, through Baptism the Faithful are

made to share in the priesthood of Jesus Christ: “You are, how-

ever, a chosen race, a royal priesthood” (i Pet. 2:9). St. Augustine

tells us: “He (Christ) is the head of the body whose members we

are. From the head, the body learns to offer itself a sacrifice.”

In a still more exalted fashion, the bishops and priests of the

Catholic Church as successors of the Apostles participate in the

priesthood of Christ. For the Apostles received at the Last Supper

the power to change bread and wine into the body and blood

of the Lord when the Saviour commanded them: “Do this in

remembrance of me”; and this power through the ages has been

transmitted to the priests and bishops of the Church. In virtue of

this special power the priest presides at the altar of the Eucharistic

sacrifice, representing his master, Christ. The Faithful present at

the service, although not possessing such power, are able, in virtue

of their participation in Christ’s priesthood through Baptism, to

offer the sacrifice with the priest. The Catechumens being unbap-

tized did not as yet belong to the body of Christ nor share in His

priesthood.

But what do both the priest and the people offer in the Mass?

They may not offer their lives to God literally, but symbolically

they may do so. And this very thing is accomplished by offering

that which is necessary for human existence, namely, material food.

From the earliest times man has acknowledged God’s greatness

1
Historically, we know that some pagan Romans did actually have very distorted

notions about the Eucharist.

2

That is, having no grave sins unforgiven and enjoying a share in divine life.



THE MASS-LITURGY 4 1

and dominion over him by offering such gifts. Abel sacrificed a

lamb; Melchisedech, the royal priest and special prototype of the

highpriest Jesus Christ, offered bread and wine; and the Mosaic

law prescribed offerings of different animals.

The Offertory

In the Mass, then, the bread and wine offered are symbolic of

the offerings of the lives of those present. And the manner in which

bread and wine are produced is such that they are peculiarly suited

to this purpose. Bread is made of flour ground from the wheat,

for the growth of which labor of the fields is necessary. The wine

also represents human industry and even suffering, being the prod-

uct of grapes trodden in the wine-press. The bread and wine,

then, may be said to represent sacrificial death.

The custom of bringing gifts to church for the sacrifice of the

Mass continued on into the eleventh century. The kind of bread

used in the Mass during that period was leavened, that is to say,

ordinary bread baked in the homes of the Christians. It was fash-

ioned into small round loaves, each of which was marked with a

cross. Loaves of this kind, together with flagons of wine and other

gifts as well, were brought to the church.

They were borne by the Faithful in the Offertory procession

to a table near the altar. There they were received by the priest

or bishop who celebrated Mass, the deacon assisting him in caring

for the wine. Although all the gifts were placed on the table (the

prothesis), the deacon selected only a portion required for the

sacrifice. The remainder were used for the support of the clergy

and the poor.

Upon the altar was placed a cloth, the “corporal” on which the

deacon arranged the bread and wine selected for the sacrifice. The

altar in very early times was constructed very simply, but es-

sentially as it is today in the form of a table. At Mass the priest

faced the congregation, standing on the opposite side of the altar

from them. At a sign from the celebrant, the chant which accom-

panied the Offertory procession was brought to a conclusion. The

priest recited what was then the sole offertory prayer in the Mass,

namely the Secret, at the end of which the Preface, as now, intro-

duced the great Eucharistic prayer commonly known as the Canon

of the Mass.



42 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

A responsorial chant formerly accompanied the procession that

took place at the Offertory, that is, two choirs took part in it. The

first sang the antiphon, the second choir repeated it; the first then

sang the first verse of a psalm, the second the antiphon, and so

on until the whole psalm was completed or the celebrant gave a

sign that a sufficient number of verses had been sung. But in the

Middle Ages this chant became abbreviated, and in modern times

only the antiphon of the psalm is usually sung. This antiphon is

called the Offertorium in the Roman Missal. It is one of the variable

parts of the Mass.

It is unfortunate that the Offertory procession has been practi-

cally discontinued in the Church. However, the significance of the

procession survives somewhat in the liturgy today. For the bread

and wine which the priest offers (and the Faithful co-offer) should

be looked upon as the offering of their lives symbolically to God.

Indeed, even the monetary contribution which the Faithful make

during the Offertory represents the offering of themselves.

Today unleavened bread in wafer form, called a host, is used.

The priest consecrates a large circular host for himself and as many

small ones as are needed for the Faithful. The priest brings the

large host to the altar on the paten and the small ones in the

ciborium, a large cup-shaped vessel of precious metal. Before the

Mass begins, the wine in cruets is set out on a small table at the

Epistle (right) side of the altar. From here the altar boy or server

brings the wine to the priest at the proper time during the Offertory.

# # #

But now let us turn to the text of the Mass as it is found at

the present time in the Missal. At the end of the Creed, if it is

said, or of the Gospel if the Creed is not said, the priest kisses

the altar and turning to the congregation extends the liturgical

greeting, “The Lord be with you,” and after the response, “And

with thy spirit,” says, “Let us pray.” This is obviously an intro-

duction to some particular part of the Mass. Today it has refer-

ence to the Offertorium and the various offertory prayers, but origi-

nally it introduced the “Prayers of the Faithful” which are no

longer part of the liturgy.

The priest then reads the Offertorium, which for the Feast of the

Transfiguration is: “Glory and wealth shall be in His house: and



THE MASS-LITURGY 43

His justice remaineth forever and ever. Alleluia” (Ps. 111:3). At

chanted Mass the Offertorium is also sung by the choir.

The offering of the bread then follows, during which the priest

elevates it on the paten somewhat above the altar and prays:

“Receive, O holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, this im-

maculate host, which I, Thy unworthy servant, offer to Thee, my

living and true God, for my innumerable sins, offenses, and negli-

gences, for all those present, and for all faithful Christians living

and dead, that it may avail both me and them unto life everlasting.

Amen.”

The above prayer having been recited, the offering of the wine

takes place. The priest, taking the wine from the server at the

Epistle side of the altar, pours it into the chalice and adds a few

drops of water. While doing so, he recites the significant prayer:

“O God, who hath in a wondrous manner created and ennobled

human nature, and in a still more wondrous way hath renewed

it, grant that by the mystical union of this water and wine we

may be made to partake of His divinity, who hast deigned to

partake of our humanity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord: Who

with Thee liveth and reigneth with the Holy Ghost, God, world

without end. Amen.” The water represents our human nature, the

wine the divine nature. The chalice used at the Last Supper prob-

ably contained some water mingled with the wine, for the custom

of mixing water with wine was quite common among the ancient

people. Furthermore, it is probable that Jesus consecrated the third

of the four cups of wine
2a

at the Last Supper; and according to the

paschal rite this was always mixed with water.

The celebrant returns to the middle of the altar and says the

offering prayer for the wine, elevating the chalice as he did the

bread: “We offer Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation, begging
Thy clemency, that it may rise up in the sight of Thy divine

majesty, an odor of sweetness for our salvation and that of the

whole world. Amen.” The deacon at Solemn Mass places his

hand beneath the arm of the celebrant during the elevation of the

chalice.

The priest, bowing before the center of the altar, now recites

the prayer: “In the spirit of humility and with a contrite heart, let

"a According to the ritual of the pascal feast, which was then being celebrated,

there were four cups of wine.



44 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS



THE MASS-LITURGY 45

us be received by Thee, O Lord, and let our sacrifice be so made

that it may be pleasing each day in Thy sight, O Lord God.” The

priest then blesses the bread and wine with the Sign of the Cross,

and makes an upward motion of his arms as if to invoke the Holy

Spirit to sanctify the offerings, saying: “Come Thou, the Sanctifier,

almighty and everlasting God, and bless this sacrifice prepared for

Thy holy name.”

At Solemn Mass the celebrant next incenses the offerings and

the altar. The priest is then incensed. Afterward the sacred min-

isters who assist him, the clergy present in the sanctuary, and

finally the members of the congregation are incensed.

Formerly, when leavened bread was used at Mass, it was neces-

sary for the priest to wash his hands after the Offertory before

proceeding with the Canon. Today the ceremony of the washing

of the hands still continues. It is performed at the Epistle side of

the altar and signifies, as it always has in the liturgy, a spiritual

cleansing. As the priest washes his hands he recites the following

verses of the twenty-fifth psalm: “I will wash my hands among

the innocent: and will compass Thy altar, O Lord. So that I may

hear the voice of Thy praise: and tell of all Thy wondrous works.

I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house, and the place

where Thy glory dwelleth.

“Take not away my soul, O God, with the wicked: nor my life

with the men of blood. In whose hands are iniquities: their right

hand is filled with gifts. But as for me I have walked in my inno-

cence: redeem me and have mercy on me. My foot hath stood in

the right path: in the churches, I will bless Thee, O Lord.” These

verses are concluded with the doxology, “Glory be to the Father

and the Son and the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is

now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.”

Bowing before the center of the altar, the priest now recites the

prayer to the blessed Trinity: “Receive, O holy Trinity, this offer-

ing we make to Thee in memory of the passion, resurrection, and

ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in honor of Blessed Mary

ever virgin, of blessed John the Baptist, of the holy Apostles Peter

and Paul, of these and of all the saints, that it may avail to their

glory and our salvation, and may they deign to intercede for us

in heaven whom we remember on earth, through the same Christ

our Lord. Amen.”



46 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

Today the washing of the hands signifies, as it always has

in the liturgy, a spiritual cleansing.



THE MASS-LITURGY 47

At the end of the above prayer the priest turns to the people

with this invitation to pray: “Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice

and yours may be acceptable to God the Father almighty,” and

the response is: “May the Lord receive the sacrifice of thy hands,

to the praise and glory of His name, to our benefit and that of all

His holy Church.”

After pronouncing an “Amen” to the above prayer, the priest

proceeds with the Secret. As has been stated, this prayer was once

the sole Offertory prayer of the Mass. It resembles the Collect and

Postcommunion in structure. A variable part of the Mass, the

name of the saint is generally mentioned if it is the Mass of a

saint. Various reasons are given for the name of this prayer. Some

tell us that it was called the Secret because it was said by the

celebrant during the Offertory chant and therefore had to be

recited silently. Others claim that the name Secret was given to

distinguish it from the Collect, since the Secret
3

was recited only

in the presence of the Faithful while the Collect was said with

both the Catechumens and the baptized present.

The Secret for the Feast of the Transfiguration is: “Sanctify, O

Lord, we beseech Thee, the gifts we offer through the glorious

Transfiguration of Thine only-begotten Son, and in the brightness

of His glory may we be cleansed from all stain of sin, through the

same Lord.”

The Consecration

The end of the Offertory prayers marks the beginning of the

Canon or Consecration, which is introduced by the “Preface”

which will be explained later as well as the various other parts

of the Canon. But for the present it will be sufficient to state that

the Consecration (Canon) as it exists today is a very ancient and

the most important part of the Mass text.

In the Consecration we have come to the very essence of the

Sacrifice of the Mass. The offerings of mere bread and wine to

God are obviously inadequate. Symbolizing, however, the lives of

those present at Mass they become of greater value. Yet even so

as gifts offered the divinity they are insufficient. For God is an

3
The English word “secret” is from a Latin word meaning to segregate; hence,

the antithesis in the terms “Collect” and “Secret.”



48 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

'Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable
to God the Father Almighty."



THE MASS-LITURGY 49

infinite being, and only that which is itself infinite is worthy of

Him.

A worthy gift was once offered God on Mount Calvary. For there

His Son, who is divine as well as human, offered Himself to His

eternal Father. There Christ really shed His blood. This worthy

gift was also offered the night before at the Last Supper in anticipa-

tion of Christ’s death on the cross on the morrow. There Christ,

taking “bread into His holy and venerable hands,” said: “Take

and eat; this is my body.” And taking a chalice of wine, He

said: “All of you drink of this, for this is my blood.” Here Christ

died mystically, for in a special manner the Saviour’s presence

under the form of bread symbolized His body only, and His pres-

ence under the form of wine symbolized His blood only. This

symbolization of the separation of Christ’s body and blood repre-

sented His death on the morrow.

Furthermore, what Christ did at the Last Supper before His

death He empowered His Aposdes and their successors, the bishops

and priests of the Catholic Church, to do after His death when

He said: “Do this in remembrance of me.”

The Mass, then, is not essentially different from the Sacrifice

of the Cross. It is rather a continuation of it, or the same sacrifice

performed in an unbloody manner. The victim, Jesus Christ, is

the same. Even the priest is the same, for although the celebrant

at Mass is indeed human he represents in a special manner the

God-Man, who was priest as well as victim at Calvary when He

offered Himself to His eternal Father and continues to be both

Priest and Victim in the Mass.

From what has been said it is evident that those who assist

at Mass are able to participate intimately in Christ’s sacrifice;

for the offerings on the altar, representing the immolation of their

lives, are changed into the body and blood of Christ. It is evident,

too, that an important conclusion is to be drawn from this symbolic

association. If Christ dies again, mystically, those who participate

in the Mass should, likewise, die in spirit with Him. This may

be accomplished by detachment from the things of this world

and by bearing patiently with all the ills of human life.

In a word, to suffer and die in union with Christ is to live the

Mass. One’s whole life should be an immolation even as was

Christ’s. For such a one the words of the Saviour become most



50 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

significant. “Unless you take up your cross and follow me you

cannot be my disciple.” Living the Mass helps one also to appre-

ciate better many statements of the Apostle of the Gentiles such

as: “I die daily”; “With Christ I am nailed to the cross. And I

live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me”; and even the words He

wrote his Galatian converts: “My dear children, with whom I am

in labor again, until Christ is formed in you.”

Through the Canon or Consecration prayer the celebrant of

the Mass exercises the indescribable power of changing bread and

wine into the body and blood of Christ. This great liturgical

prayer is recited by the priest alone, for it has to do in a special

manner with a priestly act. It is said in a very low tone because

of reverence for its contents. The word “Canon” is of Greek

origin, and means a “rule,” for from very early times the wording

of this prayer might not be changed.

In its main outline, the history of the Canon may be given as

follows. At the Last Supper the Saviour “blessed” or gave thanks

as He instituted the Eucharist. Now the term for blessed was the

same in the Greek language in the time of Christ as for “gave

thanks.” The word in Greek for “thanksgiving” (eucharistia) came,

therefore, to be applied by the early Christians to the prayer used to

consecrate bread and wine.

The exact words used by Christ when He “gave thanks” at the

Last Supper are not known. But it would seem that He probably

recalled the favors enjoyed by mankind in general and the

Hebrew race in particular since the time of Abraham, dwelling

on the deliverance of the chosen people, as the paschal feast which

was being celebrated at the time suggested.

In literally obeying the injunction of the Saviour: “Do this in

remembrance of me,” by the act of consecration of bread and

wine, the Apostles may have used the Eucharistic phrases they

heard from the lips of their Divine Master or they may have

adapted their own terminology to the act. By the middle of the

second century there may have been among the successors of the

Apostles no very great tendency to adhere to a fixed form for the

Consecration prayer. The wording of it was still, perhaps, left in

a large measure to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. An interesting

reference to the Eucharistic prayer of this time is found in the

famous letter of St. Justin, Martyr, to the Roman emperor. Nat-



THE MASS-LITURGY 5

1

urally no words of the prayer are quoted in such a letter. The letter,

however, states that the prayer is of great length.

Toward the beginning of the third century the text of an

Eucharistic prayer appears in a work called the Apostolic Tradition.

The wording of this prayer is similar to, and even in some in-

stances identical with, that of our present Canon. Another and a

very important form of the Eucharistic prayer is contained in the

Apostolic Constitutions, composed perhaps about the end of the

fourth century. As found here it resembles very closely our Canon.

The prayer is very long. Enumerating the blessings of creation,

it recounts the principal favors bestowed upon mankind as

related in the Old Testament. The prayer dwells at some length

on the work of the Redemption, relating events in the life of the

Saviour up to the Last Supper; the words of the institution of the

Eucharist are then given. The prayer contains an invocation to

the Holy Ghost and closes with a prayer of praise.

By the end of the sixth century, during the reign of Pope Gregory

the Great, the Canon was already in its present form. Of this we

are certain. But probably it had already crystallized into its present

form at a much earlier period. It is definitely known, therefore,

that except for a few additions of minor importance this great

prayer of the Church has remained unchanged for thirteen hun-

dred years or more.

Let us now consider the various parts of this prayer. The Preface,

the introduction to the Canon, has been so called from early

medieval days. In the ancient Church this introduction to the

Eucharistic prayer (the Canon) was very lengthy, although it

was then as now a hymn of praise to God.

Originally, the Preface was freely composed by the celebrant of

the Mass. Later, however, it appeared in fixed form, yet one for

each Mass of the liturgical year. But soon the number was re-

duced. And although four new ones have been recently added,

there are still but fifteen Prefaces in the Missal. These belong

mosdy to important seasonal and feasjt day Masses of the ecclesiasti-

cal year. They include also a special Preface for Requiem Masses,

and a Common Preface, which is used at feast day Masses not

having a special one. The Preface is recited by the priest at the

Low Mass and chanted by him at the High or Solemn Mass.



52 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

A prelude to each Preface appears in dialogue form. It consists
of simple acclamations which are possibly of Apostolic origin.

Priest

:

The Lord be with you.

Response: And with thy spirit.

Priest: Let us lift up our hearts.

Response

:

We have lifted them to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Response: For it is meet and just.

It is even possible that the above words formed part of the

Saviour’s prayer at the Last Supper.

The first few lines of the Preface remain constant .
4
The text

then varies so as to express some thought of the liturgical season

or feast. The Preface sung at the Mass of the Transfiguration is

the Christmas Preface. It is as follows:

“It is truly meet and just, right and availing to salvation, that

we at all times and in all places give thanks to Thee, O holy Lord,

Father almighty, everlasting God. Because by the mystery of the

Word made flesh, the light of Thy glory hath shone anew upon

the eyes of our mind: so that as we acknowledge Him as God

seen by men, we may be drawn by Him to the love of things

unseen.”

The remainder of the Preface varies little throughout the year.

It is best appreciated by those who know both Latin and music.

For the Latin text represents an early form of Christian poetry,

and the music to which it is sung has been praised by many famous

composers. The theme of the Preface reaches great heights in the

conclusion with a reference to angels praising and glorifying God:

“And therefore with angels and archangels, with thrones and

dominations, and with the whole host of the heavenly army, we

sing a hymn to Thy glory proclaiming ceaselessly.”

With the celestial choirs those in church join in spirit in the chant:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of the Sabaoth, heaven and earth

are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest.”

Let us now turn to the various parts of the Canon that follow

the Preface and the above chant. After the celebrant has pro-

nounced the words “Holy, holy, holy, etc.,” he extends and raises

4
Except in the case of the Preface of the Apostles.



THE MASS-LITURGY 53

his hands. Then, bowing profoundly, he begins to pray, in a low

voice and with outstretched hands:

“Wherefore, O most clement Father, we humbly pray and be-

seech Thee, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, that Thou

wouldst vouchsafe to receive and bless these gifts, these offerings,

these holy and unblemished sacrifices, which in the first place we

offer Thee for Thy holy Catholic Church, that it may please Thee

to grant her peace, as also to protect, unite, and govern her through-

out the world, together with Thy servant, N. our pope, N. our

bishop, as also all true believers and professors of the Catholic and

apostolic faith.”

The celebrant makes the sign of the cross over the offering after

the words “these gifts,” also after “these offerings” and “this holy

and unblemished sacrifice.” With the words that follow the part

of the Canon known as the “intercession” begins. The first N.

indicates that the name of the pope is to be inserted and the

second N. the name of the bishop in whose diocese the Mass is

celebrated.

A special remembrance is then made of living members of the

Church: “Be mindful
,

5 O Lord, of Thy servants and handmaids,

N. and N. and of all here present, whose faith and devotion are

known to Thee, for whom we offer, or who offer unto Thee this

sacrifice of praise for themselves and theirs, for the redemption of

their souls, for the hope of their welfare and salvation, who pay

their vows to Thee, the everlasting, living, and true God.” Where

N. and N. occur, the names of those for whom one wishes to pray

in particular are to be inserted.

In the next prayer the Catholic teaching known as the “Com-

munion of Saints” becomes evident:

Communicating and venerating first the memory of the glorious

and ever Virgin, Mary, Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ;

as also of Thy blessed Apostles and martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew,

James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon

and Thaddeus; Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian,

Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, and

of all Thy saints: by whose merits and prayers grant that in all things

we may be defended by the help of Thy protection. Through the same

Christ our Lord. Amen.

5

Here the celebrant brings together his hands and bows his head.



54 THE mass presented to non-catholics

In the above prayer the name of Mary is mentioned first, her

full title being given; then the names of the twelve Apostles (Paul

being mentioned rather than Matthias for he is a patron saint

of Rome). Then come twelve other martyrs. Linus, Cletus, and

Clement were immediate successors of Peter in the see of Rome.

The other names are all those of saints who were greatly revered

by the early Christians at Rome.

The “intercession” is now discontinued and the essential theme

of the Canon resumed:

We, therefore, beseech Thee that Thou wouldst be appeased and

receive this offering, which we Thy servants and Thy whole household

make to Thee. Dispose our days in Thy peace and grant that we may

be saved from everlasting damnation and be numbered within the

fold of Thy elect. Amen.

Note the phrase “Thy whole household” referring to the Chris-

tian body. The latter part of this prayer is not as ancient as the

former, probably being added by St. Gregory the Great during

the chaotic conditions in Western Europe following the overthrow

of the Roman Empire.

Originally this prayer often expressed some special intention for

which the Mass was offered. There are still three variants of the

text. The prayer at Easter and Pentecost refers to the newly bap-

tized. A special intention is also expressed in the prayer on Holy

Thursday, and at the Mass for the Consecration of a bishop.

As the celebrant reads the prayer he extends his hands over

the offerings. This is a sign that Christ, the Victim in the Mass,

takes upon Himself the sins of mankind. The high priest at the

Temple in Jerusalem once signified vicarious atonement by laying

his hands on the sacrifice.

The prayer which follows is older than the preceding and is

closely related to the essential words of Consecration:

Which oblation do Thou, O God, vouchsafe in all respects to bless,
approve, ratify, and make acceptable that it may become for us the

body and blood of Thy most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

As he reads this solemn prayer, the celebrant makes the Sign

of the Cross five times over the offerings. The text of the Canon

tells us the kind of blessing that is asked— namely that of changing
bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. It is the sort



THE MASS-LITURGY 55

Christ becomes sacramentally present upon the altar when the

priest utters the words, "This is my Body."



56 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

of blessing about which St. Paul wrote: “The cup of blessing that

we bless, is it not the sharing of the blood of Christ? And the

bread that we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the

Lord?” (i Cor. 10:16.)

We have come now to the very heart of the Canon, the essential
words of the Consecration. Here the text of the Mass is based

substantially on the words of the institution of the Eucharist. Some

phrases, however, are from other parts of Sacred Scripture; a few

are from early Christian tradition.

Who, the day before He suffered, took bread into His holy and

venerable hands, and with eyes lifted up to heaven, unto Thee, God,

His almighty Father, giving thanks to Thee, He blessed, broke, and

gave to His disciples, saying: Take and eat ye all of this, for this is my

body.

As the celebrant says “took bread,” he takes the bread from the

altar into his hands; as he says “and with His eyes lifted up to

heaven,” he raises his eyes upward; at the word “blessed,” he makes

the Sign of the Cross over the bread with his right hand. When he

pronounces the words “for this is my body,” a great liturgical act

takes place. In so far as possible, the human priest divests himself

of his personality so that the eternal high priest, Jesus Christ, may

act and speak through him. His words and gestures are, as it

were, those of the Saviour at the Last Supper. Christ becomes

present sacramentally upon the altar when the priest utters these

words even as at one time the Word became incarnate with the

consent of Mary: “Be it done unto me according to thy word.”

Although the Sacrament is now on the altar, there is yet no

sacrifice. For this we must wait until Christ becomes present also

under the form of wine. For even though the species of bread

after its consecration contains both the body and blood of Christ,

nevertheless it represents His body only, and it is only after the

wine has been consecrated also (which represents His blood only),

that there is a representation of the Lord’s death— a showing forth
of His death.

After the changing of bread into the body and blood of Christ,

the priest proceeds with the consecration of the wine: “In like

manner, after He had supped, taking also this excellent chalice

into His holy and venerable hands, and also giving thanks to Thee,

He blessed, and gave to His disciples, saying: take and drink ye



THE MASS-LITURGY 57

ALL OF THIS, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, OF THE NEW

AND EVERLASTING TESTAMENT, THE MYSTERY OF FAITH, WHICH SHALL

BE SHED FOR YOU AND FOR MANY UNTO THE REMISSION OF SINS.

After the words “holy and venerable hands,” the priest takes the

chalice; at the word “blessed,” he makes the Sign of the Cross over

it. After the words “For this is the chalice of my blood,” the con-

tents of the chalice is changed into the body and blood of Christ.

As the priest pronounces the words of each consecration he

bends over the altar reverently, repeating the words silently .
6 He

genuflects immediately afterward to adore our Lord; then he

elevates the sacred species so that the people may see and adore,

and afterward places it upon the altar before which he genuflects

once more. At each of these motions the server
7

rings a bell to

signalize to the people the importance of these actions.

There now follows the Remembrance, or anamnesis as it is

called by liturgists. The first words of this prayer were spoken by

Christ Himself: “As often as ye shall do these things ye shall do

them in memory of me.” But the remainder was composed by the

early Church. During this part of the Canon the priest again

prays with outstretched hands:

Wherefore, O Lord, we Thy servants, as also Thy holy people,
remembering the blessed passion of the same Christ, Thy Son, our

Lord, and also His resurrection from hell as well as His glorious ascen-

sion into heaven, offer unto Thy most excellent majesty, of Thine

own gifts bestowed on us, a pure gift, a holy gift, a spotless victim, the

holy bread of everlasting life and the chalice of everlasting salvation.

As the priest reads the latter part he makes the Sign of the Cross

five times over the body and blood of Christ. This is to indicate

that the Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross.

The above prayer probably comes down to us from almost the

days of the Apostles. Its antiquity is evident from certain phrases in

it. “We Thy servants, as also Thy holy people” are the clergy and the

faithful. The Passion is
"
blessed

”

because of the merits that flow

from it.

As we read this part of the Canon, we should remember that

6
That is, in a low voice so that he is not heard by those in the church.

7

The server holds the end of the priest’s chasuble during each elevation. This

is merely a ceremony reminiscent of early times when such an act was necessary

because of the size and shape of this vestment.



58 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

The priest elevates the sacred Host for the people to see and adore.



THE MASS-LITURGY 59

the Mass is the greatest of commemorative services. At the feast

of the Passover, when it was instituted, the deliverance of the

Israelites was being celebrated, a deliverance which typified the

loosening of the bonds of sin through the sacrifice of Christ on the

cross. We should remember also that the Mass commemorates

explicitly Christ’s death: “As often as ye shall do these things,

ye shall shew forth the death of the Lord until He come,” but

implicidy it commemorates also Christ’s Resurrection and Ascen-

sion, for these two miracles were signs of the divine acceptance of

Christ’s sacrificial death.

The Canon now returns to the theme of offering sacrifice:

Upon which do Thou deign to look with a propitious and serene

countenance, and to accept them, as Thou was graciously pleased to

accept the gifts of Thy just servant Abel, the sacrifice of our patriarch

Abraham, and that which Thy high priest Melchisedech offered Thee,

a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.

The innocent Abel, the obedient Abraham, and the royal priest

Melchisedech were but types of the great high priest, Jesus Christ.

What virtue, then, should be expected of those who actually share

in the priesthood of Christ

?

We most humbly beseech Thee, almighty God, to command that
these things be borne by the hands of Thy holy angel to Thine altar

on high, in the sight of Thy divine majesty, that as many of us
(
here

the priest \isses the altar) as at this altar, shall partake of and receive

the Cross over the consecrated bread and wine and also upon himself)

the most holy body and blood of Thy Son
(
here he ma\es the Sign of

may be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace. Through the

same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reciting the above prayer, the priest bows profoundly; he makes

the Sign of the Cross upon himself to indicate he would have ap-

plied to himself the blessing of the sacrifice.

In this part of the Canon the thought of offering the divine

victim reaches a climax. Inspired, apparently, by a passage from

the Apocalypse
,

8
this prayer is of unusual beauty and sublimity.

The familiar imagery in Sacred Scripture of an angel acting as an

intermediary between heaven and earth is made use of. Some have

believed that the angel referred to in this deeply mystical portion

of the Canon is Michael, others think no angel in particular but

8

Apoc. 8:3, 4.



6o THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

only angels in general are referred to. It is probable, however, that

the angel is Christ, the Angel of the Great Counsel.

Three “memento” prayers in the second half of the Canon

balance, as it were, three in the first. The groups represented in the

first were the Church, living persons for whom one especially

wishes to pray, and the saints in heaven. Also two “offering”

prayers in the latter half of the Canon balance two in the first.

Those in the first began “We, therefore, beseech Thee that Thou

wouldst be appeased and receive this offering . . .” and “Which

oblation do Thou, O God. . . .” The two offering prayers in the
latter half were “Upon which do Thou deign to look with a

propitious and serene countenance . . .” and “We most humbly

beseech Thee, almighty God, to command that these things be

borne by the hands of the holy angel . . .” Now let us consider

the three “memento” prayers in the latter half of the Canon.

Remember, O Lord, Thy servants and handmaids N. and N. who are
gone before us with the sign of faith and sleep in the sleep of peace.

To these, O Lord, and to all who rest in Christ, grant, we beg Thee,
a place of refreshment, light, and peace .

9

Beautifully simple, the language of this prayer resembles that

found inscribed on the catacomb walls. The truly Christian man-

ner of referring to departed brethren should be noted. They are

not spoken of as the dead but as “those who are gone before us”

and “who sleep in the sleep of peace.” The words of the prayer

seem almost to suggest that the departed are present with one at

Mass. “The sign of peace” is the seal of Baptism.

To us sinners also, Thy servants, hoping in the multitude of Thy

mercies, deign to grant some part and fellowship with Thy holy

Apostles and martyrs, John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius,

Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes,

Cecilia, Anastasia, and all the saints into whose company we pray Thee

to admit us, not considering our own merits but Thy own free pardon.

“With true Christian modesty,” as Dr. Parsch observes, we ask

last of all in this prayer for ourselves, some part in the fruit of

the sacrifice. The list of saints seems to fill in those greatly ven-

erated at Rome who for some reason or other are omitted in the

list given in the first part of the Canon. John, no doubt, is St. John

9
While praying here the priest brings together his hands and bows his head.



THE MASS-LITURGY 6l

the Baptist. He is named first, for “there has not risen among them

born of woman a greater.” Stephen is the protomartyr. Matthias

name in the first part of the Canon gave place to that of Paul, so

he is mentioned here. Barnabas was the great co-worker of St.

Paul. Ignatius was the successor of St. Peter in the see of Antioch

and the author of a number of important episdes. Alexander was

a pope; Marcellinus, a priest; and Peter, an exorcist; Felicity and

Perpetua were martyrs from Carthage; Agatha and Lucy, virgins

and martyrs from Siciliy. Agnes was a famous early Roman martyr

and still a patroness of Rome. Cecilia, a patrician maiden of Rome,

was put to death in the early part of the second century. Anastasia, a

Roman widow, like the others mentioned in the list, received the

palm of martyrdom. At the foot of the Palatine hill in Rome, a

church was erected in her honor.

Through whom, O Lord, Thou dost create, hallow, quicken, and

bless these Thine everlasting property and bestow it upon us.

The above words of the Canon have to do with the third and

final “memento”— that of nature. Of the effects of original sin,
St. Paul writes: “All creation groans and travails in pain . . .”, re-

ferring to the state of nature before Christ’s death. But the Saviour

died to undo evils caused by Adam’s sin. Therefore, all things

in nature are represented as drawn toward the Eucharistic Christ

— “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to my-
self.” The Mass, we should remember, is the mystical death of

Christ.

Besides the bread and wine which were consecrated, the Faith-

ful used to bring various other gifts to the church to be blessed

at Mass. The above words of the Canon are but a relic of the form

once used in blessing these. We shpuld recall, too, that even today

oil which is to be used in administering the Sacraments is blessed

by the bishop at this part of the Mass on Holy Thursday. The

custom of blessing grapes at Mass on the Feast of the Transfigura-

tion prevailed also in certain localities of Europe until comparatively

recent times.

The Canon ends with the following words, “By Him, with Him,

and in Him”— here the celebrant makes the sign of the cross
three times over the chalice with the large consecrated Host— “is
to Thee, God the Father almighty in the unity of the Holy Ghost,



62 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

At the end of the Canon the priest elevates the consecrated species slightly
to symbolize the offering of the divine Victim.



THE MASS-LITURGY 63

all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.”— again, making
the Sign of the Cross twice with the Host, this time over a portion

of the altar. Thus is expressed by a doxology filled with meaning,

the glory Christ the Mediator renders God. Before the final

“Amen” is pronounced, the celebrant elevates the consecrated species

slighdy
10

to symbolize the offering up of the divine Victim.

With the close of this important part of the Mass the sacrifice-

oblation ends and the sacrifice-banquet begins. From now on the

action will not be that of our giving to God but rather that of His

giving to us.

The Communion

The Communion
11

follows logically from the Offertory and the

Consecration. This becomes apparent when we consider the Old

Testament sacrifices prescribed by Moses which were types of

the perfect and infinite sacrifice of the Cross. The sacrificial lamb

brought to the Temple at Jerusalem was slain and partly burned.

This partial consuming of the sacrifice typified God’s partaking of

the offering. The priest and the one providing the sacrifice then

partook of the flesh of the lamb. Furthermore, the blood of the

lamb poured upon the altar made the flesh legally holy, and those

who partook of that flesh became themselves legally holy.

But at Mass, Christ the sacrificial Lamb of the New Testament

imparts real sanctity to those who partake of His flesh in the

sacrament of the Eucharist. At the Offertory the bread and wine

offered by the Faithful through their priest were accepted by the

heavenly Father. In the Consecration they were transformed into

the body and blood of His beloved Son. And now in the Com-

munion this “bread come down from heaven” is given back to

the Faithful that they may be nourished with divine life. But

let us now consider the various prayers and ceremonies in the

Communion of the Mass.

Oremus (Let us pray).

Taught by saving precepts and following divine commandments, we

venture to exclaim:

10
This was once the only elevation in the Canon. Only in medieval times did

the custom of elevating the sacramental species after the (essential) words of con-

secration, begin.
u
The word itself, it should be noted, means “union with.”



64 the mass presented to non-catholics

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom

come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day

our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them

that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation.

Response

:

But deliver us from evil.

Priest: Amen.

The “Our Father” is recited by the priest at Low Mass and

chanted by him at High and Solemn Mass.

Deliver us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all evils past, present,
and to come, and the blessed and glorious Mary ever virgin, Mother of

God, interceding, together with Thy blessed apostles, Peter and Paul

and Andrew, and all the saints, mercifully grant peace in our days,

that through the help of Thy mercy we may be ever free from sin

and secure from every disturbance.

Invoking God as our common father, the Our Father reminds

us of the unity the Eucharist effects. For this sacrament was in-

stituted not only to unite us with Christ, but also to unite indi-

vidual members of the Church one with another, through Christ

the head of the Mystical Body.

The petition “Give us this day our daily bread,” according to

certain of the Fathers of the Church, is to be interpreted as a

prayer to receive the Eucharist daily; the petition “And forgive

us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”

should remind us of a most important Christian disposition in

those who presume to receive Holy Communion.

The Lord’s Prayer has been recited in this part of the Roman

Mass since the days of Pope Gregory the Great. The epilogue

(“Deliver us, we beseech . . .”), developing at some length the

last words of the prayer, was seemingly also introduced into the

liturgy by the same pope. The words “mercifully grant peace in

our days
” 12

reflect the effect of the troublous times upon the mind

of St. Gregory. Special mention of the Apostle, Andrew, is made,

for St. Gregory had great devotion to this Apostle, having con-

verted his own home on the Coclian way into a monastery and dedi-

cated it to him.

The epilogue is recited in a very low tone except for its con-

cluding words.

12

A similar phrase in the first part of the Canon is also attributed to Pope St.

Gregory.



THE MASS-LITURGY 65

The Breaking of Bread and the Mingling

in the Chalice

It is essential that one appreciate fully the significance of the

breaking of the consecrated bread into three particles and the

mingling of the smallest particle in the chalice, if he is to under-

stand the Mass. At Solemn Mass the subdeacon brings the paten

which he has been holding (with a veil over his shoulders, one end

of which covers the paten) to the altar so that the priest may place

the consecrated bread on it. Before the conclusion of the epilogue

to the Lord’s Prayer, the priest genuflects, takes the consecrated

bread from the paten, and holding it over the chalice, says aloud

the conclusion of the epilogue, “For ever and ever.” The response

“Amen” is made. Just before the priest recites the above words

he breaks the Host into two equal parts, laying one half on the

paten and breaking a small particle from the other. With the

small particle of the Host he makes the Sign of the Cross three

times over the chalice, reciting the words “The peace of the Lord

be always with you.” The response is made “and with thy spirit.”

Then allowing the particle to fall into the chalice to be mingled

with the consecrated wine he says, “May this mingling and con-

secration of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ avail us

that receive it unto life everlasting. Amen.”

The priest then genuflects, bows before the altar, and says three

times as he looks upon the sacred Host “Lamb of God who takest

away the sins of the world,” adding the first and second time

“have mercy on us,” but the third time “grant us peace.” He then

recites the following prayer for peace: “O Lord Jesus Christ who

didst say to Thine Apostles: Peace I leave with you, My peace I

give unto you; regard not My sins but rather the faith of the

Church and vouchsafe unto her that peace and unity which is

agreeable to thy holy will, who livest and reignest God for ever

and ever. Amen.”

“Breaking the bread” was an expression in common use in the

early Church for the Mass. It is twice used in the Acts of the

Apostles to designate this sacrifice. It signifies, too, the effect of

the sacrificial meal upon the Christian. We should remember that
in ancient times it was the custom among the Jews for the host or

guest of honor to break the bread for those who sat at table



66 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

with him. The breaking of bread was then of practical importance

in as much as the shape of the loaves was such that the bread

could more readily be broken than cut with a knife. Ever since

the Last Supper, the breaking of the consecrated bread has been

an important ceremony at Mass. For many centuries it was a neces-

sary function (when leavened bread was used in the service), but

at all times it has been a symbol of the bond which exists between

individual members of the congregation and of their union with

Christ, the head of the Church.

One understands this part of the Mass better if he recalls in

some detail the manner of celebrating the papal Mass in earlier

centuries. The pope upon entering the Roman basilica bowed to

the “sancta” brought to him by two acolytes. The “sancta” was

a consecrated Host from the previous Mass celebrated in the

basilica. As the pope celebrated the Mass, he pronounced the words

“the peace of the Lord be always with you” before the Communion

and placed the “sancta” or consecrated Host in the chalice, where

it became mingled with the precious blood. He then broke a

portion of Bread consecrated at that Mass and placed it upon

the altar. This was probably the “sancta” for the next Mass.

While the priests assisting the pope were breaking the con-

secrated Bread for the Communion of the Faithful, the choir sang

“Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world,” repeating

the words over and over again. The pope broke the consecrated

Bread which he was to receive in holy Communion, placing a

portion of it in his chalice to be mingled with the consecrated Wine.

As he did so he pronounced the words: “May this mingling and

consecration of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ avail

us that receive it unto everlasting life. Amen.”

Today there is only one breaking of bread at Mass. This fraction

takes the place of the first and second breaking of the bread in

the ancient Mass, and the mingling which occurs in our Mass today

is at the point where the “sancta” was formerly placed in the

chalice.
ia

The “sancta” in the early Church symbolized the continuity of

the sacrifice. It was a link by which each Mass was joined with

the preceding one. In addition to keeping the “sancta,” it was also

13
Parsch-EckhofT, The Liturgy of the Mass (St. Louis: Herder Book Co., 1937).



THE MASS-LITURGY 67

customary in the early Church to send a portion of the sacred

Host consecrated at a papal Mass to other churches in Rome to be

received by the bishops, who celebrated Mass there, as a sign of

their union with the pope, the vicar of Christ.

The fyss of peace follows the prayer for peace in our Mass today.

A sign of fraternal charity, it occurs very appropriately in the

Roman rite before the clergy and the faithful take part in the

sacred banquet, for which it is a preparation. The kiss of peace

is generally given only at Solemn Mass. The priest, kissing the

altar, gives the amplexus (embrace) to the deacon, saying, “Peace

be to you.” The deacon says, “And with thy spirit.” The kiss of

peace is then given to the subdeacon who in turn gives it to

other members of the clergy in the sanctuary. In a few churches

there is the custom at Low Mass of the priest, first kissing the

altar and then an instrument called a Pax-board which is kissed

by the server who passes it to the congregation to be kissed by each

member. One should remember, of course, that the altar represents

Christ and that in this ceremony, therefore, the action is repre-

sented as originating with Christ.

The kiss of peace is one of the oldest elements in the liturgy.

St. Peter writes: “Salute one another with an holy kiss.” St. Paul

gives this injunction at the end of a number of his epistles. The

note of peace one would indeed expect to find in the Mass-liturgy,

for it is only through the sacrifice of Christ that real peace has

been made possible for mankind .
14

Peace is expressed in those parts

of the Mass that occur between the Lord’s Prayer and the kiss of

peace, and is really a remote preparation for Communion.

Now let us consider the proximate preparation for Communion

in the liturgy.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who of the will of the
Father and cooperation of the Holy Ghost, hast by Thy death given

life to the world, deliver me by this Thy most holy body and blood,

from all my iniquities and from all evils, and make me always adhere

to Thy commandments and never suffer me to be separated from Thee.

Who with the same God, Father, and Holy Ghost livest and reignest
God forever. Amen.

Let not the receiving of Thy body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I,
an unworthy servant, presume to take turn to my judgment and con-

demnation, but through Thy loving kindness may it be unto me a

14
Parsch-Eckhoff, op. cit.



68 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

safeguard and remedy both of soul and body. Who with God the
Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest God for-

ever and ever. Amen.

These prayers are said in a low voice by the priest, as he bows

before the altar. They are his private preparation before Com-

munion. They were recited at Mass as early as the eleventh cen-

tury in certain localities, gradually becoming a part of the Roman

rite. Unlike the liturgical prayers of the early Church, they are

addressed to the Saviour.

In the first prayer the three Persons of the Trinity through whom

salvation is wrought are mentioned, and the hope through Com-

munion of obtaining the fruits of redemption expressed. In the

second there is emphasized the warning given by St. Paul regard-

ing an unworthy reception of Holy Communion.

Genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament, the priest says: “I will

take the bread of heaven and call upon the name of the Lord.”

This is an adaptation of Psalm 115:4.

Taking the sacred Host in his left hand and bowing, the priest

humbly strikes his breast three times as he looks upon the Host,

pronouncing each time the words of the centurion: “O Lord, I

am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof, but

say only the word and Thy servant shall be healed,” the words

“my soul” being substituted for “Thy servant.”

Priest and Laity Receive Holy Communion

After the words “O Lord, I am not worthy . . .” have been

recited three times, the priest taking the consecrated Bread (both

particles) makes with it the Sign of the Cross, saying: “May the

body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul unto life ever-

lasting. Amen.” Bending over the altar he consumes the sacred

species (body and blood of Christ). He then pauses for a brief

private thanksgiving. Gathering up (by means of the paten)

particles of the sacred Host that may have become detached on

the corporal, the priest says: “What shall I render to the Lord for

all that He hath rendered to me? I will take the chalice of salva-

tion, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. Praising, I will

call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my sins.” These

verses of Psalm 115 are a beautiful expression of thanksgiving

after Holy Communion.



THE MASS-LITURGY 69

The Communion of the Faithful.



70 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

The priest then raises the chalice and makes with it the Sign

of the Cross, saying: “May the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

preserve my soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” He then drinks

the contents of the chalice.

The Communion of the Faithful now follows. The Confiteor is

recited by the server. The Faithful approach the altar rail where

they kneel to receive Holy Communion. The priest places the

sacred Host on the tongue of each communicant, and says, “May

the body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul unto ever-

lasting life. Amen.”

The Communion at Mass has, of course, ever remained the

same essentially. But the manner in which it is administered has

indeed greatly changed in the course of centuries. For example,

at one time the Faithful stood rather than knelt
15

when they

received Communion. In the early Church, too, it was the custom

for men to receive the Host in the palm of the right hand, the

palm of the hand of women being covered with a cloth. Further-

more, the Eucharist was, for a long time, administered under the

form of leavened bread. In addition to these changes there was the

custom of the laity as well as of the clergy receiving under both

forms— bread and wine. This practice disappeared in the Roman
rite about the twelfth century. The reason of its discontinuance

would seem evident. At first the laity had received from the chalice

itself. Later a silver or golden tube was used. But when large num-

bers received Holy Communion, including children, there was dan-

ger of accidents. It is important to remember, nevertheless, that

Christians believed even in the very early days of the Church that

both Christ’s body and His blood were present under either form.

For how else can we explain the custom which we know existed

among early Christians of keeping the Eucharist in their homes

under only the form of bread for administering to the sick? There

is, too, the obvious fact that if Christ’s body were alone really present

under the form of bread and His blood alone really present under

the form of wine, He would be in a state of death. But St. Paul

writes: “Christ having risen from the dead, dies now no more,

death shall no longer have dominion over Him” (Rom. 6:9).

It may be said, however, that if there is a more reverent manner

15

In apostolic days Christians communicated reclining, later sitting.



THE MASS-LITURGY 71

of receiving the Eucharist today, something of the spirit of the

Mass is now absent at Communion time. For formerly all present

in church received Holy Communion. They understood, further-

more, that taking part in the sacred banquet was not merely

personal, but also, and indeed primarily, a social act of religion as

well— “We though many, are one body all of us who partake
of the one bread.”

The Communion being over, what follows at the altar is pre-

cisely what one would expect. The chalice which contained the

sacred species is cleansed. The forefinger and thumb of the cele-

brant’s both hands which have held the Host are washed and dried

with a special cloth called a purificator. The corporal
16

also, on

which the Eucharistic species had rested, is scanned for small

particles that might have become detached
17

from the consecrated

Bread. We know that the famous St. Cyril of Jerusalem cautioned

Christians of his day to take care lest even the most minute Eucha-

ristic particles be lost.

Accordingly, after the Communion the priest has wine poured

into the chalice. This is an ablution of the chalice. Before con-

suming it, he says: “Grant, O Lord, that what we have taken

with our mouth, may be received with a pure mind, and from a

temporal gift become an eternal remedy.” Then, taking the chalice

to the Epistle side of the altar, he has the minister, or server, pour

a few drops of wine and a quantity of water on his fingers, which

he holds over, or in, the chalice, meanwhile saying: “May Thy

body, O Lord, which I have received, and Thy blood which I
have drunk, adhere to my inmost being, and grant that no stain

of sin may remain in me, whom Thy pure body and holy sacra-

ment has refreshed, who livest and reignest world without end.

Amen.” Returning to the center of the altar, he wipes his fingers

with the purificator and drinks the contents of the chalice. He

then dries the chalice with the purificator, thus completing the

ablutions, after which he covers the chalice with the veil and

places the burse on top of it.

16
When the purificator and corporal are to be laundried, the priest himself first

rinses them in water which he afterward pours into a sacrarium.
17

This was done at the celebrant’s Communion when such particles, if found,

were placed in the chalice.



72 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

Communion Chant

As those in church receive Communion, an antiphon is some-

times sung. Formerly a whole psalm was chanted; in the early

Church it was invariably the thirty-third which contains the verse:

“O taste and see that the Lord is sweet. Blessed is he that hopeth

in him.” But somewhat later, other psalms with an antiphon re-

peated after each verse were substituted.

Thus during the Communion as at the Introit and the Offertory

a chant took place. And it was a processional one, too, as the Faith-

ful approached the sacred banquet table. It suggested pious senti-

ments as they received Holy Communion. In the Middle Ages

the Communion chant became abbreviated, fewer verses of the

psalm were sung. And at the present time there is generally only

the antiphon recited by the priest and sung by the choir at

chanted Mass. At Low Mass the antiphon is recited by the priest

after the ablutions have taken place. The psalm sung as a Com-

munion chant is a variable part of the Mass. It does not as a rule

refer to the sacred banquet directly, but usually expresses the mysti-

cal action of the particular Mass being celebrated. One should,

therefore, dwell on the thought expressed in the Communion

antiphon. For each time one receives Holy Communion, the Lord

may grant a special grace corresponding to the seasonal or festal

mystery celebrated.
18

The antiphon at the Feast of the Transfiguration is: “Tell the

vision to no one, till the Son of Man has risen from the dead”

(Matt. 17:9).

The Postcommunion

The Postcommunion
19

is a thanksgiving for Communion and a

petition for the enduring fruits of Communion.
20

In form it is a

prayer. It is read by the priest, at the Epistle side of the altar, im-

mediately after he has recited the Communion antiphon. Since

the priest reads the Postcommunion in the name of the people, he

kisses the altar and turns toward the congregation with the greet-

ing: “The Lord be with you.” He also begins the prayer with

18

Boeser-Canon, The Mass-Liturgy (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1932).
19

The word, it will be observed, means “after Communion.”
20
Parsch-Eckhoff, op. cit.



THE MASS-LITURGY 73

“Let us pray” and the minister or server, representing the people,

makes the response “Amen.”

The Postcommunion is a variable part of the Mass and combines

the petition for enduring fruits of Communion with an allusion

to the liturgical season or feast day. In literary style it resembles

very much the Collect and the Secret. One cannot help observing

how brief is this official thanksgiving. This seems the more remark-

able when one considers the length of the preparatory prayers.

This very brevity, however, should teach us an important lesson,

namely that our whole lives should be spent in “giving thanks

always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God

the Father” (Eph. 5:20).

Postcommunion

Priest: The Lord be with you.

Response: And with thy spirit.

Let Us Pray

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we may grasp with

minds quickened and cleansed the most holy mystery of the Trans-

figuration of Thy Son which we keep with solemn festival. Through

our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee

in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

Response

:

Amen.

The Conclusion

We have now come to the conclusion of the Mass. In olden

times the service was brought to a close by a formal dismissal

from the deacon. “Ite missa est” (Go, it is the dismissal) was the

phrase used. It happens, however, that the Blessing and the Last

Gospel are today recited afterward. This indeed seems strange,

two parts of the Mass occurring after the dismissal. But the Blessing

was for a long time given privately after the Mass; so also was

the Last Gospel read. And in the sixteenth century these were

made part of the Mass itself even as were “The Prayers at the

Foot of the Altar,” at the beginning of the Mass. But the dismissal

still remained as formerly, after the Postcommunion.

At a number of Masses
21

the Gloria of the Mass of the Catechu-

21
Advent, Lenten, Vigil, Ember Day Masses, and votive Masses said by choice

of the celebrant in place of the Mass of the day.



74 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

The priest blesses the congregation with the Sign of the Cross

at the end of Mass.



THE MASS-LITURGY 75

mens is omitted and then in place of “Ite missa est” the phrase

“Benedicamus Domino” (Let us bless the Lord) is used, the priest

facing the altar while saying it. The response in either case,

however, is “Deo Gratias” (Thanks be to God), a joyous acclama-

tion of the Faithful for the graces received at the Mass.

Perhaps the reason for omitting “Ite missa est” in certain Masses

is that it possesses a solemnity that would be inappropriate at any

but Sunday and feast day Masses .
22

Other liturgists, however, be-

lieve that the phrase is not used at Lenten Mass simply because

formerly during Lent the congregation did not leave the church

at the end of Mass but remained afterward to take part in a

portion of the Divine Office (Vespers).

In Requiem Masses instead of “Ite missa est” or “Benedicamus

Domino” the phrase used is “Requiescant in Pace” (May they rest

in peace). The response is “Amen.” Before all three forms the

priest kisses the altar and conveys to the people the liturgical

greeting “The Lord be with you.”

The Blessing
23

follows, preceded by a prayer recited in a very

low tone:

May the homage of my service be pleasing to Thee, O holy Trinity,
and grant that the sacrifice which I, though unworthy, have offered

in the sight of Thy majesty, may be acceptable to Thee, and through

Thy mercy obtain forgiveness for me. and for all those for whom I
have offered it. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Having kissed the altar, the priest makes the Sign of the Cross

over the congregation and pronounces the words of the Blessing:

“May almighty God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” to

which the response “Amen” is made. At a bishop’s Mass the form

of blessing is somewhat longer and more solemn.

In the earlier centuries the celebrant gave his blessing after

leaving the altar, a custom which gave rise to our present Blessing

in the Mass.

In the Middle Ages, the custom began for the priest or bishop

who celebrated Mass to recite the prologue of St. John’s Gospel

as a thanksgiving after Mass. Like the blessing, it also was said

after the celebrant had left the altar. And it is still, sometimes,

said by a bishop after leaving the altar for his throne. But when

22

Parsch-Eckhoff, op. cit.
23
In Requiem Masses the Blessing is not given.



76 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

a priest celebrates Mass it is always said at the altar. This pro-

logue when recited at the end of Mass is known as the Last

Gospel of the Mass.

Priest: The Lord be with you.

Response: And with thy spirit.

Priest: The beginning of the Gospel according to St. John.

Response: Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and

the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him, and without him was made

nothing that has been made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not.

There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John.

This man came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the light,

that all might believe through him.

He was not himself the light, but was to bear witness to the light.

It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the

world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and

the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, he gave the power of becoming sons

of God, to those who believe in his name.

We were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we saw

his glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father— full of grace
and of truth.

Response: Thanks be to God.

Although the Last Gospel is now part of the Mass itself, it still

possesses something of the character of a thanksgiving prayer after

Mass. For it is said without solemnity and is never sung at chanted

Mass. Occasionally another Gospel selection is read in place of

the above verses.

Although in the early Church the Mass ended with the formal

dismissal by the deacon, the recital of the above prologue seems

to be a most fitting conclusion to the service. It is as if by these

words, those who have participated in the Mass would restore to

the Eternal Word the outward glory of which He divested Him-

self in order to become the Victim in the great sacrifice of the

New Law .24

24
De Puniet, The Mass, Its Origin and History.



PART THREE

LIVING THE MASS

We have now, we hope, given the reader a general idea of the

Mass. We have indicated how it is a sacrifice and shown in what

way it is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross, pointing out also

that it is the will of God that this sacrifice be offered to the end

of time.

The Mass-liturgy, too, has been discussed at some length. We

have seen how the Liturgy of the Catechumens, a separate prayer

service in the early days of the Church, is now a part of the Mass

itself. Comprising prayers and instructions (the latter of which

is composed chiefly of biblical readings), the liturgy of the Cate-

chumens is an introduction to the Mass of the Faithful, or the

actual Eucharistic sacrifice, which is made up of the Offertory,

Consecration, and Communion.

The spirit with which one should assist at Mass has also been

briefly discussed. But this undoubtedly is a subject of such vital

importance as to merit some additional consideration. To appre-

ciate the spirit with which one should take part in the Mass, two

things should be remembered. First, one should bear in mind that

the Mass is a renewal of Christ’s death and resurrection and, sec-

ond, that a Christian in the state of grace enjoys a certain union

with Jesus Christ which finds its logical expression in the celebra-

tion of the Mass. By this is meant that when the Redeemer renews

His death and resurrection in the Mass, the Christian, because of

his union with Him, should in spirit sacrifice himself and receive

the pledge of his glorious resurrection. “He who eats my flesh

and drinks my blood has life everlasting and I will raise him up

on the last day” (John 6:55).

To accomplish this the Christian attending Mass should offer

himself in the manner explained in the Offertory. This will mean

he must banish from his heart, as much as possible, all sinful

inclinations and attachments. For God and His love must now

come first in his life and there will be no room, therefore, for

hatred, envy, or strife.

77



78 THE MASS PRESENTED TO NON-CATHOLICS

At the Consecration together with the divine Victim he will

become spiritually sacrificed to the heavenly Father. And in the

Communion he will receive the pledge of everlasting life. For

the sacrament of the Eucharist is the “bread that comes down

from heaven, so that if anyone eat of it he will not die” (John 6:50).

He, indeed, obtains the sign of God’s friendship, for he receives

the body, blood, soul, and divinity of His Son.

As the human body must have food that it may possess health

and strength, so also the Christian needs this spiritual nourishment

in order to have supernatural health and vigor upon this earth

and be able to enjoy God in heaven. And, need we add, when

Mass is over he should live free from sin; for otherwise he will

lose God’s friendship which he values above all else. Thus he

becomes an excellent member of society.

Society on the other hand is immensely benefited, when its

members in this way are leading a truly Christian life, for society

itself may then be described as Christian. Nor should we forget

that the Mass itself is an essentially social act. This fact the early

Christians understood well, for they knew the holy sacrifice as the

“breaking of Bread.” Moreover, in our study of the Mass-liturgy

we saw how in the Communion especially the corporate nature

of the Mass is revealed. For all “sit at the same table” to partake of

the same spiritual refreshment. The rich kneel with the poor, the

learned with the illiterate. Barriers of race and color break down,

for they are all one in Christ— “there is neither Jew nor Greek;
there is neither slave nor freeman; there is neither male nor

female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Indeed,

the bread that has become the body and blood of Christ signified

such union. For is it not made from flour which is obtained by

gathering many grains of wheat?

Thus the most remarkable kind of unity— that of unity in
Christ— is achieved by the Mass. Through it the individual is
made holy and the process of sanctification extends to all mankind

in proportion to the extent each accepts and participates in this

holy sacrifice.

It is therefore always vitally important that men should recognize

the truth regarding the Mass. But it is especially so today and

indeed for their own sakes. For there is now much confused

thinking regarding God and religion by some who have become



LIVING THE MASS 79

learned in purely secular branches of education. Thus there already

exists an unenlightened immoral type of leadership in the affairs of

the world. This is to be observed in certain forms of political

philosophy advocated in recent years which are clearly at variance

with the teachings of Christ and sometimes openly opposed to

belief in God. Their sanguine, often fanatical, disciples declare

that if put in practice their systems will supply the much desired

formula by which the ills of this world will speedily become

remedied and in time a Utopian state of society everywhere

established.

But especially in these critical days of war we shall do well

to remember that such systems of necessity cannot provide the

means by which to bind up the wounds of nations when the

present great conflict is over and establish the kind of society the

Creator intended. For, to accomplish such tasks, it may be said a

divine plan already exists. It was given by the Saviour the night

before He dyed the wood of His cross with His blood, becoming

a sacrifice in order to render glory to God and redeem the human

race from the bondage of sin. And this divine plan is followed

WHEN WE ACCEPT AND LIVE THE MASS.