Comparison of the Roman 
and Byzantine Mass 

<By 

CLEMENT C. ENGLERT, C.SS .R. 

T H E P A U L I S T P R E S S 

4 0 1 W E S T S 9TH STREET 

N E W YORK 19 , N . Y . 



Imprimi Potest: 
MICHAEL GEARIN, C . S S . R . , 

Superior Provincialis. 

New York, March 3, 1947. 

Nihil Obstat: 
J O H N M . A . FEARNS, S . T . D . , 

Censor Librorum. 

Imprimatur : 
IL FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN, 

Archbishop of New York. 

New York, November 6, 1947. 

COPYRIGHT, 1 9 4 7 , BY T H E MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF 

S T . PAUL THE APOSTLE IN THE STATE OF N E W Y O R K . 

Dess1d!Ü3d 

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U . S. A. 

BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK 19, N . Y. 



INTRODUCTION 

THE favorable reception accorded the author's Eastern 
Catholics encouraged him to prepare this present work for 
publication. It appeared first as a series of four articles in 
The Ark, a monthly periodical devoted to the Eastern Rites 
and published by the Missionary Sisters of the Mother of God 
at Stamford, Conn. Permission was graciously given to pub-
lish these articles again as a pamphlet. Questions have been 
added at the end of each chapter to render the matter suitable 
for use by study-clubs and in the classroom. 

The most widespread rite of the Western Church is the 
Roman Rite. The most widespread rite of the Eastern Church 
is the Byzantine Rite. It may come as a surprise to some that 
I employ the phrase "the most widespread rite of the Western 
Church." I do so because there are several local and monastic 
rites in use in the West besides the Roman Rite. The local 
rites are those of Milan in Italy (Ambrosian), Lyons in France 
(Lyonese) and Toledo in Spain (Mozarabic). The monastic 
rites are the Dominican, Carmelite, Carthusian and Cistercian. 
The liturgical language of all these rites is Latin. 

The Byzantine Rite was originally celebrated in Greek, and 
so it is sometimes called the "Greek" Rite. Similarly the Ro-
man Rite is most frequently called the "Latin" Rite, although 
at first—for two centuries at least—it was celebrated in Greek 
and today is still celebrated in some places in Yugoslavia in 
Slavonic. 

The Byzantine Rite is celebrated by the Greeks and Italo-
Greeks in the Greek language; by the Bulgars, Ukrainians, 
Russians and Ruthenians in Old Slavonic (called also Staroslav, 
Church Slavonic, Paleo-slavonic); by the Hungarians in Hun-
garian; by the Rumanians in Rumanian; by the Melkites (in 

[ 3 ] 



Syria, Palestine and Egypt) in Arabic; by the Georgians in 
Georgian. The most widely used language of the Byzantine 
Rite is the Slavonic. The Rite is called Byzantine from Byzan-
tium, the old name for Constantinople (modern Istanbul), its 
central see of origin. 

There are small local variations in the Byzantine Rite as 
practiced by the various nations, but these do not affect the sub-
stance of the rite. The usage described in this pamphlet is gen-
erally that of the Slav peoples and especially the Ukrainians 
and Ruthenians who are the two largest groups of Byzantine 
Catholics in the United States. 

This pamphlet aims at presenting for Eastern Catholics an 
overall but fairly detailed picture of the Roman Mass, and for 
Western Catholics a fairly complete description of the Byzan-
tine Mass. The author presumes that the reader has already 
perused his pamphlet Eastern Catholics and therefore is al-
ready familiar with the chief externals of the Eastern Rite, 
such as the profound bow, the sign of the cross, the eikonostasis, 
the vestments, etc. Any attempt to explain these things all over 
again in this pamphlet would expand its size unduly and would 
encumber the text with too many digressions and footnotes. 

May the Mother of Perpetual Help, whose picture, the most 
popular in the Catholic world, is a Byzantine eikon, bless us 
all abundantly as we pray in the beautiful words of the Byzan-
tine Liturgy (refrain of the First Antiphon): "By the prayers 
of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us!" 

CLEMENT C . ENGLERT, C . S S . R . 

The Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 
March 18, 1947. 

[ 4 ] 



A C O M P A R I S O N O F T H E R O M A N 

A N D B Y Z A N T I N E M A S S 

CHAPTER I —THE MASS OF THE CATECHUMENS: 

THE PRAYER-SERVICE 

AT a very early date in the Church's history, the Liturgy 
of the Mass was composed of two readily distinguishable parts: 
The Mass of the Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful. 
The Mass of the Catechumens is made up of prayers, hymns 
and Scripture lessons, with a homily or sermon, and was mod-
eled upon the synagogue-service of the Jews. The Mass of the 
Faithful consists of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and renews in the 
unbloody manner of the Last Supper, the Sacrifice of Calvary. 
These two parts of Christian worship are to be found in all 
Catholic Rites, and therefore will form the basis of division in 
our comparison of the two greatest Rites in Christendom: The 
Roman Rite and the Byzantine Rite.1 

The Roman Mass begins with the prayers at the foot of the 
altar. These consist of Psalm 42 with an antiphon, the Con-
fiteor or general confession of sin (said successively by the 
priest and the servers, or deacon and subdeacon, bowing pro-
foundly), versicles and responses, and a prayer as the priest 
ascends the altar steps. Reciting another prayer, he kisses the 
altar, and then proceeds to the right side of the altar (i.e., 
"right" to the gaze of the congregation), and there reads the 
Introit,—an antiphon with a versicle and the minor doxology, 
which is the choral keynote of the day's Liturgy. 

1 In this connection it is interesting to note that many Protestants, 
in rejecting the Mass, have preserved only a kind of Mass of the Cate-
chumens; while the medieval dissident Chaldean monks celebrated only 
the Mass of the Faithful during the week, because their extensive office 
m choir already supplied the equivalent of a Mass of the Catechumens. 

[ 5 ] 



During the prayers at the foot of the altar, the choir sings 
the Introit and then the Kyrie Eleison. At Solemn Mass, the 
celebrant incenses the altar immediately after he has ascended 
the altar and kissed it, and then reads the Introit. After fin-
ishing the reading of the Introit, the priest goes to the center 
of the altar and prays the Kyrie Eleison alternately with the 
servers. When the choir finishes the singing of the Kyrie, the 
priest intones the "Gloria in excelsis Deo," and the choir takes 
up this hymn of praise with the words "Et in terra pax homini-
bus bonae voluntatis." The priest, in the meantime, recites 
the whole Gloria, the deacon and subdeacon praying it with 
him at Solemn Mass, and then goes with his ministers to the 
chairs at the right side of the sanctuary and sits there until the 
choir has finished the Gloria. Then he returns to the altar, 
genuflects, ascends the steps, kisses the altar, and turning to the 
people sings "Dominus vobiscum," to which they answer 
through the servers and choir, "Et cum spiritu tuo." The 
priest then goes to the right side of the altar and sings the Col-
lects—the prayer or prayers proper to that day's liturgy. They 
are introduced by the word "Oremus," and are answered by 
the choir and servers with "Amen." 

In a Low Mass, the priest recites everything, saying in a 
loud voice whatever is sung at a High Mass. For a Solemn 
Mass, the priest in the Roman Rite must be assisted not only 
by a deacon, but also by a subdeacon. In the Byzantine Mass, 
only a deacon is required for the solemn celebration. 

With the conclusion of the last Collect, the prayer-service 
proper, with its variety of prayers of contrition, petition and 
praise, is finished. 

In the Byzantine Mass, the priest first prepares the bread 
and wine at a side table, using suitable prayers and incense, 
and assisted by the deacon if there is one.2 When the altar, 

2 In the West, at both the Mozarabic Liturgy (Toledo, Spain) and 
the Dominican Liturgy, the chalice is prepared at the very beginning of 
the Mass. 

[ 6 ] 



icons, and people have been incensed, the Liturgy proper 
begins. 

The priest, standing before the middle of the altar, raises 
the ornamented Gospel-book from its reclining position on the 
altar, and making a cross with it before his face, intones: 
"Blessed be the Kingdom of God the Father, and the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost, now and unto ages of ages." The choir an-
swers "Amen." Then the deacon, standing before the center 
doors of the eikonostasis, sings the great Litany,—a series of 
invitations to the people to pray for the Pope, the Bishop, the 
clergy and people, for peace, salvation, good weather, the crops, 
etc. To each petition the people respond "Kyrie eleison" 
(Hospody pomiluy).8 

The Litany closes with a doxology sung by the priest, and 
then the choir sings the first antiphon—several versicles inter-
spersed with a refrain. The great feasts have proper antiphons. 
The antiphon is followed by a short Litany, and the priest 
again concludes it with a doxology. While the choir is singing 
the antiphons, the priest recites privately prayers for mercy 
and purification. 

After the second antiphon, the choir sings the beautiful 
hymn of praise of the Incarnation, the "Monogenes" (Jedi-
norodny), which is reminiscent of the Roman Gloria. Then 
follows the third antiphon, concluded with the doxology of the 
priest. 

Thereupon a colorful procession takes place, called the 
"Little Entrance." Carrying the Gospel-book before his fore-
head, the deacon, preceded by the servers carrying lighted 
candles, and followed by the priest, walk around the altar and 
come out through the northern door of the eikonostasis (left 
door,—"left" to the gaze of the congregation). The priest 
quietly recites an appropriate prayer, the deacon holds the 
sacred book on high and sings "Wisdom! Let us attend!" 

s "Lord, have mercy." 

m 



The people bow low as they chant, "Come, let us approach 
and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, risen 
from the dead (save us), who sing to Thee, Alleluia 1" 

The priest passes through the center doors with the Gospel-
book and replaces it on the altar, while the choir sings the 
variable strophes known as Troparia and Kontakia. The 
prayer-service proper is now concluded with the solemn sing-
ing of the Trisagion,—the favorite hymn of all the Eastern 
Rites: "Holy God, holy Strong One, holy Deathless One, have 
mercy on us." 

When there is no deacon present, the priest sings all the 
Litany-petitions and performs the ceremonies otherwise proper 
to him. In a Low Mass, the server recites everything which 
the choir would sing at a High Mass. In this the Byzantine 
Low Mass differs from the Roman, where all the choral parts 
except the Kyrie are recited in their entirety by the priest. 
Alone among the Catholic Byzantine Rites, the Russians have 
adopted no form of Low Mass, and sing everything, at least in 
a low tone of voice, although they do not scruple to omit the 
prescribed incensations. 

The following simple sketch will serve to summarize what 
has been said thus far. 

Mass of the Catechumens 

(A) The Prayer-Service 

Roman 
Prayers at the foot of the 

altar 
Introit 
Kyrie Eleison 
Gloria 
Collects 

Byzantine 
Great Litany—Kyrie Eleison 
Three Antiphons, Doxologies, 

Hymn of the Incarnation 
Orations—(quietly by the 

priest during the Anti-
phons) 

Little Entrance, Troparia, 
Trisagion 

[ 8 ] 



Although the surface differences appear to be great, in 
reality there is a striking similarity not only in the essentials 
of the Roman and Byzantine Mass, but also in the whole litur-
gical structure, even of the individual parts. 

The Byzantine Rite has no prayers at the foot of the altar, 
but there is something equivalent in the private prayers the 
priest says facing the eikonostasis before vesting and also when 
he comes to the altar before singing "Blessed by the Kingdom, 
etc." 

The three Byzantine Antiphons, which change with the 
great feasts, are analogous to the Roman Introit. The Roman 
Kyrie is probably the remnant of an original Litany corre-
sponding to the Byzantine one.4 

When the Litany was dropped, an indeterminate number of 
Kyrie's was sung until Pope Gregory the Great decreed that the 
number be fixed at nine. The Byzantine Troparia and Kon-
takia correspond somewhat to the Roman Gradual and Tract, 
which will be discussed in our next article. The Trisagion is 
sung in the Roman Liturgy on Good Friday and in the ferial 
prayers at Prime in the Divine Office. 

* Such a litany of petition is still sung at some Masses in the Ambro-
sian Rite (Milan, Italy). It is still present in the Roman Rite at the 
Mass on Holy Saturday and on the Vigil of Pentecost, and something 
analogous exists in the varied petitions sung on Good Friday at the Mass 
of the Presanctified. 

[ 9 ] 



Q U E S T I O N S — I 

1. What is the most readily distinguishable division of the 
parts of the Mass? 

2. Which are the two most widespread rites in Christendom? 

3. Can you name some difference between the two rites in the 
celebration of Solemn Mass? Low Mass? 

4. What kind of prayers make up the Prayer-Service of the 
Mass of the Catechumens in both rites? 

5. Can you identify the Roman terms: Introit, Gloria, Col-
lect? 

6. Can you identify the Byzantine terms: Trisagion, Little 
Entrance, Troparia? 

1 101 



CHAPTER I I — T H E MASS OF THE CATECHUMENS: 

T H E SCRIPTURE-SERVICE 

DURING the first part of the Mass of the Catechumens, the 
prayer-service, we speak to God—praising Him, asking for 
His mercy and begging for favors. During the second part of 
the Mass of the Catechumens, the Scripture-service, God speaks 
to us—through His inspired prophets and apostles, and espe-
cially through His own Divine Son. 

In the Roman Rite, after the last Collect has been said, 
the priest reads the Epistle. Ordinarily there is only one les-
son (reading from Sacred Scripture) before the Gospel, but in 
ancient times there were several, and there is a survival of 
the ancient custom in some Masses during Lent, and always on 
the Wednesday and Saturday of the four Ember seasons.5 

At Solemn Mass the Epistle is sung by the subdeacon who 
stands at the bottom step on the Epistle-side of the altar (i.e., 
the right side to the view of the congregation). In ancient 
times the Epistle was sung from an ambo or pulpit on the right 
side of the sanctuary, while the Gospel was sung from the ambo 
on the left side. Some of these ancient ambones are still to be 
seen in old churches in Europe. In the course of time the 
ambones fell into desuetude, but they established the custom 
of reading the Epistle on the right side and the Gospel on the 
left.8 

B In the Ambrosian Rite there are usually two lessons,—one from the 
Old and one from the New Testament. There is something similar in 
the Chaldean Rite. In the Ethiopian Rite there are three New Testa-
ment lessons: from St. Paul, the Catholic Epistles, the Acts. 

® One might expect that the Gospel would be given the side of honor, 
which is usually the right. But the gospel-side is the right side from 
the standpoint of the crucifix on the altar: it is our Lord's right side. 
And in ancient times the priest always faced toward the East when sing-
ing the Gospel,—toward that East namely, whence our Salvation came. 
Early churches were so built that the East was on our Lord's (the cruci-
fix's) right side. Hence, today the Roman priest still stands at an angle, 
facing toward the mystical East, when reading the Gospel. 

[ 11 ] 



At the end of the Epistle the server exclaims "Deo gratias" 
(Thanks be to God). In Solemn Mass the subdeacon kneels 
before the celebrant and receives his blessing—as a reward for 
announcing the inspired Word of God. While the priest reads 
the Gradual and the Alleluias, the choir sings them. 

The Gradual is the most ornate chant in the Roman Mass,— 
so much so, that it has given its name to the whole book con-
taining the chant -music of the Mass; the Graduate Romanuvi. 
It is to be deplored that this chant is hardly ever heard in its 
entirety today outside of monasteries or seminaries.7 

During Lent and the three weeks of preparation for it, the 
Alleluias and their versicles are not sung. Their place is taken 
by the Tract,—a composition consisting of psalm-verses for the 
most part, and similar, in structure, to the Gradual. 

In a few Masses the Alleluias are followed by a Sequence,— 
rhythmic verses of non-scriptural origin, of dramatic and poetic 
beauty. In the Middle Ages there were many Sequences, but 
only five were retained in the great liturgical revision of Pope 
St. Pius V. A few of the older religious Orders still retain 
some of their ancient Sequences for special feasts, such as that 
of their founder. 

After reading the Gradual and Alleluias, the priest goes to 
the middle of the altar, bows low, and prays for purity and 
strength to announce the Gospel worthily. In the meantime 
the server changes the Missal (the large Mass-Book) from the 
right to the left side of the altar. The priest then proceeds to 
the "gospel-side" of the altar, greets the people and is an-
swered, and then announces the Evangelist, to which they re-
ply, "Glory be to Thee, 0 Lord." Then the Gospel is sung 

7 In the Carmelite Rite, at High Mass, the priest pours the wine and 
water into the chalice during the singing of the Gradual. The Gradual 
chant was intended to supply a tonal background for the meditation 
that the clergy and people were expected to make between the Scripture 
lessons. 

[ 12 ] 



with a special chant, and at its conclusion the server exclaims, 
"Praise be to Thee, O Christ." 

At Solemn Mass the Gospel is sung by the deacon. While 
the celebrant is reading the Gospel quietly, the deacon places 
the Book of the Gospels on the altar, in the center, where it lies 
regularly in Byzantine churches. After incense is blessed by 
the celebrant, and put into the censer, the deacon kneels and 
prays for purity of mouth and heart to announce the holy Gos-
pel worthily. Then he takes the Book of the Gospels from the 
altar, kneels before the celebrant for a special blessing, and 
then descends to the foot of the altar. Here he genuflects with 
the other sacred ministers and they proceed to the side of the 
sanctuary,—a remnant of the ceremonial procession to the 
gospel-ambo in ancient times. 

While the deacon sings the Gospel, the subdeacon holds the 
book. The acolytes, with lighted candles, stand on either side 
of the book, and the master of ceremonies and the thurifer 
stand beside the deacon. After greeting the people and an-
nouncing the Evangelist, the deacon incenses the book in token 
of reverence for the Word of God contained in it.8 After the 
singing of the Gospel, the subdeacon carries the open book to 
the celebrant at the altar to be kissed, and then the deacon 
incenses the celebrant—who at this Mass takes the place of 
Christ for us,—of that Christ Whose Word we have just heard 
in the Gospel. 

If there is to be a sermon, it is preached at this juncture. 
Otherwise, the Creed is said or sung. In a Low Mass or simple 
High Mass, the priest kisses the Gospel-text after reading it, 
returns to the center of the altar, and recites the (Niceno-
Constantinopolitan) Creed. At High Mass he intones it and 
the choir continues singing it, while he finishes reciting it. At 

8 Compare this short procession, the incensing, the lighted candles, 
etc., with the Byzantine Little Entrance. They are not related in origin; 
but they are similar manifestations of reverence for the Word of God in 
the Gospel. 

[ 13 ] 



Solemn Mass, the deacon and subdeacon recite the Creed with 
the priest. They genuflect at the words "And the Word was 
made flesh." The Creed is not said in all Masses, but it is al-
ways said on Sundays and most great feast-days, and also on 
some lesser feasts such as those of the Doctors of the Church. 
After the Creed the priest kisses the altar, and turning to the 
people, greets them again with the customary "The Lord be 
with you," to which they answer "And with thy spirit." Then 
the priest sings "Oremus" (Let us pray), and the Mass of the 
Catechumens is finished. 

In the Byzantine Rite the prayer-service is concluded with 
the singing of the magnificent Trisagion. A cleric or lay-
chanter now comes forward to the center of the church, and 
standing before the central doors (but not on the steps), sings 
the variable verse before the Epistle, called Prokimen. The 
priest blesses him and retires to his chair behind the altar. 
The chanter now sings the Epistle. 

As in the Roman Rite, there is usually only one Epistle 
but on certain days when there is a coincidence of feasts, the 
Epistles of these feasts are sung in succession. The same is 
true of the Gospels.9 

The Epistle is followed by the solemn singing of the Alle-
luias. The Alleluias are never omitted in the Byzantine Rite 
and are sung even in Masses for the dead. "Hallelujah" is a 
Hebrew word and means "Praise the Lord intensely."10 In 
the Eastern Rite it is considered more in its literal meaning, 1 

8 In the Roman Rite the Gospels of some commemorated feasts or 
ferias are read in place of the "Last Gospel" (of St. John) at the end of 
Mass. The Byzantine Rite has no "Last Gospel." 

10 The aspirations represented by the "h" at the beginning and at 
the end of the Hebrew word are missing in the Greek and Latin forms 
of the word. There was no exact equivalent in Greek of the Hebrew 
"he," and so it was not transliterated into Greek. The Latin was trans-
literated from the Greek; the same is true of the Old Slavonic, the lan-
guage used most widely in the Byzantine Rite. 

[ 14 ] 



while in the West it is looked upon more as a sacred exclama-
tion of joy, and is therefore omitted from Masses of a peniten-
tial or mournful charaoter. 

While the choir and people are singing the Alleluias, the 
priest (or deacon)—at High Mass—incenses the altar, icons 
and people as a preparation for the holy Gospel. At a Solemn 
Mass the deacon sings the Gospel; otherwise the priest does 
so, standing before the central doors of the eikonostasis, and 
facing the people. The Gospel-Book is placed on a lectern 
brought forward by a cleric or server.11 Servers holding lighted 
candles stand on either side of the Book. When the priest 
sings the announcement of the Gospel and the Evangelist, the 
choir and people sing "Praise be to Thee, O Lord, praise be to 
Thee." When the priest finishes singing the Gospel, the peo-
ple again sing the same refrain. The priest kisses the open 
Book, the servers do the same, and then the priest offers the 
Book to be kissed by any other clerics who may be present. 

If there is to be a sermon, it is preached at this juncture. 
After singing the Gospel, the priest returns to the altar 

and replaces the Gospel-Book in its place of honor on the cen-
ter of the altar-table. Then follow the Litany and the special 
prayers for the catechumens. The priest reads the prayers 
quietly at the altar, singing only the end of them aloud, and 
adding one Litany-invocation and a doxology to each. During 
the singing of these versicles the priest places the Gospel-Book 
upright before the tabernacle door, and opens the antimension 
or corporal in preparation for the beginning of the Mass of 
the Faithful. Then the ritual dismissal of the catechumens is 
sung by the deacon (or priest), and the priest continues to say 
several prayers quietly for the faithful, ending each with the 
Litany-verse and doxology as before. 

It seems that in the Roman Rite there also once existed 

1 1 At a read Liturgy (Low Mass), the server usually holds the book 
for the priest, who simply turns around at the center of the altar and 
faces the people. 

[ IS] 



some prayers for the catechumens and a formal dismissal, of 
which only the "Dominus vobiscum" after the Creed remains. 
And some liturgists claim that there were once prayers for the 
faithful, too, of which only the "Oremus" remains. Nowadays 
the "Oremus" is interpreted as referring to the whole Mass of 
the Faithful which is about to begin. 

Schema of the Scripture-Service 

Roman Rite 

Epistle 
Gradual, Alleluias 
Gospel 
(Sermon) 
(Credo) 
Dominus Vobiscum 
Oremus 

Byzantine Rite 

Epistle 
Alleluias and Versicles 
Gospel 
(Sermon) 
Litany for the Catechumens 
Dismissal of the Catechumens 
Prayers for the Faithful 

( 16] 



Q U E S T I O N S — I I 

1. What is the difference in action between the two main parts 
of the Mass of the Catechumens? 

2. How many Scripture lessons usually occur in the Roman 
Rite? The Byzantine Rite? 

3. What is the origin of the Roman custom of reading the 
Epistle on one side of the altar and the Gospel on the other? 

4. In what way does the Roman Gospel-procession differ from 
the Byzantine Little Entrance and in what way is it similar? 

5. What difference is there between the Roman use of the 
Alleluias and the Byzantine use? 

6. Can you identify the terms Gradual, Tract, Sequence, 
Prokimen, Antimension? 

[ 17 ] 



C O M P A R I S O N O F M A S S E S 

CHAPTER I I I — T H E MASS OF THE FAITHFUL: 

THE OFFERTORY AND THE CONSECRATION 

IN the Roman Rite the priest begins the first important 
part of the Mass of the Faithful—'the Offertory—by reading 
the Offertory Antiphon—usually a verse or two from Sacred 
Scripture, particularly the Psalms. At a low Mass or simple 
High Mass the priest now uncovers the chalice. At Solemn 
Mass the subdeacon brings the chalice to the altar from a side-
table, and the deacon, standing at the celebrant's right, helps 
the subdeacon uncover it. 

Taking the paten with the large round host lying on it, the 
priest holds it aloft toward heaven, reciting the prayer of offer-
ing. Then he goes to the Epistle-side of the altar, taking the 
chalice with him. He wipes the chalice's cup with the puri-
ficator (a piece of folded linen), and takes the cruets from the 
servers, pouring in wine and a drop or two of water, reciting a 
prayer that expresses beautifully the symbolism of the mixture 
—the union of the two natures in Christ. Returning to the 
center of the altar, the priest holds the chalice aloft and says 
the prayer of offering. 

At Solemn Mass the celebrant now puts the incense into 
the thurible and blesses it, and then proceeds to incense the 
gifts (the bread and wine for the sacrifice), and the altar. 
The deacon assists the priest, holding up the right side of the 
chasuble.12 When they arrive at the Epistle-side after finishing 
the incensation of the altar, the deacon incenses the celebrant 
and then the subdeacon, who is standing at the bottom step 
before the center of the altar, holding the paten in the end of 

12 The practical significance of this bit of ceremonial is lost unless the 
priest is wearing the medieval type of chasuble. 

[ 18] 



the humeral veil.13 This solemn thurification at the Offertory 
is a magnificent thing and is the most elaborate piece of cere-
monial in the Roman Mass,—with its repeated reverences to 
the cross, the clouds of incense wafted heavenwards before the 
ailtar, the varied positions of the sacred ministers, and the ma-
jestic music of the organ (except in seasons of penance and 
mourning). 

At "the Epistle-side the priest now washes his hands as a 
symbol of the purity of heart with which we should all assist 
at the holy sacrifice. Returning to the center, he bows while 
saying another offertory-prayer, kisses the altar, and turning 
to the people with outstretched arms, says: "Orate fratres . . . 
(Pray, brethren, that your sacrifice and mine may be accept-
able before God the Father Almighty.) The servers answer 
with the prayer "Suscipiat. . . ." (May the Lord receive the 
sacrifice from thy hands. . . .) The priest now quietly reads 
the Secret Prayers (Offertory orations that vary with the day's 
Liturgy and correspond in number to the Collects) and raises 
his voice at the ending of the last one, "Per omnia saecula 
saeculorum." (Through all ages of ages.) At High Mass he 
sings these words. 

It is time for the Preface: the short dialogue takes place, 
and the solemn eucharistic prayer begins, "Vere dignum et 
justum est" . . . (Truly it is proper and just . . . that we give 
thanks always. . . .) The Preface ends with the invitation to 
join the Angels in praising God and the people or choir sing 
the Sanctus." The priest prays quietly for the Church, the 
Pope, the Bishop, and for all present, and then commemorates 
our Lady and the Saints. He prays for peace and purity and 

18 He holds the paten before his face,—as a symbol of the blindness 
of the synagogue in refusing to see the splendor of the Law's fulfillment 
in Christianity. 

14 "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts; heaven and earth are full 
of Thy Glory. . . ." 

[ 19 ] 



the divine ratification of this sacrifice, and it is time for the 
Consecration. 

Taking the host into his hands, the priest raises his eyes 
toward heaven, bows, blesses the host, and leaning lightly upon 
the altar as he bends over it, he whispers the words of insti-
tution: "For this is My Body." Genuflecting, he adores the 
sacred Host, he elevates It for the adoration of the people, re-
places It upon the corporal (the large square of linen on which 
the host and chalice rest), and genuflects again. Uncovering 
the chalice, he blesses it, bows, and takes it in his hands as he 
bends over the altar and whispers the words of institution: 
"For this is the chalice of My Blood, of the new and eternal 
testament—(oh) mystery of faith!—which shall be shed for 
you and for many unto the remission of sins." Then the 
priest repeats the words of Christ's command, "As often as ye 
shall do these things, ye shall do them in memory of Me." 
Genuflecting the priest adores our Lord, elevates the chalice 
for the adoration of the people, reverently puts the chalice 
down and covers it, and then genuflects again. 

At Solemn Mass the deacon assists the celebrant, holding 
the end of the chasuble at the elevations and uncovering and 
covering the chalice. The subdeacon kneels in adoration on 
the lowest step, removing the paten from before his face. The 
thurifer kneels at the side and incenses the Blessed Sacrament 
during the elevations. 

The people or choir now sing the Benedictus (Blessed is 
He Who cometh in the name of the Lord . . .) and the priest, 
extending his hands in solemn prayer, makes the commemora-
tions of our Lord's resurrection and ascension, says the mys-
teriously worded Epiclesis bowed low over the altar, prays for 
the dead, makes a commemoration of the Saints, and then fin-
ishes the great eucharistic prayer of the Canon,—which began 
with the Preface,—with a doxology which accompanies the 
dramatic "Little Elevation," when the consecrated Host and 

[ 20 ] 



Chalice are raised toward heaven as an offering of complete 
satisfaction, glory and honor to God. 

In the Byzantine Rite, after the catechumens have been 
dismissed, the priest prays for the faithful, and a small Litany 
for them is sung. Now comes one of the most solemn moments 
in the Liturgy. The priest stretches out his arms in the form 
of a cross and reads a magnificent prayer of preparation for 
the sacrifice: "No one bound by earthly desires and passions 
is worthy to come near to Thee. . . . 0 King of glory; for to 
serve Thee is something exalted and awe-inspiring even for the 
powers of heaven. Yet through Thy unspeakable love for 
men, . . . Thou hast given us the ministry of this unbloody 
sacrifice. . . . I ask Thee, Thou only gracious and merciful 
Lord, to look down upon me a sinner . . . cleanse my soul and 
my heart. . . ." 

While the priest is saying this sublime prayer to prepare 
his own soul, the people are preparing theirs for the holy sacri-
fice by singing the famous "Cherubikon" or Song of the Cheru-
bim: "Let us, who mystically represent the Cherubim and who 
sing to the life-giving Trinity the thrice-holy hymn, let us now 
put aside all earthly cares, that we may receive the King of all 
Who comes escorted by unseen armies of angels. Alleluia, 
Alleluia, Alleluia." 

The deacon (or priest) incenses the altar, the sanctuary, 
the gifts on the side-altar, the icons and the people to prepare 
them for the holy sacrifice. Going to the side-altar, he picks 
up the gifts and carries them in solemn procession (called the 
"Great Entrance") . . . out through the left door, passes be-
fore the eikonostasis, and then through the central doors to the 
altar, singing commemorations for the Pope, the bishops, the 
faithful, and for the church's benefactors.15 The gifts are 
arranged on the altar and incensed, and the Litany-prayers 

16 At a Solemn Liturgy the deacon carries the paten, and the priest 
the chalice. The assistant ministers carry lighted candles, the incense, etc. 

[ 21 ] 



start again while the priest quietly says the Offertory prayer. 
Then the kiss of peace is given, the Credo is sung, and the 
Canon of the Mass starts with the Preface.18 

The Byzantine Preface is short and invariable and is re-
cited quietly by the priest even at a High Mass.17 After the 
introductory dialogue, the choir prolongs the singing of the last 
response while the priest is reciting the Preface. The last 
words of the Preface are sung aloud, introducing the Sanctus. 
While the choir sings the Sanctus and Benedictus together, the 
priest continues the single thanksgiving prayer of the Preface, 
which leads at once to the Consecration. 

All is still. The people are kneeling. Solemnly the priest 
bows over the altar and sings the words of the Consecration: 
"Take ye, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you, unto 
the remission of sins." The priest makes a low bow of adora-
tion. The people sing "Amen" very slowly while the priest 
says the introductory words quietly for the Chalice's consecra-
tion; then he sings: "Drink ye all of this, this is My Blood of 
the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many, unto 
the remission of sins." The people sing "Amen" and the priest 
makes another profound bow to our Lord present on the altar. 

There is an elevation of both Species together, and then 
the priest says quietly prayers that are similar in content to 
those of the Roman Mass—the remembrance (anamnesis) of 
our Lord's resurrection and ascension, the Epiclesis or solemn 
invocation of the Holy Ghost, and the commemorations. In 
the Roman Mass the commemorations are divided, some com-
ing before the Consecration, and some after it. In the Byzan-

18 Notice that in the Byzantine Rite the Credo comes after the Offer-
tory; in the Roman Rite it precedes the Offertory. In the Byzantine 
Rite the Credo is always said, while in the Roman Rite it is often 
omitted. Notice too that the Kiss of Peace is given after the Offertory 
in the Byzantine Rite, while it occurs shortly before the Communion 
in the Roman Rite. 

17 The Roman Preface is variable and is sung in its entirety at High 
Mass. 

[ 22 ] 



tine Mass, all are made after the Consecration. As the priest 
sings aloud calling upon the people to remember our Lady, he 
takes the thurible and incenses the Blessed Sacrament, while 
the people sing the praises of God's Mother in the beautiful 
antiphon: "It is indeed just that we praise Thee, O Theotokos, 
ever blessed and most sinless Mother of our God. We exalt 
Thee, Thou Who art honored far above the Cherubim, Thou 
Who art incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, 
Thou Who didst bear God the Word without stain . . . in truth 
the Mother of God!"18 After the commemoration, a Litany 
is sung, which is followed as usual by a doxology. 

The following sketch will show how, in the Mass of the 
Faithful, the Roman and Byzantine Rites are basically very 
similar indeed, despite the differences in externals which make 
them appear to be so much at variance. 

Roman Rite 

(Oremus) 
Offertory-Antiphon 
Preparation, Offering of gifts 
Washing hands 
Secret prayers 
Preface and Sanctus 

Byzantine Rite 

Prayers for the Faithful 
Cherubikon, Great Entrance 
Offertory prayers 
Offertory-litany 
Kiss of Peace, Credo 
Preface and Sanctus 

Commemorations of t h e 
Church triumphant, militant 

Consecration 
Elevations 
Anamnesis, Epiclesis 
Commemoration of Church 

suffering, triumphant 

Doxology 

Continuation of Eucharistic 
Prayer 

Consecration 
Elevation 
Anamnesis, Epiclesis 
Commemorations of Church 

triumphant, suffering, mili-
tant 

Litany and Doxology 

18 On some great feasts this antiphon is replaced by one proper to 
the day's liturgy. 

[ 23 ] 



QUESTIONS—in 

I; What is the most elaborate piece of ceremonial in the Ro-
man Mass that occurs early in the Mass of the Faithful? 

2. What is the most elaborate piece of ceremonial in the By-
zantine Mass that occurs early in the Mass of the Faithful? 

3. Explain briefly the differences of the rites in the manner of 
performing the Preface, Sanctus, Consecration. 

4. Do all the commemorations occur at the same place in both 
rites? 

5. Identify the terms: Epiclesis, Cherubikon, Great Entrance, 
the Little Elevation, Anamnesis. 

[ 24 ] 



CHAPTER I V — T H E MASS OF THE FAITHFUL: 
COMMUNION AND THANKSGIVING 

THE solemn recitation or chanting of the Lord's Prayer has 
always been a feature of Catholic worship. By a universal in-
stinct of Christian devotion, this prayer of prayers has found 
a place in all liturgies as part of the preparation for Holy Com-
munion. 

In the Roman Rite, the singing of the "Pater Noster" by 
the celebrant marks the beginning of the third important part 
of the Mass,—the Communion. Our Lord is present upon the 
altar. As the time for intimate union with Him approaches, 
nothing could be more appropriate than to use His own words 
in prayer. The priest commemorates the divine origin of the 
Our Father by the singing of an introductory formula: " . . . Et 
divina institutione formati, audemus dicere. . . . " ( . . . Taught 
to pray this way because a divine Teacher showed us how, we 
make bold to s ay . . . . ) The priest sings our Lord's words down 
to "And lead us not into temptation." The choir or people (or 
server) answer: "But deliver us from evil." The priest quietly 
says the Amen and proceeds to pray the Embolism. 

The Embolism is a continuation of the prayer of the Our 
Father: "Deliver us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all evils 
present, past and future. . . ." On Good Friday the priest 
chants the Embolism aloud. At the end of this prayer the 
Fraction or breaking of the Host takes place: It is divided in 
half and about one-third of the left half is broken off and put 
into the chalice. This is symbolic of our Lord's Resurrection, 
for the Body and Blood which had been mystically separated 
under the two species are now united again in representation. 
And as the priest drops the small piece of the Sacred Host into 
the chalice, he sings "May the peace of the Lord be always 
with you," and the people answer as usual, "And with thy 
spirit." 

The choir now sings thrice the Agnus Dei, "Lamb of God, 
Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us." 

[ 25 ] 



The third Agnus Dei has the plea, "Grant us peace." The 
priest, too, recites the Agnus Dei, bowed slightly over the altar 
and striking his breast. Then he bows over still more, and as 
a kind of embolism to the last plea of the Agnus Dei, prays for 
peace throughout the Church. At Solemn Mass the Kiss of 
Peace is now given.19 

The celebrant, bowed over the altar, and fixing has gaze 
upon the Sacred Host, now says two beautiful and intimate 
prayers of preparation for Communion which are addressed 
directly to our Lord. He asks the Saviour to grant him puri-
fication from his sins and the grace always to remain intimate-
ly united with Him. He prays that this Holy Communion may 
not increase his guilt or insure his condemnation, but may re-
act as a safeguard for his body and soul and be a pledge of 
eternal salvation. He genuflects, reverently picks up the Host 
in his left hand, and holding it over the paten, strikes his 
breast humbly three times with Ms right hand while praying 
in the words of the Centurion: "Lord, I am not worthy that 
Thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word and my 
soul shall be healed." He receives the Sacred Host, and after 
a few moments' quiet thanksgiving, genuflects, puts any re-
maining particles in the chalice, and receives the Precious 
Blood. 

The people approach to receive Holy Communion. The 
server (at Solemn Mass the deacon and subdeacon) recites the 
Confiteor, while the celebrant takes the ciborium out of the 
tabernacle, and then recites the blessing-prayer of absolution 
over the communicants. Then turning toward the people and 
holding a Host up over the ciborium (chalice-shaped golden 
receptable for the Blessed Sacrament), the priest says aloud 
in the words of St. John the Baptist: "Behold the Lamb of 
God, behold Him Who taketh away the sins of the world." 
Then three times he prays aloud the words of the Centurion 

19 Recall that in the Byzantine Rite the Kiss of Peace occurred after 
the Offertory. 

[ 26 ] 



H o l y C o m m u n i o n i n t h e R o m a n R i t e 

which he whispered before his own Communion. This is a 
beautiful and dramatic ceremonial. The people receive under 
one form only,—a small round disk of the consecrated bread. 

I After Communion the priest purifies the ohalice with water 
and wine, and redresses it. In Solemn Mass the subdeacon 
dresses the ohalice and then carries it to the side-table. Go-
ing to the Epistle-side of the altar, the celebrant reads the 
Communion-Antiphon which the choir should just foe finished 
singing; he returns to the center, kisses the altar, turns and 
salutes the people as usual, returns to the book at the Epistle-
side and sings the Postcommunion, a prayer of thanksgiving 



which changes with each day's Liturgy. The number of Post-
communion prayers corresponds to the number of Collects and 
Secrets. When the last one has been sung, the priest returns 
to the center, salutes the people again, and sings the short for-
mula of dismissal—"Ite, Missa est." ("Go, it is the dis-
missal," or "Go, the Mass is finished."20 At Solemn Mass the 
deacon sings it. This formula of dismissal has more ornate 
music than anything else the priest sings at Mass and it is 
probably this feature, drawing unusual attention to itself, that 
caused the word "Missa" in time to refer to the whole service 
of the Mass.21 

On days when the Gloria is omitted from the Mass, the 
priest (or deacon) sings instead "Benedicamus Domino." (Let 
us bless the Lord.)22 To either formula the people sing "Deo 
Gratias" (Thanks be to Gud), and as they sing it,—to the 
same ornate melody,—the priest bows over the altar saying 
the prayer "Placeat" addressed to the most Blessed Trinity and 
praying once more that the sacrifice should have proved ac-
ceptable in the sight of God and beneficial to all those for 
whom it was offered. Then the priest blesses the people, and 
going to the Gospel-side, reads the beginning of the Gospel of 

20 Either translation is correct. "Missa" is the postclassic form of 
missio, the sending or dismissal. (Cfr. Collecta for collectio, and in the 
Ambrosian Rite ingressa for ingressio,—the Introit.) 

2 1 The Latin word "Missa" is the parent of all the Western European 
languages' designation of the Mass, including the "Latin" Rite Slavs: 
It. Messa, Sp. Misa, Fr. Messe, Ger. Messe, Cz. Mse, Slo. Umse, Pol. 
Msza, etc. In the East on the contrary, other words were used. The 
Byzantines, e.g., speak of the Holy or Divine Liturgy: Slav. Sluzht>a 
Bozha, Greek, Hagia Leitourgia. 

22 The Gloria, a song of joy, is omitted at Masses that are peniten-
tial or not festive in character. In the early Church, the people were 
expected, on penitential days, to remain in church for additional prayer; 
hence the words, of dismissal were changed to the formula inviting them 
to "bless the Lord." 

[ 28 ] 



St. John. Sometimes there is a proper last Gospel, e.g., when 
the Sunday Liturgy is displaced by a feast-day, the commemo-
rated Sunday's Gospel is read at the end of the Mass. 

Prayers in the vernacular follow Low Mass. They were 
ordered by Pope Leo XIII, and since the time of Pope Pius 
XI, are offered for the conversion of Russia. 

In the Byzantine Rite, too, the ceremonies of the Commun-
ipn begin with the solemn singing of the Lord's Prayer, but 
the people (or choir) do the singing. All kneel in awe and 
reverence, and in Russia many of the fervent bow their heads 
to the ground. The prayer is introduced by the sung formula 
of the celebrant: "Grant, 0 Lord, that we may confidently and 
blamelessly call upon Thee, God, our heavenly Father and 
say. . . ." The people sing the whole sacred text without an 
Amen, and the priest concludes with the doxology: "for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, Father, Son and 
Holy Ghost, now and forever, and unto ages of ages." Now 
the people answer "Amen." 

Turning to the people, the priest blesses the congregation 
as usual: "Mir Vsim."—(Peace be to all.) "And to Thy spirit," 
answer the people. Then the priest (or deacon) chants the 
command, "Bow down your heads to the Lord," and the priest 
says the Prayer of Inclination as the people bow low before 
the Lord. 

Holding the paten and the chalice in his hands, the cele-
brant now raises them toward heaven singing solemnly the 
famous Byzantine warning to the communicants: "Sviatdya 
Sviatim" (Holy things are for the holy!). The priest now 
washes his fingers at the side of the altar and then proceeds to 
break the Sacred Host.28 The Byzantine Host is a square of 
leavened bread, and the priest breaks It into four pieces, one 

28 There are little discrepancies among the various usages of the 
Byzantine Rite. The Ukrainians and Ruthenians wash their fingers here, 
but the Russians and Greeks do not. However, the Russians and Greeks 

[ 29 ] 



of which he puts into the chalice, while he reverently consumes 
the other three. After a few moments of quiet thanksgiving, he 
makes a profound bow and drinks from the chalice. He puts 
all the small hosts into the chalice, while the choir sings the 
Kinonikon or Communion-Antiphon. 

The priest turns to the people holding aloft the chalice 
containing both the Sacred Species and sings in a loud voice: 
"With the fear of God and with faith, come ye nigh!" Before 
communicating the people, the priest says aloud the earnest 
prayers of preparation: "I believe, O Lord, and confess that 
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who didst 
come into the world to save sinners, of which I am the chief. 
. . . Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy King-
dom. . . . O Lord, do not let this participation in Thy holy 
mysteries be to me unto judgment or condemnation, but unto 
the healing of my soul and body.24 God, be merciful to me a 
sinner. . . ." 

It is noteworthy that at the solemn time* of Communion 
both the great rites of Christendom make use of the beautiful 
and simple phraseology of the Gospels, the Roman Rite em-
ploying the words of St. John the Baptist and the Centurion, 
and the Byzantine Rite quoting St. Peter, the Good Thief, and 
the Publican. 

The people receive, from a golden spoon, one small cube 
of the consecrated bread steeped in the Precious Blood. The 
Russians and Greeks receive standing, while the Ukrainians 
and Ruthenians usually receive kneeling. When all have com-
municated, the priest returns to the altar, and there blesses 
the congregation with the Blessed Sacrament (Benediction 
with both species). The priest (or deacon) carries the chalice 

retain the old ceremony of pouring a little hot water into the chalice— 
to symbolize the warmth of the Divine Love for us and the fervor of the 
love with which we should communicate. 

24 Not only the thought, but almost the same words occur in the 
third prayer before Communion recited quietly by the priest in the Roman 
Rite. 

[ 30 ] 



to the side altar (where the gifts had been prepared), and 
leaves it there for purification after Mass.20 The carrying of 
the Blessed Sacrament to the side-altar represents the Ascen-
sion of our Lord into heaven. The choir meantime sings an 
antiphon of thanksgiving, which is followed by a short Litany 
and doxology. The people are now blessed, and the formula 
of dismissal (Apolysis) is sung, followed by a prayer of peti-
tion and remembrance. The Liturgy is over. 

25 Here again there is a discrepancy. The Russians and Greeks ob-
serve the old usage described here; some non-Russian Slavs perform the 
purification immediately, either at the side-altar, or even at the high altar, 
in imitation of the Roman practice. 

[ 31 ] 

H o l y C o m m u n i o n in t h e Eas te rn C h u r c h 



Roman Rite 

Lord's Prayer 
Embolism (Libera me) 

(At Offertory) 
Fraction 
Agnus Dei, Kiss of Peace 
Communion 
Communio 
Postcommunions 
Formula of Dismissal 
Blessing 
Last Gospel 

Byzantine Rite 

Lord's Prayer 
Inclination Prayer 
Washing hands 
Fraction 

(At Offertory) 
Communion 
Kinonikon 
Litany of Thanksgiving 
Formula of Dismissal 
Blessing 
Dismissal-Prayer 

Q U E S T I O N S — I V 

1. What chanted prayer marks the beginning of the Com-
munion-service in both rites? What difference marks the 
performance in East and West? 

2. Describe the rites' difference in the manner of receiving 
Holy Communion. 

3. Identify the terms: Embolism, Fraction, Agnus Dei, Kinoni-
kon, Apolysis. 

4. How do the rites show their deep faith in the Real Presence 
before the Communion? 

[ 32 ] 





81