THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
GIFT OF
Kate Gordon Moore
^l^
ARRANGED CONFORMABLY TO THE
RUBRICS OF THE BOOK OF
COMMON PRAYER
THE CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS
BY THE
REV. WILLIAM McGARVEY, D.D.
Rector of St. Elisabeth's Church, Philadelphia
Author of "Liiurgias Americana; "
THE CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS
BY THE
REV. CHARLES P. A. BURNETT. B.D.
Curate of St. Ignatius' Church, New York
LONaMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
91 and 93 EIPTH AVENUE, NEW YORK
LONDON AND BOMBAY
1905
"Sacerdotes autem et Levitse filii Sadoc, qui custodierunt
ceremonias sanctuarii mei, cum errarent filii Israel a me, ipsi
accedent ad me ut ministrent mihi, et stabunt in conspectu
meo ut offerant mihi adipem et sanguinem, ait Dominus Deus.
Ipsi ingredientur sanctuarium meum, et ipsi accedent ad
Mensam meam ut ministrent mihi, et custodiant ceremonias
meas." — Ezech. xliv., 15, 16.
sx
59 i- 6
r ra ^^
PREFACE.
No one will seriously contend that the rubrics of
the Prayer Book are so full and explicit that no further
directions are required for rendering its offices. The
many ceremonial and devotional guides which have
been drawn up for the use of the clergy, from Bishop
Andrewes' Notes/ down to the elaborate work attrib-
uted to Canon Liddon,*' and subsequently, are ample
evidence of how inadequate has been felt to be the guid-
ance provided by the mere letter of the rubrics. Indeed
it is quite impossible to render any office of the Prayer
Book if regard be paid only to the bare directions
therein contained. And, as a matter of fact, there
never has been a Bishop or Priest who has not freely
supplemented the directions of the Prayer Book, either
from his own sense of the fitness of things or from
such knowledge of the Church's traditional ceremonial
as he possessed. Therefore no apology whatever is
offered in presenting these volumes, as they are simply
an attempt to interpret the rubrics of our Communion
Office where they are ambiguous and where they are
insufficient to provide further guidance by reference
to the ancient ceremonial customs of the Church.
Of the need of manuals of instruction in the duties
of the sacred ministry there can be no question. While
the curriculum of our seminaries has been greatly
1 Notes on the Book of Common Prayer, Minor Works, Ang. Cath. Lib.
p. 141.
2 The Priest to the Altar, or Aids to the Devout Celebration of the
Holy Communion, chieHy after the Ancient Use of Sarum. 8vo. Pri-
vately printed, n. \.
40
IV PREFACE.
improved within recent years, the course of studies is
still too theoretical, and insufficient attention is given
to the practical details of priestly ministrations. No
one more than the newly-ordained Priest himself
appreciates how altogether inadequate has been his
seminary course, and how great is his need of instruc-
tion in almost everything which concerns the conduct
of public worship, the ministration of the Sacraments,
and especially the celebration of the Eucharist. It
is in order to contribute something to meet this
generally acknowledged need that this work on the
Mass has been prepared.
These volumes were prepared by the editors acting
under the appointment of the Clerical Union for the
Maintenance and Defence of Catholic Principles, under
whose auspices they are also published.
W. McG.
Baster, 1905.
Sltj^ OI^r^mnttt^B of ffinfo Mubb
REV. WILLIAM McGARVEY. D.D.
TABI,E OF CONTENTS.
GUNERAI, INTRODUCTION.
Page
I. Of the obligation of the Rubrics xi
II. Of the American Rite as compared with the Roman Rite....xiv
III. Of the American Rite as compared with the English and
Scotch Rites xvii
IV. Of the Priest's use of private prayers in the Mass xxii
V. Of the place of anthems and hymns xxiv
VI. Of the words of anthems and hymns xxvii
VII. Of prayers and offices additional to those in the Prayer Book, .xxxix
VIII. Of the continuance of the ancient ceremonial xlii
IX. Of the influence of the various ceremonial Uses in the com-
pilation of the Prayer Book xlix
X. Of Ceremonial restoration Ix
XI. Of the Ornaments Rubric Ixiii
NOTES ON THE MASS.
I. Of the preparation of the Priest before the altar i
II. Of the "right side of the Table" 2
III. Of announcing the Epistle and Gospel S
IV.- Of genuflecting in the Creed 7
V. Of the matter of the Eucharist 9
VI. Of the time for presenting the offerings of the people 10
VII. Of the Orationes super oblata 13
VIII. Of genuflecting in the Canon 16
IX. Of the elevation of the Sacrament 22
X. Of the Invocation 24
XI. Of the posture of the Celebrant while communicating him-
self 31
XII. Of the rubric, "If the consecrated bread or wine be spent,"
etc 34
XIII. Of the veiling of the Sacrament 37
XIV. Of the posture of the people at Gloria in excelsis 40
XV. Of the Post-Communion 42
XVI. Of the last Gospel 43
GENERAL, CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS.
1. Of reading 45
2. Of the bowings: (a) Profound bow of the body, (fc) Mod-
erate bow of the body, (c) Bow of the head 45
3. Of the genuflections 47
Vlll TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Page
4. Of the extending and lifting up of the hands 49
5. Of the joining of the hands: (a) Before the breast, (b) On
the altar 49
6. Of the making the sign of the cross: (a) by the Priest on
himself, (fc) Over the people, (c) Over the oblations 50
7. Of the smiting the breast 51
8. Of the lifting up of the eyes 52
9. Of the kissing of the altar 53
10. Of turning towards the people 54
THE ORDER OF THE CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
Chapter I. The Preparation for a I/OW Mass:
1. Of the altar 55
2. Of the credence 56
3. Of the Priest 56
4. Of the ch alice 57
5. Of the vesting of the Priest: (a) The amice, (b) The alb. (c)
The cincture, {d) The maniple. ie) The stole. (/) The
chasuble 58
6. Of the approach to the altar 60
Chapter II. The Private Prayers at the Foot op the Altar:
1 . Of the Psalm Judica me 63
2. Of the Confiteor 65
3. Of the prayer, Aufer a nobis 67
4. Of the prayer, Oramus te 68
Chapter III. From the Lord's Prayer to the Offertory:
1. Of the Lord's Prayer and Collect for Purity 68
2. Of the Decalogue 70
3. Of the Kyrie eleison 72
4. Of the Collect 73
5. Of the Epistle 74
6. Of the Gospel 75
7. Of the Creed 79
8. Of the giving notice of Holy days, etc 80
9. Of the Sermon 80
Chapter IV. From the Offertory to the Canon:
1. Of the Offertory 82
2. Of the oblation of the bread on the paten 84
3. Of the use of a ciborium 85
4. Of the mingling of the chalice 86
5. Of the oblation of the chalice 87
6. Of the prayers In spiritu humilitatis, and Veni Sanctificator. . . 89
7. Of the offerings of the people 89
8. Of the washing of the fingers 91
9. Of the prayer, Suscipe, Sancta Trinitas 93
ID. Of the Prayers over the Oblations 93
11. Of the two Exhortations and the Confession 95
TABLE OF CONTENTS. iX
Page
12. Of the Sursum corda and Preface 98
13. Of the prayer before the Canon 99
Chapter V. The Canon of the Mass:
1. Of the ordering of the paten and chalice ; 100
2. Of the first part of the Canon 100
3. Of the consecration of the Host 102
4. Of the elevation of the Host 103
5. Of the consecration of the chalice 105
6. Of the elevation of the chalice 106
7. Of the Oblation 107
8. Of the Invocation 107
9. Of the prayer, "And we earnestly," etc 108
10. Of the prayer, "And here we offer and present," 108
11. Of the Commemoration of the dead 109
12. Of the prayer, "And although we are unworthy," 109
13. Of the conclusion of the Canon: "By whom," etc no
Chapter VI. The Communion:
1 . Of the Lord's Prayer in
2. Of the Fraction 1:2
3. Of the Commixture 113
4. Of the Agnus Dei 114
5. Of the three prayers before the Communion of the Priest 115
6. Of the Communion of the Priest 116
7. Of the cleansing of the paten when a ciborium is used to hold
the small hosts 119
8. Of the spreading of the houselling cloths by the server 119
9. Of the shewing of the Sacrament to the people 120
10. Of the Communion of the Bishop 121
1 1. Of the Communion of the clergy 122
12. Of the Communion of the server 123
13. Of the Communion of the people 123
14. Of a Deacon, or another Priest assisting in the administration
of the chalice 126
15. Of the failure of the sacred species 127
Chapter VII. The Thanksgiving and the Conclusion of the Mass:
1. Of a Mass when no one approaches to receive Holy Communion 129
2. Of the veiling of the Sacrament 130
3. Of the Lord's Prayer and the Prayer of thanksgiving 130
4. Of the Gloria in excelsis 131
5. Of the Post-Communion 133
6. Of the Blessing 133
7. Of the manner of consuming the sacred species 135
8. Of the purification and ablution of the chalice 136
9. Of the purification and ablution of the ciborium 139
ID. Of the prayer, Placeat tibi 141
11. Of the last Gospel 141
12. Of the departure from the Altar 143
X
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Page
Chapter VIII. Of the Purification and Ablution of the
Chalice When a Priest Celebrates More
Than Once on the Same Day 144
Chapter IX. Of I<ow Mass for the Dead 147
Chapter X. Of Low Mass celebrated by a Bishop 149
Chapter XI. Of Low Mass celebrated in the presence of the
Bishop 152
Appendix. Additional Note on the Manner of Announcing the
Gospel 155
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
I. Of the obligation of the Rubrics.
Throughout this work it has been assumed, that in
conducting the worship of the Church and in the minis-
tration of the Sacraments, the Priest is under obUgation
to use the order prescribed by the Book of Common
Prayer. This obhgation has been created by the writ-
ten declaration, solemnly made, "to conform to the
worship of the Church,"^ and by the verbal promise "to
give faithful diligence always so to minister the Sac-
raments, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this
Church hath received the same."' This promise being
made upon the demand of the Bishop "in the name of
God and of his Church," has clearly the nature of a
vow, and is so regarded and termed by the Church
in her canon law. A Bishop-elect before consecration
renews the written declaration of conformity to the
worship of the Church ; then at his consecration he
promises, "in the name of God," 'conformity and obedi-
ence to the worship of the Church,' sealing his oath
by the solemn appeal, "So help me God through Jesus
Christ;" and then, by his promise 'to be faithful in
Ordaining, Sending, and Laying hands upon others,'*
he widens the vow he made prior to his ordination to
* Constitution, Art. x.
* The Ordering of Priests.
*Xht Consecration of a Bishop.
XU GRNKRAL INTRODUCTIOX.
the priesthood. These promises, thus solemnly made,
bind every clergyman to the use of the Prayer Book
offices for the celebration of the Sacraments and for
every other rite which is an act of public worship.
The 'worship of the Church' consists of those acts
of the corporate body of the faithful whereby anything
is offered to God in recognition of his sovereignty.
Thus in Mattins, Evensong, and the Litany, it is the
faithful offering the praise and supplication of mind,
heart, and will by the words of their lips ; in the
Eucharist it is the oblation of the Body and Blood of
Christ ; in Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, and the
Institution of Ministers, it is the dedication of persons
to the divine service ; in Matrimony it is the offering
of the bodies of two baptized persons for the fulfilment
of a divine law ; in the Consecration of Churches it is
the surrender of a house to God for his habitation.
Even the Burial of the dead is an act of public worship,
inasmuch as it is the formal committal of the body to
God that it may undergo the sentence of dissolution
inflicted by the divine justice for sin. The only offices
of the Prayer Book which are not rites of public wor-
ship are the Visitation of the Sick, the Visitation of
Prisoners, and Family Prayers. These offices, while
they have in them elements of worship, are certainly
not acts of 'worship of the Church,' that is, of the
general body of the faithful, and so are not covered
by the promise and vow of conformity, but are left, as
to their use, to the discretion of the Priest. Every
other office of the Prayer Book, however, being an
office of public worship, is obligatory by virtue of the
engagements each Priest and Bishop has made 'to con-
form to the worship of the Church,' and nothing can
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XUl
excuse their being neglected or justify the wilful viola-
tion of their rubrical directions."*'
Accordingly, in preparing this book the meaning of
every rubric of the Communion Office was carefully
sought for, and has been scrupulously adhered to, so
that in no instance has the order of the Prayer Book
been disregarded. The theory that the rubrics are
merely general suggestions which may be followed or
not, according to every Bishop's or Priest's good pleas-
ure, is utterly indefensible on any ground. The rubrics
intra missam of the missal bind the Roman Priest
under pain of sin simply because of the precept of the
Church. But with us the obligation to observe the
rubrics of the Prayer Book is imposed, as has been
said, not by a bare command, but by a written promise
and by a solemn vow exacted from every ordinand as a
necessary condition to the susception of Holy Orders.
And that it is the Church's expectation that her clergy
will fulfil the engagements thus solemnly assumed,
there can be no manner of doubt in the mind of any
conscientious man who understands what a vow
means. And here the writer cannot but deprecate
that superficial spirit which dismisses the consideration
of every peculiarity of the Prayer Book with a sneer,
and does not hesitate to disregard its plainest direc-
tions. The order of our Mass has indeed departed
widely in many respects from the Latin Uses of Eng-
land, but there is scarcely one departure, if we except
* It is to be observed with regard to the Institution Office, that while
it is of equal authority with the other offices of the Prayer Book, as
was declared by the Convention of 1820, yet, since 1808, its use has
been left to the option of the Bishop. So that he is permitted to give
institution witliout the formality of a public service. If, however,
institution is given in a public service, the Bishop may not substitute
another form in place of the office which the Prayer Book provides
for the occasion.
XIV GENERAL, INTRODUCTION.
the presence of the Decalogue and the position of the
Gloria in excclsis, which may not be paralleled in the
other Uses of the Roman liturgy. In one ceremonial
particular, our Eucharistic office has even departed
from what was the universal Western custom in the
sixteenth century, that is, in directing the Priest to con-
secrate the bread upon the paten instead of upon the
corporal. But in so ordering, the Prayer Book in-
vented no new and unheard of ceremony ; it has but
returned to what was the earlier custom in the West,
which is still observed in the East, and which is
unquestionably the more reverent practice. And it
is our bounden duty loyally to conform to what the
Church has prescribed for our observance.
//. Of the American Rite as eompared with the
Roman Rite.
Not only may precedent be found for almost every
ceremonial particular of the Prayer Book wherein it
differs from the pre-reformation English Uses, but.
what is all important, the Mass as prescribed in the
American Prayer Book contains every correspond-
ing ritual feature of the ancient Roman liturgy for the
presentation of the oblations both before and after con-
secration, and is also as clear and express in its sacri-
ficial language as was that rite. So that our office
lacks nothing necessary to fulness of doctrinal state-
ment with regard to the holy sacrifice, if it be judged
by the Roman liturgy as that rite was before its
revision and expansion by Alcuin.
But our office is, fortunately, unlike the Roman
liturgy in that it lacks those inexplicable passages
found in the Latin Canon which are so hard to recon-
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XV
cile with the doctrine of the Real Presence, and which,
Dom Gasquet frankly admits, "it is not easy to ex-
plain."* We may be thankful that our Prayer
of Consecration does not contain such an incongruity
as the prayer Supra quce: "Upon which [i. e. the holy
gifts] do thou vouchsafe to look with a propitious and
gracious countenance, and to accept them even as thou
didst vouchsafe to accept the gifts of thy just servant
Abel, and the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham, and
that holy sacrifice and immaculate host which thy High
Priest Melchizedek offered unto thee." In this prayer
the Sacrifice of the Mass is apparently placed on the
same level as the oflferings of the patriarchal dispen-
sation, God being asked to accept it even as he accepted
the earthly ofiferings of Abel, Abraham, and Melchize-
dek. And the same exalted terms, used in the para-
graph before of the sacrifice of Christ's Body and
Blood, are here applied to Melchizedek's mere obla-
tion of bread and wine, which is called "a holy sacri-
fice," "an immaculate host" !
We may also be thankful that by our American
Canon we do not have to say at the altar the prayer
SitppUces te rogamus: "We humbly beseech thee, O
Almighty God, that thou command these things (hccc)
to be borne by the hands of thy holy angel to thine
* Edward VI and the Booh of Common Prayer, 1890, p. 197. This
work is an attempt to shew that the Prayer Book is largely derived
from the early Lutheran Service books. But after all has been said,
there is comparatively little in our Prayer Book that can certainly be
said to be derived from a Lutheran source. .A.nd even if it were
otherwise, what would it matter? Whatever good things have been
produced by men, even though they were heretics or infidels, have been
brought to pass by the power of God and for the elect's sake. There-
fore, the Apostle says, "All things are yours." And accordingly the
Church has not hesitated to appropriate many things, even_ from the
heathen, and to make use of them in the very worship of the
sanctuary. For whatever the Church appropriates she cleanses and
sanctifies by her touch, as did the Son of (jod when out of the mass of
sinful human nature he took to himself a body, but "without spot of
sin."
XVI GfiNERAL INTRODUCTION.
altar on high in the sight of thy divine majesty."
Certainly no one at the present day who believes that
Christ is present under the Eucharistic species in the
fulness of both natures, could possibly pen such a
prayer. It is simply unintelligible.
Then there is the prayer Per quern towards the end
of the Canon, which modern liturgiologists say refers
to the offerings of the fruit of the earth, but which
the rubrics of the medieval missals, as also the present
Roman missal, apply to the sacramental gifts.
Many explanations have been given of these strange
passages in the Latin Canon, but there is not one
which satisfactorily removes their seeming incon-
sistency with the doctrine of the Real Presence. Had
such statements, so contrary on the face of them to the
Tridentine definition, been penned by the Prayer Book
revisers and inserted into our Prayer of Consecration,
how eagerly they would have been seized upon by the
Roman controversalist as evidence of how defective
was our conception of the doctrine of the Real Pres-
ence, and of the Christian priesthood and sacrifice.
Now it was precisely these incongruities of the
Latin Canon which were not reproduced in the First
Prayer Book. The Canon of 1549 (which is the
source of our American Canon through the non-juring
Scotch office) was a free rendering and expansion of
the Latin Canon, and agrees with it paragraph by
paragraph, although not in precisely the same order,
but the prayer Supra quce, in which the Mass is
placed on a level with the offerings made before
Christ's coming, was omitted altogether, and in its
place there was substituted, "entirely desiring thy
fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacri-
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XVU
fice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseech-
ing thee to grant, that by the death of thy Son Jesus
Christ and through faith in his blood, we and all
thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins
and all other benefits of his passion." The pleading
of Christ's passion is surely more satisfactory ground
for asking God to accept our sacrifice, than the men-
tion of the offerings of the patriarchs. The clause
Supplices te rogamus was retained and translated,
but the difficulty presented by the ambiguity of hccc
and of angeli tui was removed by interpreting ha^c,
in accordance with the gloss of Saint Thomas,^ as
meaning "our prayers and supplications," and by
changing "thy holy angel" into "thy holy angels," thus
making the reference to be unmistakably to the created
angels and not to the Angel of the Convenant our
Lord himself. The clause Per quern was entirely
dropped, the revisers apparently understanding that
it could have no possible reference to the Eucharistic
offering. Thus were eliminated by the revisers of 1549
all these verbal incongruities, so that there is not one
word in our American Prayer of Consecration which
is remotely inconsistent with the doctrine of the Real
Presence, even as that doctrine is defined by the Coun-
cil of Trent.
///. Of the American Rite as compared with the
Bnglish and Scotch Rites.
The excellency of our American office is still further
appreciated when we compare it with the other vernac-
ular rites of the Anglican Communion. We have said
' Summa, iii., 83, 4, ad Nonum.
XVUl GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
that it contains every corresponding verbal and cere-
monial feature of the ancient Roman Liturgy for the
presentation of the oblations, both before and after
consecration. This cannot be said of the other liturgies
of our Communion, every one of which is lacking in
some one sacrificial feature. The English office is the
most unsatisfactory of all. It has indeed a verbal obla-
tion of the unconsecrated gifts, but its Canon, while
containing everything absolutely necessary to sacra-
mental validity, stops abruptly with the consecration of
the chalice, without so much as a word of formal pre-
sentation of the holy gifts. The present Scotch office
is deficient in that it has no verbal oblation at the
Offertory. And while it has an oblation, like our own,
after the consecration, the doctrinal force of this obla-
tion is considerably neutralized by the fact, that tire
very words with which, by the English and by our own
book, the unconsecrated bread and wine are presented
(to wit, the words, 'to accept our oblations'), are in this
Scotch office unfortunately placed after the Canon and
made to refer to the consecrated gifts. When we
examine the office of the Mass in the Prayer Book of
1549, we find, that while it has corrected all those
"admittedly difficult"® statements of the Latin Canon,
which seemed inconsistent with the doctrine of the Real
Presence, it is not as full and explicit in setting forth
the sacrificial character of the Eucharist as it might
be. There is in this office no verbal oblation whatever
of the bread and wine at the Offertory. After the con-
secration 'a memorial is made,' but it is not expressly
said, that this memorial is made by offering up the
holy gifts then present upon the altar. This latter defect
• Gasquet and Bishop, Edward VI and the Bk. of Com. Prayer, p 210,
note.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XIX
was observed and remarked on even before the Book
of 1549 was published. In the debate on the Sacrainent
in the Parhanient of 1548, the Bishop of Chichester de-
sired "to have certain words added after the consecra-
tion, which were, 'That these sacrifices and oblations.' "
The Bishop of Westminster deprecated the prohibition
of the elevation as being aimed at the adoration of the
Sacrament, and he desired those present to understand
that "there was in the book 'oblation,' which is left out
now."^ Cranmer had probably omitted this word after
the book left the Bishops.
Now none of these defects of the present English
Office, or of the Scotch Office, or of the Office of 1 549,
are to be found in our American rite. In the first place,
the Canon speaks of the Eucharist not only as "a per-
petual memory of that his precious death," as
in the Canon of 1549 and the present Eng-
lish Prayer Book, but as "a. perpetual memory
of that his precious death and sacrifice." No
rubric forbidding the elevation of the Sacrament blots
the pages of our Prayer of Consecration. After the
consecration, 'we make the memorial before the divine
majesty, "with these thy holy gifts which rt'C nozv
offer unto thee," which latter words are not found in
the Canon of 1549. And that there may be no doubt of
what is intended by these words, this portion of the
Prayer of Consecration is headed The Oblation, the
very term, it will be observed, which by the Thirty-nine
Articles and by the first part of the Canon is applied to
the sacrifice of the cross. The Black Rubric in the
harmless form in which it appears in the English
Prayer Book (couched as it is in the very terms of
* Ibid. App. v., 404, 405.
XX GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
Saint Thomas Aquinas)^ has been swept away from
our Office. The rubrics at the end of the EngHsh Com-
munion Office which seem to discourage the presence of
persons not intending to communicate, and certainly
hinder the celebration of frequent Masses, by their
stringent requirement of communicants other than the
Priest, have all been expunged and not a trace of them
left.* Twice has the American Church reconsidered
the expediency of replacing these or similar rubrics in
the Prayer Book, and twice has she endorsed the action
of the Convention of 1789 which omitted them by re-
fusing in 1886 and 1889 to restore like prohibitions to
the Prayer Book again. In 1889 it was proposed to
insert after the prayer for Christ's Church a rubric
legalizing a corrupt practice and suggesting the depar-
ture of those who were not intending to receive sacra-
mentally, and vv^hich read, "Here the Priest shall pause
for a space in order that such as are so minded may
withdraw." But the Church would have none of it,
and the extraordinary proposition was consigned to
oblivion.
Finally the American rite has. what is found in no
other vernacular liturgy of the Anglican Communion,
two wholly distinct verbal oblations, the one of the
bread and wine and the other of the holy gifts of
Christ's Body and Blood. The first accentuates the
8 For an examination of the statements of the Black Rubric, I may
be permitted to refer to my pamphlet, The Doctrine of the Church of
England on the Real Presence examined by the writings of St.
Thomas Aquinas, The Young Churchman Co., 1901.
* The English Prayer Book permits, evidently as a concession, the
use of leavened bread: "It shall sufiice that the bread be such as is
usual to be eaten." It is noteworthy, that the rubric containing this
permission was withdrawn, along with the rubrics mentioned above
by the revisers of 1789, so that it never has had a place in the
American Prayer Book. So far, therefore, from there being any law
in tiie American Church requiring the use of leavened bread, there
is no statutory provision for even its permissive use.
CKNEKAI, INTRODUCTION. xxi
second, and renders it impossible for anyone to say
that our office knows only of an offering of bread and
wine. The discretion and nice judgment exercised
by the revisers of 1789 is most noteworthy. While
freely borrowing from Bishop Seabury's edition of the
non-juring Scotch rite, they were not led away by a
blind admiration of it, but were fully alive to its
grave defect in the absence of any prayer of oblation
of the unconsecrated gifts. And therefore while they
adopted its oblatory prayer after the consecration and
thus supplied the notable deficiency of the English rite,
they did not follow it in the removal of the verbal obla-
tion at the Offertory (as likewise they did not follow
it in the wording of the Invocation), but retained the
prayer for 'the acceptance of our alms and oblations' in
the place in which it stands in the English office. By so
doing, they secured for the American Church a rite
which is unequalled for liturgical completeness by any
other Eucharistic office in use in the Anglican Com-
munion. A rite, moreover, which contains every feature
regarded as important whether by the Latins or by the
Greeks ; and one, also, from which has been eliminated
every word seemingly condemnatory of, or inconsistent
with, any definition touching the Blessed Sacrament
which either Rome or Constantinople has set forth.
Surely in all this we must see the providential hand of
God removing the barriers which separate those who
hold the Catholic faith, and fitting the American
Church for the part she is to take in the work of restor-
ing again the visible unity of the Holy Church through-
out all the world.
XXU GUNEKAl, INTRODUCTION.
IV. Of the Priest's rise of private prayers in the Mass.
Whatever prayers, therefore, are printed hereafter
to be used by the Priest, are not suggested because of a
supposed lack in our Mass of any necessary Hturgical
features ;but theyare provided simply as edifyingfomis
for the Priest's own private devotion. There can be no
doubt of the Priest's privilege to use his own private
prayers during the course of the service, so long as they
do not interfere with the public order prescribed by the
Church. It is a privilege which has historical prece-
dent, and which has come down to us by a long tradi-
tion. The ancient Roman liturgy, like our own, did not
contain any set forms for such prayers, but that they
were said is evident from the early Roman Orders and
ritual writers. By the ninth century, the private prayers,
almost all of them derived from Galilean sources, began
to be inserted into the public office books, although
admittedly no integral part of the original Roman
liturgy. The liberty of the Priest in this matter was
gradually restricted until at length when the reformed
Roman missal was set forth, Pius V. forbade any other
prayers to be used than those expressly prescribed.
But, as Romsee observes, no such strict obligation had
existed before.^ When the Prayer Book was set forth
in 1549, all the private prayers were omitted, and the
office restored to the general appearance, with a few
exceptions, of the Roman liturgy as we find it in the
Sacramentary of Saint Gregory. The Priest, instead of
being restricted to any one fixed set of prayers, was
now left to his ancient liberty of choosing such prayers
as might best suit his devotion. This liberty was used
• Sensus Litteralis, etc., cap ii., xxxlx., vi.
GENURAI, INTRODUCTION. xxiu
and has continued to be used ever since with edification
by men of very different theological temperaments. We
can all remember, even before the revival of late years
had visibly affected the mode of conducting the public
services, the Priest engaging in silent prayer before be-
ginning the Communion service and while the choir
was singing the hymn ; again before and after the ser-
mon ; the pause after each word of the clause, "in
trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity,"
during which he interjected his own private supplica-
tion ; the silent prayer again after the prayers for the
Church militant ; and the private devotions before his
Communion, and then after he had received the Sacra-
ment ; and finally the silent thanksgiving after he had
pronounced the blessing. In acts of devotion of this
sort, the Priest is undoubtedly free to use his own
extemporaneous prayers, but very many will certainly
prefer at such a time to use those prayers which have
been sanctified by ages of use in the Church of God.
Of the many versions of the old missal prayers, we are
at liberty to choose any one, for no one version can
have any possible claim upon us to be used exclusively.
The version contained in this book has been chosen, not
because it has any authority over the others, but simply
because it is the one which has had the widest accept-
ance in the West, being at present the only one, if we
except the very limited use of the Mozarabic, Am-
brosian, and a few monastic rites, which has survived in
actual use. The earliest examples of these prayers, as
far as known, have been indicated in the foot-notes. Tn
the work of translation, the exact sense of the Latin
has been given, and all free paraphrasing has been
avoided, which, while it might have had the advantage
XXIV GliNBKAI. INTRODUCTION.
of giving a more rhythmic rendering, might also have
misrepresented the meaning of the original.
V. Of the Place of Anthems and Hymns.
Turning novi^ from the purely sacrificial aspect of our
American rite, and comparing it in other respects with
the Latin Uses, it presents a striking contrast to any one
of them in the paucity of its musical features. Besides
the prayers, scriptural lections, and the unvarying fea-
tures of the order of the Mass, the Latin missals made
generous provision for the use of variable anthems and
metrical hymns. At the beginning of the Mass was
the Introit; after the Epistle followed the Gradual or
Grail, and this might be prolonged by another anthem
called a Tract, or by a hymn called the Sequence ; after
the Creed followed the Offertory anthem ; and finally,
during the administration of the Sacrament was sung a
short verse called the Communion. Some of these tra-
ditional places for singing are explicitly recognized in
our American Office. A rubric allows the use of an
anthem while the alms and oblations are being pre-
sented ; after the Canon stands the permission, "Here
may be sung a hymn ;" and the general rubric, "Hymns
set forth and allowed by the authority of this Church,
and anthems in the words of Holy Scripture or of the
Book of Common Prayer may be sung before and after
any Office in this Book," makes lawful the use of some-
thing corresponding in place to the old Introit, and
permits our singing a musical composition after the
Blessing, a feature necessitated by our present rite
although quite unknown to the old Uses.
But may we enrich our office still further by intro-
ducing anthems or hymns in places through the Mass
GENERAI. INTRODUCTION. XXV
which are not now specified as places for singing?
Have we any right, for example, to insert an anthem or
a hymn or both after the Epistle ? It has been answered
by some that we have no such right, and they have
pointed out particularly that in the First Prayer Book
there was the explicit rubric, 'Immediately after the
Epistle ended, the Priest, or one appointed to read the
Gospel shall say. The Holy Gospel," etc. To this we
answer, that while it is true that there was such a rubric
in the Prayer Book of 1 549, and that there can be little
doubt that its intention was to forbid any singing at
this place, it is no less true, that the word "immedi-
ately" was stricken out in 1552 and has never stood in
the Prayer Book since, so that whatever prohibition it ,
involved has been altogether removed. Moreover, ever
since the first setting forth of the Book of Common
Prayer there has been the continuous custom of intro-
ducing hymns and anthems into the service, although
there never has been the slightest rubrical permission
in the English Prayer Book for such additions. Express
provision was made for this practice in the first Act of
Uniformity : "It shall be lawful for all men, as well in
churches, chapels, oratories, or other places to use
openly any Psalms or Prayer taken out of the
Bible at any due time, not letting or omitting
thereby the service or any part thereof mentioned
in the said book." And although, observes Arch-
bishop Benson, "the proviso of the act of Edward
the Sixth was not re-enacted, yet the liberty assigned
by that provisio of singing 'openly at any due time,
not letting or omitting the service or any part' of it, ap-
pears to have been acted upon as a principle ever since
without break. . . . For such continuous practice it
XXVI Gl^NKKA), INTRODUCTION.
would be difficult to declare that there was no legal
ground to be found." And further, after mentioning
a number of places where it is customary in England to
introduce hymns or anthems, he continues : "The sing-
ing in none of these places is permissible by the words
of any statute or rubric, but no court or authority would
consent to declare it illegal, becavise the prevalent use
of it is by the principles of law a very safe assurance
that it is not illegal." So firmly is this custom estab-
lished in England, that the prosecution in the case of
the Bishop of Lincoln did not venture to question its
legality ; a fact to which the Archbishop in his Judg-
ment drew attention : "It was not contended in court
that it is illegal to use a Hymn or Anthem in all places
in the service where its use may not have been
ordered."^" Precisely the same principle was laid
down by Bishop White when speaking of the use of
anthems, for which the American Prayer Book then
made no provision either as to place or words : "An-
thems taken from Scripture, may be introduced by the
minister into the service without the imputation of
irregularity."^^ It is on this principle that the use of
the anthem "Glory be to thee, O Lord," before the
Gospel is recognized as perfectly legal in England,
although these words were stricken out of the Prayer
Book in 1552, and no rubric of the English Prayer
Book has ever since authorized them. And the same
principle is likewise ample justification for inserting
anthems and hymns after the Epistle as well as else-
where, and for saying "Praise be to thee O Christ,"
after the Gospel.
1" Read and Others v. the Bishop of Lincohi, 1890, pp. 53-55.
^ Commentaries suited to Occasions of Ordination, p. 197.
GENERAI. INTRODUCTION. XXvii
VI. Of the Words of Aiiflicins and Hymns.
Granting that we may freely introduce hymns or
anthems into any service of the Prayer Book, so long
as we do not set aside any part of that service, where
shall we turn for such hymns and anthems? In the
first place, as to hymns. Are we, here in America, con-
fined to the use of the h3'mns provided in the Church
Hymnal to the exclusion of all others ? A consideration
of the history of the legal enactments with regard to
hymns will answer the question.
The tenth Article of the Constitution of the General
Convention specifies the documents the use of which
is obligatory throughout the American Church. And
since i8ii none of these obligatory documents may be
altered or added to without the action of two General
Conventions, due notice in the meanwhile having been
given to each diocese. The General Convention is thus
constitutionally restrained from imposing any new.
obligatory document by canon or otherwise, nor can it
modify in any way those already established without
the Church at large having had ample notice of such
proposed change, and the opportunity of expressing its
mind. The wisdom of these provisions is evident when
we remember that all the documents mentioned in this
Article of the Constitution are standards of doctrine
to which each Bishop and Priest has assented, and for
the denial of any doctrine of which he may be tried and
deposed. It will be observed that this Article makes no
mention of any Book of Hymns or Hymnal amonp;
the official books which "shall be in use" in the Church.
But it may be asked, since the Hymns are for use in
public worship, is not the Hymnal practically part of
XXVUl GJCNiiKAL, INTKOUL'CTION.
the Prayer Cook, the Church's manual of worship, and
does it not therefore really come under the article of
the Constitution as part of the Prayer Book ? We have
only to turn over the pages of the Journals of the
General Convention to learn that the Hymnal was
never regarded as in any sense forming part of the
Prayer Book.
The Convention of 1789 which set forth the first
edition of the American Prayer Book, also authorized
"The Whole Book of Psalms in metre with Hymns
suited to the Feasts and Fasts of the Church and other
occasions of Public Worship." To this collection there
were added, in 1808, thirty additional hymns. Although
these psalms and hymns were adopted in precisely the
same way as the offices of the Prayer Book were
adopted, and were published with these offices under
the same cover, yet from the very first there was a
perfectly clear understanding that they were not an in-
tegral part of the Prayer Book and did not come under
the provisions of the tenth Article of the Constitution.
Bishop White is very express upon this point. The
metre psalms and hymns, he tells us "are no part of
the Prayer Book, but make a book by themselves ;" that
'the Prayer Book may be bound up without either
hymns or metre psalms,' and this "without offence
against any existing regulation ;" and that any one is
free to make a selection from them and to bind it with
the Prayer Book, nothing being wanted 'but a moderate
measure of attention to a printer and to a binder.'^^
This opinion of Bishop White is borne out by the
wording of the ratification prefixed by the Convention
of 1789 to the metre psalms and hymns. It speaks of
^ Memoirs of the Church, 2d PJd. p. 202, 262.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XXIX
them simply as ''set forth and allowed to be sung in
all congregations of the said Church, before and after
Morning and Evening Prayer and also before and after
sermons, at the discretion of the Minister." Contrast
this with the ratification of the Prayer Book by the
same Convention : "This Convention having in their
present session set forth a Book of Common Prayer
and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites
and Ceremonies, do hereby establish the said Book :
And they declare it to be the Liturgy of this Church :
and require that it be received as such by all the
members of the same : And this Book shall be in use
from," etc. This ratification leaves no doubt of the
Church's definite intention to make the Prayer Book
the one obligatory and exclusive book of public wor-
ship for all her people. On the other hand, the ratifi-
cation of the hymns makes it no less clear, that the
Church had no intention of giving them the obligatory
character attached to the Prayer Book ; they were
merely set forth, and allowed at the discretion of the
Minister, and that was all ; and how freely that dis-
cretion might be exercised we are told by Bishop
White.
Such was the status of the first hymnal. It was a
book authorized indeed by the Church and bound up
with the Prayer Book, but the fact that it was so
authorized and included within the covers of the Prayer
Book, was not regarded as placing it among the stand-
ard documents mentioned in the Constitution, nor was
its use supposed to be obligatory, nor is there a hint
anywhere that, like the Prayer Book, it was exclusive
of all other books of its kind. And this has been pre-
cisely the status of every hymnal ever since.
XXX ceNkrai. introduction.
In 1832, there was made an entire revision of the
metre psalms and of the hymns by the action of one
General Convention. Again in 1865, the House of
Bishops, upon the request of the House of Deputies,
set forth sixty-five hymns in addition to those already
hound up with the Prayer Book. And in 1868, by a
joint resolution, it was "declared lawful, until a revisal
and enlargment of the collection of hymns now set
forth for use in this Church shall have been made and
duly authorized, that in any Diocese in addition to those
already allow^ed, hymns from the volume entitled
'Hymns for Church and Home,' or from that entitled
'Hymns Ancient and Modern,' may be licensed for use
by the Bishop of the same."^^ All of these proceedings
in these three Conventions would have been clearly
illegal, had the psalms and hymns been part of the
Prayer Book, as since 181 1 the Constitution required
the action of two Conventions for any alteration in
the documents mentioned in the tenth Article. But
neither the Convention of 1832, nor of 1865, nor of
1868, supposed that the metrical psalms and hymns
came within the terms of that Article. And therefore,
from the fact that they did not treat them as being
among those standard documents, it is evident that
they could not consistently have regarded them as be-
ing of exclusive obligation, for it is only those docu-
ments specified in the tenth Article which import any
obligation as to their use, and which are exclusive of
all other corresponding formulas.
The first attempt to make the Hymnal seemingly obli-
gatory to the exclusion of all other hymns was in the
Convention of 1871, when after the adoption of a new
^^ Journal, 1868, pp. 155, 161.
GKNERAI, INTRODUCTION. XXXI
Hymnal there was passed a joint resolution that the
"Hymnal be authorized for use, and that no other
hymns shall be allowed in the public worship of the
Church except such as are now ordinarily bound up
with the Book of Common Prayer." This resolution
was substantially re-adopted, after the revision of this
Hymnal, by the Convention of 1874. It will be
observed that this was simply a resolution, and re-
garded as a piece of attempted legislation it was utterly
futile. In the same Convention of 1874, there Was
adopted the following Canon : "The Selection of the
Psalms in metre, and Hymns which are set forth by
authority, and Anthems in the words of Holy Scrip-
ture, are allowed to be sung in all Congregations of
this Church before and after Morning and Evening
Prayer, and also before and after Sermons at the dis-
cretion of the Minister," etc. It will be noticed how
different is this Canon from the resolution passed by
the same Convention. The Canon simply states that
the Psalms in metre and the Hymns "set forth by
authority" "are allowed to be sung" in six places, to
wit, before and after Morning and Evening Prayer,
and before and after Sermons, It does not say that
the authority must be the authority of the General
Convention, or of the House of Bishops. So far as the
wording of the Canon goes, the authority referred to
may be the license of the Bishop. Nor has the Canon
one word of prohibition with regard to hymns and
anthems used without any formal authorization.
The resolutions of 1871 and 1874 did not secure the
exclusive use of the Hymnal. Those who contended
for the traditional liberty in the matter of hymn sing-
ing continued to make use of that liberty, and denied
XXXU GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
Utterly that the resolution possessed the force of law.
This position received support in the Convention of
1877 from the report of the Committee appointed to
consider the force of joint resolutions, in which it was
declared as the judgment of the Committee, "That the
joint resolutions heretofore passed by the General
Convention have never been deemed to have, and ought
not to be considered as having, the force of law, but
as merely the expression of an opinion,"^* This report
did not come up for consideration until the Convention
of 1880, when the Committee on Amendments to the
Constitution (to whom the report of 1877 had been
referred), strongly dissenting from the doctrine of the
report and desiring to commit the Convention to the
opposite opinion, recommended the passage of a sub-
stitute resolution directing that a list of all the resolu-
tions of the General Convention should be compiled, in
order that it might be determined which ought to be
inserted in the body of Canons, "as being a part of the
disciplinary code of the Church. "^^ This resolution was
not adopted by the House of Deputies until it had been
amended by the omission of the clause asserting that
such resolutions were part of the Church's disciplinary
code.^" The Lower House thus pointedly refused to as-
sert the obligatory character of joint resolutions, and so
of course, of the resolution by which the Hymnal was
set forth, and impliedly assented to the doctrine of the
report of 1877 that such resolutions did not have the
force of law.
In 1892, the present Hymnal was adopted by a joint
resolution. This resolution simply declares that the
'^* Journal, 1877, P- i43-
"^^ Journal, 1880, p. 115.
'^^ Journal, 1880, p. 181.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XXXIU
Hymnal "is set forth and authorized as the Hymnal
of this Church," but it does not reproduce the prohibi-
tory clause of the previous Hymnal, "that no other
hymns be allowed in the public worship of the Church."
The omission is significant. An inquiry having been
raised by the Bishop of Maryland, the Right Reverend
Dr. Paret, "as to the measure of obligation in the use
of the Hymnal" from the fact that it was set forth and
authorized as the Hymnal of this Church by the resolu-
tion of both Houses, the matter was referred to the
Committee on Canons in the House of Bishops. This
Committee in its report called attention to the resolu-
tions presented in 1877, which declared that joint reso-
lutions "have never been deemed to have, and are
not to be considered as having, the force of law," and
re-submitted this opinion "as expressing their judg-
ment as to the validity and force of joint resolutions."^'^
The House did not take up the consideration of the
resolution thus presented. But soon afterward, an
effort was made to secure by canon the exclusive use
of the Hymnal. It being perfectly evident, that the
Canon on Church Music as it then stood could not be
made to serve this purpose, the Bishop of Kentucky
moved to amend it, so that it would read, "The hymns
contained in the Hymnal authorized by the General
Convention, and anthems in the words of Holy Scrip-
ture, and none others, are allowed to be sung." This
proposed amendment would have expressly narrowed
the phrase "by authority" to mean the authority of
General Convention, a restrictive sense it never had
before; and by the explicit prohibition, "and none
others," it would have eflfegtually barred (if it were
^''Journal, 1892, p. 94.
C
XXXIV GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
possible constitutionally for a canon to do so at all),
the use of any other hymns than those specified, even
though they were hymns set forth by the authority
of the Bishop of the diocese. The House of Bishops,
on the recommendation of its Committee, took no action
on the motion. The Canon, however, was amended in
this Convention by the omission of the words 'Selection
of Psalms,' this compilation having been superseded,
but no use whatever was made of the suggestions of
the Bishop of Kentucky. The Canon as then amended
read : "The Hymns which are set forth by authority,
and Anthems in the words of Holy Scripture, are
allowed to be sung," etc. ; quite a different enactment
from the form proposed in the House of Bishops.
The Canon on Church Music remained without further
alteration until the Convention of 1904, when it was
entirely recast, so that it now reads : "It shall be the
duty of every Minister to appoint for use in his Con-
gregation hymns or anthems from these authorized by
the rubric,"^^ etc. It will be observed how reticent
the Canon has become. It does not undertake to
specify what collection of hymns the Minister is to
select from, but refers him for guidance to the rubric
of the Prayer Book, which reads : "Hymns set forth and
allowed by the authority of this Church, and Anthems
in the words of Holy Scripture or of the Book of Com-
mon Prayer, may be sung before and after any office in
this Book, and also before and after Sermons."
This rubric makes provision as to the hymns and
anthems to be sung before and after an office, and
before and after a sermon. It says not one word as
to the character of the hymns and anthems which may
18 Canon, 44.
GENERAIv INTRODUCTION. XXXV
be sung elsewhere in a service, as for example, after
the third Collect in the choir offices, after the Epistle,
after the Prayer of Consecration, and in other places. So
that however restrictive we may regard this rubric to
be, it is perfectly clear that by its own express terms,
those restrictions a])ply only to the hymns and anthems
sung before and after any office and before and after
a sermon. As to what we may sing in all the other
possible places there is no restriction whatever, and we
are left perfectly free to use hymns and anthems
chosen from anywhere.
But it has been assumed that the rubric lays down
a general principle which applies to all hymns and
anthems introduced anywhere into an office of the
Prayer Book. If this be true, then certainly there never
was a rubric more clumsily and inadequately worded
than this one. Let us assume, however, that the rubric
is to be understood as laying down a general law ap-
plicable to all hymns and anthems wherever sung.
And first with regard to anthems. It permits anthems
in the words of Holy Scripture. This certainly legal-
ises the Ave and the Bencdictiis qui venit, among other
anthems that might be mentioned. And as nine-tenths
of the Introits, Grails, Tracts, Offertories, and Com-
munion anthems of the Latin missals are simply pas-
sages of Scripture, this rubric opens to us all these
liturgical treasures and allows their reintroduction into
the Mass as in the days of old. Then the permission to
sing anthems in the words of the Book of Common
Prayer removes all question as to the legality of the
use of the Agnus Dei. Furthermore, let it be observed,
that the rubric has no word of prohibition for anthems
which are not in the words of Holy Scripture nor in
XXXVl GlSNeRAL INTRODUCTION.
those of the Prayer Book. Such a prohibition was
proposed in 1883, when the rubric read : "Anthems only
in the words either of Holy Scripture or of the Book
of Common Prayer," etc. ; but this proposed form was
not adopted. When the rubric was proposed anew in
1886, the word "only" was dropped. So that those
anthems in the Latin missal which cannot come under
the general classification of "anthems in the words of
Holy Scripture or of the Book of Common Prayer/'
may nevertheless, be introduced into the services of the
Prayer Book without violating any word of the rubric
or going contrary to the Church's expressed mind.
But, it may be asked, does not the rubric deprive us
of the liberty heretofore enjoyed in the use of hymns,
and are we not now bound, by the authority of the
Prayer Book itself, to the exclusive use of the hymns
in the Hymnal? Nothing is more clear than that the
rubric does nothing of the sort. It permits hymns to
be sung which are set forth "by the authority of this
Church." The action of the General Convention is un-
doubtedly an exercise of the authority of this Church,
and therefore the use of the Hymnal set forth by the
General Convention is allowed by this rubric. But
the General Convention is not the only organ by which
authority is exercised in the Church's name, and the
rubric does not say "by the authority of the General
Convention," but, "by the authority of this Church,"
a much broader statement. The Bishop within his
diocese gives mission and jurisdiction in the name of
the Church, and he who is so commissioned has un-
questionably the authority of this Church to exercise
his ministry within that diocese. So also, the Bishop
may set forth prayers and offices, and such prayers and
GENERAI, INTRODUCTION. XXXVll
offices come to each clergyman within the diocese with
the authority of this Church, because they are issued
by one who has power to exercise authority in the
Church's name. So surely, if the Bishop chooses to set
forth hymns for his diocese, in addition to those in the
Hymnal, such hymns have within that diocese the
authority of this Church, as well as those in the
Hymnal, although the latter may possess this authority
in a higher degree. And therefore this rubric not only
permits the use of the Hymnal set forth by the General
Convention, but it also allows the use of any Hymnal
or additional hymns which the Bishop may think fit to
license for his diocese ; for all such hymns come under
the general designation of "Hymns set forth and
allowed by the authority of this Church."
Granting this, there is the further question, does
not the rubric by permitting the use of hymns "set
forth and allowed by the authority of this Church,"
thereby forbid the use of hymns which have neither the
authorization of the General Convention nor of the
Bishop of the diocese? It certainly does not. There
is no clause in the rubric prohibiting the use of hymns
other than those specified. And the absence of such
a prohibitive clause is no mere oversight ; it was
observed and remarked upon when the rubric was
under consideration. And that it was intended that
there should be no such prohibition, is perfectly clear
from the history of the formulation of the rubric. As
proposed in 1883, this rubric read: "Hymns may be
sung before and after every Office in this Book, and
also before and after Sermons ; but only such Hymns
shall be used in this Church as are or may be duly set
forth and allowed by the authority of the same; and
XXXVIU GlCNRKAI, JXTKODUCTION.
Anthems only in the words cither of Holy Scripture
or of the Book of Common Prayer."^^ Here we have
clear and explicit prohibition of all hymns other than
those which have been formally authorized. This
rubric, however, was not adopted in 1886, but in its
place there was proposed to the dioceses our present
rubric from which every prohibitory word had been
omitted. When this rubric was under consideration in
the House of Deputies of the Convention of 1886, atten-
tion was drawn to the absence of any prohibition of
hymns or anthems not formally authorized, and it was
proposed to amend the rubric by inserting, after the
clause "by the authority of this Church," the words,
"and none other." To this proposition the House
refused to assent. It was then proposed to substitute
the prohibitory rubric proposed in 1883, cited above.
This also was defeated. Finally it Avas moved to add
at the end, "and no other hymns or anthems shall be
sung on such occasions."-*^ But the Deputies were firm
in their resolve to admit no restriction upon the tra-
ditional liberty in this matter, and refused to adopt the
additional clause. In the face of these facts, it is im-
possible for us to see one word in this rubric forbid-
ding us the free use of hymns not found in the Hymnal.
From this review of the legal history of hymns and
anthems in the American Church, it is perfectly clear,
that while there always has been an authorized
Hymnal, and at tim.es as many as three authorized
Hymnals, there never has been any legislative enact-
ment of the Church making the use of a particular
Hymnal obligatory to the exclusion of all others. And
*■ See The Book Annexed, as set forth by the Convention of 1883.
^ See The Churchman, Nov. 6th, 1886, p. 594, and The Living
Church, Oct. 26th, i886, p. 171.
GRNT.KAL INTRODUCTION. XXMX
indeed the General Convention could not impose upon
us any such obHgation, for the reason, that by our
present constitutional provisions, if any formula of
public worship is to be obligatory, it must be made so
by being incorporated into the Book of Common
Prayer, the only document of public worship knowii to
our Constitution. Not only has the American Church
never by any law restricted us in the use of hymns and
anthems, but she has repeatedly refused to take any
legislative action in that direction, as has been shown
from the history of the Canon on Church Music and
of the rubric in the Prayer Book. The traditional
liberty, therefore, enjoyed in England, ever since the
first setting forth of the Prayer Book, is still ours here
in this country. The Parish Priest is left perfectly
free, so far as the general law of the Church is con-
cerned, to introduce into any of the Prayer Book offices
any hymns which commend themselves to his judg-
ment, always provided that the Bishop does not inter-
pose his episcopal authority in the matter. And in the
exercise of this discretion, he may legitimately restore
to their proper places in our Mass all the old hymns
of the missal, as well as its anthems.
VII. Of Prayers and Offices additional to those in the
Prayer Book.
By the introduction of the musical parts of the Latin
missal much has already been done to restore our rite
to the appearance of the ancient office. But there
still remain the paucity of holy days in our calendar,
and the lack of appropriate prayers and proper offices
for the many occasions of penitence or of thanksgiving
xl GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
which occur. Can anything be done lawfully to
remedy this liturgical poverty? Very much may be
done, and done within the express provisions of the
Prayer Book itself. The revision of 1892 has been
criticised for the smallness of its results, and yet it
added to the Prayer Book one rubric, and if it had done
nothing more, that one addition is sufficient to dis-
tinguish this revision beyond all others for the great-
ness of the results it has made possible. This rubric
reads as follows : "For Days of Fasting and Thanks-
giving, appointed by the Civil or by the Ecclesiastical
Authority, and for other special occasions for which
no Service or Prayer hath been provided in this Book,
the Bishop may set forth such Form or Forms as he
shall think fit, in which case none other shall be used."
This rubric renders possible our availing ourselves of
all the liturgical treasures of the Church Catholic.
Observe carefully its provisions : ( i ) It permits
the observance of holy days besides those prescribed
by the Prayer Book, if they are appointed by the civil
or ecclesiastical authority. This clearly gives a Bishop
authority to license all the holy days of the old calen-
dars; (2) It permits the observance of other special
days although not so appointed. Requiem services,
parochial holy days, and the festivals of confraterni-
ties and of Religious Communities would be among
such "other special occasions" not appointed by the
ecclesiastical authority; (3) It recognizes the right of
the Bishop to authorize special prayers and offices, pro-
vided such forms do not set aside any service or prayer
already in the Prayer Book; (4) In drawing up such
forms, it does not restrict the Bishop to the uses of
materials taken from the Prayer Book, but leaves him
GlvNCRAI, INTRODUCTION. xU
free to prepare such forms as he shall think fit. So
that if he chooses to do so, he may restore in his
diocese all the offices of the breviary, missal, pontifical,
and ritual which have no corresponding offices in the
Prayer Book; (5) And finally, it implies very clearly,
that if the Bishop does not provide forms for such
special occasions, the Parish Priest is left free to choose
appropriate forms, for it says, it is only in case of the
Bishop setting forth a special order that none other
shall be used. In distinct contradiction to the permis-
sions of this rubric were the restrictions of Canon 24
of Title i.-^ This Canon required the use of the Book
of Common Prayer not only at the usual times, but
also "before all sermons and lectures, and on all other
occasions of public worship," and forbade the use of
'any other prayers than those prescribed by the said
Book.' Whatever force this Canon possessed was evac-
uated by the adoption in 1892 of the rubric just cited,
so that nothing remained for the General Convention to
do but to remove the Canon from our code, which
accordingly was done in 1904. The exercise of the
liberty which the rubric grants to the Bishop is nothing
more than the jtis liturgicnm which resides in him by
virtue of his office. And if in the use of that authority,
the Bishop should set forth translations of the Latin
offices additional to those in the Prayer Book, he would
be only formally restoring offices the use of which the
Church has never at any time made illegal. It is cer-
tainly worthy of note, that Sir Archibald Stephens
(one of the most eminent of the lawyers who took
part in the great ritual suits in England) was of the
opinion that for those functions for which the Prayer
'^^ Digest, 1 90 1.
xlii GENF.RAI, INTKODUCTION.
Book provides no liturgical order the old form used
before 1549 still continues in force. Speaking particu-
larly of the Consecration of Churches for which the
English Prayer Book has no prescribed order, his
words are: "The ancient form of consecrating a
church as used before the reformation still continues
in force; thus by stat. 21, Hen. viii, c. 13, for limiting
the number of chaplains,, one reason assigned why an
archbishop may retain eight chaplains and a bishop
six is because an archbishop or bishop 'must occupy'
that number in the consecration of churches [i. e. by
the old Latin rites]. But the archbishop or bishop
is left to his own discretion to alter the form so as to
bring it into accordance with the present law and doc-
trine of the Church."-- Our American Prayer Book
provides an order for the Consecration of Churches,
but for those occasions for which no form is provided,
(as for example, the laying of a corner-stone, the
veiling of nuns), the principle laid down by Sir Archi-
bald Stephens would certainly apply. And the Bishop
in reviving such forms would also be acting within
the clear provisions of the rubric of the American
Prayer Book itself.
VIII. Of the Coniinuancc of the Ancient Ceremonial.
We now pass to the consideration of the ceremonies
to be used in rendering the Prayer Book order for the
celebration of the Holy Mysteries. In the first place,
we have the rubrics of the office itself, and they are of
paramount authority. It is manifest, hovv^ever, that
they do not by themselves provide sufficient guidance,
22 The Book of Common Prayer, etc., with Notes, Legal and Histori-
cal, i., p. 3Z7.
GKNKRAI, INTRODUCTION. xliii
and that further (Hrections must be obtained by refer-
ence to the ancient ceremonial customs of the Church.
It is perfectly clear from the scanty and general char-
acter of the rubrics of 1549, that a knowledge of the
traditional mode of celebrating was pre-supposed on
the part of the Priest, for otherwise their few directions
would have been unintelligible. No change was made
by that book in the accustomed vestments and instru-
menta used at the altar, and a rubric expressly per-
mitted the continuance by the clergy of the old cere-
monial gestures : "As touching, kneeling, crossing,
holding up of hands, knocking upon the breast, and
other gestures ; they may be used or left, as every man's
devotion serveth without blame." While in one
instance it referred the Priest to the text of the Latin
missal even for the words he was to use. Thus the Pre-
face of Trinity Sunday reads : "That which we believe
of the glory of the Father, the same we believe of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost without any difiference
or inequality, whom the angels," etc. The continua-
tion of the Preface thus indicated is nowhere to be
found in the book of 1549, the only ending provided
being "Therefore with angels," etc., but it is to be
found in the Latin missals. So that the Priest was
constrained by the direction of the Prayer Book itself
to turn to his old Latin Mass Book, and from thence
to translate the words which were necessary to com-
plete the Preface appointed for one of the chief feasts,
and which would read : "Whom the Angels praise, the
Archangels also, together with the Cherubin and the
Seraphin; all of whom cease not day nor night with
one voice to cry, saying, Holy, holy, holy," etc.
That those of the clergy who still held the old Faith
xHv GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
would thankfully and gladly continue to celebrate as
had been their wont — wearing the accustomed vestures
after the old manner, and observing all the old
ceremonies — we might naturally expect. And that,
as a matter of fact, they did so, we have abundant
contemporaneous evidence. The case of Bishop Bon-
ner, the Zurich letters, such chronicles of the time as
that of the Grey Friars, and the many efforts made by
the Bishops of the new learning to suppress the ancient
ceremonial, prove conclusively that the Priests who
still remained faithful availed themselves of the per-
mission so explicitly given by the Prayer Book itself.
Bucer tells us expressly that the Communion Office of
1549 as rendered by the priests was 'a studied represent-
ation of the never-to-be-sufficiently execrated Mass.' -■''
And in a letter to Hooper in 1550 he writes, "In many
places the Lord's Supper so takes the place of the Mass
that the people do not know in what respect it differs
from it." Even in Ireland, the Office of 1549 was ren-
dered in the same fashion. The notorious John Bale
relates that at Waterford, "the Communion or Supper
of the Lord was there altogether used like a popish
Mass with the old apish toys of antichrist in bowings
and beckings, kneelings and knockings."-*
The proceedings and articles of visitation of those
anxious to do away with the ancient ceremonial, and
to degrade the celebration of the Holy Mysteries to the
level of the Genevan ordinance, have been brought for-
ward as if they proved that such ceremonial was then
^ Scripta Anglicana, p. 472.
^ Gorham, Gleanings, 201. The Vocacyon of Johan Bale, etc., fol.
17. For both of these references I am indebted to Cuthbert F.
Atchley in his Some Remarks on the Edwardian Prayer Book, p., 263.
Vide also Foxe, Acts and Monuments, vol. v., and Dixon, History of
the Church of England for further evidence.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xlv
contrary to the law of the Church, But the only thing
they really prove, apart from their being most valuable
evidence as to the continuance of that ceremonial, is the
heretical pravity of their authors. It must be remem-
bered that many of the high-handed proceedings of
these Bishops were directly in the teeth of what was
part even of the civil law, to say nothing of the law of
the Church. Ridley was pulling down altars, which
were expressly required by the first Prayer Book then
in force ; forbidding Priests to say Agnus, although the
rubric directed that "Where there are no clerks, then
the Priest shall say all things appointed here for them
to sing;"-° putting out candles, although they were re-
quired by the Injunctions of 1547;-*^ and receiving the
Sacrament in his hand, when the Prayer Book directed
it to be received in the mouth.-^ Proceedings of this
kind, encouraged no doubt by the statesmen of the day,
there were in abundance, but no one act of the Church
of England in her corporate capacity can be produced
in which the ceremonies of the Mass are set aside, and
a new mode of procedure in the celebration of the Holy
Mysteries directed. And therefore we take it, that the
ceremonial in use prior to 1549 is to be continued in
rendering the offices of the English Book of Common
Prayer, except in so far as it is precluded by the order
of the present book.
•^ This rubric seems to have been overlooked by Archbishop Benson
when trying to save the "probity" of Ridley in his judgment in the
case of Read v. the Bishop of Lincoln.
^ Cardwell reprints (Documentary Annals, i., p. 63) a draft of
articles "drawn up after the Act of Uniformity had passed (Jan. 21,
1549)." in which the clergy are directed to omit in the readine of the
Injunctions of 1547 all mention "of candles upon the altar. This
draft, however, says Archbishop Benson in his judgment just referred
to, "has no authorization. .. .the lights were legal, and this draft
could not make them otherwise."
^ Chronicle of the Grey Friars of London, Camden Soc, p. 66.
xlvi GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
The American Church is historically and spiritually
the same religious body which in colonial days was
known as the Church of England, and she is so regarded
both by the present Church of England and also by the
laws of our land. In the General Convention of 1814
it was formally declared that the Church in the United
States "is the same body heretofore known in these
States by the name of the Church of England; the
change of name, although not of religious principle in
doctrine or in worship or in discipline, being induced by
a characteristic of the Church of England supposing
the independence of the Christian Churches under the
different sovereignties to which respectively their alle-
giance in civil concerns belongs. But that, when the
severance alluded to took place and ever since, this
Church conceived of herself as professing and acting
on the principles of the Church of England, is evident
from the organizations of our Conventions and from
their subsequent proceedings, as recorded in the Jour-
nals." ^^ The organic identity of the American Church
with the Church of England in colonial da3^s being
established, it follows, that what was the law of the
Church prior to the war of the revolution continued to
be the law of the Church after the revolution, except
only in those particulars where the Crown of England
^ "It has been urged that this declaration cannot constitute a law.
It is not relied upon as the enactment of a law. It is referred to as
the highest evidence of what the body in which legislative power
exists thought was the law. It was the renewal, by the whole Church,
through her full representative organ of the solemn avowal, oft before
announced, that we are one with the Church of England; one in
faith, one in orders, one in worship, and one in discipline, with no
severance but what has sprung from substituted political relations. In
this great truth, this living principle, we have the source of stability,
the mother of quietness, the sure light to our feet in the search for
truth." (Hoffman, The Ritual Law of the Church 1872,, p. 46. Cf.
the Introduction to his Law of the Church, 1859.)
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xlvii
had imposed its laws upon the Church in matters eccle-
siastical and spiritual, for "when in the course of divine
providence these American States became independent
with respect to civil government their ecclesiastical
independence [/'. e. of the English government] was
necessarily included ;" * and except also, where the
Church has by subsequent legislation formally set aside
certain enactments of the old ecclesiastical law of Eng-
land, or practically abrogated them by other provisions.
Confining our attention to the laws governing public
worship, it is manifest that while the American Church
has made alterations in the Prayer Book as used in
colonial days, and has rescinded a number of its restric-
tive and prohibitory rubrics which still form part of
the ritual law in England, she has not made any change
in the traditional principles governing the ceremonial
and ornaments of divine worship. Indeed, she has ex-
pressly declared, that she 'is far from intending to
depart from the Church of England in any essential
point of worship.' To the traditions of our spiritual
mother, the Church of England, therefore, we must
turn if we would learn the rules which ought to guide
us in rendering the offices of our American Prayer
Book.
In 1874 an effort was made in the General Conven-
tion to prohibit definitely the elevation of the Sacra-
ment, (a prohibition which stood in the Prayer Book
of 1549, but which the Church of England afterward
expunged), and also the gesture of genuflection which
was so explicitly permitted by the Prayer Book of 1549
* "Without affecting the unity of our own with the English Church,
we are at liberty to discard everything which has only the authority
of Parliament or of the King." (Hoffman, The Ritual Law of the
Church, 1872, p. 4.)
xlviii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
under the name of "kneeling."-** A majority of the
members of the Convention were under the impression
that there were priests and laymen of the Church who
adored the outward species of bread and wine under
the supposition that what they saw was Christ, and that
there was a real danger of this and kindred errors
proceeding further if some action was not taken to pro-
hibit the ceremonial gestures by which this monstrous
worship was supposed to be expressed. Accordingly
after much debate, a Canon was adopted which forbade
"the elevation of the elements in the Holy Communion
in such manner as to expose them to the view of the
people as objects toiuards which adoration is to be
made." "Bowings, prostrations, or genuflections" were
prohibited without any such qualification being ex-
pressed. If indeed there were persons who made use of
the gestures mentioned as acts of worship ofifered to the
outwards signs in the Sacrament, then the enactment
of the Canon had ample justification. It was denied,
however, that such false doctrine was held by any one,
or that there was need of the prohibitions of the Canon
to guard against the danger of anyone embracing so
absurd an error. The Bishop of Albany in his Address
to his diocese did not hesitate to arraign the whole
action of the General Convention in the matter as
entirely unnecessary and futile. His words were : "The
regulation of ritual . . . was, I should hope at least,
hastily bundled into a crude Canon . . . whose telum im-
belli is aimed at an error, which no theologian, even in
the Roman Church, allows that he holds ; which breaks
^ So, also in Bishop Pilkington's works, we have the same use of
the word: "How many toys, crossings, blessings, blowings, knock-
ings, kneelings, bowings, have we to consecrate our own devices
withal." (Confutation of an Addition, Parker Soc. p. 498.)
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xlix
the spirit if not the letter of the law by attempting to
rule rubrical matters by canon and doctrinal questions
by the vote of a single session of the General Conven-
tion, and by depriving a Priest of the right of trial by
his peers ; and which, I believe, no Bishop will ever
attempt to act under, or ever succeed in enforcing." ^'*
The prophecy of Bishop Doane was fulfilled to the letter.
The unconstitutional character of the Canon came to be
generally recognized, the acts of genuflection and eleva-
tion were not abated, and no legal proceedings were
ever attempted by those who would fain have enforced
the provisions of the Canon. After remaining a dead
letter for thirty years, it was repealed by the General
Convention of 1904. Thus was removed the only pro-
hibitions touching the celebration of the Mass which
have ever stood in the statute books of the American
Church, and which curtailed the liberty we had in-
herited from the Church of England in matters of
ceremonial.
IX. Of the Influence of the various ceremonial Uses
in the compilation of the Prayer Book.
In proceeding, in the next place, to the consideration
of what was the ceremonial practice of the Church of
England before the Prayer Book was set forth, it will
be well to remember that at the period of the reforma-
tion there was practically liturgical uniformity (which
is compatible with diversity in minor ritual details)
throughout all that part of Europe which was in com-
munion with Rome. The Galilean liturgy had been
set aside in the time of Pepin and Charlemagne, and
'"Bishop Doane, Annual Address, Diocesan Journal, 1875, p. 11 1.
D
I GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
the Roman liturg>% with some features borrowed from
the suppressed GalHcan Hturgy, — notably the prayers
between the Offertoriiim and the Secreta — was used
ahnost everywhere.^^
The various diocesan rites of England known by the
names of Sarum, York, Bangor, Hereford, and Lincoln,
were not in any sense distinct liturgies, but simply
"Uses" of this composite Roman liturgy. Their dif-
ferences were chiefly seen in their variable parts, in
the ceremonial details of High Mass, and in their
colour-sequences; but in their liturgical framework,
in their general underlying ritual principles, and in
their Canon they were one with the Uses of the conti-
nent. And to the ordinary observer little or no differ-
ence would be apparent between a Mass as said in the
sixteenth century in England and one as said on the
continent, or as said at the present day in the parochial
churches of the Roman obedience.
Of the various diocesan rites which had been prev-
alent, it is contended by a few, that at the period of the
reformation the Sarum was the only one Use through-
out England, all the others having been set aside ;
that the Prayer Book is founded on the Sarum books,
which were the only ones in use by the authority of the
Church ; and therefore that Use can be our only legiti-
mate guide in all matters of ceremonial.
There can be no question whatever that a very great
part of the Prayer Book is a translation, more or less
free, of liturgical features which were common to all
the English Uses. But it will be observed, that by the
'' For a very interesting treatment of the origin of the Roman and
Gallican liturgies, and of their relation to one another, the reader is
referred to the Abbe I^'Duchesne's Origines du Ctilte Chretien, Paris,
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. 11
Sarum theory it is contended, that of all these English
rites, the Sarum books alone were the basis for the
revision of 1549. Now it is evident that this statement
is not proved by quoting the mere dictum of modern
writers. If it is true that the Prayer Book is a revision
of the Use of Sarum, we must expect to find not only
features which were common to all the Uses, but very
many of those peculiarities which distinguished Sarum
from the other rites. Accordingly we have been told
that such peculiarities abound on every page. If this
be so, then certainly we ought to find them in the Com-
munion office. But it is just here that their absence is
most conspicuous. What one thing in the text or rubrics
of the Communion Service of 1549 can be regarded as a
Sarum peculiarity, the author is at a loss to know. It
has been said that the Collect for purity is found only
in the Sarum rite, and that it is Sarum only in the con-
nexion in which it occurs. The accuracy of the first
part of this statement may be tested by opening a
Roman missal where the prayer is directed to be said
daily in the Preparatio ad Missam, and is the Collect
for the votive mass, Ad posfulandam gratiam Spiritus
Sancti. How its position can be regarded as a Sarum
peculiarity is not easy to see, since by the Sarum missal
it was directed to be said in the sacristy or before the
Priest came to the altar, but by the rubric of 1549 it
was to be said "afore the midst of the altar." Then it
is said that the counting of the Sundays after Trinity
rather than after Pentecost is Sarum. But this was no
more a peculiarity of Sarum than it was of some of the
French and German missals, or of the Dominican mis-
sal at the present day, in which the Sundays are reck-
oned in the same way. It is asserted that 'the calendar
Hi GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
(i. e., of the English Book) is Sarum and Sarum only.'
It is hard to understand how a list of Saints' Days,
first inserted in the Prayer Book in 1561, to which some
names were added in 1604 and 1662, can be evidence
that the Prayer Book of 1549 was derived from the
Sarum books. If this is a legitimate mode of arguing,
then what is to be said to the fact that in 1552 the
revisers of the second book of Common Prayer, in the
reign of Edward VL, did away with the old English cus-
tom of the people going up to the altar to offer their
alms, and, to use the words of the learned Canon Sim-
mons, "sanctioned the adoption of the earlier and dis-
tinctively Roman practice of going about the seats to re-
ceive them?" And moreover, what is to be said to the
fact that in 1662, when the manual acts were restored to
the Prayer of Consecration, the example of the modern
Roman missal was followed, which directs the Priest
to take the bread at the words "he took bread," and to
take the chalice at the words "he took the cup," instead
of the old English missals, all of which agree in direct-
ing the Priest to take the bread at Qui pridic, etc., and
the cup at SimUi modo, etc.? But the calendar is not
Sarum only. The presence of the names of Saint Evur-
tius (or Enurchus) and the Venerable Bede from the
York calendar is sufficient to disprove this assertion.
So much for alleged Sarum peculiarities in the Com-
munion office.
On the other hand, there are clear and unmistakable
evidences that Uses other than those of England exer-
cised no small influence on the revision of 1549. How
this came to pass, whether directly or indirectly, is not
known ; the fact, however, is unquestionable. For
example, the saying of the Lord's Prayer before the
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. liii
Introit is not found in any of the English rites. It is
directed,! however, to be said in this very place by the
ancient statutes of the Carthusians. After the Confes-
sion, "the Priest . . . with hands joined, inclining
before the face of the altar, says the Lord's Prayer.
Then he kisses the altar, and signs himself, and then
going to the book he says, or listens to the Introit. "^-
Compare this with the rubric of 1549: "The Priest
standing humbly afore the midst of the altar, shall say
the Lord's Prayer with the Collect." "Then shall he
say a Psalm appointed for the Introit." In all the Eng-
lish missals, as in the Rouen missal, the anthem at the
beginning of Mass is called the Officmm Misscc; the
name Introitus was confined to the rites on the con-
tinent. Yet the Prayer Book adopted the latter term.
The words of institution in the Prayer of Consecra-
tion agree neither with Scripture nor with the words
of institution in the old Canon ; they are, however, very
like those in the Mozarabic liturgy.
The order of the preparation of the people for Com-
munion is utterly unlike anything that was in use in
England. Curiously enough, however, it corresponds
very closely with the order prescribed in the Agenda
of the diocese of Paderborn. The copy from which
the quotation, here given in the foot-note, is made is
an edition of 1602, but it undoubtedly represents the
ancient traditional use of that diocese. This order, like
our own, consists of an Exhortation, then a general
^Martene, De Ant. Eccl. Kit., t. i., p. 595. In a LicKe missal the
Lord's Prayer is directed to be said before the Introit in behalf of
the dead: "Tunc accedens ad altare ipsum osculando et librurn;
deinde pro peccatis et negligentiis et fidelibus defunctis dicat, Pater
noster. Adjittorium nostrum in nomine Domini qui fecit celum et
terrain, Sit nomen Domini henedictum ex hoc nunc et usque in
ScBculum. Sequitur introitus missae (Missale ad usum Ecclesiae
Leodiensis, 1504.)
liv GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
Confession, followed by the Absolution, And like our
own the Priest is directed to say the Confession kneel-
ing with the people.^^
The peculiar use of the word "Post-Communion" is
noteworthy. In all the English missals it is the name
given to the prayer said just before Ite, inissa est, but
in the Prayer Book of 1549 it is given to the anthem
which is called Communio. This was not an oversight,
for Innocent III. makes precisely the same use of the
word,^* and Durandus tells us that it was so used by
many.^^ Finally the Blessing by the Priest at the end
of the Mass was a feature found in none of the English
missals. It was first introduced into some of the Uses
of the continent, from whence it passed into England,
and was at length placed in the Prayer Book when it
was first set forth. So that while there are many fea-
tures in the Communion service of 1549 which are
clearly derived from sources not English, there is not so
much as a single Sarum peculiarity discernible. The
other offices of the Prayer Book will, upon examina-
tion, yield still more conclusive evidence that the revi-
sion of 1549 did not confine its attention to the Sarum
books, or even to the Uses of England.
^ "In Missa, vel post Missam, retentis tamen paramentis et vestibus
sacris; vel si non celebravit indutus superpelliceo ac stola, accensis
cereis venerabili Sacramento in altari relicto, convertat se ad populum
communicandum, illumque exhortetur modo subsequenti."
[Here follows a long exhortation in German.]
"Absoluta exhortatione, jubente sic Pastore genuflexo signabit se
signo crucis,, et prsecunte verbis Sacerdote dicat generalem con-
fessionem. Moneat ergo Sacerdos, Sag mir nach."
[The Confession is said in German.]
"Pastor subjungat.
"Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis omnibus pcccalis
vestris, perducat vos cum omnibus siiis Sanctis ad vitam (Eternam.
"Deinde conversus ad altare inclinet se profunde ante venerabile
Sacramentum, cuius particulam in patena aut calice manu una
ostendat omnibus, etc. (Agenda Ecclesice Paderbornensis, 1602, pp.
109-113.)
_ The same order of Communion is prescribed in the Liber OfUcialis
sive Agenda S. Ecclesia- Treverensis, 1574, pp. 106-110.
^De Sacro Altaris Mysterio, lib. vi., cap. 10.
*'^ Rationale, lib. iv,, cap. 56.
GENERAIv INTRODUCTION. Iv
As to the other statement, that at the period of the
reformation the Sarum was the one ritual Use through-
out England, if it is true, then it would seem that we
were bound, at least historically, to take that Use as
our only legitimate guide in all matters of ceremonial.
But it is true that Sarum had displaced all the other
diocesan rituals ? It is of no use whatever, in proof of
the statement that it had done so, to adduce evidence
going to show that the text of the Sarum books was
used in dioceses other than Salisbury, unless it can also
be shown that the adoption of these books necessarily
implied the adoption of the Sarum ceremonies, which is
the only question of practical interest to us, as we now
are bound to the use of the text of the Book of Com-
mon Prayer. And this is precisely what cannot be
shown. Indeed we know positively upon the testimony
of no less an authority than the author of the Defenso-
riiim Directorii ad usnm Sarum, that outside of the
diocese of Salisbury little or no attention was paid to
the ceremonies of Sarum even by those who used the
Sarum books. He tells us that "in the Sarum ordinal
there are two kinds of rubrics. Some are general
rubrics, which are put in the books to teach us how the
antiphons and responds are to be said, and how the
memorials are to be dealt with, and such rubrics as
every one in holy orders is bound to observe. Other
rubrics are ceremonial, and they only bind the clerks of
the Church of Sarum, and all those who have of their
own free-will bound themselves to keep such cere-
monies, and none others." Further on he proves this
statement by citing the cases "of the venerable men
and fathers, the canons of St. Paul's Church, London,
who observe the whole divine office in singing and read-
Ivi GKNICRAL INTRODUCTION.
ing according to the use of the Church of Sarum. But
caring nothing about the ceremonies and observances
of the same, they keep the ancient observance used in
the Church of St. Paul from the very beginning."^®
From this testimony of the Dcfcnsormrn, "there can be
no question," says Mr. St. John Hope, "that whatever
may be said in favour of the Sarum offices having been
adopted before the reformation throughout the province
of Canterbury, the Sarum ceremonies, and of course
the Sarum rule of colours, were confined to the diocese
of Salisbury, the other dioceses using their own cere-
monial rubrics and colour-sequences."^^
Until, therefore, the advocates of the Sarum theory
have discovered the legislative act of the church con-
stituting the ceremonial of Sarum the one Use of Eng-
land, or adduced more evidence than thus far they
have been able to do, for the alleged predominance of
the Sarum ceremonies, we must continue to doubt their
assertion that at the period of the reformation, 'the
Sarum was the only one Use throughout the whole of
England,' and also continue to believe in the accuracy
of the historical statement which the Prayer Book of
1549 itself makes, that "Heretofore there hath been
great diversity, in saying, and singing in churches
within this realm, some following Salisbury Use, some
Hereford Use, some the Use of Bangor, some of York,
and some of Lincoln ; now from henceforth, all the
s« Printed in The Tracts of Clement Maydstone, H. B. Soc, 1894, pp.
6, 15.
^ On the English Liturgical Colours. St. Paul's Eccl. Soc. vol. ii. It
ought to be remembered that we here in the IJnited States were
subject, in colonial days, to the diocese of London; so that, if we are
liistorically bound up to the observance of the ceremonies of any
one of the English Uses, that one must be the Use of St. Paul's
London. But it was just our mother Church of London, as Clement
Maydstone tells us, "which cared nothing for the ceremonies and observ-
ances of Sarum."
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. Ivii
whole realm, shall have but one Use." The Act author-
izing the Prayer Book of 1549 bears even more explicit
witness to the great and increasing diversity of cere-
monial usage then prevalent and to the absence of any-
thing like uniformity: "Where of long time there has
been had in this realm of England and in Wales divers
forms of common prayer, commonly called the service
of the Church, that is to say the Use of Sarum, of
York, of Bangor, and of Lincoln, and besides the same
tiow of late much more divers and sundry forms and
fashions have been used in the Cathedral and parish
churches of England and Wales, as well concerning
the Mattins or Morning Prayer, and the Evensong, a?
also concerning the Holy Communion commonly called
the Mass."^^ From such unimpeachable witness it is
clear that the variety of ceremonial observances which
had prevailed in the use of the breviary and missal con-
tinued without interruption until 1549 and was on the
increase. Then the Prayer Book was set forth, which no
doubt was expected, at least by the more Catholic of the
revisers, to blend and unify the various rites into one
general Use. No one, therefore, of the ancient Uses
can have any exclusive claim over the others to be our
only legitimate guide in all matters of ceremonial. And
in order to gain an adequate knowledge of the ancient
liturgical customs of the Church all the various dio-
cesan Uses of England must be taken into considera-
tion, for all were on an equal footing, no one having
ever been exclusively adopted by the Church.^*
** Gee and Hardy, Documents, etc., p. 358.
*" Very little attention has thus far been given to the prevalence of
the monastic Uses in England. Most of the Religious Orders were
foreign importations, and many of them held the cure of souls. Did
these priests use their monastic missals in the churches in which they
ministered? Were a<iy of these missals according to the Roman use.
Iviii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
In proceeding- with this study, careful attention must
be given to what was the actual ceremonial practice
and a too implicit confidence must not be placed in the
mere letter of the rubrics, for in some instances these
rubrics were notoriously untrustworthy. To take for
example the Sarum books, Clement Maydestone writ-
ing in the beginning of the fifteenth century tells us
in the Defcnsorium that both the text and rubrics of
the modern Sarum books were most corrupt. He criti-
cises them with such expressions as these : "this rubric
is altogether false;" "this rubric contains a manifest
falsehood ;" "this one is to be rejected ;" "see how this
word nisi changes the whole sense of the ordinal, and
brings in no end of blunders," so he goes on until at
length he exclaims : "It is indeed marvellous, how
great blindness has befallen the Church of Sarum,
which was wont to be the bright and shining light of
all England." "Such blind guides," says the learned
Dr. Legg, "in the matter of ritual had the Sarum books
become in the fifteenth century, and it is to this age or
later that most of the printed copies of the Sarum
missal belong. The rubrics of this book have been
treated of late years in England with almost supersti-
tious reverence, and regarded as of authority little in-
ferior to that of the New Testament. Yet it now ap-
pears on Clement Alaydestone's evidence, that these
rubrics are exceedingly corrupt."*" And even where
the rubrics of the missal and of the ceremonial books
although perhaps bearing the name of the Order which had adopted
it as its own? Blunt says, "For about a hundred and fifty years before
the Prayer Book era there was some displacement of the Sarum Use
by Roman customs in monasteries, monastic churches (though not at
Durham), and perhaps in parish churches served by monastic clergy."
(The Annotated Prayer Book, ed. 1883, p. 3.) He gives no authority
for his statement.
*" Notes on the History of the Liturgical Colours, Trans, of the Si;
Paul's Eccl. Soc, vol. i., p. iii., p. 120.
GENERAL, INTRODUCTION. Hx
are certainly reliable, they are often of a general and
vague character, and like those in our Prayer Book
clearly imply upon the part of the Priest a knowledge
derived either from traditional practice, or from books
which thus far have not been made public. It is very
evident from the incidental notices by writers of the six-
teenth century, that many ceremonies were lawfully
observed by the Priest at the altar concerning which
the missals are altogether silent. Thus for example it
has been supposed that a Blessing by the Priest at the
end of Mass was unknown in England until the Prayer
Book prescribed it. This, however, was not the case.
The custom (as has been intimated) had already passed
into England from the continent where it originated,
and although not prescribed by any one of the English
missals, was not on that account regarded as an unlaw-
ful addition. For in the explanation of the ceremonies
of the Mass prepared for the Convocation of 1543 it is
referred to as a perfectly legitimate custom : "The
Priest gives us at our departure sometimes the Bene-
diction in the name of the whole Trinity."**^ Contem-
poraneous evidence, therefore, as to what was the cere-
monial in actual use in England, will often be quite
as valuable, and in some cases more valuable, than
the rubrics of the liturgical books. It is because this
principle has been overlooked, that such statements
have been made, as, that in England the psalm Jiidica
me was not said at the altar; that there were no genu-
flections in the creed or in the Canon ; that the last
Gospel was not said at the altar, and many like asser-
tions — all of them quite contrary to what was the actual
practice.
** Ceremonies to be used in the Church of England, See Collier's Eccl.
History, ed. J852, vol. v., p. 117.
Ix GrCNUKAL INTRODUCTION.
X. Of Ceremonial restoration.
There being no evidence whatever that the Saruni
or any one ceremonial Use of England had displaced
all the others previous to the setting forth of the Prayer
Book, a Priest in rendering the offices of the Prayer
Book may legitimately adopt the ceremonies of the
Use which in his judgment seems to have the highest
claim upon his observance. But while such a course is
historically defensible, every one will agree that the
revival of the diversity of usage prevalent before i549
is most undesirable. We have already no lack of litur-
gical variety, diocesan and parochial, without our con-
tributing anything further. It would seem, therefore,
to be the wisest course, to retain those ceremonies
which were required by the English Canon law, or
were common to all the English Uses, and which have
survived in actual practice throughout the West. And
where the Prayer Book has adopted features from the
Uses of the continent, to turn to those Uses, as far as
possible, for the ceremonial mode of rendering these
particular parts, rather than to adapt to them cere-
monial of our own devising, which may be congruous,
but which is quite as likely not to be.
In this work of ceremonial synthesis no student can
afford to ignore the missal of Pius V., and the many
commentaries thereon. As has been said already, there
is no fundamental difference in any liturgical, cere-
monial, or doctrinal point between it and the missalg
of England, except that the latter, never having been
subjected to revision, contain all the medieval accre-
tions which were wisely set aside by the former. And
the revision of the missal under Pius V. did not origin-
GENERAL INTRODLCTION. Ixi
ate a new and peculiarly Roman ceremonial, as some
seem to think. It was an effort, and a successful effort,
to bring unity out of diversity, to purge the text of
the missals of much that was unworthy, to simplify
the ritual by cutting away the local exuberances of
medievalism, and to arrange and codify by explicit
rubrics the ceremonial of the Mass, much of which up
to that time had been left to unwritten custom.*- So
that while we miss in the Roman missal this or that
feature found in one or the other of the English mis-
sals, we shall look in vain for one important ceremony
which was not practised in England at the time the
Prayer Book was set forth. Invaluable results have
been obtained in recent years by antiquarian research
into the liturgical customs of old England, and many
long-forgotten ceremonies have been brought to light.
These are held up to us by some, who bid us to see how
altogether different were the rites and ceremonies of
England from those of Rome, and how unique was
England in all her ways. The answer is simple enough.
These antiquated customs were never the peculiar
property of the Church of England. When they were
in vogue in England they were also being observed in
*" But we have been told that the Ritus of this missal was drawn
from the Ordo Missae of John Burckard and that he was a very dis-
reputable man, being described by a contemporary as 7'xlissimus. But
what of that? More than one of the compilers of the Prayer Book
have been characterized by epithets no less opprobrious, and the
witness may be true; but we do not on that account consider their
liturgical labours as beneath our notice, or think one whit less of the
Book of Common Prayer which they produced. The learned Dr. I,egg,
however, does not think that Burckard was exclusively responsible
for the Ritus. He says: "It has often been said, with more or less
authority, that this Ordo Missae of Burckard is the source of the
Ritus Celebrandi prefi.xed to the Plan edition of the Roman Mass
book. Pierre Le Brun goes so far as to say that Burckard is copied
almost word for word. There is some exaggeration here; for this
statement can be easily disproved by any close examination of the
two documents. But they are allied, and it would seem likely that
the idea of the Ritus Celebrandi was borrowed directly from Burckard."
(Tracts on the Mass, H. B. Soc, p. xxvi.)
1X11 GIJNEKAL INTRODUCTION.
Other parts of the West where they originated. It must
be remembered that the Church of England had no
more an independent liturgical and ceremonial tradition
than she had an independent tradition of faith. She
ever recognized herself as being part of the great body
of Western Christendom, and all its worship as well
as its faith was hers. So that there is yet to be found
a single ceremony observed in England prior to the
setting forth of the Prayer Book which was not also
observed somewhere beyond the Channel from whence
England had received it.
In the course of time many customs and ceremonies
were allowed to fall into oblivion or were formally
abolished both in England and on the Continent, no
doubt for the reason that they no longer ministered
to edification. We shall, therefore, act wisely, if in the
work of ceremonial restoration we accept the judgment
of the West and make no attempt to put in practice
again any ceremony (however much it may commend
itself to our antiquarian tastes) which the wisdom of
both England and Rome has permitted to fall into
general desuetude out of consideration for 'the diversity
of times and men's manners.'
The following, then, are the principles which have
been adhered to throughout this work : ( i ) That the
rubrics of the Prayer Book are binding in foro con-
scienticc; (2) That our Communion Office is lacking
in no necessary sacrificial feature; (3) That the Priest
is at liberty to make acts of private devotion during the
Mass ; (4) That anthems and hymns may be freely
introduced into the service, and that there is no restric-
tion as to the words of such anthems and hymns: (5)
That the ancient ornaments and ceremonial In use prior
GKNl'KAL INTRODUCTION. Ixiii
to 1 549 are to be continued, except in so far as liicy have
been set saide by the express provisions of our present
Prayer Book; (6) That these ornaments and this cere-
monial may be ascertained from the ancient body of
Enghsh Canon law, from the books of the various
diocesan Uses, and from contemporaneous documents
bearing evidence to the actual practice of the Church
of England, from which the American Church has de-
rived her faith and orders; (7) That where features
have been adopted by the Prayer Book from rites other
than the English, the ceremonial of those rites is to be
followed in these particulars; (8) That where a cere-
mony not prescribed by the Prayer Book, has also been
allowed to fall into desuetude throughout the West, it
is not to be revived ; (9) That for ceremonial details
the judgment of the liturgical and ceremonial writers
who are recognized authorities is to be taken rather
than individual surmisings.
XII. Of the Ornanicnts Rubric.
In mentioning the sources of information for the
study of the Church's ceremonial, we make no refer-
ence to the so-called "Ornaments Rubric." It stands
in the English Prayer Book, but was never given a
place in our American book, and for its absence we
need have no regrets. For, to say nothing of its seem-
ingly erastian character in referring the clergy to the
authority of parliament for guidance as to the orna-
ments to be used in divine worship, it is evidently a
piece of restrictive legislation which we can very well
spare. It must be remembered that the law governing
the ornaments of the Church was to be found in the
body of canon law and in the various liturgical books.
Ixiv GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
The ornaments thus prescribed had never, by any act
of the Church of England, been set aside and made
illegal, unless we regard the Prayer Book of 1552 (in
which the Mass vestments were forbidden) as being
an authoritative document of the Church, as some few
have thought. But even in that case, it is certain that
the prohibitions of that book were annulled in the reign
of Mary, and all the ornaments restored to their old
legal status. Accordingly, the Ornaments Rubric, which
first appeared in the Act of Uniformity of 1559, did not
undertake to enact the use of the ornaments as if be-
fore that they had been without authority. On the con-
trary, it explicitly recognized their already existing
legal status in directing that they "shall be retained ;"
but — and here is the important enactment of the
rubrics — it laid down the rule that the ornaments
retained were to be, not all those in use in times past,
but those that had been allowed "by the authority of
Parliament in the second year of the reign of King
Edward the Sixth." The rubric is clearly restrictive
in its character, confining the number of ornaments to
those permitted by the civil law in a certain year. In
a word, it sets up a legal fence, the second year of
Edward VI, beyond which the clergy of the Church
of England may not lawfully pass.
It is not necessary that we should stop to consider
whether the rubric refers to the year 1548 or 1549.
Much has been said on both sides. If the reference is to
the year 1548 then it would seem that all the ancient
ornaments of the Church are allowed except those
that had been forbidden by the Injunctions of 1547,
which Injunctions, some few think, could claim parlia-
mentary authority. In which case, reliquaries, shrines,
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. Ixv
and lights before images and pictures, are the only
ornaments the use of which has been abrogated. But
if the reference is to the first Act of Uniformity, in
1549, (and this seems to the writer the more probable
interpretation),^^ and only those ornaments are directed
to be retained which are required by the provisions of
the first Prayer Book, the list of legal ornaments is con-
siderably curtailed, and in addition to those just men-
tioned, the following are probably made illegal by the
rubric, to wit, mitres, tabernacles, hanging pyxs, pec-
toral crosses, chalice veils, monstrances, processional
crosses, the sepulchre, the paschal candle, palms, sac-
ring bells, censers, and holy water stoups. Whichever
interpretation is the true one, it is clear that the rubric
is intended to be in some degree restrictive. How far
its restrictions extend we may leave our English breth-
ren to determine, as the rubric is fortunately no part
of our ritual law here in the United States. The Amer-
ican Church never did a wiser thing than when in 1789
she removed this curious piece of legislation from the
Prayer Book, and thus threw down the legal fence
within which the clergy of the Church of England are
still confined in their use of ornaments. We are, there-
fore, free to make use of all the ancient ornaments of
■"Let it be remembered that the second Act of Uniformity (1552)
refers to the first Prayer Book expressly, as set forth "by the Act of
Parliament made in the second year of the king's majesty's reign,"
although it would have been more regular to have said, "in the second
and third year". With this fact in mind, is it not reasonable to sup-
pose that the third Act of Uniformity (1559), in which tlie Orna-
ments Rubric first appeared, in referring to the action of Parlia-
ment with regard to ornaments "in the second year of the reign
of King Edward the Sixth," is referring to precisely the same docu-
ment, that is, the first Prayer Book, as the previous Act referred to
as having been made "by the Act of Parliament in the second year
of the king's majesty's reign"? See the Acts in Gee and Hardy's
Documents Illustrative of English Church History, pp. 369, 458. And
for a very full discussion of the interpretation of the Ornaments
Rubric, see Gee's The Bliaabethan Prayer Book and Ornaments. IQ02.
Cf. Micklewaite's The Ornaments of the Rubric, Alcuin Club Tracts,
2d ed., 1898.
Ixvi GENERAL, INTRODUCTION.
the Church, unrestrained by any question as to which
were allowed or disallowed by the authority of an
English Parliament.
In conclusion, it is only necessary to remark on the
general arrangement of this work. The text and
rubrics of the Communion Office have been printed in
heavy faced type in order clearly to distinguish them.
The wording of the English Office, where it differs in
any important instance from the American rite, has
been printed at the foot of the page. On all the more
important points the authorities or reasons for the posi-
tion taken have been given in the notes.
Jfot^fi on tl?? MnsB.
I. Oif the; Preparation oi^ the Priest beeore tut
Altar.
A private preparation by the Priest at the foot of the
altar was a feature of all the old Uses both in England
and on the continent. It may generally be described
as consisting of the psalm Judica me and the Confttcor.
There was, however, some diversity of ceremonial
usage with regard to the psalm ; by some it was said in
the sacristy, or on the way to the altar ; by others it was
said standing at the altar. This latter usage is directed
by the Pontifical of St. Prudentius of Troyes, one of
the earliest orders extant, in the Mass edited by Illyri-
cus, and in the liturgical fragment called the Codex
Chisius, which Card. Bona refers to the loth or the
beginning of the nth century.^ In England the Here-
ford missal directed it to be said stans ante altare, and
Le Brun refers to two English missals in which "this
psalm is directed to be said at the foot of the altar."^
It is worthy of note in this connection, that the Collect
for purity, which in the Sarum missal formed part of
the Priest's preparation, and was directed to be said
before going to the altar, was in the Prayer Book of
1549 directed to be said "afore the midst of the altar."
This latter direction was probably given in conformity
with what had become the accustomed practice, the
iMartene, De Ant. Eccl. Rit., t. i. pp. 528, 488, 548.
'Explication, etc., dg h Messe, t. i. in loc.
2 NOTES ON THE MASS
Sarum rubric notwithstanding. So, likewise, it is prob-
able that it had become customary to say the psalm
Jiidica before the altar even in churches where the
Sarum missal was used.
The psalm Jndica is omitted in Requiems and during
Passion-tide, because at such times the question, "Why
art thou so heavy?" would seem to be out of place.^
After the psalm, the Priest before going up to the
altar makes an acknowledgment of his sinfulness, and
prays God for mercy. It may be objected that we have
already a Confession in our ofifice, and that another one
in this place is a liturgical redundancy. But it will be
observed, that the Confiteor here is said by the Priest
by way of preparation for celebrating the holy Sacrifice,
whereas the Confession after the Prayers for the
Church militant is part of the preparation for receiving
the Holy Communion, and is expressly directed to be
said by "those who come to receive the Holy Com-
munion."
The various versions of the Confiteor are all of the
same general character, the difference between them
being merely verbal. Very many of them after the
words "I confess to God" make mention only of blessed
Mary and all Saints. Thus for example the Sarum
form is, "I confess to God, to blessed Mary, to all
Saints, and to you, that I have sinned exceedingly in
thought, word and deed by my fault. I beseech Holy
Mary, all the Saints of God, and you, to pray for me."
n. Oe the "Right Side oe the Table."
The rubric of the English Prayer Book directs the
Priest to stand "at the north side of the Table." In the
' Gavantus, Thesaurus, etc., t. i. p. ii. t. ii. 6, t
NOTES ON THE MASS. 3
General Conventions of 1832 and 1835 there was sub-
stituted for these words our present rubric, which bids
the Priest to stand "at the right side of the Table."
This "right side" of our American Prayer Book was
intended to indicate the same relative position as the
"north side" of the English Prayer Book ; the change
being made simply for the sake of those churches which
were not orientated.^ It will be in order then to ascer-
tain what position is indicated by the "north side." In
the Prayer Book of 1549, the Priest was directed to
say the Lord's Prayer and Collect for Purity "standing
humbly afore the midst of the altar." Whether this
meant below the steps of the altar, or on the same level
with the altar, is by no means clear. In 1552 the
Tables were very generally brought down into the choir
or body of the church and set lengthwise, with their
ends east and west, and the rubric was accordingly
changed to adapt it to the changed position of the
Table, the Priest being directed to stand at the "north
side of the Table," that is, the long side towards the
north, so that the Priest's right side would be towards
the congregation ; and as there were no steps, he would
necessarily be on the same level as the Table. Under
the influence of the Caroline divines, the Tables were
in very many places restored to their old position in the
sanctuary, and set altar-wise with their ends north
and south, the rubric remaining unchanged. The High-
Church clergy, however, with their characteristic and
compromising caution, did not dare to take up the same
relative position to the Table which they had occupied
when it stood down in the choir, or body of the church,
^ Bp. White, Memoirs, and Bp. Benj. T. Onderdonk, Annual Address
in 1835.
4 NOTES ON THE MASS.
but in order apparently to comply with the letter of the
rubric, and so avoid the cavils of the Puritans, hit upon
the expedient of standing at the north end. The very
general adoption of this position afterward, gave to it
a seemingly authoritative sanction. Curiously enough,
it afterwards was adopted by the Low-Church party,
the successors of the Puritans, and what was originally
but a high-church shift, was strenuously insisted upon
as the only true interpretation of the rubric !"-
Another interpretation has been given. By the
words, "north side," it is said, that the north part of
the front of the altar is referred to, or that part which
is generally spoken of as the Gospel side. It will be
seen at once, from what has been already said, that this
interpretation is without support from the history of
the origin of the rubric. We may, however, quote the
judgment of Archbishop Benson upon this point, not
because it has the slightest legislative authority for us,
but because it is valuable as the result of a long and
patient historical inquiry into the whole question. Of
this interpretation the Archbishop says, that it "can
be regarded only as an accommodation of the letter of
the rubric to the present position of the Table." "Argu-
ments, nevertheless, which attempt to show in the
words of the Responsive Plea of the Lord Bishop that
'the northern part of the front' is 'the north side of the
Table as directed by the rubric' if that means that the
rubric was intended to enjoin that particular position,
are held by the court to be inconsistent zvith the con-
tinuous history of the rubric."
Both of these interpretations ignore the fact that the
' See Scudamore, Notitia Eucharistica, zd ed. p i88, and the Judg-
ment of Archbishop Benson in Read and others t. Bp. of Lincoln.
note;s on the: mass. 5
rubric when framed in 1552 contemplated the Tables
standing with their ends east and west, and so by the
term "north side" manifestly meant the long side of the
Table towards the north. Our altars have been
universally returned to their old position, and now
stand with their ends north and south, so that the
"north" or "right side," at which the rubric directs the
Priest to stand, is now the front, or the side towards
the west. No particular part of this side, whether the
Gospel corner, or the midst, or the Epistle corner, is
specified as the place at which the Lord's Prayer and
the Collect for Purity are to be said ; but reference to
the ancient ritual usages of the Church teaches us, that
the Mass proper was always begun at the Epistle
corner, called the dextrum cornu.^ Such was the rule
of Sarum and all the other English Uses, and such is
the rule of the Roman missal. By standing, therefore,
in front of the altar facing east, the Priest will be in
the relative position to the altar intended by the rubric,
and by occupying the Epistle corner of the front at the
beginning of the Mass, he will also be following the
ancient custom of the whole West.
III. Of Announcing the; Epistle; and Gospel.
The rubric directing the mode of announcing the
Epistle makes provision for announcing the beginning
of the Epistle and for nothing more. There is no pre-
cedent for inserting after the word "The Epistle" a
notice of the Sunday or other day which is being kept ;
nor does the rubric direct the announcing of the con-
" So called in the Sarum missal, but the Roman missal, which deter-
mines the right and left side from the arms of the crucifix, speaks of
the I-"pistle side as the siiiistrum coruu.
6 NOTES ON TllK MASS.
eluding part of an Epistle when taken from another
chapter, as is the case on Saint James' Day.
The rubric is very definite and there can be no
doubt as to how the Epistle should be announced in
accordance with its directions. The Epistle for Ad-
vent Sunday would be announced thus : "The Epistle
is written in the Thirteenth Chapter of the Romans,
beginning at the eighth Verse." The Epistle for Saint
Stephen's Day would be annomiced as, "The portion
of Scripture appointed for the Epistle is written in the
Seventh Chapter of the Acts, beginning at the fifty-fifth
Verse."
When the Epistle has been announced as "The por-
tion of Scripture," etc., some say at the end, "Here
endeth the portion of Scripture appointed for the
Epistle." This is a clear violation of the rubric, which
gives no such direction, but bids the one who reads
to say in every case, "Here endeth the Epistle."
It is but seldom that the Gospel is announced as pre-
scribed by its rubric. Some say : "The Holy Gospel
is written in the Chapter of the Holy Gospel (or
Gospel) according to beginning," etc. ; others say :
"The Holy Gospel is written in the Chapter of
that of beginning," etc. These additional words
are quite unnecessary. The blank after "Chapter of"
ought simply to be filled in with the name of the
Evangelist printed in the title to the appointed Gospel.
Thus, for example, the Gospel for Advent Sunday
would be announced in this way : "The Holy Gospel is
written in the twenty-first Chapter of Saint Matthew,
beginning at the first Verse."
On the Sunday after Ascension Day, it is indicated,
that part of the Gospel is taken from the fifteenth
NOTiCS ON TliK iMASS. 7
chapter of Saint John, and part from the Sixteenth
chapter. The same remark apphes here as was made
in speaking of the Epistle. The rubric gives direction
for announcing the beginning of the appointed Gospel
and makes no provision for giving notice of its conchi-
sion. And, therefore, this Gospel ought to be an-
nounced after the manner of the other Gospels, without
the addition of any words to those provided for in the
rubric.
IV. Of" Genui^lkcting in thk Cre;e;d,
We have been told that the custom of genuflecting
in the Nicene Creed at the words, "And was incarnate,"
etc., is Roman, and was quite unknown in England.
That it was practised under the Roman rite there is no
doubt ; but that fact would not have constituted an
objection, in the minds of English churchmen of the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to its being observed
by them also. Quite the contrary, it would have been
regarded as a good reason for its introduction. Ac-
cordingly, Bishop Grandisson of Exeter, in the four-
teenth century directs that those in choir "ad altare se
incUnent vel potins genuflectent more ecclesice Romana
cum dicitur hec clausa est, et incarnatus est de Spiritu
Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo f actus est. Et
statim stent diccndo, Crucifixus etiam pro nobis,
quia Jndei irrisorie tunc genutle.vcrunt."^ At Syon
Monastery all were required to kneel until the words.
"And the third day," etc.^ In some places they pros-
trated themselves to the ground ; thus, for example,
we have the following direction : "At the word, 'At
1 Reynolds, Ordinate Exon. xix, p. i, fol. 9 dorso.
2 Aungier. History and Antiquities of Syon Monastery. 1840, p. 327,
8 NOTES ON THU MASS.
thy birth thou didst take our form/ kiss the earth ; and
also at the Te Deiun at this word, 'Thou didst not
abhor the Virgin's womb;' and at the Mass Creed at
this word, 'Of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.' '"•'
The Hereford missal has this rubric: "Bt fiet genit-
flexio dum dicitiir, et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine; et homo f actus est. Crucifixus
etiam pro nobis, et tunc fiet Icvatio."'^ Genuflecting in
the Creed at Mass, was therefore no unknown custom
in England. Indeed, it must have been generally ob-
served by the lay folk, for Bishop Latimer, in a sermon,
preached as late as 1552, refers to the practice as one
well known to his hearers: "We read a story (take it
as you will, though it be not a true story) : The devil
came once into the Church whilst the Priest was say-
ing Mass ; and when he was at these words, et homo
factus est, the devil looked about him, and seeing no
man kneel dozvn, or bow his knees, he struck one of
them in the face, saying, 'What ! will you not reverence
him for the great benefit which he hath done unto you ?
I tell you, if he had taken upon him our nature, as he
hath taken upon him yours, we would more reverence
him than ye do?' This story is prettily devised; for we
should reverence him ; we should honour him, and shew
ourselves thankful for his inestimable benefits he hath
shewed upon us miserable sinners, in taking upon him
our nature."^
' The Ancren Riwle; a Treatise on the Rules and Duties of Monastic
Life, written in the twelfth century for a Community of Nuns in
Dorsetshire. Camden Soc. 1853. p. 21.
* Henderson, Missale Herfordensis, 1874. p. 117.
s Latimer, Sermons atid Remains. Parker Soc. vol. ii. p. 109.
NOTES ON THE MASS. 9
V. Of thk Mattkr of the Eucharist.
The Matter of the Eucharist is wheaten bread
and wine of the grape. Bread made from grain other
than wheat, if not certainly invahd, is at least doubtful
matter, and therefore can never be used under any
circumstances.
The Church of England has never changed the
ancient law of the West which requires the bread used
at the altar to be unleavened, although since the six-
teenth century she has permitted the use of leavened
bread by a rubric : ''It shall suffice that the bread be
such as is usual to be eaten. "^ "This form of expres-
sion," says Mr. Scudamore, "implies that a kind of
bread different from that in common use was either
generally employed or had a higher sanction ; for it
only permits the use of common, as sufficient ; does not
prescribe it."- The unleavened wafers or hosts are
made of fine wheaten flour and pure natural water,
without the admixture of butter, salt, or any other
ingredient. A thin paste having been made of the flour
and water it is thoroughly baked between hot irons,
and immediately afterwards cut into the proper forms.
Irons for the purpose of baking hosts may be very
easily procured, or the hosts may be bought at a small
cost from several of the Religious houses.
The wine used for the altar must be the pure fer-
mented wine of the grape ; and may be either red or
white. Wine made from other fruits, and all so-called
"unfermented" wines are invalid matter, and render
^ Rubric in English Prayer Book.
^Notitia, etc., 2d ed., p. 845.
lO NOTKS ON THli MASS.
Lhe Sacrament null and void.^ The greatest care should
be taken that the wine bought for the holy sacrifice is
not some cheap concoction, and therefore it should be
purchased only from well known and responsible
dealers.
A very little pure and clean water is mingled with
the wine at the Offertory, not because it is necessary
to the validity of the Sacrament, but because such has
been the practice of the Church of God from the begin-
ning. Care should be taken, however, that the quan-
tity of water used is not such as to weaken sensibly
either the colour or taste of the wine, for otherwise, the
contents of the chalice could not be said to be truly
wine, and therefore would not be valid matter,
VI. Of thi; Time for Prfsfnting the Offerings
OF THE PEOPI.E.
The rubric with regard to the offerings of the people
reads : "Whilst these sentences are in reading, the
Deacons, Church-Wardens, or other fit persons ap-
pointed for that purpose, shall receive the Alms for
the Poor, and other Devotions of the People, in a decent
basin to be provided by the Parish for that purpose ;
and reverently bring it to the Priest, who shall humbly
present and place it upon the Holy Table." "The
word to read (legere)," says the Rev. Mr. Dykes,
quoted by Scudamore, "simply denotes recitation from
a book, without any reference to the particular mode
of recitation."^ In this rubric, it clearly refers to the
' See Resolution of the House of Bishops condemning the use of
unfermented wine in the Holy Communion, Journal of General Conv.,
1886, p. 102, and Journal of Coin'., 1889, p. 19. This resolution was
confirmed by a similar resolution of the Lambeth Conference of 1888,
The Lamheth Conferences, p. 277.
I Notitia Eucharistica, 2d. ed., p. 203.
NOTES ON THE MASS. II
reading (t. ^.,the singing) of the sentences by the choir,
and not by the Priest, for the rubric goes on to say
that whilst these sentences are in reading, the alms arc
to be both gathered and presented. It can hardly be
supposed that while the Priest is presenting the alms,
he is also reading a series of texts of Scripture. The
evident meaning is, that one or more of these sentences
having been said by the Priest, the choir, when it is
present, may take them up and continue singing them
whilst the alms are being collected, and whilst the
Priest is offering the bread and wine and presenting
the offerings of the people.
The next rubric reads, "And the Priest shall tJien
(i. e., 'whilst these sentences are in reading' by the
choir, or if it be a Low Mass, immediately after the
Priest himself has read 'one or more of these sen-
tences,' and while the alms are being gathered) place
upon the Table so much bread and wine as he shall
think sufficient." By the time the Priest has made the
oblations of bread and wine, the alms will have been
gathered ; when he will present them, and so proceed
without delay with the service.
In the primitive Church the offerings of the people
were first presented, and afterward the oblations of
bread and wine. But the reason for this order was,
because the matter of the Sacrament was taken from
these offerings, and they were made by the people with
special reference to this object. Now the offerings of
the people always consist of money, and are made for
the poor and for the support of the church, and so
have only a remote relation to the eucharistic oblations.
There is no reason, therefore, why the alms should be
presented before the bread and wine ; and a very unde-
12 NOTKS ON tup: MASS.
sirable uelay is avoided by observing the common cus-
tom of presenting the bread and wine first. This is the
order of the Mozarabic missal,- and Le Brun tells us,
that it was also the order which was directed "in a
very great number of missals of divers churches, and
in all the manuscript and printed missals of Paris until
the seventeenth century. It is still observed at Notre
Dame, and throughout almost the whole diocese, al-
though since the year 1654, the missals of Paris ap-
point the offerings of the people before the oblation of
the host and chalice."^ Le Brun is referring to the
French diocesan rites, which have since been sup-
pressed. It was also the order prescribed by the Lyons
missal which was in use down to the time of the sup-
pression about 1870. "The rubrics of the Mass of the
several English Uses," says Canon Simmons, "are alto-
gether silent on this point, but numerous incidental
notices bring the ceremony very distinctly before us.
The money offerings of the people were received after
the Offertory had been sung, and the bread had been
taken from the paten and laid upon the corporal, and
the chalice made, that is, after water had been mixed
with the wine."*
This statement as to the order observed under the
old English rites receives corroboration from the fact
that the Liher Regalis^ directed that the offering of
gold, which the king made in the Mass at his corona-
tion, should be made after the bread and wine had
been presented and offered. This order was continued
2 Missale Mixtum, Migne, col. 528, 529.
2 Explication de la Messe, t. iii, art. iii. See also t. ii. p. 306-7.
* The Lay Folks Mass Book, p. 232.
5 Printed in Legg's English Coronation Records, 1901. p. 8:. cf.
The Coronation Book of Charles V of France, in loc. H. B. Soc. 1899.
NOTES ON the: MASS. I3
at the coronation of James I, for which the service in
the Liber Rcgalis was first translated, and adapted to
the Communion Office of the Prayer Book. And this
same order has been observed ever since at every cor-
onation. Clearly, therefore, the authorities of the Church
of England do not regard such order of offering as
contravening the rubrics of the Prayer Book. More-
over, this interpretation of the rubric has the endorse-
ment of no less an authority than Bishop Andrews,
who in his Notes on the Prayer Book,^ directs the
Priest to offer first the bread and wine, and afterwards
the alms of the people. In thus directing, there is no
doubt that he was only continuing what had been the
traditional practice of the Church of England prior
to his time. And that the practice was observed by
other Bishops in the seventeenth century is clear from
the fact that in 1637 if was the order of offering pre-
scribed by Bishop Field at the consecration of Abbey
Dore Church.'^
VII. Of the; Orationes Super Oblata.
The "Let us pray for the whole state," etc., is the
equivalent of the Orate fratres, the relative position of
which it occupies, and some of the ancient versions of
which it is not unlike. Thus for example in a missal
of Narbonne of 1528 the form of the Orate was, "I
beseech you brethren, to pray for the state of the holy
Church of God, and for me, a miserable sinner, that
the Almighty and merciful Lord would vouchsafe pro-
' Minor Works. Ang. Cath. Lib., p. 153.
'' See The Form and Order of the Consecration and Dedication of
the Parish Church of Abbey Dore, upon Palm Sunday, 1634. Edited
by the Rev. J. Fuller Russell.
14 NOTES ON THE MASS.
pitiously and graciously to receive our sacrifice."^ Tlie
later part of the Orate, which refers to the Sacrifice,
was a late addition, and was not placed in the Roman
missal until the year 1551.' "Anciently the Priest
said 'Pray,' or 'Pray for me,' or 'Pray for me a sin-
ner.' "^ Anciently, too, no response was made in the
Orate, but the Priest immediately turned to the altar
and said the Secret, just as now with us, the Priest
having said, "Let us pray for the whole state," etc.,
turns to the altar and says the prayers which follow.
It has been usual to regard the prayer, or rather the
series of prayers, for Christ's Church militant as a
part of the Canon misplaced, and so to treat them
ritually after the example of the Te igitur. But this
implies that our Communion office is in disorder, an
admission which one should be slow to make. It is
true that these prayers formed part of the Canon in the
Prayer Book of 1549: but they now occupy the relative
position, and fulfil the office of the Sccreta of the
Roman and old English Uses, and ought to be treated
accordingly. The first of these prayers, like the first
Secreta of the Roman missal, is a verbal oblation of
the unconsecrated gifts, and in phraseology is very like
many of the old Secrets or Orationes super ohlata.
Take the following examples from the Sacramentary
of St. Gregory, as given by Muratori : "Accept, we
beseech thee, O Lord, the oblations of our bounden
service, and graciously sanctify thy gifts ; through,"
etc. (col. 33.) "Accept, we beseech thee, O Lord, the
prayers of thy people, together with the oblation of
^ Martene, De Ant. Bed. Rit., t. i. p. 393.
- Romsee, Senstis Litteralis, etc., ii. xix. v.
* Le Brun, Explication, etc., in loc.
NOTDS ON Till-: MASS. 1 5
hosts, and defend us, who celebrate thy mysteries, from
all dangers; through," etc. (col. 41.) "We beseech
thee, O Lord, that having graciously received our obla-
tions, thon wouldst also mercifully incline unto thyself
our rebellious wills; through," etc. (col. 47.)
The other prayers which in our rite follow the
oblation of the bread and wine, beginning: "We
beseech thee also so to direct," etc., may be compared
with the Secrets : Dc S. Maria, Contra persecutores
Bcdesicc, Vel. pro Papa, which are ordinarily said in
the modern Roman rite. It may be interesting to ob-
serve, as bearing on our own practice, that anciently
the Ambrosian missal directed the Orationcs super
oblata to be said, not secretly, but clara voce, or alta
z'oce^ Down to the ninth or tenth century no prayers
w^ere prescribed between the Offertorium and the
Secreta, and the only verbal oblation of the unconse-
crated gifts was the saying of the one appointed ^'ccr^^a.
In this respect the old Roman liturgy resembled the
Communion office of the Prayer Book. It must not
be supposed, however, that because prayers over the
oblations other than the Secret are not found in the old
Roman liturgy, that therefore they are not ancient.
On the contrary, such prayers were in the ancient Gal-
ilean and ]\Iozarabic liturgies, and it was from these
liturgies that those now in use were derived, and they
are probably the most ancient features of the Latin
missals. The prayers: Snscipe Offerhnits, In spiritu,
and Veni SanctiUcator, were for more than a thousand
years substantially, and almost in the same words, in
the ancient missals of the churches of Spain. It would
seem that the Church of Rome, which toward the end
* Simmons, Lay Folks Mass Book. Notes p. 267.
l6 NOTES ON THE MASS.
of the eleventh century set aside this missal, in order
that it might give place to the Roman, borrowed these
prayers of the oblation from the very missal which she
suppressed. She also received in the eleventh century
the prayer, Suscipe, Sancta Trinitas, w^hich had been in
use in Milan, and in many churches of France."^
VIII. Of Genuflecting in the Canon.
It has been asserted repeatedly, that in England "it
was not the custom for the priest to genuflect after
the modern fashion while standing at the altar to ofifer
the Eucharistic Sacrifice."^ This broad statement is an
entire mistake, as we shall proceed to show.
In ascertaining whether any given ceremonial action
was a custom of the Church of England, one must not
confine his attention to the rubrics of the liturgical
books. In many instances these rubrics were mani-
festly inadequate, and had to be supplied by directions
from other sources. And therefore recourse must be
had to contemporaneous documents, which bear witness
to what was the recognized and actual practice, before
we can assert that this or that ceremony was not a
legitimate custom of the Church of England. The
mere silence of the rubrics is no proof that a ceremony
was not observed, and observed lawfully. The Bless-
ing at the end of Mass is a case in point. Here was
not only a ceremonial gesture, but a formula which
seems to have been generally used, although prescribed
by no English missal, so far as I know. Yet the Con-
vocation of 1543 speaks of it as a recognized usage:
s Le Brun, Explication de la Messe, p. iii. art. vi. cf. The Genius of
the Roman Rite, by Edmund Bishop.
^ Notes on Ceremonial, 3d ed., p. 181.
NOTES ON THE MASS. I7
"The priest gives us at our departure sometimes the
Benediction in the name of the whole Trinity."^ And
so with regard to "genuflection at consecration," it does
not follow, because this gesture "has never been or-
dered by the liturgical books of the Church of Eng-
land," that it was not observed, or that it was regarded
as an unlawful novelty.
That the practice of the people was to kneel at the
consecration, if not kneeling before, there is abundant
evidence. It was also the practice of the clergy in choir
to kneel or genuflect, and was explicitly ordered.
Many directions to this effect might be cited, but one
which is at my hand will suffice as a sample : "Item
volumus et ordinamus quod in magna missa omnes
presentes in choro, canonici, vicarii, cuiuslibet gradus
ministri, in elevatione Corporis Christi ob reverentiam
tanti sacramenti et ut laici et circumstantes ad maiorem
devotionem ex hoc frequentius provocentur, sicut olim
in ipsa ecclesia fieri consuevit, flexis ad terram genibus
et curn omni humiliatione provolutis suas ex corde
devotas ad Deum fundant orationes."^
Now it requires no great stretch of the imagination
to infer that this act of reverence, observed at the
consecration by both people and clergy, would also be
followed by the celebrating Priest, although like some
other ceremonies it was not directed by the rubrics of
the missal. And that, as a matter of fact, the Priest
did genuflect at the consecration we know positively
from the testimony of eyewitnesses. There is, first,
the evidence of Becon. He is describing the ceremonies
of the Mass as he had seen them : "After ye have
'Collier Bed. Hist., 1852, v. p. 117.
* Reynolds, Ordinate et Statuta IVellen, p. 74.
l8 NOTES ON THE MASS.
spoken these five words, 'Hoc est enim Corpus meiim,'
over the bread . . .ye kneel down to it, and worship
it . . . and afterwards ye hold it up."' "After that
. . . ye fall in hand to consecrate (I use still your
own terms) the wine with these words, 'In like man-
ner,' ... in remembrance of me . . . and then
ye ^nt^r/, lift up your hands and honour it. . . . After
that ye stand up again . . . and taking the chalice
in your hand ye hold it up. . . . This done ye set
the chalice down again upon the altar, and ye cover it
with your corporass cloth Then once again
kneel ye dozvn and up again."*
Could evidence be more conclusive?
Archbishop Cranmer bears similar witness : "What
moved the Priest to lift up the Sacrament so high over
their heads? What was the cause that as well the
Priest as the people so devoutly did knock and kneel at
every sight of the Sacrament?"^
Further on he says : "We should not give credit unto
such teachers as would persuade us to worship a piece
of bread, to kneel to it, to knock to it," etc.®
And Coverdale, expressly referring to the actions of
the Priest, says: "Therefore, to hoist it {i. e., the
Sacrament) over their heads, to dance it over the cup,
to carry it in the streets with great pomp and glory,
to bow their knees and to knock their breasts before
it, and to lock it up in a pix ... is but a politic of
the Merchants" (by which title he characterizes the
clergy) .'^
* Displaying of the Popish Mass. Parker Soc. p. 276, et seq.
" Works, i. p. 229.
"Ibid. 238.
' Preface to his translation of Calvin's Treatise on the Sacrament,
P- 433-
NOTRS ON THf;'^fA"§?' 1 9
It is probably also the practice of the clergy which
Bishop Hooper has in mind when he says : "No
Scripture of God, neither doctor of the Catholic faith,
taught ever Christ to be honoured here in earth with
candles and bozviiigs of flic k)icc."^
The testimony thus afforded by Becon, Cranmer and
Coverdale, could not be more clear as to the fact that
the common practice of the English clergy was to
genuflect at the consecration in very much the same
fashion as is now prescribed by the Roman missal.
Observe that they speak of the act of genuflection as
"kneeling." Observe, also, that they do not bring
against the practice the charge that it was a custom
introduced without authority, and for which the recog-
nition of the Church of England could not be claimed.
They objected to it because it implied a doctrine, which,
in their judgment, was false and which they had set
themselves to root up out of the Church of England.
We know that the Communion of the Book of 1549
"was used as the very Mass," being celebrated with
all the old ceremonial accompaniments. We may be
quite sure, therefore, that among these ceremonies the
practice of kneeling was not omitted. Indeed, there
was the explicit permission of a rubric allowing this
gesture among others : "As touching kneeling, cross-
ing, holding up of hands, knocking upon the breast,
and other gestures, they may be used or left as every
man's devotion serveth without blame."
In considering this rubric, it is to be observed, in
the first place, that it is a direction for the clergy, and
not for the people. This is evident from the whole
tenour of the five rubrics among which it occurs. But
'Fifth Sermon upon Jonas, p. 521.
20 NOTl;S ON TUt MASS.
the general caption leaves no doubt on this point ; they
are said to be "Certain notes for the more plain explica-
tion and decent ministration of things contained in
this book." Manifestly, therefore, they were rules not
for the people, but for the guidance of the ministering
clergy ; and hence the "kneeling" mentioned in the
third rubric quoted above has reference to some act of
the officiating Priest.
Now there can be no doubt that the permission to
the Priests "to use or leave kneeling" in their "minis-
trations" does not refer to the Priest's kneeling at the
Confession and at the prayer, "We do not presume,"
etc., for kneeling at these places was imperatively
ordered. But it refers to those other kneelings which,
like "crossing, holding up of hands, knocking upon the
breast, and other gestures," had been heretofore cus-
tomarily observed. And here I have with me the
Bishops of the Savoy Conference, who in their answers
to the Puritans say : "The rubric at the end of I Ed.
C. that leaves kneeling, crossing, etc., indifferent, is
meant only at such times as they are not prescribed
and required.""
But just what was the particular gesture of the
Priest referred to in this rubric by the term "kneeling."
Since it certainly was not the acts of kneeling down
ordered in the two places of the Book of 1549, I can
think of no other gesture that it can possibly refer to
except those acts of genuflection which were done in
silence. "To kneel," "kneeling," and "kneelings" were
the terms used where we would now say "to genuflect."
"genuflecting," and "genuflections." I have already
noted that both Becon and Cranmer use the verb "to
" Cardwell, Conferences, p. 354.
NOTES ON THE MASS. 21
kneel" when speaking of the momentary act of bend-
ing the knee before the Sacrament. The same usage
will also be found in Becon's Reliques of Rome, where
he speaks of "kneelings." Mr. Murray gives under
"Genuflection" an example from Pilgr. Perf. (1526),
"With genuflectyons or kneelyngcs ... to ask
the mercy of God/'^" It seems to me, therefore, per-
fectly clear that the rubric, in permitting generally the
use of "kneeling," allowed the continuance of the prac-
tice of the Priest genuflecting in the Canon or Prayer
of Consecration. And this was fully appreciated by
Martin Bucer in his criticisms of the First Prayer-
book : "At the end of the book you say that touching,
kneeling, crossing, knocking the breast, and other ges-
tures they may be used or left. They are gestures of
the Mass, never to be sufficiently execrated. Away
with them."^^ And, furthermore, he tells us that all
these gestures, thus permitted, were actually observed in
rendering the Communion oflice of 1549. Even in
Ireland the Priests availed themselves of the permis-
sion of the rubric, for the Protestant Bishop of Ossory,
John Bale, thus describes the service as he saw it at
Waterford : "The Communion or Supper of the Lord
was there altogether used like a Popish Mass, with the
old apish toys of antichrist, in bowings and beckings,
kneelings and knockings."^^
I conclude, then, that genuflection or kneeling at the
consecration was a pre-Reformation custom of the
Church of England ; that its continuance under the
" See also the examples under "Kneel" in the same dictionary.
^^ Scripta Anglicana, p. 472.
'^'^ The Vocacyon of Johan Bale, etc., fol. 17 verso. Quoted by
Atchley in some Remarks on the Edwardian Prayer Book, p. 263.
•22 NOTES ON THE MASS.
First Prayer-book was permitted by rubric ; and that,
since there is no subsequent Act of the Church of
England abrogating this custom, it still "may be used
without blame."
IX. Of the Elevation of the Sacrament.
In examining any devotional or ceremonial practice,
the first question to be asked is, What doctrine does it
express? If it has behind it no principle of faith, then
it is one of those dark and dumb ceremonies which
ought to be put away. Now, certainly, no one will
assert that the elevation of the Sacrament is without
significance and that there is no doctrine to which it
can be referred. The ceremonial lifting up of the
Sacrament and genuflections were probably quite
unknown before the Eucharistic controversy which
Berengar precipitated upon the Church. Certainly no
directions for either of these gestures appear in the
liturgical books before that time. Then it was that the
doctrine of Christ's presence under the forms of bread
and wine was attacked and denied ; and then it was, as
a consequence, that the doctrine on this point, which
vip to that time had been accepted by Christian people
in implicit faith, began to be formulated in verbal sym-
bols, and to be set forth in action by bowings of the
knee, and by prostrations of the body, and especially by
the elevation of the Sacrament. It was in these ways
that the faithful met the expressed avowals of unbelief
in that Sacrament. Ancient the lifting up of the
Sacrament was not in the eleventh century, but heresy
made it necessary then. Ancient the formula of
"homoousion" was not as a symbol of orthodoxy in the
year 325 ; ancient the custom of bowing the head at
NOTES ON THE MASS. 23
the sacred name and at the Gloria was not in the
Nicene age. But when unbelief denied the godhead of
the Son, new formulas and new ceremonial gestures
became necessary in order to repudiate new heresies,
to meet new forms of assault, and to set forth the
Church's ancient and unchanging faith. So, likewise,
the worship of Christ present under the form of bread
and wine was ever part of the deposit of faith, ^ but the
particular gesture of elevation expressive of that
adoration was not introduced until the denial of the
Eucharistic presence constrained the Church to bear
witness to the truth. Accordingly, the practice of the
Priest lifting the Sacrament over his head at sometime
after the consecration was then introduced and sanc-
tioned. By some Uses this elevation took place at the
end of the Canon, but by the Sarum, York and Here-
ford missals, it was directed to be made immediately
after the words of institution.
This practice, which in the sixteenth century was
generally observed throughout the Church of England,
was explicitly forbidden by a rubric of the first Prayer
Book placed after the words of consecration : "These
words before rehearsed are to be said turning still to
the altar, without any elevation or shewing the Sacra-
ment to the people."
This rubric is the only instance of the Prayer Book
absolutely prohibiting a gesture of worship common
to the Latin Uses. There is very grave question
whether the Book of 1 549 was ever set forth by the for-
mal authority of the Church of England. But, however
that may be, it is absolutely certain that this prohibition
1 Vide Arnauld, La Perpetutte de la Foi de I'Bglise Catholique touchant
I'Eucharistie, Paris, 1781,
24 NOTliS ON THE MASS,
of elevation was afterward expunged from the Prayer
Book, and has never been allowed a place in any Prayer
Book since, and so is no longer (if it ever was) any
part of the Church's law.
X. Op the Invocation.
The Form of the Eucharist is the words : "This is
my Body," and "This is my Blood ;" by these words
the consecration is effected and without them there is
no Sacrament. This is evident in the first place, from
the fact that the "visible sign or ceremony ordained
of God," for Baptism and the Eucharist being set
forth in the Gospel, no other form of words or invoca-
tion is therein delivered "according to Christ's ordi-
nance," for the celebration of the Eucharist, except only
the words with which he instituted this Sacrament.
This is also evident from the universal practice of the
Church which has always used these words in conse-
crating the Eucharist ; and especially is this evident
from the practice of the Church of England, for in
the case of the Sacrament failing before all have been
communicated, she directs the Priest to consecrate
more by pronouncing the bare words of institution
without any other accompanying prayer. And the
Church in this country has declared that she "is far
from intending to depart from the Church of England
in any essential point of doctrine, discipline or wor-
ship ;" and certainly the necessary form for conse-
crating the chief of the Sacraments is an essential
point of doctrine.
It has, however, been argued by a few, that the
American Church by inserting a form for the Invoca-
NOTKS ON the: MASS. 25
tion of the Holy Spirit in her Canon has thereby
departed from the doctrine of the Enghsh Prayer
Book, and adopted the opinion that it is by the e_piklesis
that the consecration of the Eucharist is effected^ and
not by the words of institution. But a consideration
of the history of the introduction of this paragraph
into our Prayer of Consecration renders untenable
any such conclusion.
Bishop Seabury, as a result of his intercourse with
the non-juring Bishops in Scotland, had embraced a
most extreme and extravagant theory as to the neces-
sity of a verbal invocation of the Holy Spirit in the
celebration of the Holy Sacrament, even going so far
as to question the validity of the Eucharist celebrated
by the English rite, in which "the consecration is made
to consist merely in the Priest laying his hands on the
elements and pronouncing 'This is my body,' " etc., and
which he tells us, "exactly symbolizes with the Church
of Rome in an error ; an error, too, on which the
absurdity of transubstantiation is bviilt."^ Consist-
ently with this opinion he discarded the use of the Eng-
lish Prayer of Consecration, and in 1786 set forth an
office^ derived from one of the Scotch forms, in which
after the prayer of oblation there follows this Invoca-
tion : "And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful
Father, to hear us, and of thy almighty goodness
vouchsafe to bless and sanctify with thy word and
Holy Spirit these thy gifts and creatures of bread and
wine, that they may become the body and blood of
thy most dearly beloved Son." It will be noticed how
absolutely consecratory this prayer is intended to be.
* Hawks, Documentary History of Conn. ii. p. 331.
•Reprinted in Litiirgice Americans, Documents, 13.
26 NOTCS ON THE MASS.
The Church in Connecticut, with its Bishop, had
held aloof from the tentative union which had been
brought about between the Churches of the other States.
The Convention of 1789, under the guidance of Bishop
White and Dr. William Smith, earnestly desired to
draw Connecticut into this union, and was prepared
to make all possible concessions and to adopt every
reasonable suggestion which would contribute to this
result. Accordingly, since the Bishop of Connecticut
desired the adoption of the chief features of his Com-
munion Office, the Convention, for the sake of peace
and concord, was ready, as far as consistency would
allow, to accommodate itself to his wishes. And there
was all the less disposition to oppose his desire, since
the Conventions of Pennsylvania and Maryland had
already asked for the insertion before the words of
institution of the prayer, "Hear us, O merciful Father,
we most humbly beseech thee, and of thy almighty
goodness vouchsafe to bless and sanctify these thy
creatures of bread and wine, that we receiving them
according to thy Son," etc.^ But no one who has any
knowledge of the state of feeling in the Church at
that time, and of the little influence possessed by
Bishop Seabury outside his own diocese, will suppose
for a moment that he had been able to convert the
delegates of the Convention of 1789 to his way of
thinking, so that the reason for their voting for the
proposed additions to the Prayer of Consecration was
the conviction on their part that the English form of
consecration was insufficient. As to the House of
Bishops in 1789, there was in it but one other Bishop,
and his vote determined the adoption of the proposed
' Liturgice Americans, Documents vi, viii.
NOTES ON THIv MASS. 27
additions to the Canon. And he tells ns expressly in
his Memoirs* that no such reason moved him to give
his vote and influence in favour of the measure, for
"he did not conceive with some that the service, as it
stood, was essentially defective."
But the Convention by its own formal action has
made it clear as daylight that it did not intend the
Invocation to be a consecratory prayer. So far was it
from giving any countenance to Bishop Seabury's
extreme notion of the necessity of a verbal epiklesis
to a valid consecration, or from desiring to commit in
any way the Church to so radical a departure from
the teaching of the Church of England, that it did
not adopt the wording of the Invocation as it stood
in the Connecticut Office. That wording might have
been corrected by the Convention inserting the words
"to us," so that the prayer would read, "that they may
become to us the body and blood of Christ." The
Convention, however, seemed to be desirous to guard
against any possible supposition that the prayer
was intended to be consecratory, and therefore it delib-
erately cut out the whole clause and substituted the
words, "that we receiving them according to thy Son
our Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remem-
brance of his death and passion, may be partakers of
his most blessed Body and Blood." By this alteration
the Invocation was changed from a prayer that the
bread and wine might become the Body and Blood
of Christ into one for a worthy reception of the Body
and Blood of Christ. We have only to place the two
forms in juxta-position to see at once how significant
is the theological alteration that was made.
* Bishop White, Memoirs, 2d ed., p. 154.
28 NOTi;S ON THE MASS.
Bishop Seabnry's Form. I Prayer Book Form.
And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful
Father to hear us ; and of thy almighty goodness, vouch-
safe to bless and sanctify with thy Word and Holy
Spirit these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine.
that they may become the
Body and Blood of thy
most dearly beloved Son.
that we receiving them
according to thy Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ's
holy institution, in re-
membrance of his death
and passion, may be par-
takers of his most blessed
Body and Blood.
The alteration thus made in the Invocation before
it was given a place in our Canon, has a parallel in
the action of the Roman censor, who in the seventeenth
century first revised the Armenian liturgy for the
Uniats. He retained, as did the General Convention
of 1789, the petition for the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on the holy gifts, but, like the General Conven-
tion, he so changed the rest of the Invocation as to
make it a prayer, not that the bread and wine might
become the Body and Blood of Christ, but for a worthy
reception of the Sacrament,^ thus removing all verbal
inconsistency with the teaching of the Roman Church,
which, like the Church of England, holds that the form
of the Eucharist is the words of institution.
It is also noteworthy that the phraseology of our
Invocation coincides with the explanation given at the
Council of Florence by the Greeks desirous of union
with the Roman See. "We profess," they said, "that
by these words (/. e., the words of institution) the
^ cf. Galano, ConcHiatio Ecclesia: Armence cum Romano, Rome, 1658,
t. ii., 538-603. Le Brun does not think that either this or the subse-
quent alterations were necessary, as in his judgment the epiklesis of
the Oriental rites is in no way inconsistent with the definition of the
Council of Trent. (.Explication, t. iii, diss, x.)
NOTKS ON THE MASS. 29
holy bread is transubstantiated and made the Body of
Christ, but afterwards, just as you yourselves (/. c,
the Latins) say: 'Command that these things be borne
by the hands of thy holy Angel to thine altar on high,'
so we also pray, beseeching : 'that the Holy Ghost may
come down upon us, and make this bread to be unto us
the precious Body of his Christ, and that which is in
the Chalice the precious Blood of his Christ, and that
he may change them by his Holy Ghost, so that they
may be unto us that partake for purification of soul,
for remission of sins, and not for judgment, nor for
condemnation.' ""
The alteration made by the General Convention in
the wording of the Invocation as it stood in the Con-
necticut Office, demonstrates how careful it was to
give no endorsement to Bishop Seabury's extreme
position, and also how desirous it was to continue to
adhere to the teaching of the English Prayer Book on
this point. The significance of the modification made
was fully appreciated by the Connecticut clergy. The
action of the Convention was not what they had desired
and hoped for. They, indeed, assented to the new
Prayer Book, but with some reluctance, determining, at
the Convocation held in Newtown in 1790, to "ap-
proach as near the Old Liturgy as a compliance with
the rubrics of the New will allow. "^ Some of the
clergy, however, would have nothing at all to do with
the new Communion Office, and persisted in the' use of
the form set forth by their Bishop, in which the
Invocation is so absolutely consecratory. Even as late
as 1819, Bishop Brownell, we are told, "found some
• Labbe et Cossart, Concilia, xiii, 491.
' A Voice from Connecticut, p. 27.
30 NOTES ON rut MASS.
of the older clergy still using Bishop Seabury's Gom-
miinion Office, and that he had considerable difficulty
in persuading them to substitute the Prayer Book office
in its place. "^
Our Invocation speaks of "creatures of bread and
wine" after the consecration has taken place. The Latin
Canon does likewise: "Per quern [i. e., Christum] haec
omnia, Domine, semper bona creas, sanctificas, vivifi-
cas, benedicis, et praestas nobis." Whatever the "haec
omnia" may have been intended originally to refer to.
there is no doubt that now they are made to refer to the
sacramental species on the altar, for the rubric directs
the Latin Priest that he "signat ter super Hostiam et
caliccm simul," as he says the concluding words. But
in speaking of the consecrated species as ''creatures of
bread and wine," or, as having been 'created sancti-
fied, quickened, blessed and bestowed upon us by God
through his Son Christ our Lord' there is nothing
incongruous. It must be remembered that although
by the Words of Consecration the bread has been
already changed into the Body of Christ, and the wine
into his Blood, so that "the inward part or thing"
(res) which is present upon the altar is the Body and
Blood of Christ, according to our Lord's own words :
"This is my Body," and "This is my Blood," neverthe-
less all the properties of bread and wine remain un-
changed, as says Saint Thomas: "Nothing which ap-
peals to the senses {secundum sensuin) is changed."
"That the Body and Blood of Christ might be had for
spiritual and divine refreshment, and not as common
meat and drink, and that horror might not be provoked
by the eating of human flesh and blood ; it is received
* Hart, Bishop Seabury's Com. Office, p. 27.
NOTES ON TIIIC MASS. 3I
under the species of bread and wine. Nevertheless
we do not say that this so comes to pass, as if these
species zvhich appear in the Sacrament were only the
mere fancy of the beholder, as is wont to be the case
in the illusions of magic, because nothing unreal is
becotning to the truth of this Sacrament."^ And so
recent a writer as Gasparri tells us that "the common
opinion among theologians is that the Eucharistic
species are something objectively real ;" and that this
opinion has a twofold reason : in the first place, "the
Eucharist would not have the nature of a Sacrament
if the sensible element ceased to be real ;" in the second
place, "this opinion, which is everywhere received in
the schools, is more agreeable with the words of the
Fathers and Councils."^" These species then, which are
the veils under which, and the means by which we
receive the Body and Blood of Christ, may with perfect
truth, nay must be acknowledged to have been "created
by God through Christ," and to be still "creatures of
bread and wine." And there is nothing inconsistent
with the doctrine, that the consecration is effected by
the words of institution, that we should afterwards
pray that we receiving the forms of bread and wine
may be partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ
already present under these outward forms.
XI. Of the Posture oe the Celebrant while Com-
municating HiMSELE.
The posture of the Priest when communicating him-
self in the Mass is always standing, and never kneeling.
The irreverence of the Puritan laity expressed by their
• St. Thorn. Aquin. Contra Grceco.-;, cap. viii.
1' Gasparri, Trac. Canon, de Sanctiss. Eucharistica, i. p. 8.
33 NOTRS ON THE MASS.
refusal to kneel when receiving the Sacrament, led
many of the Bishops of the seventeenth century to
insist strenuously upon the general observance of
kneeling, even by the celebrant, when Communion was
received. But, however laudable the motive of these
Bishops was, there can be no doubt that on this point
they were supported by no law of the Prayer Book, as
indeed Bishop Cosin admits, and were acting clean
contrary to the traditional practice of the Church of
England. This is not the only instance in which these
good Bishops, from excellent motives, took a line
of action quite ultra vires, and in defense of which
little can be said.
Some of the reasons for the Celebrant standing at
his Communion may briefly be summarized : First, In
communicating himself, he exercises a twofold office.
He is the minister of the Sacrament, and he is also
the recipient of the Sacrament. But the former office
being one of authority is of greater dignity than the
latter; and therefore it takes precedence of the office
of recipient, even to the Celebrant communicating him-
self before he communicates the Bishop of the diocese.
And as in administering all the other Sacraments, the
minister assumes the posture of authority {i. e., he
either stands or sits), so in the Mass, when administer-
ing to himself the Communion, he should also assume
the posture of authority, which in this case is standing.
His humble acknowledgment of unworthiness and of
thankfulness as a recipient is expressed by his genu-
flecting after he has received the Sacrament.
In the second place, the posture of standing was the
universal custom of the English Priests under all the
old Uses. And as there never has been any rubric or
NOTES ON THE MASS. 33
law abrogating this custom, it still continues in full
force.
If, in reply to this, it is urged that the rubric "all
devoutly kneeling" is intended to apply to the Cele-
brant as well as to the people, the answer is : that if
such an interpretation is admissible grammatically
(as it is not), then the Priest must be bound not only
"to receive" kneeling, but also "to deliver" the Sacra-
ment kneeling, which is an absurdity.
The rubric which stands before the Prayer of Conse-
cration directs the Priest to stand, and there is no
direction afterward for him to kneel. Bishop Cosin
perceived the force of this, and admitted that the posi-
tion of this rubric "hath left the Priest to receive the
Sacrament standing, there being no rubric or appoint-
ment to alter his gesture after this ;" and again : "In
the Priest's taking of the Sacrament to himself there is
no direction either for his kneeling when he takes it,
or for the words which he is then to say."^
Cosin, who desired that the Priest should be required
to kneel, accordingly proposed to the Convocation of
1661 that the rubric should be amended so as to read,
"Then shall the priest that celebrateth receive the holy
Communion in both kinds upon his knees himself ;"
and that afterwards there should stand the rubric,
"Then shall he stand up, and proceed to deliver the
holy Communion first to the Bishops," etc. But the
Convocation did not adopt either of his suggestions,
and so left the ancient custom to be continued.
Finally, nothing could be more express and to the
point than the declaration of the House of Bishops, in
' Parker, An Introduction to the History of the Successive Revisions,
pp. ccxtii, ccxx. cf. Bp. Cosin's Notes on th.e Pr. Bk., Works. Ang.
Cath. Lib. vol. v.
34 NOTES ON Tllli MASS.
the General Convention of 1832, "as to the proper
postures to be used in the Communion Office" : "First,
with regard to the officiating priest, they are of the
opinion that as the Holy Communion is of a spiritually
sacrificial character, the standing posture should be
observed by him, wherever that of kneeling is not ex-
pressly prescribed, to wit : in all parts, including the
ante-communion and the post-communion, except the
confession, and the prayer immediately preceding the
prayer of consecration."" Here clearly our Bishops
rule, in accordance with the ancient tradition of the
whole Church, that the Priest should stand when he
communicates himself.
Xn. Of the Rubric, "Ie the Consecrated Bread or
Wine be Spent," etc.
There have been four opinions among theologians as
to the essential act of the holy Sacrifice. The first
holds that it consists in the reception of the victim, i. c,
in the Communion ; the second, that it lies in the formal
oblation of the victim after consecration ; the third, that
it is in the consecration alone ; the fourth, that it con-
sists both in the consecration and in the consumption of
the victim. This last opinion being the safest is in
practice always followed, and therefore the greatest
care is exercised to secure the integrity of the Sacrifice
by the Communion of the Priest. Hence the chapter
De Defectihus in the Roman missal, and the Cautclcc
Miss(E of the Sarum are chiefly concerned in making
provision for the supplying of possible defects which
might occur until after the Communion of the Priest;
^ Jonrvnl of General Com'., 1833, Oct. 29th.
NOTlv3 Ox\ THE MASS. 35
then the Sacrifice is perfected beyond a doubt, and
their soHcitude ends.
In the case contemplated by the rubric the Sacrifice
has been perfected, as every theologian would allow,
for there has been a consecration and a Communion,
and to the Sacrifice, so perfected nothing can be added.
And, therefore, no parallel can be drawn between this
rubric and any provision in the chapter Dc Defectihus
or in the Caiitelce Misscc, for this rubric provides, not
for the supplying of any defect in the integrity of the
Sacrifice, but for the obtaining of a sufficiency of the
sacred species to communicate the rest of the people.
This manifestly can only be done by a fresh consecra-
tion, that is, by a fresh Celebration of the Sacrament ;
and, therefore, the rubric very rightly directs, not that
more of the species which has failed shall be conse-
crated, but that both species shall be consecrated in due
order, according to the divine institution. For as
Saint Thomas says, "The consecration of both species
is required for the perfection of the Sacrament ; if,
therefore, when the Body Is consecrated the Blood is
not consecrated, the Sacrament remains imperfect."^
And again : "If the Priest should say only the words of
consecration of the blood, he would not observe the due
order of consecrating, as is also said in a canon of the
Council of Toledo: "Sacrifices do not seem to be per-
fect unless they are accomplished in a perfect order. "-
Here we may observe that the corresponding rubric in
the English Prayer Book, which, unlike ours appar-
ently, allows one species to be consecrated without the
other, is open to very grave theological exceptions.
* In Sent., iv. d. viii. q. ii. art. iv.
" Sunima, iii. 83, 6.
36 NOTES ON THE MASS.
Our rubric still further accentuates the distinction be-
tween this consecration and the previous one, by also
requiring a fresh verbal oblation.
Furthermore, not only ought there to be a consecra-
tion of both species, as required by the express words
of the rubric, but the Priest ought also to communicate
himself with the Sacrament which he has consecrated,
for the Sacrifice, as has been said, is probably only
perfected by the consumption of the victim. The de-
cision of the Twelfth Council of Toledo (A. D. 68i)
bears upon this point : "What sort of a Sacrifice will
that be at which not even the Sacrificer himself is
known to have partaken ? Therefore, it is to be firmly
held by every one, that whenever the Sacrificer immo-
lates the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,
so often shall he make himself a partaker [of the
altar] by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ."
And Saint Thomas quotes this council and says : "It is
necessary that the Priest, whenever he consecrates,
should receive this Sacrament integre."^ The Twenty-
first Canon of 1604 lays down the same rule: "Every
minister, as oft as he administereth the Communion
shall first receive that Sacrament himself;" and a
second consecration of the Eucharist is a fresh cele-
bration of the Communion. Finally, this principle is
clearly, though impliedly, recognized in the rubric
under consideration, in that it requires the saying, not
only of the words of institution and the oblation, but
also the Invocation ; in which the Priest prays over the
holy gifts, "that we (which word primarily includes
himself) receiving them according to thy Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance
* Sumtna, iii, 82, 4.
NOTES ON THE MASS. 37
of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most
1)lessed Body and Blood," and thus clearly implies that
he himself is about to receive the Sacrament which he
has just consecrated.
XIII. Oe the Veiuno oe the Sacrament.
The "fair linen cloth," with which the Priest is
directed to cover what remains of the consecrated ele-
ments, is not what is technically known as a veil, but
is a corporal. This is evident by referring to the cor-
responding rubric in the Scotch Book, from which our
rubric was taken in 1662. where it reads : "When all
have communicated, he that celebrates shall go to the
Lord's Table, and cover with a fair linen cloth, or
Corporal, that which remaineth of the consecrated ele-
ments." Anciently, this corporal was made so large
that when the chalice and paten were placed upon it,
one end could be turned over to cover them. This
was not a convenient arrangement, and at length two
cloths were used, one of which was spread under the
oblations, and the other was placed folded upon the
chalice, both being called corporals, or palls, or corporal
palls. The second cloth, for the sake of convenient
handling, was often starched stiflf, and at length it
took its present form of a piece of white linen, kept
in shape by card-board, and known exclusively as the
pall.^ So that, historically, this pall is the "fair linen
cloth" referred to by the rubric; and by placing the
paten on top of the chalice (precedent for which will
be found below) it is possible to cover what remains
of the Sacrament with this one cloth, and so fulfill the
requirement of the rubric.
I- See Bona, De Reb. Lit., lib. i. cap. xxv. ii.
38 NOTES ON TllK MASS.
This, however, is not a veiHng of the chaHce, and
by strict ritual propriety the chaHce should only remain
unveiled during the Missa Pidclium, that is from the
Offertory until after the Communion. Gavantus states
this rule in the following words : "The veil is removed
from the chalice (at the Offertory) that it may be seen
by the people, because during this part of the Mass the
Passion of Christ is clearly represented, and therefore
when this representation is ended, which comes to pass,
as we have said, when the Communion is done, the
chalice is again veiled that it may not be seen, but may
be entirely hidden. "-
Consistently with this principle, the chalice was
covered immediately after the Communion in all the
Latin Uses. And on Christmas Day, when the Latin
Priest says three Masses, and the ablutions are not
received until the last, at the first two Masses, he places
the paten upon the chalice, covers both with the pall,
and then spreads the silk veil over all, although no
ablution of the chalice has been made. So also, on
Maundy Thursday when the host is reserved on the
altar until the end of the service, the chalice in which
it is placed is covered with a pall, upon which is placed
the paten inverted, and then a white silk veil is spread
over all. And with regard to other times, the Roman
missal gives what was probably the old rule: "If any
particles remain in a chalice or other vessel upon the
altar until the end of the Mass, those directions are to
be observed which are prescribed with regard to the
conclusion of the Mass on Maundy Thursday."^
If then we would veil the chalice in accordance with
''Thesaurus, t. i. p. ii. tit. xvi., 11. See also Merati, Nov. Obs.,
p. ii. tit. ii. xiv.
8 Ritus, X.. 7.
NOTES ON THE MASS. 39
ancient custom, and for the symbolical reason given
above, we have in the examples cited a clear ceremonial
precedent to guide us as to the proper way in which
it is to be done. The paten ought first to be placed
upon the chalice, and both covered with the linen pall
(as is also required by our own rubric), and then over
the pall the silk veil ought to be spread and arranged
so as to cover the foot of the chalice.
It may be objected, however, that as the veil which
is used on Maundy Thursday to cover the chalice with
the reserved Sacrament is a white one, that therefore
the one we use for the same purpose, ought not to be
the usual chalice veil, but should always be a white one.
But to this it may be answered that the veil for the
reserved Sacrament on Maundy Thursday is white,
because white is the colour of the day. And white was
originally used on this day, not because of the Sacra-
ment, but because of the blessing of the holy oils which
took place during the Mass. "White," says Innocent
III., "is used on Maundy Thursday because of the
making of the chrism, which is consecrated for the
cleansing of the soul."* So that very many rites ex-
pressly direct that white shall not be used on Maundy"
Thursday, but red, if the oils are not to be blessed.
And at Palencia, in Spain, where black was used on
this day, a black veil was also used to cover the vessel
with the reserved Sacrament.'
*De Sacro Altaris Mysterio, lib. i. cap. Ixiv.
» As, for example, the Lyons Missal prescribes red for Maundy
Thursday "ubi non coniicitur chrisma;" and this continued to be the
use in the diocese of I,yons down till the suppression of the French
rites by Pius IX. Red was also the colour of the Mass on this day,
according to the Missalc Parisiense.
' Dr. J. Wickham Legg, Comparison of the Liturgical Colours.
Transactions of the St. Paul's Ecclesiological Society, vol. i., part iii., p.
no.
40 NOTES ON THE MASS.
XIV. Of the Postures oe the People at Gloria in
EXCELSIS.
The English Prayer Book has no direction as to the
posture of the people while Gloria in excelsis is being
said, but the traditional custom was undoubtedly stand-
ing. And this custom has been recognized and
expressly ordered by the rubric of our American
Prayer Book : "Then shall be said or sung, all standing,
Gloria in excelsis." But within late years, there has
been introduced into a number of parishes the con-
trary custom of the people remaining on their knees
during this hymn. This innovation not only disregards
the Church's explicit direction, but is also a violation
of Catholic custom.
The very character of the Gloria in excelsis is suffi-
cient of itself to indicate the inappropriateness of
kneeling while it is being said. It is a hymn of lofty
praise and thanks, beginning with the words, "Glory
be to God on high," and closing with the ascription,
"thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most
high in the glory of God the Father," and so at once
suggests standing as the proper posture while it is
being said or sung. Accordingly, all the old rites
directed this posture. By the Sarum missal "all clerks
were bound to stand turned to the altar when in the
Mass Gloria in excelsis was precented, and while the
choir sang it."^ The same rule is found in the Ordinals
of Exeter^ and Wells.^ And the Lay Folks Mass
Book also directs standing whether they "synges or
^ Missale ad usum Sarum, Burntisland, p. 586.
^ Reynolds, Ordinate Exon., 9 b.
* Reynolds, Ordinale Wellen, 4.
NOTRS ON the; MASS. 4 1
sayes" the Gloria in excclsis.* So likewise under the
modern Roman rite, "all in choir stand at Gloria in
excelsis," and 'the same posture is to be observed by
laymen who are present.'^
It may be objected, however, that this hymn in the
Latin rites is at the beginning of the Mass, while in
our present office it is said in the presence of the Sac-
rament, and that, therefore, kneeling is the more
becoming posture. But the notion that standing is out
of place when the Sacrament is exposed on the altar
is a wholly mistaken one, and is without support by the
ceremonial customs of the West. The Coninninio
occupies in the Roman Mass precisely the same rela-
tive place as Gloria in excclsis in our rite, and yet
Gavantus says, that if while this anthem is being sung
the Sacrament is still present, the choir is "to stand
in order to shew reverence to the most holy Sacra-
ment."" And De Herdt tells us, that when Mass is said
in the presence of the exposed Sacrament, "it is becom-
ing that all present should stand out of reverence for so
great a Sacrament,"^ which, of course, involves stand-
ing at the Gloria.
It will be seen then that this rubric of our American
Prayer Book is perfectly in accord with both old
English and modern Roman usage. And, therefore, the
faithful in obediently conforming to its direction,
may feel quite sure that they are assuming that
posture which at that time is most reverent, and most
becoming the honour then due to the Sacramental pres-
ence.
* Simmons, pp. 14, 16, 191.
" Bauldry, Manuale iii, xvi. 7, 27.
• Thesaurus, t. i. p. i. tit. xvii, 7 c.
'' Sacrce Liturgtte Praxis, t. i., 146, p. 196.
42 NOTES ON THE MASS.
XV. Of the Post-Communion.
A variable prayer at the conclusion of the Mass,
called the Fostcommunio, the Complenda, or the Or alio
ad complendum, is a feature of all the Latin liturgies.
In the Uses of the Roman liturgy it comes before the
Ite niissa est or the Benediction, and is like the Collect
in its structure. In the Prayer Book of 1549 only one
unvarying Post-Communion was provided, the prayer,
"Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily
thank," etc. The poverty of this arrangement could not
but be felt, and in the Ordinal of 1550, a proper Post-
Communion was provided for each of the offices of
Ordination. In 1552, the prayer above mentioned was
moved from its position as a Post-Communion, and
with the Lord's Prayer was placed after the administra-
tion of the Communion (where it still stands), and
made to correspond to the prayer Gratias tibi
which, by the Sarum and other rites, was said after the
Communion. This prayer in the old rites was said in
the midst of the altar ; in which place the corresponding
prayer in our rite ought also to be said.
The Prayer Book has clearly no intention of doing
away with the Post-Communions altogether, for the
ones proper to the offices of ordination are still
retained in their old place "immediately before the Ben-
ediction." And our American Prayer Book has in addi-
tion a proper one in the Office for the Consecrating a
Church, and has also provided for the use of the
Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings as Post-Com-
munions, by permitting them to be said "before the
Benediction."
In the old English Uses, the Post-Communion was
NOTES ON THE MASS. 43
said at the Epistle side of the altar, and this is, there-
fore, the proper place for saying the Post-Communions
in our office. The fact that the Sacrament is still pres-
ent on the altar is no reason for saying these prayers in
the midst of the altar. Here again the ceremonies at
the conclusion of the Mass on Maundy Thursday, and
those observed in a Mass before the exposed Sacrament
will guide us as to what ought to be done. In both
these instances, the book is moved as usual, the Priest
genuflects to the Sacrament, and then says the Post-
Communion at the Epistle side. Accordingly, in our
rite the book ought to be moved towards the end of
Gloria in excelsis or during the hymn which is said in
its place, and the Priest having genuflected to the
veiled Sacrament, should then say the Post-Com-
munion, one or more, at the Epistle side of the altar.
XVI. Of the Last Gospeu
The Gospel In principio is the latest of the additions
which were made to the Priest's private devotions at
Mass. By the Sarum missal it was said privately by
the Priest when returning from the altar : but that it
became the custom to say it at the altar is evident from
a decree of a provincial council of Canterbury held in
1305, by which stipendiary or other Priests were for-
bidden to begin their Masses on Sundays and feast
days until "post lectum evangelicum majoris missas."
That the gospel here referred to was not the gospel of
the day, but the one said at the end of Mass, is clear
from Lyndwood's gloss, which interprets these words
as meaning: "Non ante solemnem missam Unitam."^
^Provinciate, lib. iii. tit. 23, p. 238, m.
44 NOTES ON TITF, MASS.
And in the \'ernon MS. of the Lay folks ]['Iass Book
(p. 146), the people are bidden to remain for In prin-
cipio: —
Pray also our Lady, and I would tell
That ye forget not the Gospel
For aught that may befall :
Take a good intention thereto
It is the In principio
In Latin that men call.
The same direction is given in Lydgate's Vertue of
the Masse}
Entering the church, with all humility,
To hear Mass in the morning at your rising
Dispose yourself, kneeling on the knee.
For to be there at the beginning.
From the time of his revesting,
Depart not till he have done :
To all thy works there is great furthering
To abide the end of In principio.
Becon also refers to it as the common custom in his
day : After the post-communion, "Ye turn to the people
and say Dominus Vohisciim . . . ; and with Ite,
missa est, ye bid them go home, . . . and saying
the beginning of Saint John's Gospel, ye bless you, and
cross you. . . . After all these things ... ye
shut up your book." After the Gospel, he tells us that
the Priest unvested and left the altar.^
^Quoted in Lay Folks, etc., p. 163.
•Works, vol. iii., p. 282, Parker Sec.
^tmmi (Untmanmi Itr^rtumB,
In the Celebration of the Holy Mysteries, the Priest
ministers before the Almighty God who has declared
himself to be "a consuming fire," and the sacrifice
which he offers is nothing less than the Body and
Blood of the eternal Son of God. The con-
sciousness of this truth ought to be present
with him, and be manifest in his whole bearing.
In going to and from the altar, he should proceed with
solemn gait, holding his head erect, but with his eyes
cast down. In passing from one part of the altar to
another, he should never move sideways, but should
first turn his face in the direction in which he is going,
and then proceed. He should avoid all exaggerated
gestures, and everything suggestive of affectation. In
a word, every act and motion ought to be pervaded by
a quiet dignity and manly reverence.
1. Of Reading: The Priest should read all those
parts of the Mass prescribed by the Prayer Book in a
clear and intelligible tone of voice, avoiding on the one
hand everything suggestive of declamation, and on the
other of carelessness. The words should be pronounced
without hurry, so that those present may hear, and at
the same time the service should not be prolonged by
excessive slowness
2. Of the Bowings: Bowings are of two kinds, of
the body and of the head ; they are either profound or
moderate. When the Priest is at the Epistle side or in
45
46 GENERAL CliKEMONlAL DIKJSCTIONS.
the midst of the altar, all the bows are made towards
the cross, except those which may be made at the name
of a saint, and which are made towards the book. The
bows which are made during the reading of the Gospel
are made towards the book. After the consecration all
acts of reverence are directed towards the Sacrament.^
(a) A profound bow of the body is the inclining of
the body so that the extremities of the fingers will touch
the knees, or so that the forehead will almost touch the
top of the altar.- It is made at the following places :
(i) When the Priest first approaches the altar, if the
Blessed Sacrament be not reserved. (2) Immediately
before he begins his private preparation at the foot of
the altar, if the Blessed Sacrament be not reserved.
(3) During the Confiteor and until the server has said,
"Almighty God have mercy," etc. (4) At the private
prayers before the Gospel.
(b) A moderate bow of the body is the inclining of
the head and shoulders so that, when the Priest is
standing at the altar his forehead will be brought al-
most as low as the pall on the chalice.^ It is made:
(i) At the versicles after the Confiteor. (2) At the
prayer, "We pray thee, O Lord," etc. (3) At the
prayer, "In the spirit of humility," etc. (4) At, "Re-
ceive, O Holy Trinity," etc. (5) Ai the Sanctus. (6)
At the consecration of each species. (7) At the three
private prayers before the communion of the Priest.
(8) At, "Lord, I am not worthy," etc. (9) When the
Priest communicates himself with the Host.
(c) The head is bowed: (i) To the cross in the
^ Romsee, Praxis Cel. Missam, t. i. p. i. a. vi.
-De Herdt, Sacrce Liturgia Praxis, t. i. 121.
8 76W.
GENERAL CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS. 47
sacristy before proceeding to the altar, and after re-
turning. (2) At Gloria Patri at the end of the psalms
Judica and Lavabo. (3) Each time the Priest says
"Let us pray." (4) At the word "God," in the be-
ginning of the Creed, and also at the words, "together
is worshipped." (5) At the special commemoration
of the living, and of the dead. (6) At the words, "and
when he had given thanks," before each consecration.
(7) At the Agnus. (8) In the Gloria in excelsis at
the word "God" in the beginning; and at the words
"we worship thee;" "we give thanks to thee;" "receive
our prayer;" and "O Christ." (9) During the prayer,
"Let this my bounden duty," etc. (10) Before the
lowest step of the altar at the end of the Mass,
if the Sacrament be not reserved. (11) Each time he
passes to or from the midst of the altar, except when
he has just been bowing profoundly to the altar, or is
about to kiss the altar.* (12) The head is bowed pro-
foundly each time the sacred name of "Jesus" is men-
tioned ; and moderately at the name of "Mary," and at
the name of the Saint whose feast is being kept.
3. Of the Genuflections: A genuflection is made by
bringing the right knee down to the ground near to the
left foot, the head being held erect ; as soon as the
Priest touches the floor with his knee, he immediately
rises without delay. When a genuflection is made at
the altar before the consecration, the hands are placed
on the altar beyond the corporal, but after consecration
and before the ablutions they are placed upon the cor-
poral.' When the Priest kneels on both knees as at the
* Romsee, Praxis Cel. Missam, t. i. p. ii. Summarium.
" It is a general ceremonial principle, that when the hands are placed
upon the altar before consecration, they are placed beyond the corporal,
so as not to soil it unnecessarily; but after consecration and before the
48 GENERAL CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS.
Confession and the prayer immediately before the
Canon, he withdraws his hands from the altar, and
keeps them joined before the breast during the time he
is kneeling/' A genuflection on the right knee is made
at the following places : ( i ) Before the lowest step,
when the Priest first approaches the altar, if the Blessed
Sacrament be in the tabernacle. (2) At the same
place, immediately before beginning the Mass,
if the Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle.
(3) In the Creed, at the words, "And was incarnate
. . . and was made man." (4) Before and after
the elevation of the Host, and before and after the
elevation of the chalice. (5) Before the words "By
whom, and with whom," etc. (6) At the end of Canon
after the words "World without end." (7) Before
the Fraction of the Host which takes place after the
Canon. (8) After the Commixture. (9) Before the
words, "Lord I am not worthy," etc. (10) After the
Priest has communicated himself with the Host and
uncovered the chalice. (11) After he has received the
sacred Blood. (12) After communicating each railful
of the people with the Body of the Lord, the Priest re-
places the paten or ciborium upon the corporal, un-
covers the chalice, and genuflects. (13) Having com-
municated each railful with the sacred Blood, he re-
places the chalice on the corporal, genuflects, and then
taking the paten or ciborium proceeds to communicate
the next railful. (14) After all have been communi-
cated and before the Lord's Prayer. (15) Immediately
ablutions, they are placed on the corporal, so that if any of the sacred
particles should be detached from the fingers they may fall upon the
corporal, and afterwards be gathered up when the corporal is swept
with the paten at the ablutions.
* Romsee, Praxis Cel. Mis., t. i. p. i. a. vi.
GENERAL CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS. 49
after the Gloria in cxcelsis, before he goes to the Epistle
side to say the Post-Communion prayers. (16) Im-
mediately before the Blessing. (17) Immediately
after the Blessing. (18) Again after uncovering the
chalice and paten, and before consuming what remains
of the Sacrament. (19) In the last Gospel, at the
words, "And the Word was made flesh." (20) Before
the lowest step of the altar at the end of the Mass, if
the Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle.
It will be observed that if the Sacrament is reserved,
the Priest makes three genuflections which are not
otherwise made, viz. : one when he first approaches
the altar, one just before "In the name," etc., and one
before leaving the altar. But the server genuflects
each time he passes the midst.
4. Of the Extending and Lifting up of the Hands:
When the hands are to be extended, they are first
joined, and then raised as high as the shoulders, the
upper part of the arm being kept close to the body, and
the palm of one hand turned directly towards the other .'^
This position of the hands is the ancient atti-
tude of prayer,* and is observed at all the
prayers which are said aloud. It is also observed
in ascriptions of praise, as at the beginning of the
Creed, during the Preface, at the first clause of the
Canon, and at the beginning of the Gloria in excelsis.
5. Of the Joining of the Hands: (a) When the hands
' Romsee Bauldry, Merati, et omnes alii.
* Tertullian (De Oratione, c. ix. 14) says, "We not only Wft
them (our hands) up, but even spread them out, modelling them
after the Lord's Passion, and while we pray, confess Christ." "Praying
with modesty and humility, we shall the rather commend our prayers
unto God, not even our hands being uplifted too high, but being lifted
up with moderation and seemliness." (Ibid. c. ix. 17) cf. also S.
Cyprian, Exhort, ad Mart., c. viii.; S. Greg. Nyssa, in Vita Mosis; and
Prudentius, hytnno 6, peri Stcphanon.
Cf. also S. Thorn., SHinma, p. iii. q. 83, art. v. Ad quin.
50 GENERAL CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS.
are joined before the breast one palm is placed directly
against the other, the corresponding fingers are applied
the one to the other, and the right thumb is placed
upon the left in the form of a cross ; but after the con-
secration and before the ablutions, the thumbs are not
crossed, the thumb and forefinger of each hand being
kept joined together." When the hands are held before
the breast, the fingers are turned a little upwards. It
is a general rule, that when the Priest is not performing
any action with his hands, he should keep them joined
before his breast. But when he is seated, the hands
are extended upon the knees.
(b) In certain places the joined hands are placed
upon the altar, as an expression of humility.^" In
which case the extremities of the longer fingers rest
upon the edge of the corporal, and the little fingers
touch the front part of the altar." This position of
the hands is observed at the following places : ( i ) At
the prayer, "We pray thee, O Lord," etc. (2) At,
"In the spirit of humility," etc. (3) At, "Receive, O
Holy Trinity," etc. (4) At the three private prayers
before the Priest makes his communion. (5) At,
"Let this my bounden duty," etc. In all of which
places the Priest also observes to bow his body, except
at the last when he bows his head only.
6. Of the Making the Sign of the Cross: (a) When
the Priest signs himself, the left hand is placed a little
below the breast, and his right hand being open and
the fingers close to one another, he touches with the
longer fingers first his forehead, then his breast, then
• Authors generally.
1" S. Thorn., Summa,p. iii. q. 83. art. v. Ad. quin.
1' Authors generally.
GENERAL CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS. 5 1
his left shoulder, and afterwards his right shoulder.
After the consecration and before the ablutions, the
finger and thumb of each hand are kept joined together,
and the left hand is so placed below the breast that these
fingers do not touch the chasuble, lest any of the sacred
particles adhere to it.^-
(b) When the priest makes the sign of the cross
over the people at the Absolution, his left hand is
placed a little below the breast, and not upon the
altar, and with the open right hand, held upright, the
fingers being close together, he makes the sign of the
cross perpendicularly towards the people by moving
his hand in a straight line from the height of his fore-
head down as far as the lower part of his breast, and
then moving it from left to right about the height of
the upper part of his breast.^^ He makes the sign of
the cross in the same way at the Blessing, except that
the thumb and forefinger of each hand are joined
together.
(c) When he makes the sign of the cross over the
oblations before consecration, the left hand rests upon
the altar beyond the corporal, and with the open right
hand he makes the sign of the cross by drawing a
straight line over the oblations towards himself, and
then another line from left to right over the obla-
tions. After consecration, when the sign of the cross
is made over the Sacrament, the thumb and forefinger
of each hand are kept joined together, and the left
hand rests upon the corporal.^*
7. Of the Smiting of the Breast: The smiting of the
'- Idem.
'^ Romsee, Prax. Cel. Mis., t. i. p. i. vi.
'* Authors generally.
52 GENERAL CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS.
breast is an act expressive of penitence, and of the
sense of unworthiness. The left hand is placed below
the breast, and the breast is struck with the extremities
of the longer fingers of the right hand. If the Priest
is at the altar, the left hand is placed upon it beyond
the corporal ; but after consecration it is placed on the
corporal, except at "Lord, I am not worthy," etc.,
when the left hand holds the paten and Host. Care
should be taken that no sound is made, and that, after
consecration, the thumb and forefinger are not brought
in contact with the chasuble.^^ The breast is struck at
the following places : ( i ) Thrice in the Coniiteor, at
the words, "by my fault, by my own fault, by my own
most grievous fault." (2) Thrice in the general Con-
fession, at the words, "by thought, word, and deed."
(3) Once in the Canon, at the words, "And although
we are unworthy." (4) Thrice in the Agnus, viz.:
once at the words, "have mercy upon us ;" and once
again at the second "have mercy upon us ;" and the
third time at "grant us thy peace." But in the
Requiem Masses the breast is not struck during
the Agnus because these words are not said. (5)
Thrice at the words, "Lord, I am not worthy," etc.
8. Of the Lifting up of the Eyes: It is recorded in
more than one place in the Gospel that our Lord was
wont in prayer to look up to heaven, and an apostolic
tradition, enshrined in very many of the ancient litur-
gies, tells us that, before instituting the blessed Sacra-
ment, "he lifted up his eyes to heaven, unto God his
Father."^*' And, therefore, the Christian Priest, fol-
lowing the example of his Lord, has been accustomed
at certain places in the celebration of the Holy Mys-
^'^ Authors generally. " Canon Miss*.
GENERAL CEREMONIAL DIRECTIONS. 53
teries, to observe the same action. When the eyes are
directed to be raised, they are Hfted to the cross, with-
out any motion of the head." They are raised at the
following places : ( i ) Immediately before the prayer,
"Cleanse my heart," etc. (2) At the oblation of the
bread, as he says the words, "Receive, O Holy
Father, Almighty, everlasting God." (3) At the
oblation of the chalice, while he says the prayer, "We
offer unto thee," etc. (4) As he says the words,
"Come, O thou the Sanctifier." (5) Immediately
before the prayer, "Receive, O Holy Trinity," etc.
(6) In the beginning of the Canon, at the words, "to
thee, Almighty God." (7) In the Canon, immediately
after the words, "he took bread."
9. Of the Kissing of the Altar: The kisses with which
the altar is saluted are made by the Priest as expressive
of a reverential regard and love for Jesus Christ.
The same is to be said of the kiss which is given to the
cross on the amice, maniple, and stole, and to the book
of the Gospels.^* When the Priest is about to salute
the people, he first takes the salutation from the altar,
which represents Jesus Christ,^® and then turning to
the people, he bestows it upon them. Anciently there
were a number of salutations to the people in the Mass.
but the only ones which we now have are the "Let us
pray for the whole state," etc., answering to the Orate
fratres, and the Blessing at the end, so that the num-
ber of kisses of the altar has been correspondingly
lessened. In kissing the altar, the Priest stands a
short distance from it, and placing his hands upon it
" Bauldry, Manuale Sacrarum Ccerimoniarum, p. iii. cap. vi.
" Gavantus, Thesaurus Sacrorum Rituum, t. i. p. ii. tit. iv. i.
i» Ibid, tit. V. i.
54 GENERAL CEREMONIAI, DIRECTIONS.
(beyond the corporal, before consecration; but upon
the corporal, after consecration and before the ablu-
tions), inclines his body directly towards the altar
cross, and kisses the middle of the fore part of the
altar,-" or the cross on the corporal-^ (if it be spread),
without any twisting of the body or neck. The mode
of kissing the book of the Gospels will be found in its
proper place. The altar is kissed: (i) In the prayer,
"We pray thee, O Lord," etc. (2) Immediately before
"Let us pray for the whole state," etc. (3) Before the
Blessing, (4) Immediately after the prayer, "Let this
my bounden duty," etc.
10. Of Turning towards the People: When the Priest
turns towards the people the eyes are closed or cast
down. If he be at the Epistle side, he always turns by
his left hand, and he returns the same way by his right
hand. If he be in the midst of the altar he turns by his
right hand, and returns by the opposite way, and so
completes the circle. But at the Blessing, the Sacrament
being on the altar, when he turns by his right hand
he moves somewhat towards the Gospel side, so that
when he is turned to the people his back will not be
towards the Sacrament ; in returning to the altar, he
does not complete the circle, but turns again by the
same way. When he turns to the people with the
Sacrament in his hands, he does not move towards the
Gospel side, but turns directly in the midst, and
returns by his right hand, so completing the circle.-^
20 Merati, Novae Observationes et Add. ad Gov. Com., t. i. p. ii. tit.
iv. ii. et iii.
^ Cavalierus, Commentaria, t. v. cap. vii. xxxii, and Bauldry,
Manuale, etc., p. iii. tit. ii. rub. ii. iii., also Gavantus and Merati,
t. i. p. ii. tit. ii.
^ Merati, passim.
CHAPTER I.
The Preparation for a Low Mass.
I. Of the Altar. — The Altar at which the Holy
Eucharist is celebrated ought to have upon it: (i)
Three linen cloths, white and clean.^ (2) An altar
cloth, or at least a superfrontal of the proper colour,
and made of some rich material." (3) /^ crucifix, or
at least a cross standing upon the middle of the retable.
(4) Tivo wax candles lighted, one on either side of
the cross. These candles may be two of the six stand-
ard candles which are always upon the altar, or two
smaller candlesticks may be placed upon the altar when
there is to be a Low Mass, and afterward removed to
the credence. At a parochial or community Low Mass,
which is said upon some special occasion, four candles
' Lyndwood, Provinciale, lib. iii. tit. 23, p. 236. The two undermost
of these three cloths are of heavy but fine linen, without any ornamen-
tation, and are made the exact size of the top of the altar, with a
hem of about an inch and a half. Both of these cloths are distinct from
the Chrismale, or cere-cloth, which covered the consecrated altar-stone
(De Herdt, Sacra: Liturgice Praxis, t. i. 179). The third or uppermost
cloth is made of finer linen, and is very much larger. It ought to be
sufficiently long to cover completely both ends of the altar. It may
have five small crosses worked in white in the part which lies on tlie
top of the altar, one in the middle and one towards each corner. It
may also have the ends ornamented with embroidery or fringe, pro-
vided no other color than white is used in such ornamentation.
(Bauldry, Manuale, etc.. Appendix). These cloths should be kept white
and clean, and at such times as the altar is not being used, they
should be protected from dust by a cover of some green material made
to fit the top of the altar (ibid.).
' Lyndwood, Provinciale, lib. iii. tit. 27, p. 252, and Canon 82 of 1603.
55
50 CERK^lO^'I^^s or low mass.
are sometimes lighted.-'' (5) The hook closed and
placed vipon the book-rest or cushion at the Epistle side
of the altar.* The part of the book which opens ought
to be turned towards the midst of the altar.^
2. Of the Credence. — On the credence, which
ought to be covered with a white linen cloth, are placed :
(i) The hex with the small breads; (2) Two cruets,
one with wine, and the other with pure and clean
water; (3) The "decent basin" in which to receive the
offerings of the people, if there is to be a collection ;
(4) A basin and napkin* to be used at the washing of
the Priest's fingers; (5) The sacring bell; (6) The
houselling cloth for the use of the clergy who are to
be communicated."
3. Of the Priest. — The preparation of the Priest
for celebrating the Holy Mysteries is twofold : as to
his body, he must be fasting from the midnight before,
in accordance with the custom of the whole Church of
God '^ as to his soul, he must have cleansed his con-
science by careful self-examination and hearty repent-
ance, lest that which is ordained for life become unto
him the occasion of death. He says Mattins,* and after-
' Lyndwood, Provinciate, lib. iii. titi. 23, p. 236. De Hert, Sac. Lit.
Praxis, t. i. 184.
* The book should not be placed obliquely at the Epistle side, but so
that it will look directly towards the east wall.
' Merati, Nov. Oh. ad Gav. Com., t. i. p. ii. tit. ii. xi.
* The Lavaho-towel or napkin is made of linen 36 inches long and 27
inches wide. The ends may be ornamented with fringe or lace
(Gavantus).
* When there is no server, the box with the hosts, the cruets, and
the basin and napkin ought to be placed on a small table close to the
altar at the Epistle side, so that the Priest need not leave the foot-pace.
■^ The practice of fasting before celebrating often entails grave incon-
venience, but this cannot excuse from the observance of so universal a
law, and it is certainly open to doubt whether a single Bishop has the
power to dispense with what is observed by the whole Church.
* By the ancient law of the Church the parish Priest was forbidden
"to celebrate Mass before he had recited the Matutinal office, together
with Prime and Terce of the day." (Lyndwood, Provinciate, lib. iii.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 57
ward he spends some time in prayer in immediate
preparation for the Mass, saying the Preparatio ad
Missam or other Hke office. In his prayers he will
lay before God the object for which he desires to ofifer
the Holy Sacrifice ; for, while the ultimate end of every
Mass is the advancement of God's glory, the Priest
should always have a special intention of applying the
fruit of each Mass to some one person, or number of
persons, or for the furtherance of some special object.
Having finished his devotions, he should preserve a
recollected mind, abstaining as far as possible from
all conversation. Proceeding to the sacristy where
the vestments and other things necessary for the Mass
are kept, he reads through (if he has not done so
already) the Collect, Epistle, Gospel, Preface (if a
proper one is appointed), the Post-Communion, and
the last Gospel, if a Gospel other than In principio is
to be read, noting the places where a reverence or
genuflection is to be made. Afterwards he washes
his hands,® saying:
GIVE thy virtue, O Lord, unto my hands, that
every stain being washed away, I may be able
to serve thee without defilement of mind or body.
4. Of the Chalice. — The Priest next prepares the
chalice (which must be of gold, or of silver, or the
titi. 23, p. 236). The spirit of this law is still in force, and the Prayer
Book evidently contemplates the saying of Mattins (which is made up
of the ancient offices of Mattins and Lauds) before the Mass.
» The washing of the hands before the Priest approaches the altar was
suggested no doubt by the command given in Ex. xxx., 17-21, and its
observance dates from the earliest antiquity. (Card. Bona, De Rebus
Liturgicis, lib. ii. cap. i.) The York is the only one of the English
Missals which gives directions for this rite; the others do not mention
it. But, as Mr. Maskell says, "it is not probable that the washing would
be omitted; an observance so universal, and one which, although a
ceremony, almost the light of nature would suggest." (Ancient Liturgy,
3d. ed., p. 3-)
58 ci;rh;monii;s of low mass.
bowl at least must be of silver lined witb gold^'*) in the
following order: Over the mouth of it he places a
clean purificator^^ folded lengthwise, so that the ends
hang over the bowl ; upon the purificator he places the
paten, which must be of gold or of silver plated with
gold ; on this he places a large perfect host, first passing
his fingers lightly over it to remove any loose particles ;
he covers the paten first with the small linen pall,^^ and
then with the silk veil, arranging the latter so that it will
cover the foot of the chalice in front ; upon the veil
he places the burse" (having within it the linen cor-
poral" folded), which ought to be so placed that the
open side will be turned towards the Priest when he
carries the chalice.
5. Of the Vesting of the Priest. — The chalice
having been prepared, the Priest lays aside his biretta,
and also his zuchetto, if he wears one, and proceeds to
vest over his cassock, saying the proper prayers.^ ^
(a) First, he takes the Amice near the ends and by
1" Eyndwood, Provinciate, lib. i. tit. i. p. 9, et lib. iii. tit. xxiii. p. 234,
et idem, tit. xxvi., p. 249.
1^ The Purificator, according to Gavantus, is made 13^ inches square,
with a narrow hem. A small cross is worked in the middle. It is folded
in three parts lengthwise.
1- The Pall in its modern form is made of fine white linen, from 5
to 7 inches square. A small cross is worked in the middle of the upper
side, and it may have an edging of narrow lace.
1^ Gavantus gives the measurement of the silk veil as 26Yi inches
square, and of the burse as about 9 inches.
"The Corporal is made of fine white linen, 22^/^ inches square, with
the hem about 34 inch. It is folded four times, thus dividing it into 9
squares; and in the middle square of one side a small red cross is
worked; this is the only embroidery which ought to be upon it.
'^ All the prayers given above at the putting on of the vestments,
except the one said at the alb, are to be found with but slight verbal
differences in the earliest order given by Martene, the pontifical of
Saint Prudentius of Troyes, a MS. of the ninth or tenth century, and in
the Mozarabic rite. The prayers said at the amice, girdle, and chasuble
are also in a MS. of the Church of Saint Gatian of Tours, of the same
period, and in the Ambrosian rite. (De Antiquis Bcclesice Ritibus, t. i.
pp. 526, 467, SS3. 471.)
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 59
the strings, and kisses the middle of the upper part
where is the cross ; then he places it upon his head for
an instant/*' and straightway lowers it to the neck ;
covering round the neck and shoulders, he crosses the
right string over the left on the breast, draws them
under the arms, crosses them behind, and returns and
ties them in front, saying :
PUT upon my head, O Lord, the helmet of salva-
tion, that I may overcome the assaults of the
devil.
(b) Next, he puts on the Alb, placing the right arm
into the right sleeve first, then the left arm into the
left sleeve, and fastens it at the neck, saying :
MAKE me white, O Lord, and purify my heart,
that having been made white in the blood of
the Lamb, I may have the fruition of everlasting joys.^'^
(c) Then taking the Cincture, he girds himself,
saying :
GIRD me about, O Lord, with the cincture of
purity, and extinguish in my loins every inor-
dinate desire, so that the virtue of continence and
chastity may ever abide within me.
(d) Care should be taken that the alb covers the
cassock and hangs evenly all around. The Priest
then takes the Maniple, kisses the cross upon the
middle of it, and fastens it upon the left arm, a little
below the elbow, saying:
i« The direction to put the amice on the head before lowering it to
the shoulders is a reminiscence of the fact that anciently it was
regarded as a covering for the head, and was only pushed back when
the Priest reached the altar. (Le Brun, Explication, etc., de la Messe,
t. i. p. 42.)
" Rev. vii., 9. 14.
Co CEREMONIKS OF J.OW MASS.
GRANT, O Lord, that I may now so bear the
maniple of tears and sorrow, that hereafter I
may receive with joy the reward of my labour.^^
(e) Then receiving the Stole with both hands, he
kisses it in Hke manner, puts the middle of it on his
neck, and crosses it on his breast, so that the part from
the left shoulder may hang upon the right side ; and
the part from the right shoulder hang upon the left
side, and be crossed over the part from the left
shoulder.^^ Then he fastens both parts of the stole
with the ends of the cincture, saying :
GIVE unto me again, O Lord, the stole of immor-
tality, which I lost by the transgression of my
first parent ; and although I am unworthy to draw
near to thy holy mystery, yet grant that I may be made
meet for everlasting joy.
(f) Next, he puts on the Chasuble, saying:
OLORD, who hast said : My yoke is easy, and my
burden is light; Grant me such strength to
bear it that I may at length obtain thy gracious favour.
Amen,
6. Of the Approach to the; Altar. — Afterward
he may fasten his handkerchief to the cincture at the
right side. Then he covers his head with the biretta,-"
1^ "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that now goeth on his
way weeping, and beareth forth good seed, shall doubtless come again
with joy, and bring his sheaves (manipulos suos) with him." (Psalm
cxxvi., 6, 7.)
!• Gavantus, Thesaurus, etc., t. i. p. ii. tit. i. 3.
^ "Before the tenth century," says Romsee, "the Celebrant passed to
the altar with his head uncovered." (Sensus Litteralis, etc., cap. ii.
art. i.) The reason for afterwards covering the head was probably a
practical one, to give protection against the draughts in passing
through large unheated churches. That the biretta, and the "square
cappe" worn in England in the sixteenth century, are one and the
same thing, has been shown conclusively by Father Robinson, of the
Society of Saint John the Fvangelist, in his scholarly monograph,
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 6l
takes the chalice into his left hand by the knop, his
right hand being placed npon the burse, and holds it
raised as high as the breast. He bows to the crucifix,
or other sacred object in the sacristy, and proceeds to
the altar, the server, vested in surplice,-^ preceding
. him. They both walk with eyes cast down, with sol-
emn gait, and mith Juads erect. The Priest ought not
to salute any one whom he may meet on his way to the
altar, except it be his Bishop or other ecclesiastic of
rank, or the priests in choir through which he passes ;
to all these he will bow his head, but without uncover-
ing. He will likewise bow to any Priest whom he may
meet returning from celebrating Mass. If the way be
too narrow for both to pass at the same time, the
Priest who is about to celebrate ought to give way
to the Priest who has celebrated. It is to be noted,
that if the Priest is not carrying the chalice, he will
uncover his head when making the above inclinations.
If he passes by the high altar he bows profoundly,
with head covered; if the Sacrament be in the taber-
nacle, he genuflects on the right knee with head cov-
ered. He takes no notice of other altars if the Sacra-
ment be not reserved thereon.
He genuflects on both knees and uncovers his head
whenever, on going to or from the altar, he passes by
where the Sacrament is exposed, or is being elevated
or administered to the faithful, or is being carried near
him through the church. He ought not to rise until
the Blessed Sacrament has passed by, or the elevation
is finished and the chalice placed upon the altar. In
entitled The Piletts Quadratus : An inquiry into the relation of the
Priests' Square Cap to the Common Academical Catercap and to the
Judicial Corner-cap. Trans, of the St. Paul's Eccl. Soc. vol. v. 1901.
" Lyndwood, Provinciale, lib. iii. tit. 23. p. 236.
62 CEREMONIES or" LOW MASS.
case Holy Coninmniou is being administered he need
not wait until all have been communicated, but may
at once cover his head, rise and proceed on his way.
When the Priest has come to the altar at which he is
to celebrate, standing in the midst before the lowest step,
he uncovers his head with his right hand, and gives
the biretta to the server who is at his right ; then
together with the server he bows his body profoundly
to the altar. If the Sacrament be reserved on the altar,
he genuflects on the right knee to the ground. The
server immediately lays aside the biretta in some con-
venient place, but not upon the credence table, returns
and bows in the midst, and then kneels below the
lowest step at the Gospel side.
The Priest having bowed or genuflected, goes up the
steps of the altar, and places the chalice on the altar
towards the Gospel side, the other side being occupied
by the book. He takes the burse with the left hand,
and with the right hand takes ovit the corporal.
Holding the corporal unfolded on the altar with the
right hand, he places the burse on the Gospel side
against the retable (but not under a candlestick, lest
it should be soiled) in such a way that the open part
will be turned towards the mid^t.-" He then spreads
the corporal with both hands on the middle of the
altar, keeping the part which has the cross embroidered
upon it turned towards himself, so that he may con-
veniently kiss the cross at the osculations."^ Next he
^- Merati, Nov. Ob. ad Gav. Com., t. i. p. ii. tit. ii. xiv.
"' Ibid, xiii. The corporal should be carefully unfolded upon the
altar, and should not be lifted up nor shaken, nor should it be allowed
to hang over the front of the altar; for it may happen that some of the
sacred particles, having been overlooked at a previous Mass are folded
within it, so that, if care is not exercised, they may fall to the ground
and be trodden under foot.
CEREMONIES OF EOW MASS. 63
lakes the chalice by the knop with the left hand, the
right hand being placed upon top, and sets it on the
corporal ; then he arranges the veil, which should hang-
sufficiently low in front to hide the foot of the chalice,
but which should not cover the cross on the corporal.
Then he joins his hands, bows slightly to the cross,
turns by his right and goes to the Epistle side, turns
towards the book, opens it upon the book rest, and
conveniently sets the markers. He joins his hands,
turns by his left and goes to the midst, bows to the
cross, and turning by his right hand he moves back
a little towards the Gospel side, so that he may not
turn his back upon the cross, and goes down below the
lowest step of the altar; or, if there are more than
three steps, divided into different orders, he need not
return to below the lowest step of all, but it will suf-
fice, if he goes down below the lowest step of the first
order.-* Then he turns himself by his left, and faces
the midst of the altar.
CHAPTER H.
The Private Prayers at the Foot oe the Altar.^
I. With hands joined before his breast, he bows his
body profoundly to the cross ; or if the Blessed Sacra-
ment be in the tabernacle, he genuflects on the right
knee; then standing erect, he places the left hand a
little below the breast, and making the sign of the
cross from the forehead to the breast with the right
hand, says privately :
" Bauldry, Manuale, etc., p. iii. tit. ii. rub. iv. n. 3, and Mcrati,
Nova Ob., etc., t. i. tit. ii. xviii.
* See Notes on the Mass, i., p. i.
64 CEREMONIES OF" LOW MASS.
IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. Amen.-
Then he joins his hands before the breast, and says,
V. I will go unto the altar of God.
The server kneeling at his left, continues :^
R. Even unto the God of my joy and gladness.
In the same way, the Priest begins and continues
alternately with the server, the following psalm :
Psalm 43. Jndica me, Deus.
GIVE sentence with me, O God, and defend my
cause against the ungodly people : O deliver me
from the deceitful, and wicked man.
S. For thou art the God of my strength, why hast
thou put me from thee : and why go I so heavily, while
the enemy oppresseth me?
P. O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may
lead me : and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy
dwelling.
S. And that I may go unto the altar of God, even
unto the God of my joy and gladness : and upon the
harp will I give thanks unto thee, O God, my God.
P. Why art thou so heavy, O my soul : and why art
thou so disquieted within me?
S. O put thy trust in God : for I will yet give him
thanks, which is the help of my countenance, and my
God.
" Having begun the Mass with the words, "In the name," etc., the
Priest will not take any notice of what may be done at another altar,
even though the Sacrament be there elevated, but will proceed with his
own Mass to the end.
^ If the server be not instrttcted to make the responses, the Priest
both here and elsewhere says them himself. In which case, after the
Priest has said Confiteor, he adds: "Almighty God have mercy upon
me," etc., and then, "The Almighty and merciful Lord," etc.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 65
Then the Priest, bowing his head, says :
P. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to
the Holy Ghost.
S. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall
be : world without end. Amen.
The Priest repeats the antiphon : V. I will go unto
the altar of God.
R. Even unto the God of my joy and gladness.
The psalm Judica me, Deus is omitted in Requiem
Masses, and throughout Passion-tide, that is from
Passion Sunday until Holy Sabbath exclusive. At
which times, the Priest having said, "In the name,"
etc., and the antiphon, "I will go," etc., says immedi-
ately, "Our help," etc., as below.
2. After the antiphon, the Priest signs himself with
the sign of the cross, saying:
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who hath made heaven and earth.
Then with hands joined before the breast, he bows
his body profoundly, and says :
Confiteor.
I CONFESS to God Almighty, to blessed Mary
Ever-Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel,
blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and
Paul, all the Saints, and to you, my brethren,* that I
have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed
(He places his left hand a little belozv the breast, and
with the extremities of the fingers of the right hand,
strikes his breast thrice, saying:) by my fault, by my
own fault, by my own most grievous fault. Therefore
* The Priest at L,ow Mass does not turn towards the server as he says
"you, my brethren." At High Mass the Celehrant turns himself
towards the Deacon and Sub-deacon at these words.
f^ CEREMONIES O? LOW MASS.
I beg blessed Mary Ever- Virgin, blessed Michael the
Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles
Peter and Paul, all the Saints, and you, my brethren,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
The server, with hands joined, answers :
Misereatnr.
ALMIGHTY GOD have mercy upon thee, forgive
thee thy sins, and bring thee to everlasting life.
The Priest says, "Amen," and stands erect. Then
the server, bowing forward, repeats the Confession.
Where the Priest said, "to you, my brethren," and,
"you, my brethren," the server says, "to thee, father,"
and "thee, father;" and as he says these words, he
turns himself somewhat towards the Priest. He also
strikes the breast thrice at the words, "by my fault,"
etc. After the server has said the Confession, the
Priest with hands joined, says :
Misereatur.
ALMIGHTY GOD have mercy upon you, forgive
you your sins, and bring you to everlasting life.
R. Amen.
Then the Priest makes the sign of the cross from
his forehead to his breast (the server doing likewise),
saying :
Indulgentiam.
THE Almighty and merciful Lord grant unto us
pardon, absolution, and remission of all our
sins. R. Amen.
Then the Priest joins his hands before the breast,
and moderately bowing, says :
V. Wilt thou not, O God, turn again and quicken us ?
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 67
R. That thy people may rejoice in thee.'
V. O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
R. And grant us thy salvation.*
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee."
V. The Lord be with you.°
R. And with thy spirit.^
3. Then extending and joining his hands, the Priest
says : "Let us pray." Holding his head erect, and
with hands joined before the breast, he goes up the
steps of the altar, saying privately :
Aufer a nobis.
TAKE away from us, we beseech thee, O Lord, our
iniquities, that we may be worthy with pure
minds to enter into the holy of holies ; through Christ
our Lord. Amen.^
4. The server rises, bows or genuflects in the midst,
and then kneels on the lowest step at the Gospel side,
where he remains until the end of the Epistle. The
Priest having gone up to the altar, bowing moderately
before it, with hands joined, places the extremities of
the six longer fingers upon the corporal, (so that the
little fingers merely touch the front of the mensa of
the altar, the remainder of the hands being held
between the altar and himself, and the right thumb
being placed upon the left in the form of a cross), and
then says :
s Psalm, Ixxxv. 6. * Ibid, 7. » Psalm, cii. i. "Ruth, ii. 4. ''II.
Tim., iv. 22.
* This prayer is in Egbert's Pontifical (Surtees Soc. p. 44) and in
all the English Uses; it is also found in the Gregorian Sacramentary
(Muratori, Liturgia Romana I'ctus, t. ii. col. 479).
68 CEREMONIES OE LOW MASS.
Oramus te.
WE pray thee, O Lord, by the merits of thy
Saints (He extends his hands, placing the
extremities of the longer fingers on either side of the
corporal, and kisses the cross on the corporal, saying) :
whose reHcs are here (joining his hands before the
breast, and standing erect, he continues) : and of all
thy saints, that it may please thee to forgive me all my
sins. Amen.**
If there are no relics in the altar, he omits the words,
"of thy Saints whose relics are here, and," and kisses
the altar either at the beginning of the prayer, or at the
words, "that it may please thee."^"
CHAPTER III.
From the Lord's Prayer to the Oeeertory.
(Missa Catechumenoriim.)
1. TI The Table, at the Communion-time having a fair white
linen cloth ^ upon it, shall stand in the body of the Church,
or in the Chancel. And the Minister, standing at the
right side 2 of the Table, or where Morning and Evening
Prayer are appointed to be said,^ shall say the Lord's
8 This prayer is found with but slight verbal differences in the Mass
of Illyricus, in a Sacramentary of the monastery of Saint Denys in
France, a MS. of the ninth century, (Martene, De Ant. Bed. Rit.,
t. i. pp. 502), and in a missal of Utrecht belonging to the same period.
(Le Brun, Explication, etc., in loc.)
1" Romsee, Sensus Littcralis, etc., cap. ii. Art. v. 6. Gavantus,
Tliesaurus, etc., t. i. p. ii. tit. iv. i. Bauldry, Mamiale, etc., p. iii.
tit. iv. I. L,e Brun, in loc. Claude de Vert, Explication, I. 153.
^ This "fair white linen cloth," is, by common acceptance, taken to
be the uppermost of the three cloths with which the top of the altar is
covered.
" See Notes on the Mass, ii, p. 2.
' This permission to say the first part of the Mass in a place other
than at the altar is not without ritual analogy. In a pontifical Mass,
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 69
Prayer and tlie Collect following, the People kneeling;
but the Lord's Prayer may be omitted, if Morning Prayer
hatb been said immediately before.
The Priest having said, "We pray thee, O Lord,"
etc., as above, without making any further reverence
to the cross, turns by his right, and goes to the Epistle
side of the altar. Then, standing turned to the book,
he signs himself with the sign of the cross; but in
Requiem Masses instead of signing himself, he makes
the sign of the cross over the book with his open right
hand, his left hand resting on the altar, or on the
book.* Then immediately extending his hands, and
raising them, but so that the extremities of the fingers
will not be higher than the shoulders, the palm of one
hand being turned towards the other, he says "the
Lord's Prayer and the Collect following." As he
says, "through Christ our Lord," he joins his hands
before the breast, but does not bow his head, as the
sacred name is not mentioned.
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
the Bishop who celebrates, having censed the altar, proes to his seat,
where he says the rest of the service as far as the Offertory (Ccrremo-
niale Episcoporum, lib. ii. cap. viii. 35 et seq). And Pelliccia tells us
that "this custom, which at the present day is kept up by Bishops only,
was in the middle ages in some r;hurches observed by Presbyters also
when they celebrated." (Polity of the Christian Church, Eng. trans,
p. 228.) It is, however, very undesirable that at an ordinary Mass
the Priest should ever say any part of the service away from the altar;
it is very much better to leave the observance of this i)eculiar custom
to the IBishops. This rubrical provision is not in the English Prayer
Book; nor is the concluding clause, "but the Lord's Prayer," etc.
* Anciently the Priest made the sign of the cross before the Introit.
as marking the beginning of the Mass proper. The Lord's Prayer and
Collect for purity in our rite occupy the same relative position as the
Introit, and, therefore, the sign of the cross is verj; fittingly made at
this place. (Romsee, Sensus Litteralis, etc., cap. ii. art. vi. ii.) In
Requiems the sign of the cross is made over the book, as if over the
dead for whom the Mass is offered. (Gavantus, Thesaurus, t. i. p. ii.
tit. xiii. I.)
70 CERKMONJKS OP LOW xVIASS.
forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who tres-
pass against us. And lead us not into temptation ; But
deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Colled,
ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts are open, all
desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid ;
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy
Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily
magnify thy holy Name ; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
2, Then with hands joined before the breast, the
Priest (if the Commandments are to be said) turns
by his left, and goes to the midst,^ bows slightly to the
cross, and turns by his right towards the people.
H Then shall the Minister, turning to the People, rehearse
distinctly The Ten Commandments ; and the People, still
kneeling, shall, after every Commandment, ask God mercy
for their transgressions for the time past, and grace to
keep the law for the time to come.
T[ The Decalogue may be omitted, provided it be said once
on each Sunday. But Note, That whenever it is omitted,
the Minister shall say the Summary of the Law, begin-
ning, Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith.
Minister,
GOD spake these words, and said : I am the Lord thy
God; Thou shalt have none other gods but me.
'People, Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our
hearts to keep this law.
Minister, Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven
^ With regard to the place for saying the Decalogue, the ritual analogy
of the Kyries, of which our present arrangement is evidently an expan
sion, has been followed. At a High Mass or Missa Cantata, the
Kyries are said by the Priest standing at the Epistle side, but at a Low
Mass they are said in the midst; hence the above direction to say
the Decalogue in the latter place.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 71
image, nor the likeness of ansrthing that is in heaven
above, or in the eax-th beneath, or in the water \mder the
earth; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship
them ; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, and visit
the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me ; and show
mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my
commandments.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our
hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord
thy God in vain ; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless,
that taketh his Name in vain.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Eemember that thou ke^ holy the Sabbath-
day. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou
hast to do ; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the
Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work
thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, and
thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is with-
in thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and
earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day : wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day
and hallowed it.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy
days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt do no murder.
72 CEREMONIES OF I.OW MASS.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not steal.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house,
thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his servant,
nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is
his.
People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these
thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee.
Tf Then the Minister may say,^
Hear also what our Lord Jesus Christ saith, etc.
Immediately after the last Commandment, the Priest
turns by his left and goes to the book at the Epistle
side to read the Collect.
3. If the Decalogue is omitted, then immediately
after the Collect for purity, the Priest, without chang-
ing his position at the Epistle side of the altar,'^
• This rubric leaves the saying of the Summary after the Command-
ments to the option of the Priest. There is no reason why it ever
should be said when the Decalogue has been read. The old L,aw
is sufficiently declared in the commandments, and the new law of
charity is set forth in the Epistle and Gospel which follow. The
Summary is not found in the English Book, nor is there any provision
for the omission of the Commandments at any time.
'' The summary of the law is a short lection, and, therefore, is said
facing the altar after the analogy of the Epistle.
C15RKM0NIKS OK I,0\V MASS. 73
says, with hands joined, bowing his head towards the
cross, at the sacred name,
HEAR what our Lord Jesus Christ saith. Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment. And the second is like unto
it; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these
two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Then he turns by his left and goes to the midst, bows
to the cross, and standing turned to the altar, with
head erect, says alternately with the people the Kyrie,
each versicle being said thrice.^
If Here, if the Decalogue hath been omitted, shall be said:
Kyrie clcison.
LORD, have mercy upon us.
Christ, hcLve mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Then the Priest bows to the cross, and returns to
the book at the Epistle side.
4. Standing before the book and turning himself
somewhat towards the cross, without moving the feet,
he says : Let us pray, at the same time disjoining
and immediately joining his hands (but not raising
them), and bowing his head slightly to the cross.
Then facing the book, he extends his hands before the
breast in the manner directed above, at the Lord's
Prayer, and says the Collect. Before the Collect for
8 The Priest and people say the Kyrie thus: Priest, Lord have mercy
upon us. People, Lord have meicy upon us. Priest, Lord have mercy
upon us. People, Christ have mercy upon us. Priest, Christ have
mercy upon us. People, Christ have mercy upon us. Priest, Lord
have mercy upon us. People, Lord have mercy upon us. Priest, Lord
have mercy upon us.
74 CKRKMONIKS Ol" LOW MASS.
flu- Day he may say the Collect, Almighty Lord, and
Everlasting God, etc."* H Then shall be said the Collect
of the Day.
When in the Collect or Epistle he names the name
of "Jesus," turning somewhat towards the cross, in the
manner directed above, he bows profoundly, but does
not join his hands. And when in the Collect, Epistle,
or Gospel, he mentions the name of "Mary," or the
name of the Saint whose feast is being kept, or of
whom commemoration is made, he bows his head
towards the book. No notice, however, is taken of
the names of Saints occurring in the title of the
Epistle or Gospel, not even when their feasts are being
celebrated.^" When at the conclusion of the Collect,
the Priest says, "through Jesus Christ," he joins hi-;
hands, and bows his head profoundly towards the
cross. If the Collect is otherwise concluded : "who
with thee," etc., or "who liveth," etc., when he says,
"in the unity," etc., he joins his hands before the
breast, but does not turn towards the cross, nor bow
his head, as the sacred name is not mentioned.^"
5. Tl And immediately after the Collect, the Minister
shall read the Epistle, saying:
THE Epistle [or, The portion of Scripture appointed tor
the Epistle] is ■written in the Chapter of ,
beginning at the Verse. And the Epistle ended, he shait
say: Here endeth the Epistle.
The Priest reads the Epistle, with his face turned
• It will be observed that the saying of this prayer, like the Sum-
mary after the Commandments, is left to the option of the Priest.
There is no liturgical reason why it ever should be said. The Knglish
Book has in this place the two prayers for the King.
1" Merati, Xov. Ob. etc., t. i. p. ii. tit. v. xi.
ClvRUMONIKS OF I,0\V MASS. 75
towards the altar/^ his hands being placed upon the
book, or upon the altar, or he holds the book in his
hands. When he mentions the sacred name he bows
profoundly towards the cross, as directed above. On
Palm Sunday he genuflects towards the book, as he
says, "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,"
and remains kneeling until after the words, ''things
under the earth." Having read the Epistle, he joins
his hands before the breast, saying: "Here endeth the
Epistle." The server says: "Thanks be to God."
The server then rises and goes to the Epistle side,
making due reverence in the midst ; he goes up and
takes the book with the book rest, or cushion, turns by
his left and goes by the step below the foot-pace^- to
the Gospel side, making due reverence as he passes by
the midst. He places the book on the altar so that the
back of the book will look towards the northeast corner
of the altar, and not towards the east wall. Then stand-
ing with hands joined, at the Gospel corner, on the step
below the foot-pace, he awaits the Priest.
6. The Priest having said, "Here endeth," etc., as
above, goes to the midst of the altar ; he raises his
eyes to the cross, and straightway casts them down ;
11 As to the method of announcing the Epistle and Gospel, see
Notes on the Mass, iii. p. 5, also note at the end of this volume.
Before 1549, the Epistle was read by the Priest, at a Low
Mass, facing the altar, and the Gospel was read facing north, or rather
northeast, as we have directed above. The Prayer Book contains no
direction to the Priest to observe any other position, which is sufficient
for us to infer that the ancient custom was to be continued. Moreover,
although the revisers of 1549 adopted many of the suggestions of
Abp. Herman's Consultation, they did not adopt the direction found
in that book, that the Epistle was to be read, "the reader turnynge
hys face to the people" (Daye's trans., 1548, fol. ccii., dorso), nor
did the Convocation of 1661 adopt a like direction suggested by Cosin
(See Parker's Introduction, etc., p. cxci.).
12 See Merati, Nor. Ob. etc.. t. i. p. ii. tit. vi. ii. If there is no
server, the Priest having read the Epistle, carries the book with its
res=t to the Gospel corner, bowing as he passes by the midst; he then
returns to the midst to say tlie private prayers, as directed on the
next page.
76 CKREMONIKS OF LOW MASS.
then bowing his body profoundly, and keeping his
hands joined before the breast, he says^^ privately :
Munda cor meum.
CLEANSE my heart and my lips, O thou almighty
God, who didst purge the lips of the prophet
Isaiah with a live coal ; and do thou vouchsafe, of thy
gracious mercy, so to purify me, that I may worthily
declare thy holy Gospel ; through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Still bowing down, he says :
ET thy blessing, O Lord, be upon me.^*
L
Dominus sit.
THE Lord be in my heart, and on my lips, that I
may worthily and rightly proclaim his Gospel.
Amen.
In Requiem Masses, "Let thy blessing," etc., and
"The Lord be in my heart," etc., are not said ;^^ but the
prayer, "Cleanse my heart," is said.
Then the Priest stands erect, and, without making
any further reverence to the cross, goes immediately to
the Gospel corner. Standing turned obliquely, with
hands joined, he says, in a low voice, to the server :
V. "The Lord be with you." The server answers :
R. "And with thy spirit."
1' The custom of saying special prayers in preparation for the reading
of the Gospel would seem to be most ancient, for such prayers are
found in the liturgies of Saint Mark and Saint Chrysostom. They were
also in all the old English missals, as in almost all the other Western
Uses. They are an evidence of that reverential regard which the
Church has ever had for the written word of God. The Munda cor
menm is in the Ambrosian and Roman missals.
" So I have translated, Jube, Dotnine, benedicere. This formula,
with the prayer following in slightly varying versions, is found in
almost all the ancient missals.
" Romsee, Sensus Litt., cap, ii. art. xi.
CERIviMONIKS OF LOW MASS. yj
\ Then, the people all standing up, shall he read the
Gospel, saying,
THE Holy Gospel is written in the Chapter of
, beginning at the Verse.
As the Priest announces the Gospel, he places his
left hand upon the book, and with the under part of
the thumb of his right hand he makes the sign of the
cross on the book, over the beginning of the Gospel,
which he is about to read, saying: "The Holy Gospel
is," etc. ; then placing the left hand a little below the
breast, he signs himself with his right thumb on the
forehead, mouth, and breast (the server signing him-
self likewise),^® as he says, "beginning at," etc.; and
then joins his hands before the breast. Tf Here shall be
said or sung :
/'^LORY be to thee, Lord.^^
The Priest does not turn towards the cross, or bow
his head at these words.^* The server having made the
response, "Glory be," etc., bows to the Priest, turns by
his right and goes down to below the lowest step, and
then goes over to the Epistle side, making due reverence
as he passes by the midst. During the reading of the
Gospel, he stands obliquely with his face turned
towards the book, observing to bow or genuflect
" See Romsee Sensus Litteralis, etc., cap. ii. art. xi. vi.
" "In all the Latin liturgies, the acclamation 'Glory be to Thee, O
Lord,' is appointed as the response of the congregation at the announce-
ment of the Evangelical lesson." (Duchesne, Origincs dti culte Chretien.
p. i88. It has been omitted from the English Book since TS52, but
this has not affected the practice of the people who have continued to
say it.
'* By the decree of the Seventh General Council the same outward
reverence must be paid to the text of the Gospel as to the cross and
sacred images.
78 CJJREMONIKS OF LOW MASS.
towards the book with the Priest. The I'riest bows
his head profoundly towards the book each time he
mentions the sacred name; and bows it moderately
whenever the name of "Mary," or of the Saint whose
feast is being kept, is mentioned. He also genuflects
on the right knee towards the book, on Christmas Day,
at the words, "And the Word was made flesh;" on the
Epiphany, at the words, "fell down and worshipped
him ;" on Palm Sunday, and on Tuesday, Thursday,
and Friday of Holy Week, at the words, "And Jesus
. . . .gave up the ghost," or the like words.
The Gospel ended, the server bowing towards the
liook says in a low voice :
P RAISE be to thee, O Christ.
While he says these words the server turns
towards the altar; and the Priest, at the same
time, raising the book with both hands, and
bowing his head a little, kisses the beginning
of the Gospel which he has read,^® as he says privately :
BY the Gospel words to-day may our sins be done
away.^'^
In Requiem Masses, the Priest does not say "By the
Gospel words," etc., nor does he kiss the book ; but the
response, "Praise be to thee, O Christ," is made by
the server as usual.
The Priest having replaced the book on the book-
rest, moves it with both hands near to the corporal.
1" The kissing of the book at this place, which is a ceremonial act
common to all the old Latin Uses, is another expression of the
Church's fervent love for the written word of God.
*• "In the York Horae (fol. 4) there is the following rubric and
prayer: 'This prayer following ought to be said at Mass when the
Priest hath sayed the Gospell. Per hec sancta evangelica dicta deleantur
uni versa delicta.' " (Simmons, Lay Folks Mass Book, notes, p. 221.)
CKREMONIKS OF LOW MASS. 79
Then joining his hantls, he turns by his right, and goes
to the midst of the altar.
7. Tf Then shall be said the Creed commonly called the
Nicene, or else the Apostles' Creed ; but the Creed may be
omitted, if it hath been said immediately before in Morn-
ing Prayer ; Provided, that the Nicene Creed shall be said
on Christmas-Day, Easter-day, Ascension-day, Whitsun-
day, and Trinity-Sunday.^^ By the Sarum and Roman
missals the Creed is omitted in Requiem Masses, and
on all ferias except Maundy Thursday.
The Priest standing erect, and raising and extending
his hands says (if it is to be said), "I believe;" as he
says, "in one," he joins his hands; and as he says,
"God," he bows his head to the cross. When he says,
"Jesus Christ," he again bows his head to the cross.
As he says, "And was incarnate," he places the extrem-
ities of his fingers on either side of the corporal, and
kneels on the right knee until he has said the words,
"And was made man." Then he immediately rises
and joins his hands before the breast. As he says,
"together is worshipped," he bows his head to the
cross. As he says, "And the life of the world to
come," he signs himself with the sign of the cross from
the forehead to the breast ; then straightway joining
his hands, he says, "Amen." The server standing at
the Epistle side, bows, genuflects, and makes the sign
of the cross with the Priest.
Credo in iiniun Dciim.
I BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth. And of all things visible and in-
visible :
-^ The Knglish Rubric reads: "And the Gospel ended, shall be sun^
or said the Creed following the people still standing, as before." On
genuflecting in the Creed, see Notes on the Mass, iv, p. 7.
8o CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of
God ; Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God,
Light of Light, Very God of very God; Begotten, not
made ; Being of one substance with the Father ; By whom
all things v/ere made : Who for us men and for our salva-
tion came down from heaven. And was incarnate by the
Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man ; And
was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate ; He suffered
and was buried : And the third day he rose again according
to the Scriptures : And ascended into heaven. And sitteth
on the right hand of the Father : And he shall come again,
with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead ; Whose
kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost The Lord and Giver of
Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son ; Who
with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and
glorified ; Who spake by the Prophets : And I believe one
Catholic and Apostolic Church : I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins : And I look for the Resurrection
of the dead : And the Life of the world to come. Amen.
8. Tl Then the Minister shall declare unto the People
what Holy-days, or Fasting-days, are in the week following
to be observed, and (if occasion be) shall Notice be given of
the Communion, 2 2 and of the Banns of Matrimony, and
other Matters to be published.
9. II Then shall follow the Sermon.
( I ) If the Celebrant preaches the Sermon from
-2 It would seem to be desirable that a formal notice of the Com-
munion of the people should be given from time to time, especially
before the three great feasts, and on other set occasions. This notice
may be given by reading here one of the two Exhortations which are
now printed in the Prayer Book at the end of the Communion Office. In the
English Prayer Book these Exhortations are directed to be read "after
the Sermon or Homily ended," but this rubric having been omitted
from our American Prayer Book, the proper place for their reading
would seem to be after the Creed, when "Notice is given of the
Communion."
CEREMONIKS C)F LOW MASS. 8l
the pulpit, he first hows to the cross, and then going to
the Epistle side he goes down to the sedilia, where he
lays aside his chasuble and maniple. Then he goes
to the midst below the lowest step, makes due
reverence ; and then kneeling down, he says a short
prayer commending his hearers to God, and then
the prayer, "Cleanse my heart and my lips," etc.
He then rises and bows with the server who is standing
at the Epistle side of the altar, or he genuflects with
him if the Sacrament be reserved, and then proceeds
to the pulpit ; the server going to his seat on the
Epistle side of the Sanctuary. (2) If the Sermon is
preached from the steps of the altar, he does not
remove his vestments, but immediately after the Creed,
he bows to the cross, and turns by his right to the
people, moving backward towards the Gospel side, so
that his back will not be turned to the cross. The
server immediately turns by his right and goes to his
seat. Standing there on the foot-pace at the Gospel
side the Priest first gives notice of the Matters to be
published, as directed by the rubric above, after which
he delivers his Sermon, first saying, as he makes the
sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." At the end
of the Sermon he turns towards the midst, and pro-
nounces the Ascription, and then proceeds with the
Mass.
(3) If some one else preaches, the Celebrant at the
end of the Creed, bows to the cross, turns by his right
and proceeds by the Epistle side of the altar to the
seat prepared for him. The server at the same time
goes to his seat.
(4) The Sermon ended, if the Celebrant had
6
82 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
departed from the altar, he returns to the sedilia, puts
on the maniple and chasuble, and then goes to the midst
before the lowest step, the server preceding him ; both
bow together, or they genuflect if the Sacrament be in
the tabernacle. The server kneels on the lowest step
at the Epistle side ; and the Celebrant goes up the steps
of the altar and bows to the cross.=^^
CHAPTER IV.
From the Offertory to the Canon.
(Missa Fidelium.)
1. T[ The Minister, when there is a Communion, shall
return to the Lord's Table,' and begin the Offertory,
saying one or more of these Sentences following, as he
thinketh most convenient.
The Priest reads the Ofifertory standing in the
midst turned towards the altar," and with hands joined.
It is sufficient to read but one Sentence of those
printed in the Prayer Book. The one following seems
to be the most appropriate for general use :
THINE, Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and
the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for
all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine ; thine
^3 Merati, p. ii. tit. vi. xxxviii. De Herdt, Sacra Liturgia Praxis, t. i.
p. ii. 319-
1 Anciently the Priest kissed the altar at this place; and this he did
because before reading the Offertory, he saluted the people, saying
Dominus z'obiscum. But now that this salutation has been removed
from our office, there is no longer any raison d'etre for kissing the
altar here.
^ The same remark applies here which was made with regard to the
reading of the Epistle and Gospel. No direction to the contrary having
been given in the Prayer Book, the Priest ought to observe the ancient
position while reading the Offertory, which was to stand turned to the
altar. It is also to be noted that the Offertory as an integral part of the
Mass must always be read, even though no collection is to be made.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 83
is the kingdom, Lord, and thou art exalted as head
above all. 11 Chron. xxix. 1.''
li Whilst these Sentences are in reading, the Deacons,
Church-wardens, or other fit persons appointed for that
purpose, shall receive the Alms for the Poor, and other
Devotions of the People, in a decent Basin to be provided
by the Parish for that purpose;* and reverently bring it
to the Priest, who shall humbly present and place it upon
the Holy Table.
The Offertory having been read by the Priest, the
server rises and goes immediately to the credence,
takes the box with the small hosts in his right hand,
and goes up to the step below the foot-pace at the
Epistle corner, where he awaits the approach of the
Priest.
The Priest having read the Oflfertory Sen-
tence (one will suffice), as above, places his right hand
upon the altar, beyond the corporal, and with the left
hand turns the leaf of the book to the prayers for
Christ's Church militant. Then he takes hold of the
back part of the veil with both hands and removes
it from the chalice f folds it on the altar at the right
of the corporal, once or twice lengthwise, with the
right side out ; and then places it close to the retable
and near to the corporal, taking care, however, that
no part of it be on the corporal. Then he places his
* This sentence is not in the English Book.
* "It is curious to notice that the revisers of the second book of
Common Prayer in the reign of Edward VI. in preventing the people
from coming up to the altar to offer their alms should have sanctioned
the adoption of the earlier and distinctively Roman practice of going
about the seats to receive them." (Simmons, Lay Folks Mass Book,
Notes, p. 234.) See Card. Bona, De Reb. Lit. in loc.
° The chalice remains veiled throughout the Missa Catechumenorum,
but from the Offertory until after the Communion, that is, throughout
the Missa Fidelium, the chalice is unveiled, because as Merati observes
(p. ii. tit. ii. xiv.) during this part of the service the mystery of the
Lord's Passion is nioic expressly set forth before the people.
84 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
left hand on the altar, beyond the corporal, and with
the right hand takes the chalice by the knop, and
moves it off the corporal towards the Epistle side.
Next he takes the pall between the thumb and fore-
finger of the right hand, and places it on the corporal,
so that part of it will rest upon the veil.®
2. H And the Priest shall then place npon the Table
so much bread and wine^ as he shall think sufficient.
The Priest fulfils this rubric after the following
manner: He takes the paten with the large host,
between the fore and middle fingers of the right hand,
and brings it before his breast ; then he takes hold of
it with his left hand, so that the thumb, forefinger and
middle finger of each hand will hold the paten about
the circumference, the ring and little fingers being
joined together to the wrist beneath the paten. Hold-
ing it in this manner with both hands, and raising it
as high as the breast, he bows his head slightly to the
cross, and goes to the Epistle side. The server bows
to him as he approaches, and holds out the box uncov-
ered. The Priest takes as many small hosts "as he
shall think sufficient," placing them upon the paten
held in his left hand, but so that the large host will
be on top. Then taking the paten with both hands,
in the manner just directed, he turns by his left and
goes to the midst, and there holding the paten before
his breast, he lifts his eyes to the cross, saying:
"Receive, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God ;"
then straightway casting his eyes down, and still hold-
ing the paten before his breast, he proceeds with the
prayer :
• Romsee, Praxis, etc., part ii. art. vi. ii.
' See Notes vn the Muss, v., p. 9.
CEREMONIKS OF LOW MASS. 85
Suscipe sancte Pater.
RECEIVE, Holy Father, almighty, everlasting
God, this spotless host, which I, thine unworthy
servant, offer unto thee, my God, the living and the
true, for my innumerable sins, offences, and negli-
gences, for all here present, and for all faithful Chris-
tians, both quick and dead : that it may be profitable
both to me and to them for salvation unto everlasting
life. Amen.**
Having said this prayer, he lowers the paten to
about four inches from the altar, and with it makes
the sign of the cross horizontally over the corporal,
and then puts it down a little behind the cross embroid-
ered upon the corporal.
3. If there are more small hosts to be consecrated for
the Communion of the people than can conveniently be
placed upon the paten, a ciborium with its proper
cover, or another chalice, covered with a paten or pall,
ought to be used. It is placed upon the altar before the
service, and after the Priest spreads the corporal, he
places the ciborium upon the corporal behind the chal-
ice, where it remains until the Offertory. The Priest
having read the Offertory, and moved the chalice off
the corporal, uncovers the ciborium, and places it on
the Epistle side of the altar. Then joining his hands,
he bows to the cross and goes to the Epistle side.
He takes the ciborium with his left hand, and with
the right hand he places in it the required number of
hosts. Then placing it upon the altar towards the
corporal, he joins his hands, and returns to the midst,
where he bows to the cross. He then places the
' Leofric Missal, p. 10.
86 CEREMONIKS or LOW MASS.
ciborium on the back part of the corporal. After
which, he removes the pall from the chalice, and taking
the paten with the large host, he ofifers it, as directed
above, at the same time directing his intention also to
the small hosts in the ciborium, while he says, "Receive,
Holy Father," etc. Then, having finished the prayer,
and placed the paten upon the corporal, he covers the
ciborium with its proper cover.
4. As soon as the Priest has received the hosts for
the Communion of the people, the server bows to him,
and replaces the box on the credence. Then he
removes the stoppers from the cruets ; and taking the
wine cruet into his right hand, and the water cruet
into his left hand, he returns to the step below the
foot-pace at the Epistle corner of the altar. The Priest
having placed the paten upon the corporal and covered
the ciborium, as directed above, joins his hands before
the breast, bows slightly to the cross, and goes to the
Epistle corner ; the server bowing to him as he
approaches. Then standing turned towards the altar,
he reaches the chalice to himself with his left hand,
taking it by the knop ; then he takes the purificator
with his right hand, and wipes the bowl of the chalice,
both within and without. The server kisses the top of
the wine cruet, and presents it to the Priest in such
a way that he may conveniently take hold of it by the
handle or upper part ; and the Priest, standing turned
towards the altar, and holding the chalice upon the
altar with his left hand, (the purificator being held
between the knop of the chalice and the thumb of the
same hand in such a manner that part of it will hang
over the thumb), takes the wine cruet with his right
hand from the right hand of the server, pours wine
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 87
into the chalice, and returns the cruet into the server's
left hand, who as he receives it, kisses the top part.
The server immediately presents the water cruet with
his right hand, kissing the top part of it ; and the
Priest still holding the chalice in the same way, makes
the sign of the cross with his right hand over the water
cruet held in the hand of the server, saying privately
at the same time, "O God ^ who didst," etc. In
Requiem Masses the server does not kiss the
cruets, and the Priest does not make the sign of the
cross as he says the following prayer :
Dens qui humance.
O GOD, who didst wonderfully create and yet more
wonderfully renew the dignity of the nature
of man ; (taking the cruet, he pours a very little zvatcr
into the chalice, saying): grant unto us, that by the
mystery set forth by this water and wine, we may ever
be partakers of the divine nature of him who vouch-
safed to be made partaker of our manhood, Jesus
Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.®
5. The Priest returns the cruet into the server's left
hand, who kisses it as he receives it. Then holding the
chalice on the altar, he bows his head towards the
cross as he says "Jesus" in the above prayer, but does
not join his hands. Then he takes the purificator with
the right hand and wipes out any drops of wine or
water that may have adhered to the inside of the chal-
ice. Then he lays the purificator with his left hand
' This prayer is found in the Sacramentaries of Saint Leo and Gelasius
as one of the collects for Christmas Day. (Muratori, Liturgia Romana
Vetus, t. i. col. 467, 497.)
88 CEREMONIES 01? LOW MASS.
on the altar midway between the corporal and the
Epistle corner. With the same hand he sets the
chalice between the purificator and the corporal. He
joins his hands before the breast, returns to the
midst, and bows to the cross ; then straightway placing
the left hand on the altar beyond the corporal, he
extends his right arm and takes the chalice by the knop,
Holding it with both hands, that is, the foot with his
left hand, and the knop with his right hand, he raises
it so that the top of the bowl will be not higher than
the eyes, and, fixing his eyes upon the cross, says
privately :
Offerimus.
WE offer unto thee, O Lord, the cup of salvation,
humbly beseeching thy mercy, that it may go
up before thy divine majesty with a sweet-smelling
savour for our salvation, and for that of the whole
world. Amen.
Then he lowers the chalice to about four inches above
the altar; and still holding it with both hands, with it
makes the sign of the cross over the altar, and then
places it upon the corporal, a little behind the paten.
Then placing the left hand on the foot of the chalice,^"
he takes the pall between the thumb and forefinger of
the right hand, and places it on the chalice.
6. Then he joins his hands ; and placing the extrem-
ities of the longer fingers upon the corporal, so that
the little fingers merely touch the forepart of the
mensa of the altar, and moderately bowing down, he
says:
1" The direction to place the left hand upon the foot of the chalice,
whenever the pall is removed or placed upon it, is suggested by Romsee,
and is given in order to guard against any accidental tilting over of the
chalice.
CEREMONIKS OF LOW MASS. 89
In spiritu humilitatis.
IN the spirit of humility, and with a contrite heart,
let us be accepted by thee, O Lord ; and so let our
sacrifice be in thy sight this day, that it may be well
l)leasing unto thee, O Lord God.^^
7. Then standing erect, and straightway lifting his
eyes to the cross, and at the same time opening his
hands, and raising them as high as the shoulders, he
says:
Vent SanctiUcator.
COME, O thou the Sanctifier, (lozvering his eyes,
and joining his hands, he proceeds:) almighty
and everlasting God, (placing the left hand on the altar
beyond the corporal he makes the sign of the cross with
the right hand over the paten and chalice together
saying:) and bl ^ ess this sacrifice prepared for thy
holy name.^^
The server remains standing by the credence with
hands joined until the offerings of the people have been
gathered. Then he takes with both hands the basin in
which to receive the oflferings, and goes down below
the lowest step of the altar at the Epistle side, where
he awaits the Priest.
The Priest bows his head to the cross, turns by his
right, and goes down below the lowest step. He bows
or genuflects with the server, and then goes to the
entrance of the presbytery which is between the choir
and the sanctuary.* Standing there, with his face
turned towards the people and with the server at his
^^ Danl. iii. 39, 40.
^- Of the three above prayers, the Offcrimus is found in the West-
minster missal (vol. ii. col. 500, H. B. Soc); the In spiritrt humilitatis
is found in this and also in the York and Hereford missals; the Feni
Sanctificator is in all three and also in the Leofric missal (p. 10).
* Cf. Ordines Romatii in loc.
90 ce;remonif,s of i.ow mass.
left hand, he receives the offerings of the people from
"the Deacons, Church-wardens, or other fit persons
appointed for that purpose," who reverently bring them
to him and place them in the basin held by the server.*
Then the Priest returns, and with the server, bows
or genuflects below the lowest step of the altar. Then
both go up to the altar.
8. The Priest having bowed in the midst, moves
towards the Epistle side,^^ where he receives the basin
from the server; he "humbly presents it" by raising
it as high as his breast, and then "places it upon the
Holy Table" at the Epistle side.
TI And wlieii the Alms and Oblations are presented,^*
there may be sung a Hymn, or an OflFertory Anthem in the
words of Holy Scripture or of the Book of Common Prayer,
under the direction of the Minister.
9. The Priest having presented and placed the basin
with the alms upon the altar, straightway returns it
to the server,^^ who places it upon the credence,
* See Notes on the Mass, vi, p. 10.
13 The rubric requires that the offerings of the people shall be placed
upon the Holy Table. The oblations are in the middle of the altar,
and the book occupies the Gospel side; the Epistle side, therefore, seems
to be the most convenient place for this ritual action. Canon Simmons
quotes a description of the making of the offerings by the people in a
church at Basle, in which they are said to have been placed "upon
the altar at the Epistle side." (Lay Folks Mass Book, p. 234, Note.)
'^* This rubric was introduced into our Prayer Book in 1889, and
although it has no practical application in a Low Mass, we cannot pass
it over without drawing attention to its doctrinal significance. Hith-
erto, the alms have been spoken of as being '"presented," but the obla-
tions of bread and wine were only said to be "placed upon the Table."
And while indeed the prayer "to accept our alms and oblations," made
it evident that there was intended to be as formal a presentation of
the bread and wine as of the alms, still the absence of the express
Vv'ord gave some the opportunity to cavil. By this new rubric, however,
all possibility of doubt is removed, and the matter is made perfectly
clear; for now, not only are the alms said to be presented, but the
"Oblations are presented'' also. And this express presentation of the
unconsecrated gifts, accentuates "The Oblation" after the Consecration,
and makes it evident that the two acts are of an entirely different
character.
1^ Nothing is to be left on the altar except what pertains to the cele-
bration of the Sacrifice. Cf, Canon iv, of the Apostolic Canons,
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 9I
or Other convenient place. And then joining his
hands, he moves towards the Epistle corner, beginning
the psalm Laz'abo. And the server having placed the
alms-basin upon the credence or elsewhere, takes
the small basin for the washing of the Priest's fingers
in his left hand; hangs the napkin over his left arm,
takes the water cruet in his right hand, and then goes
up to the step below the foot-pace at the Epistle corner,
where he bows to the Priest. The Priest standing with
his left side towards the altar, continues the psalm,
and at the same time, he holds the extremities of the
thumbs and forefingers over the basin while the server
pours water upon them. Having washed his fingers,
he takes the napkin, and facing the altar, wipes his
fingers dry, and then replaces the napkin on the
server's arm. He joins his hands, and standing turned
to the altar at the Epistle corner completes the psalm.
As he says, "Glory be," etc., he turns somewhat
towards the cross, without, however, moving his feet,
and bows his head until the words, "and to the Holy
Ghost," inclusive, when he stands erect, and then con-
tinues : "As it was," etc.
Psalm 26. Lavaho.
I WILL wash my hands in innocency, O Lord : and
so will I go to thine altar.
That I may shew the voice of thanksgiving : and tell
of all thy wondrous works.
Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house : and
the place where thine honour dwelleth.
O shut not up my soul with the sinners : nor my
life with the bloodthirstv ;
92 CEREMONIIvS OF LOW MASS.
In whose hands is wickedness ; and their right hand
is full of gifts.
But as for me, I will walk innocently : O deliver me,
and be merciful unto me.
My foot standeth right : I will praise the Lord in
the congregations.
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 Gloria Patri is not said at the end of the
above psalm in Requiem Masses, nor from Passion
Sunday until Holy Sabbath exclusive.
ID. The server having bowed to the Priest when the
napkin is returned, replaces the cruet and basin on the
credence, takes the sacring bell in his right hand,
being careful not to let it ring, and then (without bow-
ing in the midst) goes and kneels on the lowest step
at the Epistle side, placing the bell on the step before
him. He remains in this place until just before the
Consecration. The Priest having finished the psalm,
turns by his left, and goes to the midst. He raises his
eyes to the cross, and straightway casts them down ;
" The washing of the hands is among the most ancient of the cere-
monies observed in the Celebration of the Holy Mysteries. Saint Cyril,
of Jerusalem, teaches us its mystical significance: "Ye saw then the
Deacon give to the Priest water to wash, and to the Presbyters who
stood round God's board, he gave it, not at all because of bodily defile-
ment; no, for we did not set out for the Church with defiled bodies.
But this washing of hands is a symbol that ye ought to be pure from
all sinful and unlawful deeds: for since the hands are a symbol of
action, by washing them we represent the purity and blamelessness of
our conduct. Hast thou not heard the blessed David opening this
mystery, and saying, / will wash mine hands in innocency, and so
will I compass thine altar, Lordf The washing, therefore, of the
hands is a symbol of immunity from sin." (Catechetical Lee, Oxf.
trans, p. 273.) It is worthy of note, that in the office of the prothesis
of the liturgies of Saint Chrysostom and Saint Basil the psalm Lavaho is
directed to be said to the end, and not merely the first verse as in
many of the Western rites. See Neale and Littledale, Trans, of the
Prim. Lit., p. 179.
cr^'C'"'Jiyjw
CEREMONIES OF I.OW MASS. 93
then placing the extremities of his fingers upon the
altar, in the manner directed before, and bowing his
body moderately, he says privately :
Suscipe sancte Trinitas.
RECEIVE, O Holy Trinity, this oblation, which
we offer imto thee, in memory of the Passion,
Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Jesus
Christ ; and in honour of blessed Mary Ever-Virgin,
of blessed John the Baptist, of the holy Apostles Peter
and Paul, and of all thy Saints : that it may avail them
to their honour, and us to our salvation. And may
they, whose memory we celebrate on earth, vouchsafe
to intercede for us in heaven ; through the same Christ
our Lord. Amen.^"
II. Then he extends his hands on either side of the
corporal, and kisses the cross embroidered on it. He
stands erect, joins his hands before the breast, and
turns by his right towards the people. ^ Then shall
the Priest say, as he extends, elevates and joins his
hands :
L
ET us pray for the whole state of Christ's Church
militant.
He turns to the altar by the opposite way and so
completes the circle, and then bows his head to the
cross. Then, if the Mass is for the living, the Priest
pauses, and raising his joined hands as high as his
chin, and bowing his head a little, prays silently for
those for whom he intends to ofifer the holy Sacrifice.
Then extending his hands before the breast, and rais-
ing his head, he says the following prayers.* If there
1* Cf. Leofric Missal, p. 9. * Notes on the Mass, vii, )». 13.
94 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
be no alms, then shall the words "alms and" be left
unsaid. At the end, as he says, "Grant this, O Father,
for Jesus Christ's sake," he joins his hands, and bows
his head.
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who by thy holy
Apostle has taught us to make prayers, and sup-
plications, and to give thanks for all men; We humbly
beseech thee most mercifully to accept our [alms and]
Oblations, and to receive these our prayers, which we
offer unto thy Divine Majesty ; beseeching thee to inspire
continually the Universal Church with the Spirit of truth,
unity and concord; And grant that all those who do
confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy
Word, and live in unity and godly love. ^ "
WE beseech thee also, so to direct and dispose the
hearts of all Christian Rulers, that they may
truly and impartially administer justice, to the punishment
of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy
true religion and virtue.
GIVE grace, heavenly Father, to all Bishops and
other Ministers, that they may, both by their life
and doctrine, set forth thy true and lively Word, and
rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments.
AND to all thy People give thy heavenly grace;
and especially to this congregation here present;
that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear,
" In the English Book the two paragraphs following read thus: —
"We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings,
Princes, and Governours; and specially thy servant, Edward, our
King; that under him we may be godly and quietly governed: And
grant unto his whole Council, and to all that are put in authority under
him, that they may truly and indifferently minister justice, to the pun-
ishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true
religion, and virtue. Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all Bishops and
Curates, that they may both by their life and doctrine set forth thy
true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sac-
raments."
CEREMONIES OE LOW MASS. 95
and receive thy holy Word ; truly serving thee in holiness
and righteousness all the days of their life.
AND we most humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness,
Lord, to comfort and succour all those who, in
this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness,
or any other adversity.
AND we also bless thy holy Name for all thy servants
departed this life in thy faith and fear,'* beseech-
ing thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples,
that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly
kingdom. Grant this, Father, for Jesus Christ's sake,
our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen,
12. Tf At the time of the Celebration of the Communion,
the Priest shall say this Exhortation. But, Note, That the
Exhortation may be omitted if it hath been already said
on one Lord's Day in that same month.
DEAKLY beloved in the Lord, ye who mind, etc.
Amen,
With hands joined before the breast, he turns by
his right towards the people (if he be not turned
already) . ^ Then shall the Priest say to those who come
to receive the Holy Communion,
YE who do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins,
and are in love and charity with your neighbours,
and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments
of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways ;
'" Some make the commemoration of the dead after the words, "in thy
faith and fear," which occur in the prayers for Christ's Church mili-
tant, ( Orationes super oblata). But there is a manifest incongruity in
praying for the dead in a series of prayers said expressly for the
"Church militant." Moreover, in the L,atin Canon, the dead are com-
memorated after the consecration and not before. And the learned
Mr. Scudamore says: "There is reason to think that at the earliest
period the faithful departed were not commemorated in any way until
after the consecration." (Notitia, etc., p. 421.)
96 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your
comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty
Q-od, devoutly kneeling.
Then he turns to the altar by his right hand, kneels
down on both knees, and joins his hands before the
breast. ^ Then shall this general Confession be made, by
the Priest and all those who are minded to receive the Holy
Communion, humbly kneeling.^'
ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Maker of all things. Judge of all men ; We acknowl-
edge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which
we, from time to time, most grievously have committed,
(He places the left hand a little heloiv the breast,
and with the right hand he strikes his breast thrice,^^
saying) : By thought, word, and deed. Against thy Divine
Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation
against us. We do earnestly repent. And are heartily
sorry for these our misdoings ; The remembrance of them is
grievous unto us ; The burden of them is intolerable. Have
mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father ;
For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Forgive us all
that is past ; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve
and please thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory
of thy Name ; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1[ Then shall the Priest, (the Bishop if he be present)
i» A confession before the Preface although without example in the
English Uses is not without precedent elsewhere. See Martene, De
Ant. Bed. Rit., t. i. pp. 500, 528, 534. 5S6- "Confessions or
collects of that sort which were called Apologia were very-
usual among the ancients; and they were recited [by the
Priest], not standing, but pronus ante altare, as may be seen in an
ancient MS. of the Church of Beauvais." (Martene, De Ant. Eccl.
Rit., t. i. p. 354.) Among the ancient orders which this author has
reprinted is a MS. of the monastery of Le Bee, in which the Priest is
directed to say the confession, "Ante altare prostratus" (Ibid., p. 631).
*' Durandus, Rationale Divinorum Officiorum, lib. iv. cap. vii.
Romsee, Sensus Litteralis, etc., App. De Rit. Carthusianorum.
CEREMONIIiS OF LOW MASS. 97
stand up, and turning to the People, say with hands
joined.
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his
great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all
those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn
unto him; Have mercy upon you; {He places the left
hand a little below the breast, and with the right hand
makes the sign of the cross over the people, saying:)
pardon ^ and deliver you from all your sins ; confirm and
strengthen you in all goodness ; and bring you to ever-
lasting life ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
H Then shall the Priest say, with hands joined, and
standing turned towards the people,
HEAR what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith
unto all who truly turn to him: Come unto me,
all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will
refresh you. Si. Matt. xi. 28.
So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten
Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. St. John iii. 16.
Hear also what Saint Paul saith. This is a true saying,
and worthy of all men to be received, That Christ Jesus
ca<me into the world to save sinners. 1 Tim. i. 15.
Hear also what Saint John saith. If any man sin, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous ; and he is the Propitiation for our sins. 1 St.
John ii. 1, 2.
13. H After which the Priest, extending and raising
his hands as far as the shoulders, shall proceed,
saying :^i
-'^ It is perfectly clear from the subsequent rubric, which directs the
Priest to turn to the altar before the Vere dignuin et justum est, etc..
thr.t tlie .Sur.imn corda is to be said facing the people. By ancient
98 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
Sursum corda.
LIFT up your hearts.
AnsHver. We lift them up unto the Lord.
Then joining his hands before the breast, he says :
Priest. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
Ans<wer. It is meet and right so to do.
^ Then shall the Priest turn by his right to the Lord's
Table, and say, with hands raised and extended as at
the Collect:
Vere dignum.
IT is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we
should at all times, and in all places, give thanks
unto thee, Lord, [*Holy Father,] Almighty, Everlasting
God. ( ^ Here sha.ll follotv the Proper Preface, according to the
time, if there be any specialty appointed; or else immediately
shall be said or sung by the Priest:) Therefore with Angels
and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we
laud and magnify thy glorious Name ; evermore praising
thee, and saying.
Here the Priest joins his hands before the breast,
and bowing moderately, both Priest and People say
together the Sanctus, during which the server rings
the sacring bell thrice.
usage, however, it was said by tlie Priest turned towards the altar.
This originated from the custom, which is still continued in the Greek
rites, of shutting the gates or drawing the curtains of the sanctuary
before this part of the service, so that the Priest was withdrawn from
the people, and, therefore, did not turn towards them when addressing
them, as at other times. This custom having passed away in the West,
there is no reason why the Stirsum corda should not now be said
toward the people, as the Prayer Book has directed. (See Romsee and
Le Brun. in loc.)
* "These words [Holy Father] must be omitted on Trinity Sunday."
(Rubric of Bk. of C. P.) That is if the first Preface of Trinity Sun-
day is said; but if the second Preface is read, the words would be
retained. The Englisli Prayer Book has no alternate Preface for Trinity
Sunday.
CEREMONIKS OF LOW MASS.
Saiictits.
99
HOLY, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and
earth are full of thy glory : Glory be to thee,
Lord Most High. Amen.
Then the I'riest standing erect, places the left hand
a Httle below the breast, and with the right hand makes
the sign of the cross from the forehead to the breast."
saying privately :
Benedictus qui venit.
BLESSED is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
14. ^ Then shall the Priest, kneeling down at the
Lord's Table, say, in the name of all those who shall
receive the Communion, this Prayer following, his hands
being joined before the breast :
WE do not presume to come to this thy Table,
merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness,
but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not
worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy
Table. But thou art the same Lord, v/hose property is
always to have mercy : Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to
drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean
by his body, and our souls washed through his most
precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him
and he in us. Amen,^^
-- "At the beginning of the Benedictus ye turn to the altar and make
the token of the cross upon you in mind of our Lord's passion."
(The Myroiirc of our Lady, p. 330.)
^ This prayer is a free rendering of parts of two prayers said by the
Priest in preparation for Mass, and found in most of the English missals
as in the Roman missal. The corresponding Latin is as follows: "Ad
lOO CRREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
CHAPTER V.
The Canon of the; Mass.
I. Having said the above prayer, the Priest rises,
and "standing before the Table," finds the place of the
Canon in the book with his left hand, the right hand
resting upon the altar beyond the corporal. Then he
"so orders the bread and wine that he may with the
more readiness and decency break the bread before
the people and take the cup into his hands," moving
the ciborium (if one be in use) forward on the cor-
poral, and placing it uncovered at his right alongside of
the chalice ; or he places it between the paten and the
chalice, moving the latter back a little. When the Priest,
standing before the Table, hath so ordered the Bread and
Wine, that he may with the more readiness and decency
break the Bread before the People, and take the Cup into
his hands, he shall say the Prayer of Consecration, as fol-
loweth: He says the whole Canon with hands
extended, except when it is otherwise ordered. When
the sacred name is mentioned before consecration, the
Priest bows his head towards the cross ; each time it is
mentioned after consecration, he bows his head towards
the Sacrament.
2. First, he joins his hands before the breast ; then
mensam dulcissimi convivii tui, pie Domine Jesu Christe, ego peccator
de propriis meritis tiiliil prsesumens, sed de tua confidens misericordia
et bonitate, accedere vereor et contremisco Exaudi me
sperantem in te; miserere mei pleni miseriis et peccatis, tu qui fontem
miserationis numquam manare cessabis." "Da mihi, quseso, dominici
Corporis et Sanguinis non sokim suscipere sacramentum, sed etiam rem
et virtutem sacramenti. O mitissime Deus, da mihi Corpus unigeniti
Filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi, quod traxit de \'irgine Maria, sic
suscipere, ut corpori suo mystico merear incorporari, et inter ejus
membra connumerari." These last two sentences are found in the
prayer attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
CERIiMONIES OF LOW MASS. 10 1
immediately extendinj^f and raising them as high as the
shoulders, at the same time raising his eyes to the
cross,^ he says,
ALL glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly
Father, {^Immediately casting doivn Jiis eyes, and
slozdy joining tJie hands before the breast and bozmng
his head profoundly, he continues) for that thou of thy
tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ;
(Then standing erect, and extending tJie hands before
the breast, as at the Collect, he ac?J^) to suffer death upon
the cross for our redemption ; who made there, by his one
oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient
sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole
world ; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command
us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death
and sacrifice (Joining his hands before the breast, he
continues) until his coming again. ^
1 Our Canon, unlike the old Latin Canon, opens with an ascription of
praise; it would seem, therefore, that the ceremonial actions of the
Priest ought to follow the analogy afforded by the first part of the
Gloria in Excelsis.
2 The' English Canon reads thus: —
"Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst
give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death uprn the cross for our
redemption; who made there (by his one oblation of himself once
offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrilice, oblation, and satisfaction,
for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy
Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious
death, until his coming again; Hear us, O merciful Father, we most
humbly beseech thee; and grant that we receiving these thy ^ creatures
of ^ bread and >i< wine, according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus
Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion,
may be partakers of his most blessed Bo >J< dy and Bio »{< od: who, in
the same night that he was betrayed, took bread," etc.
This first paragraph of the Canon is very much like the following
passages from Saint Thomas: "The passion of Christ was a sufficient
(snfliciens) and superabundant satisfaction (satisfactio) for the sins of
the whole human race." (S'umma, iii. 49, .•?.) "Because men are purged
from sin by the passion and death of Christ, and that there might
remain with us the continual memory fjugis memoria) of so great a
benefit, the Son of God as his passion drew near, left with his faithful
ones the memory (memoriam) of his passion and death to be continually
celebrated (jugiter recolendam), by giving to his disciples his Body and
Blood under the forms of bread and wine; which [Sacrament] the
Church in every land that is Christ's continues to celebrate in memory
(in memoriam) of his venerable passion. (S. Thorn. Opusculum iii. 8.)
102 CEREMONIKS OF I.OW MASS.
3. Here the server taking the sacring bell in his
right hand, goes up, and kneels on the foot-pace at the
right of the Priest. He rings the bell thrice at each
consecration, viz. : once when the Priest genuflects
after the consecration of the host or the chalice ; once
at the elevation of the host or chalice ; and once again
when the host is replaced upon the paten, or the chalice
upon the corporal. He bows his head at each time of
consecration, and raises the chasuble with his left hand
at each elevation. The Priest, disjoining his hands,
says:
Consecration of the Host.
FOR in the night in which he was betrayed, {^ Here
the Priest is to take the paten into his hands, ^
mid holding it between the thumb and forefinger of
each hand, he raises it a few inches from the altar,
saying:) he took bread; (He immediately replaces
the paten upon the corporal, and takes the large host
hetzveen the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.
Holding it a little raised from the paten, so that the
figure impressed upon it will be held upright, he raises
his eyes to heaven, then straightzvay hozmng his head
he makes the sign of the cross zvith his right hand
over the host, .yaymo^) and when he had given ►J^ thanks,*
{^And here to break the bread"" which he docs after
3 This direction in all the English Uses is placed before the words
Qui pridie, etc., but in the Book of Common Prayer since 1662, as in
the present Roman missal, it has been placed before the words "He
took bread."
* In the I,atin Canon the cross was made at "He blessed;" as these
words do not occur in our Prayer of Consecration, the most convenient
place for this cross would seem to be at "given thanks." Mr. Scuda-
more gives two or three examples of a cross made at this place. See
Notitia, etc., 2 ed., p. 598.
B A fraction or the semblance of a fraction was directed by some of
the medieval missals, but was altogether distinct from the solemn frac-
tion which took place after consecration. (Ibid., pp. 606-607.)
ClvRIvMOXIKS OF LOW MASS. IO3
this manner: holding the host between the thumb
and forefinger of each hand over the paten, he makes
a small fracture or crack in the lozver part of it, saying
at the same time,) he brake it. (Still holding the
host with hath hands, he moves Ids feet a little from
the altar, keeping the right foot near to the left, so that
he may genuHect without striking his knee against the
altar, and bowing moderately, lie continues:) and gave
it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat, (^ And here to la.y
his hand upon all the thread, zvhich he does after this
manner: holding the large host between the
thumb and forefinger of each hand over the
paten, or over the ciborium, if the latter be
used to hold the hosts for the people, he extends the
rest of each hand over the small hosts zvhich are to be
consecrated; and standing with head and body moder-
ately bozved dozvn, he immediately adds the Words
of Consecration, zvhich he pronounces in a clear and
distinct tone of voice,^ zvithout pausing hctzveen the
zvords, saying:) This is my Body, which is given for
you ; Do this in remembrance of me.
4. Then the Priest raises his head, and holding the
host between his thumbs and forefingers over the
paten, the other fingers being close together and
extended — the small hosts which have been consecrated
being left on the paten or in the ciborium — he genu-
• The English Uses in common with the other Western rites required
the whole Canon to be said secretly or in a low tone of voice.
Anciently, however, the Canon was said aloud, and Cardinal Bona
thinks that this custom continued to be observed as late as the tenth
century. (De Reb. Lit. lib. ii. cap. xiii. j.) The Abbe L. Duchesne
in his recent work entitled Origines du Culte Chretien, p. in, tells vis
that from the difficulty of .sustaining in a large building a raised tone
of voice arose the later custom of pronouncing in a low voice certain
formula; which had evidently been composed to be heard by all. There
can be little doubt that the Church in setting forth her liturgy in the
vernacular intended to revert to the earlier usage of saying the whole
service in a clear, intelligible tone of voice.
104 CEREMONIES OF' I<OW MASS.
fleets on the right knee to the floor,' rises and rever-
ently elevates the host in a straight line over the paten,
so that it may be seen by the people,* keeping his eyes
fixed attentively upon it. After holding it elevated for
an instant, he reverently lowers it with both hands,
but when near the paten, he withdraws the left hand,
and with the right hand places it upon the paten.
Then, having the thumb and forefinger of each hand
joined, he places his hands upon the corporal, so that
the little fingers will rest upon the corporal, and one
palm look towards the other, and holding his head
erect, he genuflects and rises. Then, if a ciborium be
in use, he covers it, and moves it to its place on the
corporal behind the chalice.
N. B. (a) In consecrating the host, the Priest will
take care not to breathe upon it, or touch it with his
beard or mouth. The same caution is to be observed
at the consecration of the chalice.
(b) After pronouncing the Words of Consecration,
the thumb and forefinger of each hand ought not to be
disjoined until after the ablution of the fingers, except
when the host is to be touched or handled. Therefore,
in turning over the leaves of the book, the Priest will
take each leaf between the middle finger and the nail
of the forefinger of the left hand, and so turn it over.
(c) When the Priest elevates the host and chalice,
he will take care that the ends of the maniple are not
brought in contact with the hosts, which may be' upon
the paten.
5. The Priest having genuflected, and moved the
ciborium to its place behind the chalice, as directed
^ See Notes on the Mass, viii., p. 16.
^ See Notes on the Mass, ix., p. 22.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 105
above, places the extremities of the three last fingers
of the left hand on the foot of the chalice, and then
takes the pall between the middle and forefinger of
the right hand (keeping the thumb joined to the fore-
finger) and removes it from the chalice, placing it upon
the corporal at the upper right hand corner, so that it
will partly rest upon the veil. Then rubbing the thumb
and forefinger of each hand together over the chalice
to remove any particles that may have adhered to them,
he says:
Consecration of the Chalice.
LIKEWISE, after supper, » {^ Here he is to take the
cap into his hands, zvhich he does after this
manner: zvithoiit disjoining the thumb and forefinger
of each hand, he takes the chalice in both hands by the
knop, and raising it about four inches from the altar,
he says:) he took the cup; (He immediately lozvers
it, and holding it upon the altar by the knop with his
left hand, and bowing his head to the host, he makes
the sign of the cross with his right hand over the cha-
lice, saying:) and when he had given ^ thanks, he gave
it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this; for {'^ And here
he is to lay his hand upon every 'vessel in luhich there
is any ivine to be consecrated ; and this he docs after
this manner: he takes the knop of the chalice
into his right hand, that is betzveen the joined
tthumb and forefinger and the last three ^.ngcrs:
and the foot of the chalice he takes zvith his
left hand, so that the joined thumb and forefinger zvill
' By all the old English Uses the Priest was directed to take the
chalice as he said Simili niodo, etc.; but here again our Prayer Book
agrees with the Roman missal in placing this direction just before the
words, "He took the cup."
106 CHREMOXIES OF^ LOW MASS.
rest on the foot, and the last three fingers support the
chalice beneath; he then places his arms lightly upon
■ the altar, and bozving moderately, immediately adds
the Words of Consecration, ivhich he pronounces in
the same manner as zvas directed at the consecration of
the host:) This is my Blood of tlie New Testament,
which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of
sins; (Then he replaces the chalice on the corporal, in
the place zuhere it zvas before, saying:) Do this, as oft
as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.*
6. Then the Priest, straightway placing his hands
upon the corporal, genuflects and rises. And then
taking the chaHce with both hands, in the manner
directed above, he elevates it in a straight line over the
corporal, lifting it to a height which will bring the
base to a level with his eyes. He holds the chalice
elevated for an instant, during which time he keeps
his eyes fixed upon it, and then reverently lowers it,
replacing it upon the corporal. Then placing the last
three fingers of the left hand upon the foot of the
chalice he takes the pall between the fore and middle
finger of the right hand, and covers the chalice. Then
placing both hands upon the corporal he genuflects
and rises.
The server straightway rises, and taking the
sacring bell with him goes down below the lowest
step where he genuflects in the midst, and then goes
and kneels on the lowest step at the Epistle side,
placing the sacring bell on the step in front of him.
The Priest standing erect, and with hands extended
before the breast, says:
* The English Canon here ends.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. I07
7. The ObUtion.
WHEREFORE, Lord and heavenly Father, accord-
ing to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son
our Saviour Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do
celebrate and make here before thy Divine Majesty,
(Here he joins his hands before the breast,
immediately disjoins them and placing the left
hand on the corporal, makes the sign of the cross
li'ith the right hand oz'cr the paten and chalice together,
saying:) with these thy holy ^ gifts, which we now offer
unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to
make ; having in remembrance his blessed passion and
precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious as-
cension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the
innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same.
8. The In'voca.tion,^ °
AND we most humbly beseech thee, merciful Father,
to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouch-
safe (He makes the sign of the cross twice
over the paten and chalice together, in the man-
ner directed above, saying :) to >J< bless and sanc^J^tify, ' ^
with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and
creatures of bread and wine ; that we, receiving them
according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's holy in-
stitution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may
be partakers of his most blessed (He makes the sign
of the cross once over the paten, and once over the
chalice, saying:) Bo^J^dy and Blo^J^od.'^
'"' See Notes on the Mass, x, p. 24.
" So in 1st Prayer Book of Ed. VI.
-2 Wherever the words "Body" and "Blood" occur in the Latin Canon
a cross was made over the host, and one over the chalice.
loS CEREMONIJJS OF I,OW MASS.
AND we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness, merci-
fully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant,
that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ,
and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole
Church may obtain remission of our sins, and all other
benefits of his passion.
10.
AND here we offer and present unto thee, Lord,
ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable
holy, and living sacrifice unto thee ; humbly beseoching
thee, that we, and all others who shall be partakers of
this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the mcsit
precious (He makes the sign of the cross once over the
paten, and once over the chalice, saying:) Bo^dy and
Blo>J<od^^ of thy Son Jesus Christ, (Here he places
the left hand a little below the breast, in such a
way that the palm will be turned directly up,
so that the joined thumb and forefinger may
not touch the chasuble, and with the right hand
he makes the sign of the cross from the forehead to the
breast, saying:) be filled with thy grace and heavenly
benediction,^* (Extending his hands, he continues:) and
made one body with hiir., that he may dwell in us and
we in him.
Then, pausing, he says privately, with hands
extended :
*' "Ut quotquot ex hac altaris participatione sacrosanctum Filii tui
cor^pus et san>i<guinem sumpserimus." (Canon Missa.)
" "Seipsuni signat, Omni benedictione coelesti et gratia repleamur."
(Ibid.)
CICKKMONIIvS OF LOW MASS. lOQ
II. Commemoration of the Dead.
REMEMBER also, O Lord, thy servants and
handmaids, N and N, who have gone before
us with the sign of faith and now rest in the sleep of
peace. (Here he joins his hands and for a short
space prays for the dead zvhoni he has in mind; then
extending his hands, he proceeds:) To these, O Lord,
and to all who rest in Christ, we beseech thee to grant
a place of refreshment, of light, and of peace.^^
12. Then placing the left hand upon the corporal,
and holding his head erect, he strikes his breast with
the extremities of the last three fingers of the right
hand, saying:
AND although we are unworthy, through our manifold
sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice ; (Extend-
ing his hands before the breast, he continncs:)
yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and
service; not weighing our merits, hut pardoning our
offences, (He joins his liands, and bows his head pro-
foundly, saying:) through Jesus Christ our Lord;
13. Placing the extremities of the last three fingers
of the left hand upon the foot of the chalice, he takes
the pall between the fore and middle fingers of the
right hand, and removes it from the chalice, placing
it upon the altar in the plafee directed above. Then
placing both hands upon the corporal, he genuflects
and rises. He reverently presses down the edge of
the host with the forefinger of the left hand, and then
IS In the Latin Canon, the commemoration of the dead is placed
after the Suf^plices tc roj^amus, which corresponds to our, "And here
we offer and present," etc., and immediately hefore the Nobis quoque
peccatoribiis which holds the place of our, "And although we are
unworthy," etc.; hence the direction above to make the private com-
memoration of the dead in this place.
no ceremontWotT LOW" Mass.
slips the forefinger of the right hand beneath at the
opposite part, and so takes the host between the
thumb and forefinger of the right hand. Then he
takes the knop of the chaHce between the forefinger
and the last three fingers of the left hand, still keeping
the thumb joined to the forefinger; and holding the
host upright, with it he makes the sign of the cross
twice over the mouth of the chalice (which he holds
upon the altar) from lip to lip, taking care that the
host does not touch the chalice, and saying at the same
time:
BY ^ whom, and with i^ whom, (In like manner, he
makes the sign of the cross twice zvith the
host hetzvecn the chalice and his breast, saying:) in the
unity of the Holy >^ Ghost, all honour and glory be unto
thee, Father ^ Almighty, ^"^ (Then holding the host
upright with his right hand over the chalice,
which he holds on the altar with his left hand, he ele-
vates the chalice with the host as high as his breast,
saying:) World without end. Amen.^^
""Per ip^sum, et cum ip>J<so, et in ipii<so, est tibi Deo Patri^omni-
potenti, in unitate Spiritus»J<Sancti."' (Canon Missee.) The words "in
whom" (in ip>J<so) are wanting in our Canon.
1' By the present rubrics of the Roman missal, the Priest concluding
the Canon with the words, Per quern, etc.. makes (a) the signs of the
cross with the host (b), elevates the host and chalice a little as he says,
omnis honor et gloria (c). genuflects, and then (d) standing up, says.
Per omnia sceciila sceculonim. The arrangement of tlie words
in the corresponding clause of our Canon precludes this order of cere-
monies, but it lends itself perfectly to the older and better order which
was (a) the making of the signs of the cross (b), the little elevation at
the words. Per omnia sacula saculorum ; R. Amen, and then (c) the
genuflection at the end of the Canon. Le Brun tells us that the eleva-
tion at the words, "World without end. R. Amen," continued to be
observed down to the revision of Pivjs V., and is still the practice of
the Carthusians, who are tenacious of ancient customs. And he ex-
presses his regret that any change was made, and at the interruption
of the sequence of the words by the genviflection, and finally says of the
earlier arrangement: "It is most desirable that this usage should again
be re-established. The faithful would then easily perceive that the
'world without end' and the 'Amen' are the conclusion and confirmation
of the whole Canon, that is of the prayer which begins with Te igitur:
and they would be the better able to distinguish this part of the Mass,
which contains the prayer of consecration, from the part following which
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. Ill
He at once places the host upon the paten, and the
chalice upon the corporal behind the paten, detaches
any fragments from his thumbs and forefingers over
the chalice, joins the thumb and forefinger of each
hand as before, and placing the left hand upon the
foot of the chalice, takes the pall between the fore and
middle finger of the right hand, and covers the chalice.
Then placing both hands upon the corporal, he gen-
uflects and rises.
TI Here may be sung a Hymn.
CHAPTER VI.
The; Communion.^
1. TI (Then shall the Priest first receive the Communion
in both kinds himself, and for due preparation thereto,
he shall say what follows. Joining his hands
before the breast, and bowing his head profoundly to
the Sacrament, he says privately: "Let us pray."
Straightway raising his head, but keeping his eyes
fixed upon the Sacrament, and his hands joined before
the breast, he continues :
PrcEceptis saliitaribus.
COMMANDED by his saving precepts, and guided
by his divine instruction, we are bold to say :
Then extending his hands, he immediately adds pri-
vately :
begins with the Lord's Prayer and is the preparation for the Coin-
munion" (Explication, i., 544). Fortunately, this is the order of
ceremonies, as we have said, which is best adapted to our arrangement
of words, and therefore it is the one which we have adopted above in
the text.
1 "The part of the Mass which begins with the Our Father is the
preparation for the Communion." (Le Brun.)
112 CEREMONIKS OF LOW MASS.
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
those who trespass against us ; and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."
2. With hands still extended, and his eyes fixed
upon the Sacrament, he says :^
Libera nos.
DELIVER us, we beseech thee, O Lord, from all
evils past, present, and to come: and inasmuch
as there is interceding for us the blessed, glorious,
and Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, together with
thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, Andrew and all
thy Saints, (Placing the left hand a little below the
breast, in such a way that the palm zmll be turned up,
he makes the sign of the cross from the forehead to
the breast with his right hand,^ saying:) favourably
grant peace in our time, that we being holpen by thy
mercy, may ever be kept free from sin, and safe from
all disquietude ; (Then placing the left hand upon the
' The Lord's Prayer is found after the consecration in every ancient
liturgy except the Clementine. By the English and Roman missals the
last petition of the Lord's Prayer was made as a response by the people,
the Priest adding "Amen." But in the Sacramentaries of Gelasius and
Gregory no such direction appears. And Saint Gregory contrasting the
custom of the Latins with the Greeks who said the Lord's Prayer with
the Priest, makes no reference to this practice, but simply says:
"with us it is said by the Priest alone."
3 The prayer Libera nos (the Embolismus) is found as early as the
Sacramentaries of Gelasius and Gregory, and in all the various Uses
of the Roman liturgy.
* By all the old Uses of England, and also by the Roman missal,
the Priest signed himself with the empty paten and then kissed it,
but by our present order the Sacrament is consecrated on the paten,
and, therefore, the making of the sign of the cross with the paten
and the kiss are both precluded. Hence the direction given above only
to make the sign of the cross with the hand, which is also the direc-
tion of the Ambrosian missal.
CEREMONIES OF I.OW MASS. II3
foot of the chalice, he removes the pall and places it
upon the altar in the place directed before. Then
placing both hands upon the corporal, he genuflects
and rises. Holding his head erect, he takes the host,
in the manner directed before, between the thumb and
forefinger of the right hand, and holding it over the
chalice, "with them and with the thumb and forefinger
of the left hand, he reverently and carefully breaks it
into two equal parts, saying:) Through the same Jesus
Christ thy Son our Lord, (Then the half which he
holds in his right hand, he places upon the paten, and
from the lower part of the other half which he holds
in his left hand, he breaks a small particle znnth the
thumb and forefinger of the right hand, saying:) who
liveth and reigneth with thee, (Then holding that par-
ticle over the chalice with the thumb and forefinger of
the right hand, he joins the greater part which he
holds in his left hand to the half zvhich was placed
upon the paten, saying:) in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, ever one God, (Then immediately taking the
chalice by the knop with his left hand, and holding
the particle of the host over the chalice with his right
hand, he says:) world without end. Amen."
3. The Commixture.
Holding the chalice and particle in the manner just
directed, with the same particle he makes the sign of
the cross thrice from lip to lip of the chalice, saying:
* "The rite of breaking the host is as ancient as the sacrifice itself;
for it is read that Christ broke the bread at the last Supper; he like-
wise broke it before his disciples at Emmaus; afterward the Apostles
broke the bread, as the Scripture relates, and ever since the Church
has continued to do the same, as is evident from the most ancient books
and authors, all of whom speak of the Fraction in the Sacrifice. More-
over this division of the Host is made, and always has been made,
not by cutting it with a knife or other instrument, although this mode
8
114 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
Pax Domini.
THE peace >J< of the Lord ^ be always with ^
you. R. And with thy spirit.®
Then putting the particle into the chalice, he says :
H(BC commixtio.
LET this commixture and the consecration of the
Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be for
everlasting life unto us who partake thereof. Amen.^
4. Having detached any fragments from his
thumbs and forefingers over the chalice, he places the
left hand on the foot of the chalice, and taking the
pall with his right hand, covers the chalice. Then
placing both hands upon the corporal, he genuflects
and rises. Holding his hands joined before the breast
(but without placing them upon the altar), and bowing
his head to the Sacrament, he says :
"O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the
world ;" then placing the left hand upon the corporal,
he strikes his breast lightly with the extremities of the
last three fingers of right hand as he says, "have mercy
upon us ;" and then, keeping the left hand on the
corporal, he says the other two versicles, striking the
breast again as he says the second time, "have mercy
upon us," and again as he says, "grant us thy peace."
might seem to be more becoming, but with the hands, as the Church
clings tenaciously to the examples of Christ and his Apostles." (Romsee,
Sensus Litteralis, etc., in loc.)
' The Pax Domini, etc., is found in the Sacramentaries of Gelasius
and Gregory, and in all the ancient missals, and also in the Prayer
Book of 1549.
'' "The commixture of the bread and wine designate the union of the
flesh and soul, which were reunited at the resurrection of Christ; for,
as has been said, the bread has reference to the flesh, and the wine to
the soul." (Innocent III., De Sacro Altaris Mysterio, lib. vi. cap. ii.)
The accompanying prayer, with slight verbal differences, is found in all
the ancient missals.
CEREMONIIvS OF LOW MASS. II5
Agjiits Dei.
OLAMB of God, that takest away the sins of the
world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the
world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the
world, grant us thy peace.^
In Requiem Masses, instead of the words, "have
mercy upon us," the Priest says, "grant them rest ;"
and instead of the words, "grant us thy peace," he
says, "grant them rest everlasting." As the Priest
says these words he does not strike his breast, but bow-
ing his head to the Sacrament holds his hands joined
before the breast.
5. The Agnus having been said, the Priest bows his
body moderately, and his hands being joined, he places
the extremities of the longer fingers upon the corporal,
and says the following prayers :
Do mine Jcsn Christe, qui.
OLORD Jesus Christ, who saidst unto thine Apos-
tles, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give
unto you ; Regard not my sins, but the faith of thy
Church, and grant unto her that peace and unity which
is according to thy will, who livest and reignest one
God, world without end. Amen.**
In Requiem Masses, the preceding prayer is not said,
the two prayers which follow are always said,
' "Sergius I., who was chosen Pope in 687, ordained that during
the Fraction of the Host the clergy and people should sing, Agnus
Dei, etc. (Le Brun, in loc.) It was directed to be said by all the pre-
reformation missals, and was retained in the 1st Prayer Book of Fd. VI.
' This prayer is found in the Hereford missal.
Il6 CKREMONIES 01^ LOW MASS.
Domine Jesii Christe, Fill.
OLORD Jesus Christ, Son of the hving God, who
according to the will of the Father, and by
the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, hast by thy death
given life unto the world ; Deliver me, by this thy
most holy Body and Blood, from all mine iniquities,
and from every evil ; and make me ever to cleave unto
thy commandments ; and suffer me never to be sepa-
rated from thee, who with the Father and the Holy
Ghost, livest and reignest one God, world without end.
Amen.^o
Perceptio Corporis.
LET not the partaking of thy Body, O Lord Jesus
Christ, which I, though unworthy, do presume
to receive, turn to me for judgment and condemnation ;
but according to thy loving kindness let it be profitable
to me for the receiving of protection and healing, both
of body and soul, who with the Father, in the unity of
the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God, world
without end. Amen.^°
6. Then the Priest disjoining his hands and placing
them upon the corporal, stands erect, and immediately
genuflects. Then rising, he says :
Panem ccelestem.
I WILL receive the bread of heaven, and call upon
the name of the Lord.^^
(a). Then he reverently takes from the paten, with
the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, both parts
of the host, and places them between the thumb and
^^ These two prayers are found as early as the Sacramentary of Saint
Gregory (col. 383). The first is found in Sarum, Hereford, York, and
Westminster; the second in York.
** Ps. cxvi. 12, adapted.
CERKMONIES OF LOW MASS. 117
forefinger of the left hand in such a way that the host
will appear unbroken. Then he takes the paten
between the fore and middle finger of the
right hand, and puts it between the fore and
middle finger of the left hand, so that the
host will be held over it. Holding the host
and paten in this way between his breast and the chal-
ice, and a little raised from the altar, he bows mod-
erately, and strikes his breast thrice with the extremi-
ties of the last three fingers of the right hand, saying
each time :
Domine non sum dignus.
LORD, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come
under my roof; but speak the word only, and
my soul shall be healed. ^-
Still bowing moderately, he places one part of the
host on top of the other; then he takes both parts
between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand ;
and still holding the paten in his left hand, he signs
himself with the host over the paten, saying :
Corpus Domini.
THE Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was
given for me, preserve my body and soul unto
everlasting life. Amen.
^ These words of Holy Scripture were very early associated with the
reception of the Holy Communion. Origen in his Vth Homily on the
Gospels, quoted by Card. Bona, says: " 'When thou receivest the holy
food, and that incorruptible feast; when thou art refreshed with the
bread and cup of life; and when thou eatest and drinkest the Body and
Bljod of the Lord, then indeed the Lord enters beneath thy roof. And
do thou thyself humbly imitate the centurion, and say: Lord, I am not
worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof.' Chrysostom, like-
wise, in his Homily on Saint Thomas, the Apostle, exhorting the
faithful that they should draw near to the Lord with pure hearts, says:
'Let us say to our Redeemer, Lord, I am not worthy that thou
shouldest come under the roof of our souls, but since thou desirest
to be received by us, we come unto thee, trusting in thy mercy.' "
(De Reb. Lit. in loc.)
Il8 CKRKMONIICS OI' LOW MASS.
Then, still standing/"' he places his arms lightly upon
the altar, and moderately bending forward, reverently
places both parts of the host upon his tongue. Then
he places the paten upon the corporal, and rubs his
forefingers and thumbs over it to remove any frag-
ments. Holding his head erect, he joins both hands
together (the thumbs and forefingers being joined),
before his face, taking care that they do not touch the
face, and remains for a short space in meditation on
the most holy Sacrament.
(b). Afterward he places the extremities of the last
three fingers on the foot of the chalice, and removes the
pall, in the manner before directed ; then placing both
hands upon the corporal, he genuflects and rises, say-
ing at the same time:
Qiiid retribuam.
WHAT reward shall I give unto the Lord for all
the benefits that he hath done unto me?
(Here he takes the chalice into his hands, that is, the
knop with his right hand, and the foot zmth his left
hand, in the manner before directed, saying:) I will
receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of
the Lord. I will call upon the Lord which is worthy
to be praised ; so shall I be safe from mine enemies.^*
Then, still standing, he reverently raises the chalice
as high as the breast, and signing himself with it, says :
Sanguis Domini.
THE Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was
shed for me, preserve my body and soul unto
everlasting life. Amen.
1' See Notes on the Mass, xi., p. 31.
^* Ps. cxvi., II, IS, and xviii. 2.
CERKMONIKS OK I.OVV MASS. II9
Having said these words, he places the chalice to
his lips and receives the sacred Blood with the particle
which was placed in the chalice.'^ After he has com-
municated hirnself, he carefully removes from the lip
of the chalice with his own lips the sacred Blood
which adheres to it. Then he replaces the chalice on
the corporal, and placing the left hand on the foot of
the chalice, covers it with the pall.^'' Afterwards,
placing both hands upon the corporal, he genuflects
and rises.
7. If a ciborium is used to hold the small hosts for
the Communion of the people, so that there were no
other hosts upon the paten but the large one, immedi-
ately after the Priest has received the Body of the
Lord and genuflected, he takes the paten between the
fore and middle finger of the right hand, and care-
fully examines the corporal, collecting the least frag-
ments that may be upon it. Then taking the paten
into his left hand, he rubs whatever particles may
have been collected upon it, into the chalice, with the
thumb and forefinger of the right hand, as directed on
page 139. Then he places the paten upon the corporal
at his left hand, and detaches any fragments from his
thumbs and forefingers over the chalice. Afterwards,
he proceeds as directed above, saying, "What reward
shall I give," etc.
8. As soon as the Priest has received the sacred
Blood, the server immediately rises, genuflects in the
" The Priest should be careful to receive the particle when he com-
municates himself with the Sacred Blood, so that it will not be in the
chalice at the communion of the people. Cf. rubric in the Roman
Pontifical at the Consecration of a Bishop: Consecrator corpus Domini
sumpserit .... cum particula Hostim in coliccm missa.
*• See second rubric in Order of Communion of 1548, and Merati,
p. ii. tit. X. xxiii.
120 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
midst, and goes to the credence, where he replaces the
sacring bell.^^ He then spreads the houselHng cloth'^
over the communion-rail, for the Communion of the
people. But, if there are any of the clergy present to
be communicated, before spreading this cloth, he takes
another and smaller cloth,^^ and accompanied by
another acolyte, goes up to the altar. They kneel on
the foot-pace, or on the step below the foot-pace, the
one at the Gospel side of the altar, and the other at the
Epistle side, directly facing each other. In this posi-
tion they hold the houselling cloth by the four corners
with both hands, so that it will be spread out, and
raised to about the lower part of the breast of the
clerg}^man when he kneels to be communicated.^*^
9. The Priest having received the Communion in
both kinds himself, shall If proceed to deliver the same to
the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, in like manner, (if any be
present) and, after that, to the People also in order, into
their hands, all devoutly kneeling. And sufficient opportun-
ity shall he given to those present to communicate. Im-
mediately after he has received the sacred Blood
and genuflected, as directed above, he takes the paten
between the fore and middle finger of the left hand, so
that the joined thumb and forefinger will rest on the
paten, and the other fingers support it beneath. Or, if
a ciborium is used, he moves it forward on the cor-
poral, placing it before the chalice; he removes the
" Bauldry, Manuale, p. i. cap. xvii, xl, xH.
^' This houselling cloth, according to Gavantus, is made of white linen
the length of the communion rail, and about one yard wide. For ex-
amples shewing its continuous use in the Church of England, see
Hiernrgia Anglicana, 1902, pt. i., pp. 127-131.
1' The houselling cloth for the communion of the clergy is necessarily
somewhat smaller than the one spread on the rail for the people. It
ought to be at least as long as the altar, and about one-half yard wide.
«• Merati, Nov. Ob., etc., t. i. pars. ii. tit. x. liii.
CEREMONIES OF I.O\V MASS. 121
cover, placingf it on the altar beyond the corporal ;
after which he genuflects ; then he takes the ciborium
by the knop between the joined thumb and forefinger
and the middle finger of the left hand. Then taking
one of the small hosts between the thumb and fore-
finger of the right hand, he holds it a little raised over
the paten or ciborium (which he holds as high as his
breast), so that the hand rests upon the rim of the
paten or ciborium. He turns by his right towards the
people, and stands directly before the midst of the
altar, so that the Sacrament may be seen by the
people.* Keeping his eyes fixed upon the host held in
his hand, he says once privately :
Bcce, Agnus Dei.
BEHOLD, the Lamb of God ; behold him that tak-
eth away the sins of the world.
Then he says thrice privately:
Domine non sum dignus.
LORD, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come
under my roof; but speak the word only and
my soul shall be healed.
The Communion of the Clergy.
10. As soon as the Priest turns towards the people,
as directed above, the Bishop of the diocese, or the
Bishop having jurisdiction in that place (if present to
receive the Holy Communion), first approaches the
altar. Having a stole over the usual choral habit worn
* Our custom of the Celebrant turning to the people and shewing
them the Sacrament before the Communion (necessitated by the
rubric, "And sufficient opportunity," etc.) corresponds exactly in its
character to the rite of the Sancta Sanctis in the Eastern liturgies, and
affords a like opportunity for acts of praise and worship.
122 CKREMONUiS OF I.UW iMASS.
by Bishops, he goes before the lowest step of the altar,
where he genuflects, then he goes up and kneels before
the houselling cloth, over which he holds his right
hand supported by his left. The Celebrant delivers to
him the Body of the Lord in the manner directed below
at the Communion of the people. Afterwards, the
Celebrant replaces the paten upon the corporal,
removes the pall from the chalice and genuflects. Then
taking the chalice, he administers it to the Bishop in
the manner directed below. Then the Bishop rises,
goes down below the lowest step of the altar, where
he again genuflects in the midst, and then returns to
his place. Then the other Bishops approach, one after
the other, each wearing a stole. They go to the altar
in the same way as the first, and receive Holy Com-
munion after the same manner. Then having genu-
flected before the lowest step of the altar, they return
to their places.-^
II. The Priests are next communicated in order,
the superior clergy approaching first. Each having a
stole over his surplice, they go two by two before the
lowest step of the altar, genuflect together, and go
up and kneel before the houselling cloth. Having
received the Holy Communion in both kinds, they rise,
take a single step, the one towards the Gospel side,
and the other towards the Epistle side, and then turn
(the one at the Gospel side by his right hand, and the
other by his left, so as not to turn their backs on the
Sacrament), and go down below the lowest step of the
altar, where they again genuflect together, and then
return to their places.
The Deacons are communicated next. They each
** De Herdt, Praxis Pontificalis, t. iii. lib. ii. 25, 26.
CEREMONIKS OF LOW MASS. 1^3
wear a stole over the left shoulder, and approach the
altar two by two in the same manner as the Priests.
12. Then the server folds the houselling cloth used
for the Communion of the clergy, and replaces it upon
the credence. He next spreads the houselling cloth
over the rail for the Communion of the people, observ-
ing to genuflect each time he passes before the midst.
If he receives the Holy Communion, he genuflects
before the lowest step, and then goes up and kneels on
the foot-pace, or on the step below the foot-pace, a
little towards the Epistle side. Having been communi-
cated, he genuflects again below the lowest step, and
then goes and kneels on the steps of the altar at the
Epistle side, so that his face wmII be turned towards
the Gospel side of the sanctuary, and his left side be
turned toward the people. If there is another acolyte
he kneels on the Gospel side facing south. --
The Communion of the People.
13. (a) The clergy and acolytes having been com-
municated, the Priest next proceeds to administer the
Holy Communion to the Religious men and women,-^
if any be present. They are communicated at the rail,
but before and apart from the laity. Deaconesses of
the present day not being imder vows are not com-
municated by themselves, but among the rest of the
laity.
Holding one of the small hosts over the paten
or ciborium, which he holds as high as his breast, the
Priest turns by his right, descends the steps of the
altar, and then goes over to the end of the com-
*^ Merati, p. ii. tit. x, xxiv.
•• See Bona De Reb. Lit., in loc. ; also Duchesne, Origines, p. 62.
124 CEREMONIES OE LOW MASS.
munion-rail at the Epistle side of the sanctuary, hold-
ing the Sacrament before his breast in the manner
directed above. ^And when he delivereth the Bread,
he shall say, as he makes the sign of the cross with
the host over the paten or ciborium :
Corpus Domini.
THE Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given
for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlast-
ing life. Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ
died for thee, and feed on him in thy heart by faith, with
thanksgiving.
The Priest places the host in the palm of the right
hand of each communicant, and not in their fingers.
The hand ought to be bare, and to be supported by
the left.* And the people ought to be instructed to
receive the host with their lips directly from their
right hand, and not to carry it to their mouth with
the fingers of the left hand, and also carefully to
receive the smallest fragments which may adhere to
the hand. The Priest is not required by the rubric,
as it stands in our American Prayer Book, to say the
whole sentence of administration to each communi-
cant.f It will suffice, if he says the words "The Body
. . . everlasting life" as he delivers the Sacrament
to each one, and then to say once, at the end of each
railful, "Take and eat," etc.
(h) Having communicated the people with the Body
of the Lord, holding the thumb and forefinger of the
right hand over the paten or ciborium, he goes up to
the midst of the altar. If the paten is used to hold the
* S. Cyril, Catech. Mystag. v. 21.
t The English rubric reads: "And when he delivereth the Bread to
anyone, he shall say."
CEREMONIES OF I.OW MASS. 12$
small hosts, he replaces it upon the corporal; but if
a ciborium is used to hold the small hosts,
lie covers it with its proper cover and moves
it to its place on the corporal behind the chalice,
then he removes the pall from the chalice,
placing it in the usual place. Then placing both hands
upon the corporal, he genuflects and rises. He rubs
his thumbs and forefingers over the mouth of the
chalice to remove any fragments. Then he takes the
chalice by the knop with his right hand, and the foot
with his left hand (still keeping the thumb and fore-
finger of each hand joined together), and raising it as
high as the breast, he turns by his right towards the
people, and descends to below the lowest step, and
then goes to the end of the communion-rail at the
Epistle side of the Sanctuary, where he began to
administer the Sacrament of the Body. T|And the Min-
ister who delivereth the cup shall say, as he makes the
sign of the cross perpendicularly with the chalice before
his breast :
Sanguis Domini.
THE Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed
for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlast-
ing life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood
was shed for thee, and be thankful.
When the chalice is very full, the greatest care must
be taken in making the sign of the cross that the sacred
Blood is not spilt.-^ The Priest will communicate each
person from the same part of the lip of the chalice
from which he himself received the sacred Blood.
And the people ought to be instructed to guide the
^ In such case it is better to omit the making of the sign of the
cross altogether.
126 CEREMONIICS OF LOW MASS.
chalice to their lips by taking hold of the foot with the
right hand ; the Priest all the while retaining his hold
of it in order to guard against the possibility of any
accident. They ought also to be warned not to wipe
their mouth with a handkerchief or with the hand after
receiving the chalice. The remark which has been
already made with regard to the mode of saying the
words of administration of the Sacrament of the Body
of Christ applies here also : It will suffice to say to
each communicant, "The Blood . . . everlasting
life," and at the end of each railful to say once, "Drink
this," etc.
After each railful, the Celebrant will return to
the midst of the altar, cleanse the lip of the chalice with
his own lips, replace it upon the corporal, and cover
it with the pall ; if a ciborium is used, he moves it for-
ward on the corporal, uncovers it, and then genuflects.
Then taking the paten or ciborium, he proceeds as
before, beginning each time at the Epistle side to
administer each species.
14. If there is a Deacon or another Priest present to
administer the chalice, he is vested in surplice and
stole ; and as soon as the Celebrant has communicated
himself with the sacred Blood, he approaches before
the lowest step and genuflects, and then goes up to the
right of the Celebrant when he again genuflects. Then
standing erect he receives the chalice from the Cele-
brant, taking it by the knop with his right hand, and
the foot with his left hand, and turns by his left with
the Celebrant towards the people. Holding the chalice
as high as his breast, he descends with the Celebrant
to below the lowest step, and then goes to the end of
the rail at the Epistle side of the sanctuary, where
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. I27
he begins to administer the chalice in the manner
directed above. If it be found necessary to remove
from the outside of the chahce the drops of the sacred
species which may have collected there, he returns
to the midst of the altar and gives the chalice to the
Celebrant, who removes the sacred Blood from the
bowl of the chaKce with his lips. All having been
communicated, he returns to the altar, gives back the
chalice to the Celebrant, genuflects on the foot-pace,
goes down to below the lowest step, where he again
genuflects, and then returns to his place. -^
15. If If the consecrated Bread or Wine be spent before
all have communicated, the Priest is to consecrate more,
according to the Form before prescribed; beginning at —
All glory be to thee, Almighty God— and ending with
these words— partakers of his most blessed Body and
Blood. 2*
(i) Every possible care ought to be taken that the
contingency, provided for by this rubric, does not occur ;
for it is most undesirable that there ever should be two
acts of consecration in one and the same office of the
Mass. Accordingly when the Celebrant perceives that
the species of bread is beginning to fail, he ought to
break each of the remaining hosts into two or even
more pieces. And if there is danger of the species of
wine failing, he ought to allow each communicant only
the smallest sip from the chalice. In this way he will
be able almost always to avoid consecrating a second
time.
^ We have no explicit precedent to follow with regard to the cere-
monial details to be observed in administerinR the chalice; no reference,
therefore, can be given to authorities for the directions here given.
They are based, however, upon general ritual principles.
** See Notes on the Mass, xii, p. 34.
128 CEREMONIES OI^ LOW MASS.
If, however, from any cause, the species of bread or
wine should be spent before all who present them-
selves have been communicated, the Priest shall
consecrate more, not only of the species which has
failed, but of both species, as required by the rubric,
and in accordance with the divine institution.
(2) If the species of bread fail, and not the species of
wine, the Priest places the chalice with the sacred
Blood upon the corporal on the part towards the
Gospel side. He places upon the paten the required
number of small hosts, making the oblation mentally.-^
He then takes another chalice, and puts into it a small
quantity of wine mingled with water, and sets it upon
the corporal, offering it also mentally. After which he
proceeds to consecrate both in a low voice, "beginning
at — All glory be to thee. Almighty God, — and ending
with these words — partakers of his most blessed Body
and Blood." He then communicates himself with
both the species he has just consecrated, and when he
communicates himself with the chalice, he receives all
the sacred Blood which is in it ; after which he covers
it with a pall and leaves it on the corporal. He then
proceeds to communicate the rest of the people with
the hosts just consecrated, and with the species of
wine previously consecrated.
But if there is but one chalice, the Priest before
making the oblation of the bread, receives all the
sacred Blood, draining the chalice, but making no ablu-
tion, and observing not to wipe it with the purificator.^®
Then having made the oblation of the bread as above,
he pours into the chalice a sufficient quantity of wine
^ Gavantus, pars. iii. tit. iii. 4, 5.
-' So, upon Christmas when three Masses are said in immediate succes-
sion, no ablution of the chalice is made until after the third Mass.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. I29
to communicate the rest of the people, mingling it with
a Httle water, after which he offers it mentally, and
proceeds with the consecration. Then having com-
municated himself, he communicates the rest of the
people with both the species just consecrated.
(3) If the species of wine fail, and not the species
of bread, he takes the consecrated hosts from the
paten (if it, and not a ciborium is used to hold them),
and places them upon the corporal at his left. Then
having drained the chalice, but without making any
ablution of it, he takes one small bread and offers it
upon the paten, which he places upon the corporal.
He then pours into the chalice a sufficient quantity of
wine mingled with a little water, and sets it upon the
corporal. He consecrates both species as directed
above, after which he communicates himself with the
one host thus consecrated, and with the species of
wine. Then (if a ciborium be not used) he places
upon the paten the hosts consecrated before, and
proceeds to communicate the people.
CHAPTER Vn.
The Thanksgiving and the Conclusion of the
Mass.
I. The time occupied by the Priest in saying
privately, "Behold the Lamb of God," etc., and "Lord
I am not worthy," etc., as he stands turned towards the
people (which corresponds, as has been said, to the rite
of the Sancta Sanctis), will give sufficient opportunity
for those present who desire to be communicated to
130 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
draw near. If then, having said these words, no one
approaches to receive the Holy Communion, the Priest
turns again to the altar by his right, replaces the paten
upon the corporal, uncovers the chalice, and genuflects.
Then he places the paten with the hosts on the chalice,
covers both with the "fair linen cloth," i. e., pall, over
which he spreads the silk veil, and again genuflects.
Then, standing erect, he begins the Lord's Prayer, as
directed below.
2. H When all have communicated, the Minister shall
return to the Lord's Table, and reverently place upon it
what remaineth of the consecrated Elements, covering the
same with a fair linen cloth. ^ This rubric is observed
in the following way : The Priest first cleanses
the lips of the chalice with his own lips, and
then places it upon the corporal in front of the
covered ciborium. He then places upon the chalice
the paten with whatever hosts may be upon it, "cov-
ering the same with a fair linen cloth," i. e., the pall.
He then spreads over the pall the silk veil, arranging
it as at the beginning of the service. Then placing
both hands upon the corporal he genuflects. And the
server having genuflected in the midst immediately
after the Communion of the people, kneels on the low-
est step at the Epistle side. The Priest, standing erect,
extends his hands before the breast, the thumbs and
forefingers being still joined together.
3. If Then shall the Minister say the Lord's Prayer, the
people repeating after him every petition.
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
* See Notes on the Mass, xiii, p. 37.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. I3I
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those
who trespass against us. And lead us not into tempta-
tion ; But deliver us from evil : For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.^
H After shall be said as foUoweth, the I'ricst bowing
his head to the Sacrament as he says : "Thy Son our
Saviour. Jesus Christ," and bowing his head and join-
ing his hands at the end as he says, "through Jesus
Christ our Lord."
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, we most heartily thank
thee, for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us who
have duly received these holy mysteries, with the spirit-
ual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son
our Saviour Jesus Christ ; and dost assure us thereby of
thy favour and goodness towards us; and that we are
very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son,
which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and
are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom,
by the merits of the most precious death; and passion of
thy dear Son. And we most humbly beseech thee,
heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we
may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good
works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy
Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
4. Then shall be said or sung, all standing,-^ Gloria
in excelsis; or some proper Hymn from the Selection.
If the Gloria in excelsis is said, the Priest, extending
his hands and raising them as high as the shoulders,
says : "Glory be to God on high ;" as he says "God,"
2 In the English Cook here follows a prayer which in the American
Book forms the latter part of the Canon.
3 See Notes on the Mass, xiv, p. 40.
132 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
he joins his hands before the breast and bows his head
to the Sacrament. Holding his head erect, and keeping
his hands joined and his eyes fixed upon the Sacra-
ment, he continues to the end. As he says, "we wor-
ship thee," "we give thanks to thee," "Jesus Christ,"
"receive our prayer," and "O, Christ," he bows his
head profoundly to the Sacrament. When he says,
"with the Holy Ghost," he places the left hand a little
below the breast and with the right hand makes the
sign of the cross from the forehead to the breast,
ending at the words "in the glory of God the Father ;"*
and as he says "Amen," he joins his hands before the
breast.
Gloria in excelsis.
GLORY be to God on liigh, and on earth peace, good
will towards men. "We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee
for thy great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, God the
Father Almighty.
Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; Lord
God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away
the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that
takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our
prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the
Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy ; thou only art the Lord ; thou
only, Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the
glory of God the Father. Amen.
Gloria in excelsis is omitted in Advent, and from
Septuagesima until Easter, except upon feasts occur-
* The English and Roman missals. Cf. Frere, The Use of Sarum,
ii, p. 21.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 1 33
ring within these seasons, and except upon Maundy
Thursday and Easter-Even. It is also omitted in
Requiem Masses, and on all ferias out of Paschal-tide,
also on the Rogations in Paschal-tide.'^ When it is
omitted, the Priest, standing with hands joined, says in
its place some proper hymn, as required by the rubric ;
one or two verses will suffice.
5. Towards the end of Gloria in cxcelsis, or other
hymn, the server genuflects in the midst before the
lowest step, takes the open book, genuflects in the
midst on the step below the foot-pace, and then goes
by this same step to the Epistle side of the altar where
he places the book. He genuflects again in the midst
before the lowest step, and goes and kneels at the
Gospel side. The Priest having genuflected to the
Sacrament, goes to the book, where he says, "Let us
pray," and the Post-Communion prayers,® one or more,
observing the same directions, as to the extension of
the hands, and bowing of the head, as were given for
the Collect. Afterward he closes the book* with his
right hand, so that the open part will be turned toward
the chalice, and moves the book rest with the book
a little back, so that the fore part of the altar at the
Epistle side will be unoccupied at the ablutions. Then,
with hands joined, he turns by his left, goes to the
midst, and having genuflected, kisses the altar.
6. If Then the Priest (the Bishop if he he present)
shall let them depart with this Blessing, which he pro-
nounces after this manner : joining his hands before the
B ihid.
• See Notes on the Mass, xv, p. 42.
* But if the book is to be used for the last Gospel, the Priest leaves it
open after the Post-Communion to indicate to the Server that, after the
ablutions, he is to carry it to the Gospel corner.
134 CEREMONIES OF I,0\V MASS.
breast, he turns by his right towards the j^coplc, moving
a Httle towards the Gospel side, so that he may not turn
his back upon the Sacrament, and says :
THE peace of God wMch passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and
love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord:
(Placing the left hand a little below the breast, so
the palm zvill be fumed directly up, he blesses the
people zvith his right hand, making the sign of the cross
once, at the same time saying:) And the Blessing of
God Almighty, the Father, the ►J^ Son, and the Holy
Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always.
Amen. '
Then the Priest turns by his left to the midst of the
• The Benediction in our Mass is composed of two sentences, the
one beginning with "The peace" (Pax), and the other with "The
blessing" (Benedictio). It has been thought by some that the first
sentence is the liturgical Pax misplaced, and that only the second
sentence is the Blessing proper. Accordingly, it has been suggested
that the words, "The peace of God which," etc., should not be made
use of out of Mass when a blessing is given, and in the Mass they
should be said by the Priest facing the altar. But this theory is at
once disproved by the fact that the Order of Communion of 1548 and
the Prayer Book of 1549, both prescribe the saying of "The peace of
God which," etc., although the Pax Domini had previously been said
in its proper place. Moreover ovir present rubric distinctly recognizes
the first sentence as an integral part of the Benediction: "this blessing,
The peace of God which," etc. As a matter of fact our Benediction is
simply a translation of a by no means uncommon Latin form, not
found indeed in any Mass, but occurring in the other offices; for
example, in the Churching Office of the Rituale Romanum: "Pax et
benecfictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti,
descendat super te, et maneat semper. Amen." Other examples will
be found in the Orders printed by Martene. This form has been
enlarged by inserting Philip, iv., 7, after the first word. In the Order
of Commvtnion and in the first Prayer Book, the rubric expressly
directed that the Priest was to give the blessing "turning him to the
people." Precisely the same direction is given in the Dominican
missal: "Ad populum conversus det benedictionem." It is also to be
observed that the rubric requires the Blessing to be pronounced at the
end of every Mass, so that it can never be omitted, not even at Requiems.
There is no ritual incongruity whatever in pronouncing the Blessing at
the end of a Mass for the dead, nor is it wanting ritual precedent. "In
the diocese of Clermont the Blessing was given at all the Masses alike,
and in the old missals there was a proper blessing for the dead." "In a
Roman missal printed at Venice in 1563, this Blessing is in the following
words: 'In Mass for the dead let him bless the people, saying:
God who is the life of the quick and the resurrection of the dead,
bless you forever and ever.' " CLe Brun, Explication, etc., in loc.)
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 135
altar, and placing both hands upon the corporal, genu-
flects and rises.
As soon as the Priest has pronounced the Blessing,
the server rises and genuflects in the midst. Then he
folds up the houselling cloth, after which he goes to
the credence and takes the wine cruet in his right hand,
and the water cruet with his left hand. He genuflects
on the step below the foot-pace at the Epistle side, if
the Priest has not yet consumed the Sacrament, and
then rising he waits until the Priest is ready to receive
wine for the purification.
The Priest having genuflected as directed above,
takes hold of the back part of the silk veil with both
hands, and removes it from the chalice; laying
it on the altar at the Gospel side, the Epistle
side being occupied by the book. Pie then places
his left hand on the foot of the chalice and
removes the pall, or "fair linen cloth," and then plac-
ing both hands upon the corporal, he genuflects and
rises.
7. H And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine
remain after the Communion, it shall not be carried out
of the Church ; but the Minister and other Communicants
shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and
drink the same.^
Standing erect, he takes the paten between the fore
and middle finger of the left hand and reverently
consumes all the hosts which remain upon it. Then
taking the paten between the fore and middle finger of
the right hand, and holding it inclined, he passes it
* For proof that this rubric was not intended to prohibit Reserva-
tion, but was directed against the Puritan profanation of the Sacrament,
the reader is referred to Mr. Kempe's Reservation of the Blessed Sacra-
ment, pp. 8-12, for abundant evidence.
136 CEREMONIES OF I.OW MASS.
gently several times from right to left over the sur-
face of the corporal to collect any fragments of the
sacred species that may be upon it, at the same time
slightly raising the corporal with the left hand. Then
holding the paten over the chalice, he takes it between
the fore and middle finger of the left hand, as near as
possible to the place where he held it with his right
hand ; and with the thumb and forefinger of his right
hand he rubs the paten from top to bottom, causing
the sacred fragments to fall into the chalice. Then
resting the left hand, in which is the paten, upon the
corporal, he detaches any fragments from the thumb
and fore-finger of his right hand over the chalice. He
then takes the chalice by the knop, between the fore-
finger joined to the thumb and the last three fingers of
the right hand, and holding the paten under his chin
with his left hand, he reverently drinks the sacred
Blood with every particle, receiving it from the same
part of the chalice from which he made his Commun-
ion, and from which he communicated the people.
He then rests the chalice upon the corporal for an
instant, placing his left hand, in which he holds the
paten, also upon the corporal.
8. Then without moving from the midst, he holds
out the chalice to the server to receive wine for the
purification, saying privately:
Quod ore sumpsimns.
GRANT, O Lord, that what we have received with
our lips, we may keep with a pure heart, so that
by the gift vouchsafed in this present life, there may
be given unto us everlasting life.^
* "This prayer is very ancient, since it is found, at least in substance,
in the Mass of Illyricus, in the Gothic missal before the time of
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 1 37
The server having poured wine into the chalice,
returns to the step below the foot-pace at the Epistle
side. The Priest moves the wine gently about in the
chalice, and then drinks it from the same part of the
chalice as before, at the same time holding the paten
under the chin as directed above. He then puts the
chalice and paten on the corporal, so that the chalice
will be in the middle and the paten towards the Gospel
side ; straightway taking the chalice about the bowl
with the last three fingers of each hand, and holding his
thumbs and forefingers over the bowl, he bows slightly
to the cross, and carries the chalice to the Epistle side
of the altar, where he holds it so that the server may
pour a small quantity of wine and water over his
thumbs and forefingers. As the server pours the wine
and water, the Priest washes his fingers by rubbing
them against each other. Then he places the chalice on
the altar, between the corporal and the purificator,
and keeping the thumb and forefinger of the left hand
over the mouth of the chalice, he takes the purificator
with his right hand and places it upon the fingers
of the left hand ; then as he wipes his thumbs and fore-
fingers dry, he says privately:
Corpus tutmi.
LET thy Body, O Lord, which I have taken, and
thy Blood which I have drunk, cleave unto my
soul ; and grant that no spot of sin may remain in
me, whom this pure and holy Sacrament hath
Charlemagne, in the iv Roman Order, and in many other monuments
of antiquity." (Romsee, Sensus Litteralis, etc., in loc.) The prayer
following, beginning: "L,et thy body," etc., belongs to about the same
period. The former of these two prayers is prescribed by all the
English Uses, the second is found in the Hereford missal.
138 CEREMONIES OF I,OW MASS.
refreshed, who hvest and reignest, world without end.
Amen.
He places the purificator with his left hand on the
altar, between the chalice and the corporal, joins his
hands before the breast and returns to the midst,
where he bows slightly to the cross. He takes the
purificator between the thumb and forefinger of the
left hand, so that it will hang over the back of the
hand, and with the right hand he takes the chalice,
and receives the ablution from the same part of the
chalice as he received the purification of wine, at the
same time holding the purificator under his chin. Then
he places the chalice on the corporal, and wipes his lips
with the purificator. Afterward he takes the chalice
by the knop with his left hand, and wipes the outside
of the bowl and then the inside with the purificator.
Having wiped the chalice dry he places it on the middle
of the corporal, and extends the purificator over the
mouth of the bowl ; next he takes the paten with his
left hand and places it on the chalice on top of the
purificator; then with his right hand he takes the pall
and places it on the paten. Then, resting the left hand
on the altar beyond the corporal, he takes the chalice
with his right hand and moves it ofif the corporal
towards the Epistle side. He then folds the corporal
with both hands in the following order : ( i ) He folds
the fore part over the middle; (2) the back part over
the fore part; (3) then the part towards his right
hand over the middle part; (4) and lastly, the part
towards his left hand over all. Having folded the
corporal, he takes the burse with his left hand, puts
the corporal into it and lays it on the middle of the
altar. Then he covers the chalice with the veil, on
CEREMONIKS OF LOW MASS. I39
which he places the burse, and taking it by the knop
with his left hand, the right hand being placed on the
burse, he sets it in the middle of the altar, and adjusts
the veil in front as at the beginning of the service.^"
9. If a ciborium was used to hold the hosts for the
people, the Priest ought to have cleansed the paten
immediately before he communicated himself with the
sacred Blood, and then placed it on the corporal on the
part towards the Gospel side, as directed on page 118.
In which case, the Priest having pronounced the
Blessing and genuflected, brings the ciborium forward
on the corporal with his right hand, uncovers it,
placing the cover beyond the corporal, removes the
pall from the chalice, and then genuflects. Then tak-
ing the ciborium by the knop between the forefinger
and the last three fingers of the left hand, he reverently
consumes the small hosts remaining in it. Then hold-
ing it inclined over the chalice, he causes the small
fragments to fall from the ciborium into the chalice
with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. He
replaces the ciborium vipon the corporal at his right,
the other part of the corporal at his left being occupied
by the paten. He then takes the chalice and consumes
the sacred Blood in the manner directed above. He
places the chalice on the middle of the corporal, takes
the ciborium into his right hand, the thumb and fore-
finger being joined, and holds it out to the server to
receive the purification of wine. He moves it gently
about in the ciborium to detach the smallest fragments,
and then pours it into the chalice. Replacing the cibor-
ium upon the corporal at his right, he takes the paten
1" The directions here given for the ablution of the chalice are accord-
ing to Merati.
140 CEREMONIES OF EOW MASS.
into his left hand, and with the right hand he takes
the chaHce, and drinks the purification of wine in the
same manner as was directed before. Taking the
ciborium by the bowl with the last three fingers of
each hand, and holding his thumbs and forefingers
over the bowl, he bows to the cross, and carries the
ciborium to the Epistle side of the altar, where he
receives from the server the ablution of wine and
water. He then places the ciborium on the altar,
between the corporal and the purificator; and keeping
the thumbs and forefingers of both hands dry, saying :
"Let thy body," etc. He places the purificator with his
left hand on the altar between the ciborium and the
corporal, returns to the midst of the altar, and bows
to the cross. He takes the purificator between the
thumb and forefinger of the left hand, and with the
right hand he takes the ciborium, and pours the ablu-
tion into the chalice. He then sets down the ciborium
on the corporal at his right, and taking the chalice by
the knop, drinks the ablution, at the same time holding
the purificator under his chin. Having wiped his lips
with the purificator, he wipes the chalice dry, as
directed before. Afterward he carefully dries the
ciborium, and having covered it, places it on the altar
beyond the corporal. He then extends the purificator
over the chalice, and proceeds as directed above.^^
The server having poured the wine and water over
the Priest's fingers, bows to the Priest, and replaces
the cruets on the credence. Then having bowed
or genuflected in the midst below the lowest
step, he goes up to the Gospel side, where,
*' Romsee, Praxis, etc., p. u. art. xiii, viii. De Herdt, Sacra Liturgict
Praxis, t. i. p. ii. 282.
CEREMONIES (D^ LOW MASS. I4I
Standing on the step below the foot-pace, he
awaits the approach of the Priest. But if for the
last Gospel is to be read a Gospel other than In prin-
cipio, the server carries the book to the Gospel side,
placing it in the same position as it was for the first
Gospel.
10. The Priest having veiled the chalice bows his
head profoundly before the midst of the altar; and
with his hands joined, and the extremities of the
fingers placed upon it, he says privately :
Placeat tibi.
LET this my bounden duty and service be pleasing
unto thee, O holy Trinity : and grant that this
sacrifice, which I, though unworthy, have offered up
before thy divine Majesty, may be acceptable unto
thee, and may through thy mercy obtain thy gracious
favour for myself, and for all for whom I have offered
it. Amen.^-
11. Then extending his hands upon the altar, he
kisses it in the midst. Joining his hands before the
breast, he turns by his left and goes to the Gospel side,
where standing turned obliquely, and with hands
joined, he says to the server: "The Lord be with you."
R. "And with thy spirit." Then placing his left hand
on the altar, he makes the sign of the cross on the
altar with the thumb of the right hand (or, if the
book is used, he signs the beginning of the Gospel,
as at the first Gospel), and then placing the left hand
a little below the breast, he makes the sign of the cross
13 "This prayer is found in a great number of Sacramentaries after the
end of the ninth century" (L,e Brun), and it was directed to be said
by all the English missals.
142 CEREMONIES OI' I.OW MASS.
with his right thumb on the forehead, mouth and
breast, saying: "The Holy Gospel is written in the
first chapter of Saint John, beginning at the first
verse;" he then joins his hands before the breast. The
server makes the signs of the cross in like manner with
the Priest ; and having answered "Glory be to thee, O
Lord," goes and stands at the Epistle side, with his
face turned to the book. Then the Priest recites the
Gospel. At the words : "And the Word was made
flesh," placing his hands on the altar, he genuflects
towards the Gospel corner; the server also genuflects.
The Gospel. St. John i. i.
In principio.^^
IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him ; and without him was not anything made that was
made. In him was life, and the life was the light of
men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the dark-
ness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from
God, whose name was John. The same came for a wit-
ness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men
through him might believe. He was not that Light,
but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was
the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh
into the world. He was in the world, and the world
was made by him, and the world knew him not. He
came unto his own, and his own received him not. But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
*' See Notes on the Mass, xvi, p. 43.
CKRKMONIES OF LOW MASS. I43
his Name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
(Here he genuflects.) And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the Only-begotten of the Father), full of grace
and truth. R. Thanks be to God.
The last Gospel for Christmas is the first Gospel for
the Epiphany, in which the Priest genuflects at the
words, "fell down and worshipped him." On Palm
Sunday, at all the Masses which precede the Blessing
of the Palms, for the last Gospel is read the first Gos-
pel of Advent Sunday, as far as the words, "Blessed is
he that cometh in the name of the Lord," and including
them. When a Saint's day is kept on a Sunday, com-
memoration is made of the Sunday by saying its Col-
lect, after the Collect of the day, and by reading the
Gospel of the Sunday for the last Gospel.
When the Priest has finished the Gospel, he does
not kiss the book nor the altar, nor does he say, "By
the Gospel words," etc., but closes the book (if it was
used) with his right hand ; the server at the same time
saying : "Thanks be to God."
Then the server having bowed in the midst before the
lowest step, takes the book (if it was moved to the Gos-
pel side), and, passing by the steps below the
foot-pace, places it at the Epistle side of the
altar, observing to bow or genuflect as he passes
before the midst. The server then takes the Priest's
biretta, and stands at the Epistle side below the lowest
step.
12. At the end of the Gospel, the Priest, with hands
joined, turns by his right and goes to the midst, where
144 CEREMONIES OJf LOW MASS.
he bows his head to the cross. Then he turns the
chaHce so that the back part will look towards him-
self, folds part of the veil over the burse, and then
takes the chalice by the knop with his left hand, plac-
ing his right hand on the burse. He turns by his right,
taking a step backward towards the Gospel side, so that
he may not turn his back on the cross, and goes down
below the lowest step of the altar. He faces the midst
and with the server bows his head profoundly to the
cross ; or if the Sacrament be in the tabernacle
they both genuflect together. Then, standing erect,
he takes the biretta from the server, and covers
his head. Then, preceded by the server, he
returns to the sacristy the same way by which he
came, saying privately the antiphon : "Let us sing the
song," and the canticle Benedicite. In the sacristy he
bows to the cross, and places the chalice upon the
table. He may then say standing a short prayer with
the server. Afterwards he proceeds to unvest in
reverse order, kissing the cross on the stole, maniple,
and amice, as he did when vesting. Then, having
washed his hands, he goes to make his thanksgiving,
saying the Gratiarum Actio or other office.
CHAPTER Vni.
Of the: PURII^ICATION AND AbLUTION O? THE
Chalice when a Priest Celebrates more
than once on the same day.
I. If it is necessary for the Priest to celebrate the holy
Sacrifice more than once on the same day, he does not
C^ilMdNlKS OF LOW MASS. 1 45
receive the ablution at any of the Masses until the last.^
Immediately after the Blessing in the Masses which
precede the last Mass, the Priest consumes the
sacred species, carefully draining the chalice, and
removing from the rim with his lips any of the sacred
Blood which may adhere to it, but not wiping it or his
lips with the purificator. He then places the chalice
upon the corporal, covers it with the paten, upon which
he places the pall, and over all the silk veil, saying:
"Grant, O Lord," etc. Then with hands joined before
the breast, the thumbs and forefingers being kept to-
gether, he bows to the cross, and goes to the Epistle
side, where holding his thumbs and forefingers over a
vase, placed beforehand upon the altar, he has wine and
water poured over them by the server. He dries his
fingers with the purificator, saying: "Let thy Body,"
etc. He then moves the vase with the ablution to the
back part of the altar near to the corporal, and covers
it with a pall ; or with its proper cover. Then
leaving the purificator at the Epistle side, he
returns to the midst, and proceeds with the ser-
vice, saying: "Let this my bounden duty," etc.
N. B. No genuflection or other act of reverence is
made towards the chalice; for, although no ablution
of it has yet been made, the Sacrament is not regarded
as being morally present.
If some time intervenes before the next Mass, the
chalice is left on the altar with the corporal underneath
it, or it is taken to the sacristy and set upon a corporal
in some becoming place. But if the next Mass is to
follow immediately, the Priest having read the last
Gospel, returns to the midst, bows to the cross, and
* Lyndwood, Provinciate, lib. iii. tit. 23.
10
146 CEREMONIES Of LOW MASS.
then goes over to the Epistle side, where he opens the
book and sets the markers; after which he returns to
the midst, bows to the cross, and then going down to
below the lowest step; he bows profoundly, or genu-
flects if the Sacrament be reserved in the tabernacle.
After which, he begins the Mass, saying, "In the
name," etc. At the Offertory of the second Mass, and
of all the Masses after the first, the Priest receives
from the server a large host as well as a sufficient num-
ber of small ones. And when he pours the wine and
water into the chalice, he will hold it on the corporal,
or if he goes to the Epistle side, he will hold it over
the altar, not, however, allowing it to rest on the altar,
and he will carefully observe not to wipe the chalice
with the purificator either before or after the mingling
of the wine and water.
At the last Mass, after the Priest has consumed the
sacred Blood, he holds out the chalice to the server to
receive the purification of wine, which he drinks. He
then pours into the chalice the ablutions of the previous
Masses, and drinks them also. After which, he receives
over his fingers the usual ablution of wine and water,
and having drunk it, he wipes the chalice and the vase
in which were the ablutions. He then proceeds after
the usual manner.^
2. If the Masses, which are said by the same Priest
on the same day, are said in different churches, then at
all the Masses before the last, the Priest having re-
ceived the sacred Blood, cleanses the rim of the chalice
with his lips, and places it upon the corporal, covering
it with the pall. After which with hands joined, he
says: "Grant, O Lord," etc. Then he washes his
• Merati, Novoe Observationes, etc., p. iv. tit. iii. vii. xi.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. 147
fingers in the manner directed above, and wipes them,
saying: "Let thy body," etc. He returns to the midst,
and having removed the pall, he places upon the chalice
the paten, the pall, and the silk veil ; after which he
says the prayer, "Let this my bounden duty," etc., and
the last Gospel. Then he returns to the midst, unveils
the chalice and drinks whatever drops of the sacred
species may have collected at the bottom of the chalice.
Then the Priest holds out the chalice to the server to
receive some water, which he moves about the chalice,
and then pours it into the vase used to hold the pre-
vious ablution. He then wipes the chalice dry and
proceeds after the usual manner.
After the Mass if there is no one fasting who can
receive the ablution which is in the vase, the Priest
puts it carefully away in some safe place until the mor-
row when he can receive it himself; or he absorbs it
with cotton or linen which he carefully burns ; or, he
may pour it down the piscina.^
The vase used to hold the ablutions may be a chalice,
or any other decent vessel kept specially for this pur-
pose.
CHAPTER IX.
O? Low Mass for the Dead.*
When Mass is celebrated at a funeral, it should be
preceded by the Burial Office to the end of the Lesson.
It may be noted here that the Lesson ought to be read
without title and without the conclusion, "Here
* De Herdt, Sacra Liturgite Praxis, t i. pars ii., 285.
^ Cf. the rubrics in the English and Roman missals, also those in the
Sartun and York Manuale.
148 CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS.
endeth," etc. The same rule is observed with regard to
the Lessons in the Office of the Dead ; they are not
announced, and at the end the reader does not say,
"But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us."-
Requiem Masses ought not to be said on Sundays
or other feasts of obHgation ; nor within the octave of
Easter or of Pentecost; nor on the vigil of Christmas
or of Pentecost ; nor on the octave day of the Epiphany ;
nor on Ash Wednesday ; nor throughout Holy Week.
The ceremonies of a Low Mass for the dead are the
same as those of an ordinary Mass, with the following
exceptions :
1. All the vestments are black; white vestments
ought never to be used.^ The colour of the veil of
the tabernacle is violet.
2. All flowers are removed from the altar and all
festal decorations.
3. The psalm Judica me is omitted ; the Priest saying
"In the name," etc., and then the antiphon, "I will go,"
etc. ; and after the response, "Even unto the God," etc.,
he immediately adds, "Our help," etc.
4. The sign of the cross is not made by the Priest
upon himself before the Lord's Prayer at the beginning
of the Mass ; but instead thereof, he makes with his
right hand the sign of the cross over the book.
5. Before the Gospel, the Priest does not say, "Let
thy blessing," etc., nor "The Lord be in my heart," etc. ;
but the prayer, "Cleanse my heart," etc., alone is said.
6. At the end of the Gospel, the book is not kissed,
' See the rubrics of the Sarum and Roman Breviaries.
• In the case of baptised children dying before the use of reason,
the Paris missal provided a Mass. This Mass, however, was not a
Requiem, but was one of thanksgiving. Hence the vestments were
white, and no prayers were said for the soul, it being already in heaven.
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. I49
nor are the words, "By the Gospel words," etc., said;
but, "Praise be to thee, O Christ," is said as usual.
7. The Creed is omitted,
8. The sign of the cross is not made over the water
when the Priest says the prayer, "O God, who didst
wonderfully," etc.
9. The Gloria is not said at the end of the psalm
Lavabo, nor is "Rest eternal," etc., said in its place.
10. The prayer, "O Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst,"
etc., is not said ; the two prayers which follow are said.
11. In the Agnus Dei, the Priest omits the striking
of his breast, and also the words, "have mercy upon
us," and "grant us thy peace." In place of these words,
he says, "grant them rest," and, "grant them rest ever-
lasting."
12. The Gloria in excchis is omitted, one or two
verses of some appropriate hymn being said in its place.
13. No sermon is preached in the Mass, but one may
be delivered immediately after the Mass and before the
Absolution,
CHAPTER X.
Of a Low Mass Celebrated by a Bishop.*
The ceremonies of a Low Mass said by a Bishop are
the same as those of a Mass celebrated by a Priest, with
the following exceptions :
I, If it be a feast day four candles ought to be
lighted, otherwise two will suffice.
1 For all that follows in this and the next chapters, see the Cere-
fnoniale Bpiscoporum ; Bauldry, Manuale Sac. Cceri, pars quin. ; Le
Vavasseur, Les Fonctions Pontificates; De Herdt, Praxis Pontidcalis,
Catalan!, Com. Cer. Epis.; Gavantus, Manuale Epis.
150 CEREMONIES OF EOW MASS.
2. On the credence ought to be placed the chalice
made ready and veiled ; also an ewer with water, a
basin, and a towel upon a salver.
3. One or two chaplains in surplices ought to assist
the Bishop in vesting, and serve him at the Mass.
4. The Bishop washes his hands before he vests.
5. He may vest at the altar, in which case the vest-
ments ought to be placed upon the middle of the altar
before the Mass ; or he may vest in the sacristy.
6. He puts upon him the usual Mass-vestments of a
Priest, together with the pectoral cross and the episcopal
ring. The cross is put on before the stole, and is worn
over the alb, so that it is covered by the chasuble. The
other pontifical ornaments are not worn at a Low
Mass.
7. The stole is not crossed, but is allowed to hang
pendent on either side.
8. The Bishop does not assume the maniple until
after "The Almighty and merciful Lord," etc., has
been said, when one of the chaplains places it on the
Bishop's left arm. But when vesting for a requiem
Mass, the Bishop puts on the maniple just before the
stole, after the manner of a Priest.
9. During the Mass the chaplains remain on either
side of the Bishop when he is in the midst of the altar ;
but when he is at the Epistle side, they stand at his right
hand, and when he is at the Gospel side, they stand at
his left hand ; so that the Bishop will always be the one
nearest the midst.
10. They make the responses in the Mass, move the
Mass book, bring the chalice to the altar, pour in the
CEREMONIES OF LOW MASS. I5I
wine and water, cover and uncover the chalice, wipe it
dry after the second ablution, and having veiled it,
carry it back to the credence, and they assist the Bishop
generally.
11. In the Absolution, the Bishop makes the sign of
the cross but once, but in the Blessing, he makes it
thrice.
12. If there be present at the Mass, the Primate, or
the Archbishop of the province, the celebrating
Bishop having said the prayer, "O Lord Jesus Christ
who saidst," etc., kisses the altar, then the Instrument
of Peace- (held up to him by the second chaplain who
is kneeling on the foot-pace at his right), and then
says, "Peace be with thee ;" the chaplain answers, "And
with thy spirit." The chaplain then carries the Instru-
ment with its veil to the prelate who is present, and
offering it to him, he says, "Peace be with thee;" the
prelate answers, "And with thy spirit," and then kisses
the Instrument. The chaplain afterward bows to the
prelate, but not before.
13. After receiving the ablutions and veiling the
chalice, he washes his hands for the third time.
14. After the Mass, the Bishop may unvest at the
altar, replacing the vestments upon the altar ; or he
may go to the sacristy, and there lay aside his vest-
ments.
2 The Instrument of Peace (also the Pax, Paxbrede, and Osculatorium)
is a_ small tablet of metal or ivory, or even of wood, with some sacred
subject depicted upon it. Its use was introduced about the XIII. Century
in place of the actual kiss of peace. See an interesting note in Maskell's
Ancient Liturgy, 3d ed., p. 170. Cf. also Micklethwaite's, The Orna-
ments of the Rubric, pp. 21 n, 36 n, 38.
152 ce;re;monies oi^ low mass.
CHAPTER XI.
Of a Low Mass said in the presence; of the Bishop
of the diocese, or of a bishop exercising
jurisdiction by the license of the bishop.
1. The Bishop in his habit kneels at the Gospel side
of the sanctuary. He may be attended by one or two
chaplains in surplices, who kneel on either side of him.
2. As the Celebrant proceeds to the altar he bows
to the Bishop as he passes by him ; or if the Bishop
be not yet present, the Celebrant, having placed the
chalice on the altar and opened the book, goes down
before the lowest step and awaits the Bishop's coming.
3. Before saying, "In the name," etc., he turns and
bows to the Bishop. Then the Bishop having given
him the sign to begin the Mass, the Celebrant turns to
the altar, bows or genuflects, and then says, "In the
name," etc.
4. In the ConHteor, instead of the words, "to you,
my brethren," and "you, my brethren," he turns to the
Bishop and says, "to thee, my Father," and "thee, my
Father." The server says the Coniiteor as usual, bow-
ing to the Celebrant.
5. Before the prayer, "Take away from us," etc.,
the Celebrant again turns and bows to the Bishop, and
then goes up the steps of the altar.
6. At the end of the Gospel, the Celebrant does not
kiss the book, nor does he say, "By the Gospel words,"
etc. ; but one of the chaplains, or the server of the
Mass, takes the book to the Bishop, who kisses the
Gospel, saying, "By the Gospel words," etc.
CEREMONIKS OF LOW MASS. 153
7. If the Bishop so wills, he gives the Absolution,
making the sign of the cross once ; he also may give the
Blessing, making the sign of the cross thrice/ Other-
wise the Celebrant says both; in which case, he first
bows to the Bishop as seeking his license, and then
gives the Absolution or Blessing, making the sign of
the cross once. He will observe not to make the sign
of the cross towards the Bishop, as if blessing him,
8. If the Pax is to be given, the Celebrant having
said the prayer, "O Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst,"
etc., kisses the altar; then the Instrument of Peace
held up to him by the server who is kneeling in the
foot-pace at his right; and then says, "Peace be with
thee," the server answering, "And with thy spirit."
Then the server immediately rises, and carries the
Instrument of Peace with its veil to the Bishop, and
then to any other Bishop who may be present ; and as
he offers it to each one, he says, "Peace be with thee,"
to which the Bishop answers, "And with thy spirit,"
and kisses the Instrument ; after which the server bows
to him. The Celebrant in the meanwhile proceeds with
the Mass. The Pax is not given in Requiem Masses.
9. After the last Gospel, the Celebrant turns and
bows to the Bishop, and then waits until the Bishop has
departed ; or he may leave before the Bishop ; in which
case he bows to the Bishop as he passes by.
ID. When Mass is celebrated in the presence of a
Bishop vested in the episcopal habit, but who is not the
Ordinary, the Celebrant, as he proceeds to the altar,
bows to him, and when departing from the altar, he
* If the Bishop gives the Absolution, the Celebrant in the meanwhile
remains upon his knees; and while the Bishop gives the Blessing, the
Celebrant, after the Post-Communion, remains standing at the Epistle
side and bowing profoundly towards the Bishop.
154 CEREMONIES OF I,0\V AIASS.
again bows to him ; but he should shew to him no cere-
monial deference during the Mass.
II. A Bishop outside his diocese, although vested
with the insignia of his order, ought not to occupy the
throne or chair of the Bishop of the diocese ; nor has
he any claim by virtue of his order to pronounce the
Absolution or the Benediction in the Mass and choir
offices ;^ unless it be that he has received special juris-
diction to perform some office in the name and stead of
the Ordinary. He ought not to carry the pastoral staff ;
and he should refrain from blessing the people as he
passes along the streets or through the churches. An
Archbishop, however, may do both within any diocese
of his province.
1 The rubrics of the Prayer Book are clear on this point; it is "the
Bishop" who is to say the Absolution and the Benediction, not a
Bishop.
CEREMONiniS OF LOW MASS. I55
APPENDIX.
ADDITIONAL NOTE ON THE ANNOUNCING OK THE GOSPEL.
In addition to what has already been said under Notes on
the Mass, iv., it may be well to give a more detailed explana-
tion of the title of the Gospel. In the English mis.sals, as in the
Roman missal, the Gospel was announced as the Sequeiitia
sancti Evangelii secundum Matthceum, or other Evangelist as
the case might be. If the Gospel began with the first verse
of the opening chapter, it was announced as the Initium sancti
Evangelii secundum Matthccum, or other Evangelist. This
full title was not always set at the head of each Gospel, as it
is in the modern Roman missal. Sometimes one finds only
the word Bvangelium, or Evangclitim Mattlucum, or Scquentia
secundum Matthccum, or Secundum Matthccum, but these
abbreviations are intended only to serve the purpose of cap-
tions, like our rubric The Gospel (which is found before each
Evangelical lection in the Prayer Book), for upon reference
to the general rubrics of the missals, it is clear that the Priest
always announced the full title as given above, whatever might
be the wording of the rubrical caption of the particular Gos-
pel which he was about to read.
The revisers of 1549 evidently desired to retain this tradi-
tional formula, while rendering it into idiomatic English and
making it more full and explicit. Accordingly, they began
with "The Holy Gospel," dropping the w^ord Scquentia or
Initium, as a more explicit reference was to be given by the
mention of the chapter.
The next word, secundum, was rendered by "written in,"
which is about as good an equivalent as can be found if we
confine ourselves to the use of Anglo-Saxon words. So like-
wise in the title of the Baptismal Gospel, where the Sarum
and York Manuals have secundum, the Prayer Book has
"written by," and not "according to." This phrase "written
in" or "written by" of the Praver Books of 1549, 1552, 1559,
and 1603, has been obscured, as a rendering of secundum,
by the revisers of 1662 inserting the word "is" before it. So
that some have thought that there is nothing in our formula
156 CEREMONIES 01^ LOW MASS.
of announcement corresponding to secundum. But reference
to the title of the Baptismal Gospel makes it clear that this
is not so.
After the words "written in" (secundum), there was made
provision for the mention of the chapter. To this there is no
corresponding clause in the Latin.
Then followed the name of the Evangelist in its old place ; to
which was prefixed very properly the title "Saint," which is
not found in the Latin.
Finally there were added, but not until 1662, the words,
"beginning at the . . . verse."
Thus while the old formula was rendered into English and
made more explicit, the relative position of its words was
carefully preserved. This will be seen at once, if we parallel
the Latin announcement with the Prayer Book form, taking
the title of the Gospel for Advent Sunday as an illustration:
Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum [ ]
[ ] The Holy Gospel (is) written in the 21st chapter
[ ] Matthceum [ ]
of Saint Matthew beginning at the ist verse.
Although nothing can be clearer than that our form is a
full and adequate equivalent for the Latin formula, yet there
has grown up a custom, observed by some, of interpolating
after "chapter of" the words, "the Gospel according to."
These words add nothing to the explicitness of the Prayer
Book form, and, from what has been said, it will be man-
ifest that there is nothing corresponding to them in the Latin.
The form in the missal has sanctum evangelium once and
secundum once, and the Prayer Book has rendered into
English each of these words once, and that too in its proper
relative place. It is therefore a piece of unnecessary tautology
to repeat these words all over again. Moreover, their inser-
tion is without the slightest justification, if regard be paid to
the literal directions of the very explicit rubric. This rubric
has just three blanks to be filled, and there are provided at
the head of each Gospel just three words and no more; and
these words are printed in Roman type to shew that they
are words to be uttered and are not a mere rubrical reference.
CrvRliMONIKS OF LOW MASS. I57
And nowhere in the Prayer Book is there the remotest hint
that the reader of the Gospel is expected to add a single word
beyond what is so explicitly prescribed. Quite the contrary;
in two places in the Ordination of Priests where the title of
the Gospel is mentioned in the rubrics, we read : "the ninth
chapter of St. Matthew," and "the tenth chapter of Saint
John," but not "the ninth chapter of the Gosf^el according to
St. Matthew," nor "the tenth chapter of the Gospel according to
St. John." And consistently with this we find also in the
Scotch Book of 1637 the rubric : "The Presbyter before he
beginneth to read the Gospel shall say thus. The Gospel of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, written in such a chapter of
of such an Evangelist, beginning at such a verse."* Here again
there is no "of the Gospel according to," but it is "of such an
Evangelist."
The earliest book I have been able to find suggesting this
tautological interpolation is the Directorium Anglicanum, a
work containing many like misleading directions.
' Keeling, Liturgies Britannicte, 2d ed., p. 68.
®Ij^ OI^r^mnm^B af l!|igl| iHasa
BY THE
REV. C. P. A. BURNETT, B.D.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
THE ORDER OF THE CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
Chapter I. General Preparation for High Mass:
Page
1. In the Sacristy i
2. At the Altar 3
3. At the credence 3
4. General ceremonial directions 3
5. The preparation of the Celebrant and Ministers 5
. 6. The Blessing of the incense in the sacristy 8
7. The approach to the Altar 10
Chapter II. The Preparation at the Altar:
1 . The Psalm, Judica me 16
2. The Confiteor 16
3. The prayer, Aufer a nobis 17
4. The prayer, Oramus te 17
5- The Blessing of the incense 18
6. The first censing of the Altar 20
7. The first censing of the Celebrant 24
Chapter III. From the I^ord's Prayer to the Offertory:
1. The Lord's Prayer and the Collect for Purity 28
2. The Decalogue 28
3. The Kyrie Eleison 28
4. The Collect 29
5. The Epistle 31
6. The reading of the Gospel by the Celebrant a
7. The presentation of the Book of the Gospels upon the altar.... 35
8. The blessing of the incense before the Gospel 37
9. The blessing of the Deacon 38
10. The procession of the Gospel 39
11. The singing of the Gospel by the Deacon 42
12. The return of the procession 45
13. The second censing of the Celebrant 47
14. The saying of the Creed 48
15. The spreading of the Corporal 52
16. The declaring of Holy Days 54
17. The sermon 56
iii
IV table; 01^ conte;nts.
Chapter IV. From the Opfertory to the Canon:
Page
1. The oblation of the bread 59
2. The oblation of the chalice 6i
3. The censing of the Oblations 64
4. The censing of the Altar at the Offertory 67
5. The third censing of the Celebrant 68
6. The censing of the clergy 69
7. The censing of the people 71
8. The offerings of the people 72
9. The washing of the hands 74
10. The Orationes super Oblata 75
11. The preparation of the communicants 76
12. The preface 78
13. The Sanctus and the bringing in of the lights 79
Chapter V. From the Canon to the Communion:
1. The consecration of the Host 83
2. The consecration of the chalice 83
3. The Oblation and the rest of the Canon 85
Chapter VI. The Communion:
1 . The Fraction and Commixture 86
2. The Kiss of Peace 87
3. The Communion of the Celebrant 92
4. The shewing of the Sacrament to the people 93
5. The Communion of the Bishops and Sacred Ministers 95
6. The Communion of the clergy 96
7. The Communion of the acolytes 97
8. The Communion of the people 97
Chapter VII. The Thanksgiving and Conclusion of the Mass:
1. The prayer of thanksgiving 99
2. The Gloria in excelsis 1 00
3. The Post-Communion loi
4. The Blessing 103
5. The Ablutions 104
6. The prayer, Placeat tibi 1 06
7. The return to the Sacristy 108
THE ORDER OF THE CEREMONIES OF A CHORAL, MASS
WITHOUT SACRED MINISTERS, BUT WITH INCENSE.
Chapter I. The Preparation for a Choral Mass:
1. The preparation in the Sacristy and Church iii
2. General ceremonial directions 114
3. The approach to the Altar iiS
TABLE Of CONTENTS. V
Chapter II. From ths Beginning of the Mass Until the Offertory:
1. The Judica and the Confiteor 1 18
2. The Blessing of the incense 1 1 8
3. The first censing of the Altar 119
4. From the Lord's Prayer to the Gospel 120
5. The Blessing of incense before the Gospel i2j
6. The Gospel 124
7. The Creed 126
8. The sermon 126
Chapter HI. From the Offertory to the Canon:
1. The Offertory 127
2. The censing of the Oblations and the Altar 129
3. The censing of the clergy and people 130
4. The Offerings of the people 131
5. The washing of the hands 131
6. Until the Canon 132
Chapter IV. The Canon of the Mass and the Communion.
1. The Consecration 133
2. The Communion 134
3. The Post-Communion 134
4. The Ablutions 135
5. The last Gospel 136
THE ORDER OF THE CEREMONIES OF A SOLEMN MASS OF
• REQUIEM.
1. The preparation 137
2. General directions 138
3. From the Introit to the Offertory 140
4. From the Offertory to the end of the Mass 142
5. The Absolution 142
6. The Absolution when a Pall only is used 148
THE ORDER OF THE) CEREMONIES OF A SOLEMN MASS
IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BISHOP.
1 . General directions 151
2. The approach to the Altar 154
3. The sprinkling of Holy Water 157
4. The beginning of the Mass 159
5. The censing at the Introit 160
6. From the Lord's Prayer to the Gospel 16 1
7. The Gospel 162
8. The Creed and the Sermon 162
9. The Offertory 163
10. The Confession and the Absolution 163
Vi TABLS O-e CONTENTS.
Page
1 1. The Preface and the Canon 164
12. The Kiss of Peace 164
13. The Communion 165
14. The Gloria in excelsis and the Blessing 165
THE ORDER OF THE CEREMONIES AT THE BURIAI, OF THE
DEAD.
1. The preparation in the Church 167
2. The preparation in the Sacristy 167
3. The meeting the corpse 1 58
4. The procession into the Church 1 69
5. The Psalms and the Lessons 170
6. The Mass 171
7. The Absolution or Dismissal of the Body 171
8. The procession to the grave 175
9. The Blessing of the grave 176
10. The Committal 177
11. The Committal when the Priest does not go to the grave 178
12. The Burial of an infant 178
THE ASPERGES AND THE
PROCESSION BEFORE A SOLEMN MASS.
Chapter I. The Asperges 1 79
Chapter II. The Procession 189
APPENDIX.
I. Of the Offerings of money made by the people 197
II. Of Benedictus qui venit 200
III. Of additional lights at the Elevation 202
IV. Of the bell at the Elevation 204
V. Of the Paten, not being held by the Sub-Deacon 205
VI. Of the Kiss of Peace 206
VII. Of Holy Water 207
VIII. The Order for making Holy Water 209
IX. Of the parts of the Mass sung by the clergy 2*2
®1|^ (§vhtr at tl|^ (UnttmnuB
CHAPTER I.
General Preparation i^or High Mass.
I. In the Sacristy.
Upon a vestment chest, or upon an oblong table,
should be laid out the vestments of the sacred ministers :
In the midst, for the Celebrant, a chasuble, stole,
maniple, girdle, alb, amice and biretta; at the right
hand, for the Deacon, a dalmatic, stole, maniple, girdle,
alb, amice and biretta ; and at the left hand, for the
Sub-Deacon, a tunicle,^ maniple, girdle, alb, amice and
biretta.
In arranging the vestments the following order will
be found convenient : The lower half of the front of
the chasuble should be folded up against the upper half
and extended on the vesting table, and the back doubled
in like manner. If the quality of the vestment, or of
the ornamentation thereof, does not allow it to be
folded, it may be extended at full length, the front
side downward, upon the table. If the vestment is
^ On the Sundays in Advent (except the third), and on the Sundays
in Lent (except the fourth), and on fast days (except Maundy Thurs-
day); also at the blessing of candles and the procession on the Feast of
the Purification, and at the blessing of palms and the procession on
Palm Sunday, the dalmatic and tunicle are not worn. On these days,
in cathedral churches the Deacon and Sub-deacon will wear chasubles
folded up before the breast; in ordinary churches, the Deacon may wear
only amice, alb, girdle, maniple and stole; the Sub-deacon, amice, alb,
girdle and maniple. (See Rubrics in Saruni missal, in Ordinary of the
mass; and the Roman missal, General Rubrics, Qh, xix.)
2 CKREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
ornamented with jewels, it will be well to spread a
covering of some soft material upon the vesting- table
before laying out the vestments thereon. Upon the
chasuble the stole may be folded so that the ends are
parallel with the sides of the vestment, and the middle
part is laid across it. The maniple is laid upon the
middle of the stole, at right angles with it, so as to
form a cross. The girdle is doubled and then laid upon
the maniple and stole in the shape of the letter S or
the letter M. The sleeves of the alb may be folded
underneath the front, and the body folded up so as to
make the opening at the bottom lie at the edge of the
table. Upon the alb, the amice should be spread at
full length, the right (or outer) side uppermost, with
the strings festooned on it. The vestments for the
Deacon and the Sub-Deacon should be laid upon the
table in the order in which they are mentioned above.
The chasuble, dalmatic, tunicle, stoles and maniples,
and also the apparels (if any) of the albs and amices
ought to be of the colour- of the season, or of the day
which is being celebrated. An exception to the general
rule is commonly made in favour of vestments made of
cloth of gold, which are considered suitable for all
festal occasions.
In some convenient place in the sacristy there
ought to be in readiness the censer, the incense
boat filled with incense, and the charcoal and tongs ;
also the torches for the acolytes.
2 "That the Salisbury sequence (of colours) was the one in use through-
out England . . . was certainly not the case at any time." . . .
In all probability the colour sequence of the Catholic Church was
followed more or less closely throughout the diocese, according as a
cliurch was well or ill provided with the necessary ornaments. . . .
A general sequence ... of colours most generally enjoined . . .
corresponds very closely not only with the Salisbury sequence as far
as that goes, but with the modern Roman rule as well." (W. H. St.
John Hope, English LiHirg. Colours, lyond., 1889.)
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 3
2. At the Altar.
The altar should be prepared as directed at Low
Mass, except that the six large candles shall be lighted,
and the book shall be open and not closed,
3. At the Credence.
The credence shall be arranged as directed at Low
Mass. But in addition to the articles there mentioned,
there shall be set upon the credence the chalice duly
prepared and veiled, and the book or books from which
the Epistle and Gospel are to be sung.
4. General Ceremonial Directions.
(a) Of Genutlections. — At High Mass, if the Sacra-
ment be not reserved upon the altar, the Celebrant and
all others only bow profoundly when first approaching
the altar, when passing before the midst before con-
secration and after the ablutions, and when about to
depart from it.
But if the Sacrament be reserved, a genuflection is
made before the lowest step each time an approach
to the altar is made, and in the same place, each time a
departure from the altar is made. At other times, the
Celebrant and the sacred ministers only bow pro-
foundly when, before the consecration and after the
ablutions, they pass the midst of the altar where the
Sacrament is reserved ; but the inferior ministers genu-
flect each time they pass the reserved Sacrament in the
course of the Mass.
After consecration and before the ablutions while
the Sacrament is exposed upon the altar, every one
4 CKRKMONIKS OF HIGH MASS.
genuflects each time he passes before the midst of the
altar.
(b) Of the hands. — The sacred ministers hold their
hands joined before the breast (but not touching the
vestments lest they soil them), except when engaged in
some action or while they are seated. In this latter
case, the hands usually rest upon the knees, and, if
possible, under the vestments. When one hand of
the Deacon or Sub-Deacon is occupied in any action,
the other hand is placed a little below the breast, and
not upon the altar. When they genuflect with the
Celebrant, they support his vestment with the hand
next to him, the other hand being held near the breast.
The inferior ministers present in the sanctuary at
High Mass hold their hands joined before the breast,
while the Celebrant sings or reads aloud any part of .
the Mass, and also when they are censed. At other
times, unless the contrary be directed in any special
instance, they place the right hand upon the left, so
that the palm of the right hand will be turned down
upon the left.
(c) Of other gestures. — When the sign of the cross
is made, or the breast smitten, or the head bowed, by
the Deacon and Sub-Deacon with the Celebrant, their
motions should be synchronous and uniform with his.
In moving from the midst to the Epistle side, the
Celebrant and the sacred ministers first bow (or genu-
flect, if it be just before the Post-Communion), and
then turning their left side to the altar, they move
abreast to the Epistle side. So likewise in returning
to the midst, they first face the Gospel side, and then
move together to the midst. In moving from the midst
to the Gospel side, they first bow, and then turning the
CERKMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. 5
right side towards the altar, they move together to the
Gospel side.
5. The Preparation of the Celebrant and Ministers.
(a) The Sub-Deacon, after prayer in the church or
sacristy,^ washes his hands. He then reads the
Epistle which he is to sing, and sets the marker in
the book of the Epistles, or in the Mass-book* from
which the Epistle is to be read. Next he prepares the
chalice as directed at Low Mass, and then carries it to
the credence and sets it down in the midst thereof.
Having returned to the sacristy, he puts on his vest-
ments at the same time that the Deacon puts on his,
saying the appropriate prayers. When he puts on the
tunicle, he will say the following prayer :
THE Lord clothe me with the tunicle of joy, and
with the garment of gladness.
The Sub-Deacon does not assume the maniple until
after the Celebrant has been vested.
(b) The Deacon, after prayer in the church or
sacristy, marks the places for the Celebrant in the Mass-
book, carries it to the altar and puts it upon the desk
or cushion at the Epistle corner of the altar, opening it
at the beginning of the Mass. Then he places the other
books out of which the Epistle and GospeP are to be
sung, on the credence, to the right of the chalice. He
' "Antequam vero paramenta recipiant dicens est, quod non tantum
celebrans, sed etiam onines alii ministri aliquantulum orent, ut tantum
ministerium digne et meritorie cxercere valeant." Merati, Novce Ohser-
vationes xxi, in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii, tit. ii.
* "Mass-hook was from very early times the English name of the
Missale." Simmon's, Lay Folks Mass-book, p. 155.
5 Where it may be done, for the sake of showing due reverence to
the Holy Gospel and to continue an ancient Catholic custom, it is well
to provide t'ui'o volumes, one of the Epistles and one of the Gospels.
6 CliklvMONUCS OF HIGH MASS.
then washes his hands, and assisted by an acolyte, he
puts on his vestments. The stole he puts over his left
shoulder and ties it under his right arm. The maniple
he puts on after the Celebrant is vested. He says the
customary prayers as he vests. When he puts on the
dalmatic, he will say the following prayer:
CLOTHE me, O Lord, with the garment of salva-
tion, and with the vestment of joy, and surround
me ever with the dalmatic of righteousness.
(c) The Celebrant, after saying the Preparatio ad
Missam or other office," washes his hands. Then he
proceeds to vest, reciting in the meanwhile the usual
prayers, as directed at Low Mass. He is assisted in
vesting by the Deacon at his right hand and by the
Sub-Deacon at his left. If the sprinkling with holy
water is to take place before the Mass, both the Deacon
and the Sub-Deacon will vest the Celebrant in a cope
of the colour of the day. Otherwise they will assist in
putting on and adjusting the chasuble.
(d) The Master of Ceremonies, after prayer, will
wash his hands, put on his surplice, see that the cruets
of wine and water, the box of altar-breads, the towel
and bowl for the Lavaho, the houselling cloths and (if
it be needed) a ciborium are on the credence.^ He will
also see that the alms basin is on the credence or in
some other convenient and suitable place. If need be,
' "Sacerdotis antequam celebrent, se colligant, et orantes mentem in
tanti mysterii cogitatione defigant. Antiquam ad altare accedant, missam
perlegant, et singulas partes ita prxparatas, et notatas habeant, ut cele-
brantes neque errent, neque haereant." S. Car. lior., Ad Celebr. Mis.
(Labbe, Cone. Tom. xv. p. 260.)
'' The houselling cloths may be placed at the right of the chalice,
back of or underneath the Mass-book. The cruets, etc., should be put
on the credence at the left of the chalice. The various articles upon the
credence should be arranged so as to leave sufficient space at the farther
corners for the candle-sticks of the two candle-bearers.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. ^
the Master of Ceremonies may act for the Deacon and
the Suh-Deacon and put the books upon the credence,
and the desk or cushion and the Mass-book upon the
altar, and see generally that all things are in readiness
for the Mass.*
(e) The ccnscr-hearcr, vested in surplice," will have
the censer, coals, incense-boat and spoon in readiness.
If an acolyte serve as boat-bearer, he will wear a sur-
plice. Both censer-bearer and boat-bearer will pray in
the church or sacristy, then wash and dry their hands
before putting on their surplices ; the other acolytes
will do likewise.
if) The two candlc-bcarcrs, after putting on their
surplices, will assist the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon to
vest, and then will light their candles. They will also,
if the Master of Ceremonies so direct, light the candles
on the altar ; but this may be done by other acolytes or
by the Master of Ceremonies himself.
(g) The torch-hearers, two, four, six or eight in
number, according to the dignity of the day,® will see
that their torches are in readiness, put on their surplices
and await the directions of the Master of Ceremonies.
* The Master of Ceremonies, Bauldry tells us {Man. Sac. Ccrrem.,
pt. i., cap. i.), ought to be a Priest who is thoroughly conversant with the
duties of his office, and well fitted to perform them. His proper office is
to conduct and direct the sacred and inferior ministers in the exercise of
their functions; to indicate the time when and, if need be, the manner
in which something is to be done by others, rather than to perform any
ceremonial action by himself. With us, ordinarily, it will be found mo.st
convenient to have the censer-bearer (or other acolyte) perform, so far
as he may, the duties of the Master of Ceremonies, and entirely to dis-
pense with those duties where they have to do with the Celebrant.
8 "Acolythi, id est Ceroferarii, et Thuriferarius, ac Navicularius lavant
manus, et postea induunt cottas:" (Merati, Observ. xxi, in dav. pt. :i.,
tit. ii/) "Cotta, sen superpelliceuni, quod idem est." (Bauldry, Man.
Sac. Carem., pt. i., c. i., xliii.)
* "Missa dicitur vel de Duplici, etc., vel de Dominica, vel de Feria,
ritu magis vel minus solemni, ob diversa et inequalia merita Sanctorum,
qui secumdam Apostolam differunt sicut Stella; in claritate." (P. M.
Quartus, Com. in Rub. Mis., pt. i. tit. viii.)
8 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
6. The Blessing of the Incense in the Sacristy.
All things necessary being prepared, the Celebrant,
Deacon, Sub-Deacon and acolytes arrange themselves
in the following order: the Celebrant stands in front
of the Cross or principal image, and between the
Deacon at his right hand and the Sub-Deacon at his
left; the censer-bearer stands behind the Celebrant;
the boat-bearer at the left of the censer-bearer; the
candle-bearers stand on the same line with the censer-
bearer, the first behind the Deacon, and the second
behind the Sub-Deacon ; the other acolytes stand in a
line parallel with the line of acolytes immediately
before them; the Master of Ceremonies shall stand
where it may be convenient. Then the Celebrant, (if
the sprinkling of holy water before beginning the
Mass is not to take place) will put incense in the
censer and bless it, in the following manner :* The
Celebrant and his sacred ministers first remove their
birettas. The censer-bearer advances to the Celebrant,
the Deacon withdrawing a little to allow him to come
immediately before the Celebrant, who then turns him-
self a little towards the censer-bearer. If there is a
boat-bearer, he accompanies the censer-bearer at his
left hand. The censer-bearer, or the boat-bearer, pre-
sents the incense boat, open, to the Deacon, who receiv-
ing it with his right hand at once transfers it to his left
and turns towards the Celebrant. Holding the boat
with the open part towards the Celebrant, the Deacon
takes the empty spoon by the lower part of the handle,
with his right hand, inclines his head to the Celebrant,
kisses the upper part of the handle of the spoon, and
then the back of the Celebrant's right hand, and pre-
*Merati in Gavantum, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. ii., Observ. xxii.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 9
sents the spoon, saying in a low voice, "Bless, Rever-
end Father." If the Celebrant be a Bishop, the
Deacon, when presenting the spoon, says, "Bless,
Right Reverend Father;" if he be an Archbishop, he
says, "Bless. i\Iost Reverend Father."
The Sub-Deacon will move to the right hand
of the Celebrant, and, if need be, will support
his chasuble on that side. The censer-bearer
bows to the Celebrant; and holding the top of
the censer-chains with his left hand at about
the height of his breast or shoulders, and having the
thumb of that hand passed through the greater ring
at the top, and another finger through the smaller
ring at the top of the chain of the cover, and having the
ring on the chains drawn up about midway between
the censer and the top of the chains, he raises the
censer-cover, by a movement of the finger of his left
hand, sufficiently high to permit incense to be put in
the censer ; then at once he grasps with his right hand
the censer-chains about midway between the censer and
the top of the censer-chains, raises the open censer so
that the Celebrant may conveniently, without any
bending down, put incense therein.^" The Celebrant
will then put incense into the censer and bless it in the
following manner : He dips the spoon into the boat and
sprinkles the spoonful of incense upon the coals in the
censer, saying as he does so, "Alayest thou be blessed" ;
then repeating the action, he continues, "by him in
whose honour" ; once more repeating the action, he
adds, "thou art to be burned. Amen." Then after
1" While the censer-bearer presents the censer to the Celebrant he will
stand erect, but with head inclined to the Celebrant. If the Celebrant
be a Bishop, the censer-bearer genuflects. See Merati, in Gav., pt. ii.,
tit. IV., Observ. xviii.
lO CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
returning the spoon to the Deacon, he makes, with his
right hand, the sign of the cross over the open censer,
saying nothing. While the Celebrant is putting
incense into the censer, the Deacon holds the boat with
both hands. When the Celebrant returns the spoon,
the Deacon kisses first the Celebrant's hand, then tak-
ing the spoon he kisses the upper part of the handle
and puts the spoon back again in the boat, which he
then closes and hands to the censer-bearer, or to the
boat-bearer, if there be one. After the incense has
been blessed, the censer-bearer will lower and close
the censer, bow to the Celebrant, and return to his
place.f
7. The Approach to the Altar.
Then all standing in their places, they bow to the
cross or the principal image in the sacristy, the Cele-
brant and his sacred ministers put on their birettas,
the Deacon, Sub-Deacon, other clergy and all the aco-
lytes bow to the Celebrant, who slightly inclines his
head to them, and then all go forth to the altar in the
following order.^^
Before all others goes the censer-bearer^- carrying
t On days other than Sundays and the greater feasts, incense will not
be blessed in the sacristy, and tlie censer-bearer will enter the sanctuary
at the moment when the Celebrant first ascends the altar steps.
1' The men and boys (laics) who are the choristers (chorus cantornm)
of the church, should be vested in cassocks an., surplices. They
sliould go from the choir-room into the choir, walking two by two,
juniors preceding the seniors, at about the time when the Celebrant
and his attendant ministers and acolytes are nearly ready to enter the
sanctuary, and should all be in their places before the entrance of the
Celebrant, and ready to sing the Introit when the Celebrant begins the
Mass. They should enter the chancel and take their places quietly and
reverently, not singing as they move along, nor conversing with one
another, or looking about. They should make due act of reverence
towards the altar as they come before it two by two, and then turn
and go to their stalls. In like manner they should leave the choir and
return to the choir-room, after the Mass is ended and the Celebrant
has entered the sacristy. (See Chambers, Div. Worship in Eng., pt. iv.,
ch. v.)
" Merati, in Gav., pt. ii., tit. ii., Observ. xxii.
CICKICMONllvS Ol-' HIGH MASS. II
the censer in the accustomed manner/'' and with him,
at his left hand, the boat-bearer'^ carrying the incense-
boat containing incense and the spoon. The boat-
bearer will hold the incense-boat by its base in his right
hand, near his breast, and so that the part which opens
looks away from him, his left hand being placed
underneath the boat and a little below his breast.
The two candle-bearers, carrying candlesticks with
lighted candles, follow the censer-bearer at a distance
of two or three paces. The first candle-bearer will
carry his candlestick with his right hand above and his
left hand below the knop. The second candle-bearer
will walk alongside and at the left hand of the first
candle-bearer, and will hold his candlestick with his
left hand above and his right hand below the knop.
The top of the candlesticks should be about on a line
with the eyes of the candle-bearers.
Following the candle-bearers, will go, two by two,
the acolytes (if any) who are to carry torches^'' at the
Sa}ichts and the Elevation. They will walk erect, with
hands joined before the breast, and will keep two or
'3 The censer-bearer, when accompanied by a boat-bearer, in approach-
ing the altar or returning to the sacristy, or in the procession of the
Gospel, and at other times when the boat is not needed, will hold the
censer closed; the chains at the upper part collected and grasped, just
below the top, between the thumb and fingers of the left hand, which
he holds near his breast; and the chains near the censer grasped in his
right hand, and held up so that his right hand is a little below his left,
and the censer held at a little distance before him (lest the censer stain
or burn his surplice). When proceeding to the altar, he will swing
gently the censer (lest the fire die out), walk erect and move along
slowly and reverently.
When there is no boat-bearer, and the boat is needed, the censer-
bearer will carry the incense boat, holding it by its foot between the
thumb and forefinger of his left hand, and grasp the chains just below
their top, with the remaining fingers of his left hand, and hold the chains
near the censer in his right hand, as directed above. Ibid., et \'an
Der Stappen, Sac. Lit., torn, v., cap. ii.
'* Directions are given here and in the following pages for both censer-
bearer and boat-bearer. The latter acolyte is not practically needed, and
most of the ceremonial authors direct the censer-bearer to act alone.
16 "Funalia vel intortitia (non vero candelabra, ut quidam non recte.")
(Bauldry, Man. Sac. Carem., pt. iii., c. xi., art. 8.)
12 CERRMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
three paces behind those walking before them. All the
acolytes, i. e., censer-bearer, boat-bearer, candle-bear-
ers and torch-bearers, have their heads uncovered and
their hands bare.
After the acolytes may go the clergy^" (if any) who
are to assist at the Mass, in the choir-stalls, walking
two by two, each couple close together, with bare hands
and heads, carrying their birettas (if they use them)
with both hands below their breasts, or having their
hands joined before their breasts, each pair walking at
equal distance from those before them. They will be
vested in cassock and surplice.
The Master of Ceremonies will precede the sacred
ministers, having his head and hands bare, and his
hands joined before his breast. If, however, there be
need for him to do so he may go in advance of the
censer-bearer; or if there be two Masters of Cere-
monies, the second may precede the censer-bearer.
Following the Master of Ceremonies, walks the
Sub-Deacon alone, after him the Deacon, and last of
all the Celebrant, all three having their hands joined
and their heads covered.
If the Celebrant and his sacred ministers, in going
in front of or through the choir, on their way to the
altar, pass any clergy present there, they salute them
(those on the Epistle side first, then those on the Gos-
pel side) with a slight inclination of the head, first
taking of( their birettas, and then, immediately after
the salutation, covering their heads again. The Priests
'* Unless the day be a greater feast, and there be a solemn processional
entrance of all who are to take part in or assist at the Mass, it will be
better for the clergy who are to assist in the choir to go to their places
with the choristers in the manner described above, some time before the
sacred ministers and their acolytes leave the sacristy. (See L,e Vavas-
seur, Cerem., pt. v., sec. i., ch. x., art. 2.)
CERIvMONIES OF HIGH MASS. I3
to whom the Celebrant and sacred ministers bow,
stand with uncovered heads, and return the sahitation
with a profound bow. Prelates do not uncover the
head, but slightly incline their heads to the Celebrant.*
If, in approaching the altar, the Celebrant must
first pass the Gospel or the Epistle side of the altar
before he can come to the midst, those who precede
him will withdraw a little from the altar when they
come before it, so that the Celebrant may pass in
front of them to the midst. All in advance of the
Celebrant, standing thus before the altar, at a little
distance from the lowest step, turn and bow pro-
foundly to the Celebrant as he passes to the midst,
the Celebrant responding with a slight inclination of
his head.
If the approach is made directly to the midst of the
altar, the censer-bearer and those behind him, as they
draw near to the lowest step of the altar, move a little
to the right, and the boat-bearer and those behind him
move a little to the left, so as to allow the Celebrant
and sacred ministers to pass to the lowest step of the
altar. Having thus moved to either side, the censer-
bearer, boat-bearer and other acolytes turn so as to
face each other and all bow profoundly to Celebrant
as he passes through their midst.
When the Celebrant has arrived at the lowest step
before the midst of the altar, the Deacon, Sub-Deacon
and all the acolytes at once go to and stand in their
places, as they did in the sacristy, facing the altar,
viz. : the Celebrant in the midst, with the Deacon at
his right hand and the Sub-Deacon at his left, all three
standing on a line parallel with the altar steps. The
* Merati, in Gav., pt. ii., tit. ii., Observ. xxii.
14 CERRMONIICS OF HIGH MASS.
first candle-bearer will stand on the same line at the
right of the Deacon; the second candle-bearer will
stand at left of the Sub-Deacon. If space be lacking,
the candle-bearers may stand behind the Deacon and
the Sub-Deacon. The censer-bearer, with the boat-
bearer at his left hand, will stand behind the Cele-
brant. The Master of Ceremonies will stand at the
Epistle corner of altar steps, to the right of the first
candle-bearer, or to the right of the Deacon ; or if
space be lacking, or convenience require, he may stand
wherever he can best attend to his duties. The other
acolytes will stand in a row or rows parallel with the
altar, and behind the censer bearer.
All standing thus in their places, the Celebrant takes
off his biretta, hands it to the Deacon, who gives it to
the Master of Ceremonies or to an acolyte.
Then the Master of Ceremonies takes also the
birettas of the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon.
Then if the Blessed Sacrament be reserved in
the tabernacle on the altar, all genuflect and
immediately rise and stand erect. If the Sacra-
ment be not reserved at that altar, all bow profoundly
and then stand erect. After the accustomed act of
reverence,^^ the Master of Ceremonies (or his dep-
uty) puts down the birettas of the sacred ministers
upon the sedilia or in some suitable place, but never
upon the credence, much less upon the altar.
The candle-bearers rise, carry their candlesticks (in
which the candles remain lighted throughout the
Mass), to the credence, the second candle-bearer who
1' By the "accustomed" or "due" reverence towards the altar, as
hereinafter directed, is to be understood either genuflection if the
Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle or upon the altar; or, if that
be not the case, siich a bow as may be suitable, viz.: profound,
moderate or slight.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 1 5
Stood facing the Gospel side of the altar making no
further act of reverence as he passes before the midst
of the altar on the way to the credence. The first
candle-bearer awaits before the altar the coming of the
second, and with him goes to the credence. The first
candle-bearer puts down his candlestick upon the
credence at the end towards the altar ; the second
candle-bearer puts down his candlestick upon the other
end of the credence ; then both kneel by their candle-
sticks, facing the altar, and with their hands joined ;
or if it be more convenient, they withdraw from the
credence and kneel in the presbytery facing the altar,
as the Master of Ceremonies may appoint.
In like manner, and at the same time the other aco-
lytes or torch-bearers rise, and go at once to their
places and kneel down, facing the altar, with their
hands joined. The censer-bearer and the boat-bearer
also rise, and then go at once to the sanctuary floor at
the Epistle end of the altar, and kneel down facing
the altar. While kneeling, the censer-bearer will con-
tinue to swing gently the censer, lest the fire die out.
The Master of Ceremonies may kneel at the Epistle
end of the altar, to the right of the censer-bearer and
boat-bearer, or he may kneel on the floor at the right
and a little back of the Deacon. If space be lacking,
the censer-bearer, with the boat-bearer on his left hand,
may kneel in the place where they stood when they
arrived before the altar. If the censer-bearer carry
the incense-boat, he will set it down upon the credence,
before he kneels. The Master of Ceremonies and all
the inferior ministers make the sign of the cross, say
the responses, strike the breast, and say the confession,
etc., at the same time with the Deacon and the Sub-
l6 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
Deacon. The censer-bearer, that he may make the
sign and strike the breast, transfers the chains, held in
his right hand, to the left hand. The boat-bearer at
this time holds the boat in his left hand.
CHAPTER II.
The Preparation at the Altar.
I. The Psalm Jndica me.
The Celebrant standing as at Low Mass (having
the Deacon standing near him on his right, and the
Sub-Deacon near him on his left), makes the sign of
the cross, saying, "In the name," etc.,^ the sacred
ministers signing themselves at the same time. He
then says the antiphon "I will go," etc., to which the
sacred ministers respond, "Even unto," etc. ; then
follows the psalm Judica, said alternately by the
Celebrant and the sacred ministers.
2. The Coniiteor.
After the versicle, "Our help," etc., and its response,
the Celebrant, bowing profoundly, says the Coniiteor,
turning a little towards the Deacon and then towards
the Sub-Deacon (but without moving his feet) as he
says, "to you, my brethren," and "you, my brethren ;"
the sacred ministers in the meanwhile stand erect.
Then the Deacon and Sub-Deacon say together, as
they bow slightly towards the Celebrant, "Almighty
God have mercy upon thee," etc. They then bow
* When the Celebrant signs himself and says, "In the Name," etc., the
the choir begin to sing the Introit.
CERKMONIES OF HIGH MASS. I7
profoundly towards the altar and make confession for
themselves. As they say "to thee, my Father," and
"thee, my Father," they turn towards the Celebrant,
but without any motion of the feet. At the words "by
my fault," etc., they strike the breast thrice, as the Cel-
ebrant did in his confession. They remain profoundly
inclined until the Celebrant begins "The Almighty and
merciful," etc., when they stand erect and make the
sign of the cross together with him.
3. The prayer Aiifer a nobis.
When the Celebrant at the versicle "Wilt thou not,"
etc., bows to the altar, the sacred ministers also bow,
but more profoundly. When the Celebrant says,
"Take away from us," etc., and goes up the altar
steps, the sacred ministers go up with him, raising a
little the front part of the Celebrant's alb ; the Deacon
raising it with his left hand, the Sub-Deacon raising
it with his right hand.
4. The prayer Oramns te.
Having arrived on the foot-pace immediately before
the midst of the altar, the Celebrant, bowing moder-
ately, says privately, "We pray Thee, O Lord," etc.,
as directed in the Ceremonies of Low Mass.
When the Celebrant begins to ascend the steps of
the altar, the Master of Ceremonies, the censer-bearer
and other acolytes stand erect and face the altar; and
all (save the censer-bearer and the boat-bearer) have
their hands modestly folded.- The clergy in choir rise
at the same time and stand, having their hands folded.
"By hands "folded" is meant the right hand held near and a little
below the breast, and placed palm downward upon the left, held palm
upward.
l8 CICREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
5. The Blessing of the Incense.
When the Celebrant kisses the altar^ in the above
prayer, the sacred ministers bow profoundly. At the
same time the Master of Ceremonies and the censer-
bearer, followed by the boat-bearer, ascend the
steps at the Epistle end of the altar,"* the Master of
Ceremonies walking at the left of the censer-bearer, and
advance upon the foot-pace to nearly the midst of
the altar, where they bow profoundly towards
the altar cross, or if the Blessed Sacrament be
in the tabernacle, they genuflect and then rise
at once. If the foot-pace be too narrow to
allow the Master of Ceremonies and the censer-
bearer to walk side by side, the Master of Ceremonies
will go along the Deacon's step (that next to the foot-
pace) as far as the censer-bearer goes on the foot-
pace, and then turn by his left, face the altar, and make
due reverence. If the censer-bearer occupied a posi-
tion in front of the altar, he will go up the steps
directly from his place, genuflect or bow on the foot-
pace, and then turn and face the Celebrant.
The Celebrant, having kissed the altar, stands erect
and turns himself a little towards the Epistle side
of the altar. The Sub-Deacon remains, as it were, on
the Celebrant's left, but moves back a little from the
' All ceremonial kisses are signs of reverence and veneration, and are
made by merely touching with the lips the object to be kissed, without
making any sound.
"Meminit (Justin., in fine Apol. 2), osculi altaris inter orandum. in
signum venerationis; hoc autem loco fit (Innoc. iii. lib. 2, c. 15), ut
sicut altare Christum designat, ita sacerdos meminisse debet desiderii,
et amoris sponsx; Osculetur me osculo oris sui. Kst etiam osculum
signum reverentiae: Caveat ergo ne audiat Celebrans vocem illam;
Osculo Filium hominis tradis?" Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. iv.
* That is, the lateral steps, at the south end of the altar. If such
steps be lacking, the approach is made on the steps before the Epistle
side of the altar.
CERKMONIES OF IIIGII MASS. I9
altar, turns slightly toward the Celebrant, and faces
obliquely toward the altar cross; if need be, he sup-
ports the Celebrant's chasuble at the right arm or
shoulder during the time the Celebrant is engaged in
blessing the incense. If the Sub-Deacon supports the
chasuble he will do so with his right hand, and have his
left hand extended below his breast. Otherwise he
will stand, having his hands folded before his breast.
The Deacon withdraws a little from the altar, to
allow the censer-bearer to present the censer to the
Celebrant, and stands facing the altar and to the right
of the Celebrant. The Master of Ceremonies stands
on the foot-pace or on the second step, facing the Cele-
brant, and on the right hand of the Deacon. The boat-
bearer gives the incense boat (with its lid partly open
and resting on the protruding handle of the spoon) to
the Deacon,^ in such a manner that the Deacon, receiv-
ing it with his right hand, will have the open part of
the boat turned away from him.
The Deacon holds the incense-boat and presents the
spoon to the Celebrant, in the manner directed above,
at the blessing of incense in the sacristy.
The censer-bearer, standing before, and inclining
his head to the Celebrant, presents the open censer to
him, in the manner directed above (pg. 9).
The Celebrant, having received the spoon from the
Deacon, puts incense into the censer, blesses the
incense, in the manner already directed, and returns the
spoon to the Deacon.
The Deacon, receiving the spoon from the Cele-
brant, takes it by the lower part of the handle with
his right hand, inclines his head to the Celebrant,
^ Bauldry, Man. Sac. Cccrem., pt. i., cap. i., art. i., xx.
20 CKREMONIES O? HIGH MASS.
kisses the Celebrant's hand, then the upper part of the
handle of the spoon, and then puts the spoon into the
boat, and hands the boat to the Master of Ceremonies,
who at once gives it to the boat-bearer.
If there be no boat-bearer the censer-bearer himself
will carry both the censer and boat; and will give the
boat to the Deacon, and receive it back from him or
from the Master of Ceremonies or another acolyte
who may hold it while the Deacon receives the censer.
Immediately after the Celebrant has blessed the
incense in the censer, the censer-bearer lowers and
closes the censer, and hands it to the Deacon in the
following manner : Holding the top of the chains in
his right hand and grasping with his left hand the
chains about midway between the censer and the top,
he places the top of the chains in the right hand of
the Deacon, and the lower part of the chains in the left
hand of the Deacon. Then the Deacon presents the
censer to the Celebrant, as follows : Holding the top
of the chains with his right hand he kisses the top
and places it in the Celebrant's left hand ; then the
lower part of the chains held in his left hand he places
in the Celebrant's right hand, and as he does so he
kisses the back of the Celebrant's hand.
6. The First Censing of the Altar.
When the Celebrant has received the censer at the
hands of the Deacon, the Master of Ceremonies, the
censer-bearer and the boat-bearer bow profoundly
towards the altar cross, or if the Blessed Sacrament
be reserved, they genuflect. Then, standing erect,
they turn to the right, and go back, by the
way they came, to their places on the sanctuary
ce;remonies of high mass. 21
floor at the Epistle end of the altar, where they turn
and face the altar, and await the end of the censing
of the altar. If convenient they will now stand so as
to be near where the Deacon will stand when he censes
the Celebrant after the altar has been censed. If no
one else be appointed to do it, the Master of Cere-
monies will take up the Mass-book with its cushion
or desk, and carry them with both hands to his place
on the floor at the Epistle side of the altar; and then
facing the altar he holds the book and desk until the
Epistle side of the altar mensa has been censed;
which being done he im_mediately replaces the book and
its cushion or desk upon the altar, makes an act of
reverence as before, and returns to his place.*
The Celebrant having grasped the chains close to
the censer with his right hand, and holding the summit
of the chains with his left hand against his breast,
turns to the altar, and makes the due act of reverence
towards the altar cross. He then censes the altar cross
with three swings of the censer,^ making each swing
equal to the others and pausing an instant between the
swings.'^
When the Celebrant holding the censer turns to the
altar, the sacred ministers at once take their places on
* Some authorities advise that the Mass-book and desk be left upon
the credence until the censing at the Introit has been completed.
Cf. Merati, Novce Observ. xxiv and xxxi, in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii.,
tit. iv.
' The Celebrant while censing the altar will endeavour to perform
all the appointed actions with careful attention and due reverence. He
will take care to lead the censer, and not to toss or throw it. "Le
Pretre qui fait I'encenBement de I'autel doit mettre toute son attention
a faire cette action avec gravite et bienseance, . . . la main droite
doit se mouvoir avec aisance en conduisant ct non in langant I'encen-
soir."(Le Vavasseur, Cerem., pt. v., sec. ii., ch. ix., art. iii.) (See also,
De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, i., p. 281.)
' Post unamquamque incensationem tantillum quiescens,_ ita ut dis-
tinguatur eas incensationes esse tres." (Merati, Observ. xxiv., in Gav.,
Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. iv.)
22 CERKMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
either side of him, make due act of reverence together
with him, and support his chasuble at the upper part of
his arms^ or at his shoulders,'* and thus accompany
him as he proceeds in the act of censing the altar.
The Celebrant having censed the cross,* makes
again the proper act of reverence, bowing profoundly,
and then proceeds to cense the altar on the Epistle
side, turning himself a little towards the Epistle
corner of the altar, moving slowly and reverently, the
foot which is nearer the altar being kept in advance
of the other, making each step correspond, as far
as may be, with each movement of the censer. He
will lead the censer three times above the mensa and
towards the back in straight lines parallel with the
ends of the altar and at equal distances from each
other. If the altar is furnished with three candlesticks
on either side of the cross, the movement of the
censer is usually directed towards the candlesticks, yet
not in such a manner as to indicate any censing of the
candlesticks ; for the intention is to cense the altar and
not the candlesticks, and the three swings of the
censer at equal distances towards the back of the altar
and on either side of the cross are made irrespectively
of the number of the candlesticks which may be upon
the altar.i<>
Having arrived at the Epistle corner of the altar,
the Celebrant lowers the censer alongside that end of
* "Ministri inserviunt hinc inde elevando planetae cam partem, qute
est circa brachia Celebrantis ut non impediantur, altera eorum manu
pectori interim admota." (Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. iv.,
rub., 7.)
» "Planetae partem circa humeros Celebrantis pauullum elevat," etc.
(Merati, in Gav., pt. ii., tit. iv., Nova Obs. xxiv.)
* See note below, on page 25, for particular directions concerning the
manner of censing the altar cross.
*' Ritus, Missalg Rom., ii. 5.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 23
the altar, and censes the lower part with one
swing which is made with a semi-circular and upward
sweep of the censer ; and then, in like manner, he
censes with one swing the upper portion of that
end of the altar; then he elevates the censer, and turn-
ing himself a little and advancing towards the midst of
the altar, he censes the front part of the mensa^^ with
three semi-circular swings at equal distances, mov-
ing the censer each time towards the midst of the
altar. Arrived at the midst the Celebrant and his min-
isters face the cross and again make due reverence
towards it. The Celebrant then proceeds to cense the
back part of the altar on the Gospel side in a manner
like unto that employed on the Epistle side. Having
arrived at the Gospel comer, he lowers the censer
alongside that end of the altar, and with a semi-circular
upward swing of the censer censes the lower part of
that end of the altar, and then in like manner the upper
part; then elevating the censer, and turning himself a
little towards the midst of the altar, he advances toward
the midst and as he proceeds he censes the mensa on
the Gospel side with three semi-circular swings at equal
distances, and moving the censer towards the midst ;
and yet in thus moving along the Gospel side, he does
not advance quite up to the midst of the altar.
Having thus censed the mensa, the Celebrant turns
himself so as to face directly towards the altar, and
then withdrawing slightly from the front of the
altar and lowering the censer, he censes the front of
the Gospel side of the altar with three semi-
circular upward swings at equal distances, leading the
" That is, the plane of the mensa near the front edge, the back
part having been censed when the censer was led towards the
candlesticks. Cf. De Herdt, Praxis Fontif., torn., i., 180-5.
24 CERKMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
censer in each case towards the midst of the altar.
Then arrived at the midst, the Celebrant and his
ministers face the cross, and make the proper act of
reverence ; after which the Celebrant proceeds to
cense the front of the Epistle side of the altar, turning
himself a little towards the Epistle end, moving as
before, and making three semi-circular upward
swings, at equal distances, and leading the censer
towards the Epistle end of the altar.
If among or in front of the candlesticks upon the
altar there are reliquaries containing relics of the
Saints, the Celebrant, immediately after he has censed
and bowed to the altar cross, will (without moving
from the midst of the altar and without any inclina-
tion) cense the relics upon the Gospel side, and then
those upon the Epistle side, leading the censer on each
side twice only, be the reliquaries fewer or more in
number.f
Throughout this censing of the altar at the time
of the Introit, the Celebrant says nothing.
Having arrived at the Epistle end of the altar and
finished censing the altar, the Celebrant turns
himself so as to have his left side towards the altar,
and then with both hands he gives the censer into the
hands of the Deacon.
7. The First Censing of the Celebrant.
The Deacon immediately goes down to the
step below the foot-pace at the Epistle end of the
altar; and there turning towards and facing the Cele-
brant, he places both of his hands beneath the right
tVide Merati, Observ. xxvii in Gav., pt. ii., tit. iv., et Quarti, pt.
ji., tit. iv., Rub. 5.
CKREMONIRS OF HIGH MASS. 25
hand of the Celebrant, as if to raise it a Httle, and
kisses the back of the Celebrant's hand ; then with his
own right hand he takes the chains near the censer,
and with his left hand the top of the chains, which also
he kisses. Then turning by his right (so as not to turn
his back directly upon the altar) he goes down to the
floor of the sanctuary, where turning back again
by his right he faces the Celebrant, bows pro-
foundly to him; and holding the top of the
chains near his breast, he censes him with
three swings of the censer,^* after which he again
bows profoundly to the Celebrant; and then turning
himself a little towards the censer-bearer he returns the
censer to him.^^ The Celebrant does not bow to the
Deacon either before or after being censed.*
When the Celebrant returns the censer to the
Deacon, as directed above, the Sub-Deacon, turning
himself by his right and facing south, goes by the
Celebrant and Deacon on the foot-pace down the
steps at the Epistle end of the altar, to the floor of the
12 The manner of censing the Blessed Sacrament, the altar cross,
reliquaries, the Book of the Gospels and persons in holy order, is as fol-
lows: The top of the censer-chains is held in the left hand, which is
held immovable before and near the breast. The chains of the censer
are grasped near the cover of the censer, and held by the thumb, index
and middle finger of the right hand. The censer is held up before the
breast, in front of the left hand, which is near or against the breast.
To make a single swing (or "leading"), the censer is lifted in a per-
pendicular line to the height of the eyes, then led (on a slightly curved
and upward-tending line) a little out and away from the person censing,
and given a slight impulsion or vibration, towards the person or thing
which is to be censed. This impulsion or vibration is at once repeated,
and then the censer is lowered to the breast. If two swings are required,
all that is ordered above is repeated after a brief pause. If three swings
are called for, the action is repeated thrice.
In censing the altar, the inferior ministers, the choristers (lay) and the
people, the censer is led out and upwards from before the breast, without
first uplifting it to the height of the eyes and without giving it the im-
pulsions or vibrations.
(Cf. De Herdt, Praxis Ponttf., torn, i., cap. xxiii, i8o, et Van Der
Stappen, Sacra Liturgia, tom. iii., pp. 386-389.)
" Merati, Nov(B Ohserv. xxxi., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii... tit. iv.
*Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccercm., pt. ii., cap. ix., art. ii.
26 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
sanctuary; where turning himself by his right (so as
not to turn his back upon the altar), he stands at the
left of the Deacon facing the Celebrant; to whom he
bows profoundly, at the same time with the Deacon,
before and after the act of censing. If the foot-
pace be too narrow to allow the Sub-Deacon to go
down the steps at the Epistle end of the altar in the
manner directed above, he will go directly down the
steps in front of the Epistle side of the altar to the
floor ; then, turning by his right, go on the floor of the
sanctuary to his place at the left of the Deacon.
When the Deacon and Sub-Deacon bow to the
Celebrant, the Master of Ceremonies and the censer-
bearer will also bow in like manner;^* and will stand,
having their hands joined, the censer-bearer on a line
with and at the right hand of the Deacon, the Master
of Ceremonies at the right of the censer-bearer; or,
if more convenient, the censer-bearer will stand back
of and a little to the right of the Deacon, and the
Master of Ceremonies will stand back of and a little
to the left of the Sub-Deacon. In the former case
the boat-bearer will stand behind the censer-bearer;
in the latter he will stand at his left hand.
The censer-bearer, receiving the censer, which the
Deacon presents to him with both hands, takes
the top of the chains (or ring therein, if the cap of the
chains be held in the hand of the Deacon) with his
right hand, and the chains near the censer with his
left hand; then he bows to the Celebrant, lowers the
censer, puts the top of the chains into his left hand,
grasps the chains near the censer cover with his right
hand, places his left hand near his breast, holds his
** I,e Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i., ch. i., art. iii.
CEREMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. 27
right hand in front of his left, and accompanied by
the boat-bearer, goes to the sacristy, where he prepares
the censer for the offering of incense at the Gospel.
The Deacon, after he has given the censer into the
hands of the censer-bearer, goes directly up to his
step, and then along that step until he is behind and
somewhat to the right of the Celebrant ; where, having
his hands joined before his breast, he stands facing
the altar. The Sub-Deacon, at the same time, goes
along the floor of the sanctuary until he is behind and
somewhat to the right of the Deacon ; where he
stands facing the altar,' '^ having his hands joined
before his breast.
While the sacred ministers go to their places, after
the censing, the Master of Ceremonies ascends the
steps at the Epistle end of the altar, and facing the
Celebrant, stands near the book,'® on the step next to
the foot-pace. He will point out to the Celebrant
with his right hand the Lord's Prayer at the beginning
of the Mass. So, also, whenever during the Mass, he
is assisting the Celebrant at the book, he will point out
what the Celebrant is to sing or read, and will turn the
leaves of the Mass-book. ij:
^^ "Celebrans post incensationem altaris stans in cornu Epistolas habens
in secundo gradu Diaconum a dextris, et subdiaconum in piano a dextris
Diaconi, etc." (Bauldry, Alan. Sac. Ccerem., pt. iii., cap. xi., art. v.)
" Pres du livre." Le Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i., ch. i.,
art. iii. Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccerem., pt. i., ch. i. xxiii, directs him to
stand, "prope angulum posteriorem altaris versus ipsuni celebrantem."
t The above direction is intended only for a Master of Ceremonies who
is in holy order. If a lay acolyte act as Master of Ceremonies, he will
remain standing on the sanctuary floor near the credence, facing the
altar, and have his hands joined before bis breast.
28 CEREMONIUS OF HIGH MASS.
CHAPTER III.
From the Lord's Prayer to the Oeeertory.
I. The Lord's Prayer and the Collect for Purity.
The Celebrant having been censed by the Deacon,
turns by his left to the altar, where facing the open
book (the sacred ministers standing behind him, as
directed above), he makes the sign of the cross from
the forehead to the breast, but over the book if it be
a Mass of Requiem ;* and then says the Lord's Prayer
and the Collect for Purity, as directed at Low Mass.
2. The Decalogue.
If the Decalogue is to be said, the Celebrant with
his hands joined turns by his left to the people; and
standing with his back to the book, he rehearses dis-
tinctly the Ten Commandments. The choir sing the
responses, "Lord have mercy upon us, and incline,"
etc. After the last Commandment, the Celebrant turns
again by his left to the altar.
3. The Kyrie eleison.
If the Decalogue be not said, then immediately after
the Collect for Purity, the Celebrant without changing
his position, says, with hands joined, "Hear what our,"
etc., as directed before at Low Mass. After which the
choir begin to sing the Kyrie ; and the Celebrant, with-
out in any way changing his position, says the Kyrie,
* Except in this instance, all mention of the special ceremonial for a
Mass of Requiem is omitted here, and given in a separate chapter under
its own title.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 29
alternately with the sacred ministers, in a low voice,
each versicle being said thrice.
If the Kyrie sung by the choir be very long, the
Celebrant and the sacred ministers having said the
Kyric privately, may go and sit down in the sedilia.
They return to the altar in time to begin the Collect
as soon as the Kyric is ended. In departing from the
altar and returning to it, they will observe the direc-
tions given on pages 56 and 58.*
4. The Collect.
When the choir have sung the Kyrie, the Celebrant
standing as before, turns himself somewhat towards
the cross, without moving his feet, and says in a low
voice, "Let us pray," at the same time disjoining and
at once joining his hands, and slightly bowing his head
to the cross. Then facing the book, he extends and
raises his hands, as at Low Mass, and singsf the Col-
lect for the day.
The Kyrie ended, the sacred ministers turn by their
left, so as to face towards the Gospel side of the sanc-
tuary, and advance in that direction until they
come directly behind the Celebrant, when they
turn towards the altar and stand facing the
altar and on a line with the Celebrant while he sings
the Collect or Collects,^ to which they do not make
* Before leaving the altar, the Celebrant and his sacred ministers,
standing where they said the Kyric. bow profoundly towards the altar
cross, and then turn and go directly to the sedilia.
Cf. Bauldry, Man. .Sac. Ccerem., pt. iii., cap. xi., art. 5.
t See Appendix No. 9.
* If more than one Collect be used, the words "Let us pray" are
to be said before the first and second only. Merati, Nova Obsen'.,
in Gavantum, Thes. Sac. Rjt., pt. ii., tit. v., x.
When any of the greater festivals coincide with a feria in Advent or
Lent, an Ember-day or Rogation-Monday, the Collect or prayer for such
feria should be said immediately after the Collect for the nay. Otherwise,
on such festivals, viz.: those mentioned on page x in tlie Prayer-Book,
the collect for the day only should be used; except that there may be a
commemoration of a festival which has an octave (as, for example, on St.
30 TERKMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
the response "Amen," since it is sung by the choir. ^
Whenever the Celebrant in singing the Collect pro-
nounces the Sacred Name, or any name at the utter-
ance of which he inclines his head, the sacred min-
isters ought to incline their heads in the same
manner.^
5. The B pis tie.
Towards the end of the Collect,* the Master of
Ceremonies bows profoundly to the altar cross,^ turns
by his right, goes down the steps at the Epistle end
of the altar, to the floor, and then to the credence,
where he takes up the book, from which the Epistle
is to be read, with both hands, the edge of the book in
his right hand, and holding it as high as and near his
breast, he carries it to the Sub-Deacon. Approaching
the Sub-Deacon at his right, he bows to him ; delivers
the book to him with both hands ; bows again, having
his hands joined ; and then passes to the left of the
Sub-Deacon. The Sub-Deacon, bowing, receives the
book with both hands, taking it at the lower corners,
the edge in his left hand ; then holding the book near
or upon his breast he bows again, and turns by his
left and goes with the Master of Ceremonies on his
left to the midst, where both turn towards the altar
and genuflect (or bow profoundly if the Blessed Sac-
rament be not in the tabernacle) ; they then return at
Stephen's Day, when the Collect for the festival of the Nativity of our
Lord is said after the Collect for the day), and of the faithful departed,
the prayer for whom should always come last in the order of the com-
memorations.
^ Cf. Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccrreni., pt. i., cap. xii., art. i., sec. xxiv.
" Merati, Nova Observ. xx., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. v.
* If more than one Collect be sung, then the Master of Ceremonies
goes to the credence at the commencement of the last Collect. L,e
Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i., ch. i., art. iii.
* Merati, Noftr Observ. xvi., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. vi.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 31
once to the Epistle side on the floor of the sanctuary,
where both facing the ahar, the Sub-Deacon opens the
book, the Master of Ceremonies points out the Epistle,
and the Sub-Deacon, in a clear sonorous voice,
announces the Epistle.*
But if it be a greater feast, two acolytes, having
bowed or genuflected with the Sub-Deacon before the
altar, precede him and the Master of Ceremonies to
the entrance of the choir (in lieu of the ambo), where
they stand on either side and a little behind him as
he (facing the altar) sings the Epistle.
When the Sub-Deacon announces the Epistle, the
Deacon goes along his step to the Epistle corner of
the altar. Standing at the right of and facing the
Celebrant, he points out to him the Epistle, and, if
need be, turns the leaves of the Mass-book. His
hands are folded® when not in action.
The Deacon continues to stand thus, alongside and
facing the Celebrant, until the Sub-Deacon has fin-
ished singing the Epistle.
The Celebrant, meanwhile, announces and reads the
Epistle, in a low voice, as directed at Low Mass. At
the end he says, "Here endeth the Epistle," and the
Deacon makes response, in a low voice, saying,
"Thanks be to God." While the Celebrant is reading
the Epistle, the Deacon makes, simultaneously with
him, all the prescribed inclinations and genuflections,
not heeding what is said or done by the Sub-Deacon.
•If any clergy assist in the choir, the Sub-Deacon and the Master
of Ceremonies bow to them after the act of reverence towards the
altar.
* "Manibus decenter pectori admotis, non junctis." Merati Noyce
Obs. xvii., in Gav., pt. ii., tit. vi. Cf. Le Vavasseur, pt. vi., sec. ii.t
ch. ii.
32 cerEmonie;s o^ high mass.
But when the Celebrant has finished his reading the
Deacon makes the acts of reverence with the Sub-
Deacon. During the singing of the Epistle by the Sub-
Deacon, the clergy in the choir, the choristers, and
the people are seated.
If there occur in the Epistle words which require
the Sub-Deacon to bow or to genuflect (as directed at
Low Mass), the act of reverence is made by him
and also by the Master of Ceremonies and all the aco-
lytes simultaneously, towards the altar cross.
At the end of the Epistle, the Sub-Deacon, closing
the book, says, "Here endeth the Epistle," to which the
Master of Ceremonies answers in a low voice,
"Thanks be to God." Here the choir may sing the
anthem called the Grail with its Alleluias, which is
sometimes followed by the Tract or the Sequence.* In
the meanwhile the Sub-Deacon carries the book in the
manner directed above, and with the Master of Cere-
monies on his left (the acolytes preceding, if they were
with him) goes to the midst of the altar before the
lowest step, where they bow or genuflect as before ;
then the acolytes go to their places, and the Sub-
Deacon and the Master of Ceremonies, in the same
order, go on the floor to the Epistle end of the altar,
where they ascend the steps and kneel, facing toward
the Gospel side of the sanctuary. The Sub-Deacon
kneels upon the edge of the foot-pace, the Master of
Ceremonies kneeling'^ at his left a little behind him,
i. e., upon the second step ; or if the foot-pace be suffi-
ciently spacious the Master of Ceremonies also may
kneel upon the foot-pace, a little behind and at the left
*See Appendix No. i.
' De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, ji., cap. ix., i8l.
CERKMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. 33
of the Sub-Deacon. The Deacon withdraws a little,
to his right, upon the second step at the Epistle end
of the altar, to allow the Sub-Deacon to kneel upon
the foot-pace; and then stands, having his hands
folded, facing the Celebrant.
The Sub-Deacon, kneeling upon the foot-pace,
inclines the book towards the Celebrant, holding it,
closed, with both hands. The Celebrant turning him-
self a little by his right, lays his right hand extended,
palm downward, upon the book, and the Sub-Deacon
inclines his head and kisses the Celebrant's hand.
Then the Celebrant withdraws and raises his hand,
and makes therewith the sign of the cross over the
Sub-Deacon, saying nothing.
Immediately after the blessing, the Sub-Deacon
and the Master of Ceremonies rise and go down the
steps at the Epistle end of the altar to the floor;
where facing each other, the Sub-Deacon gives the
book to the Master of Ceremonies, each bowing to the
other, before and after.* If the book contains only
the Epistles, the Master of Ceremonies will go at once
to the credence and put the book down thereon. If
it be a Mass-book, wherein also are the Gospels, he may
put it on the credence, or hold it until he gives it to the
Deacon.
6. The Reading of the Gospel by the Celebrant.
Having returned the book to the Master of Cere-
monies, the Sub-Deacon turns towards the altar,
ascends the steps to the foot-pace at the Epistle corner
of the altar, and there takes, from the hands of the
Deacon," the Mass-book with its desk or cushion ;
• Le Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. xii., ch. v., art. ii.
• Merati, Nov<e Observ., in Gav., The^. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. vi., xxi.
34 CEREMONIES Of HIGH MASS.
he bows slightly, before and after taking the book,
to the Deacon (who responds with similar inclina-
tions) ; he then turns by his left and goes directly
down the altar steps in front of the Epistle side of the
altar to the floor; then he turns by his left and goes
to the midst, where facing the altar he genuflects, or
bows profoundly if the Blessed Sacrament be not in
the tabernacle; then he advances on the floor to a
point opposite the Gospel corner of the altar ; and
then turning towards the altar, he ascends the steps
and advances upon the foot-pace to the altar and puts
down the desk or cushion with the book, upon the
altar at the Gospel corner, placing it obliquely, so that
the back of the book will look towards the northeast
and not directly towards the back of the altar; then
withdrawing and joining his hands, he steps down
upon the second step at the Gospel corner, and facing
towards the Epistle side of the altar, awaits the coming
of the Celebrant.
The Celebrant, having blessed the Sub-Deacon,
turns back again by his right towards the altar;
then facing towards the Gospel side of the altar,
and having his hands joined, he goes to the midst;
where facing the altar, he says in a low voice the
prayer, "Cleanse my heart," etc., and, "Let thy bless-
ing," etc., and "The Lord be in my heart," etc., as
at Low Mass, after which he turns by his left and
goes to the book ; standing facing the book, he says in
a low voice to the Sub-Deacon, "The Lord be with
you." The Sub-Deacon in a low voice, answers "And
with thy spirit ;" then with his right hand he points out
the Gospel to be read. The Celebrant announces in a
low voice the Gospel, saying, "The Holy Gospel," etc.,
CERKMONIICS OF HIGH MASS. 35
as at Low Mass. The Sub-Deacon makes in a low
voice the response, "Glory be to thee, O Lord," and
continues to stand as before. If need be he turns the
leaves of the Mass-book for the Celebrant, and bows or
genuflects with the Celebrant. At the end of the Gospel,
the Sub-Deacon makes in a low voice the response,
"Praise be to thee, O Christ." The Celebrant does not,
at this time, kiss the book, nor does he say, "By the
Gospel words," etc. ; but having finished reading the
Gospel, he turns by his right and goes almost to the
midst,'" and there, standing between the Gospel corner
and the midst of the altar and near the midst, he faces
the altar and awaits the time for blessing the incense.
When the Celebrant moves towards the midst, the
Sub-Deacon steps upon the foot-pace, takes up with
both hands the book with its cushion or desk,
carries them towards the midst, and puts them down
upon the altar, in front of the Celebrant, placing them
obliquely (as at the Gospel corner), and so that the
desk or cushion will be close to the edge of the corporal
when it is unfolded upon the altar. Then after joining
his hands and making a profound bow towards the
cross, he turns by his right, descends the steps of the
altar to the floor, turns by his right, and stands between
the Gospel corner and the midst of the altar, facing the
altar.^-
7. The Presentation of the Book of the Gospels upon
the Altar.
When the Celebrant begins to read the Gospel, the
Master of Ceremonies (who since receiving the book
10 "pere ad medium altaris." Merati, Novcr Ohserv. xxii., in Gav.,
Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. vi.
" Merati in Gav., pt. ii., tit. vi., Ohserv. xxii. et xxiv. Bauldry, Man.
Sac. C(srem., pt. iii., tit. xiii., cap. xi., art. v., xvii.
36 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
from the Sub-Deacon has remained on the floor of the
sanctuary at the Epistle end of the altar, facing towards
the Celebrant) takes up from the credence the Book
of the Gospels, or the Mass-book from which the
Gospel is to be sung (if he laid it down), with both
hands, the back of the book in his left hand, the
edges of the closed covers of the book in his right
hand, and holds it as high as his breast ; then he goes
and bows to the Deacon (who has continued standing
on the second step at the Epistle corner of the altar).
The Deacon immediately turns by his left and goes
directly down the steps at the Epistle end of the
altar ; and there on the floor of the sanctuary he
receives from the Master of Ceremonies (with the
accustomed mutual inclinations before and after) the
book from which the Gospel is to be sung. Holding
the book before his breast with both hands by its lower
sides or corners, the edge being in his left hand, the
Deacon turns and goes alone on the floor of the sanc-
tuary to the midst before the lowest altar step ; turns
towards the altar, and bows profoundly (or genuflects
if the Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle). Then,
standing erect, he ascends the altar steps, and lays
down the closed book with its edges turned towards
the Gospel side, in the midst of, or a little towards the
Epistle side of, the altar. This done, he steps back a
little from the altar and stands upon the foot-pace,
facing the altar, having his hands joined, and awaits
the blessing of the incense. After giving the book to
the Deacon, the Master of Ceremonies either remains
standing on the floor at the Epistle end of the altar,
facing towards the Celebrant, or he may go to the
sacristy and escort the censer-bearer to the altar.
CKREMONIl'S OF HIGH MASS. 37
8. The Blessing of Incense before the Gospel.
When the Celebrant begins to read the Gospel, the
censer-bearer should have the censer in readiness, and
before the Celebrant has finished reading the Gospel,
he should come, accompanied by the boat-bearer (and
also, it may be, by the Master of Ceremonies), into the
sanctuary to the floor at the Epistle end of the altar.
When the Celebrant stands ready to bless the
incense, the Master of Ceremonies, the censer-bearer
and the boat-bearer ascend the steps at the Epistle end
of the altar and approach the Celebrant for the bless-
ing of the incense, they and all others (except the Sub-
Deacon, who meanwhile stands in his place on the
floor, as directed above) observing all the ceremonies
prescribed for the blessing of the incense at the
Tntroit.*
When the incense has been blessed, the censer-
bearer lowers and closes the censer, makes the due act
of reverence towards the altar cross ; and accompanied
by the Master of Ceremonies, and followed by the
boat-bearer (both of whom have made reverence
towards the cross at the same time and in the same
manner as the censer-bearer), he turns and goes back
to the floor of the sancutary at the Epistle end of the
altar. The boat-bearer remains standing near the
credence until after the Gospel has been sung, and the
Celebrant has been censed, when he rejoins the censer-
bearer in the midst before the altar, and goes with him
to the sacristy.
*For the censing at the Gospel and apain at the Offertory, the censer-
bearer should take care to make ample provision of bvirning coals in the
censer (for more are needed than at the Introit) ; and the Celebrant
should at these times sprinkle a larger quantity of incense upon the
coals than he did at the Introit, in order that neither fire nor smoke of
the incense may fail during the ceremonies.
38 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
9. The Blessing of the Deacon.
The Deacon, immediately after he has returned the
incense-boat to the Master of Ceremonies, descends to
the step next to the foot-pace, faces the altar and
kneels upon the foot-pace, having his hands joined ;
then bowing profoundly, he says in a low voice the
prayer, "Cleanse my heart," etc. After which he
stands up, advances to the altar, takes up with both
hands the book, and again kneeling upon the foot-
pace in the midst, and bowing towards the Celebrant
(who remains standing as he did before the blessing of
the incense) asks of him a blessing, saying in a low
voice,
O IR, give me thy blessing." ^^
Then the Celebrant, having his hands joined, turns
himself a little towards the Deacon and says, in a low
voice,
THE Lord be in thy heart and on tliy lips, that thou
mayest worthily and rightly proclaim his
Gospel.
Then placing his left hand below his breast
and extending his right hand, the Celebrant makes the
sign of the cross over the Deacon, saying in a low
^2 "Jube domne (non Domine) benedicere. Diaconus debet dicere jube
domne quia alloquitur ipsum Celebrantem, non vero Deum, sicut alloquitur
sacerdos, qui ideo debet dicere jube Domine, non vero domne." (Merati,
in Gav., pt. ii., tit. vi., Obserz'. xxvii.)
(Diaconus) "humilians se ad sacerdotem stantem coram altare versa
facie ad meridiein ita dicens sine nota. Jube Domine benedicere.
Sacerdos respondens, Dominus sit in corde et in ore iuo ad pronun-
ciandum sanctum evangelium dei in nomine patris et filii et spiritus
sancti. Amen." (Frere, Cust. Sarum, p. 73.)
"Sub-diaconus post finem lectionis, Diaconus e contra ante principium
evangelii ad sacerdotem accedit accepturus benedictionem; quia Lex
per epistolam significata finem accepit in Christo; evangelium vero
originem sumpsit ad eodem Christo." (Quartus, Com. Rub. Mis., pt.
ii., tit. vi., 4.)
CIvREMONIliS OF HIGH MASS. 39
voice, In the Name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Immediately after pronouncing the blessing, the
Celebrant extends his right hand, palm downward,
upon the book, which the Deacon elevates a little and
inclines towards him, and the Deacon at once kisses the
Celebrant's hand.
The Deacon then rises, bows to the Celebrant, turns
by his left a little towards the Epistle side of the altar,
so as not to turn his back upon the cross, and goes
directly down the altar steps to the sanctuary floor,
where he turns towards the altar, and holding the book,
closed, before his breast, with both hands, he stands
facing the midst of the altar.
The Celebrant, immediately after the Deacon kisses
his hand and withdraws the book, joms his hands,
moves to the midst of the altar, makes a profound bow
towards the altar cross ; then turning himself towards
the Epistle side, he goes along the foot-pace to the
Epistle corner of the altar, where he turns and faces the
altar, and stands in that position until the Deacon is
about to announce the Gospel.
10. The Procession of the Gospel.
While the Celebrant is blessing the Deacon, or
shortly thereafter, the Master of Ceremonies directs by
a sign the candle-bearers^^ at the credence to take up
^' In the ancient ceremonials, the Roman Ordines, Nos. i, 2, 3, 5 and
6, lights are ordered to he borne and incense burnt at the reading of
the Gospel: "Et procedunt ante ipsum (Diaconus) duo sub-diaconi cum
duo thuribulis, sive uno, levantes thymianterium de manu sub-diaconi
sequentis, mittentes incensum, et duo acolythi portantes duo cero-stata."
(Migne, Vol. 78, Ordo ii., p. 971.)
"Acolytes, in Greek, are called Ceroferarii in L,atin, from their
carrying wax candles when the Gospel is to be read, or the sacrifice to
be offered. For then lights arc kindled by them, and borne, not to
drive away darkness, as the sun is shining, but for a sign of joy, that
under the form of material light may be represented that Light, of
40 CICREMONIES 01>' HIGH MASS.
their candlesticks and to follow the censer-bearer.
Then at once (the Master of Ceremonies leading, the
censer-bearer and the candle-bearers following, or, if
space will permit, walking on either side of him) all
go by the floor of the sanctuary to the midst before the
altar; where, without making any bow or genuflection
at this time, they stand facing the altar in this order :
The Master of Ceremonies at the left of the Sub-
Deacon ; the second candle-bearer at the left of the
Master of Ceremonies ; the censer-bearer at the right
of the Deacon ; the first candle-bearer at the right of the
censer-bearer ; all being on a line parallel with and
immediately before the lowest step of the altar. If
space be lacking for the above order, they may take
either of the following positions :
(ii) M. of C, Sub-Dea. Deacon.
2d C.-br. Cen.-br. 1st C.-br.
(iii) Sub-Deacon. Deacon.
M. of Cerem. Cen.-br.
2d Can.-br. ist Can.-br.
Thus standing before the altar, all bow profoundly;
or if the Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle, all
genuflect, the Deacon and Sub-Deacon upon the low-
est step of the altar, the others upon the floor. Then,
standing erect, all go in the following order to the
place where the Gospel is to be sung.* The Master
which it is read in the Gospel, 'This is the true Light.' " (S. Isidore,
Bp. of Seville, A. D. 636. EtymoL, L,ib. vii., c. xii., sec. 29, 30,
torn, iii.)
"Duae candelse evangelium praecedunt, quia lex et prophetae prxces-
serunt qui evangelium praedicaverunt. Duo candelabra quae prae
feruntur sunt duo prascepta charitatis quae per evangelium instruuntur.
Duo acolyti qui ea portant, sunt Moyses et Helias, inter quos Dominus
ut sol in monte fulgebat." {Gemma Animce, c. xv.)
*On ordinary Sundays and on ferias, the place where the Deacon sings
the Gospel is at a little distance from the lowest step of the altar and
opposite the Gospel corner of the altar. On such occasions, commonly.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 4I
of Ceremonies, having his hands joined, leads the
procession ; after him the censer-bearer walks, carrying
the censer as at the first approach to the altar, and
gently swinging the censer ; the candle-bearers, carry-
ing their candlesticks in the usual manner, follow the
censer-bearer, the second on the right hand of the first.
Then comes the Sub-Deacon, and last of all the
Deacon ; or the Sub-Deacon may walk with the Deacon
at his left. In this order they proceed to the place for
singing the Gospel, which on ordinary occasions is the
Gospel side of the sanctuary below the lowest step, or
on the presbytery. On the greater feasts, the place of
the Gospel is just within and a little north of the midst
of the entrance to the choir, in lieu of the ambo.
Having arrived at the place appointed for singing
the Gospel, the Master of Ceremonies turns aside to
his right, so as to allow the candle-bearers and Sub-
Deacon to pass by him, and then faces towards the
censer-bearer. The latter on his arrival turns to his
left, faces the Master of Ceremonies, and stands,
gently moving the censer in order that the fire may
not die out. The candle-bearers pass on between the
Master of Ceremonies and censer-bearer and go a pace
or two beyond ; then they turn about, separating a little
as they turn, so as to allow the Sub-Deacon to stand
between them and on a line with them. The second
the lack of space and the shortness of the distance to be traversed will
not permit of the formal procession for which directions are here given.
In such cases, after the common act of reverence, the Master of Cere-
monies will turn by his right so as to have his side (not his back) to the
altar: The censer-bearer will turn and go to his place at the left of
where the Deacon will stand: The candle-bearers go a little beyond the
Master of Ceremonies, then turn and face southward: The Sub-deacon
turns by his left and advances to the point between the candle-bearers,
where he turns again by his left, faces the Deacon and receives the
book: The Deacon, turning by his left, follows the Sub-deacon, stands
in his place, with the Master of Ceremonies on his right and the censer-
bearer on his left, botli a little behind him, and sings the Gospel. iCf.
Merati, et Van Der Stappen, in loco.)
42 CER12MONIES OF HIGH MASS.
candle-bearer faces towards the Master of Ceremonies,
and the first towards the censer-bearer. The Sub-
Deacon passes on until he conies to the place where the
candle-bearers are; and then turning himself (by his
right) so as to face towards the south, he stands
between the candle-bearers, and on a line with them.
The Deacon, coming to the Sub-Deacon and facing
towards the north, gives the Sub-Deacon the book open
at the Gospel for the day. The Sub-Deacon takes the
book with both hands^* and holds it, open towards the
Deacon, at such height as may enable the Deacon con-
veniently to sing the Gospel. ^^
If the choir sing Gradual, Tract or Sequence
they should so measure their song that it will not end
before the Deacon stands ready to announce the
Gospel.
II. The Singing of tlie Gospel by the Deacon.
The Deacon, as soon as the book is held up before
him, says, in a low voice, "The Lord be with you ;"
and response is made by the acolytes saying in a
low voice, "And with thy spirit." At this moment the
Celebrant standing at the Epistle side, turns towards
the book of the Gospels, not fully, but with his right
side to the altar ; and so remains until he has been
^* "Elevatum ante pectus et oculos suos, ita iit Diaconus in eo legere
commode possit, et oculi sub-diaconi impediantur a libro, ne recta
videant Diaconum." Merati, Nova Observ.. in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt.
ii., tit. vi. XXX. et Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccrrem., pt. iii., cap. xi., art. v.
^^ According to old English and French uses, a processional cross was
used, on double feasts, at the reading of the Gospel. The Sarum cus-
tomary mentions lights borne and incense used at the Gospel, and the
reading thereof by the Deacon facing towards the north. "Et si duplex
festum fuerit crux preccdat," etc. . . . Et cum ad locum legend!
jiervenerit, textum ipsum sub-diaconus accipiat et a sinistris ipsius
diaconi quasi oppositus ipsum textum dum evangelium legitur, teneat,
ceroferariis diacono assistentibus, uno a dextris reliquo a sinistris ad
eum conversis. Thuribularius stet post diaconum ad eum conversus. Et
semper legatur evangelium ad missam versus aquilonem." Frere, Cust.
Sarum., pp, 73, 74.
CCREMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. 43
censed by the Deacon, just before the Creed, except
when he is required to turn and bow, or to genuflect
towards the altar.
"Then the people, all standing up," the Deacon, as
he sings "the Holy Gospel is written," places his left
hand upon the book and makes the sign of the
cross with the thumb of his right hand upon the text^"
of the Gospel at its beginning; then placing his left
hand extended, palm towards himself, below his
breast, he sings "in the ''' Chapter of , begin-
ning at the \^ersc," at the same time signing him-
self with the thumb of his right hand upon his fore-
head, lips and breast ; and then joins his hands before
his breast.
The Master of Ceremonies, when the Deacon signs
himself, makes the like signs and turns a little towards
the Celebrant as a signal to him to sign himself like-
wise. All others, except the candle-bearers, Sub-
Deacon and censer-bearer (who are hindered) make
the sign of the cross at the same time.
While the choir sing the response, "Glory be to
thee, O Lord," the censer-bearer passes behind and to
the right of the Deacon, and holding the top of the
chains in his right hand, and the chains near the censer
in his left hand, he presents the censer to the Deacon,
putting the top of the chains into the Deacon's left
hand and the chains near the censer cover into his right
hand. The censer-bearer bows to the Book of the
Gospels before and after the censing, and stands so as
not to turn his back upon the altar. Having received
the censer, the Deacon bows to the book, and then
^" "Signat primo librum, non quasi benedicens librum, sed quasi
dicatur. Hie est liber Crucifixi." Quartus, Cowi. Rub. Mis., pt. ii. tit. vi.
*See Ceremonies of Low Mass, pp., 5 and 75.
44 CERICMONIKS OF HIGH MASS.
censes the book^^ with three swings of the censer :f the
first towards the middle; the second towards the page
at his left hand, and the third towards the page at his
right hand ; then he again bows profoundly to the book.
He ought so to time the censing that he will have fin-
ished it and be in readiness to sing the Gospel immedi-
ately after the choir have ended their song. Whenever
the Deacon, during the singing of the Gospel, makes
an act of reverence, he will always do so towards the
book. The Celebrant, the blaster of Ceremonies, the
censer-bearer and other acolytes, when they bow at the
name of Jesus, and when they genuflect, do so towards
the altar cross. At the name of the blessed Virgin
Mary, and at the name of the saint whose festival is
celebrated or commemorated, they bow towards the
Book of the Gospels.^* The Sub-Deacon and the
candle-bearers remain motionless until after the Deacon
has sung the Gospel. Having censed the book, the
Deacon at once returns the censer to the censer-bearer ;
and joining his hands, begins to sing the Gospel as soon
as the choir have finished singing the response, "Glory
be," etc. The censer-bearer, receiving the censer from
the Deacon, takes the top of the chains in his left hand
and the chains near the censer in his right hand and
goes back to his place at the left of and a little behind
the Deacon, where he stands as before, yet does not
swing the censer during the singing of the Gospel.*
17 "Xer librum incensat in reverentiam libri sanctorum Evangeliorum,
et ad significandum effectum gratise quam Christus communicat veris
auditoribus Evangelii." Quarti, Com. Rub. Mis., pt. ii., tit. vi.
tSee note on mode of censing, in chapter on the first censing of the
altar, page 25.
IS De Herdt, Pra.ris Pontif., torn, ii., p. 155, et Merati, in Gav., pt. ii.,
tit. vi., Observ. xxxiii.
•"Non agitabit thuribulum interea dum Evangelium cantatur." (Van
Der Stappen, Sac. Liturgia, torn, v., p. 17.)
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 45
The Master of Ceremonies may, as the Deacon is about
to announce the Gospel, point, with his right hand,
to the sacred text, indicating, to the Deacon, the Gos-
pel to be sung ; he may also turn the leavesf of the
Mass Book, if need be ; and at the end of the Gospel
he will say,$ "Praise be to thee, O Christ."
12. The Return of the Procession.
When the Deacon has finished singing the Gospel,
without any delay, he points out with his right
hand to the Sub-Deacon the beginning of the text of
the Gospel ;§ then he turns by his right so as to face
towards the altar and draws back a little to allow the
Sub-Deacon to pass. After which the Sub-Deacon,
carrying the book open and elevated on his left arm
and held at the sides by both hands, goes straightway
by the shortest route to the Celebrant, making as he
goes no direct act of reverence, even though he must
pass the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar.*"
Having arrived upon the foot-pace before the Cele-
brant, the Sub-Deacon presents to him the book, to
be kissed, at the same time pointing with his right
hand to the text of the Gospel which has just been
sung. The Celebrant taking hold of the lower part
of the book with both hands, kisses the text at its begin-
ning, and says in a low voice, "By the Gospel words
to-day, may our sins be done away." -". After the Cele-
brant has kissed the book, the Sub-Deacon, w^ho has
retained hold of it, closes it, and then bows to the Cel-
t Le Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. xii., ch. iii., art. ii.
t Van Der Stappen, Sac. Lit., torn, v., p. 57.
§ If, to do this, a leaf of the book must be turned, the Deacon turns it.
^' Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccrrem., pt. iii., tit. xiii., c. xi., art. vi., sec. 4.
^ See Ceremonies of Low Mass, p. 78.
46 CEREivtONIES of lircfi MASS.
ebrant ; then he makes the due act of reverence towards
the altar cross f^ then turns by his left and goes directly
down the altar steps to the sanctuary floor, where (with
inclinations before and after) he hands the book to the
Master of Ceremonies, or to an acolyte, who bows
before and after receiving the book, and then at once
goes and lays it down upon the credence. The Sub-
Deacon, having given the book to the Master of Cere-
monies or an acolyte, joins his hands, turns towards the
altar, and stands facing it, immediately before the
lowest step, about midway between the midst and the
Epistle corner.
When the Sub-Deacon goes to the Celebrant, the
Master of Ceremonies, the censer-bearer, the candle-
bearers and the Deacon return to the altar. The Mas-
ter of Ceremonies goes first, the censer-bearer and the
candle-bearers follow him, and the Deacon walks last
of all, having his hands joined before his breast.
When the Master of Ceremonies comes immediately
before the altar, he bows or genuflects in the midst,
and then goes to the right of the Sub-Deacon. If an
acolyte has not taken the book, he receives it from the
Sub-Deacon, bowing before and after taking it, carries
it to the credence, and returns promptly to his place at
the right of the Sub-Deacon. The censer-bearer having
arrived in the midst before the altar, a little back from
the lowest step, withdraws, with the boat-bearer, a little
to his right to permit the Deacon to come directly in the
midst before the lowest step ; he turns himself some-
what towards the Deacon when the latter passes him,
and then faces again towards the altar. The candle-
^ Merati, Nova Observ., in Gavantum, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. vi.,
sec. xxxvi.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 47
bearers having arrived in the midst before the altar,
near the censer-bearer's position, separate ; the first
going to the right of the censer-bearer, the second to
the left of and a little behind the place which the
Deacon will occupy when he stands before the altar.
The candle-bearers will also face a little towards the
Deacon as he passes by them, and then face towards
the altar. The Deacon advances to the midst imme-
diately before the lowest step of the altar. Then all
(except the Sub-Deacon and the Master of Ceremo-
nies) together bow profoundly to the altar, or they gen-
uflect, if the Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle,
and also bow to the Celebrant, and then stand erect.
Then the candle-bearers go without delay to the cre-
dence, upon which they put down their candlesticks.
They remain standing by them, having their hands
joined and facing towards the altar. Which position
they will also observe during the Creed, if it is to be
sung.
13. The Second Censing of the Celebrant.
After making due reverence to the altar and to the
Celebrant, the Deacon, standing in the midst on the
sanctuary floor, before the lowest step of the altar,
takes the censer which is presented to him (in the same
manner as at the Gospel) by the censer-bearer; and
turning towards the Celebrant, standing at the Epistle
side of the altar, bows to him, and then censes him with
three swings of the censer ; again he bows as before,
and then returns the censer to the censer-bearer. The
Deacon will thus swing the censer towards the Cele-
brant, even though the smoke of the incense fail ; for
incense may not be put in the censer for the purpose
48 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
of censing the Celebrant.-- The Master of Ceremonies
and the censer-bearer will bow to the Celebrant
at the same time and in like manner, with the Deacon.
14. The Saying of the Creed.
The Celebrant, after he has been censed, having his
hands joined, goes at once to the midst and faces the
altar. The Deacon, having returned the censer, imme-
diately ascends to the second step of the altar (that
next to the foot-pace) and there, having his hands
joined, stands erect directly behind the Celebrant. The
Sub-Deacon goes to the midst, faces the altar, and
stands erect behind the Deacon on the sanctuary floor,
immediately before the lowest step, having his hands
joined.
The Master of Ceremonies stands on the floor near
the lowest step, opposite to and facing the Epistle
corner of the altar, having his hands joined. The
censer-bearer stands on the floor behind the Sub-
Deacon.'^ The boat-bearer comes to the left of the
censer-bearer, and stands facing the altar.
Then the Celebrant begins the Creed (if it is to be
sung), as directed at Low Mass,
The sacred ministers bow at the same time and in
like manner with the Celebrant, when he sings the
word "God ;" immediately after which they bow pro-
foundly towards the altar cross, or genuflect"-^ if the
22 "Non enim ponendum est thus in thuribulum pro incensando Cele-
brante, etiam fumo deficiente." (Merati, in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., tit. ii.,
pt. vi., Nova Observ., xxxvii.)
^ Ee Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i., ch. i., art. iii., 51.
25 The sacred ministers, before they ascend the steps, after the Cele-
brant has sung his first words of the Creed, make due act of reverence
in the places wher they stand, and do not repeat the act when they
arrive on the foot-pace. See Merati, in Gav., pt. ii., tit. iv., Observ.
xxxiv.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 49
Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle; then, stand-
ing erect, the Deacon moves on his step a httle to his
right, the Sub-Deacon at the same time advances
directly up to the second step and then moves a little
to his left ; then both together go up to the foot-pace""
and stand alongside the Celebrant, the Deacon on the
right hand, the Sub-Deacon on the left hand ; and then
recite with him the Creed in a low voice.
The censer-bearer, immediately after the Celebrant
has begun the Creed, makes the due act of reverence
towards the altar (the boat-bearer also bowing or
genuflecting at the same time), and then goes to the
sacristy or other suitable place to put down the censer,
the boat-bearer accompanying him. If there is to be a
sermon, he returns with the boat-bearer to his place on
the floor at the Epistle end of the altar, or wherever as
being most convenient, the Master of Ceremonies may
direct ; and there in a low voice they recite the Creed
with the Celebrant and sacred ministers, making the
acts of reverence and signing themselves at the same
time and in like manner with them.
The candle-bearers and all the other acolytes, stand-
ing in their places, having their hands joined, and
facing towards the altar, will also recite the Creed in a
low voice, bowing, genuflecting and signing them-
selves in like manner and at the same time with the
Celebrant.
Whenever, in their private recitation of the Creed
at the altar, they utter words at which they should
bow towards the cross, and also while the choir sing
-* MeratL Nova- Observ., in Gavantiim, Thcs. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. iv.,
xxxiv. "Sic ambo jequaliter hinc inde ascendunt, quod semper faciiint,
dum ascendunt ad altare, ut se collocent ad latera Celebrantis."
50 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
such words,-' the Celebrant and sacred ministers bow
in the customary manner. If, while thus privately
reciting the Creed, they say the words, "And was incar-
nate . . . and was made man," at a time other
than when they are sung by the choir, the Celebrant
and sacred ministers genuflect (on one knee) upon
the foot-pace, without leaving the altar. They will
also genuflect upon both knees upon the edge of the
foot-pace while the choir sing those words (at which
time every one in the church will genuflect). A little
before the choir begin to sing the words, "And was
incarnate," the Celebrant turns, by his right, towards
the people, moving, as he does so, a little towards the
Gospel side of the altar, so as not to turn his back
directly upon the altar cross, the Sub-Deacon turning
at the same time and in the same manner^ the Deacon
turning by his left and moving a little towards the
Epistle side of the altar ; then all three go directly down
to the second step (that next below the foot-pace) and
turn, the Celebrant and Sub-Deacon by their right,
the Deacon by his left, and face the altar, the Cele-
brant standing in the midst directly before the altar-
cross and between the Deacon on his right and the
Sub-Deacon on his left ; then all three kneel on both
knees upon the foot-pace, and bow their heads pro-
foundly, while the choir sing the words, "And was
incarnate by the Holy Ghost, of the Virgin Mary, and
was made man." Then the Celebrant and the sacred
ministers rise, go again upon the foot-pace, and stand
as before.-*
^ Qundo vero Celebrans et Ministri nolunt sedere, sed stare ad altare,
dum cantalur symbolum, . . . facient inclinationeni ad ea verba,
ad quae, dum cantantur in synibolo, fit inclinatis cruci." Ibid, xl.
"Nee tamen se signant ad finem symboH dum cantantur in choro."
Bauldry, Man. Sac. Carem., pt. i., c. xii., art. i, xxxiv.
2* Merati, in Gav., Observ. xl., pt. ii., tit. vi.
CERFCMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. 5I
If the Celebrant and the sacred ministers sit
while the choir sing the Creed, it seems fitting that
they should first recite the Creed privately while stand-
ing at the altar, observing the directions given above.''*
After they have privately said the Creed, a little
before the choir sing the words, "Came down from
heaven," the Celebrant and the sacred ministers
descend the altar steps to the floor and kneel upon the
lowest step, the Celebrant in the midst ; they profoundly
incline their heads while the choir sing the words,
"and was incarnate," etc., and after the words, "and
was made man," have been sung, they rise and go to
their seats, the sacred ministers walking on either side
of the Celebrant, or the Sub-Deacon going in advance,
the Deacon following, and the Celebrant last of all, as
may be convenient. The Master of Ceremonies will go
in advance of the Celebrant and the sacred ministers to
the sedilia ; take up the Celebrant's biretta and with-
draw a little, so as to allow the Celebrant to come un-
hindered to his seat. On the arrival of the Celebrant
and the sacred ministers at the sedilia, the Master of
Ceremonies will bow to the Celebrant, then bow to the
Deacc«i and present to him the Celebrant's biretta, and
then withdraw to his place near the credence, where he
will regularly stand (except during the ser-
mon) whenever the Celebrant is seated. In tak-
ing their seats, the Celebrant and Sub-Deacon will
turn by their left, the Deacon by his right, to avoid
turning their backs upon the altar. The Celebrant will
sit in the midst between the Deacon on his right and
the Sub-Deacon on his left. As the Celebrant scats
™ "Si vero sedere velit, expectando tamen (quod est convenientius)
post versum Et incarnatns est." Merati, Nova Observ., in Gavantum,
Tlics. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. vi., xl.
52 CERICMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
himself, the sacred ministers Hft the back of his chas-
uble and arrange it so that the Celebrant may not sit
upon it. When the Celebrant is seated, the Deacon
presents to him his biretta. Having received his biretta
the Celebrant covers his head. The sacred ministers
then bow to the Celebrant, take up their own birettas,
and sit down in their places. If need be, the acolytes
may assist them, lifting the back part of the dalmatic
and tunicle. When seated the sacred ministers cover
their heads.
W^hile seated, they uncover their heads and bow
when the choir sing the words, "Jesus Christ," "And
was incarnate . . . And was made man," and
"together is worshipped." On the feast of the Annun-
ciation and on Christmas Day, they uncover and then
kneel dov/n before the sedilia (if possible on the lateral
step of the altar), facing north, while the choir sing,
"And was incarnate . . . And was made man."
They then rise, cover their heads, and resume their
seats.
15. The Spreading of the Corporal.
If the Celebrant and his sacred ministers remain
at the altar during the Creed, after the choir have
sung the words, "And was made man," the Deacon,
standing on the foot-pace at the right of the Cele-
brant, without any act of reverence, turns by his
right and goes, by the shorter way, to the credence.
Meanwhile the Master of Ceremonies also goes to
the credence ; he takes up with both hands, the burse,
turns towards the Deacon, and bowing moderately
before and after, presents the burse, with its open-
ing turned awav from himself, to the Deacon, who
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 53
bows to the Master of Ceremonies, takes the burse in
both hands (putting his thumbs and index fingers
above, the other fingers below the burse), the open-
ing turned towards himself, bows again, then turns,
and, carr3ing the burse horizontally at about the
height of and not far from his eyes, goes by the fioor of
the sanctuary^" to the midst before the lowest step,
makes due act of reverence towards the altar cross,
goes up to the altar, and standing in the midst (the
Celebrant and the Sub-Deacon meanwhile having
moved a little towards the Gospel corner of the altar),
holding the burse upright on the altar with his left
hand, the opening of the burse turned towards the
Epistle side of the altar, with his right hand he takes
the corporal out of the burse and lays it down upon the
altar. Then taking the burse with his right hand
(meanwhile resting his left hand upon the altar), he
places the burse upright on the Gospel side of the altar,
against the gradine, with the opening turned towards
the midst of the altar, and then with both hands care-
fully unfolds and spreads the corporal in the middle
of the altar, in such a manner that the front (cross-
marked) edge of the corporal about reaches the front
edge of the altar mensa. When the Deacon has
unfolded and spread the corporal, he moves to his
place a little to the right of the midst, the Celebrant
and Sub-Deacon return to their former positions ; all
three stand as before, and if they have not already
finished saying the Creed, they continue and conclude
its recital in a low voice.
If the Celebrant and the sacred ministers are seated
*" Merati, Nova Observ., in Gavantum, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. vi.,
Sli.
54- ceremonih;s of high mass.
during the singing of the Creed, immediately after the
words, "And was made man," at a sign from the
Master of Ceremonies, the Deacon rises, takes off his
hiretta, bows to the Celebrant, lays down his biretta
upon his seat, goes to the credence, and there receives
from the Master of Ceremonies the burse, which he
carries at once to the altar, as directed above, bowing
to the Celebrant as he passes him when going to the
altar. Having unfolded and spread the corporal, the
Deacon bows profoundly towards the altar cross, or
genuflects if the Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle,
and returns to his seat by the shorter way.^^ Arrived
again at the sedilia, the Deacon bows profoundly to the
Celebrant, moderately to the Sub-Deacon (both of
whom bow in return to the Deacon), and then takes up
his biretta, sits down and covers his head.
1 6. The Declaring of Holy Days.
When the choir are about to finish singing the Creed,
if the Celebrant and sacred ministers are seated (and
there is not to be a sermon), at a sign from the Master
of Ceremonies, all three rise, lay aside their birettas,
and, escorted by the Master of Ceremonies, they return
to the altar, by the longer way, the Celebrant walking
between the Deacon on his right and the Sub-Deacon
on his left, or following the Deacon, who then follows
the Sub-Deacon, if this order be more convenient.
Having arrived in the midst before the lowest step of
the altar, all three make due reverence to the
altar, after which the Celebrant ascends the altar
steps between the sacred ministers, who support his
vestments, and go with him as far as the second step ;
»i Merati, Novce Observ., in Gav., Thes. Sac, Rit., pt. ii.. tit. vi., xli.
CEREMONIl-S OF HIGH MASS. 55
then as the Celebrant goes up to the altar, the Deacon
remaining on his step, moves directly behind him ;
and the Sub-Deacon turns by his right, and descends to
the floor; and there he turns by his right towards the
altar, and stands on a line with the Deacon and the
Celebrant.
The Master of Ceremonies, in escorting the Cele-
brant and the sacred ministers from the sedilia to the
altar, goes before them until he arrives at the Gospel
side of the altar, a little to the left of the place where
the Sub-Deacon will stand when he faces the altar ;
there the Master of Ceremonies turns towards the
altar and makes an act of reverence with the Celebrant
and his sacred ministers, and when the Offertory has
been said by the Celebrant, escorts the Sub-Deacon to
the credence.
The Celebrant, when the choir have finished singing
the Creed, standing on the foot-pace immediately
before the altar in the midst, turns by his right, faces
the people, and "Declares unto the people what Holy-
days, or Fasting-days, are in the week following to
be observed, and (if occasion be) he shall give Notice
of the Communion, and of the Banns of Matrimony,
and other matters to be published."^-
When the Celebrant turns to the people, to give the
notices, the Deacon will move a little towards the
Epistle side of the altar, and when the Celebrant turns
again to the altar, the Deacon moves back to his place
and stands facing the altar, as before.
3- By the English Rubric in the Prayer Book of 1662, the Curate. 1. e..
the Priest who had the care of ■souls was the minister who should
"declare unto the people what holy days," etc. If the minister, i. e.,
the parish Priest, be not the Celebrant, but sit in the choir stalls or
preach, he should make the announcements from his stall or in the pulpit
before beginning to preach.
56 CERKMONIKS OF HIGH MASS.
When he has duly announced the Holy Days, etc.,
the Celebrant turns back again to the altar (complet-
ing a circle), and standing as before, having his hands
joined, he reads one of the Offertory sentences, after
which the choir begin their song. While the Celebranf
reads the Offertory, the Deacon and Sub-Deacon stand
behind, and on a line with him; the Deacon on his
step, the Sub-Deacon on the floor.
17. The Sermon.^^
If a sermon is to be preached, the Celebrant and his
sacred ministers (if they have remained at the altar
during the singing of the Creed), when the choir are
about to finish singing the Creed, make the proper
reverence before the midst of the altar, and then,
standing erect, turn themselves toward the Epistle side
of the sanctuary, and go directly to their seats. If the
foot-pace be wide enough to permit it, the Sub-Deacon
will pass by the Celebrant and Deacon (on their right),
and go first. If this order be not convenient, the Sub-
Deacon, before the Celebrant moves, will turn by his
right and go down to his step ; the Deacon, turning by
his left, will go down to his step ; then all three,
standing the one behind the other and facing the altar,
turn by their right towards the Epistle side, and go
directly to the sedilia, where they take their seats in
the order and manner directed above. Then the Mas-
ter of Ceremonies will accompany the preacher to the
pulpit, and return to his place near the credence, or
elsewhere. The preacher will wear a surplice and
stole, and (if it be the custom) a biretta.
83 "Prseterea ex mente Ecclesiae, in Missa Parochiali non tantutn
E;vangelium legi aut cantari debet sed etiam explanari, et a Parocho
populus instrui; sive ipsa concio Missae Parochiali jungi debet."
Van Espen, Jus, Ecdes. Univ. pt, ii., tit. v.
CEIRKMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. 57
If the Celebrant be the preacher, and will preach
from the pulpit, he will lay aside his chasuble and man-
iple at the sedilia, assisted by the sacred ministers, put
on his biretta (if it be the custom), and then, escorted
by the Master of Ceremonies, go to the pulpit.*
Arrived in the pulpit, and facing- the people, the
preacher will take off his biretta (if one is used), and
then make the sign of the cross, saying, "In the Name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen." He will then put on his biretta and proceed
with the sermon. •''■*
If the Celebrant will preach from the altar, he will
retain his vestments, and turning by his right, so as to
face the people, will stand on the foot-pace, having his
back turned towards the Gospel side of the altar. In
this case the sacred ministers, before the Celebrant
moves from the midst, after due reverence to the cross,
descend to the floor before the midst of the altar, make
there another act of reverence, and then go to the
sedilia on the Epistle side of the sanctuary and, after
the invocation, take up and put on their birettas, and
take their seats. The sermon ended, they return
promptly to their places behind the Celebrant.
During the sermon the Master of Ceremonies
and the acolytes may sit on seats appointed for them.
If the Celebrant has preached from the pulpit, he
will return, after the sermon is ended, to the sedilia,
accompanied by the Master of Ceremonies ; and there,
assisted by the sacred ministers, put on his maniple
and chasuble; then, preceded by the Deacon and Sub-
• If the preacher in going to the pulpit passes before the high altar,
he should go to the midst and make the due act of reverence and
then proceed to the pulpit.
** C/. Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccerem., pt. i., c. x., vi.
58 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
Deacon and Master of Ceremonies, he will return to the
altar by the longer way, on the floor of the sanctuary.
If some one other than the Celebrant was the
preacher, the Celebrant and his sacred ministers will
rise from their seats when the sermon is ended, and
stand with uncovered heads while the preacher says the
Gloria Patri or an Ascription. When the Celebrant
stands up, all the acolytes will also rise and stand in
their places. The Master of Ceremonies will accom-
pany the preacher from the pulpit to his place in the
choir or sanctuary, and then return to his own place
near the credence.
CHAPTER IV.
From the Oefertory to the Canon.
After the Gloria or the Ascription, the Celebrant
(having his hands joined, preceded by the Sub-Deacon,
who goes first, and the Deacon, both with hands
joined) returns to the altar by the longer way. Having
arrived at the midst before the lowest step, the Cele-
brant faces the altar; and, having the Sub-Deacon on
his left hand and the Deacon on his right, he makes
together with them the proper reverence towards the
altar cross; and then ascends the steps to the altar,
the sacred ministers going up with him as far as the
second step, and supporting his vestment on either
side, and reads one of the Ofifertory sentences.
Towards the end of the sermon, the censer-bearer,
attended by the boat-bearer, will go to the sacristy,
make ready the censer, and return with it to the sanc-
tuary, at the Offertory,
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 59
As the Celebrant steps upon the foot-pace, the Sub-
Deacon, turning by his right, descends to the sanctuary
fioor and stands facing the altar, directly behind the
Celebrant. At the same time the Deacon (who in
ascending does not go beyond his own step) moves
directly behind the Celebrant.
When the Celebrant has said the Ofifertory sentence,
the Deacon makes the proper reverence, moves a little
to his right and goes up to the altar, and stands at the
right of the Celebrant. At the same time the Sub-
Deacon, after due reverence towards the altar cross,
having his hands joined, goes to the credence, accom-
panied, if it be convenient, by the Master of Cere-
monies.
The Sub-Deacon placing his right hand upon the
veil immediately over the chalice, takes hold of the
knop of the chalice, at the back (the Master of Cere-
monies lifting the veil a little that the Sub-Deacon may
do this easily), and turns the chalice around so that the
back part of the veil may look towards himself; then
lifting the chalice by his left hand, having his right
hand extended and resting on the veil above the
chalice, and holding it at about the height of his
breast, he carries it to the altar by the shortest way,
and puts it down upon the Epistle side of the altar at
the right of the Deacon. The Master of Ceremonies
having accompanied the Sub-Deacon to the altar, will
return to his place on the sanctuary floor opposite the
Epistle side of the altar.
I. TJic Oblation of the Bread.
If many particles are to be consecrated for the com-
munion of the faithful, the ciborium, or another
6o CE;R1;M0NIES 01' HIGH MASS.
chalice, in which they have been placed, is carried to
the altar by the Sub-Deacon before he carries the chal-
ice which is to be vised in the Mass as the vessel for the
Precious Blood, and is given to the Deacon, who places
it upon the corporal, near the tabernacle. If very few
particles are required they may be placed with the host
upon the paten before the Mass. Or the Sub-Deacon
may receive them from the first acolyte* after placing
the veiled chalice upon the altar.
When the Sub-Deacon carries the chalice to the altar,
the second acolyte,* having first removed the stoppers,
takes up the cruets, the wine in his right hand, the
water in his left, and carries them to the altar ; where
he stands, facing toward the Celebrant, on the second
step, at the Epistle end, holding the cruets before his
breast imtil they are required by the Sub-Deacon.
When the Sub-Deacon has set down the chalice upon
the altar, the Deacon taking the veil with both hands,
at the back corners, lifts it carefully so as not to dis-
place the pall ; and then lays it down upon the altar
at the right of the corporal near the gradines, folding
it as directed at Low Mass.
Then taking up the paten with the pall, he lays the
pall down upon the altar near and on the right of the
corporal, and then holding the paten with both hands,
the right above and the left underneath, he kisses the
(edge of the) paten, and then the right hand of the
Celebrant, and presents it to the Celebrant, in such
manner that the Celebrant may take it easily with both
hands.
The Celebrant, taking the paten with the host upon
* The acolytes here spoken of are the same persons who act as the
candlebearers, but are distinct from the torchbearers.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 6 1
it, offers the host in the accustomed manner,' and
having said the prayer, "Receive, Holy Father," etc.,
puts down the paten (with the host upon it)'' upon the
corporal, a little back of the cross embroidered thereon.
If a ciborium or other vessel containing smaller hosts
to be consecrated be upon the altar, the Deacon uncov-
ers the ciborium, and with his right hand he holds it
raised a little, while the Celebrant says the prayer,
"Receive, Holy Father," etc. Then he replaces it upon
the altar, a little behind the chalice, and covers it.
2. The Oblation of the Chalice.
While the Celebrant offers the host, the Sub-Deacon
takes the chalice, with his left hand by the knop ; and
holding the purificator with the fingers of his right
hand, wipes the inner part of the cup of the chalice ;
then folding the purificator around the knop, he takes
up the chalice (holding it with his left thumb and
forefinger at the foot, just at the right of the cross
thereon, the fingers of his right hand grasping the
knop enwrapped with the purificator), and hands it to
the Deacon.
The Deacon taking with both hands the chalice
from the Sub-Deacon, sets it down upon the altar
before him ; then holding, with his left hand, the chalice
and the purificator as directed at Low Mass, with
his right hand, he receives the cruet of wine from the
Sub-Deacon (who received it from the second acolyte,
without kiss), and pours wine into the chalice.
While the Deacon pours wine^ into the chalice, the
* As directed in Ceremonies of Low Mass, pg. 84. "Sed solus Cele-
brans Hostiam offert." Merati, Novel Observ., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit.,
pt. ii., tit. vii., liii.
^ See Appendix No. 6.
' Benedicatur aqua priusquam infundatiir in calicem, non item vinum,
quia vinum significat Christum, qui nulla indiget benedictione; aqua vero
62 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
Sub-Deacon takes with his right hand from the second
acolyte the cruet of water, and elevating it a little,
holds it out over the altar towards the Celebrant,
inclining himself a little towards the Celebrant, and
saying in a low voice "Bless, Reverend Father."
The Celebrant placing his left hand upon his breast,
makes with his right hand the sign of the cross toward
the cruet of water, at the same time saying, in a low
voice, the prayer, "O God who didst wonderfully
create;" then joining his hands, he continues, "and yet
more wonderfully," etc.*
Immediately after the Celebrant has blessed the
water, the Sub-Deacon pours a few drops of the water
into the chalice. Then putting the cruet of water into
his left hand, and taking with his right hand the cruet
of wine from the Deacon, he hands both cruets (first
the wine, then the water) to the second acolyte; who
carries them to the credence, and puts the stopper in the
cruet of wine; and he then stands in his place by the
credence, facing towards the altar. The Sub-Deacon
remains standing before the altar at the Epistle corner.
After wine and water have been poured into the chal-
ice, the Deacon, if need be, wipes away with the purifi-
populum, qui in hac vita nequit esse sine peccato, propter quod indigct
benedictione Dei, ut reddatur dignus ad unionem cum Christo. Item,
quia Populus unitur cum Christo solum per benedictionem gratise ipsius
Christi, quem sacerdos benedicens figurat. P. M. Quarti Com. in Rub.
Mis. pt. ii., tit. vii., 4.
"Admiscetur vino parum aquae, ita ut aqua convertatur in vinum,
vel absorbeatur a vino; quia aqua significat populum, et vino reprse-
sentatur Sanguis Christi Domini, episque virtus; unde hac caeremonia
denotatur unio populi fidelis cum suo capite Christo, virtute hujus
Sacramenti, et Sanguinis Christi." Ibid, No. 11. "In missa solemni
Diaconus infundit vinum in calicc, et Sub-diaconus aquam; quia
Diaconus reproesentat Praedicatores Evangelii, per quos <Hsseminatur
virtus Sanguinis Christi in corda fidelium, et idcirco munus etiam
Diaconi olim erat distribuere Sanguinem Christi communicantibus;
Sub-diaconus significat Joannem Baptistam qui baptizabat in aqua solum,
non in Spiritu Sancto, et populus significatos per aquam mittebat ad
Christum, ut cum illo unirentur." Ibid.
* See Ceremonies of Low Mass, pg. 87.
CERnMONICS Olf HIGH MASS. 63
cator any drops from the sides and edge of the cup, and
then lays the purificator (folded) upon the altar, a little
to the right of the corporal. Then taking the chalice
by the knop with his left hand, and by the foot with
his right hand (or in any other convenient manner),
he kisses the foot of the chalice and then the right
hand of the Celebrant, and gives the chalice to the
Celebrant.
The Celebrant taking the chalice with both hands,
the knop in his right hand and the foot with his left
hand, as at Low Mass, and the Deacon with his right
hand sustaining the right arm of the Celebrant, both^
say together in a low voice, the prayer, "We offer unto
thee," etc.
Having recited the prayer, the Celebrant lowers the
chalice to about four inches above the altar, makes with
it the sign of the cross over the corporal, behind the
host, and puts it down upon the corporal behind the
paten. Then the Deacon immediately covers the chalice
with the pall.
Having put down the chalice, the Celebrant says the
prayers, "In the spirit of humility," etc., and "Come,
O thou the sanctifier," etc.® Then he joins his hands
before his breast and stands facing the altar and awaits
the approach of the censer-bearer.
Immediately after the Celebrant has put down the
chalice, the Sub-Deacon turns by his left (so as to face
the people), goes forward on the foot-pace and down
to the second step (that next to the foot-pace), turns
* "Orationem offerimus tibi Domine, etc., in oblatione calicis non
solum a sacerdote, sed etiam a diacono recitari, turn quia diaconus
antea vinum calici infundit, turn quia antiquitus idem diaconus
Sacratissimum Sanguinem populo ministrabit." Merati, Nov<E Observ.,
Ivii., in Gav. , Thcs. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. vii.
* See Ceremonies of Low Mass, pg. 89.
64 CKRICMONIKS OF HIGH MASS.
toward the north and goes along the step to the midst,
where he turns towards the altar, makes the proper
reverence, then turning again to the north and advanc-
ing a pace further upon the step, he turns by his right
to the altar, goes upon the foot-pace and stands before
the altar, at the left of the Celebrant, having his hands
joined before his breast.
The censer-bearer, carrying the censer replenished
with burning coals, and accompanied by the boat-bearer,
will enter the sanctuary while the Celebrant is making
the oblation of the host and the chalice, and after due
reverence before the altar, will go to his place on the
sanctuary floor at the Epistle end of the altar, and there
stand facing towards the Celebrant, and gently swing
his censer so that the fire does not die.
3. The Censing of the Oblations.
When the Celebrant has said the prayer, "Come, O
thou the Sanctifier," at a signal from the Master of
Ceremonies, the censer-bearer, accompanied by the
Master of Ceremonies and followed by the boat-bearer,
goes up the steps at the Epistle end of the altar and
upon and along the foot-pace nearly to the midst of the
altar, where, after making due reverence towards the
altar cross (the Master of Ceremonies and the boat-
bearer making like reverence at the same time), he
presents the censer to the Celebrant. The Celebrant
turns towards the censer-bearer, and then all is done as
at the Introit, save that in blessing the incense the Cel-
ebrant says :''
'' "Non levis emergit scrupulus circa verba ilia "Per intercessionem
saocti Michaelis Archangeli, etc., quae, habentur in precatione, quam
profert Celebrans dum, benedicit incensum quod immittit in thuri-
bulum. . . . Antiquissimi codices Liturgici, non Michaelis, sed
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
65
BY the intercession of blessed Michael, the arch-
angel standing at the right hand of the altar of
incense, and of all His elect, may the Lord vouchsafe
to bless ►J^this incense and to receive it in the odour of
sweetness, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
As soon as the Celebrant has taken the censer from
the Deacon, the Master of Ceremonies, the censer-
bearer and the boat-bearer, after making the proper act
of reverence towards the altar cross, go at once by the
shortest way to their places on the sanctuary floor near
the Epistle corner of the altar, where they stand facing
towards the Celebrant, the Master of Ceremonies and
the censer-bearer having their hands joined, and await
the end of the censing of the altar.
Having received the censer from the Deacon, the
Celebrant turns to the altar, and without any act of
reverence to the cross, he censes the oblations;^ the
Deacon in the meanwhile places his right hand upon
the foot of the chalice, and with his left hand supports
the vestment of the Celebrant. The Sub-Deacon, at the
left of the Celebrant, supports with his right hand the
vestment of the Celebrant and places his left hand,
extended, near and a little below his breast. The
Deacon, when the Celebrant has finished censing the
oblations, places his right hand, extended, near and a
little below his breast. The sacred ministers thus sup-
Gabrielis referunt nomen. Illyrici Missa ah Eminent. Bona edita;
Miss? Tilliani codicis a Menardo vulgata post Gregorii Sacramentarium;
MS. Pontificale Salisburgensis Ecclesia:, aptid Martene, 1. de antiq.
Eccl. Rit., c. 4, art. 12; Pontificale Sagiensis Ecclesise undecimo
Saeculo exaratum, et allegatum a Petro Le Brun torn, i, part 3, art. 7;
sicut et Missale plenarium satis vetustum, . . . legunt Gabrielis,
non vero Michaelis in praedicta precatione. . . . Merito itaque
piissimus et eruditissimus Card. Thomasius hujus loci emendationcm
exoptabat."
Merati, Nova' Ohservationes, in Gav., Thes., pt. ii., tit. vii., Ixiii.
'"(Sacerdos) accipiat thuribuUim a diacono, et thiirificet sacrificium
videlicet ter signum crucis faciens et ter in circuitu calicis, et ex utraque
parte calicis ct sacrificii." Frere, (^us^. Sarujii, pg. 76.
66 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
port the vestment of the Celebrant and accompany
him while he censes the altar, as at the Introit.
Holding the censer as usual, the Celebrant censes
the oblations in the following manner: Leading
the censer from a point above and behind the
chalice, the Celebrant draws it horizontally towards
himself to a point above and a little in front of
the paten, saying as he does so, May; then in like
manner he leads the censer at the same height from a
point at the left of the chalice and paten, and about
midway between the beginning and the ending of the
first movement of the censer, and on a line at right
angles with the first movement, to a point at the right of
and a little beyond the chalice and paten, saying, this
incense; then he leads the censer from a point just to
the right of the point of beginning, on a line parallel
with and of the same length and height as the first
movement, saying blessed; then he leads the censer at
the same height on a second line from left to right,
saying by thee; then on a third line parallel with and
of same length and height as the first movement, and
a very little farther to the right of it, saying ascend;
then on a third line from left to right, of same length
and height as the second movement, saying to thee, O
Lord; then, first lowering the censer immediately in
front of the paten, so as almost to allow the base of the
censer to touch the altar mensa, and at once raising it,
he leads the censer from a point above the front edge
of the paten in a circle, from right to left, above and
about the chalice and paten, saying, and may thy mercy;
then in the same manner he leads the censer in another
and slightly larger circle, from right to left, saying
descend; then lastly he leads the censer in third and
outer circle from left to right, saying upon us.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 67
The words, "May this incense," etc., are said by the
Celebrant in a low voice,
4. The Censing of the Altar at the Offertory.
After the oblations have been censed, the Celebrant
and his sacred ministers make the due act of reverence
towards the altar cross. Then, if need be, the Deacon
moves the chalice (and also the ciborium if
one be used) to the Epistle side of the cor-
poral. The Celebrant then proceeds to cense the
cross and the altar as he did at the Introit, but as
he leads the censer he will recite, in a low voice, words
from the 141st psalm (verses 2d, 3d and part of the
4th) in the following (or other convenient) order: At
each of the three swings to the cross, (i) Let
(2) my prayer (3) be set forth; then at the three
swings over and towards the back of the Epistle side
of the mensa, (4) in thy sight, (5) as (6) the incense;
at the two swings at the Epistle end of the altar (7)
and let the lifting tip, (8) of my; then at three swings
above the mensa (9) hands (10) be an evening (11)
sacrifice; at the three swings over and towards the back
of the Gospel side of the mensa, (12) set (13) a watch
(14) O Lord; at the two swings at the Gospel end of
the altar (15) before my (16) mouth; at the three
swings above the mensa, (17) and keep (18) the door
(19) of my lips; at the three swings before the front
of the Gospel side of the altar, (20) O, (21) let not
(22) mine heart; at the three swings before the Epistle
side of the altar (23) be inclined (24) to any (25) Cc'/V
thing.
While the Celebrant is censing the Epistle side of the
altar, the Master of Ceremonies, or some acolyte, goes
68 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
to the midst before the lowest step, makes due rever-
ence towards the altar cross, moves a little towards the
Gospel side and then goes directly up to the altar ; he
takes up with both hands the altar cushion or
desk and book, turns by his right and goes
directly down to the sanctuary floor, where he
turns again by his right, and faces the altar ;
he stands erect, holding the desk and book before his
breast until the Celebrant has finished censing the
Gospel side of the altar, when he puts down the desk
and book in the same place and position as he found
them, and then turning by his right he goes directly
down to the floor, turns towards the altar, makes the
due act of reverence, and returns to his place.
When the Celebrant has completed censing the altar
he gives the censer into the hands of the Deacon, saying
in a low voice.
M
AY the Lord kindle in us the fire of His love and
the flame of eternal charity.
When the Celebrant has censed the altar, the Sub-
Deacon bows to the Celebrant, turns by his right, goes
directly down the steps to the floor of the sanctuary,
at the Epistle side of the altar; then turning by his
right, he goes to the midst, where facing the altar he
makes the proper reverence, and then moves a little
to the Epistle side, where he stands erect, facing the
altar and having his hands joined.
5. The Third Censing of the Celebrant.
Immediately after the Celebrant has made an end
of censing the altar, the Deacon goes down to the sec-
ond step at the Epistle end of the altar, turns towards
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 69
the Celebrant, and receives the censer from him, as at
the Introit. Then going down to the floor he stands
facing the Celebrant (who is turned towards the
south), and having the Master of Ceremonies on his
left and the censer-bearer behind him, he bows pro-
foundly to the Celebrant (the Master of Ceremonies
and censer-bearer also bow before and after the censing
in like manner) and censes him with three swings, and
bows again to him. The Celebrant does not bow" to
the Deacon, and after the censing turns by his right
towards the altar, and stands erect, having hands
joined, facing the altar.
6. TJie Censing of the Clergy.
Then the Deacon, accompanied by the censer-bearer
(who walks at the left of the Deacon), goes to cense
the clergy in the choir, if any be present, first making
due reverence in the midst towards the altar. He will
cense first such of the clergy as are officially greater
than the others ; or if there be no distinctions of dignity,
those on the south side of the choir and afterwards
those on the north side, making an act of reverence
towards the altar before beginning to cense those who
are censed in the second place. If the clergy be few
in number, the Deacon will cense them separately ; if
many, he will cense them in groups, first a group on one
side, and then a group on the other side. When censing
the clergy, both Deacon and censer-bearer will bow
to the person, or persons, censed, before and after each
act of censing. The clergy will return the salutation
of the Deacon before and after the censing, bowing less
* Merati, Nov<e Observ., in Gavantum, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit.
vii., Ixix.
70 ce;re;monies of high mass.
profoundly. The Celebrant is always censed with
three swings unless the Bishop of the Diocese is pres-
ent, when he is censed with two swings of the censer.
The Bishop present, either solemnly assisting, or in the
choir, is censed with three swings, immediately after
the Celebrant has been censed, except when his own
Metropolitan is present, to whom priority in the order
of censing is then given, the Metropolitan being censed
with three swings and the Bishop with two. The
Bishop coadjutor (or suffragan), when the Diocesan
is present, even though he be the Celebrant, is censed
with two swings ; but when the Diocesan is not present,
he is censed with three swings.
Other Bishops, the Diocesan or the Metropolitan
present, are censed with two swings, otherwise with
three swings. The Rector, or the superior Priest, of
the church, assisting in the choir, is censed with two
swings, after the dignitaries and before other Priests
on that side of the choir. Canons in cathedral churches,
abbots, and other dignitaries are censed with two
swings. Priests assisting in choir are censed separately
with a single swing.*
When the Deacon has censed all the clergy in the
choir, or if none be present, when he has censed the
Celebrant, he goes, attended by the censer-bearer, to the
midst immediately before the lowest step of the altar,
makes due reverence towards the altar, turns towards
the Sub-Deacon, bows to him, censes him with two
swings, and then bows again, the Sub-Deacon
in the meanwhile turning himself towards the Deacon,
* Cf. De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., tom. i., ch. xxiii. When many
Priests are present in the choir, they may be censed in groups, with
a triple leading of the censer (as to the Book of the Gospels) towards
each group, on either side of the choir.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 7 1
and bowing before and after the censing. The Deacon
then hands the censer to the censer-bearer, who, while
the Deacon censes the Sub-Deacon, stands on the
Deacon's right, about midway between the Deacon and
Sub-Deacon, a pace or two distant from the lowest step
of the altar.
This done, the Deacon, having his hands joined, goes
directly up to his step (that next to the foot-pace),
and there turns by his right and moves a little to the
north so as to turn his back upon the Gospel side of
the altar, faces the censer-bearer, and is censed by him
with two swings, each bowing to the other
before and after the act of censing. The Deacon, after
he has been censed, turns back towards the altar and
stands facing it, directly before the midst, having his
hands joined.
7. The Censing of the People.
The censer-bearer, after he has censed the Deacon,
makes due reverence towards the altar, and then imme-
diately proceeds to cense the acolytes with a single
swing, in order, (the Master of Ceremonies, candle-
bearers, etc.), separately or in groups, as may be con-
venient; then the lay choristers; and lastly, standing
at the chancel gate, he censes the people with three
swings, first towards those in the midst ; second
towards those on his left, and third towards those on his
right. He bows before and after each act or before and
after the three swings, the people returning the bows.
After censing the people, the censer-bearer returns
to the altar in the midst immediately before the lowest
step, where the boat-bearer rejoins him, at his left ; and
then after the due act of reverence towards the altar
72 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
cross, both go to the sacristy, to make ready the censer
for use at the elevation.*
The manner of censing persons will always be in
accordance with directions given in note on page 25.
The censer is not to be throzvn or tossed towards the
person or persons to be censed, but gently and grace-
fully led ; the censer-bearer meanwhile standing erect.
All who are censed, stand while they are censed.
8. The Offerings of the People.
The Celebrant, after he has been censed by the
Deacon, will return to the midst of the altar and stand
there, erect, having his hands joined and facing the
altar. The Deacon, after he has been censed, will turn
towards the altar, make due act of reverence towards
the altar cross, then go up to the left hand of the
Celebrant, and stand by the book, facing the altar, hav-
ing his hands joined. When the Deacon goes
up to the foot-pace, the Sub-Deacon first com-
ing to the midst before the lowest step, and
there making due act of reverence, will also go up
to the foot-pace, to the right of and near the Celebrant,
and then stand facing the altar, and having his hands
joined. Meanwhile the Master of Ceremonies will take
up, with both hands, the alms-basin from the credence,
and carrying it with both hands at about the height
of his breast, will come before the midst of the altar,
at a point about a pace or two distant from the lowest
step, where, after making due act of reverence towards
* Cf. Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccerem, pt. :ii., cap. xi., art. vii. If,
however, the censer-bearer can do so conveniently, after carrying his
censer to the sacristy, he (and the boat-bearer) will return to the
sanctuary and stand, in the usual place, (or where it may be
convenient), during the prayers for the Church militant, and then
return to the sacristy to make ready the censer.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 73
the altar cross, he wih stand, facing the altar, and await
the Celebrant and his sacred ministers.
Then the Celebrant and his sacred ministers turn
towards the people (the Celebrant and Deacon turn by
their right, the Sub-Deacon by his left), and all three
come down the altar steps to the floor, where they turn
and make due act of reverence to the altar ; then turning
towards the people (the Master of Ceremonies also
turning), they go, the Celebrant in the midst, the
Deacon at his right, the Sub-Deacon at his left, pre-
ceded by the Master of Ceremonies, to the entrance
of the choir, /. c, to the gateway of the balustrade
which marks the line between the nave and the chancel.
Arrived at this place, the Master of Ceremonies delivers
the basin into the hands of the Sub-Deacon, with the
accustomed salutations, and withdraws a little to the
left of the Sub-Deacon. All face the people, and
(except the Sub-Deacon) have their hands joined.
The Church-wardens, or other persons duly
appointed, having collected the alms and other devo-
tions of the people, bring the same before the Cele-
brant, make due act of reverence towards the altar, bow
to the Celebrant and his sacred ministers, and deposit
the offerings in the basin held by the Sub-Deacon.
They remain standing there until the Celebrant
has presented and placed the offerings upon the altar.
The Celebrant and sacred ministers return the saluta-
tions of the Wardens or others with moderate bows.
Having received the offerings, the Celebrant and his
ministers, escorted as before by the Master of Cere-
monies, return to the altar, make due reverence before
the lowest step, ascend to the foot-pace, and then
move to the Epistle side where the Sub-Deacon gives
74 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
the basin with the offerings to the Celebrant. The
Celebrant taking the basin with both hands, presents
and places it upon the altar at the Epistle side. Then
he takes up the basin and returns it to th^ Sub-Deacon,
who hands it to the Master of Ceremonies, or an aco-
lyte standing on the second step at the Epistle corner.
The basin is then carried to the credence or other con-
venient place. The sacred ministers bow to the Cele-
brant, go down the lateral steps at the Epistle corner
to the floor, and thence to the credence. The Deacon
takes with both hands the Lavabo towel, the Sub-
Deacon the cruet and basin ; and they go to the second
step at the Epistle corner, where they bow and minister
to the Celebrant.
9. The Washing of the Hands.
The Celebrant, beginning at once to recite in a low
voice the psalm Lavabo, turns by his right and moves
to the end of the foot-pace at the Epistle corner ; there
standing with his left side to the altar, he continues
the psalm, and at the same time holds the extremities of
his thumbs and forefingers over the basin while the
Sub-Deacon pours water over them.^*' Having washed
his fingers, he takes the towel, and facing the altar,
wipes his fingers dry, and then returns it to the Deacon.
He continues the psalm as directed at Low Mass.
The Deacon and the Sub-Deacon, when they have
finished ministering to the Celebrant at the Epistle end
of the altar, bow to him, return to the credence, and
put down the Lavabo towel, basin and cruet of water ;
then, having their hands joined, they go upon the floor
1" "Hiis ita peractis, eat sacerdos ad dextrum cornu altaris, et abluat
manus mimsterio sub-diaconi et aliorum ministrorum ita dicens, Munda
me Domine ab o»uii inquinamento, etc." Frere, Cust. Sarum, pg 77.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 75
of the sanctuary, to the midst before the lowest step of
the altar, and make due reverence toward the altar ;
after which the Deacon ascends to his step, the Sub-
Deacon remains upon the sanctuary Hoor, and both
face the altar, standing directly behind the Celebrant.
10. The Orafioncs super Ohlata.
The Celebrant then proceeds as at Low Mass, saying
the prayer, "Receive, O Holy Trinity," etc. ; then turn-
ing by his right towards the people, he says, "Let us
pray for the whole state of Christ's Church Militant."
He then turns to the altar, completing a circle, ^^ bows
his head to the altar cross ; and raising his joined hands
as high as, but not touching his chin, he makes a brief
silent prayer for those living for whom he intends to
offer the holy sacrifice ; and then extending his hands
before his breast and raising his head he says, in a
clear, audible voice, the prayer, "Almighty and ever-
living God," etc. ; at the end of the prayers, bowing
his head at the holy Name and joining his hands, he
sings^- the words, "Our only Mediator and Advocate."
As soon as the Celebrant has said, "Let us pray for,"
etc., the Master of Ceremonies (who after the presen-
tation of the offerings of the people remains standing
near the credence), if he be a Priest, goes, either
by the floor of the sanctuary and up the steps be-
fore the Gospel side of the altar, or up the steps of
the altar at the Epistle end and along the foot-pace,
** Quando Sacerdos vertens se ad populum dicit Orate Pratrcs, eum
non reverti per eandem viam, sen per earn partem quae respicit cornu
Kpistolas; sed perficere circulum, et reverti per earn partem quae respicit
cornu Evangelii; ad indicandum fructum Sacrificii distribuendum
praecipue super Ecclesiam ex Gentibus coadunatam quae per cornu
Evangelii significatur. P. M. Quarti, Com. Rub. Mis., pt. ii., tit. vii., 7.
I'' See Ceremonies 0/ Low Mass, Notes on the Mass No. VII., and
Appendix No, 9 in this C'er, of High Mass,
76 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
to the left hand of the Celebrant, where he stands by
the book (facing the altar and having his hands joined
before his breast) ready to assist the Celebrant
during the prayers for the Church militant. As he
passes before the midst of the altar, in going to his
place by the book, he turns towards the altar and makes
due act of reverence. The prayers ended, he bows to the
Celebrant, turns by his left and goes to the second step
at the Gospel corner ; he stands there, facing towards
the Celebrant, until the Confession ; he kneels during
the Confession, Absolution and the "Comfortable
Words," facing towards the Celebrant ; then stands, as
before, until the latter part of the Preface ("Therefore
with Angels," etc.) is begun, when he bows to the Cele-
brant, goes down the steps to the floor at the Gospel
corner, and thence by the sanctuary floor to his place on
the floor at the Epistle corner, making due act of rev-
erence as he passes before the midst of the altar, and
stands facing the altar, until after the Sanctus, when
he kneels until after the elevation.*
IJ. The preparation of the Communicants.
The prayers for the Church militant ended, the Cele-
brant, having his hands joined before his breast, turns
by his right towards the people,! ^"^1 (if it is to be
said) says the exhortation, "Dearly beloved in the Lord,
ye who mind," etc., to which the persons who will
receive the Holy Communion respond, "Amen."
Then (or immediately after the prayers for the
* If the Master of Ceremonies does not go up to the left of the Cele-
brant, he will stand during the Church militant prayers, where he will
kneel after the Sanctus. He kneels in the same place during the
Confession, etc., as directed above.
t When the Celebrant turns to the people to say the exhortation, the
Deacon moves a little towards the Epistle side of the altar.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. ^^
Church militant, when the longer exhortation is not
said) he proceeds to say to those who come to receive
the Holy Communion, "Ye who do truly and earnestly
repent," etc.
This exhortation, "Ye who do truly," etc., ended, the
Sub-Deacon turns and goes towards the Gospel side
and kneels upon the lowest step, facing the Gospel
corner of the altar ; and the Deacon goes directly down
to the floor, turns by his right, and goes towards the
Epistle side, and kneels upon the lowest step, facing
the Epistle corner of the altar.^^
The Celebrant, when he has said this exhortation,
turns back to the altar (completing a circle), kneels
down on both knees, joins his hands and says in a low
but audible voice the Confession, "Almighty God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," etc. Then standing
up and turning by his right to the people he says in a
clear voice, the Absolution, "Almighty God, our heav-
enly Father," etc.,^* and the Comfortable Words,^''
" The rubric directs "the Priest and all those who are minded to
receive' the Holy Communion," to say the General Confession, "humbly
kneeling." In the Prayer Book of the Church of England the same
Confession is ordered to be made "by one of the ministers; both he and
all the people humbly Icneeling upon their knees." In the present Latin
Rite at the time of Communion in a Solemn Mass, the Deacon
(except at a Mass in which a Bishop is the Celebrant) sings the Con-
fession, standing on the floor, below the lowest step of the altar, at
the Epistle corner, and profoundly inclined towards tlie Celebrant and
the Sub-Deacon who stand on the foot-pace at the Gospel corner.
{Cf. De Herdt Praxis Pontif. lib. i., cap. xxv. and Merati, in Gai>.
Thes. Sac Rit., pt. iv., tit. viii. Observ. vii.) With us, the Celebrant
at the Confession, kneels upon the foot-pace, before the midst of the
altar. Both of the sacred ministers must kneel when the Celebrant
kneels. As then the Deacon must kneel during the Confession, it
seems fitting that he should kneel as nearly as possible in the place
where by old usage, he would have stood in reciting the Confession.
And as the Celebrant kneels facing the altar it is fitting that the
Deacon should do likewise. If the l)eacon kneels opposite the Epistle
corner, the Sub-Deacon ought to kneel opposite the Gospel corner and
on a step not higher than that on which the Deacon kneels.
" By the present and old time usage in the Latin rite, the Celebrant
is required to say the Absolution in the plural form, even if there be
but one person to receive the Sacrament; because, as BaruflFaldus says,
"these words belong also to others present, about to communicate by
spiritual communion." "Porro sicut in missa, imo tantum praesente.
78 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
"Hear what comfortable," etc., in the manner (Hrectcd
at Low Mass. During the Confession, Absolution and
Comfortable Words, the sacred ministers, acolytes and
choir, kneel. At the Siirsum corda they stand again
until after the Sanctus; then the acolytes and choir
kneel until after the elevation.*
When the Celebrant begins the Comfortable Words,
at a sign from the Master of Ceremonies, the acolytes
who are to carry torches at the elevation, go to the
sacristy, making, together, in the midst, due act of
reverence towards the altar before they leave the sanc-
tuary.
12. The Preface.
After the Comfortable Words, the Celebrant, extend-
ing and raising his hands to the height of his shoulders,
and standing turned to the people, sings "Lift up your
hearts." When the choir have sung the response, the
Celebrant joins his hands before his breast, and sings,
"Let us give thanks unto our Lord God." Then at
once turning again to the altar (completing a circle),
and having hands raised and extended as at the Collect,
the Celebrant sings the Preface, "It is very meet,
right," etc.
At the end of the Preface, the Celebrant joins his
dicitur Misereatur vestri, ita etiam uno tantum communicaturo dici
debet vestri, non tui, hsec enim verba cadunt super alios priesentes,
communione spiritual! communicaturos." Baruffaldo, Ad Rit. Rom.
Com., tit. xxiv., sec. iii.
1^ The texts of Scripture, here called "Comfortable Words," are to
be regarded as closely associated with the words of Absolution, and
not as a lesson. The Celebrant should say (not sing) them, in the
tone of voice used in the Absolution.
* In Masses on the ferias in Advent and Lent, and Ember days,
(and vigils that are fasts), except Maundy Thursday and the vigils
of Christmas, Easter and Whitsun, the acolytes and choir kneel at the
Collect for the day, at the prayer of consecration until the end, and
at the post-communion Collect. Cf. Van Der Stappen, Sac. Liturgia,
tom. v., p. 437.
CEREMONIES OE IIIGII MASS. 79
hands before his breast, bows moderately, and in a low
voice says tlie Sanctits, while the choir sing it.
In churches where there are two standard candle-
sticks before the altar (one on the Epistle side and the
other on the Gospel side), the two candle-bearers,
when the singing of the Preface is nearly concluded,
light tapers at the burning candles on the credence,
and go with them to the midst before the altar, where
they make due reverence towards the altar ; then one
candle-bearer goes to the Epistle side and lights the
candles which are in the candlestick on that side, and
at the same time the other candle-bearer does the like
duty on the Gospel side. Then, after due reverence
before the midst of the altar, they return to the cre-
dence, extinguish and put down their tapers, and
stand, as before, until the Preface and Sanctns are
ended, when they kneel. ^^
When the Celebrant has sung the words, "Let us
give thanks," etc., the sacred ministers turn and
advance towards each other ; arrived at the midst they
turn towards the altar, and together make due act of
reverence, and then stand erect. The Deacon then goes
up to his step, and both stand on a line with the Cele-
brant, as they did during the prayer for the Church
militant.
13. The Sanctns and the Bringing in of the Lights.
A little before the Sanctns, the sacred ministers,
after due act of reverence, ascend the steps of the altar
(as they did at the Creed), and stand, the
Deacon on the right, the Sub-Deacon on the left hand
of the Celebrant ; and having their hands joined, and
"Bauldry, Man. Sac. Cerem., pt.iii., c. xi., art. vii.
8o CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
bowing moderately, they say the Sanctiis^' Then mak-
ing the sign of the cross, they say with the Celebrant
the Bencdictus.
Towards the end of the Preface, the acolytes (who
went to the sacristy at the Comfortable Words), come
back mto the sanctuary carrying their lighted torches,
preceded by the censer-bearer and the boat-bearer, and
advance to the midst, and stand before the altar on a
line parallel with and three or four paces distant from
the lowest step of the altar. The censer-bearer carry-
ing his censer replenished with burning coals, but
without incense thereon,^^ and the boat-bearer carry-
ing the incense boat, stand in front of the line of torch-
bearers. Then all together make the proper reverence
towards the altar. Then the censer-bearer and the
boat-bearer go at once to the floor before the Epistle
end of the altar, where they stand, and face towards
the Celebrant. The censer-bearer will gently swing
the censer, in order that the fire therein may not die.
The torch-bearers after the common act of rever-
ence, kneel in groups back of the Sub-Deacon,
before the lowest step, on a line parallel with the front
of the altar, one group on the Epistle side of the sane-
ly At the Sanctus (Merati in Gav. Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit.
vii., Observ. 43, 85), the first acolyte, if he is not acting as a torch-
bearer, or in that case the Master of Ceremonies, or some other
acolyte, may ring the bell, thrice, at regular intervals, each time making
two strokes with the hammer or clapper, or the ringing of the bell at
this time may be dispensed with, inasmuch as the singing of the
Sanctus, by the choir, makes the sounding of the bell needless. L,e
Vavasseur, Cer. Rit. Rom., pt. vi., sec. i, ch. i, art. iii.
"At the Sanctus it became the custom in this country (England)
from the thirteenth century onwards at public Masses at the high
altar (capitular, conventual, or parish, as the case might be) to ring
a bell often hung in a bell-cole above the chancel arch, which was
called the Sanctus-bell, or sauce-bell, in order to give notice to those
who were unable to be present, that the Canon, or Sacring, was about
to begin" (Simmons Lay Folks Mass Book, pg. 272). See Note, on
bell at elevation, and Appendix No. 5.
" "Cum thuribulo non fumigante" (Bauldry, Cerem. pt. iii., c. xi.,
art viii.).
CEREMONIES OP HIGH MASS. 8l
tuary and the other on the Gospel side, each one a little
distant from the others in the same group. At the
elevation of the host, the torch-bearers'" may raise
their torches so that the lower end of the staves
come up nearly as high as their breasts, and thus
sustain them until the chalice is put down upon the
altar. If other acolytes to carry torches are lacking,
the candle-bearers, at a signal from the Master
of Ceremonies, will light and take up two torches
provided (for the purpose) near the credence, or they
will go to the sacristy and there kindle two torches,
and when the censer-bearer enters the sanctuary, they,
carrying their torches, will follow him to the midst
before the altar, make due act of reverence at the same
time with him, then after bowing to each other, they
will kneel, as directed above, before the altar steps.
The acolytes bearing torches at the elevation will
remain kneeling, as directed above, until after the Cele-
brant has received the Precious Blood, when they rise;
and holding their torches, genuflect, and then stand
in lines parallel with the ends of the altar, standing thus
until after those who come to receive the Communion
have been communicated, or until after the Priest,
turning towards the people and holding up the Sacra-
ment, has given an opportunity for Communion and
then has turned back and put down the Sacrament upon
the altar, when they return to their places and kneel as
before.
After the choir has sung the Sanctus (and the Bene-
dictns,^^ if it be sung in this place), the sacred minis-
ters bow towards the cross, and then turn and go
" See Appendix No. 4.
^ See Appendix No. 3.
82 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
down, the Deacon to his step and the Sub-Deacon to
the floor ; they kneel down each on his own step, the
Deacon behind the Celebrant and the Sub-Deacon be-
hind the Deacon. The Celebrant also kneels down at
the same time, and with hands joined says the prayer,
"We do not presume," etc., as at Low Mass. After the
prayer all rise. The Deacon goes up to the left of the
Celebrant, uncovers the ciborium (if it be in use), and
moves it to a place behind the paten and chalice, and
then stands ready to turn the leaves of the book. The
Sub-Deacon rises, and remains standing on the floor
before the midst.
Towards the end of the Sanctus and the Benedictus
qui venit, or shortly before the Celebrant begins the
Prayer of Consecration, the Master of Ceremonies
places incense in the censer, and then both the censer-
bearer and the Master of Ceremonies kneel.
CHAPTER V.
From the Canon to the Communion,
If the Benedictus qui venit is sung after the Celebrant
has said the prayer of "Humble access." the Celebrant
awaits the end of the singing. Then, with earnest rec-
ollection and sincere devotion, he proceeds to say the
Prayer of Consecration, and then to receive the Holy
Communion, doing all as directed at Low Mass, save
that the covering and uncovering of the chalice (and
ciborium) will be made for him by the Deacon or Sub-
CERKMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. 83
Deacon. And wlicncvcr the Celebrant, at the mention
of the holy Name, bows his head (before the consecra-
tion) to the cross, or (after the consecration) to the
Sacrament, the sacred ministers bow in like manner
with him.
1. The Consecration of the Host.
At the Celebrant's utterance of the words "until His
coming again," the Deacon turning by his right, goes
down to his step, and then bowing profoundly towards
the altar cross, or genutiecting if the Blessed Sacra-
ment be in the tabernacle he goes to the right hand of
the Celebrant, and kneels beside the Celebrant. At the
time when the Deacon passes to the right hand of the
Celebrant, the Sub-Deacon makes due act of reverence
towards the altar, then goes to the lowest lateral step
at the Epistle end of the altar, (at a point about oppo-
site the Deacon's step before the altar), upon which he
kneels facing towards the Gospel side, and takes from
the hands of the censer-bearer the censer, and holds
himself in readiness to cense the Blessed Sacrament
at the Elevation.
When the Celebrant elevates the host, the Deacon,
with his left hand, slightly raises the bottom part of the
back of the Celebrant's chasuble. When, after genu-
flecting, the Celebrant rises, the Deacon rises at the
same time, covers the ciborium and replaces it behind
the chalice, uncovers the chalice (laying the pall upon
the corporal at the right side of the chalice) and kneels
again.
2. The Consecration of the Chalice.
At the elevation of the chalice, he sustains the back
84 CERKMONIRS OF HIGH MASS.
part of the chasuble (as at the elevation of the host) ;
he rises as the Celebrant puts down the chalice upon the
altar, covers it with the pall and genuflects simultane-
ously with the Celebrant ; then he rises and goes to the
book at the left hand of the Celebrant, where he again
genuflects,^ and then stands, ready to turn the leaves of
the book, if need be.
At the elevation of the host and chalice, the Sub-
Deacon censes the Blessed Sacrament with three
swings of the censer at each elevation, bowing pro-
foundly before and after the censing at each elevation.
He makes the first swing as the Celebrant genuflects
immediately after he has consecrated the host, the sec-
ond as the Celebrant elevates the host ; the third as the
Celebrant lays down the host upon the paten. Then
in like manner he censes the Precious Blood, when the
Celebrant genuflects immediately after the consecra-
tion, then again as the chalice is elevated, and lastly
as the chalice is put down upon the altar.
The sacring bell should be rung- by the Master of
Ceremonies or an acolyte, simultaneously with the cens-
ing, viz. : First, when the Celebrant genuflects ; next,
when he elevates the host; and, lastly, when he lays
down the host upon the paten ; then in like manner,
1 Merati, in Gav., pt. ii., tit. viii., Obscrv. xxxiii.
After the consecration, while the Blessed Sacrament is on the altar,
the sacred ministers, in passing from one side to the other, make no act
of reverence in the midst, but do so in the places from which they go
and to which they come. {Cf. Van Der Stappen, Sac. Liturgia, torn, v.,
pg. i86.)
2 "In elevatione* corporis Christ! ab una parte ad minus pulsenturf
Campana;."t Const. Johannis Peccham, A. D. 1281; Lyndwood's Pro-
vinciale, lib. iii., tit. 23, p. 231.
* (Elevatione) Quae fit, ut populus illud adoret.
■\(Pulsenter) Ut scilicet, sonent ex una parte ad minus.
X(Campance) Non intelligas de pluribus illo tempore simul pulsandis
in una Ecclesia, quia sufficit unam sonari; sed pluraliter loquitur
respectu plurium Rcclesiarum." Lyndwood's Com. super Const.
Altissimus. etc.
See Appendix No. 5.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 85
when he genuflects, when he elevates the chalice, and
when he puts clown the chalice upon the altar.^
3. The Oblation and the rest of the Canon.
Immediately before, or at the instant when, the Cele-
brant utters the words, "Wherefore, O Lord and heav-
enly Father," the Sub-Deacon returns the censer to the
censer-bearer, rises and returns to his place in the
midst before the lowest step, genuflects, rises and
stands, having hands joined, facing the altar. The
censer-bearer rises, comes before the midst of the altar,
behind the Sub-Deacon, genuflects, rises and goes to
the sacristy, puts away the censer, returns to his place
in the sanctuary on the floor at the Epistle end of the
altar, near the credence, and stands facing towards the
altar.
When the Celebrant signs himself with the sign of
the cross at the words, "heavenly benediction," and
strikes his breast at the words, "although we are
unworthy," the Deacon does likewise. When the Cele-
brant utters the words, "our bounden duty and ser-
vice," the Deacon passes to the right hand of the Cele-
brant, genuflecting before he goes from the left hand
and after he arrives at the right hand of the Celebrant.
Then standing, he uncovers the chalice, genuflects with
the Celebrant, rises at once with him ; then while
the Celebrant makes the sign of the cross over the
cup of the chalice with the host, the Deacon places two
' Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. viii., rub. 6.
Note. We are unable to quote any particular authority for a usage
which seems to be convenient and fitting, viz., tliat (if a single bell be
used) each time the bell is sounded as directed above, three strokes
be made with hammer or clapper, at quickly following and regular
intervals, i. e., nine in all, at each elevation. "Ternario namque
numero gaudet Deus." (Ibid.)
86 CI^REMONIKS OF HIGH MASS.
fingers of his right hand upon the base of the chaHce,
meanwhile holding his left hand extended near his
breast. When the Celebrant has put the chalice down
upon the altar, the Deacon at once covers it with the
pall, then genuflects at the same time with the Cele-
brant, and rises with him. The prayer of consecration
ended, as the Celebrant is about to begin the Lord's
Prayer, the Deacon genuflects, rises and turns by his
left, and goes down to his step, and stands, having
his hands joined before his breast, facing the altar,
behind the Celebrant.
When the Sub-Deacon rises, the Master of Cere-
monies and all the acolytes (except those holding
torches*) also rise and stand in their places, facing
the altar, and having their hands joined.
At the end of the prayer of consecration, while ele-
vating chalice and host, the Celebrant sings the words,
"World without end." He then, except where other-
wise directed, proceeds as in Low Mass, except that
the prayers which he says "privately," will be said so
as to be audible to the Deacon, and also to the Sub-
Deacon when the latter stands near him upon the foot-
pace.
CHAPTER VL
Thd Communion.
I. The Fraction and Commixture.
When at the end of the Lord's prayer the Celebrant
says the words, "Deliver us from evil," the Deacon gen-
* "Quando facienda est Communio populi in Missis festivis remanent
acolythi tenentes intortia genuflexi, cseteris stantibus." P. M. Quarti,
Com. in Rub. Mis., pt. ii., tit. viii., 8. See also Appendix No. 4.
CEREMONIliS OF HIGH MASS. 87
uflects upon his step, rises and advances to the aUar
at the right hand of the Celebrant, genuflects, rises at
once and stands, having his hands joined, by the side
of the Celebrant.
When the Celebrant signs himself while saying
"favourably grant peace in our time," the Deacon will
sign himself in like manner. After the words, "safe
from all disquietude," the Deacon first uncovering the
chalice, genuflects simultaneously with the Celebrant,
and rises with him. When the Celebrant makes the
sign of the cross over the chalice with the particle
broken from the host, and says, "The peace ^ of the
Lord >J< be always with >^ you," the Deacon responds,
"And with thy spirit."
When the Celebrant says, "The Peace of the Lord,"
etc., the Sub-Deacon, at a sign from the Master of
Ceremonies, genuflects, rises at once, ascends the steps
and advances to the altar at the left hand of the Cele-
brant, genuflects towards the Sacrament, rises and
stands, having hands joined, facing the altar.
When the Celebrant has said the prayer,^ "Let this
commixture," etc., and has withdrawn his hands from
the chalice, the Deacon covers the chalice. Then
when the Celebrant genuflects, both of the sacred min-
isters genuflect and rise again with him.
2. The Kiss of Peace.
When the Celebrant says, "O Lamb of God," etc.,
both of the sacred ministers say the same words with
him,' bowing their heads to the Sacrament. When the
* "Hie cruce signando deponat dictam terciam partem hostie in
sanguine sic dicendo, Hec sacrosancta commixtio corporis, etc." Frere,
Cust. Saruni. pg. 84.
^ Ad Agnus dei dicendum accedant diaconus et subdiaconus ad sacer-
Hotem uterque a dextris . . . et dicant privatim Agnus dei," etc
Frere, Cust. Sarum, pg. 84.
88 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
Celebrant strikes his breast, the sacred ministers also
strike the breast with the right hand, meanwhile keep-
ing the left hand extended near and a little below the
breast.
The Master of Ceremonies and other acolytes
standing in their places, facing toward the altar, hav-
ing their heads bowed toward the Sacrament, strike
their breasts at the same time and in like manner with
the sacred ministers.
In Solemn Masses^ "the Kiss of Peace" is given
to the sacred ministers, and to any other clergy who
may be assisting at the altar or in the choir, in the
following manner :
Immediately after the Agnus Dei, the Sub-Deacon
genuflects, rises and goes down to the Deacon's step,*
and stands directly behind the Celebrant, facing the
altar, and having his hands joined. Meanwhile the
Master of Ceremonies, (if he be a Priest), after genu-
flecting on the floor before the midst of the altar, goes
to the left of the Celebrant, genuflects, rises, and stands
by the book.
The Deacon, when the Sub-Deacon leaves the foot-
pace, kneels at the right of the Celebrant until the
Celebrant has said the prayer, "O Lord, Jesu Christ,
who saidst," etc., when he rises, and stands, having
his hands joined.
The Celebrant, having said the prayer, and having
the Deacon standing on his right, places his hands
upon the corporaP and kisses the altar. The Deacon,
* Cf. p. M. Quarti, Com. in Rub. Mis., pt. ii., tit. x., 3 et 8.
* Merati, in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. x., Observ. xli.
•At this time, as also whenever similar directions are given, the
hands are not to be placed upon the altar so as to keep the palms in a
perpendicular position, nor the tips of the fingers turned upward, but
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 89
keeping his hands joined and not touching the altar,
kisses the altar at a point directly before him and to
the right of the corporal, simultaneously with the
Celebrant. Then the Celebrant, standing erect, turns
towards the Deacon, who at once turns himself towards
the Celebrant and bows to him. The Celebrant does
not bow to the Deacon before giving him the Peace,
nor does he genuflect towards the Sacrament either
before he turns towards the Deacon or when, after
giving the Peace, he turns again to the altar. The
Celebrant places his hands upon the Deacon's
shoulders (his right hand upon the left shoulder, his
left hand upon the right shoulder), and simultaneously
the Deacon places his hands (palms upward) under-
neath the Celebrant's arms. Then the Celebrant and
the Deacon bring their heads together so that their
left cheeks touch lightly, or very nearly touch each
other,® and the Celebrant says in a low voice, "Peace
be with you," and the Deacon responds, "And with thy
spirit."
Then the Deacon withdraws his hands, joins them,
bows to the Celebrant, genuflects to the Sacrament,
rises, and turning by his left and so as not to turn his
back upon the Sacrament, he goes dov/n to his step,
to the right of the Sub-Deacon to give him the Peace.
The Celebrant withdraws his hands, joins them,
slightly inclines his head to the Deacon, and turns
again to the altar, then bowing his head and shoulders
moderately, he places the extremities of his longer
fingers upon the corporal (his hands being joined) and
the hands extended and quietly resting, extensam, quasi jacentcm, palm
downward, upon the altar.
Cf. Bauldry, Man. Sac. Cccrem., pt. iii., c. iii., n. 5, et Van Der
Stappen, Sac. Lit., torn iii., p. 249.
* De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., lib. i., cap. xxiv. 2.
go CEREMONIlvS OF HIGH MASS.
goes on to say the prayers, "O Lord Jesus Christ, Son
of," etc., and, "Let not the partaking," etc.
When the Deacon comes upon the second step and
stands facing toward the Gospel side, the Sub-Deacon
at once turns himself towards him, and bows to him.
The Deacon does not bow at this time, because he who
bears the Kiss of Peace, makes no reverence to whom-
soever he will give it, until after he has given it.'^
After the Sub-Deacon has bowed to him, the Deacon
places his hands upon the Sub-Deacon's shoulders,
brings his left cheek close to the left cheek of the Sub-
Deacon, says to him, "Peace be with you," withdraws
his hands, bows to the Sub-Deacon, faces the altar for
an instant, and then (as soon as the Sub-Deacon has
gone away from the second step), goes along the same
step to the Gospel side and then to the altar at the left
of the Celebrant, where he genuflects, rises and stands
by the book, having his hands joined.
The Sub-Deacon receives the Peace, as the Deacon
received it from the Celebrant ; he places his hands
underneath the Deacon's arms, brings his left cheek
close to the Deacon's left cheek, and responds, "And
with thy spirit ;" then withdrawing and joining his
hands, he bows to the Deacon. At this instant the
Master of Ceremonies genuflects, rises and goes
down, or if he be not on the foot-pace, he comes
to the left of the Sub-Deacon ; then at once both Sub-
Deacon and the Master of Ceremonies, each having
his hands joined, genuflect towards the Sacrament, rise,
and turning towards the people (the Sub-Deacon by
his left, the Master of Ceremonies by his right), they
go together to give the Peace to the clergy who are in
^ Ibid, lib. i., cap. 24, sec. 5.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. 91
the choir. As they go down the steps, the Master
of Ceremonies allows the Sub-Deacon to precede hitn
a little and then, arrived on the tloor, he passes to the
left of the Sub-Deacon, and so accompanies liim until
they return to the altar.
The Sub-Deacon arrived in the midst of the choir
salutes both sides, first the Epistle and then the Gospel
side, with a moderate bow, and then goes to give the
Peace to the person of greatest dignity, to whom he
makes no reverence until after he has given the Peace.
If the clergy on the side of the choir where the Peace
is first given, are all of the same Order, and stand
in one line, the Sub-Deacon, having given it to the
person who is at the head of that line, goes to give the
Peace, in like manner, on the other side of the choir,
genuflecting towards the. altar as he passes from one
side to the other. The person who receives the Peace
from the Sub-Deacon gives it to his neighbour, and so
it is passed on until all on that side of the choir have
received it. If there are several lines of clergy, the Sub-
Deacon gives the Peace to the person at the head of
each line. If there are clergy of different ranks of holy
Order present, the Sub-Deacon gives the Peace to one
of each Order, who passes it on to his neighbour of the
same rank, and he in turn to another, until all have
received it. All who receive the Peace stand while they
receive it, and bow before and after, to him from whom
they receive it. He who gives the Peace bows after he
has given it.
Having given the Peace to the clergy in the choir,
the Sub-Deacon, accompanied by the Master of Cere-
monies, returns to the altar, where he and his com-
panion genuflect on the floor in the midst before the
92 ci;re;monies of high mass.
lowest step. Then if the Master of Ceremonies be in
holy Order, the Sub-Deacon gives him the Peace, and
then goes to the altar at the right of the Celebrant,
where again he genuflects, then rises and stands, having
his hands joined, and assists the Celebrant, as directed
below. The Master of Ceremonies goes to his place
opposite the Epistle corner of the altar.
If the Peace is given only to the sacred ministers
(no other clergy being present), all is done as directed
above, save that the Master of Ceremonies does not
leave his place, nor go to the book ; and the sacred
ministers having received the Peace, return to the
altar at once, and stand alongside the Celebrant, the
Deacon on the left and the Sub-Deacon on the right
hand.
Immediately after the Celebrant has said the Agnus
Dei (if the Peace of the Lord be not given), the Deacon
and the Sub-Deacon change places ; the Deacon
going to the left of the Celebrant, the Sub-Deacon to
his right, each genuflecting before leaving his place
and on arriving at the other side of the Celebrant, and
not when passing before the midst of the altar.
3. TJie Communion of the Celebrant.
The Celebrant proceeds to say the three prayers, as
at Low Mass. The prayers said, he disjoins his hands,
places them upon the corporal, stands erect, genu-
flects, rises, and says privately, "I will receive the
Bread of heaven, and call upon the Name of the Lord."
The sacred ministers genuflect and rise simultaneously
with the Celebrant, then stand profoundly inclined to
CKREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 93
the altar, while the Celebrant receives the Holy Com-
munion.'*
Having taken the paten and host into his hands as at
Low Mass, the Celebrant bows moderately and strikes
his breast three times with the extremities of the last
three fingers of his right hand, saying each time pri-
vately, "Lord I am not worthy," etc. The sacred
ministers also strike the breast with the right hand
simultaneously with the Celebrant, meanwhile keeping
the left hand extended near, and a little below, the
breast.
After the Celebrant has received the host, the Sub-
Deacon uncovers the chalice. Then both of the sacred
ministers genuflect and rise simultaneously with the
Celebrant.
4. The Shewing of the Sacrament to the People.
When, after he has received the Precious Blood, the
Celebrant replaces the chalice upon the altar, and has
withdrawn his hands from it, the Sub-Deacon at once
covers the chalice. Then the sacred ministers genuflect
and rise at the same time with the Celebrant. Then
the sacred ministers, if they are not to receive the
Communion, change places, as they did after the Agnus
Dei, the Deacon going to the right of the Celebrant,
the Sub-Deacon to the left. The Deacon then uncovers
the chalice, and the ciborium also, if one is in use.
The Celebrant and the sacred ministers then genuflect
and rise at once ; the Celebrant placing his hands upon
the corporal, the sacred ministers keeping their hands
joined while genuflecting. Then the Celebrant gives
* The Celebrant, in receiving the Communion, will follow the direc-
tions given in the Ceremonies for Low Mass.
94 CKREMONIKS OI^ IflGll MASS.
the chalice into the hands of the Deacon (who will
take it by the knop with his right hand and by the
foot with his left), and he himself takes up the paten,
or the ciborium, as at Low Mass ; then taking one of
the small hosts between the thumb and forefinger of his
right hand, he holds it a little raised over the paten,
or ciborium (which he holds as high as his breast),
his right hand resting upon the rim of the paten or
ciborium. Then the Celebrant turns by his right to
the people ; the Sub-Deacon having his hands joined
also turns by his right ; the Deacon by his left. Then
all three standing thus before the altar, the Celebrant
in the midst, the Sub-Deacon (having hands joined)
at his right, the Deacon (holding chalice as high as
his breast) at his left, the Celebrant, keeping his eyes
fixed upon the host held in his right hand, says in a
low voice or privately, "Behold the Lamb of God,"
etc. ; then thrice, "Lord, I am not worthy," etc., as at
Low Mass. Then the torch-bearers kneeling before the
altar, at a sign from the Master of Ceremonies, rise
at once from their places, genuflect ; and then go
to the Epistle and Gospel sides of the altar, and
there stand, holding their torches, in lines parallel
with the steps at the ends of the altar (those on one
side facing those on the other), during all the time of
Communion. At the same time two acolytes, at a sign
from the Master of Ceremonies, take from the credence
the houselling cloth for the communion of the clergy,
and, after genuflecting before the altar, kneel facing
one another at the ends of the foot-pace, or on the sec-
ond step, holding the extended cloth by the four cor-
ners, with both hands, at about the height of the breasts
of the clergy who will kneel upon the foot-pace, or, if
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 95
it be more convenient, on the second step before the
altar, to receive the Communion.
5. The Communion of the Bishops and Sacred
Ministers.
As soon as the Celebrant turns towards the people
with the Sacrament, as directed on page 94, the Bishop
of the diocese, having on a stole (if present to receive
the Holy Communion), first approaches the altar pre-
ceded by two Chaplains. He goes before the lowest
step of the altar, where he genuflects ; then he goes
up and kneels before the houselling cloth, over which
he holds his right hand supported by his left. The
Chaplains kneel on either side of him. Then the Cele-
brant (having the Deacon standing at his left hand
and the Sub-Deacon at his right), delivers to the
Bishop the Sacrament of the Body of the Lord in the
usual manner; afterward he administers to him the
chalice. Then the Bishop and his Chaplains rise, go
down below the lowest step of the altar, and genuflect
in the midst. The Chaplains then precede the Bishop
to his place. Then the other Bishops approach, one
after the other, each wearing a stole.
After the Bishops have received the Sacrament, the
sacred ministers, if they are to be communicated, kneel
down before the houselling cloth, the Deacon af the
Epistle side and Sub-Deacon at the Gospel side. They
hold their hands extended over the houselling cloth,
the left hand supporting the right. The Celebrant takes
the paten or ciborium, and turns by his right towards
the sacred ministers. He delivers to them the
Sacrament of the Body of the Lord in the usual
96 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
manner, first to the Deacon and then to the Sub-
Deacon. Then replacing the paten or ciborium upon
the altar, the Celebrant uncovers the chalice, genuflects,
rises and taking the chalice, turns and administers it to
the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon. When the sacred
ministers have received the Communion, and the Cele-
brant has turned back to the altar, the acolytes lift up
the cloth, rise and, holding the houselling cloth
extended and uplifted, go behind the sacred ministers
(who then rise and advance upon the foot-pace to the
altar), and when the sacred ministers have gone up to
the altar, the acolytes kneel again as before, and await
the other clergy or acolytes who may come to receive
the Communion.
6. The Communion of the Clergy.
The sacred ministers genuflect when they arrive
alongside the Celebrant, and then stand erect having
their hands joined. Then, if there are others of the
clergy to be communicated, the Celebrant gives the
chalice to the Deacon ; and taking the paten or ciborium
into his hands, he turns to communicate those who
present themselves, the Deacon and Sub-Deacon turn-
ing at the same time. He does not repeat again the
words, "Behold, the Lamb of God," etc., but stands
in silence until the clergy have approached. Those
to be communicated come duly vested and "in order,"
first the Priests in the order of their dignity,
afterward the Deacons, two by two. They genuflect
before the lowest step, and then go up and kneel close
to the extended houselling cloth. The Celebrant ad-
ministers the Sacrament of the Body, and the Deacon
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 97
administers the chalice; the Sub-Deacon keeps at the
right of the Celebrant.^"
7. Of the Communion of the Acolytes.
After the Priests and Deacons have been communi-
cated, the acolytes who are to receive the Communion
will come in order, two by two, and after genuflecting
before the midst of the altar, will kneel before the
houselling cloth and receive the Sacrament.
If the acolytes who hold the houselling cloth are to
receive the Communion, two other acolytes will take
their places and hold the cloth while they do so.
The torch-bearers, if they are to receive the Com-
munion, come in like manner, two by two ; other aco-
lytes meanwhile supplying their places and holding
their torches.
8. Of the Communion of the People.
When the clergy and acolytes have received the
Communion, the acolytes who hold the houselling cloth
fold it and replace it upon the credence ; then they
take the cloth for the Communion of the people, and,
first making genuflection together before the midst of
the altar, go and spread the houselling cloth over the
chancel rail or balustrade, and kneel at each end, hold-
ing the cloth as they did that for the clergy.
Then the Celebrant, assisted by the Deacon and
accompanied by the Sub-Deacon (as at the Communion
1" See Ceremonies of Low Mass for directions for the Communion of
clergy and people.
All the clergy who are to receive the Communion should be duly
vested, and all (save those who assist, or enter in procession with,
the Celebrant) should go to places assigned them, within the chancel,
before the Mass begins. No one in holy order should kneel at the
chancel rail, with the lay people, to receive the Communion.
98 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
of the clergy), goes clown to the rail or balustrade,
to communicate the people."
During the Communion of the Priest, the clergy and
the people, the choir sing the Agnus Dei.
When all the people, who come to receive the Sacra-
ment, have communicated, the Celebrant and his sacred
ministers return to the altar. Arrived on the foot-
pace before the midst of the altar, the Celebrant puts
down the paten or ciborium upon the corporal, rubs
his thumbs and forefingers together over the paten or
open ciborium, to remove any fragments ; then turns
a little towards the Deacon, and with both hands takes
the chalice, turns again to the altar, cleanses the lips
of the chalice with his own lips, and puts it down in its
place upon the corporal.^^ The Deacon then covers the
ciborium and places it behind the chalice; he then
places upon the chalice the paten with whatever hosts
or fragments may be upon it, covers the paten with
the pall, and then spreads over the pall the silk veil,
arranging it as at the beginning of the Mass. Then
the Celebrant (placing both hands upon the corporal)
and the sacred ministers (having their hands joined)
genuflect and rise at once ; and the sacred ministers go,
as directed below, to their places behind the Celebrant.
If while the Celebrant stands between his sacred min-
isters in the midst before the altar, facing the people,
no one comes to receive the Communion, he will turn
again to the altar (completing a circle), and the sacred
ministers at the same time will also turn again to the
'1 The rubric directs the Priest, after he has' delivered the Communion
"to the Bishops, Priests and Deacons," to deliver the same in like man-
ner "to the people, also in order, into their hands, all devoutly kneeling."
^ Not infrequently the moisture upon the edge and sides of the cup
of the chalice, after the people have been communicated, is most
probably saliva, for the removal of which the Celebrant may very
properly use a purificator.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. 99
altar. Then after replacing and covering the sacred
vessels, as directed above, the Celebrant and his sacred
ministers genuflect, rise and proceed with the service.
After the Communion, the Master of Ceremonies
(if he be a Priest) comes to the midst before
the altar, genuflects, and when the sacred min-
isters go behind the Celebrant, goes up to the
book, genuflecting again when he arrives along-
side of the Celebrant. At the same time the torch-
bearers return before the lowest step of the altar, genu-
flect, and kneel down until the Gloria in excelsis.
After genuflecting with the Celebrant (i. e., immedi-
ately after the chalice and paten have been covered
with the silk veil), the Deacon rises and goes to his
step, behind and on a line with the Celebrant, and the
Sub-Deacon rises and goes down to the floor, and
both stand erect, having hands joined, and facing
towards and on a line with the Celebrant.
CHAPTER VII.
The Thanksgiving and conclusion oe the Mass.
I. The Prayer of Thanksgiving.
Then the Celebrant, standing erect, extends his hands
(the thumbs and forefingers being still joined together)
before his breast, and sings, "Our Father," etc.
The Lord's prayer ended, the Celebrant says the
prayer, "Almighty and everliving God," etc. As he
utters the words, "Thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus
Christ," he bows his head to the Sacrament, and at the
end of the prayer, as he says the words, "Through
lOO CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
Jesus Christ our Lord," he bows his head and joins
his hands. The sacred ministers bow when and as
the Celebrant does.
2. The Gloria in Bxcelsis.
Then, if it is to be said, the Celebrant, extending his
hands and raising them as high as his shoulders, sings,
"Glory be to God on high," joining his hands and
bowing his head to the Sacrament, as he sings the
word "God." The choir then take up the song with
the words, "and on earth/' etc. (not repeating, "Glory
be," etc.), and sing the hymn, Gloria in excelsis. All
in the church stand during the singing of this hymn, as
required by the rubric, and because the Blessed Sacra-
ment is upon the altar.^^ Immediately after the Cele-
brant has sung or intoned the first words of the hymn,
the sacred ministers genuflect and then ascend the
steps of the altar (as they did at the Creed) and stand,
the Deacon on the right, the Sub-Deacon on the left of
the Celebrant (but a little back of the line on which he
stands),^* and thus standing, facing the altar and hav-
ing hands joined, they say with him, in a low voice, the
Gloria in excelsis.
The Celebrant will recite the Gloria in excelsis in
the same manner as at Low Mass, yet will also take
care to make the accustomed acts of reverence when the
choir sings words (at a time other than that in which
he has said them) which call for such acts.
During their recitation of the Gloria in excelsis
with the Celebrant, the sacred ministers will bow and
1' See Ceremonies of Low Mass, pg. 40.
" Merati, Novce Observ., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Kit., pt. ii., tit. iv., xxxiv.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. lOI
sign themselves in like manner with the Celebrant, and
simultaneously with him.
If the Gloria in excelsis is not to be sun^^, but a
metrical hymn instead, the sacred ministers go up to the
altar steps (as directed above), immediately after the
prayer of thanksgiving, and stand at the altar with
the Celebrant (as at the Gloria in excelsis), and with
him recite the hymn which the choir sing, or, if the
Celebrant will, a stanza (or stanzas) of some other
hymn which they are able to recite without a book.
During the Gloria in excelsis the Master of Cere-
monies stands on the second step at the Gospel corner
facing towards the Sacrament.
The Gloria in excelsis (or hymn) ended, the torch-
bearers kneel again, and so remain until after the Cele-
brant has received the ablution of wine.
3. The Post-Communion.
The Gloria in excelsis, or other hymn, ended, the
Post-Communion^^ should be said. The Sub-Deacon"*
bows to the Celebrant, takes up the altar desk or
cushion and book upon it, turns by his right and goes
down to the floor ; the Deacon, at the same time, bows
to the Celebrant, and then goes down to his step and
" By ancient precept, the post-communion Collects or prayers should
agree in number with the Collects said immediately before the Epistle.
One, or more, of the Collects provided at the end of the Liturgy, or of
those for days other than that in which the Mass is said, may be used at
this time. See Cer. of Low Mass, pg. 42.
" Or, as the care of the book belongs properly to the Deacon, the
Sub-Deacon may go, as directed above, without tlie book, and the
Deacon, with accustomed acts of reverence, may go to the left of the
Celebrant, and take the desk and book and carry them to the Epistle
corner; all else being done as above directed.
Cf. Merati, Nova Observ., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. xi., viii.
I02 CKREMONIES OT? HIGH MASS.
stands behind and facing toward the Celebrant. Then
all three, having hands joined before the breast, and
facing the altar, genuflect, rise at once, and turning
toward the Epistle side, all go toward the Epistle cor-
ner, moving with equal pace. Arrived at, or on a line
with, the Epistle corner of the altar all three turn by
their right, and face the altar. The Sub-Deacon then
goes up to the altar, at the right of the Celebrant, puts
down the desk and book upon the altar, as at the
beginning of the Mass, bows to the Celebrant and
returns to his place on the floor, facing the altar. At
this time the Master of Ceremonies comes to the
Epistle end of the altar, and standing on the second
step, as he did at the Introit, he turns the leaves of the
Mass-book and points out to the Celebrant the prayer
or prayers to be said, and then stands facing the Cele-
brant, having his hands joined. The Celebrant and
his sacred ministers stand, on a line, as they did at the
Collect for the day. Then the Celebrant, standing
erect before the book, and having his hands joined,
turns himself somewhat towards the cross, without
moving his feet, and says, in a low voice or privately,
"Let us pray," at the same time disjoining and immedi-
ately joining his hands (not raising them) and bowing
his head slightly to the cross. Then facing the book,
he extends his hands before his breast, and sings the
Post-Communion Collect or Collects,^^ as he sang the
Collect for the Day, The Deacon then advances to
the altar, at the right of the Celebrant, and closes the
book^^ (unless it is to be used by the Celebrant when
" "Deinde dicat (sacerdos) postcommuniones juxta numerum et
ordineni antedictarum oracionutn ante epistolam." Frere, Cust. Sarvm,
pg. 88.
" Merati, Nov(e Observ., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. xi., viii.
See note below under chapter on the L,ast Gospel.
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. IO3
he reads the last Gospel), so that the opening edge is
towards the cross, and returns to his place on the sec-
ond step behind the Celebrant. Then all three turn by
the left, and advance to the midst and face the altar.
Meanwhile the Master of Ceremonies goes to his place
on the floor, at the Epistle corner.
4. The Blessing.
The Sub-Deacon goes promptly upon his step, a
little on the Gospel side ; the Deacon at the same time
moving a little to the Epistle side. The Celebrant
places his hands upon the corporal, genuflects and
rises to give the Blessing. When the Celebrant genu-
flects, his sacred ministers^'* kneel on the Deacon's step,
the acolytes, choir and all in the church kneel. Then
the Celebrant (his hands upon the corporal) kisses the
altar, joins his hands and turns to the people by his
right, moving a little to the Gospel side, so as not to
turn his back upon the Sacrament, and having turned,
sings, "The Peace of God," etc. At the word
"blessing," he disjoins his hands, places the left hand
a little below his breast, so that the palm will be
turned directly up. and with the right hand (the thumb
and forefinger still joined) he makes the sign of the
cross once, as at the absolution, meanwhile singing
the words, "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,"
etc. As the Celebrant gives the Blessing, all make the
sign of the cross from head to breast. The Blessing
ended, the choir sing the response, "Amen."
*" "Ad Benedictionem Celebrantis, ministri aequaliter distantes supra
secundum gradutn, Diaconus a dextris subdiaconi, genuflectant versus
altare." Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. xii. Rub. 7.
I04 CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
5. The Ablutions.
The Celebrant, after he has given the Blessing, turns
at once to the altar (not completing a circle), places
his hands upon the corporal, genuflects and rises. Then
the sacred ministers and all others rise. The Deacon
goes to the altar at the left of the Celebrant, the Sub-
Deacon to the right of the Celebrant; both genuflect
in their places where they knelt for the Blessing, and
again when they come alongside the Celebrant. Then,
at a sign from the Master of Ceremonies, the first aco-
lyte brings the cruets (without stoppers) to the Epistle
end of the altar, and stands there on the second step,
awaiting the Sub-Deacon. The Deacon carefully
removes the chalice veil, and lays it down, folded, upon
the Gospel side of the altar. The Sub-Deacon then
removes the pall and places it upon the corporal, toward
the Epistle side. If the ciborium has been in use the
Sub-Deacon uncovers that also. Then the Celebrant
and sacred ministers genuflect and rise at once. The
Celebrant then proceeds, as at Low Mass, to consume
the particles and fragments which may remain upon
the paten or in the ciborium, and to drink the Precious
Blood that may remain in the chalice, and to take the
ablutions without moving from the midst of the altar.
When the Celebrant takes the first ablution (of
wine), at a sign from the Master of Ceremonies, the
torch-bearers rise, come before the altar (as they did
on entering the sanctuary), make due reverence
towards it, and then return to the sacristy, in the order
in which they came forth ; there they extinguish and
put away their torches and return promptly to the
sanctuary, walking in the same order as before ; they
CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS. IO5
advance to the midst, make due reverence toward the
altar, and go to their places, where they stand, facing
towards the altar. At this time also, the candle-bearers,
if they lighted candles (at the Preface) in the two
standard candelabra before the altar, take up
their extinguishers from near the credence, and go
to the midst, behind the Sub-Deacon, where they make
due act of reverence towards the altar ; then they
extinguish the lights in the candelabra, and after
another act of reverence towards the altar, they return
to the credence, put away their extinguishers, and
stand in their places, facing towards the altar.
The Sub-Deacon, having received the cruets from
the acolyte, ministers the wine and water for the ablu-
tions, and then returns the cruets to the acolyte, who
carries them at once to the credence, puts them down
thereon, puts in the stoppers, and stands as before.
The Sub-Deacon hands the purificator to the Cele-
brant, who, after lightly wiping the chalice, spreads
the purificator over the cup of the chalice, and moves a
little to his right, the sacred ministers at the same time
changing places, the Deacon going to the Celebrant's
right, and the Sub-Deacon to his left hand. Then the
Sub-Deacon, standing in the midst, finishes wiping the
chalice, paten and ciborium. The latter vessel is then
covered by the Sub-Deacon, who at once carries it to
the credence, and then returns to the altar, making due
reverence before he goes and when he returns ; or it
may be carried to the credence by the Master of Cer-
emonies (if he be a Priest), who will come for that
purpose to the left of the Sub-Deacon. After
wiping the sacred vessels, the Sub-Deacon spreads the
folded purificator over the cup of the chalice, places
Io6 CEREMONIES OE HIGH MASS.
the paten upon the purificator, the pall upon the paten,
and then lifting and moving the chalice to the Gospel
side of the altar (if the desk is at the Epistle corner,
otherwise he sets the chalice down a little to the right
of the corporal) ; he folds up the corporal, puts it into
the burse, sets the burse against the gradine on the
Gospel side, places the chalice again in the midst,
covers it with the silk veil, places the burse upon the
veil, then taking the chalice by the knop, with his
left hand, his right hand extended resting on the
burse, he turns the chalice so that the back part of the
veil looks towards himself; and then, taking up the
chalice, he bows to the Celebrant, turns by his right
and goes directly down to the floor, where turning
toward the altar he makes the proper reverence, and
then carries the chalice to the credence.
6. TJie Prayer Placeat.
When the Sub-Deacon leaves the foot-pace, ilie Cele-
brant moves back to the midst, and there facing the
altar, says, privately, the prayer, "Let this my bounden
duty," etc., as at Low Mass, the Deacon at the right
of the Celebrant also bowing at the same time.
The Sub-Deacon puts down the chalice upon the
credence as it was placed there at the beginning of
the Mass. Then if the Celebrant uses the book, he
goes up the steps at the Epistle end of the altar, takes
up the desk and book thereon, and carrying them, goes
directly down the steps to the floor opposite the
Epistle side of the altar, and then to a place opposite
the Gospel corner of the altar (making the proper
reverence as he passes before the midst of the altar) ;
CKREMONIKS OF HIGH MASS. IO7
and then going directly up to the aUar he places the
desk upon the altar, as it was at the Gospel in the
Mass, turns the leaves of the book so that it may be
open at the proper Gospel,-" goes down to the second
step (at the Gospel corner), faces towards the Epistle
side of the altar, keeps his left hand upon the upper
edges of the book, and his right extended below his
breast, and awaits the Celebrant.
If the book lies closed on the desk at the Epistle
corner, the Sub-Deacon, after he has put down the
chalice upon the credence, goes (as directed above)
by way of the floor to the Gospel corner, where taking
up the Gospel card (from its place against or upon the
gradine) he stands, as directed above, holding the card
with his left hand, and having his right hand extended
near and a little below his breast.
When the Celebrant moves toward the Gospel cor-
ner, the Deacon turns by his left, goes down to his step
and along that step to the Gospel corner (making due
reverence as he passes the midst of the altar) ; and
then he goes up to the foot-pace, where having his
hands joined, he stands-^ a little to the left and back
of the Celebrant, and, as it were, between the Celebrant
and the Sub-Deacon.
The Celebrant arrived at the Gospel corner, salutes
the Sub-Deacon, saying, in a low voice, "The Lord be
with you," to which the Sub-Deacon responds, in the
same tone of voice, "And with thy spirit." The Cele-
brant then announces the Gospel, in the usual manner,
and the Sub-Deacon responds, "Glory be to thee, O
=" If for the last Gospel is to be read a Gospel other than In princifio,
the Sut-Deacon carries the book to the Gospel corner, where he puts
down the desk with the book upon it, in the same position as for tlie
first Gospel. See Ccr. of /.ctc Mass, pK- M.I-
« Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. xii., (in rub. 7).
Io8 CIJREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
Lord." The Deacon and all the acolytes make the
signs simultaneously with the Celebrant ; and if, while
reading the Gospel, the Celebrant bows or genuflects,
they do likewise. The Celebrant reads the Gospel in
an audible voice,-^ At the end the Sub-Deacon re-
sponds, "Thanks be to God,"-^ and closes the book,
so that the opening is towards the Gospel end of the
altar,-* and leaves the book and desk there on the altar
at the Gospel corner.
7. The Return to the Sacristy.
Towards the end of the last Gospel, at a sign from
the Master of Ceremonies, all the acolytes will take
their places before the altar, as at the beginning of the
Mass.
The Gospel ended, the Celebrant, turning by his
right, towards the Epistle side, goes to the midst,
where he stands facing the altar, having his hands
joined. When the Celebrant turns to move towards
the midst, the Deacon, turning by his right, goes down
to his step, and the Sub-Deacon goes promptly along
his step to the floor in front of the altar, and then all
three with equal pace, and having hands joined,
advance to the midst, then the Deacon goes on the foot-
pace to the right of the Celebrant ; the Sub-Deacon
comes up to the left of the Celebrant. Then if the
Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle they (all three)
genuflect, otherwise they bow profoundly, then stand
^- If the choir sing at this time, the Celebrant will read the last Gospel
privately.
2^ An act of thanksgiving, by which as with a seal the Liturgy is con-
cluded, and a distinction made between the first Gospel, which signi-
fies the preaching of Christ, and the last, which betokens the preaching
of the Apostles. Cf. Gav., pt. ii., tit. xii.
^ Gavantus, Thes. Sac Rit., pt. ii. tit. xii.
CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS. lOQ
erect. The Celebrant and the Sub-Deacon then turn
by their right, the Deacon by his left, and all three
descend to the floor, where they turn and stand facing
the altar, the Celebrant in the midst, the Deacon on
the right, the Sub-Deacon on the left. Then all
standing in line before the altar, as at the beginning of
the Mass, the Celebrant and his sacred ministers, the
Master of Ceremonies and all the other acolytes make,
simultaneously, the due act of reverence, and then
stand erect. The Master of Ceremonies, or an acolyte,
will then hand to the Deacon the Celebrant's biretta
which the Deacon will present to the Celebrant. Then
from the Master of Ceremonies, or acolyte, the sacred
ministers, first the Deacon, then the Sub-Deacon, will
receive their birettas. When the Celebrant covers his
head, the Deacon and Sub-Deacon will put on their
birettas. Then the Master of Ceremonies leading
(having his hands joined) all go to the sacristy, with-
out any further act of reverence, towards the altar, in
the order in which they came forth. On their way to
the sacristy the Celebrant and his sacred ministers
make the same kind of salutations (if any) and in the
same manner as they did in approaching the altar.
The Celebrant arrived in the sacristy, all stand as
they did before the Mass, and bow to the cross or prin-
cipal Image, the Celebrant and sacred ministers first
removing their birettas ; then all bow to the Celebrant,
who turns and inclines his head to the sacred min-
isters and acolytes. Then the candle-bearers extin-
guish their candles ; the Master of Ceremonies assists
the Celebrant in taking ofif his vestments ; other aco-
lytes may assist the sacred ministers to divest them-
selves. The Celebrant, after he has taken off his vest-
no CEREMONIES OF HIGH MASS.
ments, will wash his hands (acolytes ministering a
towel), and then in the church or some fitting place
in sacristy, kneel and say his thanksgiving. Mean-
while the Master of Ceremonies, if in holy order, (if
not, the sacred vessels will be brought back to the
sacristy by one of the Deacons), assisted by the candle-
bearers or other acolytes, will bring all things from
the credence and put them away in the sacristy, extin-
guish the candles upon the altar and see that all
things used in the Mass are returned to their proper
places. The acolytes will remove and put away their
surplices, say their prayers and depart.
3l|^ (§thtt at tl|p
Mxtiiaut &arrc5 Miniatsta. but lnitl| Jlnrenflj.
CHAPTER I.
The Preparation for a Choral Mass.
I. The Preparation in the Sacristy and Church.
The vestments, viz : the amice, alb, girdle, maniple,
stole, and chasuble for the Celebrant only, should be
laid out upon a vestment chest or table, in the sacristy.
If the aspersion or sprinkling with holy water is to
take place immediately before the Mass, the maniple
and chasuble should be laid upon the sedilia in the
sanctuary, opposite the Epistle end of the altar, and a
cope, of the colour of the day, should be provided with
the other vestments in the sacristy.
The credence should be prepared as for a Low Mass ;
and if a clerk in orders is to sing the Epistle, a Mass-
book or a book of Epistles, will be placed on the
credence. In arranging the vessels, etc., on the cred-
ence, care must be taken to leave space at the farther
corners (or, if it be more convenient, at the front
corners), sufficient for the two candlesticks of the
candle-bearers.
Unless there be some clerk authorized and empow-
ered to act for him in such matters, the Celebrant
himself should prepare the chalice, and then place it
112 cere;monie;s o^ a choral mass.
upon the altar on an extended corporal in the midst.
He should also see that the Mass-book is upon the altar
desk at the Epistle corner of the altar, and that it is
open at the beginning of the Ordinary of the Mass,
and that the markers are in the proper places for the
service of the day.
The ministers of this Mass are a censer-bearer and
two acolytes.^ If convenient, there may also be an aco-
lyte to carry the incense-boat, two acolytes to carry the
processional candlesticks, and other acolytes to act as
torch-bearers from the Sanctns until after the con-
sumption of the Sacrament, of whom there may
be two, four, six, or eight ; the number being ordered
in accordance with the dignity of the day. Two or
four will suffice for an ordinary Sunday; eight should
be used only on the greatest feasts.
Upon the gradines (or on one of the gradines) of the
altar, there should be six w^ax candles in six standard
candlesticks, three on the Epistle side and three on the
Gospel side, placed at equal distances one from another
and from the cross and the ends of the altar. If the
altar is not furnished with six candlesticks, two will
suffice ; one on the Epistle side and the other on the
Gospel side. If there are only two candlesticks, they
should be placed on a line with and at some distance
from the altar cross, either near the extremities of the
gradine on which they stand, or at points distant from
the cross not less than half way between the midst and
the ends of the altar. If it be the custom of the place,
on festivals, to have additional candles lighted on the
altar, (i. e., more than the six or the two in the standard
2 The censer-bearer supplies, as far as possible, the place of the Master
of Ceremonies.
CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS. II3
cimdlesticks), they should be more or less in number,
according- to the dignity of the day ; and yet because the
use of such additional lights is not ancient, and cannot
claim the support of any authority on ecclesiastical
ceremonial, they should be used sparingly.
One, or both, of the candle-bearers may light the
candles' on the altar. If both are appointed for this
duty, they will, after due reverence before the altar,
light simultaneously the candles on both sides of the
cross, beginning in each case with the candle nearest
the cross. If only one acolyte be employed he will
light the candles on the Epistle side, and afterwards
those on the Gospel side, lighting first, on each side,
the candle nearest the cross, and the others in due
course. In extinguishing the candles after the Mass,
this order is reversed. The acolytes will light the
candles on the altar, shortly before, or while the Cele-
brant puts on his vestmencs. After they have lighted
the candles on the altar, they will light the two candles
in their processional candlesticks* in the sacristy.
The censer-bearer and all other acolytes will wear
surplices over their cassocks. In festal seasons the
cassocks of the acolytes may be red in colour; in
Advent and Lent they should be black. Before the
acolytes put on their surplices they should kneel for
prayer in the church or sacristy, and then wash and
dry their hands.
The censer-bearer will see that the censer, incense
boat and its spoon, the coals, and all things required in
* The candles burned in the six (or two) standard candlesticks,
should always be wax candles. See Le Vavasseur, Ccr. Rit. Rom.,
pt. i., sec. iii., ch. v.
* The processional candlesticks should be somewhat smaller than those
used on tlie altar, yet not small enough to lack digfnity. See Gav.
Thcs. Sac. Rit., pt. v., De Mensuris, etc.
8
114 CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL, MASS.
the performance of his duty, are in readiness; and
about the time for the entrance into the sanctuary, he
will kindle the coals which are to be used in the censer
at the Introit.
The choristers who are to sing in the Mass should
wear surplices over black cassocks, and should observe
the directions given in the Ceremonies of High Mass.'^
2. General Ceremonial Directions.
The Celebrant will observe the ceremonies pre-
scribed in Low Mass, except where it is otherwise
ordered, and should sing all those parts directed to be
sung in High Mass ; he should also sing the Epistle and
Gospel. But the Epistle may be sung by a clerk.
All the acolytes will kneel and say the responses at
the beginning of the Mass. They stand when the Cel-
ebrant ascends the altar steps, and remain standing
until the sermon, during which they may sit. They
stand at the Gloria Patri or Ascription after the ser-
mon, and until the General Confession. They kneel
during the Confession, Absolution and Comfortable
Words. At the Snrsum corda they stand again until
after the Sanctus, and then kneel until after the eleva-
tion. Immediately after the elevation, all (except the
torch-bearers) stand until the Blessing. All kneel for
the Blessing, and then stand.
When not occupied in some act of their ministry,
and it is not otherwise ordered, all the acolytes have
their hands folded, i. e., extended horizontally near
and a little below the breast, the right hand palm being
turned downward upon the left hand palm.
* Ch. i., sec. 7.
CKREMONIES OF A CHORAL MASS. 1I5
When the Celebrant is singing or saying aloud any
part of the Mass, the acolytes have their hands joined,
and face towards the altar.'''
When standing, every one should preserve an erect
posture of head and body, and have the hands joined or
folded. When sitting, no one should place one foot or
one knee over the other, nor sink down into recum-
bent positions.
In coming down the altar steps, or when withdraw-
ing from the altar, or in going from one place in the
sanctuary to another, one should not move backwards,
but turn about and go directly. The eyes should not be
allowed to wander here and there ; and all in the sanc-
tuary and choir should refrain from gazing at the
people in the church.
3. The Approach to the Altar.
All things necessary for the Mass being prepared
and in readiness, the Celebrant and the acolytes, duly
vested, stand facing the cross, or principal image, in the
sacristy, in the following order, viz: the Celebrant in
the midst, the first acolyte at his right hand, the second
at his left, and both a little distance behind him ; the
censer-bearer behind the Celebrant ; the boat-bearer at
the left hand of the censer-bearer ; the first candle-
bearer at the right of the censer-bearer ; the second at
the left of the boat-bearer ; the torch-bearers on a line
behind the censer-bearer.
The censer-bearer, thus standing behind the Cele-
brant, will hold his censer in the usual manner,^ and
have burning coals in the censer,
• Cf. Le Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. ii., ch. ii., art. ii.
^ See Ccrcm. of High Mass, ch. i., sec. 6, and sec. 7,
Il6 CEREMONIES OE A CHORAIv MASS.
If it be the custom of the place, and the day be a
festival, incense is now put into the censer and blessed
by the Celebrant, all being done as at High Mass, ex-
cept that the two acolytes who serve the Celebrant,
will act in place of the sacred ministers. If incense is
not blessed in the sacristy, the censer-bearer and the
boat-bearer do not enter the sanctuary with the pro-
cession of acolytes, but afterwards, at the time the
Celebrant ascends the steps of the altar.
After the incense has been blessed, all bow to the
cross or other sacred image; the Celebrant puts on his
biretta, all the acolytes bow to the Celebrant, and all
go forth from the sacristy by the door leading into the
sanctuary, or into the presbytery, in the following
order, viz. : the censer-bearer gently swinging his
censer, the boat-bearer walking at his left ; the two
candle-bearers follow the censer-bearer at a distance
of about three paces; the torch-bearers (if any) follow
the candle-bearers, keeping about the same distance
from the candle-bearers ; then follow the two servers,
and last of all the Celebrant. If in approaching the
altar, any salutations are made to clergy in choir, or
any acts of reverence to an altar or to the Blessed
Sacrament, all the acolytes will make them simulta-
neously, and in like manner with the Celebrant.
If the sprinkling does not take place, all
come before the altar, and stand facing it in the fol-
lowing order, viz : the Celebrant in the midst immedi-
ately before the lowest step of the altar; the first
server at the right hand of the Celebrant ; the second
at the left of the Celebrant ; the censer-bearer with
boat-bearer at his left, behind and about a pace or two
distant from the first server ; the first candle-bearer
CEIREMONIKS OF A CHORAI. MASS. H?
opposite the Epistle corner, and the second opposite
the Gospel corner, and both on a line with the servers ;
the torch-bearers on a line parallel with the altar and
back of the censer-bearer.
Thus standing the Celebrant uncovers his head and
gives his biretta to the first server, who, as he receives
it, bows to the Celebrant. Then all make simulta-
neously, due reverence towards the altar,* after which
the first server carries the biretta to the sedilia and
lays it down on the Celebrant's seat, and then returns
to and kneels on the floor at the right of the Celebrant,
the second server kneeling at the left of the Celebrant.
If there are not two acolytes who are to act through-
out the Mass as candle-bearers, the two servers carry
the processional candlesticks, and after the common
act of reverence, they put down their candlesticks upon
the second step (or, if it be more convenient, upon the
first step) before the altar on each side, and then kneel
upon the floor alongside the Celebrant ; and the torch-
bearers withdraw from before the altar and kneel in
places appointed for them. The censer-bearer kneels
on the floor behind and to the right of the Celebrant,
or on the floor alongside the lateral steps on the
Epistle side of the altar, facing towards the Gospel
side, with the boat-bearer (if there be one) at his left.
If there are candle-bearers (besides the two servers),
after the due act of reverence towards the altar, they
go to the credence, put their candlesticks down thereon,
as at High Mass, and then kneel facing the altar. The
choir now begin to sing the Introit.
• See Ceremonies of High Mass, ch. i., sec. 7. Note, pg. 14.
Il8 CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS.
CHAPTER 11.
From the Beginning of the Mass untie the
Ofeertory.
1. The Judica and the Confiteor.
The Celebrant begins the Mass as usual, the two
servers and all the other acolytes making the responses.
In the confession the Celebrant does not turn towards
the servers. The two servers at their confession bow
profoundly, and at the words, "to thee, father," and
"thee, father," they turn their heads towards the Cele-
brant; at the words, "by my fault," etc., they strike
the breast thrice, as also do all the other acolytes.*
When the Celebrant ascends the altar steps all the
acolytes stand erect and face the altar ; the two servers
go with the Celebrant as far as the foot-pace, support-
ing his chasuble and alb, and then returning to the floor
they make together due act of reverence towards the
altar. If they carry the candlesticks, they now take
them up from before the altar, and place them upon
the credence. Then they return to the midst before
the altar, make the due act of reverence and, when
the censer-bearer goes up to the foot-pace, they ascend
the steps and minister at the blessing of the incense.
If the servers did not carry the candlesticks, having
accompanied the Celebrant to the foot-pace, they stand
on the second step and await the censer-bearer.
2. The Blessing of the Incense.
When the two servers make their reverence before
* During the confession of the acolytes the censer-bearer puts the
chains out of his right hand into his left, and the boat-bearer holds the
boat with his left hand.
CEREMONIES OF A CHORAI, MASS. II9
the altar, the censer-bearer and the boat-bearer ascend
the steps, and stand before the Celebrant, on the foot-
pace, at his right, for the blessing of the incense. The
lirst server steps upon the foot-pace (if space
will allow), and stands at the right of the
Celebrant and faces the altar. The second server
steps upon the foot-pace (if space will allow) and sup-
ports the chasuble on the right of the Celebrant, at the
blessing of the incense ; the censer-bearer and boat-
bearer stand facing the Celebrant, and make due act
of reverence towards the altar cross. The boat-bearer
gives the boat to the first server, who presents the
spoon to the Celebrant, with accustomed kisses, and
says, in a low voice, "Bless, Reverend Father." In
blessing the incense all is done as at High Mass.
When the Celebrant has blessed the incense, the
first server returns the boat to the boat-bearer, and
the censer-bearer presents the censer to the Celebrant,
with the accustomed kisses, as the Deacon does at High
Mass. Then the censer-bearer and the boat-bearer,
after due reverence towards the altar cross, return to
the floor at the Epistle end of the altar where they
stand facing the altar. The two servers assistf the
Celebrant, supporting the part of the chasuble that
rests upon his arms, and making simultaneously with
him all acts of reverence made by the Celebrant.
3. The First Censing of the Altar.
Having received the censer, the Celebrant proceeds
to cense the altar in the usual manner.^ As he censes
t While the Celebrant censes the altar, the two servers hold their
hands and support the chasuble in the manner prescribed for the Deacon
and Sub-Deacon a* High Mass.
t See directions in the Order t^f Ceremonies of High Mass, cb. ii,,
sec. 6.
I20 CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS.
the cross, an acolyte (if convenient, the censer-bearer)
ascends the steps in front of the Epistle corner, or at the
Epistle end of the altar, makes due act of reverence
on the foot-pace, towards the altar cross, takes up
with both hands the desk and book thereon, and goes
down to the floor in front of the Epistle corner, or at
the Epistle end of the altar, where he stands holding
the desk and facing towards the altar, until the Cele-
brant has censed the mensa on the Epistle side, when
he goes up again to the altar and puts down thereon
the desk and book, makes again due reverence towards
the altar cross, and then returns to his place.
When the Celebrant has finished censing the altar
the two servers turn and go directly down to the floor
opposite the Epistle side, turn by their left and go
before the midst, make there the due act of reverence,
and then go and stand, the first opposite the Epistle
corner, and the second opposite the Gospel corner
of the altar, and having their hands joined, stand
facing the altar. The censer-bearer receives the censer
from the Celebrant (as the Deacon at High Mass),
descends to the floor, and there censes the Celebrant
with three swings, bowing profoundly before and
after.* The boat-bearer bows to the Celebrant at the
same time, and in like manner with the censer-bearer.
After he has censed the Celebrant, the censer-bearer
goes, accompanied by the boat-bearer, to the sacristy
to prepare the censer for the censing at the Gospel.
4. From the Lord's Prayer to the Gospel.
After he has been censed by the censer-bearer,
• See Ceremonies of High Mass, ch. ii., sec. 7. Note concerning
manner of censing persons.
CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS. I2i
the Celebrant turns to the book, and proceeds
with the Mass up to the Epistle, as directed in the
Ceremonies of High Mass.
If it be so ordered, some clerk may sing
the Epistle. If this is to be done, the clerk
goes to the credence while the Celebrant is singing
the Collect for the day (or the last Collect, if there be
more than one), and takes up from thence the book of
Epistles (or a Mass-book), and carrying it with both
hands goes and stands on the floor immediately before
the lowest step and directly behind the Celebrant.
When the Celebrant bows at the ending of
the Collect, the clerk in orders bows his head in
like manner, then goes at once to the midst, makes
due act of reverence towards the altar, salutes the
clergy (if there be any) on each side of the choir, with
a moderate bow, and returns to his place behind the
Celebrant, where, having the book open at the Epistle
of the day, and standing as before, he announces and
then sings the Epistle. At the end he sings
the words, "Here endeth the Epistle," closes
the book, goes to the midst and makes due act
of reverence towards the altar, then carries the book to
the credence, puts it down thereon and returns to his
place.
While the clerk in orders is singing the Epistle the
Celebrant standing before the book reads the same
Epistle in a low voice.
If the Celebrant sings the Epistle, he will do so with-
out changing his position before the book. During
the singing of the Epistle, all the acolytes stand in
their places as at the Kyrie and Collect.
If the choir sing a gradual, tract or sequence, the
122 CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS.
Celebrant, at the time when the song is nearly ended,
goes to the midst, faces the altar, and then turns a
little towards the censer-bearer, as he approaches him.
When the Epistle has been sung, or during the sing-
ing of the gradual, tract or sequence, the censer-bearer
and boat-bearer come again into the sanctuary, and
after due reverence in the midst towards the altar, they
go and stand on the floor immediately before the low-
est step at the Epistle end, and there, facing towards
the Gospel side, they await the Celebrant's going to the
midst.
5. The Blessing of the Incense before the Gospel.
When the Celebrant goes to the midst, the censer-
bearer and the boat-bearer go up to the foot-pace, and
there, after due act of reverence towards the altar cross,
stand facing the Celebrant. All is done as directed
above (in section 2) until the Celebrant has blessed the
incense; then the censer-bearer lowers and closes the
censer, makes, together with the boat-bearer, due act
of reverence towards the altar cross, bows to the Cele-
brant, and, attended by the boat-bearer, and carrying
the censer, returns to the floor by the way he came.
Here the boat-bearer withdraws a little towards the
credence or the sedilia, where he remains until after the
censing at the Gospel, when he rejoins the censer-
bearer in the midst before the altar.
Meanwhile the second server goes to the Epis-
tle corner of the altar, takes up, with both hands,
the desk and book, turns by his left, goes down to the
floor, and thence to a place opposite the Gospel corner
of the altar, (pausing as he passes before the midst to
face, and make due act of reverence towards the
CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS. 1 23
altar) ; he then goes up to the altar, sets down thereon
the desk and book obhquely, so that the back of the
book will look towards the northeast corner of the
altar; then turning by his right he goes down to the
second step at the Gospel corner, where facing towards
the Epistle side, and having his hands joined before
his breast, he awaits the Celebrant. If there are no
other acolytes besides the censer-bearer, the boat-bearer
and the two servers, the second server, after he has
moved the Mass-book to the Gospel corner, returns
to the floor before the midst of the altar, and there,
together with the first server (who comes to meet
him), makes the due act of reverence towards the altar
cross. Then both servers go to the credence, take up
the candlesticks, and walk wath the censer-bearer when
he goes to the Gospel corner.
When the censer-bearer, after the blessing of the
incense, goes along the foot-pace and down the steps
to the floor at the Epistle end of the altar, the two
candle-bearers immediately take up their candlesticks,
and, carrying them as usual, follow him, or (if space
permit) walk on either side of him, the first candle-
bearer on his right, the second on his left. Thus
attended, the censer-bearer, gently swinging the censer,
goes to the midst, where all the three acolytes stand-
ing on a line parallel with the altar, make due act of
reverence towards the altar.
The Celebrant, after he has blessed the incense, turns
back again to the altar, and says, privately, the prayers,
"Cleanse my heart," etc., and when the censer-bearer
and his companions approach the Gospel corner he goes
to the book.
124 ce;re;monie;s of' a choral, mass.
6. 7^ he Gospel.
After the act of reverence before the midst, the
censer-bearer and candle-bearers turn by their left, and
in the same order as before, go before the lowest step
at the Gospel corner, where they stand as they did
when before the midst of the altar, and face towards
the book of the Gospels. The censer-bearer, while
he stands at the Gospel corner, awaiting the Celebrant,
will continue to swing his censer (but very gently),
lest the fire die out. During the Gospel the censer is
not swung.
When the Celebrant comes to the book and the song
of the choir is ended, he salutes the acolytes, saying, in
a low voice, "The Lord be with you," to which they
respond in the same tone of voice, "And with
thy spirit." Then signing himself and the book, in the
usual manner, the Celebrant (singing) announces the
Gospel. Then immediately the censer-bearer goes up
to the first or second step and gives the censer, with the
accustomed kisses, to the Celebrant. Then while the
choir sing the Gospel response, "Glory be to thee, O
Lord," the Celebrant, having received the censer,
censes the book in the usual manner and returns the
censer to the censer-bearer, who receives it with the
accustomed kisses, and goes back to his place on the
floor. The second server now bows to the Celebrant,
turns by his right, goes along the lateral step to the
floor in front of the altar, where he turns (by his
right) and stands in his place facing the altar*
At the announcement of the Gospel, all the acolytes
* This direction applies only when the second server is not acting as a
candle-bearer.
CERKMONIKS OP' A CHORAL MASS. I25
(except the candle-bearers and the censer-bearer)
sign themselves at the same time and like manner with
the Celebrant. The candle-bearers, while holding their
candles at the Gospel, do not sign themselves nor make
any act of reverence, but remain motionless.
During the singing of the Gospel all in the church
stand erect and look towards the book of the Gospels.
The acolytes (except the candle-bearers) bow or
genuflect at the same time and in like manner with the
Celebrant, if while singing the Gospel he makes any
such acts of reverence.
After the Celebrant has sung the Gospel, he takes
up the book with both hands, kisses the text of the
Gospel, and says, privately, "By the Gospel words
to-day, may our sins be done away;" at the same time
the acolytes say in a low voice, "Praise be to thee, O
Christ." Then the Celebrant turns a little and faces
the censer-bearer, who censes him with three swings,
and bows profoundly to the Celebrant before and
after.
After he has been censed by the censer-bearer, the
Celebrant turns by his right and goes to the midst of
the altar and stands facing the altar. Meanwhile the
censer-bearer and his companions return, as they came,
to the floor before the midst of the altar, where they
stand fas before) in a line, facing the altar. At the
same time, the second server goes up to the foot-pace
and takes up the desk, with book thereon, and carries it
to the left hand of the Celebrant, and puts it down upon
the altar obliquely close to the corporal ; then after
bowing to the Celebrant, he goes directly down to his
place on the floor, where, having his hands joined, he
stands, facing the altar, while the Creed is sung.
126 CKREMONIICS OF A CHORAI, MASS.
7. The Creed.
After the Celebrant has sung, "I believe in One God,"
the censer-bearer, boat-bearer and candle-bearers make
due act of reverence towards the altar ; then the censer-
bearer, accompanied by the boat-bearer, goes to the
sacristy to prepare his censer for the censing at the
Offertory ; the candle-bearers go to the credence, put
down their candlesticks thereon, and joining their
hands, stand there facing the altar while the Creed is
sung. If the two servers act as candle-bearers they
return to their places before the altar and stand facing
it during the Creed.
If there is to be a sermon, the censer-bearer and boat-
bearer may return promptly (without censer and boat)
to the sanctuary, and stand behind the first server, or
wherever it may be convenient, during the Creed.
All the acolytes will make the genuflection, and the
bows, when and as the Celebrant makes them during
the singing of the Creed, and at the end make the sign
of the cross.
8. The Sermon.
If the Celebrant will sit down while the choir sing
the Creed, he should observe the directions given in
the Ceremonies of High Mass. If this be done, the first
server, after bowing towards the altar cross, will go
to the sedilia (after the Celebrant has intoned or sung
the first words of the Creed), take up the biretta and
return to his place. Then when the Celebrant comes
down from the foot-pace, the two servers make the due
act of reverence towards the altar at the same time
with the Celebrant; the first server presents to him
his biretta, and then both servers precede him to the
CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS. I27
scdilia, and assist him there by lifting the back part of
the chasuble; and then, moving a httle towards the
credence, they stand facing the altar, having their
hands folded. When the Celebrant returns to the altar
the two acolytes will precede him thither, make the
due act of reverence with him before the altar, go with
him as far as the foot-pace, supporting his vestments
on either side, and then return to and stand in their
places before the altar.
In like manner the two acolytes will precede and
assist the Celebrant (before and after the sermon),
if he goes to the sedilia to lay aside his chasuble and
maniple before going to preach in the pulpit.
If Notices are to be given, or a sermon preached,
the Celebrant will observe the directions given in the
Ceremonies of High Mass. During the sermon the
acolytes may sit.f
If the censer-bearer returns to the sanctuary during
the Creed, he will go again to the sacristy at some
convenient time during the sermon, so that he may
come promptly at the Offertory, carrying his censer
replenished with burning coals.
CHAPTER III.
From the Oeeertory to the Canon.
I. The Offertory.
When the sermon is ended, the Celebrant, having
returned to the altar, (or, if he himself preached from
t But the servers ought not to sit in the places of the sedilia, occu-
pied by the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon at High Mass.
128 CEREMONIES OF A CHORAL MASS.
the foot-pace, having returned to the midst), and
standing erect facing the midst of the altar, and hav-
ing his hands joined, says one of the Offertory sen-
tences, after which the choir begin their song. The
Celebrant then removes, folds and lays down the veil,
after which he proceeds as at Low Mass.
Then the two servers come together before the midst,
make the due act of reverence towards the altar cross,
and go to the credence (the first server walk-
ing at the right of the second), where the
first acolyte will take up from the credence,
with both hands, the box of altar breads ; and the second
acolyte, after removing the stoppers, will take up the
wine cruet with his right hand, and the water cruet
with his left hand; then both go, carrying box and
cruets near and at about the height of the breast, to
the second step at the Epistle corner of the altar, where
they stand facing the Celebrant and await his coming.
When the Celebrant approaches them, both acolytes
bow to him ; the first removes the cover of the bread-
box with his right hand, and then supporting the box
with both hands at the base, he presents it, with accus-
tomed kisses, to the Celebrant, who takes as many of
the small hosts "as he shall think sufficient," and re-
turns to the midst, doing all as ordered in the Cere-
monies of Loiv Mass. As the Celebrant turns to go
back to the midst the first acolyte covers the bread-box,
and remains standing as before. When the Celebrant
returns to the Epistle corner, with the chalice, the sec-
ond acolyte presents the wine cruet, with the accus-
tomed kisses ; then when the Celebrant returns the wine
cruet he receives it with his left hand, and presents the
water cruet, with the accustomed kisses, with his right
CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS. I29
hand. The second acolyte receives the water cruet
back again from the Celebrant, with his left hand, after
which both acolytes bow to the Celebrant and go again
to the credence upon which they put down the bread-
box and cruets, put the stoppers in the cruets, return to
their places before the lowest step, and stand facing the
altar, as before.
2. The Censing of the Oblations and the Altar.
When the acolytes go to the Epistle end of the altar,
the censer-bearer, attended by the boat-bearer, and
carrying his censer replenished with burning coals,
comes from the sacristy, and after the due act of rever-
ence as he passes before the midst of the altar, he goes
to the floor at the Epistle end of the altar and stands
facing towards the Gospel side.
When the Celebrant has said the prayer, "Come, O
thou the Sanctifier," etc., the censer-bearer and boat-
bearer ascend the altar steps, make the due act of
reverence on the foot-pace and stand before the Cele-
brant. The two servers, after making the due act of
reverence in the midst, ascend the altar steps, and assist
at the blessing of the incense, during which all is done
as directed above (in chapter ii, section 2), When the
Celebrant has taken the censer, and the two servers
stand supporting his chasuble, he proceeds to cense the
oblations and afterwards the altar, observing, in so
doing, the directions given in the Ceremonies of High
Mass. The servers, while thus assisting the Celebrant
as he censes the altar, make simultaneously with him
the prescribed acts of reverence.*
When the Celebrant has censed the altar cross and
• See Ceremonial of High Mass, in loc.
9
130 CEREMONIES OE A CHORAI, IMASS.
passes to the Epistle side of the ahar, an acolyte comes
before the midst of the altar, makes the due act of
reverence towards it, then going up the steps on the
Gospel side, he advances to the book, takes up with
both hands the desk with book thereon, and returns to
the floor, where, facing the altar on the Gospel side
and holding the desk before him near and a little below
his breast, he awaits the end of the censing of the Gos-
pel side of the altar; then he goes up again to the
altar, puts down the desk as he found it, turns by his
right, and goes back to the floor, makes there in the
midst the due reverence towards the altar, and then
returns to his place*
3. The Censing of the Clergy and People.
When the Celebrant has finished censing the altar,
the two servers turn and go down to their places on the
Hoor, as they did at the first censing of the altar; and
the censer-bearer takes the censer, and censes the
Celebrant in the usual manner. The Celebrant then
returns to the midst of the altar, where he waits until
the choir and people have been censed. The boat-
bearer remains standing near the credence.
After the Celebrant has been censed, the censer-
bearer, having made the due act of reverence before
the lowest step of the altar, proceeds to cense the
clergy ; and then the servers, the torch-bearers, and the
choristers ; afterwards he censes the people. The cen-
ser-bearer will observe all the directions given in the
Ceremonies of High Mass as to the mode of carrying
the censer, and of censing persons. Having censed
the people and made due reverence with the boat-
* Cp., Le Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. xii., ch., ii., art. viii.
CEREMONIES OF A CHORAIv MASS. I3I
bearer, before the altar, he returns to the sacristy,
accompanied by the boat-bearer, where he prepares for
the censing at the elevation.
4. The Offerings of the People.
After the people have been censed, the second acolyte
takes the alms basin in both hands, and then goes
to his place before the altar. The Celebrant bows and
then goes down below the lowest step of the altar;
having the servers on either side of him, he makes
with them the due act of reverence ; they then precede
him to the entrance of the presbytery. Those who have
gathered the offerings of the people place them in the
basin held by the second acolyte. Then the Celebrant,
preceded by the acolytes, returns to the altar ; they
make together the due act of reverence, and then go
vip to the altar, the acolytes stopping on the step below
the foot-pace. The second acolyte bows to the Cele-
brant, (who has moved to the Epistle corner of the
altar), and then gives him the alms basin. The Cele-
brant having presented and placed it upon the altar,
at the Epistle side, immediately returns it to the aco-
lyte, who carries it directly to the credence or other
convenient place.
5. The Washing of the Hands.
The first acolyte immediately after he has accompa-
nied the Celebrant to the altar, goes back to the floor,
makes the due act of reverence before the midst,
and then goes to the credence table and takes
with both hands the towel ; the second acolyte
takes the basin for washing the Priest's fingers with his
132 CEREMONIES OF A CHORAL MASS.
left hand, and the water cruet in his right hand.
Then both standing at the Epistle corner on the step
below the foot-pace, the first acolyte being at the right
of the second, they bow to the Celebrant. The second
acolyte pours water over the Priest's fingers, and the
first acolyte presents the towel. They then bow again
to the Celebrant, and return to the credence, where they
put down the basin, towel, and cruet. Afterward they
go down to below the lowest step of the altar, make
together the due act of reverence, and then go to their
respective places at the Epistle and Gospel corners of
the altar, where they remain standing until the Con-
fession.
6. Until the Canon.
The Celebrant proceeds with the Mass, observing
the ceremonies directed at Low Mass.
The torch-bearers, or if they be lacking, the two
candle-bearers,t when the Celebrant has finished say-
ing the Comfortable Words, after due reverence before
the altar, go to the sacristy; and towards the end of
the Preface they come again into the sanctuary, carry-
ing lighted torches, and preceded by the censer-bearer
and boat-bearer. Both censer-bearer and torch-bearers
will observe the directions given in the Ceremonies of
High Mass.*
t When there are no other acolytes besides the two servers and the
censer-bearer, the servers may light torches at the credence, when the
censer-bearer comes from the sacristy, and then kneel with tliem
before the altar. (See Le Vavasseur, pt. vi., sec. li., ch. ii., art. ii.)
* See Cerevt. of High Mass, ch. iv., sections 10 and 13, and ch. vii.,
sec. I,
CKRliMONUCS OF A CHORAL, MASS. I33
CHAPTER IV.
The Canon of the Mass, and the Communion.
I. The Consecration.
At the beginning of the "Prayer of Consecration,"
the censer-bearer puts incense into the censer.
At the elevation, the censer-bearer censes theBlessed
Sacrament as usual, the torch-bearers uplift their
torches, and an acolyte rings the sacring bell.
A little before the act of Consecration, the two
servers if they are not holding torches, rise,
go before the midst of the altar, make due
act of reverence towards the altar, and then go up the
steps to the foot-pace, the first to the right of the Cele-
brant, the second to the left, and here upon the foot-
pace on either side of, and a little behind, the Cele-
brant, they kneel and support (the first acolyte with
his left hand, the second with his right) the back part
of the Celebrant's chasuble, at the elevation. Each
acolyte extends the hand not employed, near and a
little below his breast. The acolyte who kneels at the
right of the Celebrant rings the bell.* After the eleva-
tion they return to their places before the altar, and
stand as before, after genuflecting together on the
floor, before the midst.
After the elevation of the chalice all the acolytes
(except the torch-bearers) stand erect, and the censer-
bearer, attended by the boat-bearer, goes to the sacristy
(both making due reverence as they pass before the
• When the servers act as torch-bearers, another acolyte may kneel
at the right of the Celebrant, lift his chasuble and ring the bell. If
there be no one else to ring the bell, the first server may do so, liolding
his torch in his left hand and the bell in his right hand.
134 CEREMONIES OF A CHORAL MASS.
midst, towards the altar), puts away the censer, and
then returns to his place at the Epistle corner of the
altar.
2. The Communion.
When the Celebrant turns towards the people with
the Sacrament in his hands, the torch-bearers rise and
then stand facing each other, as at High Mass. The
two servers also turn and face each other, and if any
are to receive the Communion, the servers hold the
houselling cloth.* If any persons receive the Com-
munion, all is done as at Low Mass ; the clergy and
acolytes kneeling at the altar, and the people at the
chancel rail.
When the Celebrant turns (holding up the Sacra-
ment) towards the people, the torch-bearers bow their
heads, and the other acolytes bow more profoundly.
When, after the Communion, or when after he has
given "sufficient opportunity to those present to com-
municate," the Celebrant replaces the Sacrament upon
the altar, the torch-bearers kneel again as before, and
the servers stand in their places facing the altar.
The Post-Communion.
At the Gloria in excelsis, or hymn in lieu thereof,
the torch-bearers, and all in the church, stand erect.
Towards the end of the Gloria in excelsis, or other
hymn, the second serverf moves the book (as the Sub-
Deacon does at High Mass) to the Epistle corner, and
* If the servers are engaged at this time in holding torches, the censer-
bearer and the boat-bearer may hold the houselling clotli if it be needed;
or the boat-bearer lacking, the second server holds both torches, and
the first server assists the censer-bearer in holding the cloth.
t If the servers are holding torches the censer-bearer, or another
acolyte, moves the book.
CEREMONIES OE A CHORAL MASS. I35
then goes directly to the floor before the Epistle corner,
and then to his place opposite the Gospel corner.
All the acolytes kneel for the blessing, and then
rise and stand erect.
4. The Ablutions.
Immediately after the blessing the first server* rises,
goes to the midst, makes the due act of reverence
towards the altar, then goes to the credence, and
after removing the stoppers, carries the cruets, (the
wine in his right hand, the water in his left), to the
second step at the Epistle corner of the altar ; when
the Celebrant holds out the chalice, he steps upon the
foot-pace, genuflects, rises and pours into the chalice
a little wine, then he ministers, as usual, the wine and
the water, after which he returns to the credence, puts
down the cruets thereon, and goes to the midst, makes
the due act of reverence, and then goes to his place
opposite the Epistle corner, where he stands as before.
Immediately after the Celebrant has received the
ablution of wine, the torch-bearers rise, go to the
sacristy, extinguish and put away their torches, and
return promptly to their places in the sanctuary, as at
High Mass.
After the Celebrant has received the ablutions, the
second acolyte moves the book, if it is to be moved,
to the Gospel corner, making due reverence towards the
cross as he passes the midst, and having turned the
leaves of the Mass Book, so as to have it open at the
proper Gospel, he stands on the second step, facing
towards the Epistle side, and awaits the Celebrant.
* If need be the censer-bearer may act in lieu of the server.
136 CERKMONIES 01" A CHORAL MASS.
If the Celebrant, after singing the Post-Communion,
has closed his book, the second server goes to the
midst at the time when the first server returns from
the credence, makes there with him the due act of rev-
erence, and then turning by his left, goes to the Gospel
corner, and takes up the Gospel card, and goes down to
the second step, and there facing towards the Cele-
brant holds the card as the Sub-Deacon does at High
Mass.
5. The Last Gospel.
At the last Gospel all the acolytes make the accus-
tomed signs with the Celebrant as he announces the
Gospel, and bow as he does, and make, together with
him, the genuflection, if any is to be made.
The last Gospel ended, the second server closes the
book (with its opening towards the Gospel corner)
or lays down the Gospel card upon the gradine, and
goes directly to the floor before the altar, and then to
his place opposite the Gospel corner, and the first server
goes to the sedilia, where he takes up the Celebrant's
biretta and returns to his place. Meanwhile all the
acolytes go and stand before the altar as they did on
arrival before it at the beginning of the Mass. If the
two acolyte servers acted also as candle-bearers, they
go now to the credence, take up their candlesticks and
return to their places before the altar. If this is done,
the first server will take up the Celebrant's biretta
from the sedilia, as he goes to the credence.
When the Celebrant comes down from the foot-pace
and stands facing the altar, all make due act of rever-
ence towards the altar, and then return to the Sacristy
in the usual manner,
I. The Preparation^
The times when Requiem Masses may not be said
have been already mentioned under the Ceremonies of
Low Mass (Vide vol. i, p. 148.)
On All Souls' Day a Mass of Requiem should be
sung at an hour which will best suit the convenience
of the people. On the previous evening, after the Ves-
pers of All Saints, there should be sung the Vespers of
the Dead. It will be well if at the Vespers and also at
the Mass there be read the names of the parishioners
who have died during the year, and also the names of
any others of the faithful dead for whom the people
have desired prayers.
If it be the day of interment, the body should be
received at the door of the Church. Then will follow
the office prescribed in the Prayer Book. After the
prayers which follow the Lesson, will be sung the
Mass.
The black vestments for the Celebrant and the
sacred ministers are laid out in the sacristy in the
accustomed manner, and all other things necessary are
made ready as usual.
If the Blessed Sacrament be reserved in the taber-
nacle at the altar where the Mass of Requiem is to be
celebrated, the veil of the tabernacle should be violet
137
138 SOI^DMN MASS OF REQUIEM.
in colour. It is desirable that Mass of Requiem be
celebrated at an altar where the Blessed Sacrament is
not reserved.
The altar frontals, chalice veil and burse should be
black in colour. The foot-pace may have a black cov-
ering, and the steps of the altar left bare. The altar
candles, if possible, should be of unbleached wax.
The cover of the credence should be somewhat
smaller than usual, and fall only a little over the sides
and front.
If the body of the deceased for whom the Mass is
celebrated be present, and the prayers and ceremonies
called The Absolution are to follow the Mass, a book
containing the order of that service should be laid
upon the credence ; a processional cross should be
placed near the credence, and also a vessel of holy
water with the sprinkler.^
There will also be provided a black cope, which will
be laid upon the sedilia.
The candles used in the candlesticks and torches
of the acolytes should be, if possible, of unbleached
wax.
2. General Directions.
If the body of the deceased person, for whom the
Mass is celebrated, be present, it should rest upon a
bier placed on the floor of the nave, near the entrance
to the chancel, with the feet towards the altar. If on
account of contagious disease, or for other good reason,
the body of the dead person cannot be brought to the
^ If it be the custom, candles (which the clergy in attendance hold
lighted in their hands during the reading of the Compel, and from the
Klevation tmtil the first ablution after the Blessing, and during the
Absolution), are placed upon or near the credence.
SOLEMN MASS OF REQUIEM. I39
church, a catafalque or tumulus may be made ready
at the place where the bier with the body, were it
physically present, would rest, and the body be con-
sidered as morally present.
If the deceased person be a Priest, the body should
be placed with the head towards the altar, and the bier
may rest within the choir before the altar.^
If on account of contagious disease, or for other
good reason, the body of a Priest cannot be brought
to the church on the day of burial, the catafalque is
sprinkled and censed as if the body were present and
lying with the feet towards the people ;* this may also
be done on the anniversary of the burial of a Priest ;
otherwise the catafalque is always regarded as though
the body (morally present) were placed with feet
towards the altar.
Six large candles, of unbleached wax, in standard
candlesticks, should be placed by the bier (or
tunmlus), three on each side, and burn during the
Mass and the Absolution, and while the body is in the
church.
The acolytes kneel from the beginning of the Mass
until the Epistle, and from the Confession until the
Agnus Dei, and at the Post-Communion Collect.
Incense is used in the Mass at the Offertory and at
the Elevation in the usual manner; but in no other
places, and after the Offertory the Celebrant alone is
censed.
Except the omissions noted in the Ceremonies of
Lozv Mass, and certain differences set forth in the fol-
^ ""Le lit funebre, a Rome, est toujours place dans la nef." T,e
Vavasseiir, Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i., cli. iv., art. iv., Note.
* Van Der Stappen, Sac. Liturgia, torn, iv., p. 288.
140 SOLEMN MASS 01'" KKQUIEM.
lowing directions, all is done as at an ordinary Solemn
Mass.
The Deacon omits all the osculations.
3. Prom the Introit to the Offertory.
The sacred ministers do not accompany the Cele-
brant when he goes up to the altar, but stand on a line
behind him; the Deacon on his step and the Sub-Dea-
con on the floor.
When the Celebrant, after kissing the altar, turns to
go to the book, the sacred ministers, without any fur-
ther act of reverence,^ turn also and go to their places
at the Epistle corner. They do not make the sign of
the cross when the Celebrant begins, Our Father, etc.
After the Epistle the Sub-Deacon is not blessed by
the Celebrant, and the book is at once handed to the
Master of Ceremonies, or to another acolyte.
While the choir sing the sequence. Dies tree, etc.,
the Celebrant, after privately reading it, may sit down
with his sacred ministers. When they go to sit down,
they turn by their right and go to the sedilia, by the
shorter way, in the accustomed manner. While the
Celebrant and sacred ministers sit, the Master of Cere-
monies remains standing,! between the sedilia and the
credence, facing the people. At the end of the sequence
or when five or six stanzas have been sung, at a sign
from the Master of Ceremonies, the Celebrant and his
ministers rise from their seats and return to the altar by
the way they came.
The ministers, walking on either side of the Cele-
brant, accompany him to the lowest step at the
Epistle end of the altar; the Celebrant and Deacon
1 Van Der Stappen, Sacra Liturgia, torn, v,, pp. 126, et 220.
t Cf. De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, i., lib. i., 47.
SOLEMN MASS OF REQUIEM. I4I
ascend the steps, the Deacon stopping and remaining
on the second step, the Celebrant going upon the foot-
pace to the midst. After the Celebrant and the
Deacon have ascended the steps, the Sub-Deacon goes
up to the foot-pace, and moves the book in the accus-
tomed manner to the Gospel corner, while the Cele-
brant says the prayer, "Cleanse my heart," etc. The
Deacon remains standing on the second step, with
his head profoundly inclined towards the altar
cross, until the Celebrant begins to read the Gospel,
when, without further act of reverence, he turns and
goes down to the floor, receives the book of the Gospels
and carries it to the altar in the usual manner.
Then at once, kneeling upon the edge of the foot-
pace, he says the prayer, "Cleanse my heart," etc., then
rises, takes the book, stands facing the altar, and
when the Celebrant has read the Gospel, turns by his
left and goes to the floor, where he makes, (together
with the Sub-Deacon, Master of Ceremonies and the
two acolytes) due reverence towards the altar;
and then goes as usual to sing the Gospel. The
acolytes do not carry lights, but have their
hands joined. At the Gospel they make the sign of
the cross and the other acts of reverence.*
When the Deacon has sung the Gospel, the Sub-
Deacon closes the book and hands it at once to the
Master of Ceremonies or to an acolyte.
On returning to the altar, after due act of reverence,
the Deacon goes up and stands on his step, the Sub-
Deacon stands on the floor behind him, both facing
- If lighted candles are to be distributed among the clergy occupying
places in the choir, the acolytes charged with this duty, will act promptly
immediately after tlie Epistle is ended, in order that all may be in
readiness when the Deacon begins to sing the Gospel,
142 SOLEMN MASS OF REQUIEM.
the Celebrant, who is standing on the foot-pace in the
midst.
The Creed is not said. If there is to be a sermon, it
will come after the Mass and before the Absolution.
The preacher will wear neither surplice nor stole.f
4. From the Offertory to the end of the Mass.
When the Celebrant has read the Offertory, the Sub-
Deacon, after due act of reverence towards the altar,
goes to the credence and carries the chalice to the
altar as usual. Having set it down on the altar he joins
his hands while the Deacon, (who meanwhile has come
upon the foot-pace, to the right of the Celebrant)
takes off the burse, unfolds the corporal, removes and
folds the veil, and gives the paten with the host to the
Celebrant.
The offerings of the people may be received as
directed in the Ceremonies of High Mass.
At the Agnus Dei the sacred ministers do not strike
the breast. The kiss of peace is not given, and the
Gloria in excelsis is not sung,
5. The Absolution.
The Celebrant and the sacred ministers, after the
last Gospel, return to the midst of the altar as usual,
and then, after due act of reverence in the midst,
go directly (by the steps at the Epistle end of the altar)
to the sedilia, where the Celebrant, assisted by the
sacred ministers and the Master of Ceremonies, lays
aside his chasuble and maniple and puts on the cope.
The sacred ministers also lay aside their maniples. If
t De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., lib. ii., 202.
SOLEMN MASS OF REQUIEM. I43
a cope be lacking, the sacred ministers divest them-
selves of dalmatic and tunicle.
Meanwhile the censer-bearer, with censer in readi-
ness, and the boat-bearer carrying the boat of incense,
come to the credence. An acolyte takes up the vessel
of holy water, another takes the book, and another the
processional cross. The candle-bearers take up their
candlesticks.
The Master of Ceremonies takes up the Deacon's
biretta and that of the Celebrant, and hands them to
the Deacon, who presents to the Celebrant his biretta,
and then both cover their heads.
When all are ready, the Sub-Deacon goes to the
credence and receives the processional cross from the
acolyte.
Then, the censer-bearer and boat-bearer leading,
followed by the two other acolytes, the Sub-Deacon
walking between the candle-bearers, and the Celebrant,
with the Deacon on his left and Master of Ceremonies
walking before him, all go before the altar,f where
they stand facing towards the altar, the Celebrant in
the midst immediately before the lowest step, the
Deacon on his left, the Master of Ceremonies on his
right, the Sub-Deacon and the candle-bearers behind
the Celebrant and sacred ministers, the acolytes behind
the Sub-Deacon.
Then all, save the Sub-Deacon and candle-bearers,
make due act of reverence towards the altar, (the Cele-
brant and the Deacon first removing their birettas) ;
and then, the Celebrant and the Deacon having put on
their birettas, all go in the same order as before, to
the bier, or tumulus.
t t,e Vavasseur Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i, ch. iv., art. iv, v.
T44 SOLEMN MASS OF" REQUIEM.
If Other clerg}^ are in the choir, they accompany
the Celebrant to the bier, (carrying Hghted candles,
if they are provided for them), walking two by two
behind the Sub-Deacon.
If the body is placed within the choir, the Cele-
brant and the Deacon do not wear birettas, and the
attendant clergy do not leave their stalls.
The censer-bearer and other acolytes, when they
approach the bier, withdraw a little on the Gospel side,
between the bier and the altar, and stand so as to face
towards the Celebrant when he comes to his place near
the bier.
The Sub-Deacon and the candle-bearers, on ap-
proaching the bier turn a little to the right, pass the
bier on the Gospel side and stand a pace or two dis-
tant from the head of the bier, facing towards the
altar.* The Sub-Deacon and candle-bearers will be
careful to leave space enough between them and the
bier to allow the Celebrant and Deacon to pass at the
time the body is sprinkled and censed.
The clergy pass on and stand on either side of the
bier, the greater in dignity nearer the Celebrant, the
lesser near the Sub-Deacon.
The Celebrant, with the Deacon supporting his cope
on the left, and the Master of Ceremonies walking in
advance, on approaching the bier, turn to the left, and
stand at the foot of the bier on the Epistle side, facing
towards the processional cross ; the Celebrant stands in
the midst between the Deacon and the Master of Cere-
monies.
When the body, physically present, is that of a
* The Sub-Deacon arrived at his place, at the head of the bier, may
rest the end of the processional cross upon the floor, but holds the staff
with both hands.
SOLEMN MASS OF RE:QUIEM, I45
Priest, it is placed with head towards the altar, and
the Sub-Deacon and the candle-bearers stand at the
head of the bier, and the acolytes, the Master of Cere-
monies, the Deacon and the Celebrant pass on by the
Epistle side, to the foot of the bier, where they turn
and stand facing the processional cross.f
The Deacon then uncovers his head, takes the Cele-
brant's biretta, and gives both birettas to an acolyte,
who comes to receive them and withdraws immediately
to his place.
The acolyte with the book brings it at once to the
Deacon, and goes back to his place. The Deacon hav-
ing received the book with his right hand holds it open,
at the proper place, before the Celebrant, and with his
left hand holds the border of the cope. The Master
of Ceremonies holds the border of the cope on the
right of the Celebrant.
The Celebrant, having his hands joined, and stand-
ing as directed above, reads the prayer. Enter not, etc.,$
and the choir and others respond Amen. The cantors
then intone the words. Deliver me, and the choir take
up and continue the response. §
The cantors sing the versicle, / am in fear, etc., and
the clergy repeat the latter part, beginning, When the
heavens, etc. In like manner the cantors sing the ver-
sicle. That day, etc., and the clergy repeat the words.
When thou comcst, etc. The cantors then sing the
t De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., lib. 2, cap. xi,, et Van Der Stappen, Sac.
Liturgia, torn, iv., p. 272.
t The words of the prayers and anthems for the Absolution of the
body will be found at length under the Ceremonies at the Burial of the
Dead.
§ When the body is not (physically) present, the first prayer is
omitted, and the cantor begins at once, Deliver me. etc., when the
choir take up and continue the response.
14^ SOLEMN MASS Of REQUIEM.
versicle, Rest eternal, etc., and both cantors and choir
sing the response, Deliver me, etc.
During the singing of this response the Deacon,
having lirst handed the book to an acolyte, passes to
the right hand of the Celebrant, (going behind him) ;
the censer-bearer and boat-bearer come before the
Celebrant (making due act of reverence towards the
altar, if they pass from the Gospel to the Epistle side) ;
and the Celebrant blesses incense in the usual manner,
the Deacon ministering the boat and spoon. While
the Celebrant blesses the incense, the Master of Cere-
monies supports his cope on the right side ; or if he be
absent the Deacon may do so with his left hand.
The censer-bearer and boat-bearer, carrying censer
and boat, return to their places, or withdraw a little
behind the Celebrant, and the acolyte bearing the ves-
sel of holy water comes to the right of the Celebrant
and the Deacon. The choir having finished singing the
response. Deliver me, etc., the cantors sing. Lord have
mercy, and the choir sing, Christ have merey; Lord
have mercy.
The Celebrant then says, in a loud voice, the words,
Our Father, and receiving the sprinkler from the
Deacon, and continuing to recite* the Lord's Prayer in
a low voice, he proceeds to sprinkle the body (or, if
the body be not present, the bier).
The Deacon, after presenting the sprinkler to the
Celebrant, holds his right hand before his breast, and
with his left hand supports the cope at the right of
the Celebrant. The Celebrant and the Deacon turn
towards the altar, make due act of reverence ; then the
* The Celebrant should say the Lord's Prayer slowly, and so to time
his recitation, that the last clause of the prayer may be said after he
concludes the censing.
SOLEMN MASS Ol* RIvQUIlCM. 147
Celebrant, accompanied by the Deacon, begins the
sprinkling on the Gospel sidef of the bier, sprinkling
first towards the feet, then the midst, and lastly towards
the head, not pausing while he makes the acts of
sprinkling, but moving on slowly in a dignified and
reverent manner. When the Celebrant and the Dea-
con come before the Sub-Deacon, they bow their heads
profoundly to the processional cross, then pass to the
Epistle side of the bier, where the Celebrant sprinkles
the body, first towards the head ; then in the midst and
lastly towards the feet. Having returned to his place,
the Celebrant gives the sprinkler to the Deacon, who
hands it to the acolyte bearing the holy water vessel.
Then the censer-bearer at once hands the censer to the
Deacon, who presents it to the Celebrant.t Then after
the due act of reverence towards the altar, the Cele-
brant, attended as before, by the Deacon, proceeds to
cense the body in the same manner as he sprinkled it.
As they pass by the Sub-Deacon, both Celebrant and
Deacon bow their heads profoundly to the proces-
sional cross. Having returned to his place, after the
censing, the Celebrant hands the censer to the Deacon
who gives it to the censer-bearer. The acolytes go
back to their places, and the Celebrant and Deacon
(and Master of Ceremonies) stand as they did at first.
The clergy and acolytes say the Lord's Prayer,
together with the Celebrant, in a low tone of voice,
while he sprinkles and censes the body.
The acolyte hands the book to the Deacon, who
holds it open before the Celebrant, as at the beginning.
t When the body present is that of a Priest, the Celebrant begins the
sprinkling at the feet, on his right hand, on the Epistle side, and con-
chides at the feet on the Gospel side.
t The censer is carried and presented, as directed in the Ceremonies
of High Mass.
148 SOLEMN MASS OF REQUIEM.
The Celebrant, having his hands joined, then says
aloud the words. And lead its not into temptation, and
choir and others respond, But deliver us from evil.
The Celebrant sings the versicles, (the choir sing-
ing the responses) and the prayer, O God, whose
property, etc. While the body is being carried out of
the Church the anthem In Paradisum is sung.
If the body is not carried forth at once to the burial,
or if the body be not present, the Deacon, still holding
the book, withdraws a little to the left of the Cele-
brant, who says, Rest eternal, etc., and the choir
respond. And let light, etc. The Celebrant says, May
he rest in peace, and the choir sing. Amen.
Then on days other than All Souls' Day, the Cele-
brant says, May his soul, etc., making the sign of the
cross over the body, or bier, as he says the versicle.*
The choir and others respond. Amen.
The Celebrant and Deacon then put on their birettas,
and the procession of clergy and acolytes returns to
the sacristy, making the due act of reverence in passing
before the altar.f
For the order of carrying the corpse out of the
Church and its committal to the grave, see the Cere-
monies of the Burial of the Dead.
6. The Absolution zvhen a Pall only is used.
In lieu of a catafalque or tumulus, when the body
is not physically present, a black pall or cloth may
be spread upon the floor before the steps of the altar,
while the Celebrant is exchanging his chasuble for a
* Manuale Ecclesiasticorum (editio tertia), 318; and Le Vavasseur,
Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i., ch. iv., art. iv.
t As they go, they may recite, privately, the De profundis.
SOLEMN MASS OF' REQUIEM. I49
cope. When this is done the service will be ordered as
follows :
The Celebrant, attended by the sacred ministers,
goes directly from the sedilia to the Epistle corner of
the altar (by the steps at the Epistle end), w^here all
three stand upon the foot-pace, the Deacon at the right
and the Sub-Deacon at the left of the Celebrant, and
all hold their hands joined before the breast.
During the singing of the response, Deliver me, etc.,
the censer-bearer comes to the Epistle corner, and the
Celebrant blesses the incense, the Deacon ministering
the boat, and the Sub-Deacon supporting the cope on
the Celebrant's right hand.
The incense blessed, the Celebrant and sacred min-
isters turn again to the altar and stand as before; and
the censer-bearer and other acolytes go and stand
before the lowest step of the altar opposite the Gospel
corner, making due reverence towards the altar as they
pass the midst, and taking care not to tread upon the
pall.
After singing the words, Our Father, the Celebrant
passes to the midst, and the Deacon follows, and passes
on behind him, in order to stand at his left hand ; the
Sub-Deacon moves back a little to allow the Celebrant
and Deacon to pass, and then advances to the right of
the Celebrant, and then all three bow their heads
towards the altar cross.
Then the acolyte bearing the holy water vessel goes
up to the second step, to the left of the Deacon. The
Celebrant and the Deacon turn, by their right, towards
the pall ; the Sub-Deacon turns by his left, so that the
Celebrant standing on the foot-pace, has the Deacon on
150 soIve;mn mass of rtcqui^m.
his right and the Sub-Deacon on his left, all three fac-
ing towards the pall.
The Deacon, receiving the sprinkler from the acolyte,
presents it to the Celebrant, who, without moving from
his place, sprinkles the pall thrice, first in the midst,
secondly to his left, and, thirdly, to his right ; the
Deacon meanwhile supporting the border of his cope.
When the Celebrant has sprinkled the pall, the censer-
bearer goes up to the second step, and the other acolyte,
having received the sprinkler, goes back to his place on
the floor. Having returned the sprinkler to the Deacon,
who hands it to the acolyte, the Celebrant receives the
censer from the Deacon, (who receives it from the
censer-bearer), and proceeds at once to cense the pall
in the same manner that he sprinkled it. This done,
the Celebrant hands the censer to the Deacon, who
returns it to the censer-bearer. The acolytes then go
back to the credence, making due reverence towards
the altar as they pass the midst, and the Celebrant and
the sacred ministers turn again to the altar in the
midst, bow towards the altar cross, and go to the
Epistle corner, where they stand as at first, and all
having their hands joined, the Celebrant continues and
concludes the service, not turning to make the sign of
the cross at the last versicle.
The service ended, the Celebrant and the sacred
ministers come to the midst, bow their heads towards
the altar cross, turn and go down the steps, as usual,
to the floor, where, together with the acolytes, they
make the due act of reverence towards the altar, then,
having received their birettas, they cover their heads,
and preceded by the acolytes, return to the sacristy.
Sl|^ (§thn of tl|f Ol^rrnurtti^fi of a S>olrmu
I. General Directions.
By present Western usage the house dress of a
Bishop consists of (i) a violet cassock of the usual
form. The material should be wool, but silk is often
used. The buttons, buttonholes, and inner facings
are of red silk. The cufifs are also of red silk. The
cincture is of violet silk with violet tassels. In peniten-
tial seasons the cassock ought to be black; (2) a linen
rochet with sleeves; (3) a mozetta of the same ma-
terial and colour as the cassock. This is a small cape
with a hood and is worn by Bishops when within their
own dioceses. In place of the mozetta there may be
worn, by English usage, a violet silk or satin chimere,
which in penitential seasons ought to be exchanged for
one of black. To the chimere is attached a scarf of
silk, which is always black ; this is not a stole. The
chimere is worn by Bishops whether within or without
their dioceses; (4) the pectoral cross, hung by a cord
of green silk or by a gold chain; (5) the episcopal
ring, worn on the third finger of the right hand ; (6)
the biretta of the same material and colour as the
cassock. Anciently the biretta of Bishops was always
black, but at present violet birettas are commonly
worn.
A Bishop in his cathedral or in any other church
within his diocese, may on ferial days assist at Solemn
151
152 MASS IN the; presence; oe the bishop.
Mass vested in a rochet and with his pectoral cross,
and over the rochet a violet mozetta. Instead of the
mozetta, he may, in accordance with English usage,
wear a violet chimere, which in Advent, Lent (festival
days being excepted) and on penitential days ought
to be exchanged for a black one. He will use a violet
biretta, or a black one lined with green silk, according
to the colour of his mozetta or chimere. He will occupy
the chief stall in the choir; but will take no official
part in the Mass. He will, however, be censed before
others less in dignity (but after the Celebrant, and
only) at the Offertory with three swings of the censer.
He will not be assisted by the Canons or other clergy.
But when the Bishop occupies his own seat or throne
during a Solemn Mass said within his diocese, he
will be vested either (a) in a rochet and with his
pectoral cross, and over the rochet a violet cappa
magna, and will use a violet biretta; or (b) he will
wear a rochet, amice, alb, girdle, pectoral cross, stole,
cope, and mitre, and will use his pastoral staff.
A Bishop, assisting at a Solemn Mass in a church
outside of his own diocese, and not officiating in the
stead and by the license of the Diocesan, should not
occupy the Bishop's seat, but the first stall in the
choir, and be vested in a rochet and a mantelletta or
a chimere. He should not wear either mozetta or
cappa magna, nor use his staff. He will not take any
official part in the Mass, yet he will be censed at the
Offertory before others of less dignity (but not before
the Celebrant), with three swings of the censer, except
when the Diocesan is present, when he will be censed
with two swings.^
* Cf. De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, i., 194, torn, ii., 141. torn, iii, 343-
MASS IN THE presence; OF THE BISHOP. 1 53
The Bishop, assisting at a Solemn Mass, vested in
cappa magna, or in cope and mitre, will, if possible,
be assisted by two Canons of his cathedral (who act
as his assistant Deacons), a Priest Assistant and other
clerks or acolytes who (when he wears a cope and
mitre) will carry and minister the Bishop's Mass-
book, the hand-candlestick, the mitre and the staff.
Where the Canons are absent, their places may be
taken by two Priests or Deacons, who (when a Priest
Assistant and the other clerks or acolytes are lacking)
may perform all the duties of ministering to the
Bishop.
If no other clergy besides the Bishop and the Cele-
brant and his sacred ministers are present, there should
be at least two acolytes to assist the Bishop.
When there are only two Priests, Deacons, or aco-
lytes assisting the Bishop, they will aid him in putting
on and taking off his vestments, minister the book,
hold the mitre and staff, and, as far as possible, per-
form all the duties of the ministers who are lacking.
The Priest assisting will wear a surplice and have
a movable seat near the right of the Bishop's throne.
The Deacons assisting will wear surplices.- The
senior or first assistant Deacon will minister at the
right hand of the Bishop, the junior or second at the
left hand.
The Deacons stand when the Bishop stands, rising
a little before he does ; and they sit while the Bishop
sits and is not engaged in any official action. They
sit down after the Bishop is seated. The senior
Deacon puts on, or aids the Bishop to put on, the
*Cf. De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., 160, et Merati in Gav., pt.
ii., tit. xiv., Observ. xxii., xxxiii.
154 MASS IN the: presence; o]? the bishop.
mitre; the junior Deacon takes it off, or receives it
from the Bishop. Whenever the Bishop elevates his
right hand (as in blessing) the senior Deacon sup-
ports his cope on that side. When both hands are
raised, both of the Deacons support the cope.
The Celebrant and his sacred ministers will observe
all that is prescribed in the ceremonies of High Mass,
except where they are herein otherwise directed.
The clerks or acolytes (if any) who minister the
Mass-book, mitre, staff and candle, wear cassocks and
surplices.
The due act of reverence towards the altar cross is
made by all whenever they pass before the midst of
the altar below the steps, and when they come before
or withdraw from the midst before the altar.
2. The Approach to the Altar.
If the Bishop occupies a stall in the choir, the
sprinkling of holy water (if it is made) and the begin-
ning of the Mass, are as usual.
If the Bishop assist in cappa magna, or in cope and
mitre, the Celebrant, sacred ministers and acolytes
enter the sanctuary, the acolytes go to their places,
and the Celebrant and his sacred ministers go to the
sedilia on the Epistle side of the sanctuary where they
take their seats, having their heads covered, and await
the entrance of the Bishop. No salutations are made
to clergy in the choir. If the Celebrant and his sacred
ministers in going to the sedilia do not pass before
the altar, they make no act of reverence towards it,
but go directly to the sedilia.
At the entrance of the Bishop the Celebrant and
his ministers rise and uncover their heads. The Cele-
MASS IN THE PRESENCE OF TllE BISHOP. I55
brant stands, with his head profoundly incHncd while
the Bishop pra}s before the aUar ; and his sacred
ministers, if they are Canons, do hkewise. If the
sacred ministers are not Canons they kneel/'
If the Bishop assist in cappa magna, he will vest
in the sacristy, and may enter the sanctuary with his
attendants at the same time with, and following the
Celebrant ; or he may enter after the Celebrant has
taken his place at the sedilia. The Bishop \yi\l be
censed only at the Offertory ; otherwise all else will
be done as when he is vested in cope and mitre.
If the Bishop assist wearing cope and mitre, his
vestments (of the colour of the day) should be laid out
upon the midst of the altar in the following order, viz. :
a cope, stole, the pectoral cross on a salver, girdle, alb
and amice. The mitre (or the two mitres, if required),
may be placed either upon the altar or upon the cre-
dence, and his staff near the credence or near his seat.*
On the credence, besides all things necessary for
the Mass, there will be placed a Mass-book for the
Bishop, and (if it is to be used) a hand-candlestick.
The Bishop will enter the sanctuary wearing his
biretta, and vested in a rochet and a violet mozetta,
or a violet or black chimere. The assistant Priest (if
there be one) will precede him, and the two assistant
Deacons will walk on either side of the Bishop. The
Priest and the Deacons will be vested in cassock and
surplice, and will hold their birettas with both hands
before the breast.
Having come to the faldstool (which is placed in
the midst of the sanctuary a little distance from the
* De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., 143.
*De Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., 155.
156 MASS IN THE PREISENCE Olf THE BISHOP,
lowest Step of the altar), the Bishop gives his biretta
to the Master of Ceremonies or to one of his attend-
ants ; then he and his assisting clergy or acolytes make
the due act of reverence towards the altar-cross, and
then the Bishop kneels upon a cushion provided for
him and says a short prayer; the Deacons kneel on
either side of the Bishop, but a little behind him, and
the assistant Priest at his right or at left, if it be more
convenient.
If there are clergy, or acolytes, to act as bearers of
the book, candle, mitre and staff, they enter before
the Bishop, and stand near the credence,^ and when
the Bishop kneels, they and all the acolytes kneel also.
When the Bishop stands up, all rise, and the Bishop
puts on his biretta ; and preceded and escorted as
before, he goes to his seat, where he sits for a short
time, then stands up and gives the biretta and the
mozetta or chimere to the Master of Ceremonies (or
to an acolyte) who lays them down in some convenient
place. Then, the Deacons assisting him, the Bishop
proceeds to vest for the Mass. The Master of Cere-
monies stands upon the foot-pace before the midst of
the altar and hands the vestments, one by one, to the
clerks or acolytes who approach to receive them.
The ministers of the book, and others, go, one after
the other, by the lateral steps at the Epistle end of the
altar (or, if need be, by the steps before the altar, in
which case they first make the due act of reverence).
Then standing at the right hand of the Master of
Ceremonies, they take with both hands the vestments
as he presents them. Then each one goes directly to
the Bishop, carrying the vestment as given to him,
sDe Herdt, Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., 15S.
MASS IN THE PRESENCE OE THE BISHOP. 1 57
and standing before the Bishop he presents it to the
Deacon. The amice is given to the senior Deacon,
the alb to the junior Deacon, and so in turn until all
the vestments have been delivered.
Where it may be done there should be one clerk or
acolyte for each vestment. Yet, if need be, the two
Deacons or acolytes who assist the Bishop may them-
selves bring the vestments to the Bishop. When the
Bishop has been vested in his cope he sits down and
receives his mitre. The acolytes go to their places;
those who assist the Bishop stand on either side of
the Deacons; the Priest assistant goes to the right of
the first Deacon."
3. The Sprinkling of Holy Wafer.
Then, if there is to be the sprinkling of holy water
before the Mass, the Celebrant (who in this case will
be vested in cope and without the maniple) and his
sacred ministers (who walk on either side) come before
the altar, bowing to the Bishop as they approach the
midst, and then kneel upon the lowest step. The aco-
lyte with the holy water vessel kneels as usual, to the
right of and a little behind the Deacon. The Deacon
presents the sprinkler to the Celebrant, who intones
the antiphon and sprinkles the altar. The Celebrant
then rises (the sacred ministers remain kneeling), and
accompanied by the Master of Ceremonies on his right,
" The minister of the book stands at the left of the Bishop, or to the
left of the assistant Priest; the minister of the staff on the Bishop's
left; the ministers of the candle and the mitre on the right of the
Bishop. All four stand in their places throughout the Mass, except
during the Creed and the sermon, when they may sit in places appointed,
if the clergy assisting the Bishop sit. They should take care not to
turn their backs upon either the altar or the Bishop, and should not
stand between the Bishop and the altar. The assistant Priest may act
in place of the minister of the book, and when doing so he stands in
front of the Bishop.
158 MASS IN THIi PR^SENCi; OF THfi BISHOP.
and the acolyte with the holy water on his left, he
goes to the Bishop, who then stands up. The Cele-
brant bows, and with the accustomed kisses presents
the sprinkler to the Bishop, and then stands, pro-
foundly inclining his head until the Bishop has
sprinkled himself, which the Bishop does after this
manner: standing without the mitre, he raises the
sprinkler to the height of his forehead, and with a
movement of his right hand sprinkles himself ; after-
wards he sprinkles the Celebrant (who stands before
him having his head inclined towards the Bishop),
then the assistant Priest, the senior and then the
junior Deacon, then his inferior ministers in turn.
This being done, he returns the sprinkler to the
Celebrant.'' The Celebrant, receiving the sprinkler,
returns to the altar where he sprinkles the sacred
ministers; then attended as before, he goes to sprinkle
the clergy in the choir, the choristers, the people, and
finally the acolytes. All stand during the sprinkling.
The Celebrant bows to the Bishop whenever he passes
him, but omits the usual salutations to the clergy.
Having finished the sprinkling, the Celebrant returns
the sprinkler to the acolyte, and goes with his sacred
ministers to the sedilia. where he is by them divested
of his cope, and assisted in putting on his maniple
and chasuble.
Then preceded by his ministers the Celebrant re-
turns to the midst at a little distance from the lowest
step.
The Bishop, when the sprinkling is ended and the
prayer said, sits down and receives his mitre;' then
''Praxis Pontif., torn, iji., c. 31.
* Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., 161.
MASS IN TII15 pre;sence: of TiiK BISHOP. 159
standing, he takes his staff; and attended by his
Deacons, uho support his cope, he goes to the midst
immediately before the lowest step. The Celebrant
and his ministers bow to the Bishop as he passes before
them.
4. The Beginning of the Mass.
The Celebrant stands at the left of the Bishop, a
little behind him; the Deacon and Sub-Deacon (if
Canons), stand behind the Bishop and the Celebrant
and between the Bishop's Deacons ; otherwise they
stand, the Deacon at the left of and a little behind the
Celebrant, the Sub-Deacon at the left of the Deacon ;
and the Bishop's Deacons stand behind the Bishop, and
a little behind the position of the Celebrant.
The Bishop making the sign of the cross begins the
Mass as usual (as if he were about to celebrate the
Mass), and the Celebrant alone makes all the re-
sponses, yet the Deacons recite the Confession. When
the Bishop has said the prayer, "The Almighty and
merciful Lord," etc., the Celebrant withdraws a little
and stands between the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon,
and the assisting Deacons of the Bishop advance and
stand on either side of the Bishop, and recite with
him the remaining versicles and responses. The Bishop
proceeds as far as, but not including, the words, "Let
us pray."
The Bishop then resumes his mitre, takes his staff,
and attended as before, goes to his seat, where he
lays aside his staff, and sits down. The Celebrant and
his ministers bow to the Bishop as he passes them ;
then they go to the midst, and when the Celebrant
says, "Let us pray," all three ascend the steps of the
i6o MASS IN THE pre;sence; of the bishop.
altar ; the Celebrant kisses the altar, and then standing
erect awaits the censer-bearer.
5. The Censing at the Introit.
The censer-bearer, after giving the boat to the
assistant Priest or to the first Deacon of the Bishop,
kneeling before the Bishop presents the censer. The
Bishop being seated, blesses the incense, and remains
seated until the altar and the Celebrant have been
censed.
The censer-bearer in presenting the censer to the
Celebrant, omits the usual kisses.^ When the altar
has been censed, he censes the Celebrant with two
swings, then goes before the Bishop and gives the
censer to the assistant Priest, or if he be absent, to the
first Deacon, who standing before the Bishop, censes
him with three swings. The Bishop stands while he is
being censed and holds his hands joined ; then he
sits down, and his mitre is removed by the second
Deacon. If the Bishop use more than one mitre, the
precious one is first brought to him, which he wears
until after the Kyrie. He wears the cloth of gold
mitre to the end of the Creed, then he resumes the
precious mitre, and wears it until the end of the Mass.
The mitre is held by clerk or acolyte, so that the
bands are turned away from him, and hang down.
Both mitre and staff are held by the ministers with
hands enveloped in the sleeves of their surplices.
Mitres, unless made of cloth of gold, are always
white in colour. A silk or linen mitre, without orna-
mentation or slightly ornamented in red, is called a
simple mitre; a mitre made of cloth of gold without
* Merati in Gav., pt. ii., tit. xiv., Nov. Obs. xxvi.
MASS IN THE PRESENCE OE THE BISHOP. l6l
jewels or coloured embroidery, is called the cloili of
gold mitre; a mitre made of cloth of gold, or cloth of
silver, or of white silk, and richly ornamented with
jewels is called the precious mitre.
6. From the Lord's Prayer to the Gospel.
The Celebrant then proceeds with the Mass, and the
Bishop, standing without the mitre, reads in the book
held before him, the Lord's Prayer, etc. He says the
Kyrie alternately with his assistants. In his cathedral,
at the Kyrie, Creed, Sanctns, Agnus Dei, and the
Gloria in excelsis, any Canons who may be present
come and stand in a semi-circle before the Bishop (the
greater in dignity more directly in front of him, yet
none between the Bishop and the altar), and say these
parts of the Mass with the Bishop ; then after due
reverence to the Bishop and towards the altar, they
return to their places.^"
When the Bishop has said the Kyrie, if the choir
have not ended their singing, he sits down and re-
ceives his mitre. At the Collect he stands with un-
covered head. After the Collect or Collects, he sits
down and resumes his mitre.
The Bishop reads the Epistle from the book held
before him. The Sub-Deacon in the meanwhile sings
the same Epistle standing in the usual place but turned
a very little towards the Bishop, to whom he bows
before and after the Epistle. After the Epistle he
kneels before the Bishop, kisses his hand and receives
his blessing." This done the Bishop says the prayer,
*• Mcrati, in loc.
" Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., 146.
l62 MASS IN THE PRESENCE) OE THE BISHOP.
"Cleanse my heart," etc., and reads the Gospel, during
which his assistants stand, making no genuflections.
Towards the end of the Gradual, or Sequence, the
Deacon after placing the Book of Gospels upon the
altar, goes directly to the Bishop, bows profoundly and
kisses the Bishop's hand; and then returning to the
midst he kneels upon the lowest step and says the
prayer, "Cleanse my heart," etc.'^^ The censer-bearer
comes before the Bishop, and the incense is blessed as
at the Introit.
7. The Gospel.
The Gospel procession goes first to the Bishop,
before whom all kneel ; the Deacon asks and receives
the Bishop's blessing, then all rise and go to the place
where the Gospel is to be sung. When the Deacon is
about to announce the Gospel, the Bishop lays aside
his mitre, stands and takes his stafif, and turns himself
towards the Book of the Gospels. ^^
After the Gospel the Bishop lays aside his stafif, the
Sub-Deacon brings the book to him to be kissed, and
the assistant Priest (or the first Deacon) censes him
with three swings. All as they return to the altar bow
profoundly to the Bishop. The Celebrant is not
censed.
8. The Creed and the Sermon.
At the Creed, the Bishop stands without the mitre,
and in a low voice, recites the Creed with his assist-
ants. He does not use the book. Having said the
Creed, the Bishop sits and takes his mitre, as at the
Kyrie.
"76irf, 147.
^Ibid, iss.
MASS IN the: presence OE THE RISHOI'. 163
When the Deacon carries the burse to the altar, as
he approaches before the midst, he bows to the Bishop,
but does not salute the clergy in the choir.
If there is to be a sermon, the preacher kneels before
the Bishop and asks his blessing before going to the
pulpit. The Bishop gives the blessing, seated and
wearing his mitre.
9. The Offertory.
The Bishop reads the Offertory in a low voice,
standing with uncovered head ; then sits and takes his
mitre. He blesses the incense as usual, and stands
wearing his mitre when he is censed.
The Sub-Deacon, without leaving his place on the
footstep, bows his head towards the Bishop and holds
out the water cruet, saying, ''Bless, Right Reverend
Father." The Bishop blesses the water in the usual
manner. The Deacon after censing the Celebrant with
two swings goes to the Bishop, who is censed by the
assistant Priest, or by the first assistant Deacon with
three swings ; after which the Deacon censes the assist-
ant Priest, the first and second assistant Deacon, the
other assistants, and then the other clergy and the
Sub-Deacon.
10. The Confession and the Absolution.
At the Confession all kneel. At the Absolution the
Bishop resumes his mitre, stands and takes his staff,
and gives the Absolution, the Celebrant in the mean-
w^hile remaining on his knees.
164 MASS IN the; presence OF tiie; bishop.
II. The Preface and the Canon.
At the Preface, the assistant Priest withdraws to a
stall in the choir, and his seat near the Bishop's throne,
is removed by an acolyte.
At the Preface and the Sanctus, the Bishop stands
with uncovered head. He says the Sanctus with his
assistants.
After the Benedictus qui venit and the prayer, "We
do not presume," etc., the Bishop wearing his mitre
and carrying the pastoral stafif, and attended by his
Deacons, goes to the faldstool before the altar. After
removing his mitre and laying aside the stafif, he there
kneels down until after the elevation of the chalice,
the Deacons kneeling on either side a little behind him,
and the other ministers of the Bishop directly behind
him. After the elevation the Bishop rises, resumes
the mitre and stafif, and returns to his seat. He there
lays aside the mitre and stafif, and remains standing
at his seat, but bowing moderately, until after the
Celebrant has received the first ablution.
12. The Kiss of Peace.
After the Celebrant and his sacred ministers have
said the Agnus Dei (which the Bishop also says with
his assistants), the Deacon withdraws behind the Cele-
brant while the assistant Priest comes to receive the
Kiss of Peace, returning after the Priest has departed,
to the right of the Celebrant, where he remains until
the Sub-Deacon has returned from the choir. The
assistant Priest having received the Peace from the
Celebrant in the accustomed manner, goes directly to
the Bishop to whom he gives the Peace, and then with-
MASS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BISHOP. 1G5
draws to his stall in the choir. If there be no assistant
Priest, the Sub-Deacon takes the Peace to the Bishop,
and to others, after the accustomed manner.
The Bishop, having- received the Peace, gives it first
to the senior and then to the junior assistant Deacons.
They first make act of reverence towards the altar,
and another to the Bishop, as they stand before the
lowest step of the Bishop's throne ; then they go up
in succession to the Bishop, receive from him the Peace,
and then go directly to their places, on either side.'*
When the Bishop has given the Peace to his Deacons,
the Sub-Deacon (who, after saying the Agnus Dei with
the Celebrant, descended to the floor, and stood facing
the altar on the Gospel side), goes accompanied by
the Master of Ceremonies, to the assistant Priest from
whom he receives the Peace, which he then proceeds
to give to the clergy in the choir, the Deacon at the
altar and lastly to the Master of Ceremonies.^^
13. The Coviiyiunion.
If the Bishop receives the Sacrament, he approaches
the altar accompanied by his two Deacons before the
Deacon and Sub-Deacon of the Mass have been com-
municated. He is communicated as directed in the
Ceremonies of High Mass,
14. The Gloria in excelsis and the Blessing.
At the Gloria in excelsis all stand. At the blessing
the Bishop stands holding his staflF (but without his
mitre, because the Sacrament is still upon the altar),
and, turned towards the people, gives the blessing.
^* Praxis Pontif., torn, ii., 160-164.
"Ibid, 165.
i66 MASS IN the: presence; of the bishop.
All kneel, except the Celebrant who, standing where
he said the Post Communion Collect, with his right
side towards the altar, profoundly inclines himself
towards the Bishop. The sacred ministers kneel, each
on his own step, behind the Celebrant.
After the blessing the Celebrant and his ministers
go to the midst, and all is done as at High Mass. The
Sub-Deacon when he comes down to the floor, as he
bears the chalice to the credence bows to the Bishop.
After the blessing the Bishop lays aside his staff and
continues standing until after the first ablution, when
he sits down and resumes his mitre^
After the last Gospel the Celebrant and his ministers
descend, as usual, to the floor, make the due act of
reverence towards the altar, bow to the Bishop, and
with the acolytes, go to the sacristy, in the order in
which they entered the sanctuary.^®
The Bishop at his seat is assisted by his Deacons to
unvest. The vestments are laid again upon the altar
by the assisting Deacons or by acolytes. After he
has laid aside his vestments, the Bishop receives his
mozetta or chimere and his biretta ; then he goes with
his Deacons and kneels, with his head uncovered,
before the altar ; then he rises, covers his head, and
attended as before, returns to the sacristy."
^'ibid, 155.
"If the Bishop vested in the sacristy, he returns thither, accompa-
nied as at first, immediately after the Celebrant has left the sanctuary.
2IIjf (§vhn flf % (Hn^manuB at ti^t
1. T/i^ Preparation in the Church.
If the deceased be an adult, the altar vestments
should be black in colour, the altar should be bare of
festal ornaments or flowers, and be furnished simply
with the altar-cross and the six, or at least the two,
candlesticks with candles of unbleached wax.
Six large candlesticks, with candles of unbleached
wax, should be placed near where the bier is to rest,
three on either side. These candles should be lighted
before the Priest goes to meet the corpse, and remain
lighted as long as the body is in the Church. If a
Mass of requiem is to be said or sung, the altar and
credence should be prepared as directed above on pages
137 and 138.
2. The Preparation in the Sacristy.
There should be in readiness in the sacristy, a sur-
plice, black stole and biretta, and (if convenient) a
black cope, for the Priest ; surplices and black cassocks
for the acolytes; two torches or candlesticks, with
candles of unbleached wax, for the candle-bearers; a
processional cross; a vessel with holy water and
sprinkler; and a Prayer-book. When they are to be
borne outside of the Church, it may be convenient to
167
l68 BURIAL, OF THE DEAD.
provide two processional lanterns (i. e., torches with
candles enclosed in glass cases), in place of the ordi-
nary candlesticks.
If there is to be a Mass the vestments should be laid
out as usual, and all things needed be made ready.
The choristers should be vested as usual, and should
enter the Church and take their places in the stalls
about the time the Priest goes to meet the corpse; or,
if it be the custom, they may follow the cross, in the
procession to the door.
3. The Meeting the Corpse.
The Priest vested in surplice, stole, cope and biretta,
and preceded by a cross-bearer with two acolytes
carrying lighted candles, meets the corpse at the
entrance of the church-yard, or at the door of the
Church.
The attendant clergy should be vested in surplices,
and walk two by two immediately in advance of the
Priest.
If a solemn High Mass is to be sung the Deacon,
vested in surplice, should walk at the left of the Priest
and support his cope, and the Sub-Deacon, vested in
surplice, should bear the cross ; and the acolyte who
is to be the censer-bearer in the Mass should carry
the holy water vessel.
At the church-yard entrance or at the door of the
Church, a pall of black cloth (which may be orna-
mented with bands of white or of a red or golden
colour, in the outline of a cross), may be laid over the
coffin.
BURIAI. OF THE DEAD. 169
Floral crowns and other unsuitable emblems should
not be placed upon the coffin. If the deceased be a
Priest, some token of his priestly dignity (e. g., a
biretta, or a stole, black or violet in colour), may be
laid upon the coffin.
The corpse of a lay person ought not to be carried
by Priests, but in every case the bearers should be of
the same rank as, or else inferior to, that of the
deceased. In all cases, the corpse is carried with the
feet foremost.
4. The Procession into the Church or tozvards the
Grave.
The Priest, having his head uncovered and preceded
by the cross-bearer and the two other acolytes, goes
immediately before the body into the Church. But if
he goes towards the grave, his head is covered. And
as he goes, he says or sings, "I am the resurrection,"
etc.
When the funeral procession arrives at the place^
where the body is to rest during the service, the Priest
and those who precede him pass on into the choir, and
the bier is placed between the two rows of candle-
sticks, with the feet towards the altar; except when
the deceased is a Priest, and then the feet shall be
placed towards the people. In the case of a Deacon,
the feet are turned towards the altar. The cross-bearer
places the cross near the credence; and the candle-
bearers place their candlesticks upon the credence. Or
if they carry torches, they lower and hold them so
1 This place, for the body of a layman, is in the nave, outside the
entrance to the choir. By English and French usage the bodies of
ecclesiastics are placed within the choir.
170 BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
that the base of each staff rests upon the floor; and
then all stand near the credence facing the Gospel side
of the sanctuary.
The Priest, the other clergy and the choristers,
take their places in the choir stalls.
5. Of the Psalms and the Lesson.
"After they are come into the Church, shall be said
or sung one or both" of the Psalms appointed m the
Prayer-book, all standing.
"Then shall follow the Lesson, taken out of the
fifteenth chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to
the Corinthians." It should not be announced, but
should be begun at once with "Now is Christ risen,"
etc. At the end, the words, "Here endeth the Lesson,"
or other conclusion, should not be said. During the
Lesson, all present except the reader should sit down.
The Lesson being ended, "here may be sung a hymn
or an anthem; and at the discretion of the minister,
the Creed and such fitting prayers as are elsewhere pro-
vided in this book,^ may be added." A hymn or anthem
may very appropriately be sung after the Lesson,
but it is quite contrary to liturgical usage to introduce
the Creed into services for the dead, and therefore it
ought always to be omitted. After the hymn or
anthem the prayer for Persons under Affliction, "O
merciful God and heavenly Father, who hast taught
us," etc., and the one for a good death, in the Visitation
office, "O God, whose days are without_ end," etc.,
may fittingly be used. Afterward may be said or sung,
as follows :
^ That is in the Book of Common Prayer.
BURIAL OF" The; dead. 171
OUR Father, V. And lead us not into tempta-
tion. R. But deliver us from evil. V. From
the gates of hell. R. Deliver his soul, O Lord. V.
May he rest in peace. R. Amen. V. Lord, hear my
prayer. R. And let my cry come unto thee. V. The
Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
ABSOLVE, we beseech thee, O Lord, the soul of
thy servant from every chain of sin, that he
being raised in the glory of the resurrection may live
forever among thy saints and elect; through Christ
our Lord. R. Amen.
6. The Mass.
Then the Celebrant enters the sanctuary and begins
the Mass, the choir singing the proper Introit or
hymn, if it be a High Mass.
7. The Absolution'^ or Dismissal of the Body.
The ceremonies for the solemn absolution or dis-
missal of the body will be found under the Ceremonies
-The term Absolutio is used in more than one sense in liturgical
terminology. In its more usual sense it means the remission of sin and
the release from ecclesiastical censure or penalty. It is also used of tlie
short prayer with which each nocturn of the breviary is concluded.
And finally, it is used in the sense of dismissal or farewell. The term
has this last meaning when we speak of the rite of the "absolution of
the body." It is manifest that a dead body cannot be the subject of
the grace of remission of sin, nor is there the remotest suggestion of
such an idea in the anthems and prayers which compose the rite. Fur-
thermore the officiant of the rite need not be a Priest at all, but may
be a Deacon, as is often the case (Le Vavasseur, Ccr. Rom. 7th ed. vol.
i, p. 704). The object of the rite is the formal dismissal (ahsoliitio)
of the body from the Church militant. As at Baptism the Church
received it, with the person to which it was joined, into the visible
congregation of Christ's flock, so now the Church bids it farewell, com-
mends it to the keeping of God's angels imtil the last day, and prays
for its admission into the glory of the Church triumphant.
172 BURiAiv OF the; de;ad.
of High Mass. Here follow the ceremonies to be
observed after a Low Mass or a Choral Mass without
sacred ministers.
Immediately after the last Gospel, the Celebrant
goes to the sedilia and lays aside his chasuble and
maniple, and assumes a black cope if one be provided.
Then with his head covered and preceded by the aco-
lytes he goes to the coffin.
The cross-bearer and the candle-bearers place them-
selves at the head of the coffin and stand facing the
altar. The Celebrant, with his head uncovered, stands
at the foot of the coffin with his face turned towards
the cross, held by the cross-bearer, and having the
censer-bearer and the acolyte with the holy water at
his right hand.
Then the Priest says :
ENTER not into judgment with thy servant, O
Lord ; for in thy sight shall no man living be
justified unless thou grant unto him remission of all
his sins. We therefore pray thee, to condemn not with
the sentence of thy judgment Jiwi whom the earnest
pleading of thy faithful people now commendeth unto
thy mercy ; but grant that he being holpen by thy grace,
may be counted worthy to escape the sentence of thy
just vengeance, since in this life he received and bore
the seal of the holy Trinity; who livest and reignest,
world without end. R. Amen.
Then shall be sung, or else the Priest shall say:
BURIAL OF TIIK DEAD. 173
Libera me.
DELIVER me, O Lord, from death eternal in that
day of trembhng, when the heavens and the
earth shall be moved and thou shalt come to judge the
world by fire.
V. I am even now in fear and trembling as the sift-
ing draweth on and thy wrath is ready to be poured
forth, when the heavens and the earth shall be moved.
V. O that day, that day of wrath, of calamity, and
of misery ; O that great day and one exceeding bitter :
when thou shalt come to judge the world by fire.
V. Rest eternal grant unto them O Lord, and let
light perpetual shine upon them.
Deliver me, O. Lord, from death eternal in that
day of trembling when the heavens and the earth shall
be moved and thou shalt come to judge the world by
fire.
While the respond is being sung the incense is
blessed, and after the respond the choir sings or the
Priest says :
LORD have mercy, Christ have mercy. Lord have
mercy. Our Father.
Then the Priest, accompanied by an acolyte (or by
the Deacon of the Mass), sprinkles the coffin with
holy water thrice on either side; in the same manner
he passes around the coffin censing it. Then having
returned to his place, he says:
V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.
V. From the gates of hell.
R. Deliver his soul, O Lord.
174 BURiAiv OF The; dead.
V. May he rest in peace.
R. Amen.
V. Lord hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
OGOD whose nature and property is ever to have
mercy and to forgive ; receive our humble peti-
tions for the soul of thy servant N. [or thy servant N.,
thy Priest], whom thou hast bidden to depart out of
this world; deliver him not into the hands of the
enemy, neither forget him forever; but command thy
holy angels to receive him and to lead him into the
country where is the Paradise of God ; and forasmuch
as he hoped and believed in thee, let him not endure
the pains of hell, but make him to possess the joys
of everlasting life ; through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
While the body is being borne out of the Church
there shall be sung, or the Priest shall say :
In Paradisum.
INTO Paradise may the angels conduct thee; at thy
coming may the martyrs receive thee, and lead
thee into the holy city Jerusalem ; may the choir of the
angels receive thee; and with Lazarus once a beggar,
mayest thou possess the everlasting rest.
When the body is not present the above prayer and
the anthem In Paradisum shall be omitted, and in place
of the prayer shall be said this collect and the versicles
following :
BURiAiv opf The; dead. 175
ABSOLVE we beseech thee, O Lord, the soul of
thy servant A'^., that being dead unto the world,
he may live unto thee; and whatsoever defilements he
may have contracted in this life through the frailty
of the flesh, do thou of thy merciful pardon and good-
ness wash away ; through Christ our Lord, R. Amen,
V. Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord.
R. And let light perpetual shine upon him.
V. May he rest in peace.
R. Amen.
8. The Procession to the Grave.
When the Priest accompanies the body to the grave,
the procession advances to the door of the Church and
thence to the grave, in the following order : The
censer-bearer (carrying the incense boat and the censer
containing burning coals,^) walks with another acolyte
who carries the vessel of holy water and the sprinkler ;
then follows the Sub-Deacon, or an acolyte, carrying
the processional cross and walking between the two
candle-bearers with torches or processional lanterns ;
then the clergy; and last of all the Priest, with the
Deacon at his left hand. The corpse is borne immedi-
ately behind the Priest, and is followed, as on entering
the Church, by the relatives and friends.
If choristers accompany the body to the grave, they
walk in advance of the clergy and behind the acolytes.
On the way to the grave may be sung any suitable
anthem or hymn.
Arrived at the grave, the clergy and acolytes stand
'Where the cemetery is far distant from the church the use of the
censer will have to be dispensed with.
175 BURIAL 01^ THE DEAD.
around it in the order in which they stood about the
bier, in the Church, at the Absolution.
The bier with the body upon it, or (if the bier is
not used in the cemetery) the coffin, is set down near
the grave.
9. The Blessing of the Grave.
If the grave has not been blessed, the Priest at once
proceeds to bless it, in the following manner : Standing
with uncovered head he reads, or sings, in the ferial
tone,
Let us pray.
OGOD, by whose mercy the souls of the faithful
rest in peace, vouchsafe to bless >^ this grave,
and give thy holy angel charge concerning it ; and
absolve also from every chain of sin the souls of those
whose bodies are here buried, that with thy saints they
may forever rejoice in thee. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Then the Priest blesses the incense (if it is to be
used), after which he sprinkles, in the midst, to the
left, and then to the right hand, first the coffin and then
the grave. Then, taking the censer, the Priest censes
both the coffin and the grave in the manner in which
he sprinkled them.
If the grave has been blessed on some prior occasion,
neither the coffin nor the grave are sprinkled or censed.
When he has blessed the grave, or at once if it be
already blessed, the Priest begins the verse, "Man that
is bom," etc., and the choristers and others take up and
conclude the anthem.
During the singing the coffin is reverently lowered
BURIAL OF TH^ DEAD. \'J^
into the grave, which should be dug so that the foot
thereof looks to the east, if it can conveniently be done.
10. The Committal.
The anthem being ended, the Priest recites the com-
mittal, "Forasmuch," etc., and as he says the words,
"Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," "the
earth shall be cast upon the body" in the form of a
cross "by some standing by." *
Then shall be said or sung, "I heard a voice," etc.,
after which the Priest shall say :
V . Lord have mercy upon us.
R. Christ have mercy upon us.
V . Lord have mercy upon us.
Then the Priest shall say, in a loud voice, "Our
Father," and continuing to say the prayer in a low
voice (all joining with him in like manner), he
sprinkles the body thrice, as before directed. Then
the Priest sings or says in a loud voice, "And lead us
not," etc., and the acolytes and others make the re-
sponse. "But deliver us," etc., in the same tone.
Then the Priest sings or says the concluding prayer
or prayers, after which he says, "The grace of our
Lord," etc.
Then making the sign of the cross over the grave, he
says:
V. Rest eternal, grant unto him, O Lord.
R. And let light perpetual shine upon him.
V. May he rest in peace.
R. Amen.
* Anciently this was done by the Priest, and it was so ordered in the
Prayer-book of 1549.
178 BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
V. May his soul, and 'the souls of all the faithful
departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Arnen.
II. The Committal ivhen the Priest does not go to
the graz'e.
When the Priest is unable to go to the grave, imme-
diately after the anthem In Paradisum, there shall be
said or sung, "Man that is born of woman," etc. Then,
while the earth shall be cast upon the body by some
standing by, the Priest shall say, "Forasmuch as it
hath pleased," etc., and the rest as directed above.
After which the body shall be carried out of the
Church, the Priest and acolytes preceding it to the
door.
12. The Burial of an Infant.
If the body be that of a baptized child who died
before it attained the use of reason, the hangings of
the altar, and the vestments of the Priest should be
white; the altar may be adorned with flowers, and
flowers may be placed on the body ; all the candles
should be of white wax ; the processional cross should
be borne without its staflf f the Church bell should be
silent, or else may be rung festively, but must not be
tolled f and the Office for the Burial of Children should
be used.
^ The cross is borne without the staff to denote the shortness of the
child's pilgrimage on earth. (Baruffaldus, Com. ad Rit. Rom., tit. xl.,
12, 13.
" Rituale Romanum., De Exequis Parvulorum. The bell does not
call people to pray for the child's soul, but to come together in the
church, in order that the child, ■whose salvation is assured, may pray for
them. (Baruffaldus).
CHAPTER I.
The Asperges.
1. If the sprinkling with holy water is to take place
before the Mass.- in addition to the things prepared
for the Mass, there will be in readiness in the sacristy ;
the holy-water vessel containing pure and clean water,
the sprinkler, a vessel containing clean and fine salt, a
book containing the form or order for making holy
water, and a cope of the colour of the day for the
Celebrant ; and on the credence, the book containing
the office for the sprinkling. The Celebrant, Deacon
and Sub-Deacon will not put on their maniples until
after the sprinkling. The censer-bearer will carry the
holy-water vessel. The three maniples and the
chasuble to be worn during the Mass, will be laid
upon the seats of the Celebrant and his sacred min-
isters, on the Epistle side of the sanctuary, before the
Celebrant, Deacon, Sub-Deacon and acolytes go forth
from the sacristy.
2. If the water, to be used in making the aspersion,
* The sprinkling with holy water is appointed to be done on all Sun-
days, immediately before the principal iSlass; except when the Bishoi>
is the Celebrant; and when on I'alm Sunday, and on the Fea. Pur.
B. V. M. (when it occurs on Sunday) the Bishop blesses the palms and
candles. (Cf. Mis. Sarum. Ben. Salis et Aquaj, and Cierem Efiis., lib. ii.,
c. xxxi.) Aspersion of holy water is made only once on the same Sun-
day, in the same church. (See Vavasseur, Ceremonial, p. v. sec. ii,
ch. X.)
179
i8o the: asperges and the procession.
be blessed immediately before the service, the benedic-
tion may be made by the Celebrant after he has put
on his amice, alb, girdle and stole, and all others are
duly vested for the Mass; except that the Deacon
and the Sub-Deacon, who assist the Celebrant at the
hallowing of the water, will not put on the dalmatic and
the tunicle until after the benediction.
3. At the blessing of the water, all being in readi-
ness, and all the acolytes and clergy standing in their
places in the sacristy, as above described, the censer-
bearer will come to the Celebrant and hold up before
him the holy-water vessel. The Master of Ceremonies
will present to the Deacon, first the book and then the
vessel containing the salt.* The Deacon will give the
book to the Celebrant, and will hold the vessel, with
the salt, so that the Celebrant may conveniently exor-
cize and bless the salt therein.f The Sub-Deacon may
hold the holy-water vessel while the Celebrant exor-
cizes and blesses the water. Both the Deacon and the
Sub-Deacon will make the responses in the service of
benediction,^ during which all stand, having their heads
uncovered.
* The salt which is to be mingled with the water need not be exor-
cised and blessed afresh every time water is blessed, but may be taken
from some already hallowed, until the supply is exhausted.
"Benedictio salis, per exorcismum et Orationem, non debet fieri
quotiescumque aqua benedicitur; sed sal, semel pro hoc aquae Benedic-
tione bcnedictus et servatus,, adhiberi potest in sequentibus aquae Bene-
dictionibus." Van der Stappen, Sac. Liturgia, torn, iv., p. 367.
t "Quando in exorcismis verba adjurationis diriguntur ad creaturas
irrationales, vel inanimes (sicut contingit in benedictione aquae lustralis)
non est intentio Ecclesias vel Ministri eas alloqui, quasi eaedem connivere
debeant adjurationi, vel sensum verborum capere (hoc enim esset vanum
et superstitiosum:) sed ad denotandum ipsam adjurationem operaturam
suum efFectum in prredictis rebus, vel tanquam in subjectis, vel per ipsa
tanquam per instrumenta: Principalitcr autem verba diriguntur vel ad
Deum, quando adjuratio est deprecativa, ut ipsis creaturis utatur in
bonum fidelium, vel ad daemonem, quando adjuratio est imperativa, nC
per eas noceat, etc., ita D. Thom. 2.2. q. 90, art. 3." Quarti, De Sacris
Benedictionibus, tit. i., sec. iii.
' See Appendix viii.
THK ASPHRGES AND THE; PROCEISSION. l8l
4. If a Priest other than the Celebrant, bless the
water/ he will wear a surplice and violet stole, and be
assisted by an acolyte.
5. When the holy water is prepared, the Deacon and
Sub-Deacon will vest the Celebrant in the cope and
put on dalmatic and tunicle. Then all standing in their
places, the Celebrant says the usual prayers, after
which all bow to the cross or the principal image in
the sacristy. The Celebrant and his ministers put on
their birettas. All present bow to the Celebrant, who
slightly inclines his head in response. Then all pro-
ceed from the sacristy, and approach and stand before
the altar as ordered above ; except that the censer-bearer
will carry with his left hand the holy-water vessel, hold-
ing it a little away from and on a line with his breast,
and holding the sprinkler between the thumb and fore-
finger of his right hand, so that it rests on the edge
of the vessel. The Deacon and Sub-Deacon will walk
alongside the Celebrant, the Deacon on his right and
the Sub-Deacon on his left, supporting his cope. The
Deacon will have his right hand extended a little be-
low his breast and will hold the cope^ with his left
hand. The Sub-Deacon will have his left hand ex-
tended a little below his breast and will hold the cope
with his right hand. On arriving at the altar, all take
their places before the steps in the same order as at
Solemn High Mass, the sacred ministers give their
* The sprinkling should always be made by the Celebrant, and not by
another priest. This rule does not apply to the benediction of water.
Vavasseur, Ceremonial, p. v., sec. ii., ch. x.
* The cope, when supported in procession, shotild be grasped at the
outer edge of the orphrey, or on the under side of the same at its inner
edge, at a point a little below the waist of the sacred minister, (i. e..
where he may grasp it without stooping), and should be drawn a little
towards the sacred minister, far enough to bring it away from before
the person of the Celebrant, and so that the orphrey below the hand of
the minister hangs at the side of rather than in front of the Celebrant.
i82 the: aspErges and the procession.
birettas to the Master of Ceremonies or to some one
who acts for him. All make the accustomed or due
act of reverence towards the altar. The candle-bearers
then go to the credence (without again bowing or genu-
flecting) and put down thereon, their candlesticks:
the first candle-bearer puts his candlestick upon the
credence, on the end which is nearer the altar; the
second candle-bearer puts down his candlestick upon
the end which is further from the altar. They remain
standing by their candlesticks and facing the altar ; or,
if it be more convenient, they withdraw and stand in
the presbytery. When the candle-bearers go to the
credence, the acolytes who are to bear torches at the
elevation go to the places which the Master of Cere-
monies has appointed for them (which may be on the
Gospel side of the sanctuary if space is lacking on the
Epistle side), where they stand facing the altar.
6. The Celebrant then kneels upon the lowest step
of the altar, directly before the midst; the Deacon and
the Sub-Deacon kneeling at the same time upon the
same step, the Deacon on the right and the Sub-Deacon
on the left of the Celebrant ; the censer-bearer, hold-
ing the vessel of holy water and the sprinkler, kneels
upon the floor of the sanctuary, at the right of the
Deacon. The boat-bearer will go and stand with the
torch-bearers.
7. Then the censer-bearer hands the moistened
sprinkler to the Deacon ; and the Deacon presents
it to the Celebrant, first kissing the lower end of the
handle of the sprinkler.
The Celebrant, having taken the sprinkler in his
right hand, and continuing to kneel as before, intones
THE ASPERGES AND THE; PROCESSION. 183
the antiphon, "Thou shalt purge me," at the same time"
sprinkling the front of the altar, first in the midst, then
on the Gospel side and lastly on the Epistle side.
During Eastertide, i. e., from Easter Day to Whitsun
Day, inclusive, instead of "Thou shalt purge me," the
Celebrant will intone the antiphon, "1 saw water."
Then, still kneeling, the Celebrant sprinkles himself
by making the sign of the cross upon his forehead with
the sprinkler. Immediately after this the Celebrant
rises, stands erect, and sprinkles, first the Deacon and
next the Sub-Deacon, both of whom remain kneeling
while they receive the sprinkling; they then at once
rise and stand erect.
8. As soon as the Celebrant has intoned the first
words of the antiphon, the choir standing, sing the
remaining words, and then the Psalm, Miserere Met,
Deus, unto the end, with the Gloria Patri, after which
they sing the whole antiphon. On Passion and Palm
Sundays the choir do not sing the Gloria Patri, but
after the Psalm immediately sing the antiphon. Dur-
ing Eastertide, instead of the Psalm, Miserere Mei,
Deus (51), the Celebrant and his sacred ministers re-
cite, alternately, in a low voice, and the choir sing the
Psalm Confitemini Domino (118), with Gloria Patri,
and the antiphon Vidi aqnam. But if not able to recite
the whole of the Psalm Confitemini from memory, the
Celebrant and his ministers need not say more than the
first verse.
9. The Celebrant after he has sprinkled the Deacon
and Sub-Deacon, returns the sprinkler to the Deacon,
standing at his right ; the Deacon hands it to the censer-
•Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Rit., p. iv., t. xix., Merati, Novce Observ., xi.
184 the; aspe;rge;s and the; procession.
bearer. The latter immediately r'ses and stands at
the right of the Deacon, at the same time the Deacon
rises.
10. The Master of Ceremonies now advances and
stands by the censer-bearer. Then if the Blessed
Sacrament be reserved in the Tabernacle, the Cele-
brant and his sacred ministers, the Master of Cere-
monies and the censer-bearer, all facing the altar,
genuflect and rise at once ; or if the Blessed Sacrament
be not reserved there, all bow profoundly.
11. The Celebrant then turns; the Deacon, Sub-
Deacon, the censer-bearer and Master of Ceremonies
all bow to the Celebrant ; and all proceed in the fol-
lowing order: The Master of Ceremonies and the
censer-bearer go together in advance of the Celebrant,
who, with hands joined before his breast, walks be-
tween the Deacon on his right and the Sub-Deacon on
his left. The Deacon and Sub-Deacon support the
Celebrant's cope; the censer-bearer carrying the holy-
water vessel and sprinkler in the same manner as he
did on first approaching the altar, walks in front of
the Deacon, a little towards the right of the Deacon;
and the Master of Ceremonies, with hands joined,
walks on the left of the censer-bearer.
12. Having come into the choir, the Celebrant bows
to the clergy, who are on the Epistle side of the choir.
Then the Deacon having received from the censer-
bearer the moistened sprinkler, hands it to the Cele-
brant as at first, then stands at the Celebrant's right
hand and supports the cope on that side, the Sub-
Deacon meanwhile supporting the cope on the Cele-
brant's left hand. If among the clergy there are some
THE ASPERGDS AND TIlK PROCESSION. 1 85
of greater dignity than the others the Celebrant will
sprinkle theni first and singly ; then the others on that
side of the choir as a group with one sweeping motion
of the sprinkler.
After the Celebrant has sprinkled all the clergy on
one side of the choir, he returns the sprinkler to the
Deacon, who hands it to the censer-bearer as at the
first; then all face the altar, make the reverence due,
and face towards the other side of the choir. The
Celebrant again receiving the sprinkler from the
Deacon in the aforementioned manner, proceeds to
sprinkle all on the Gospel side in the order and man-
ner observed in the case of those who were first
sprinkled.
13. After the Celebrant has sprinkled the clergy on
both sides of the choir, he proceeds to sprinkle the
lay choristers, in groups : first those on the Epistle
side, then after due reverence towards the altar those
on the Gospel side, sprinkling each group with one
motion of the sprinkler.
14. If the singers be situated in a place remote
from the altar, so that it cannot otherwise be done
conveniently, they may be sprinkled by another Priest,
vested in surplice and stole, while the Celebrant
sprinkles the people and acolytes.*
15. The clergy and choristers stand erect, with heads
bare, and bow to the Celebrant before and after they
receive the sprinkling. The Celebrant salutes each
person, or group of persons, whom he sprinkles, with
a slight inclination of the head, before and after each
act of sprinkling. If the clergy are few in number,
•Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccerem., pt. ii., c. 8.
i86 the; aspe:rges and the; proce;ssion.
the Celebrant sprinkles each separately. If there are
no clergy in the choir stalls, the Celebrant sprinkles
all the acolytes first, then the choristers and lastly
the people.
1 6. When the choristers have been sprinkled, the
Celebrant returns the sprinkler to the Deacon, who
hands it to the censer-bearer. Then after due rever-
ence towards the altar the Celebrant goes, attended as
before, to the entrance of the choir, where again re-
ceiving the moistened sprinkler, he sprinkles the peo-
ple thrice: first, towards the midst; second, towards
those on his left ; third, towards those on his right,
with accustomed mutual salutations before and after
the sprinkling. All the people stand while the Cele-
brant sprinkles them.
17. Then returning the sprinkler, the Celebrant and
his attendants go back to the altar, make due rever-
ence towards it, and then, if it remains to be done, the
Celebrant sprinkles the Master of Ceremonies, censer-
bearer and other acolytes. During the time the Cele-
brant is making the sprinkling, he recites, in a low
voice, alternately with his sacred ministers, the Psalm
Miserere, with the Gloria Patri and the antiphon.
The sprinkling ended, the Celebrant returns the
sprinkler to the Deacon, who hands it to the censer-
bearer. The censer-bearer goes at once to the cre-
dence, upon which he places the holy-water vessel,
together with the sprinkler, and takes from the cre-
dence or from the Master of Ceremonies the book
containing the order of service for the sprinkling;
and after due reverence to the altar, returns to the
right hand of the Deacon, to whom he gives the book.
THE ASPERG1=;S AND TIIU PROCESSION, 1 87
19. The Celebrant standing erect with hands joined,
before the lowest step of the altar, directly in the midst
and facing the altar, having the Deacon on his right
and the Sub-Deacon on his left, awaits the end of the
singing by the choir.
20. The singing ended, the Deacon, assisted by the
Sub-Deacon, holds the book before the Celebrant, who
then sings the versicle, "O Lord, show thy mercy
upon us" (to which, in Eastertide he adds, "Alleluia"),
the choir responding, "And grant us thy salvation"
(adding in Eastertide, "Alleluia"). After singing the
remaining versicles, to which the choir respond, the
Celebrant sings the prayer, "Hear us," etc. The
Deacon then hands the book to the censer-bearer, who
then returns to the credence, and afterward receives
the cope (which the Deacon and Sub-Deacon remove
from the Celebrant), and carries both cope and book
to the sacristy, first making due reverence to the altar,
and accompanied, as he goes away from the altar, by
the boat-bearer.
21. The prayer, "Hear us," etc., ended, the Cele-
brant and the sacred ministers after due reverence to
the altar, go to the sedilia on the Epistle side of the
sanctuary. There standing, facing the altar, the
Deacon and Sub-Deacon divest the Celebrant of his
cope, which the Deacon hands either to the Master of
Ceremonies or to the censer-bearer. Then aided by
the sacred ministers the Celebrant puts on his maniple
and chasuble.
22. When the Celebrant is duly vested for Mass,
the sacred ministers put on their maniples, and then
all three return to the midst before the lowest step of
l88 THD ASPERGi;S AND TH^ PRO' :SSION.
the altar, the Sub-Deacon going in adv .. ice, the Deacon
following him, and lastly the Celebrant, all having
their hands joined before the breast, and their heads
uncovered.
23. Arrived before the altar the Celebrant and the
two sacred ministers make the accustomed reverence
to the altar, then all three standing erect, the Cele-
brant makes the sign of the cross from his forehead
to his breast and begins the Mass,® saying (at the same
time that he signs himself), "In the Name of the
Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
The sacred ministers make the sign of the cross at the
same time and in the same manner.
24. At this instant, and not before, the choir begin
to sing^" the Introit}^ At this time also the Master
of Ceremonies and all the acolytes kneel, the acolytes
in their appointed places, the Master of Ceremonies on
the floor at the Epistle end of the altar, or where it
may be convenient, all face the altar, join with the
sacred ministers in the responses and keep their hands
joined except when they make the sign of the cross,
or strike the breast in common with the sacred min-
isters in the Confession.
• "Every Mass is so to be esteemed and said by every Priest, as if
it were said for the first time, and never afterwards to be repeated;
for so great a gift ought always to be new." Sarum and _ York_ Can-
tels ("Habenda et dicenda a quocunque sacerdote, quasi prima dicatur
et nunquam amplius sit dicenda. Tam magnum enim donum semper
debet esse novum." Missate Sarum, septima cantela.)
10 Vavasseur, Ceremonial, pt. vi., sec. i., ch. i., art. 2; and Merati,
Nova Observ., in Gav., Thesau. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. iii.
" Formerly (as appointed in the Eng. Pr. Bk. of iS49) an entire
psalm was sung, with its antiphon and doxology, and the choir look
up the chant of the Introit when the Celebrant came forth from the
sacristy and sang the psalm as he proceeded to the altar. Modern
usage makes the Introit to consist of one verse of a psalm and the dox-
ology, preceded and followed by the antiphon, and to be sung when
the Celebrant arrives before the altar.
"Cum vero Episcopus pervenerit ante infimum gradum altaris. . . .
cessat sonitus organorum, et chorus incipit Introitum." Carem. Bpis.,
lib. ii., cap, viii,, sec, 30.
THE ASPERGES AND THE PROCESSION. 189
25. The censer-bearer will return promptly from the
sacristy with censer, containing burning coals, accom-
panied by the boat-bearer with incense-boat, contain-
ing incense and spoon, and both will kneel on the
sanctuary floor, at Epistle end of altar, facing the
altar.
CHAPTER II.
The Procession Beeore the Solemn Mass.
In accordance with ancient custom^ a solemn pro-
cession may take place immediately before the prin-
cipal or Solemn Mass on the greater festivals.
1. When there is to be such a procession, the en-
trance of the Celebrant and his attendants, from the
sacristy to the altar, will be ordered as directed above
(page 10), except that the Celebrant will wear a cope
of the colour of the day, and the maniples will not be
put on until the Celebrant is about to begin the Mass.
The chasuble to be worn at the Mass, and the maniples
of the Celebrant and his sacred ministers, will be
placed on the sedilia at the Epistle side of the sanctu-
ary. On entering the sanctuary from the sacristy the
sacred ministers will walk on either side of the Cele-
brant and support his cope.
2. When all have made due reverence towards the
altar, the Celebrant, accompanied by the sacred min-
isters who support his cope, ascends the steps of the
altar and kisses the altar in the midst. If the Blessed
1 "Processio ante Missam antiqua est." Gavantus, Thes. Sac. Kit.,
pt. tit. ii., rub. v.
190 THE ASpRRGES AND 1*115! PROCESSION.
Sacrament be reserved in the Tabernacle, the sacred
ministers genuflect on the foot-pace on either side of
the Celebrant, when he kisses the altar, otherwise
they bow profoundly. After the Celebrant has kissed
the altar, the censer-bearer attended by the Master
of Ceremonies and followed by the boat-bearer, comes
up to the foot-pace from the floor at the Epistle
end of the altar ; or all three go directly up the altar
steps from the places where they stood when they
arrived before the altar. Incense is then put into the
censer and blessed, all being done as directed at the
time of the Introit on page 18. When the incense has
been blessed by the Celebrant, the censer-bearer closes
the censer, and after due reverence towards the cross,
returns to the floor of the sanctuary, attended as be-
fore by the Master of Ceremonies and followed by the
boat-bearer.
3. Then the censer-bearer, having the boat-bearer
on his left hand, goes to the midst before the altar, at
a convenient distance from the lowest step, where he
stands facing the altar. The Master of Ceremonies
goes to his place before the Epistle corner of the altar,
first taking up and carrying with him the birettas to be
worn by the Celebrant and the Deacon. Meanwhile
the Sub-Deacon, after due act of reverence towards
the cross, turns by his right and goes directly down
to the floor, where facing the altar he genuflects ;^ or,
if the Blessed Sacrament be not in the tabernacle,
bows profoundly ; then he receives from an acolyte the
processional cross, and at the same time the two candle-
bearers take up their candlesticks and go before the
■Mcrati, in Gav.. nt. iv., tit. vii., Ohserv. xxii.
TIIIC ASPERCES AND TIIE; TROCKSSION. I9I
altar, behind the Sub-Deacon, and after due act of
reverence towards the altar they advance and stand,
the first on the right hand, and the second on the left
hand of the Sub-Deacon ; then all three go and stand
in front of the censer-bearer, where facing the altar,
they await the signal from the Master of Ceremonies
to begin the procession.
4. When the Sub-Deacon goes away from the place
where he received the processional cross, the Cele-
brant and the Deacon, without any further act of
reverence turn towards the people, the Celebrant by
his right and the Deacon by his left, and come down
to the floor ; where facing the altar they make due
act of reverence towards the altar.^ Then the Master
of Ceremonies gives to the Deacon the Celebrant's
biretta, which the Deacon presents to the Celebrant
with the accustomed salutations, and then receives
his own biretta from the hands of the Master of
Ceremonies. The Celebrant and the Deacon put on
their birettas.*
5. When the Celebrant covers his head, the Master
of Ceremonies signals the censer-bearer to go for-
ward. Immediately after due reverence towards the
altar, the censer-bearer and the boat-bearer turn to-
wards the people and begin the procession ; the boat-
bearer walks at the left of the censer-bearer, holding
the boat as usual ; and the censer-bearer will carry and
' Bauldry, Man. Sac. Carcm., pt. iv., cap. 3, art. iii. In the Proces-
sions on Candlemas and Palm Sunday, the Deacon, before de.scendinR
lo the floor goes to his step behind the Celebrant, and facing the people,
sings "Let us go forth in peace," to which the choir sing in response,
"In the Name of Christ, Amen." (UarufFaldo, Ad Rit. Rom. Com.,
torn, ii., tit. Ixxvii., sec i.)
* Within the church no one other than the Celebrant and his sacred
ministers wears the biretta. Cp. Dc llerdt, Praxis Pontif., lib. i., cap. 3.
192 the; asperges and the procession.
swing the censer* as directed on page 11. If, during the
progress of the procession, there be need to put more
incense in the censer, the censer-bearer will stand still
for an instant, raise the top of the censer, and the
boat-bearer puts incense therein ; then the censer-
bearer closes the censer and immediately proceeds as
before. The censer-bearer will hold himself erect,
keep his eyes cast down on the way before him, and
walk slowly in a reverent and dignified manner,
6. The course of the procession (within the Church)
will be ordered according to the custom of the place
and to the space available. Regularly, the procession
will move from the left to the right, going forth on
the Epistle side of the Church and returning by the
Gospel side. Thus the course may be either of the
following, as may be convenient: The procession
may go forth from the chancel, then through the tran-
sept to the south side, then to the west end of the
Church, and returning by the central passageway to
the chancel ; or it may go from the chancel directly
down the central passageway to the west end, thence
to the north aisle and so returning to the chancel ; or
continuing on past the high altar to the south aisle it
may go again to the west end, and then return by the
central passageway, to the chancel.
As soon as the censer-bearer has begun to move, the
cross-bearer and the two candle-bearers, turning to
the right without changing their relative positions, and
without any further act of reverence, follow the censer-
bearer. While thus carrying the cross and lighted
* "Praecedit semper ministrum crucem gestantetn, tenens Thuribulum
prope cooperculum manu dextra, et lllud continuo ante crucem leviter
agitans." Van der Stappen, Sac. Lit., torn, v., p. 33.
THE ASPKRGES AND THE PROCESSION. I93
candles in procession, the cross-bearer and the two
candle-bearers make no act of reverence, not even to
the Blessed Sacrament which may be reserved on an
altar which the procession passes by, or which is being
elevated by a Priest saying Mass.""' The cross will be
carried with its figure turned forward and the back
part looking towards the procession which follows.
The candlesticks will be carried as directed above, on
page II.
The Master of Ceremonies having made due rever-
ence to the altar takes his place in the procession. He
will ordinarily walk behind the cross-bearer ; yet he
has no fixed place, but may walk in advance of the
clergy or the acolytes or the Celebrant, or wherever he
may best perform the duties of his office, and so may
change his position, if need be, in a quiet and reverent
manner during the procession.
The choristers walking two by two, and the juniors
preceding, make due act of reverence towards the
altar as they come to the midst before turning to fol-
low in procession after the cross-bearer and the Master
of Ceremonies.® The choir will begin their song at
at signal from the Master of Ceremonies, immediately
before the censer-bearer begins to move.
After the choristers come the clergy, who may be
present, walking two by two, and duly vested in sur-
plices. Then the acolytes, and lastly the Celebrant,
with the Deacon on his left hand, not supporting the
cope. If they do not hold books, the Celebrant and
the Deacon will have their hands joined before the
* Bauldry, Man. Sac. Ccerem., pt. ii., cap. xiv., sec. xv.
' In cathedral churches the singers may go in procession, in advance
of the censer-bearer. Ibid. sec. xvii., and pt. v., lib. ii., cap. xvi., sec.
xix.
13
194 THE ASPERGES AND THE PROCESSION.
breast. Before turning to follow in procession, each
pair of the clergy and acolytes make due act of rever-
ence towards the altar. Each pair in the procession
will walk about three or four paces distant from the
person or persons in advance of them, and all will
keep in a straight line. If any one go in procession
without a companion, he will walk in the midst of the
line of the procession, and equi-distant from the couples
before and behind him. Each person in the proces-
sion will be intent on the prayers. Psalms or hymns
sung (or said) during the progress of the procession,
hold no conversation with others whether within or
without the procession, not look about, nor behave in
any unseemly manner.
If a Bishop be present he will follow the Celebrant,
and have two attendant clergy or acolytes, vested in
surplices, supporting his cope on either side. The
Bishop will carry his staff in his left hand if he be
the Bishop of the diocese, or a Bishop who has re-
ceived jurisdiction to act in the stead of the Bishop of
the diocese. If need be, his staff may be borne by a
chaplain vested in surplice, walking before him. Be-
fore the Bishop (or before his chaplain carrying his
staff) may go two acolytes vested in surplices, carrying
lighted candles in candlesticks. Other attendants (if
any) of the Bishop will walk in pairs, at equal dis-
tances, behind him. Also, if it be the custom of the
place, lighted candles may be borne by two acolytes,
before the Celebrant.
If in the way by which the procession must pass,
there be a narrow space through which the cross-bearer
and his candle-bearers cannot walk abreast, the candle-
bearers will precede the cross-bearer.*^
' Quarti, de Process., sec. prima punct. vi.
THE ASPERGES AND THE PROCESSION. I95
Having returned into the chancel, after due act of
reverence towards the altar, as before, all go to their
places. The candle-bearers put down their candle-
sticks upon the credence. Other acolytes bearing
candles carry them to the sacristy and return at once
to their places in the sanctuary. When the Celebrant
and Deacon draw near, an acolyte takes the cross from
the Sub-Deacon, and carries it to its place and returns
to his own place. The Sub-Deacon then goes to the
left of the Celebrant, and after due act of reverence
standing on the floor before the midst of the altar, all
three go at once to the sedilia, where the Celebrant is
divested of his cope (the Master of Ceremonies and
the Deacon, or the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon assist-
ing) ; and then, at the hands of the sacred ministers
he receives his maniple and chasuble. When the Cele-
brant is vested, the Deacons put on their maniples.
Then the Sub-Deacon preceding, the Deacon following
him, and the Celebrant following the Deacon, all three
go by the floor of the sanctuary to the midst before the
lowest step of the altar, where the Celebrant standing
in the midst, the Deacon at his right hand and the
Sub-Deacon at his left, they make together due act of
reverence towards the altar; and then standing erect
the Celebrant signs himself with the sign of the cross
and begins the Mass as directed above, on page 16.
When the Celebrant has laid aside his cope at the
sedilia, it is at once carried to the sacristy by the
Master of Ceremonies, or by some one of the acolytes,
who after putting it away in its place, returns at once
to the sanctuary.
If banners are borne in procession, the principal one
is carried immediately before the processional cross;
196 the; aspergks and the procession.
olliers are carried at convenient points in the proces-
sion, e. g., immediately in advance of the attendant
clergy, the acolytes and the choristers. All the ban-
ners should be of ecclesiastical shape and be adorned
with only suitable devices and pictures.
The acolytes or other persons who carry the ban-
ners, when the procession is ended, put them in their
places, as the Master of Ceremonies may direct, and
then return promptly to their proper places in the
sanctuary or choir.
If both the rite of sprinkling and a procession take
place before the Mass the former should precede the
latter, or more properly (as of old) the sprinkling of
the people should be made by the Celebrant as he goes
in procession. t
t Cf. Quarti, de Process., sec. ii., punct. vii.
APPENDIX.
I. Of the Offerings of Money made by the People.
When alms or offerings of the people are received on occa-
sions of public worship other than the Mass, they should not
be placed upon the altar, for that ceremony, whereby a formal
presentation is made of such offerings, belongs properly to the
Mass only.
Our custom of making an offering of money, on occasions
of public worship, is a comparatively modern substitute for
the ancient usage of offering bread and wine, and other gifts
for the service of God. "In the primitive Church, all who
were to be communicated were accustomed to offer bread and
wine to be consecrated for themselves at the altar." ' In an
Epistle ascribed to Fabian (Bishop of Rome, A. D. 236-250),
it is decreed that ''every Lord's day, oblations both of bread
and wine be made by every man and woman." ^ The portion
of such oblations not used for the holy sacrifice, was reserved
for the use of the priest or distributed among the poor. This
custom prevailed also in England. "The constitutions of
Theodulph,"^ — A. D. 797 — "enjoin that all Christian men
should on Sunday morning, come with their offerings to the
Celebration of Mass." *
Of the custom of offering bread and wine by those who
were to be communicated in the Mass, the Canon in the Latin
Mass at this day bears witness in the words, "et omnium cir-
cumstantium . . . qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis;"
while in the Mass at the consecration of a Bishop, the Bishop-
elect is required to make such an offering: "Dicto Offertorio,
Consecrator sedet cum mitra in faldistorio, ante medium
altaris. Et Consecratus veniens ex sua capella, inter assistentes
^ Merati, Nova Observ., in Cav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. i., tit. xii.
2 Ibid.
' See Thorpe, Ancient Laws, IT. 406.
* Simmons Lay Folks Mass Boob, pg. 236.
197
198 APPENDIX.
Episcopos medius, coram Consecratore genuflectit, et illi offert
duo intortitia accensa, duos panes, ct duo barilia vino plena,
et Consecratoris prsedicta recipientis manum reverenter oscu-
latur." '
When, in later times, because love had grown cold, fewer
communions were made by the people, and there was needed
for the sacrifice but a small quantity of bread and wine, the
people began generally to offer money instead. Honorius, of
Autun, A. D. 1 1 30, refers to this change of custom and its
cause, in the following words : "After that the Church had
indeed increased in number, yet had diminished in sanctity,
on account of carnal sins, it was appointed that they who
could, should communicate each week, or on Sundays, or at
the chiefest festivals, or thrice in the year, lest, before con-
fession and penitence for some crime, they might take (the
sacrament) to their condemnation. And because when the
people were not communicating, it was not necessary to pro-
vide so much bread, it was appointed that it (the bread) should
be formed in the shape of coins. And that the people, in lieu
of the oblation of bread, should offer coins, for which, they
should remember, the Lord was betrayed. Which coins, how-
ever, they should give for the use of the poor, who are mem-
bers of Christ, or for something which pertains to this sacri-
fice." "Postquam autem Ecclesia numero quidem augebatur,
sed sanctitate minuebatur, propter carnales statutum est, ut
qui possent. singulis dominicis, vel in Dominica, vel summis
festivitatibus, vel ter in anno communicarent, ne ante confes-
sionem et pcenitentiam pro aliquo crimine judicium sibi sume-
rent. Et quia populo non communicante, non erat necesse,
panem tam magnum fieri, statutum est, eum in modum denarii
formari. Et ut populus pro oblatione farinse denarios offerret,
pro quibus dominum traditum recognosceret. Qui tamen
denarii in usum pauperum, qui membra sunt Christi, cederent,
vel in aliquid quod ad hoc sacrificium pertinet."*
"Except at coronations, ordinations, the consecration of
nuns, and special services when the Mass was celebrated by
^ Pontif. Rom., pars prima. Cf. Secreta, Dom. V., post Pentec, Mis.
Rom.
'Gemma Anima, cap. Iviii. ; Speculum Antiq. Devotionis, '1 Joanne
Cochlaeo collectum; JVIentz, A. D. 1549.
APPENDIX. 199
a Bishop, it had ceased to be the custom in this country (Eng-
land, in the thirteenth century) for the people to oflfer bread
and wine. The money offerings of the people were received
after the Offertory had been sung, and the bread had been
taken from the paten and laid upon the corporas, and the
chalice 'made,' i. c, after water had been mixed with the
wine."
"This we gather from English authorities, but it (1. e., the
mingling of water with the wine) was expressly laid down in
the rubrics of several French uses, e. g., in that of Evreux.
The priest elevated the chalice with the wine and water, the
paten upon it, and the bread thereupon, and after the prayer
suscipe, he placed the bread upon the corporas, and took the
paten for the offerings, and after the offering said over the
people, 'Centuplum accipiatis, et vitam eternam possidiatis.' "^
The offerings, whether of bread and wine or, in later times,
of money, were received by the priest and his ministers at
the foot of the altar steps or at the entrance of the choir.
"The (following) description given of this ceremony in the
eighteenth century (at Rouen) might very well have served
for that of an English mediaeval church. 'Aux grandes fetes
le celebrant avec le diacre et le soudiacre descend au bas
I'autel, et donne a baiser la patene. C'est le soudiacre qui
recoit les offerandes, et qui les porte sur I'autel.' " *
The following are the directions for the solemn reception
of the offerings under the use of Paris :*
"When the offerings of the clergy and people are to be made,
the Celebrant receives the paten and the purificator from the
deacon; and then while the choir sing the Offertory, the Cele-
brant having made an inclination to the altar, presents the
paten to the deacon, sub-deacon and acolytes to be kissed
by them. The acolytes carry, one a holy-water vessel and
sprinkler, the other the basin or vase in which the offerings are
to be received. Then the Celebrant standing erect, between
the deacon and sub-deacon, upon the lowest step of the altar,
or at the balustrade of the sanctuary, receives the offerings,
'' Simmons Lay Folks Mass Book, pp. 232, 233, note.
* Moleon, Voyages Liturgiques, pg. 366, quoted in Simmons Lay
Folks Mass Book, pg. 236.
' Manuel des Ceremonies selon Le Rite de L'Eglise de Paris, published
by D'Adrien Le Clerc et Cie, Paris, A. D. 1846.
200 APPENDIX.
and to those who approach he then presents the paten to be
kissed. To the priests, deacons and sub-deacons, he presents
the concave part; to others he presents the convex; wiping
the paten each time with the purificator, and saying, 'Pax tibi.'
They who kiss the paten bow and reply, 'Et cum spiritu tuo,'
and bow again after kissing the paten. Finally, the Celebrant
returns the paten and purificator to the deacon. If there be
bread to be blessed (pain a benir), he blesses it, reciting the
prayer marked in the Ordinary of the Mass; and having
received the sprinkler from the deacon (with the accustomed
salutations) he sprinkles the bread thrice with holy water.
After the offering the Celebrant returns to the altar with the
deacon and sub-deacon."
The use of the paten (upon which the oblation of bread has
been made immediately before, at the altar) for the reception
of the alms or to be kissed by the people, was repeatedly for-
bidden, c. g., by Pope Pius V, and again by the Third Provin-
cial Council of Milan (A. D. 1574), but, nevertheless, the prac-
tice was continued in various places in France, until the mid-
dle of the last century, as the authorities and dates, quoted
above, show.
II. Of Benkdictus qui venit.
There is a very considerable diversity of opinion,
and also of custom, as to the particular time and place, wherein
are to be sung the words, "Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest." By the present
Roman use Benedictus qui venit, etc., is commonly sung after
the Celebrant has uttered the words of consecration, and while
he is saying the last half of the Canon, and not until then,
because the words had their fulfilment after the advent of
Christ into this world. This usage, although ordered by a
rubric in the Ceremonial of Bishops,* in a Solemn Mass at
the consecration of a Bishop, is not prescribed in the missal,
and, therefore, according to the judgment of P. M. Quarti,
"they who sing this (7. e., the Benedictus) before the conse-
cration are not to be condemned." "Benedictus qui venit, etc.,
non cantatur a choro nisi post consecrationem et elevationem.
. . . Quia autem hie ritus non praescribitur in Missali, et
1 Cwrem. Epis., lib. ii., c. 8.
APPENDIX. 201
Caerimoniale loquitur de Missis solemnibus celebrante Epis-
copo, non sunt damnandi, qui illud canunt ante Consccra-
tionem, absente Episcopo." ^
The earlier usage undoubtedly was to sing the Bcncdictus
immediately after the Sanctus (of which it is the concluding
sentence) and before the consecration, as in anticipation of
Christ's coming in the holy mysteries. The custom of pro-
longing the chant of Sanctus and Benedictus, while the Cele-
brant was proceeding with the Canon (a custom that began
to prevail in the sixteenth century, in spite of the fact that
such overlapping of the several parts of the Mass had been
forbidden by conciliar authority), in all probability, led to the
enactment of the rule that Benedictus qui vcnit should be sung
after, and not before, the consecration and elevation, so that
there might be no chant or song while the priest was saying
the words of consecration and elevating the Sacrament.
With us, there are three places in the Mass, at any one of
which, according to the judgment of the Priest, the Benedictus
may be sung, viz. : immediately after the Sanctus; after the
Prayer of Humble Access, and before the Prayer of Consecra-
tion; and immediately after the Prayer of Consecration.
In our Liturgy the Sanctus ends with the response Amen,
which hinders the immediate musical sequence of the hymn
Benedictus qui venit, and hence it may seem to be more con-
venient to sing it after the prayer of "Humble Access," and
immediately before the beginning of the Prayer of Consecra-
tion; at which time (by the terms of the rubric in that place),
there is a little pause or break in the service, to enable the
Priest so to order "the bread and wine that he may with the
more readiness and decency break the bread before the people,
and take the cup into his hands," and when it is customary
for the Priest to pause, before going on with the Canon, for
momentary recollection and devotion.
On the other hand, there need be no great difficulty in lead-
ing on speedily from the chant or song of the Sanctus to that
of Benedictus qui venit; and if that be done, then the close
relation of the Prayer of Humble Access to the Prayer of
Consecration is better preserved, and the Priest's act of sup-
' Quarti, Com. in Rvb. Mi's., pt. ii., tit. vii , ii.
202 APPENDIX,
plication, begun in the Prayer of Humble Access, is not inter-
rupted by the song of the choir.
Moreover, if the Sanctus and Benedictus are not separated,
there is a more explicit setting forth in mystery, of the con-
current praises of the heavenly host and mankind upon earth.
For in a Solemn Mass, when the Celebrant and his ministers
say the Sanctus and Benedictus in a low voice (inaudible to
the people), they mystically represent the angelic host whose
voices are inaudible to us, and the choir, who sing the same
hymns with loud voices (audible to all and stirring up devo-
tion among the people), manifestly represent the praising of
God by His human servants upon earth.^
If the song of Benedictus be deferred until after the Prayer
of Consecration, it serves as an outburst of joyous greeting to
our Blessed Lord, sacramentally present upon the altar.
HI. Of Additional Lights at the Elevation.
Acolytes hold lighted wax candles "when the Gospel is to
be read, or the sacrifice is to be offered,"^ as a sign of joy and
to represent symbolically Christ the true Light. The additional
lignts that are used at the consecration and elevation of the
most Holy Sacrament, are also intended to add dignity to the
principal Mass at which the greater number of the people may
be expected to assist, and for the purpose of exciting and in-
creasing their devotion.
"Usus luminum ad altare praescribitur ab Ecclesia, non solum
in reverentiam Sacramenti, sed etiam ad excitandos fideles
ad attentionem et devotionem erga ilia mysteria peculiaria quae
in missa repraesentantur. ... In missa solemni, quae majori
pompa et apparatu celebratur, peculiares et solemniores ritus,
prsesertim in elevatione, servari decet. . . . Ratio autem
hujus ntus manifesta est ex dictis, ut majori pompa quam in
missis privatis fiat tunc in elevatio Sanctissimi Sacramenti, et
ad majorem devotionem et reverentiam excitentur populi tunc
quando eis ostenditur et proponitur adorandum." ^
"There were also torches held lit at St. Alban's at the
2 Cf. Durandus, Rationale, lib. iv., c. 34, et Quarti, Com. in Rub.
Mis., pt. ii., tit. vii.
1 Cp. Note, pg. 39.
* P. M. Quarti, Com. in Rub. Mi<:., pt. ii., tit. viii., 8.
APPENDIX. 203
sacring, as in the majority of churches in England. They are
met with as an established custom as early as 1287 in Exeter
diocese, and even before that in London, and from that time
onwards they are general. It was the duty of the under-
sufTragan (assistant clerk) of St. Nicholas', Bristol, to see
that two torches on the Sunday be burning at the High Mass
sacring.' ... In some places only one was lit, in others
two, and in some four or even more. ... At St. Alban's
Abbey and Exeter Cathedral they were also held upraised at
the sacring or elevation.'" '
The modern Roman Ceremonial directs the acolytes who
carry torches in festal Masses, to go forth from the sanctuary
with their torches, immediately after the elevation, if there
be no communion by other than the Celebrant ; but if there
is to be a communion by the people, the torches are not to be
withdrawn until after such communion has taken place.
"Clerici vero cum suis intortitiis manent genuflexi donee facta
fuerit Communio omnibus."* Yet it is ordered that in Masses
for the dead, and in masses on most vigils and on certain
other fasting days, the torches shall remain until after the
communion of the priest, even though there be no sacramental
communion by the people. "In missis vigiliarum et pro De-
functis, etiam si non fit facienda communio, nihilminus tene-
antur intortitia accensa usque ad sumptionom sacramenti, quae
fit a Celebrante." *
Moreover, it is ordered in the Roman ceremonial that the
torch-bearers shall remain, holding their lighted torches at the
Solemn Mass on Maundy Thursday, until the end of the Mass,
and take part in the procession which follows immediately.
In the Maundy Thursday Mass, before the general Com-
munion, the host which is consecrated to be reserved until the
following day, is placed by the Celebrant in a chalice, which
is then covered with paten, pall and veil, by the Deacon, and
set down on the mensa in the midst, near the tabernacle. To
the Sacrament thus reserved in veiled chalice upon the altar,
' The Ceremonial Use of Lights, by Cuthbert Atchley; in Some Prin-
ciples, etc., edited by J. Wickam L,egg, L,ondon, 1899.
*Merati, Novce Observ., in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. ix.,
xxvii.
* P. M. Quarti, Com. in Rub. Mis., pt. ii., tit. viii., 8.
204 APPIvNDlX.
due reverence is shown, as in a Mass l^eforc the exposed
Sacrament. Therefore, the Celebrant genuflects every time he
passes, leaves, or returns to, the midst of the altar, and the
lights in candelabra before the altar continue burning, and
the torch-bearers remain in their places holding their torches.
"Si in altari remaneant Particular in calice, sen in alio vase,
usque ad finem Missa?, serventur ea, quae in Feria quinta Coenae
Domini praescribuntur circa finem Missje." ''
"Ministri . . . afferunt totidem funalia cera albse ac-
censa, . . . collocant se genuflexi hinc inde a lateribus
sub-diaconi, . . . vel si magis congruit, ad latera altaris,
ibique remanent genuflexi donee fiet processio, et dum Com-
munionem sunt accepturi alios sibi substituunt, qui sustineant
dicta funalia, et deinde post Communionem eadem recipiunt."*
With us, in every Mass, the Sacrament remains upon the
altar until after the blessing. Therefore, for the complete
fulfilment of the purpose for which they were kindled, viz.,
to show especial honour to our Blessed Lord's Presence in the
vSacrament and to move the people to greater devotion, the
lights in the candelabra before the altar and the torches borne
by acolytes, should remain burning until the Sacrament is
consumed, or has been removed from the altar, or placed in
some tabernacle.
IV. Of the Bell at the Elevation.
" 'A litel bell men oj'se to ryng,' points to a time when the
ringing of the bell at the elevation was not prescribed by any
general authority, but was adopted in particular cases because
some men used to do it. . . . When it was that the bell
began to be rung, must, of course, depend upon the date as-
signed to the earliest elevation of the host at the words of con-
secration, . . . the best opinion seems to be that this cere-
mony was first practised in France, in the latter part of the
eleventh century. . . . Episcopal recognition of the bell is
to be found in a constitution of William, Bishop of Paris, in
the year iigg, or according to other authorities the year 1202
or 1203. In this he expressly refers to the fact that the cere-
^ Mis. Rom., Rit. Cel. Mis. x. 7.
' Nov« Ohserv.. Merati in Gav., Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. iv., tit. viii.
Pro feria v. in Coena Dora.
APPENDIX. 205
niony had already been prescribed elsewhere. 'Sicut alias
statulum fiiit, in celebratione missarum, quando Corpus Christi
clevatur, in ipsa clcvatione vel paulo ante, campana pulsatur.' " '
"The ringing of the hand, or sacring, bel' must be dis-
tinguished from the ringing of the church hells at the Sanctus
and the elevation, which was intended for those who were
unable to be present." "
V. Of the Patkn, not Being Held by the Sub-Deacon.
The rubric in the first English Prayer Book (A. D. 1549),
ordered "laying the bread upon the corporas, or else in the
paten, or in some other comely thing prepared for that pur-
pose." That the bread (or at least part thereof) was, in an-
cient times, consecrated upon the paten, there is abundant
testimony. Ancient Pontifical prayers for hallowing a paten,
show that up to the middle of, and beyond, the thirteenth
centurj', at least some of the bread was consecrated upon the
paten. Thus, for example, in the Pontificals of Egbert, Arch-
bishop of York, A. D. 732-736, and of Leofric, Bishop of
Exeter, A. D. 1050-1072, the prayer for hallowing a paten is
as follows : "We consecrate and sanctify this paten for accom-
plishing in it (ad conficiendum in ea) the Body of our Lord
Jesus Christ," etc.,^ Towards the end of the thirteenth cent-
ury, the words, ad coniiciendutii in ea, were changed into ad
confrigendimt in ca (to break into parts in it), to suit the
new custom ; in accordance with which the paten was not used,
after' the Offertory, by the Celebrant, until the time of the
solemn fraction.
By the terms of the rubric in our Prayer of Consecration
the Celebrant, at the time of consecration is required to "take
the paten into his hands ;" it being taken for granted that the
bread to be consecrated lies upon the paten. Thus our liturgy
evidently enjoins a return to the ancient usage of consecrating
upon the paten. Therefore, with us, the paten may not law-
fully be held by the Sub-Deacon (as ordered in the present
Roman use), but must be in the hands of the Celebrant, at the
time of consecration, as the rubric directs.
' Simmons Lay Folks Mass Book, pp. 280, 281.
- Ibid, Note, p. 282.
1 See The Leofric Missal, edited by tlie Rev. F. E. Warren, T?. P.,
F. S. A., Oxford, 1S83. pp. 220, 221; and The PontiAcal of Egbert, pub-
lished by the Surtecs Society, pg. 47.
206 APPENDIX.
VI. Of the Kiss of Peace.
In any attempt to set forth a complete ceremonial for the
celebration of the divine mysteries, some mention must be
made of "the Peace of the Lord," as ceremonially given by
the kiss of peace, "an ancient rite," says Bingham.' "universally
observed in the Church, in one part or another of the com-
munion service." Anciently the kiss of peace formed an im-
portant part of the preparation for communion, and, therefore,
was given and received by every one before he received the
Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. The rite is
recognized by the Canon law^ still in force in the Church of
England, and the tablet or "instrument of peace," whereby
the kiss ot peace was commonly given to the people in the
Middle Ages is among those "ornaments" of the Church which
the same Canon law^ and the "ornaments rubric" in the
Church of England Prayer Book order to be "retained" and
to "be in use."
Anciently, even from the time of the Apostles, it was the
custom for the faithful, both clergy and lay-people, to give to
one another the kiss of peace, before Communion, as a part
of their preparation for Communion ; because the Eucharist is
the Sacrament of unity and peace. But afterwards, because
of abuses, it was ordered that the kiss should not be given
by actual contact, but by an instrument.^
"St. Paul four times, and St. Peter once, bid those to whom
they write, 'greet one another with a holy kiss,' 'with a kiss
of charity;' from which we may, with great probability infer
that the Apostles were also the authors of this custom, as
observed in divine service; or at least that it was introduced
at a very early period, as the best mode of complying with
their injunctions."^
"Porro quod Canones prsecipiunt, eum ad pacem non ac-
cedere, qui non communicat, quidam sic intelligunt : Quod non
^ Antiq. of the Chris. Ch., Bk. xv., c. 13.
' L,ynwood's Provinciate, p. 234.
^ Ibid, p. 252.
* See P. M. Quarti, Com. Rub. Mis., pt. ii., tit. x., 3; and Merati,
Nova Observ., in Gavantum, Thes. Sac. Rit., pt. ii., tit. x., xii.
* Scudamore, Notitia Euch., pg. 438.
APPENDIX. 207
debeat pacem acciperc quis in aliis Missis, nisi in qnibus com-
municat." *
VII. Of Holy Water.
Mention of the use of holy water at the consecration of a
church in Yorkshire, England, A. D. 686, is made by the
Venerable Bede in his Ecclesiastical History.'
"Leo IV, A. D. 847, in a charge to his clergy says : 'Every
Lord's day before Mass, bless water wherewith the people may
be sprinkled, and for this have a proper vessel.' * Hincmar of
Rheims, the contemporary of Leo, after directions similar to
his, adds a permission that all who wish may carry some of
the water home, "in their own clean vessels, and sprinkle it
over their dwellings, etc' In the Pontifical of Egbert,^ who
was Archbishop of York from 732 to 766, are forms for exor-
cising and blessing the water to be used in the consecration
of a church. As it is almost certain that Egbert borrowed his
formulae from a Roman source, we infer that the office for
making holy water was in the Roman Sacramentaries a century
before the practice was enjoined, as we have seen by Leo IV."
"Holy water and holy bread be two godly ceremonies, and
to be continued in the Church, the one to put us in remem-
brance of our baptism, and of the blood of Christ for our
redemption sprinkled upon the cross ; and the other to put us
in remembrance that all Christian men are one mystical body
of Christ.""
From the Constitutions of the Parish Clerks at Trinity
Church, Coventry, made in A. D. 1462, quoted in The Clerk's
Book of 1549, edited by J. Wickam Legg, Lond. (Hy. Brad-
shaw Soc), A. D. 1903, we quote the following items:
' Walfrid Strabo, De Rebus Ecclesiastkis, c. xxii.
^ Book v., ch. iv.
^Conc. Labbe, torn, viii., col. 37.
' Cone. Labbe, cap. v., torn, viii., col, 570.
* Surtees Society, 1853, pg. 34.
'The Rev. W. E. Scudamore, in Diet. Christian Antiq., vol. i., pp.
77^, 779-
'Collier's Bccles. Hist., pt. ii., Bk. iii., vol. v., Lond. 1840, quoted
from a "Rationale" in the Cotton Library, entitled "Ceremonies to be
used in the Church of England, together tcith an explanation of the
meaning and significancy of them." This Rationale was the work of
certain Bishops and divines, acting under a royal commission issued in
April, 1540, and was published in 1543,
208 APPEINDIX.
Page 115 "(Item 14), the sayd dekyn a woly water stoke
with water for hys preste every sonday for the preste to make
woly water." "(Note.) The holy water stock would seem
to be moveable; what is now called the holy water-bucket."
Page 142, "(17) Item; the sayd dekyn shall every sonday beyr
woly watur of hys chyldern to every house in hys warde and
he to have hys dewty off every man affter hys degre quartarly."
"(Note.) This carrying of holy water gave his name to the
clerk, aqucT bajulus, and was a source of profit to him." '
"At St. Nicholas, Bristol, the suffragan had to see that fresh
water was in the holy water stocks ; the clerk had to provide
the bunches of twigs for sprinkling holy water, not only for
the church, but for him that went about with holy water." *
"Non enim ad hoc aspergimur ut rebaptizemur, sed ad
Divini Nominis gratiam super nos, cum hoc memoriali bap-
tismatis nostri, frequenter invocare debemus." °
"Materia, cui applicatur hsec benedictio, est aqua cui mis-
cetur sal pariter benedictum. Forma, consistit in ritibus
exorcismis et precibus prjescriptis. Minister, est quilibet sacer-
dos. Tandem causa finalis est, ut fideles purgentur a peccatis
venialibus, et consequantur alios effectus salutares." '°
"Benedicitur aqua sale conspersa, atque ea asperguntur fideles,
ut hac ceremonia externa discant qualiter se interius purificare
debeant: Aqua enim a sordibus mundat, sal putredinem fugat.
Aqua nitorem prsebet, sal adhibet sinceritatem. Aqua foecun-
dat, sal a corruptione preeservat. Aspersione igitur aquae lus-
tralis, monentur fideles, ut aqua lacrymarum, seu compunc-
tionis, animam a sordibus peccatorum mundent; et sale timoris
Domini putredinem malitise fugent. Petant a Deo aquam
gratiarum, qua foecundentur virtutibus, et salem sapientiae, quo
a correptione prseserventur. . . . Aqua significat peniten-
tiam de delictis praeteritis; sal vero discretionem et cautelam
in posterum ; quae duo si misceantur simul ; amara conscientis
in dulcedinem vertuntur Aqua benedicta exponitur
omnibus in Ecclesiarum vestibulis; ne audeat quis ad altare
' See Lynwood, Provinciale, lib. iii., tit. De Concessione Prabend,
cap. a nostris.
^ The Clerk's Book of 1549, Introduction, p. liii.
* Rupertus, (A.D. 1100), torn, iv., lib. vii., cap. xx.
^ F. M. Qtiarti, De Rebus Benedic, tit. iii., sec. i.
APPENDIX. 209
Dei accedcrc, qui prius se lavcrit, el a peccatis se per contri-
tionem mundaverit." "
I'as pro aqua bcncdicta, as one of llic things to be found by
the parishioners, was required by the Constitutions of Robert,
Archbishop of Canterbury, A. D. 1305,'" which Constitutions
are among those referred to by the statute 25, Henry VIII,
c. 19, and are part of the statute law now in force in the
Church of England."
VIII. The Order for Making Holy Water on Sunday
Before Mass.
Salt and xvater, pure and clean, having been made ready in
the sacristy, the Priest about to celebrate Mass, or another
Priest appointed by him, vested in alb or surplice and zvearing
a stole, shall say: V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who hath made heaven and earth.
Then he begins the exorcism of the salt.
I ADJURE thee, O creature of salt, by the living 'if God, the
true *i* God, the holy '^ God, by God who commanded thee
to be cast by the prophet Elisha, into the water to heal the bar-
renness thereof; that thou become water exorcised for the
health of believers; and be thou to all them that take of
thee for soundness of soul and body ; and let all vain imag-
inations and wickedness, and the subtlety of the devil, together
with every unclean spirit flee away and go far from the place
where thou shalt be sprinkled, adjured by him, who is read}'
to judge the quick and the dead and the world by fire. R.
Amen.
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY and Everlasting God, we humbly beseech
thine incomprehensible mercy, that thou wouldest of
thy goodness vouchsafe to bless 'if and hallow '^ this creature
of salt, which thou hast given for the use of men, that it may
be to all them that take of it for health of mind and body ; and
grant that whatsoever shall be touched or sprinkled therewith
11 Ibid.
^ Lynwood, Provincial, lib. iii., c. ii.
1' See Chambers, Divine Worship in England, 2d Kd., pp. 71, 183 and
287. Also Ornaments of the Rubric, Alcuin Club Tracts No. i, London,
1897.
14
2IO APPENDIX.
may be free from all uncleanness, and from every assault of
spiritual wickedness. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
The Exorcism of the Water.
The Priest shall say:
1 ADJURE thee, O creature of water, by the name of God *
the Father Almighty, by the name of Jesus ^ Christ His Son
our Lord, and by the power of the Holy * Ghost, that thou
become water exorcised for putting to flight all the power of
the enemy ; and do thou avail to cast out and send hence that
same enemy with all his apostate angels ; by the power of the
same Lord Jesus Christ, who is ready to judge the quick and
the dead, and the world by fire. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
OGOD, who for the salvation of mankind hast ordained that
water should be the matter of one of the chief sacra-
ments; favourably regard us who call upon thee, and pour the
power of thy benediction *b upon this element, made ready by
careful cleansing; that this thy creature now meet for thy mys-
teries, may receive the power of Thy grace, and so may cast
out devils, and put sickness to flight; that whatsoever in the
dwellings of thy faithful people shall be sprinkled with this
water, may be free from all uncleanness, and delivered from
all manner of hurt ; there let no spirit of pestilence abide, nor
any corrupting air ; from thence let all the wiles of the hidden
enemy depart ; and if there be aught that layeth snares against
the safety or peace of them that dwell in the house, let it flee
before the sprinkling of this water, and so let the place gain
health through the invocation of thy holy name, and be de-
fended from every assault of evil through Jesus Christ our
Lord. R. Amen.
Here let him cast the salt into the water thrice in the form
of a tii saying at the same time:
LET this salt and water be mingled together ; in the name of
the Father, * and of the Son, ^ and of the Holy *
Ghost. R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit.
APPENDIX. 211
Let us pray.
OGOD, author of unconqucrcd might, King of the empire
that cannot be overthrown, the ever glorious Conqueror;
who dost keep under the strength of tlie dominion that is against
thee ; who rulest the raging of the fierce enemy ; and who
dost mightily fight against the wickedness of thy foes; with
fear and trembling we entreat thee, O Lord, and we beseech
thee graciously to behold this creature of salt and water,
mercifully shine upon it, hallow it with the dew of thy loving
kindness : that wheresoever it shall be sprinkled with the invo-
cation of thy holy name, from thence all haunting of the un-
clean spirit may be driven away, and all fear of the venomous
serpent may be cast forth ; and wheresoever it shall be, there
let the presence of the Holy Ghost be vouchsafed to us who
call for thy mercy. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our
Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the
same Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R.
Amen.
After the blessing, the Priest zvho is about to celebrate Mass,
vested in a cope of the colour of the day, goes to the altar and
kneeling on the lozvest step with his ministers, takes the
sprinkler front the Deacon; he first sprinkles the altar thrice,
then himself and each of his ministers once, beginning the
antiphon, Thou shalt purge me : The choir take up the anti-
phon, with hyssop, etc. ; meanwhile the Celebrant sprinkles the
clergy, .and then the people, saying all of the psalm, Have
mercy upon me, O God, and the Glory be to the Father, etc.,
at the end.
THOU shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : Thou
shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm.
Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness, etc.
Glory be, etc. The antiphon is repeated. Thou shall purge me,
etc.
The above antiphon is thus said at the sprinkling of holy
water on Sundays throughout the year; except that on Passion
Sunday and on Palm Sunday, the Glory be, etc., is not said,
but at once after the psalm, the antiphon is repeated, and
except also in Eastertide, i. e., from Easter Day to Whit-
sunday (both inclusive), when the follow-ing antiphon is com-
monly sung.
212 APPENDIX.
I SAW water flowing forth from the Ti :nple on the right
side, Alleluia : and all to whom that water came were
saved ; and they shall say, Alleluia, Alleluia. Psalm. O give
thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious ; because His mercy
endureth forever. Glory be, etc., at the end. Then the anti-
phon is repeated, I saw water.
The antiphon ended, the Priest zuho sprinkles the zvater,
having returned to the altar, and standing before the lowest
step, shall say:
V. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us. (In Eastertide add
Alleluia.) R. And grant us thy salvation. (In Eastertide
add Alleluia.) V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my
cry come unto Thee. V. The Lord be with you. R. And
with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
HEAR us. Holy Lord, Almighty Father, everlasting God,
and vouchsafe to send thy holy angel from heaven, to
guard, cherish, protect, visit and defend all that are assembled
in this house. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.'
IX. Of the Parts of the Mass Sung by the Officiating
Clergy.
In Solemn Masses the Celebrant sings the following parts :
(i) "Let us pray," before the Collect; (2) the Collect or Col-
lects; (3) the words, "I believe in one God;" (4) the words,
"our only Mediator and Advocate," at the end of the prayers
super oblata; (5) "Lift up your hearts," "Let us give thanks
unto our Lord God," and the Preface, "It is very meet," etc. ;
(6) the words, "World without end," at the end of the Canon ;
(7) the first words of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father," after
the Communion; (8) the first words of the Gloria in excelsis,
"Glory be to God on high ;" (9) "Let us pray," before the
Post-Communion; (10) the Post-Communion; and (11) the
Blessing. The Sub-Deacon sings the Epistle, and the Deacon
sings the Gospel. In a choral Mass without sacred ministers,
the Epistle and Gospel also are sung by the Celebrant ; but
^ Cp. The Leofric Missal, edited by the Rev. F. K. Warren, B.D.,
F.S.A., Benedictiones, pp. 249, 250: the Missale Eboracensis, published
by the Surtees Society, vol. ii., Benedictio salis et aquce, pp. 193-196.
APPENDIX. 213
if there be present a clerk in orders, the Epistle may be sung
by him. Ail the other parts of the Mass ought to be said
without musical inflection and in an inlelligible voice ; yet
unnecessary loudness should be avoided.
The Lord's Prayer and the Collect for Purity, which are at
the beginning of the Mass, were not sung either in the Latin
Uses in which they occur nor in the Prayer Book of 1549.
They should be simply read ; in which case the "Amen" ought
not to be sung by the choir.
There is no evidence that the Commandments were ever
intended to be sung; and there is certainly a manifest incon-
gruity in declaring the precepts of Mount Sinai to a musical
setting. They should be rehearsed distinctly after the manner
of plain reading. It will be better to confine the use of the
Commandments to Low Mass, and at High Mass to read the
Summary, the choir afterward singing the ninefold Kyrie
eleison.
The OfYertory sentence in accordance with the directions of
the Latin missals ought to be read by the Celebrant and not
sung. It may afterward be sung by the choir.
The "Let us pray for the whole state of Christ's Church
militant," corresponding as it does to the Orate fratres, ought
to be said without note It would seem also that the prayers
which follow, except the concluding words, ought to be read
and not sung, if we follow the analogy of the corresponding
Orafion'es super oblata in the Latin Uses.
The Exhortation should certainly be said without note; the
Confession likewise, and in an humble voice. In a Pontifical
Mass according to the Roman Use, in which there is a general
Communion, the Ceremoniale Episcoporiim permits the Con-
fession to be sung; but the custom does not seem to be gen-
erally observed. The Absolution and the Comfortable Words
ought always to be said without note.
There is no reason for singing the prayer, "We do not
presume," etc. That it was not intended to be sung would
seem to be clear from the fact that Merbecke provided no
notes for it.^
1 The Booke of Common Praier Noted, 1550. Edited by E. F. Rimbault,
I/ondon, 1871.
214 APPENDIX.
If we are guided by the universal custom of the West we
certainly will not sing the Canon, as is sometimes done. The
concluding words, however, are sung. The prayer of thanks-
giving, "Almighty and everliving God, we heartily thank thee,"
etc., holding as it does the place of the prayer Gratias tibi,
will also be read without note.
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