nass JjaT^XISQ 
 
 Book 
 
 e- 
 
 '2'ro 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 
 
Il 
 
Place of the faithful and 
 
 H 
 
 m=4 
 
 Place of the Prostrates 
 
 K 
 
 Hearers Station 
 L 
 
 7 N 
 
 Weepers Station 
 
 « M tell 
 
 nm WA m 
 
 Plan of an Aricient Church she icing the i^laces of the Catechumens and Publii 
 Penitents. 
 
EXPLANATION OF THE FRONTISPIECE. 
 
 A — The bishop's throne in the centre of the apse, with stalls on either 
 side for the clergy. 
 
 B B — The sanctuary, or adytum. 
 
 C — The altar, supported on four pillars. 
 
 D — The sanctuary gates, or holy doors. 
 
 t E — The altar rails, called also iconostasis from the sacred icons, or 
 images, that used to be placed there. The entire space within these 
 rails was called the chancel, from a low, net-work partition which sepa- 
 rated it from the rest of the church, called in Latin cancelli, 
 
 p — The prothesis, or cruet-table, veiled in by a screen. 
 
 Q — The diaconicum, or sacristy, generally in charge of a deacon. 
 
 ■ " "'he place of the male portion of the congregation, and of that 
 ' Public Penitents known as the Costanders. 
 tie ambo, where the Epistle and Gospel were chanted and the 
 ^s read. 
 
 ;• .'he Beautiful Gates (portae speciosas), so called from the beauty 
 of T,i r workmanship. Here a subdeacon stood to see that the congre- 
 g').;. departed in order. Between | and K was the place of the Pros- 
 '"I'e 'enitents. 
 
 !^- 'he second porch, or narthex; also the Hearers" Station. 
 
 iVi The Baptisteriura. 
 
 N The Great Gates. 
 
 i -The first porch and Weepers' Station. 
 
 ^lace of the females, separated by a partition from the male por- 
 the congregation, and under the surveillance of what were called 
 ancient Church deaconesses. Men of note used to be sometimes 
 buried in the porch or narthex. 
 
 The precise location of the catechumens is a disputed point ; but in- 
 asmuch as the name was very often employed in that extended sense, 
 meaning all who were forbidden to be present at Divine Service proper, 
 it is generally supposed that they intermingled with the Penitents in 
 the portico. 
 
History of the Mass 
 
 AND ITS 
 
 CEREMONIES 
 
 IN THE 
 
 EASTERN AND WESTERN CHURCH. 
 
 BY 
 
 Rev. JOHN O'BRIEN, A.M., 
 
 PROFESSOR OP SACKED LITURGY IK MOUNT ST. MART'S COLLEGB, 
 EM3IITTSBURG, MARYLAND. 
 
 / '\ FIFTH EDITION, REVISED. 
 
 " I would be willing to lay down my life for a single one of the Ceremonies 
 of the Church."— St. Teresa, 
 
 New York t<^' . . / 
 THE CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY CO., 
 9 BARCLAY STREET. 
 
 1880. '^ 
 
OP CoNGRaas 
 
 WASHmotQR 
 
 
 Kmprtmatttt 
 
 
 New York, March 25, 1879. 
 
 A new work, entitled '* A History of the Mass and its Ceremonies in 
 the Eastern and Westtra Church," by the Rev. John O'Brien, of Mount 
 St. Mary's College, Eramittsburg, having been carefully examined and 
 commended by competent judges, is hereby approved by us. 
 
 ^ JAMES, Archbishop of Baltimore, 
 
 Baltimore, Feast of St. Benedict, 1879. 
 
 Ccypyright, 1879, by John O'Bbhw. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 As the question will doubtless be asked wliy we have 
 presumed to write upon a subject which has already been 
 treated so largely and so often by others, we make the 
 same reply that one of the ancient Fathers did when a 
 similar .^question was proposed to him. " This advan- 
 tage," said he, "we owe to the multiplicity of books on 
 the same subject : that one falls in the way of one man, 
 and another best suits the level or comprehension of an- 
 other. Everything that is written does not come into 
 the hands of all, and hence, perhaps, some may meet 
 with my book who have heard nothing of others which 
 have treated better of the same subject." 
 
 Although it cannot be gainsaid that the subject wliich 
 we have undertaken to touch has been largely treated 
 already, and that by more eminent writers than we, still, 
 when it is borne in mind that all those learned treatises 
 have been written in one or other of the dead languages, 
 and that, too, more for the sake of embellishing some 
 public institution or library than for the enlightenment 
 of the masses of the people, we think we owe no apo- 
 
vi Preface, 
 
 logy for writing a book of the presen,., r ^ture m English 
 suited to the capacity of all. Another advantage, too, 
 that onr book has over any other which has hitherto 
 ap23eared is this: Miat it does not confine itself to the 
 ceremonies and liturgical customs of any church in par- 
 ticular, such as the Latin or the Greek, but gives the 
 reader a general survey of all the churches of the East 
 and West wliere a true Sacrifice of the Mass really 
 exists. It therefore comprehends in its scope several 
 churches which have long been separated from the centre 
 of unity. 
 
 We wish our readers further to understand that the 
 information embodied in these pages has been taken from 
 the most approved sources, and but in a few cases, and 
 these of minor note, taken second-hand. Where there 
 was a doubt we have expressed it, and whenever we 
 found ourselves obliged to copy the remarks of an au- 
 thor upon whom we could place but little reliance we 
 have always noted the fact, in order not to give as cer- 
 tain what was at best but doubtful, and thus be made 
 responsible for statements which could not stand the test 
 of criticism. 
 
 We wish to remark, also, that our work has not been 
 given to the public in undue haste. It lias been com- 
 piled with a great deal of care and calm deliberation, 
 and has been written over and over again, with new cor- 
 rections and additions each time, in order that nothing 
 might be asserted without jn-oof and nothing stated at 
 
Preface, vii 
 
 random ; and although we have not followed to the let- 
 ter the advice of the pagan poet to keep it in our 
 drawer unto the ninth year, yet we can assure our read- 
 ers of this much at least ; that seven years of earnest 
 and anxious labor have been expended on it. There is 
 hardly a writer on sacred liturgy that we have not con- 
 sulted; certainly we have passed over no one of any 
 note ; and in order that our readers, should they feel so 
 inclined, may be enabled to collate our remarks with 
 the sources from which we have drawn them, besides 
 giving our authorities through the work, we have deemed 
 it well also to attach an alphabetical list of them to the 
 end of our treatise. 
 
 Regarding tlie order of the subject-matter, w^e have only 
 to say that we have endeavored to treat each particular 
 portion as fully as possible by itself, without running one 
 part into another, and thus embarrassing the reader ; and 
 in order to aid the latter still more, we have appended 
 so copious an index of words that it serves, in a measure, 
 as a sort of compendium to the entire work. 
 
 As to the book's originality, we humbly confess that it 
 is not new ; and this confession we make, not through 
 fear of running counter to what the Wise Man says, that 
 " there is nothing new under the sun," but simply be- 
 cause we wish our readers to lay more stress upon the 
 fact that it is a compilation of what the most learned 
 writers have said upon the subject in hand rather than 
 any effort of our own. Our book, then, can be called 
 
viii Preface. 
 
 original only in so far as its name and the arrangement 
 of parts are concerned. The labor of all this is ours, and 
 ours only ; as for the rest, we say in all sincerity with 
 Montaigne: ^^I have here only made a nosegay of culled 
 flowers, and have brought nothing of my own but the 
 string that ties them." 
 
 THE TITLE OF THE BOOK. 
 
 We have called our book A Hidory of the Mass and 
 its Ceremonies in tlie Eastern and Western Cliurch. At 
 first sight it seems an easy matter to hit upon such a 
 title as this, but we assure the reader that it did not 
 seem so to us. Many an hour of serious meditation it 
 cost us before we had satisfied ourselves that the de- 
 signation was a happy one ; and all this principally on 
 account of the appellations of Eastern and Western 
 Church. Almost every book that we take in hands — 
 certainly every book of travels — has something to say 
 about the Eastern Church and its liturgical customs : 
 yet we candidly confess that we have never met with 
 one which told us with any degree of satisfaction or 
 clearness what this Eastern Church was, or which did 
 not blunder from beginning to end in attempting to 
 describe its ceremonies. Some are perpetually confound- 
 ing the Eastern Church with the Greek Church, and 
 the latter with the Russian, wholly forgetting that out 
 of G-reece itself no Greek Church exists, and that the 
 
Preface. ix 
 
 Russian Church is no more Greek than it is English 
 or Irish. Others imagine that by the Eastern Church 
 is meant that which is included within the Patriarchate 
 of Constantinople ; but this, after all, would be only a 
 fraction of the East, for it would leave out both the 
 Greek Church proper and the Eussian Church, each 
 of which is wholly independent of Constantinople 
 and independent the one of the other. We have met 
 some even who have gravely committed it to writ- 
 ing that by the Eastern Church is meant the Syrian 
 and all its branches. Then add to this those never- 
 ending and high-sounding titles that are constantly 
 dinning our ears and seen at the head of almost every 
 review that we take in hand, such as "Holy Orthodox 
 Church," *' Orthodox Imperial Church," *^ Orthodox 
 Church of the East," "Holy Eastern Church," and so on 
 ad indefinitum j each, no doubt, meaning something, but 
 quite unintelligible without much explanation. The fact 
 is that since the fall of Constantinople, in 1453, there 
 has existed no national church, if we except the Maro- 
 oite alone, to which the appellation of Eastern could, 
 with strictness, be given ; and it is but too well known 
 that the correlative appellation of Western Church went 
 into desuetude centuries before that time. The two de- 
 signations originally sprang up naturally and necessarily 
 from the division of Constantine's empire in the fourth 
 century, into that of the East, with Constantinople as 
 its capital, and that of the West, with Rome. Strictly 
 
X Preface, 
 
 speaking, then, there are no such organizations now 
 as the Eastern and Western Church, and here was 
 our difficulty in choosing a title. " How, then," some- 
 body will say, " can you justify the name of your 
 book ? " The question is answered in this way : If the 
 book were a history, or a geography, or anything of that 
 nature, it could not be justified at all, it would be a 
 misnomer ; but inasmuch as it is confined solely to eccle- 
 siastical ceremonies and customs, all of which are the 
 same to-day, with scarcely a perceptible difference, as 
 they were when a real Eastern and Western Church ex- 
 isted, it cannot mislead as to its meaning, nor can it be 
 said of it that it has been unaptly chosen. But it can be 
 justified upon other grounds : Although the Catholic 
 Church recognizes no Church to-day to which she gives 
 the name of Eastern in its original acceptation, still it 
 must not be forgotten that she has at this time several 
 within her communion whose location is wholly in the 
 East, and which yet retain all their ancient ceremonies 
 and customs. The Maronite Church is one of these. It 
 celebrates Mass and the Divine Office in Syriac ; ad- 
 ministers Holy Communion in both kinds to the laity; 
 has a married clergy, and enjoys the privilege of elect- 
 ing its own patriarch. The Chaldean Church is another : 
 it says Mass in the ancient Syro-Chaldaic ; uses leav- 
 ened bread in the Holy Eucharist ; has a married clergy 
 also ; and, like all the other churches of the East, is 
 under the immediate jurisdiction of a patriarch. Then 
 
Preface, xi 
 
 tliore is the Cliurcli of the Uniat or Melchite Greeks ; it 
 still celebrates in the ancient Greek ; like the Maronite 
 and Chaldean, it has a married clergy ; like them, also, 
 it administers Holy Communion under both species, and 
 enjoys the singular privilege of reciting the Creed, even 
 in presence of tliS Poj)e himself, without being obliged 
 to add the celebrated ^' Filioque." These are but a few 
 of the many churches in the East which still retain 
 their ancient ceremonies and customs; but as we shall 
 have frequent occasion to refer to them again in course 
 of the present work, this passing notice must suflBce 
 here. 
 
 THE ORIENTAL SCHIS:\rATIC CHURCH. 
 
 Our duty would be but half discharged did we pass 
 by unnoticed the Oriental Schismatic Church, which 
 forms so large a part of Eastern Christendom and runs 
 side by side with the Catholic Church in all the Eastern 
 regions. This Church may be thus divided : First, 
 into the Church of the Russian Emjoire ; secondly, into 
 that within the Turkish Empire, with Constantinople as 
 capital ; thirdly, into the Church of the kingdom of 
 Greece. We ask the reader 'to bear this division care- 
 fully in mind, for numberless mistakes are made for want 
 of due attention to it, and to remember at the same 
 time that all these churches are wholly independent of 
 one another, in temporals as well as in spirituals ; and 
 
xii Preface. 
 
 that they hold no intercommunion whatever, unless in so 
 far as common charity or civility would dictate. The 
 Church of the Russian Empire, at one time under the 
 immediate control of the Archbishop of Moscow, and 
 subsequently ruled by a patriarch, is now at the sole 
 mercy of the " Holy Synod of St. Petersburg," and, though 
 it would scorn to avow it, is to all intents and purposes 
 a tool in the hands of the Czar, for without his sanc- 
 tion no change in the existing order of things can be 
 made — not even can a council be convoked without first 
 humbly asking his permission. This church uses the 
 same liturgies and ceremonies as the Greek Church, and 
 agrees wdth it in every point of discipline, save that it 
 says Mass in the Sclavonic language. 
 
 The church within the Turkish Empire is made up 
 of the four Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, 
 Antioch, and Jerusalem. Constantinople, the headquar- 
 ters of the Ottoman Empire, is also the chief patriarchal 
 seat, and still rejoices in the proud title of New Rome. 
 The Sultan is virtually the head of this church, and, 
 though they would fain deny it, its bishops and patri- 
 archs are forced to confess that he is the supreme and 
 final arbiter in every important dispute. Of so vast an 
 extent is this division of the Eastern Church that it in- 
 cludes within its limits people who celebrate Mass in 
 nine different languages — viz., in Latin, Greek, Syriac, 
 Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Chaldean, Sclavonic, and 
 Wallachian. 
 
Preface. xiii 
 
 The Church of the kingdom of Greece, though uomi- 
 nally governed by the Synod of Athens, is as mucli a 
 creature of the state as that of Constantinople or Rus- 
 sia, for it depends far its entire movement and being 
 upon the will of the reigning monarch. It acknow- 
 ledges no submission whatever to Constantinople, nor to 
 any other branch of the Eastern Church. 
 
 Although these three great divisions of the Oriental 
 Church include within their pale several churches which 
 are both heretical and schismatical at the same time, 
 still, as far as validity of orders is concerned, the 
 Holy See has expressed her doubt of none save of the 
 Abyssinian. The so-called Eastern Church has, therefore, 
 a true priesthood, a true sacrifice of the Mass, and valid 
 sacraments ; hence its claim to our attention. But it has 
 anotlier claim which ought not to be passed by unnoticed 
 here ; its singular devotion to the erer-blessed Mother of 
 God. Tliis may be considered the great redeeming fea- 
 ture of the Eastern Church, and it is to be hoped that, 
 in consideration of it, she whose glorious prerogative it 
 is to destroy all heresies in the Church may, by her 
 powerful intercession at the throne of her Divine Son, 
 establish a lasting union between the East and West, so 
 that Christ's Vicar may sing once more, as he sang at 
 the Council of Florence, " Let the heavens rejoice and 
 the earth burst forth In songs of gladness." 
 
 In concluding our Preface we beg leave to remark 
 that no attempt whatever at what is called style has 
 
xiv Preface, 
 
 been made in the following pages. Our aim has been, 
 from beginning to end, to give the reader plain facts, 
 with little or no dressing, and to keep steadily in view 
 that golden advice of St. Augustine, to wit, that it is 
 better to endure hlame at the hands of the critics than say 
 anything which the j^eople might not understand — '^ Me- 
 lius est reprehendant nos grammatici, quam non intelli- 
 gant populi " {ad Ps. cxxxviii.) 
 
 Whatever we have stated may be relied upon — ^if not 
 relied upon as absolutely true, yet at least in the sense 
 that it is a faithful rendering of the views of the author 
 from, whom it was taken. Further than this it would 
 not be fair to hold us responsible. J. O'B. 
 
 Mt. St. Mart's College, Emmittsbitrg, Martland, 
 
 Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1878. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Brief Dissertation on the Principal Liturgies in Use in 
 
 THE East and the West at the Present Day, . . xix 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 The Mass — Origin of the Word, 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Sacred Vestments, 35 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Sacred Vessels, ........... 69 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Chalice Linens, 33 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Manner of Reserving the Blessed Sacrament, ... 87 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Incense, c .... 92 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 Sacred Music and Musical Instruments, 95 
 
 XV 
 
xvi Contents, 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Varying Rites within the Church, 103 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 The Altar, 113 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Relics, 121 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Crucifixes and Crosses, 126 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Lights, 132 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 The Tabernacle, 137 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 The Missal, 139, 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Bells, 146 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Bread used for Consecration, 153 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Wine, 165 
 
Contents, xvii 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Number of Masses that a Priest may say upon the Same Day, . 168 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Concelebration, ,, ... 173 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Customs relating to the Celebration of Mass, , • • . 176 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 The Celebration of Mass— The Introit, 195 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 The Sermon, 241 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 The Celebration of Mass— The Creed, 249 
 
 CHAPTER XXrV. 
 The Celebration of Mass— The Offertory, .... 266 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 The Celebration of Mass— The Preface, 288 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 The Celebration of Mass— The Canon, 295 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 The Celebration of Mass— The Consecration, .... 324 
 
xviii Contents, 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Celebration of Mass— The Pater Noster, .... 355 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 The Celebration of Mass— Communion of the People, . . .369 
 
A BRIEF DISSERTATION 
 
 Principal Liturgies in nse in tlie East and West at the 
 Present Day. 
 
 For the better understanding of the matter treated of in 
 tlie following pages we deem it well to give the reader a 
 brief account of the Liturgies in use in the Eastern and 
 Western Church at the present day. 
 
 To give anything like a full history of the various Eastern 
 Liturgies would, indeed, be a very laborious undertaking, 
 and, we have serious reasons to fear, a very unsuccessful one 
 also, for their name is legion — the Jacobites alone using as 
 many as forty. We shall, therefore, w^holly confine ourselves 
 to such as are in general and daily use, and leave the rest to 
 be treated of by those writers who make pure Liturgy the 
 burden of their WTiting. 
 
 It would not be very bold to assert that the only living 
 Liturgies in free circulation throughout the East at tlie pre- 
 sent day are those of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the 
 Great. Both of these are used now in their entirety, such 
 as they were when they came from the hands of the great 
 men whose names they bear ; and this can be saM of none of 
 the other Eastern Liturgies. The Liturgy of St. Basil is 
 very often called the Caesarean Office, from the fact that its 
 author was Bishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia. It is 1he 
 
XX A brief Dissertation on the Princijoal Liturgies. 
 
 parent of the Armeno- Gregorian Eite. The Liturgy of St. 
 Chrysostom is usually inscribed '' the Divine Liturgy of our 
 Holy Father among the Saints, John of the Golden Mouth." 
 From this many of the later forms in use among the Nesto- 
 rians are derived. The Liturgy of St. James, first Bishop of 
 Jerusalem, is very frequently spoken of in connection with 
 the Maronites and Syrians, but it is a well-known fact that 
 the living Liturgies of both these peoples have little more 
 of St. James's in them than a few shreds. The Maro- 
 nites are very fond of referring their Liturgy to that vene- 
 rable norma because it has the impress of antiquity, it being 
 the general opinion of liturgical writers that it is the oldest 
 in existence ; but in reality their Liturgy as it stands now is 
 nothing else but a collection of excerpta taken from other 
 Liturgies, and as often called by the name of St. John Maro 
 as by that of St. James the Apostle. The fact is that, if we 
 except the Church of Jerusalem and a few islands in the 
 Archipelago which employ it on certain occasions, the Litur- 
 gy of St. James has no circulation to-day in its original 
 form anywhere. The same may be said of the Liturgy of St. 
 Mark, at one time in exclusive use throughout the Patriarchate 
 of Alexandria, and, in fact, of every other primitive Liturgy 
 known ; so that we repeat what we stated at the outset, that 
 the Liturgies of St. John Clirysostom and St. Basil the 
 Great have almost undisturbed sway in the East to-day. 
 They are used by Catholics and schismatics alike. Dr. 
 Neale attributes all this to the influence of Balsamon, Ca- 
 tholic Patriarch of Antioch in the beginning of the thir- 
 teenth century, who, it appears, went lieart and soul for 
 shaping everything Eastern by the standard of the New 
 Rome. Although Neale speaks somewliat disparagingly of 
 this learned prelate, still, as he tells tlie story in full of how 
 the Liturgies of Constantinople made their way into the 
 East, we give his words without cliange of any kind. He 
 
A brief Dissertation on the Principal Liturgies. xxi 
 
 speaks as follows : " Of the normal Liturgies, those of St. 
 James and St. Mark were used by the churches of Antioch 
 and Alexandria, respectively, till the time of Theodore Bal- 
 samon. This prelate was a complete Oriental Ultramon- 
 tane ; everything was to be judged by and squared to the 
 rule of Constantinople. The Bellarmine or Orsi of the 
 Eastern Church, he was for abolishing every formulary not 
 adopted by the oecumenical j)atriarch, and endeavored suc- 
 cessfully to intrude the forms of Constantinople on the 
 whole East. Consulted by Mark of Alexandria as to the 
 degree of authority which attached to the Liturgies of St. 
 James and St. Mark, he wholly condemns them as not 
 mentioned by Holy Scripture or the Canons, *but chiefly 
 because,' says he, 'the Catholic Church of the most holy 
 oecumenical throne of Constantinople does in nowise ac- 
 knowledge them.' The way in which Balsamon treats these 
 offices, more venerable than his own, and that in wiiich 
 Eome has abrogated the G-allican and Mozarabic missals, 
 are surely marvellously alike. From that time the Constan- 
 tinopolitan Liturgies of St. Basil and St. Chrysostonr have 
 prevailed over the whole orthodox East, except that the 
 Office of St. James is used in the Church of Jerusalem and 
 in some of the islands of the Archipelago on the festival of 
 that Apostle " {History of the Holy Eastern Cliurch, General 
 Introduction, vol. i. p. 318). 
 
 To enter, then, into more specific detail, the Liturgy of 
 St. Chrysostom is used, first, by the Russian Church in the 
 empire of Russia itself and throughout all the imperial 
 dominions ; not, indeed, in its Greek form, -but in the 
 Sclavonic, for that is the liturgical language in all those 
 parts. It is also used in the kingdom of Greece and its 
 dependencies^ and has universal sway among the Mingre- 
 lians, Wallachians, Ruthenians, Rascians, Bulgarians, and 
 Albanians, as well as with all the Uniat or Melchite Greeks 
 
xxii A brief Disscrtat 1071 on the FrincijJcd Liturgies. 
 
 of the four Patriarchates of Constantiuople, Alexandria, 
 Antioch, and Jerusalem. The United Greeks of Italy and 
 those of the Austrian Empire use it also. 
 
 Together with this Liturgy, m all the places mentioned, 
 runs that of St. Basil the Great, but it is not called as often 
 into requisition. The Liturgy of St. Chrysostom is employed 
 throughout the entire year, on week-days as well as on Sun- 
 days and festivals, with the following exceptions : viz., the 
 yigils of Christmas and the Epiphany, the Feast of St. Basil 
 (January 1), all the Sundays of Lent except Palm Sunday, 
 Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday. On these excepted oc- 
 casions the Liturgy of St. Basil is used, and on the ferial 
 days of Lent the seryice of the Presanctified — called also the 
 Presanctified Liturgy^is used instead of both. 
 
 THE LITUKGIES OF THE WESTEKK CHUECH. 
 
 The Liturgies of the Western, or Latin, Church need no- 
 thing more at our hands than a passing notice ; for, with the 
 exception of one or two normas, which are better called rites 
 than Liturgies — viz. , the Ambrosian and Mozarabic — the Ro- 
 man has undisturbed and universal sway. Of the two ex- 
 ceptions named — the former peculiar to the ancient Church 
 of Milan, the latter coi ^ned to the city of Toledo, in Spain 
 — a full account is given in another part 'of our work, so that 
 more need not be said of them here. As for the so-called 
 Galilean and Lyonese Liturgies, they are now things of the 
 past. The few vestiges that yet remain to tell that they 
 had at one time a place in the Church will be noticed in due 
 course ; as will also the fragments that are left us of the 
 celebrated Rite of Sarum, which at one time formed the 
 chief glory of the English Church. 
 
 In concluding our dissertation we beg leave to direct the 
 reader's attention to the following important fact : viz., 
 
A Oi'icf Dissertation on the rriiiciinil Liturgies, xxiii 
 
 that throughout the entire East the word Liturgy (from 
 the Greek \eirov, public, and epyov^ a work) means 
 always the norma of the Mass, and no more ; but in the 
 West it is the complexus of all the rites and ceremonies 
 that are used by the Church in the administration of the 
 Sacraments and in all her sacred offices. It is well to keep 
 this in mind, for some are perpetually confounding Liturgy 
 and Ruhrics, thinking that both mean one and the same 
 thing. There is about the same difference between them as 
 between mathematics and arithmetic. The one includes the 
 other and a great deal more besides- The Eubrics, accord- 
 ing to the primitive acceptation of the word, are nothing 
 but the directions given in red letters for the due per- 
 formance of any particular ceremony ; when reduced to a 
 regular system or science they are the elucidation of these 
 directions, and nothing more. But the aim of Liturgy is of 
 a far more comprehensive and elevated nature, for it takes 
 in everything that is in any way connected with the sacred 
 functions of the Churclu 
 
HISTORY OF THE MASS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 TEE MASS— ORIGIN OF TEE WORD, ETC. 
 
 As to the origin of the word Mass liturgical writers are 
 not entirely agreed. According to some, it comes from the 
 Hebrew '^nixM," Massah, a debt or obligation; others 
 derive its name from the Greek " fxvrjai?,'^ Myesis, initia- 
 tion.; whilst a third class maintain that it is nothing else 
 but an improved form of the old obsolete Mes or Messe,'- 
 which, with the people of Northern Europe, meant a ban- 
 quet or convivial gathering, and not unfrequently also a 
 sacrifice. 
 
 The great body, however, of liturgical writers are in favor 
 of deriving it from the Latin ^^Missa" or " Missio," a dis- 
 missal, referring to the custom in vogue during the first five 
 or six centuries of the Christian Church — when the Disci- 
 plina Arcani, or Discipline of the Secret,^ prevailed — of dis- 
 
 ^ From the same root are the affixes in such words as Christmas, Childermas, 
 Michaelmas, Lammas, etc. (JSoly Days of the English Church, p. 154). 
 
 ^ The Disciplina Arcani, or DiscipUne of the Secret, was a law enforced by the early 
 Christian Church, in virtue of which the principal mysteries of our holy faith were 
 concealed from pagans, infidels, and all who had not been regenerated by the sa\ing 
 waters of baptism ; and this in accordance with the solemn admonition of our Divine 
 Lord himself not to cast i^ea^is before swine or give what was holy to dogs (Matt. vii. 
 8). This discipline prevailed in the Eastern Church until the end of the fifth century, 
 and in the Western until about the middle of the sixth (Ferraris, art. Discip. Arcani, 
 735-12). 
 
2 The Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc, 
 
 missing the Catecliumens^ and Pnblic Penitents* from the 
 house of God before the more solemn part of divine service 
 began. 
 
 From the twofold dismissal — viz., that of the Catechu- 
 mens at the beginning of Mass, and the other, of the faith- 
 ful, at the end — the entire service used to be known by the 
 plural aj^pellations of Missm or Missiones (that is, the dis- 
 missals) ; and hence the import of such phrases so often to 
 be met with in the writings of the early Fathers, as '^' inter 
 Missarum solemnia," '' Missas facere," and ^^ Missas tenere." 
 Hence, also, the twofold division known as the " Mass of 
 the Catechumens" and the '^Mass of the Faithful," the 
 former extending from the beginning to the Offertory, the 
 latter from the Offertory to the end. 
 
 THE XAMES BY WHICH THE MASS W^AS K>?"OWK i:S" THE GEEEK 
 CHUKCH IK EAELT TIMES. 
 
 One of the strongest arguments against the Hebrew origin 
 of the word Mass is that none of the Oriental Fathers ever 
 made use of Massah, but always employed a different word. 
 "With them it was styled indifferently by the following 
 names : Mystagogia, Synaxis. Anaphora, Eulogia, Hierur- 
 gia, Mysterion, Deipnon, Teleion, Agathon, Prosphora, and 
 Liturgia, 
 
 It was called Mystagogia by St. Dionysius, from the fact 
 
 3 Catechumen, from the Greek Karqxe^, I teach by word of month. Under the de- 
 nommation of Catechumens came all those who were undergoing instructions at the 
 hands of catechists previous to their reception of baptism. According to the most 
 generally received opinion, there were two orders of Catechumens : the Hearers, or those 
 who merely expressed a wish to become Christians ; and the Elect or Competent, who 
 had passed through the course of training that was necessary for the reception of 
 baptism. 
 
 * Of the Pnblic Penitents there were four distinct classes, viz. : the Weepers, whose 
 place was in the porch, or first narthex ; the Hearers, who stood in the second narthex ; 
 the Prostratss, whose place was near the ambo \ and the Costanders, who stood with 
 the faithful in the upper part of the nave. (Sec frontispiece.) 
 
Different Kinds of Mass. 3 
 
 1 
 that it was a divine participation of, or initiation into, the 
 
 sacred mysteries. It was termed Synaxis, or tlie lonion, 
 because in virtue of it we are all united with Christ our 
 Saviour. The name Anaphora was applied to it from the 
 fact that it raises our minds and hearts to God. The term 
 Eulogia was given it from its propitiatory nature ; Hierur- 
 gia, because it was a sacred action ; Mysterion, from the mys- 
 teries it contained ; and Deipnon, or hanquet, from the fact 
 that it gave us the living Bread nnto the eternal nourish- 
 ment of our souls. Then, again, it was called Telemi, or 
 perfection, because it was the sacrifice of that Holy Lamb, 
 without spot or blemish, who came upon earth to be the 
 perfection and completion of the ancient law. Its name 
 Agathon, or good, was given it because it is the only lasting 
 good upon which man can count ; and from the fact that it 
 finally conducts ns to the happy end for which we were 
 created, the appellation of ProspJiora was given it also. Of 
 all these names enumerated, that of Liturgia was most 
 frequently used, and is exclusively used at the present day 
 throughout the entire East. 
 
 DIFFEKENT KIKDS OF MASS. 
 
 From the various circumstances attending the celebration 
 of Mass, from the ceremonies^ employed, and the peculiar 
 end for which it is offered, different names have been given 
 to qualify it, such as Solemn High Mass, Simple High Mass, 
 Low Mass, Conventual Mass, Bridal or ISTuptial Mass, Golden 
 Mass, Private Mass, Solitary Mass, Votive Mass, Dry Mass, 
 
 ^ The word ceremony owes its origin to a singular circumstance. When Rome was 
 packed by the Gauls, the Vestal Virgins, in order to escape with their lives and preser\'e 
 their honor, fled the city, carrying with them all their sacred utensils, and repaired to the 
 ancient city of Caere, in Tuscany. Here they received a most cordial reception, and 
 here they remained until quietness reigned at Rome. To perpetuate the kind hospi- 
 tality of the people of Caere towards the Vestals, the sacred rites, and all pertaining 
 to them, were called ceremonies ever after (Gavantus, Thesaur. Sacr, Bit.. 2). 
 
4 The Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc, 
 
 Evening and Midnight Mass, Mass of the Presanctified, Mass 
 of Eequiem, and Mass of Judgment. 
 
 Solemn High Mass. — When Mass is celebrated with 
 deacon and subdeacon and a full corps of inferior min- 
 isters, it is denominated a Solemn High Mass. In many 
 places of Europe the name grand is given it on account of 
 its rituahstic display. It is called high from the fact that 
 the greater part of it is chanted in a high tone of voice. 
 When there is neither deacon nor subdeacon ministering, a 
 Mass of this kind receives the name of Simple High Mass, or 
 Missa Cantata. 
 
 Low Mass. — Low Mass is so called from its being said in 
 a low tone of voice, in contradistinction to High Mass, which 
 is chanted aloud. At a Mass of this kind the usual marks 
 of solemnity are dispensed with. It is, in great part, read 
 by the priest in an ordinary tone of voice, without any 
 assistants save the server, who answers the responses in the 
 name of the people and administers to the wants of the 
 altar. 
 
 Conventual Mass. — Conventual Mass, strictly speaking, is 
 that which the rectors and canons attached to a cathedral 
 are required to celebrate daily after the hour of Tierce — that 
 is, at about nine o'clock. 
 
 According to several authorities of note, this Mass is also 
 of obligation in convents where the Blessed Sacrament is 
 kept, and even in rural churches which enjoy the same pri- 
 vilege (De Herdt, i. 14). Conventual Mass is also known 
 by the several names of Canonical, Public, Common^ and 
 Major. The last appellation is given it on account of the 
 peculiar privileges it enjoys over ordinary Masses, 
 
 Bridal or Nuptial Mass. — It has always been the wish of 
 the Church that at the solemnization of holy matrimony 
 Mass should, if possible, be offered in behalf of the newly- 
 married couple, in order that Almighty God may bless theii 
 
Different Kinds of Mass. 5 
 
 union and favor them with a happy offspring. A special 
 service is set apart in the Missal for this end, called in La- 
 tin " Missa pro Sponso et Sponsa" — i.e., Mass for the Bride- 
 groom and Bride — and the Mass itself is considered among 
 the privileged, for it may be celebrated on days of great- 
 er rite (Bouvry, Expositio Rubricarum, ii. 601). 
 
 At a Mass of this kind a few ceremonies may be seen 
 which are peculiar to it alone. As far as the " Pater Nos- 
 ter" it differs in nothing from an ordinary Mass; but when 
 the priest has come to that part of the service immediately 
 before the " Libera nos/' he stands at the Epistle corner of 
 the altar, and, having turned towards the bride and bride- 
 groom, who are kneeling in front of him, reads over them 
 from the Missal two prayers upon the nature and solemnity 
 of their union. This being done, the bridal party retire to 
 their j)liices, and the Mass goes on as usual until the time 
 of the last blessing. Here the priest turns round to the 
 party again, and reads over them the following prayer : 
 **The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of 
 Jacob be with you ; may he shower his blessing upon you, 
 that you may behold your children's children unto the third 
 and fourth generation ; and may you enjoy afterwards eter- 
 nal, unending life through the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth 
 God, world without end. Amen." After this the priest is 
 directed to admonish the newly-married pair of the mutual 
 faith and love they owe each other, and of the obligations 
 they are under to remain continent on those occasions that 
 the Church has set apart for special prayer and fasting. 
 They are finally exhorted to live in the fear of God. The 
 priest then sprinkles them with holy water, and Mass con- 
 cludes as usual. 
 
 Bridal Mass according to the Sarum Rite. — According to 
 the Sarum rite, of which we shall give a full account fur- 
 
6 Tlie Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc, 
 
 ther on, Bridal Mass was celebrated with peculiar and inte- 
 resting ceremonies. The marriage itself was performed at the 
 church door, in order that all might witness it. From this 
 the priest led up the married couple to the altar-steps, where 
 he prayed over them and begged also the prayers of the peo- 
 ple in their behalf. Mass was then begun, and the moment 
 the "Sanctus" bell sounded the newly-married knelt near 
 the foot of tlie altar, while some of the clerics of the sanc- 
 tuary held over them a large pall commonly called the care 
 cloth. This cloth was not removed until a little before the 
 " Pax." The bride was required on this occasion to allow 
 her hair to flow moderately upon her shoulders, and wear, 
 if her circumstances allowed it, a wreath of jewels, or at 
 least of flowers, upon her head." 
 
 The dress of Margaret, eldest daughter of Henry YII., 
 King of England, when going to be married to King James 
 of Scotland, is thus described by Pauper : *^ She had a varey 
 riclie coller of gold, of pyerrery and perles round her neck, 
 and the cronne apon hyr hed, her hayre hangyng." Just 
 before the ^'Pax" the priest turned round to the new couple 
 and imparted the marriage blessing, after which the care 
 cloth was removed. The '' Pax " was then given according 
 to the ancient mode, and not with the Pacifical. The bride- 
 groom received it first from the priest at the altar, and then 
 bestowed it on his spouse. After Mass bread and wine, hal- 
 lowed by the priest's blessing, used to be distributed among 
 all the friends of the newly-married couple who happened to 
 be in church during the ceremonies. 
 
 According to the rite followed at York, the nuptial bless- 
 ing was generally given by the priest with the chalice, and 
 this on account of the great dignity of the Sacrament of 
 Matrimony. (The reader who wishes to see more upon this 
 subject will do well to consult that excellent work of 
 
 5 In mediaeval art the Blessed Virgin is always represented in this way. 
 
Different Kinds of Mass, 7 
 
 Dr. Rock known as the Church of our Fathers, vol. iii. 
 part 2, 172.) 
 
 Golden Mass (Missa aurea). — Golden Mass was one that 
 used to be celebrated formerly on the Wednesdays of the 
 quarter tenses of Advent in honor of the Mother of God. 
 It used to be a Solemn High Mass of the mo&t gorgeous 
 kind, and was often protracted three or four hours, in order 
 to give full sway to the ceremonies and musical pieces em- 
 ployed on the occasion. The bishop and all his canons 
 assisted at it, as well as the members of the different reli- 
 gious communities of the place where it was celebrated. It 
 was customary, too, to distribute gifts, and those very often 
 of the costliest kind, among the people who assisted at it ; 
 and, from the nature and excellence of the mystery in honor 
 of which it was offered, it used to be written in letters of gold, 
 hence its name (Gavantus, Thesaur. Sacr. Rit., 27 ; Bouvry, 
 ii. 105). Traces of this Mass may be witnessed yet here' and 
 there through Germany ; but at the Church of St. Gudule, 
 in Brussels, the regular Mass is celebrated every year on the 
 23d of December. Thousands assist at it on this occasion. 
 
 Private Mass. — -TVlienever the expression "Missa pri- 
 vata " is used by the rubrics. Low Mass, in contradistinc- 
 tion to High Mass, is always, or nearly always, meant. But 
 by Private Mass we mean something entirely different. 
 Strictly speaking, a Private Mass is one in which only tlie 
 priest himself communicates (Gavantus, p. 29). It receives 
 its name oi private from the fact that no concourse of peo- 
 ple assists at it,' and that it is celebrated in some private ora- 
 tory or chapel to which all have not access. According to 
 the mind of the Coancil of Trent (session 22, chap. 6), 
 no Mass is private in the Catholic acceptation of the word ; 
 for all, whether pi-ivate or public, are offered by a public 
 minister of the Church, not for himself alone, but for the 
 entire houseliold of faith {iUi 
 
8 The Mass — Origm of the Word, Etc, 
 
 And that Masses of this kind have been practised from 
 the very days of the Apostles themselves the most indubi- 
 table testimony proves ; although the heretics of the six- 
 teenth century would fain have it that such Masses were un- 
 heard of, nay, even forbidden, by the early Church. But 
 Cardinal Bona shows to a demonstration that Private Masses 
 have been. in use always, and mentions, among others, the 
 testimony of Tertullian, who lived away back in the sec- 
 ond century, in proof of his assertion (Bona, Rer, Liturg., 
 p. 231). 
 
 The first daring attack made upon Masses of tliis kind was 
 by the arch-heretic Luther himself, who declared that, in a 
 conversation which lie had had with the devil, it was re- 
 vealed to him that such Masses were real idolatry (Bouvier, 
 Theol Moral, iii. 224), 
 
 To put an end to all cavil on this subject, the Holy 
 Council of Trent, in its 22d session, canon 8, thus de- 
 creed : ^^Si quis dixerifc Missas in quibus solus sacerdos 
 sacramentaliter communicat illicitas esse ideoque abrogan- 
 das, anathema sit." That is, If any one shall say that 
 those Classes in which only the j^riest communicates sacra- 
 wentally are illicit, and that hence they should he abolished, 
 let him he anathema. 
 
 Solitary Mass. — When Mass is said by a priest alone, 
 without the attendance of people, or even of a server, it is 
 called a Solitary Mass. Masses of this kind were once very 
 common m monasteries and religious communities (Bona, 
 p. 230), and they are still practised to a great extent in 
 missionary countries. They cannot, however, be said with- 
 out grave necessity ; for it is considered a serious offence by 
 theologians to celebrate without a server, and tliis server 
 must be always a male, never a female, no matter how 
 pressing the necessity be. 
 
 Strangely enough, Solitary Masses were forbidden in days 
 
Different Kinds of Mass. 9 
 
 gone by by several local councils, and this principally for 
 the reason that it seemed ridiculous to say '^ Dominus vo- 
 biscum," the Lord he luith you; " Oremus/' let us pray ; 
 and ^' Orate fratres," pray, hrethren, when there were 
 no persons present. The Council of Mayence, held in 
 the time of Pope Leo III. (a.d. 815), directly forbade a 
 priest to sing Mass alone. The prohibition not merely to 
 sing it, but to celebrate at all without witnesses, was re- 
 peated by the Council of Nantes, and for the reasons 
 alleged. Gratian cites a canon in virtue of which two wit- 
 nesses at least were required for the due celebration of every 
 Mass ; and this we find to be the rule among the early 
 Cistercians. 
 
 Cardinal Bona {Rer. Liturg., p. 230), from whom we copy 
 these remarks, seems much in doubt as to whether Solitary 
 Masses were wholly abrogated in his day. He instances, 
 however, a well-known exception in case of a certain mo- 
 nastery which enjoyed the privilege from the Holy See of 
 celebrating without having any person to respond. 
 
 According to the present discipline of the Church, when- 
 ever necessity compels a priest to celebrate alone he must 
 recite the responses himself, and otherwise act as if he had 
 a full congregation listening to him. He must not omit, 
 abridge, add, or change anything to suit the peculiar cir- 
 cumstances of the occasion, but must do everything that 
 the rubrics prescribe for ordinary Mass, and this under pain 
 of sin. 
 
 Votive Mass. — As every day in the year has a Mass more 
 or less peculiar to itself, whenever this order is broken in 
 upon the Mass introduced is denominated Votive. Eubri- 
 cists define it as a Mass not in accordance with the ofiice of 
 the day; and it receives its name Votive from the fact that 
 it is celebrated to satisfy either the pious wishes of the 
 priest himself or of some member of his congregation. 
 
10 Tlie 3£ass— Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 Masses of this kind are subject to various restrictions. 
 They cannot be celebrated nnless on days of minor rite, nor 
 without a reasonable cause ; for the rubrics of the Missal are 
 very explicit in saying that, as far as can be done, the Mass 
 ought to agree with the office of the day. St. Liguori says 
 that a Votive Mass cannot be said merely on the plea that it 
 is shorter than the Mass of the day, but that a more serious 
 reason is required (Book vi., ISQ. 419). A sufficient reason, 
 however, would be if either the person asking such a Mass, 
 or the person offering it, had a special devotion to some 
 particular saint or mystery (De Herdt, i. 27). 
 
 Dry Mass. — When neither the consecration nor consump- 
 tion of either element takes place the Mass is said to be a 
 Dry Mass. In ancient times the word Nautical was applied 
 to it, from the fact of its being confined jDrincipally to 
 voyages on sea, where the difficulty of celebrating ordinary 
 Mass would be very great on account of the rolling of the 
 vessel and other causes. In celebrating a Mass of this kind 
 all the sacred vestments were allowed ; but, inasmuch as no 
 consecration took place, the use of a chalice was forbidden. 
 All those prayers which did not bear directly on the Oifer- 
 tory or Consecration could be recited, such as the opening 
 psalm, the ^^Introit," '-'Kyrie eleison," *^ Gloria in excelsis," 
 "Credo," Epistle and Gospel, as well as the "Preface." 
 It was also allowed to impart the usual blessing at the end. 
 It was customary, too, in some places to employ the services 
 of deacon and subdeacon, in order to give it as solemn an air 
 as possible. Genebrard, a Benedictine monk, who died to- 
 wards the end of the sixteenth century, testifies that he him- 
 self was present at a Solemn Dry Mass celebrated at Turin 
 one evening for the repose of the soul of a certain nobleman 
 who had just departed life. These Masses were often said 
 for the special gratification of the sick who could not attend 
 church on account of their infirmities ; also for prisoners, 
 
Different Kinds oj ^ilass. 11 
 
 and, as has already . been said, for seafaring people. But 
 such Masses have long passed into desuetude. They are 
 practised no more, and deservedly, for many well-meaning 
 but simple-minded people were often led to put as much 
 faith in their efficacy as in a real Mass (see Durandus, 
 Rationale Dlvinorum, § par. 23 ; Bona, Ee7\ Liturg., 235, 
 23G ; and Gavantus, Thesaur. S. Bit., 33). 
 
 Evening Mass (Missa vespertina). — In the time of St. 
 Augustine (fifth century) it was customary throughout Af- 
 rica to celebrate Mass on Holy Thursday evening in mem- 
 ory of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament on that 
 day. It used to be said by a priest who had already broken 
 his fast (Martene, Be Antiquis Eccl. Ritibus ; Bona, Rer. 
 Lifurg.^ 255). Touching this Mass the fourth Council of 
 Carthage decreed as follows : " The Sacrament of the Altar 
 must not be celebrated unless by a priest who is fasting, 
 except on the anniversary of the institution of the Holy 
 Eucharist." 
 
 Another custom, too, that prevailed in certain places 
 was to say Mass for the dead at any time of the day that 
 one of the faithful died, and this, whether the priest had 
 broken his fast or not (see article on the Offertorium of 
 Masses for the Dead). But this practice was condemned 
 almost as soon as its introduction by several councils, and 
 among others by those of Carthage in Africa and Braga in 
 Spain (Bona, 255). 
 
 Evening Mass in the Eastern CJiurcJi. — As the majority 
 of the Oriental churches do not reserve the Blessed Eur 
 charist as we do, and this principally for the reason that 
 leavened bread will soon corrupt in such climates as theirs, 
 they are necessitated, in order to give the Holy Viaticum 
 to the dying, to celebrate frequently in the evening, which, 
 of course, they will do after having broken their fast. 
 
 The Copts never reserve the Blessed Sacrament from one. 
 
12 Tlie Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 Mass to another, for reasons which we shall give when 
 treating of Holy Communion, but will celebrate any hour 
 of the day or night that they are called on to communi- 
 cate the dying (Denzinger, Eitns Orient alium, p. 85). 
 
 Midnight Mass. — Midnight Masses, and Nocturnal Masses 
 generally, were very frequent during the days of persecution, 
 when the Christians were forbidden to assemble anywhere 
 in daytime. 
 
 There were certain festivals, also, in later times for which 
 Midnight Mass was prescribed, but all these privileges have 
 long since been taken away, the only one remaining being 
 that attached to Christmas, upon w^hich night a Nocturnal 
 Mass, as of old, is yet celebrated in many places. 
 
 In the Eastern Church Midnight Mass has never been 
 much in vogue. One of the most gorgeous displays, 
 however, of ritual ever known is to be witnessed in Eus- 
 sia at the Midnight Mass of Easter. As soon as twelve 
 o'clock is announced ^all the bells of the Kremlin, whose 
 number is legion, begin to toll, and they are immediately 
 answered by all the other bells in Moscow. At the sound 
 of these bells every inhabitant rises from sleep and repairs 
 to cliurch to hear the news of the risen Saviour. The whole 
 city is in a blaze, for every window has a light, and a torch 
 burns at the corner of every street. The great tower of the 
 cathedral is illuminated from base to summit with myriads 
 of lights, and lights burn in the hands of every man, wo- 
 man, and child. The scene inside the different churches, 
 but especially in the cathedral, defies description. The 
 most costly vestments are used on this occasion, and 
 neither labor nor expense is spared to make it worthy, in 
 some way, of the great mystery it commemorates (Bur- 
 der, Religious Rites and Ceremonies, p. 154). 
 
 Mass of the Presanctified. — This Mass receives its name, 
 Presanctified, from the fact that it is celebrated with a Host 
 
Different Kinds of Mass, 13 
 
 consecrated on a previous occasion, and has no consecration 
 of either element itself. In the Latin Church this Mass is 
 celebrated but once a year— viz., on Good Friday— but in 
 the Greek Church it is peculiar to every day in Lent ex- 
 cept Saturdays, Sundays, and the Feast of the Annuncia- 
 tion, when the regular Mass is ofiered (Goar, Euchologium 
 GrcBCoriim, p. 205). This custom of not celebrating daily 
 in the East during Lent is as old at least as the Council 
 of Laodicea, held in a.d. 314. When the custom began in 
 the Latin Church it is not easy to determine. Another dif- 
 ference in discipline between the Latin and Greek Church in 
 regard to this Mass is this : that in the former no Com- 
 munion is given during the service, but in the latter it is 
 customary to communicate always on such occasions. The 
 service in the Russian Church is thus spoken of by 
 Eomanoff : 
 
 " In the early days of the Christian Church the Fathers 
 did not consider it seemly to celebrate the comforting 
 feast on days of humiliation and mourning for sin, and 
 permitted Mass to be sung on Saturdays and Sundays only 
 during Lent, and on the Annunciation and Holy Thursday."^ 
 But as many pious Christians, accustomed to daily Com- 
 munion, could not bring themselves to forego the strength- 
 ening and refreshing of their souls by the Body and Blood 
 oi Christ, the holy Church granted them the indulgence of 
 the Liturgy of Preconsecrated Elements, when the bread 
 and wine consecrated on the Sunday preceding are adminis- 
 
 ' Whether there is a regular service in the Greek Church on Holy Thursday, as on 
 the three other days mentioned, we have been unable to find. Goar says nothing about 
 it. In the Primitive Litvrgies (Introduction, xsx\ii., note), by Neale and Littledale, a 
 statement is made to the effect that the Liturgy of the Presanctified is not used on 
 Holy Thursday at all, but only that of St. Basil, which is thie one used also on Holy 
 Saturday (Neale's Holy Eastern Church, vol. ii. p. 713). Whether we are to infer from 
 this that the regular Mass is celebrated or not we are at a loss to determine ; but we 
 strongly incline in favor of saying that it is not, for the Eastern canons only mention 
 Saturdays, Sundays, and the Feast of the Annunciation. 
 
li The Mass — Oriybi of the. Word, Etc. 
 
 tered on Wednesdays and Fridays to those who desire them " 
 (Romanoff, Rites and Customs of the Greco-Rusdan 
 Church, p. 123). 
 
 Mass of Requiem. — This is a Mass celebrated in behalf of 
 the dead, and is subject almost to the same rules as a regular 
 Votive Mass. If the body of the deceased be present dur- 
 ing its celebration, it enjoys j)riYileges that it otherwise 
 w^ould not, for it cannot be celebrated unless within certain 
 restrictions. Masses of this kind are accustomed to be said 
 in memory of the departed faithful, /rs^, when the person 
 dies — or, as the Latin phrase has it, " dies obitus seu depo- 
 sitionis." which means any day that intervenes from the day 
 of one's demise to his burial ; secondly, on the third day 
 after death, in memory of our Divine Lord's resurrection 
 after three days' interval ; thirdly, on the seventh day, in 
 memory of the mourning of the Israelites seven days for 
 Joseph (Genesis 1. 10) -, fourthly , on the thirtieth day, in 
 memory of Moses and Aaron, whom the Israelites lamented 
 this length of time {Kunil), xx. ; Deut. xxxiv.) ; and, finally, 
 at the end of a year, or on the anniversary day itself (Ga- 
 vant., Thesaur. Rit., 62). This custom also prevails with 
 the Orientals. 
 
 Mass of Judgment. — The Book of JSTumbers, in its fifth 
 chapter, has special directions for establishing tlie guilt or 
 innocence of the wife who, whether justly or unjustly, had 
 fallen under the suspicion of her husband. She was first to 
 be taken before the priest with an offering of barley. The 
 priest *^ took her before the Lord," as the expression goes, 
 and put into her hand holy water mingled with some of the 
 dust of the floor of the tabernacle. In this solemn condition 
 the nature and enormity of the charges preferred were clearly 
 ex^^lained to her, and she was assured that, if guilty of them, 
 the water she held in her hand would, when she drank it, 
 cause her ^^bellvto swell and hor thisfh to rot," and she 
 
Different Kinds of Mass. 15 
 
 would be as a curse among the people ; but if slie were in- 
 nocent she had nothing to fear. This was called the trial 
 by the '^ waters of jealousy" (see Bannister's Temples of tlie 
 Hebrews, p. 305), from which, no doubt, we are to trace what 
 we are now going to treat of — the Mass of Judgment. That 
 Masses of this kind were at one time Tery common we can- 
 not deny, but we can deny, and that most emphatically, that 
 they ever had the free sanction of the Church. They were 
 altogether local abuses, and, when permitted to go on, it was 
 Avholly because, under the pressing circumstances of the 
 times, better could not be done. Dr. Lingard, in his History 
 of the Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church, ii. 130, thus 
 speaks upon this subject : " Before I conclude this chapter 
 I must notice an extraordinary practice which united the 
 most solemn rites of religion with the public administration 
 of justice. To elicit, in judicial ^proceedings, a truth from a 
 mass of unsatisfactory and often discordant CAddence de- 
 mands a j)ower of discrimination and accuracy of judgment 
 which it were yain to expect from the magistrates of a 
 nation just emerging from ignorance and barbarity. The 
 jurisprudence of an illiterate people is generally satisfied 
 with a shorter and more simple process. While the Anglo- 
 Saxons adored the gods of their fathers, the decision of 
 criminal prosecution was frequently entrusted to the wisdom 
 of Woden. When they became Christians they confidently 
 expected from the true God that miraculous interposition 
 which they had before sought from an imaginary deity." 
 A little further on the author thus describes what used to 
 take place on such occasions : ^' Three nights before the day 
 appointed for the trial the accused was led to the priest ; 
 on the three following mornings he assisted and made his 
 offering at Mass ; and during the three days he fasted on 
 bread, herbs, salt, and water. At the Mass on the third 
 (lay the priest called him to the altar before the Communion. 
 
16 The Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc, 
 
 and adjured him by the God whom he adored, by the re- 
 ligion which he professed, by the baptism with which he had 
 been regenerated, and by the holy relics that reposed in the 
 church, not to receive the Eucharist or go to the ordeal if 
 his conscience reproached him with the crime of which he 
 had been accused." The priest tiien administered Holy 
 Communion with these words : ^* May this Body and Blood 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ prove thee innocent or guilty this 
 day." When Mass was finished the accused was again ex- 
 pected to deny the charge and take the following oath : ''In 
 the Lord I am guiltless, both in word and deed, of the crime 
 of which I am accused." Dr. Lingard remarks in a foot- 
 note (p. 131) that the practice of ordeal prevailed among all 
 the northern nations that embraced Christianity after the 
 fifth century. But Masses of Judgment were by no means 
 confined to the illiterate or to those newly emerging from 
 barbarism. The most cultivated and civilized had recourse 
 to them, and they were in vogue among some of the most 
 refined nations of Europe. St. Cunegunda, wife of King 
 Henry II. of Germany, proved herself innocent in this way 
 of a charge of adultery. She went through the ordeal of 
 walking over a number of red-hot ploughshares, from which 
 she escaped unhurt (Butler's Lives of the Saints ; Gavantus, 
 Thesaur. Sacr. Rit., p. 38). Queen Emma, mother of Ed- 
 Avard the Confessor, subjected herself to a similar test, in 
 order to establish her innocence of a foul calumny circulated 
 of her. Lingard, however, seems to discredit this latter 
 story ; but authorities of good standing make mention of it 
 (see the Month, February, 1874, p. 214, for full particulars). 
 We have said that this practice of detecting crime by hav- 
 ing immediate recourse to God through the holy sacrifice of 
 the Mass was never directly sanctioned by the supreme 
 authority of the Church, but only permitted because of the 
 great difficulty and danger of eradicating it all at once. 
 
Days upon which Mass is not Celebrated. 17 
 
 Our proofs of this are the following : Pope Gregory the 
 Great condemned it as far back as a.d. 592 ; it Avas con- 
 demned expressly by the Council of Worms in 829, and 
 Pope Nicholas I. repeated the condemnation upon his eleva- 
 tion to the chair of St. Peter in 858 ; Pope St. Stephen 
 condemned it, too, and so did several other popes and coun- 
 cils (see Butler's Lives of the Saints and Alzog's Universal 
 Church History, vol. ii. p. 155, by Pabish and Byrne). It 
 is hardly necessary to add that Masses of this kind are now 
 unknown in the Church. 
 
 DATS UPOK WHICH MASS IS NOT CELEBRATED. 
 
 From time immemorial it has been customary in the La- 
 tin Church to abstain from celebrating regular Mass on 
 Good Friday, from the fact that it is the great mourning 
 day of the year, and in a regular Mass there is more or less 
 rejoicing ; and also because, as St. Thomas Aquinas says 
 (p. 3, q. 83, art. 2), it is not becoming to represent the 
 Passion of Christ mystically by the consecration of the 
 Eucharist whilst the Church is celebrating it as if really 
 happening. 
 
 Those who follow the Ambrosian rite (viz., the priests 
 of Milan) have no service at all upon any Friday of Lent. 
 This dates at least from the time of St. Charles Borromeo. 
 They will not even on these days say Mass for the dead or 
 to satisfy any demand, no matter how urgent it be (Bona, 
 Rer. Liturg., p. 219). 
 
 Mass is also forbidden, unless Solemn High Mass, on 
 Holy Thursday, but an exception is made in case of minor 
 churches where a sufficient number of priests cannot be had 
 to go through the regular ceremonies. In such cases a Low 
 Mass is permitted. 
 
 Holy Saturday is another day upon which Mass is not 
 allowed — that is, Low Mass — unless in particular cases ; and 
 
18 The Mass— Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 although it is customary to celebrate Solemn High Mass on 
 this day, yet, strictly speaking, this Mass belongs to Holy 
 Saturday night or Easter eve, and not to the day itself, as 
 may be clearly seen from its vfording, where frequent men- 
 tion is made of the time at which it used to be celebrated. 
 Thus the first Collect reads : '' Grod ! who enlightenest this 
 most sacred night by the glory of the Resurrection of our 
 Lord, preserve in the new offspring of thy family the 
 spirit of adoption thou hast given them ; that, being re- 
 newed in body and soul, they may serve thee with purity of 
 heart." Allusion is also made to the night in the Preface, 
 and in that prayer of the Canon called the ^' Communi- 
 cantes." 
 
 THE FIEST MASS — BY WHOM CELEBEATED — WHEX, WHERE, 
 AXD li^ WHAT LAXGUAGE. 
 
 The opinion is sustained by the ablest liturgical writers 
 that it was St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles and head of 
 Christ's Church, who said the first Mass, and this after the 
 descent of the Holy Ghost, in the very same Cenacle^ at 
 Jerusalem where the Blessed Eucharist was instituted, and 
 where our Lord uttered the words, "Do this in commemora- 
 tion of me." 
 
 And as it will be asked why Mass was not celebrated 
 before Pentecost, we give what the best authorities say upon 
 
 8 The Cenacle. which stands upon Mt. Sion, is to-day one of the greatest objects of 
 veneration in the Holy Land. It is remarkable a? being the supposed place where the Last 
 Supper was held ; where our Lord appeared to his disciples after his glorious resurrection 
 on Easter morning ; where the Sacrament of Penance was first instituted, and where our 
 Lord was seen to converse for the last tmie with his chosen band before he ascended 
 into heaven. It was in this blessed spot also that St. James the Less, styled the brother 
 of our Lord, was consecrated first bishop of Jerusalem ; and a pious tradition has it 
 that it was here the " Beloved Disciple" said Mass m presence of the Blessed Virgin, 
 who, it is said, departed this life there. Father Vetromile, Travels in Europe and the 
 Holy Land, p. 200, describes the Cenacle as a large room divided by a kind of alcove, 
 and says that a plenary indulgence is attached to a visit paid it, with, of course, the 
 usual conditions. 
 
Language in ivhich the First Mass luas Celebrated. 19 
 
 tlie matter — viz., that, in the first place the Apostles would 
 not presume to perform so august an action before they had 
 received the plenitude of the Holy Ghost ; and, in the second 
 place, that inasmuch as the Ancient Law was not wholly 
 abrogated in what pertained to the priesthood until after 
 the descent on Pentecost, it was not deemed expedient to 
 begin the sacred ministrations of the IN'ew Law until this 
 abrogation had taken effect. The Holy Scriptures seem to 
 corroborate this statement also, for we read in the Acts of 
 the Apostles (i. 14) that before the descent of the Holy 
 Ghost '^they were all persevering with one mind in prayer," 
 but after the descent the "breaking of bread" — i.e., the 
 celebration of Holy Communion — is mentioned (Acts ii. 43 
 and 46 ; see Gavantus and Merati, Thesaur. Sacr. Rit., pp. 
 7, 12, 14 ; and Bona, Rer. Liturg., book i. p. 206). 
 
 THE LAIi[GUAGE 11^ WHICH THE FIRST MASS WAS CELE- 
 BRATED. 
 
 In the time of our Lord three particular languages were 
 common throughout Judea. They were, in some sense of the 
 word, the languages of the world in those days — viz., the 
 Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The first, better known as the 
 Syro-Chaldaic, or more properly the Syriac, was the lan- 
 guage of the greater part of Judea, especially of Jerusalem 
 itself and its environs, and, without a doubt, was the ver- 
 nacular of our Divine Lord and his Blessed Mother. This 
 can be proved almost to a demonstration, both from the 
 common consent of critics and from the numerous Syriac 
 expressions that we find here and there in the New Testa- 
 ment yet in their original dress, such as '^talitha cumi," 
 "eloi, eloi, lamma sabacthani," and "ephphetha," all of 
 which are Syriac, with a few euphonic changes made to 
 suit Greek ears. 
 
20 The Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 The second, ov the Greek, obtained a large sway in Pales- 
 tine also, as St. Jerome testifies (Proem, 1. 2, Com. Epist. 
 ad Gal.) and various records show. " And this glory," says 
 Brerewood in his Languages and Religions, p. 9 — ^^this 
 glory the Greek tongue held in the Apostles' time, and long 
 after in the Eastern parts." 
 
 The thirds or the Latin, had obtained a far wider sway 
 in the Holy Land in the time of our Lord and his 
 Aj)ostles than either of the other two, for it was the lan- 
 guage of imperial Kome ; and as Judea was a Eoman pro- 
 vince at that time, and for years j^revious, it was but natural 
 to expect that the language of Kome would be forced on the 
 conquered people. But as we shall have occasion to treat 
 of these languages more fully a little further on, we dismiss 
 them with these brief remarks, and take up the subject 
 that heads our article, viz. : In what language was the first 
 mass offered ? 
 
 Eckius, a learned German divine and antiquarian of the 
 sixteenth century, was the first who broached the opinion 
 that Mass was celebrated everywhere, in the beginning, in 
 Hebrew. But this cannot be sustained, for the ablest litur- 
 gical writers and linguists hold that in the days of the Apos- 
 tles Mass was celebrated in the language that prevailed in 
 those places whither the Apostles went to spread the light 
 of the Gospel ; hence, that at Jerusalem it was celebrated 
 in Syriac ; at Antioch, Alexandria, and other Grecian cities, 
 in Greek ; and at Eome, and throughout the entire West, in 
 Latin. As the first Mass, then, was celebrated at Jerusalem, 
 it is an opinion which it would be rash to differ from that 
 tlie language in which it was offered was the Syriac (Bona, 
 Rer. Liturg., 207 ; Gavantus, Tliesaur. 8acr. Rit., 16, 17 ; 
 Kozma, Liturg. Sacr. Cathol., p. 111). 
 
Apparatus used at the First Mass. 21 
 
 APPAEATUS USED AT THE FIRST MASS. 
 
 Although neither Scripture nor history says anything de- 
 finite about the apparatus or ceremonies employed by the 
 Apostles in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, still it is 
 most probable that such an august sacrifice was not offered 
 without what was suitable and becoming. The Apostles knew 
 too well with what a gorgeous display of ritual the sacrifices 
 of the Mosaic law used to be offered, and how Almighty 
 God himself expressly regulated the kind of garments the 
 priests should use and the special ceremonies that were to 
 be employed on every occasion ; and if this w^ere done where 
 the sacrifice consisted of nothing but bulls and goats, 
 how much more ought to be expected when the victim 
 offered was none else than the ^on of God himself ? It is 
 very likely, then, that the apparatus used in the first Mass, 
 and the ceremonies observed thereat, were communicated 
 orally to the Apostles by our Lord himself, and that they 
 did exactly as he prescribed. 
 
 Cardinal Bona, in treating this question, says that, with- 
 out a doubt, lights were used after the manner of the 
 ancient Hebrews ; that vestments also were employed dif- 
 ferent from those of every-day life ; and he mentions the 
 fact that St. Peter's chasuble was conveyed from Antioch to 
 the Church of St. Genevieve at Paris, and there carefully 
 preserved {Rer. Liturg., p. 206). 
 
 THE LAJ^GUAGES IK V7HICH MASS IS t)ELEBRATED TO-DAY 
 THROUGHOUT CHRISTEN"DOM. 
 
 The Catholic Church of to-day celebrates the holy sacri- 
 fice of the Mass in nine different languages — viz., in Latin, 
 Greek, Syriac, Chaldaic, Sclavonic, Wallachian, Armenian, 
 Coptic, and Ethiopic. 
 
 Latin. — This is the language of the Mass in the entire 
 
22 The Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 West and in a few places in the East, and has been so, 
 without change, from the beginning of Christianity. It 
 may, in fact, be called the vernacular language of the 
 AYestern Church. 
 
 Greek. — At the present day Mass is said in Greek by the 
 TJniat or Melchite^ CathoHcs of the East. They are to be 
 found in Syria, Jerusalem, Russia, in the kingdom of Greece, 
 in Italy, and in several j)laces of Europe ; and they com- 
 prise the Mingrelians, Georgians, Bulgarians, Muscovites, 
 and others. These Catholics are allowed by Rome to retain 
 all their ancient rites, such as consecrating the Holy Eucha- 
 rist in leavened bread, giving Communion in both kinds, 
 saying the Creed without the '^ Eilioque," and j^utting warm 
 water into the chalice after Consecration. Xay, more, the 
 Holy See even allows their clergy to marry. ^^ They have 
 three patriarchs, residing respectively at Antioch, Alexan- 
 dria, and Jerusalem ; and they use three different Litui-gies 
 for the celebration of the Mass — viz., the Liturgy of St. 
 John Chrysostom, or that most generally used ; tlie Liturgy 
 of St. Basil the Great, used on all Sundays in Lent except 
 
 8 Tlie term Melchite, from the Sj'riac Jlalko, a king, was first applied at the Coun- 
 cil of Chalcedon (451) to designate the orthodox party, at whose head was the Emperor 
 ]\[arcian. It has nearly the same meaning now in the East that the word Papist has 
 through the West. The schismatics, however, often apply it to their body because of 
 its expressing orthodoxy, for they rejoice in the title of the " Holy Orthodox Church of 
 the East." 
 
 10 When we say the Holy See allows the Eastern clergy in her Communion to marry, 
 we must not be understood as implying that she allows those who are in Sacred Orders 
 to do so. This would not be, true. Her discipline in this matter is precisely as follows: 
 Marriage is allowed all the inferior clergy from the subdeacon, exclusive, down. Should 
 any member, then, of this inferior body be promoted to Sacred Orders, whether to the 
 subdiaconate, diaconate, or priesthood, he is allowed to retain his wife and do for her 
 as best he can from his living, but he can never marry again. Should he do so he would 
 be degraded and forbidden ever to officiate. There is no such thing allowed or heard of 
 as a clergyman getting married in Sacred Orders. If he is not married when a sub- 
 deacon he never can be afterwards. And as for bishops, patriarchs, metropolitans, and 
 the other great dignitaries of the Oriental hierarchy, the rule is that they must all be 
 single men. Hence it is that all, or nearly all, the Oriental bishops are taken from the 
 monasteries ; and this is the rule with the schismatics also. 
 
Languages in loldch Mass is Celebrated To-day » 23 
 
 Palm Sunday, on Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, the Vigils 
 of Christmas day and of the Epiphany, and, finally, on the 
 Feast of St. Basil, January 1. The third Liturgy is deno- 
 minated the Pvesanctijied, It is only used during those 
 days of Lent upon which there, is no Consecration, but 
 only a Mass similar to that which we have on Good Friday. 
 
 Syriac. — Mass is said in Syriac by the Maronites" of 
 Mount Lebanon and the Syrian Melchites of the East. It 
 is, in fact, the liturgical language of all those places where 
 the Liturgy of St. James is used as the norma. It is the 
 proud boast (and truly it is something to be proud of) of 
 the people who say Mass in this language that they are 
 using the very same language tliat was spoken by our 
 Divine Lord himself and his Blessed Mother, as well as by 
 the majority of the Apostles. The Maronites are allowed 
 by the Holy See to retain all their ancient ecclesiastical 
 rites and customs. They are governed by a patriarch, 
 whose stjde is ^'Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites." 
 This dignitary is elected by the people tliemselves ; but 
 before he is installed in office his election has to await the 
 confirmation of Eome. They use unleavened bread, as we 
 do, in confecting the Holy Eucharist, and, like the rest of 
 the Orientals, they communicate the people under both 
 kinds ; but when communicating the sick only the species 
 of bread is used. 
 
 They use incense at Low Mass as well as at High Mass, 
 and read the Gospel in Arabic after it has first been read 
 in the Syi'iac, for Arabic is the language of the day in 
 those parts. 
 
 ^ 1 This people received the name of Maronite from a holy monk, St. Maro, ■s\'ho in- 
 habited the Lebanon in the fifth century, and became celebrated all over the East for 
 his eminent sanctity. Some say that they fell at one time into the Monothelite heresy, 
 but they themselves deny the charge, maintaining that their faith has always been or- 
 thodox. By way of derision they are called the " Eastern Papists," so great is their 
 loyalty to the Holy See. 
 
24 The Mass — Origin of tlie Word, Etc, 
 
 Their secular clergy number about twelve thousand, and 
 their regular about fourteen thousand. All the latter 
 live in monasteries ; and as they must be unmarried (for 
 it is only the seculars who are allowed to have wives), 
 it is from their body that the patriarchs and bishops are 
 taken (Vetromile, Travels in Europe and the Holy Land, 
 77). 
 
 Chaldaic. — This language is peculiar to the Babylonian 
 Catholics, who are chiefly converts from Nestorianism/'' and 
 who inhabit principally Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Kur- 
 distan. They have a patriarch, who is titled ^ ' Patriarch 
 of Babylonia." His residence is at Bagdad. All the lit- 
 urgical books of this people are written in the Chaldaic, 
 in that peculiar character known as the Estrangelo " — for 
 the Chaldaic itself has as many different alphabets as eigh- 
 teen (Antrim's Science of Letters, p. 88). 
 
 Sclavonic. — Mass is said in this language by the Catholics 
 of Istria, Liburnia, and the maritime parts of ancient Dal- 
 matia. It is, in fact, the liturgical language of all in union 
 with Eome who belong to the Sclavonic nation. This 
 j)rivilege the Sclavonians first received from Pope Adrian 
 
 ^2 Tlic Xestorians, so called from Nestorius, a native of Germanicia, in Syria, and 
 Patriarch of Constantinople in the fifth century, are found in great numbers to-day 
 throughout the entire East. They have twenty-five metropolitans, and a patriarch who 
 resides at Mosul, the ancient Kineveh. Strangely enough, they consider it an insult 
 to be styled Nestorians, their proper name being, as they strenuously maintain them- 
 eelves, Soorayi. — i.e., Syrians. According to Bome they sometimes style themselves 
 Nusrani—ihsit is, " of Nazareth" — but this, if anything, must be a subterfuge to escape 
 the name of the heretic Nestorius, which they disdain being called by (see Nesiorians 
 and their Mtvals, vol. i. p. 178, by Eev. Geo. Percy Badger ; and Yetromile, Travels 
 in Europe and the Holy Land, p. 90). The reader need hardly be told that the heresy 
 for which Nestorius was condemned at the General Council of Ephesus in 431 was the 
 ascribing of two distinct persons to our Lord instead of one, and refusing the title of 
 •'Mother of God " to the Blessed Virgin. 
 
 13 According to Assemani {BiU. Orient., torn. iv. p. 378), this word comes from the 
 Greek o-TpoyyuAos, round / but, as it is hard to see where the roundness comes into 
 these characters, others derive the word from an Arabic compound meaning "gospel- 
 writing" (sec Phillips' Syriac Gram.. IntTodnction, p. 6). 
 
Languages in which Mass is Celebrated To-day. 25 
 
 II. in the ninth century, and it was confirmed by Pope 
 John VIII., Adrian's immediate successor. This latter 
 Pontiff, in renewing the grant, made it a condition that 
 the holy Gospel, on account of its superiority over the 
 other parts of the Mass, should be first read in Latin, 
 and after that in Sclavonic. In a.d. 1248 Pope Innocent 
 IV. acquiesced in all these concessions of his predecessors, 
 as also did Pope Benedict XIV. in a.d. 1740; so that at 
 the present day Mass is said in Sclavonic by quite a large 
 body of Catholics. It is also the liturgical language of 
 schismatical Russia and of thousands of Christians within 
 the Turkish dominions (Bona, Rer. Liturg., 216 ; Kozma, 
 Liturg. Sacr. Cathol, 112, note ; Wouters, Historia Eccle- 
 siast., 258 ; Brerewood, Languages and Religions, p. 235 ; 
 and Gavantus, Thes. Rit., p. 25, xix.) 
 
 Wallachian. — Since the seventeenth century, when a great 
 number of them came into the Church, the Wallachians, 
 with the tacit consent of the Holy See, have been saying 
 Mass in their own native language, which, however, is no 
 longer that in daily use, but the old classic tongue. Con- 
 cessions (if wa niay call that a concession which is allowed 
 by tacit consent) of this kind are very rarely granted ; and 
 when granted at all, it is always in favor of some newly- 
 converted people who cling with great tenacity to their 
 national language and customs (Kozma, Liturg. Sacr. 
 Cathol., p. 112, note 9). 
 
 Armenian. — This is the liturgical language of all who are 
 called by that name in the East to-day. They inhabit 
 Armenia proper, or the modern Turkomania, and are found 
 also throughout Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, 
 Georgia, Greece, Africa, Italy, and Eussia. In the last- 
 nan\ed empire their sees were arranged by a ukase, March 
 11, 1836. They are at present governed by a patriarch, 
 who is styled "Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians," and 
 
26 The Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc» 
 
 who resides at Bezourmar. In the island of San Lazaro, 
 at Venice, they have a monastery Avhich is famous all over 
 the world for its printing-presses. Here most of the Ar- 
 menian ecclesiastical books are turned out. 
 
 The Armenians, unlike all the other Christians of the 
 East, save the Maronites, use unleavened bread in the Holy 
 Eucharist as we do. Tlie heretical Armenians, all of whom 
 HYQ Moio^hysites^^ (that is, believers in but one nature — viz., 
 the divine — in our Lord, after the teaching of Eutyches), ab- 
 stain from mingling water with the wine in the Mass, in order 
 to give as great a prominence to their belief as possible ; for 
 water is symbolical of the human nature of our Saviour, 
 which these people maintain was wholly absorbed by the 
 divine, so that a yestige of it did not remain (Burder's 
 Religious Ceremonies, p. 180 ; Smith and Dwight's Travels 
 in Armenia, passim ; Vetromile, Travels in Europe and 
 the Holy Land, art. "Eastern Eites"). 
 
 Coptic, — This language, which the natives maintain to be 
 the same as the ancient language of the Pharaolis — that 
 is, the Egyptian — is used by the Christians along the Nile 
 in the celebration of their sacred rites. This people are 
 called Copts from a paring down of the name they were 
 given by the Greeks, viz., Aiyvnrioi — i.e., Egyptians— 
 which in many ancient manuscripts is written ^gophthi, 
 Copthi, and Chibthi. This, at least, is the origin assigned 
 by some of the ablest Oriental scholars, and Eenaudot 
 among others (see Litiirg. Orient. Col., dissert, de Ling. 
 
 14 The term Monophysite, from the Greek tiovo^, one, and <f)vcri?, nature, first 
 came in use after the Greneral Council of Chalcedon in 451, at which the heretic Eu- 
 tyches was condemned for asserting that there was but one nature in our Lord. In 
 Syria and other parts of the East the followers of Eutyches are called Jacobites, from 
 James Baradai, one of their chief reformers : but throughout Africa they are univer- 
 sally known by their more comprehensive name of Monophysites. As a peculiarity of 
 their heretical tenets, they use only one finger in making the sign of the cross (Brere- 
 wood, Languages and Religions, p. 186X 
 
Languages in wMcli Mass is Celebrated To-day, 27 
 
 Coptica, torn. i. p. ex.) But, according to Scaliger, Simon, 
 and Kircher, the Copts are so called from an ancient city 
 of Egypt known as Coptos, once the metropolis of the 
 Thebaid. Eenaudot, however, has clearly proved that this 
 is at best nothing more than a guess ; and the vast major- 
 ity of modern linguists adhere to his opinion/* 
 
 The Copts use three different Liturgies in the celebration 
 of Mass — viz. , those of St. Basil, St. Cyril, and St. Gregory. 
 The first, which is considered the most elegant and ela- 
 borate, and the one best suited to grand occasions, is dedi- 
 cated specially to the Person of the Omnipotent Father. 
 The second is dedicated to the Person of the Father also, 
 but not in so special a manner. The third, or that of St. 
 Gregory, is dedicated to the Person of our Divine Redeemer, 
 for it dwells particularly on his Incarnation, Passion, Death, 
 Resurrection, and Ascension. Tliese are the three principal 
 Liturgies ; in fact, they may be said to be the only ones 
 used by the Copts, for, although they have as many as 
 twelve altogether, yet they never bring any others into 
 requisition but the three specified (Renaudot, Comment, 
 ad Liturg. Copt. 8. Basilii, vol. i. p. 154). 
 
 The Copts at the present day — that is, the Catholic Copts 
 — are governed by a vicar-apostolic residing at Cairo, but 
 there is a movement on foot to give them a regular hier- 
 archy of their own, with a patriarch at its head. 
 
 The schismatic Copts, all of whom are Monopliy sites, 
 number about one hundred and fifty thousand — that is, 
 about eighty thousand more than those in communion with 
 the Holy See. They are governed by a patriarch, who is 
 styled " Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts" ; but besides 
 
 ^5 •' Le terme Arabe, un Cophte, me sem'ble line alteration evidente du Grec Aivutttos, 
 un Egyptien, car on doit remarquer que y etait prononc6 ou chez les anciens Grecs , et 
 que les Arabes, n'ayant ni g devant a, o, u, ni la lettre^, remplacent toujours ces lettrcs 
 par g etb ,' les Cophtes sont done proprement les representans Egyptiens " (Volney, 
 fr6m the Crescent and the Cross, p. 93, by Warburton). 
 
28 The Mass— Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 him they have another who resides at Cairo and takes 
 his title from Jerusalem. He is, of course, subordinate 
 to the Patriarch of Alexandria (see Vetromile, Eastern 
 Rites, 87 ; Kenaudot, De Patriarcha Alexandrino, passim, 
 torn, i.) We shall have frequent occasion to refer to the 
 Copts throughout our work. 
 
 EtMopic. — This is the liturgical language of the modern 
 Abyssinians, who differ but very little from the Copts either 
 in discipline or ecclesiastical customs. Of the language 
 there are two dialects — viz., the Amharic and the Gheez, 
 The former, or court language, is considered much easier 
 than the latter, in which nearly all the Abyssinian books 
 are written. The Gheez is principally spoken in the king- 
 dom of Tigre. 
 
 By some authors the Ethiopic is called the Chaldaic, from 
 an opinion current among the natives that it originally 
 came from ancient Chaldea ; and it is generally said that a 
 fair knowledge of it is easily acquired by one skilled in 
 Hebrew, for the principal difference, they say, that exists 
 between both consists in the formation of the letters of the 
 alphabet (Burder, Rel. Rites and Customs, p. 175 ; Brere- 
 wood, Languages and Religions, 300). 
 
 The Catholic Abyssinians now number about two millions. 
 They are under a vicar-apostolic. The schismatics, who 
 are Monophysites like the Copts, number about five times 
 as many as the orthodox. They are governed by an official 
 called the Ahouna (from a Syriac word meaning "our Fa- 
 ther), who ranks as a bishop and is sent them by the Pa- 
 triarch of Alexandria. The great redeeming feature of this 
 people is their extraordinary devotion to the Mother of Cod. 
 So great is their reverence for her that when the common 
 street-beggars fail to exact an alms for the love of God or 
 for any of the saints, an appeal is at once made in honor 
 of " Lady Mary," which is always sure to receive a favor- 
 
Languages in lohich Mass is Celebrated To-day, 29 
 
 able hearing {Dublin Revieiv, July, 1863, p. 50). Furtlier- 
 more, an oath taken in her name is considered the most 
 solemn that can be administered, and, if taken rashly, is 
 subject to the highest penalty the law can inflict (see 
 Lobo's Voyage to Abyssinia, p. 2G). Their Liturgy is 
 called the " Liturgy of All the Apostles," but its official 
 title is the '^Ethiopic Canon." It is considered to be an 
 amplification of that of St. Cyril. 
 
 It may be well to say that the Abyssinian ordinations are 
 the only ones in the East which are held doubtful by the 
 Holy See. For this reason priests coming into our Church 
 from theirs are, in nearly every case, ordained under condi- 
 tion. I say in nearly every case, but not always ; for where 
 it is found that the Abyssinian ritual has been followed to 
 the letter, no conditional ordination is needed. Their 
 rituals have the valid form, but carelessness on the part 
 of their bishops often causes it to be either badly vitiated 
 or wholly disregarded (see Denzinger, Ritus Oriental., p. 
 139). 
 
 Before we dismiss this subject we have some remarks to 
 make that cannot but be of interest to the reader. We have 
 said that the Catholic Church of to-day celebrates the holy 
 sacrifice of the Mass in nine different languages, all of which 
 we have given. We have said that the Greeks celebrate in 
 Greelc, the Armenians in Armenian, the Ethiopians in EtM- 
 opic, etc. The reader must not understand by this, as some, 
 such as Usher, ^^ would fain do, that the language in anyone 
 case is the vernacular. 
 
 The Greeks, who celebrate in Greek, speak Greelc, it is 
 true, but so different is it from their liturgical language (for 
 
 ^8 Usher was an Anglican bishop of the seventeenth century. He was a man bf 
 great erudition, and many works of merit, notwithstanding his own bigotiy, issued 
 from his pen. He published what he termed a Catalogue of Irish Saints, arrangti in 
 three divisions according to the age they lived in. 
 
30 The Mass—0rigi7i of the Word, FAc. 
 
 the latter is the ancient classic Greek) that hardly a man 
 can be found who understands one word of it. The same 
 may be said of the Armenian, the same of the Ethiopic, the 
 same of any one of the nine specified. The Copts, for in- 
 stance, are so little skilled in the Coptic used in the Mass 
 that it has been found necessary to j^rint the rubrics of their 
 Missals in Arabic (the language of those regions) for the 
 benefit of the clergy ; for neither the clergy nor the people 
 are much versed in the language used in the sacred ofiices. 
 (The reader who wishes to see this subject fully discussed 
 would do well to consult Eenaudot, Liturg. Oriental. 
 Collectio, tom. i., dissert, de Liturg. Orient. Origine, 
 xxxviii. ) 
 
 We do not consider it necessary to quote authorities for 
 our assertion, for we challenge anybody to gainsay it. Pro- 
 testants — we mean those w^ho are not biassed and blinded by 
 prejudice — and Catholics bear testimony to it. And since 
 it is an indisputable fact that there is not to be found 
 in Christendom a single instance of a people celebrating 
 the Holy Mass in the language of the day, how is it that 
 we of the Latin Church are called to task so often for " cele- 
 brating in an unknown tongue "? Why not call the Greek 
 Church to task ? Why not call the Armenian Church to 
 task ? Why not call the Eussian to task ? And yet, if 
 there is reprehension deserved anywhere, these people de- 
 serve more than we, for the most illiterate of our congrega- 
 tions know far more about our liturgical language — there 
 are translations of it in every prayer-book — than the most 
 educated of the nations we have mentioned know about 
 theirs. Ask a ]S"estorian or a Copt to roll you off only a 
 few short sentences of the liturgical Syriac or Coptic ; he 
 could as easily tell you his thoughts in the language of the 
 <* Celestial Empire." 
 
Precedents for using an imknown Tongue. 31 
 
 fEECEDE:N^TS FOE USIi^G AK U:N-KN^0WK TOKGUE, TAKE2S" 
 FROM AKCIENT SOURCES. 
 
 Nor is the practice of celebrating divine service in a 
 tongue unknown to the people without precedents in an- 
 cient and modern times. The Jews always celebrated the 
 praises of Jehovah in ''the language that the prophets 
 spake"— ^.e., the ancient Hebrew. This was so far above 
 the reach of the people that it was found necessary to sup- 
 ply them with translations in the shape of the so-called 
 Targums,''' in order that they might know something of 
 what was done (see Eenaudot in loc. cit.) ; and that this 
 custom is yet kept up by the modern Jews in their syna- 
 gogues innumerable witnesses prove (see Bannister's Temples 
 of the Hebrews; Jahn's Arclmology ; Dr. Eock, Hierurgia, 
 p. 216). We may be pardoned for taking another instance 
 of praying in an unknown tongue from the Mahometans. 
 It is well known in what deep veneration these people hold 
 the Koran/' which is to them what the Bible is to Chris- 
 
 1'^ Tarcnim, from the Chaldaic turgmo, "interpretation," was originally a rendition 
 of the Scriptures into the East- Aramaean dialect for the benefit of those Jews who, on 
 account of their seventy years' absence in Babylon, could no more understand the pure 
 Hebrew of the Bible. There are in existence yet ten of such Targums, the most an- 
 cient and valuable of which is the one ascribed to Onkelos, which is a very literal ver- 
 sion of the original Hebrew Pentateuch. The Babylonian Talmud makes Onkelos a 
 contemporary of Gamaliel, who flourished in the beginning of the Christian era. 
 
 1^ The Koran, from the Arabic qurdn, " the reading," is looked upon with so much 
 sacredness by the Mahometans that they deem no one worthy to behold it who is not 
 a Moslem of the most orthodox kind. The book is held to bo altogether a miraculous 
 work ; and so inimitable is its style that, according to the Mahometans, no one less 
 than an angel from heaven could produce anything like it. Its miraculous nature is 
 supposed to be proved from the following facts : 
 
 1st. Its elegance, diction, and melody are unsurpassed. 2d. Its structure cannot be 
 equalled. 3d. Its consistency is marvellous, admitting of no contradiction. 4th. Its 
 knowledge of divine things is admirable. 5th. Its knowledge of human and di\'ine 
 law. 6th. Its sajdngs have never been falsified. 7th. It removes all diseases of mind 
 and body. 8th. It reveals mysteries knowTi only to God. 
 
 It consists of one hundred and fourteen Surds, or chapters, each bearing a title which 
 serves as a sort of key or clue to what is to follow, as an antiphon does to its psalm. 
 The first Sm^a is headed the " Cow," for in the body of the chapter the pacrifice of a 
 
32 The Mass— Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 tians. It is written in the purest Arabic, and so mucli 
 afraid are they of it becoming common that no one is 
 allowed to attempt a translation of it in the Arabic spoken 
 by the people. This pure Arabic is a dead language to 
 the masses (see Guthrie's Grammar of History, p. 719). 
 " Though it has long ceased to be spoken/' says Murray 
 (in his Encyclo23(Bdia of Geog., vol. ii. 229), '*it has con- 
 tinued to be the liturgic and learned language of all the 
 numerous nations professing Islam," from the shores of the 
 Indian Ocean to the westernmost corner of Morocco, and 
 from the Wolga to Cape Delgado, in Africa." 
 
 Another example in point may be cited from the Hin- 
 doos, who allow none but the Brahmins to read the Veda 
 on account of the great respect they have for the language in 
 which it is written. The Hindoos carry this thing so far 
 that they will not allow some of their minor ministers so 
 much as even to listen to the reading of this book or to 
 speak of it (Burder, Religious Ceremonies and Customs, pp. 
 528, 529) ; so also with the language known as the Bali, a 
 half-sister of the Sanscrit, which has long since ceased to be 
 spoken, yet it is the liturgical language of Ceylon, Bali, and 
 Madura, of a great part of Java and Indo- China. It is also 
 the religious language of all the Japanese who profess Lama- 
 ism (Murray, Cyclop, of Geography, vol. ii. p. 231). We 
 have, therefore, clearly shown that if precedent be wanted 
 for what is styled *^a strange, unmeaning discipline," the 
 
 cow is spoken of. With but one exception every Sura begins thus ; " BismiUah, ur- 
 rahman-ur-raheem "—In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful. 
 
 Mahomet was aided in composingr the Koran by a Jew named Abdia Ben Salon, and 
 by a monk who had apostatized, named Sergius, or Bahira. as the Orientals called him 
 (see the Koran, translated by Sale, and the Life and Edigion of Maliomet, translated 
 from the Persian by Eev. James Merrick), 
 
 19 Islam, Moslem, and Mussulman are all from the same root, Aslam, meaning to 
 yield up, to dedicate, to devote to the service of religion ; something like our word 
 cleric, which comes from the Greek (cAijpdw, I separate or choose for a religious 
 purpose. 
 
Wliy the Clmrch retains the use of the Latin. ^ 33 
 
 most critical mind can be satisfied by looking into the pages 
 of antiquity and examining the religious customs of any 
 ancient people. In nearly every case the liturgical language 
 will be found different from that in use amoug the common 
 people. 
 
 The principal reason why Protestants reprobate our use 
 of a language not understood by the people is, as far as 
 they themselves are concerned, yery rational, but, as far as 
 Catholics are concerned, highly absurd. A Protestant goes 
 to church to utter a few prayers, or at least to hear the 
 minister utter them, and nothing more. His service is 
 essentially prayer, and nothing but prayer. Not so with the 
 Catholic. His service is something higher and greater than 
 mere prayer : it is a tremendous sacrifice ; and as the sacri- 
 fice may be offered entirely independent of prayer, it matters 
 but little whether the share prayer takes in it be little or 
 great, provided everything else is duly ordered. For which 
 reason some of the ablest spiritual writers have said again 
 and again that one of the most efficacious ways of hearing 
 Mass is to watch the actions of the priest at the altar with 
 great attention from beginning to end, and look as little at 
 the prayer-book as possible. A person who could do this 
 without distraction would reap incalculable spiritual fruit 
 from it, and would, without a doubt, be assisting at Mass in 
 the strictest sense of the word. 
 
 WHY THE CHURCH RETAIl^S THE USE OF THE LATIN" IN" 
 HER SERVICE. 
 
 The Catholic Church celebrates in Latin for a variety of 
 reasons : 
 
 First. Because she did so in the beginning ; and as she 
 never changes her faith, she has never deemed it advisable 
 to change her language. If her sacred language changed 
 
34 The Mass — Origin of the Word, Etc. 
 
 with those that are changing around her, there would be no 
 end to the confusion that would result, and much disedifi- 
 cation would unavoidably be given by using words and 
 phrases in the hearing of the people to which the grossest 
 meanino-s are sometimes attached. 
 
 Secondly. As order is heaven's first law, uniformity seems 
 to be the first law of the Church, for which reason she 
 makes it her endeavor to have her greatest charge, the due 
 and respectful celebration of the Adorable Sacrifice of the 
 Altar, conducted with the same ceremonies and said in the 
 same language everywliere. This she could not do unless 
 she had fixed on a common language. 
 
 Thirdly. Unity in respect to language goes a very great 
 way in preserving unity of belief. A writer of high repute 
 (Porubszky, Jure suo Ecclesiast., p. 854) declares as his firm 
 conviction that the various churches of the East which 
 have severed their connection with the centre of unity, 
 Eome, would hardly ever have done so had they been re- 
 quired from the beginning to make Latin their liturgical 
 language. National languages always pave the way for na- 
 tional churches. 
 
 Fourthly. By preserving the Latin in her Liturgy, and 
 requiring her ministers to cultivate it, the Catholic Church 
 has secured for herself the accumulated literary treasures of 
 eighteen centuries of Christianity. By this she has free 
 access to the writings of some of the most illustrious doctors 
 of the Church, to canon and civil law, to the decrees of 
 ancient councils, and to many other documents of value 
 which would have otherwise been totally out of reach. For 
 which reason alone our Holy Church should receive the 
 praise of Christendom. Hallam, in his Middle Ages, could 
 not hide the fact that the sole hope of literature in these 
 times depended principally on the Catholic Church, for 
 wherever it existed the Latin language was propervod. 
 
i-wPRlEST OFTHELaTINKhURCH 
 
 ^1^a^2|Ve:§ted for Mass. J, 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 SACRED VESTMENTS. 
 
 The sacred vestments employed by a priest in celebrating 
 the Holy Sacrifice are six in number — viz., Amice, Alb, 
 Cincture, Maniple, Stole, and Chasuble. 
 
 THE AMICE. 
 
 The Amice, so called from the Latin amicire, to clothe or 
 cover, is a rectangular piece of linen about three feet long 
 and two leet wide. It has a string at each of its two upper 
 corners by which to fasten it on the shoulders of the wearer, 
 and a cross in the middle of the uj)per edge, which the 
 priest kisses when vesting. 
 
 From the office which the Amice serves various names 
 have been given it, such as Humeral, from the Latin hume- 
 rus, a shoulder ; Analolagium, from the Greek avaPoXrf 
 (anabole), a cloak ; and Ephod, from its resemblance to the 
 Aaronic garment of that name. 
 
 The Greek Church uses no article of this kind at the pre- 
 sent time, although it did formerly. The priests of the Am- 
 brosian or Milanese rite, also the canons of the Cathedral of 
 Lyons, put on the Amice after the Alb, and not before it, as 
 we do. This is also the discipline of the Maronites of Mt. 
 Lebanon. 
 
 The Amice of the Armenians, called by them Vahass, has 
 a breastplate attached, upon which are inscribed the names 
 of the twelve Apostles, in imitation of the Jewish Ephod, 
 whose breastplate displayed, in shining colors, the names of 
 
 35 
 
36 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 the twelve tribes of Israel (Scale's Holy Eastern Church, 
 vol. i. p. 306). 
 
 Early History of the Amice. — Liturgical writers tell us 
 that the Amice, in early days, served as a covering for the 
 head and neck, and that it continued to be so used until 
 about the tenth century, when its place was supplied by the 
 ecclesiastical cap, or herretta then introduced (Bouvry, Ex~ 
 positio Ruhricarum, vol. ii. 216). 
 
 This is corroborated by the practice yet prevailing with 
 some of the religious orders, such as the Capuchins and 
 Dominicans, of wearing the Amice over the head until 
 the beginning of Mass, wlien they cast it back on their 
 shoulders and adjust it around the neck. A vestige of its 
 ancient use may also be seen in the ordination of a subdea- 
 con, where the bishop draws the article first over the candi- 
 date's head, and then lets it fall loosely over his shoulders. 
 
 Mystical Meaning of the Amice. — The mystical meaning of 
 the Amice may be gathered from the prayer recited in don- 
 ning it : " Place upon my head, Lord ! the helmet of sal- 
 vation for repelhng the attacks of the evil one." It is, 
 then, part of the armor of a soldier of Christ, and serves to 
 remind the priest of the obligation he is under of being 
 ready at all times to fight the good fight of faith in accord- 
 ance with that sacred admonition of the Apostle of the Gen- 
 tiles, " Put ye oti the armor of God, that you may be able to 
 stand against the deceits of the devil. . . . And take 
 unto you the helmet of salvation " {Ephesians vi. 11-17). 
 
 THE ALB. 
 
 The second vestment the priest clothes himself with is the 
 Alb, so called from its white color— alhus in Latin meaning 
 ^uhUe. It is an ample, loosely-fitting garment of pure linen, 
 entirely enveloping the body, and fastened at the neck by 
 means of strings. 
 
The Alb. 37 
 
 The use of a yestment of this kind is of the highest anti^ 
 quity, for we find it employed by all nations in their reli- 
 gious services. It is the same as the linen garment ordered 
 to be worn by the priests of the Old Law {Exod. xxviii. ; 
 Levit. viii.) King David wore a linen Alb when translating 
 the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obededom to 
 Jerusalem (1 Parol, xv. 27). 
 
 We have said that the Alb is made of linen ; this, at least, 
 is the present discipline in regard to it, but formerly it was 
 often made of silk and ornamented with gold. King Ethel- 
 wolf, of Anglo-Saxon times, and father of Alfred the Great, 
 presented the Church of St. Peter's at Kome, in a.d. 855, 
 with a number of silken Albs richly ornamented in this way 
 {Church of Our Fathers, by Dr. Eock, vol. i. p. 426). An 
 ancient Roman ordo, published by Hittorp, prescribes silken 
 Albs for Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday (ibid.) 
 
 The Alb, too, changed in color to suit particular occa- 
 sions. The monks of Cluny used to wear one of pure cloth 
 of gold in the High Masses of the greater festivals ; and we 
 find some of green, blue, and red in an old inventory of the 
 celebrated monastery of Peterborough, in England {ibid., 
 pp. 430-433 et passim). 
 
 Pope Benedict XIV., De Sacr. Missce, is our authority for 
 saying that a garment of this kind, but of a black color, 
 used to be formerly worn on Good Friday. 
 
 Figurative Signification of tte Alb. — According to Pope 
 Innocent III. (De Sacr. Altaris Mysterio, 57), the Alb, from 
 the purity of its color, denotes newness of life, and reminds 
 us of St. Paul's admonition to the Ephesians, chap, iv.: 
 " Put off the old man with all his acts, and clothe yourselves 
 with the new man, who, according to God, is created in 
 justice and holiness of truth." This beautiful idea of a 
 new life, as signified by the Alb, is very forcibly presented 
 to us in Holy Baptism, where the newly-regenerated 
 
38 Sacred Vestmejits. 
 
 receives a white garment Avith these significant words : 
 ^^Eeceive this white and s^iotless garment which you are 
 to bear before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
 you may possess eternal life. Amen." 
 
 Oriental Usage. — The Greeks call the Alb Poderis, from 
 its reaching to the feet (Bona, Rer. Liturg., 281). This, 
 howeyer, is not the name that it is generally known by, 
 for we find it mentioned in nearly all the Oriental Liturgies 
 as the Stoicharion (Denzinger, Ritus Orientalium, pp. 
 129-405 ; Eenaudot, Liturg. Orient., i. 161). It is the first 
 yestment of all the orders of the clergy, and, though 
 anciently made of linen, is now, with many of the Oriental 
 churches, of nothing else but white silk (Denzinger, 129). 
 
 In the Eussian Church a Stoicharion of purple is pre- 
 scribed for all days in Lent except the Feast of the Annun 
 ciation. Palm Sunday, and Holy Saturday (Xeale's Holy 
 Eastern Clmrch, vol. i. p. 307). 
 
 With the Copto-Jacobites (or Monophysites of Egypt) it 
 is known indiiferently b}^ the names Jahat and Touniat ; 
 and with those of Syria as the Koutino, evidently from the 
 Greek jzr&?rzoT^, an under -garment (Eenaudot, i. 161, ii. 
 54). The Copts, too, sometimes call it Kamis (Denzinger, 
 129), from the Latin camisia and the French chemise,^ an 
 under-gown. They are very strict in their discipline re- 
 garding the wearing of it. Xo priest would dare enter 
 the sanctuary without it. Should he present himseK for 
 Holy Communion, and neglect to have himself clothed with 
 it, he is at once ordered to depart and communicate at the 
 rails with the common people. One of their disciplinary 
 
 1 It will interest the reader to know tliat the camisia, or under-gown, of Our Blessed 
 Lady is yet preserv-ed, with affectionate veneration, in a silver case at Chartres, in 
 Trance. It is inscribed "La Chemise de la Sainte Vierge," and so well authenticated 
 that it would be rash to entertain a doubt about it. For a full account of its miracu- 
 lous history see Nicephorus Calixtas, Eist. Eccl, lib. xv. chop, xsxiv. ; or the Tt-uth 
 ofStipposed Legends, by Cardinal Wi?eman. 
 
llie Oinct'ure, 39 
 
 canonb on tliis liead runs tliiis : " It is unlawful for a priest 
 to pray or receiye Holy Communion^ without his being 
 vested with a Chitonion. The thing would be unbecom- 
 ing and at variance with the canon of holy faith." And 
 another: ^'^Let not a priest approach Holy Communion 
 on the steps of the altar unless vested with the Stoicharion. 
 Should he not have this he must communicate outside the 
 rails" (Eenaudot, Liturg. Orient., i. 160). 
 
 Priests of the Latin Church put on the Alb with the 
 prayer : " Purify me, Lord ! and make me clean of heart, 
 that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may possess 
 eternal joy." Li the Eussian Church the prayer is : *^My 
 soul doth magnify the Lord, who clothed me in the gar- 
 ment of salvation" {Greco- Russian Church, by Romanoff, 
 p. 89). 
 
 THE CIKCTUEE. 
 
 The Cincture occupies the third place in the catalogue 
 of sacred vestments. It is of as high antiquity as the Alb, 
 which it always accompanies ; its chief, in fact its only, 
 office being to keep that garment in its proper place on the 
 person of the wearer. Different writers give it different 
 names, such as zone, girdle, hand, helt, and the like. It is 
 required to be of linen, and of such a length that, when 
 doubled, it may encircle the body of the priest. Formerly 
 it was wide like a sash, and was often made of the most 
 precious materials — such as cloth of gold, silk, etc. — and 
 
 2 We here teg to inform tlie reader that it is or :.tomary for all the priests of the 
 East who assist at Mass, whether as concelebrants ^that is, celebrating the self-same 
 liturgy with the celebrant of the day) or as mere lookers-on, to receive Holy Com- 
 munion from the hands of the priest at the altar. Should, however, the patriarch be 
 present at such a Mass, but not celebrant, he approaches the altar and communicates 
 himself (Denzinger, Bit. Oriental., p. 405). The practice of thus receiving from the 
 hands of the priest celebrating is observed in our Church on Holy Thursday, but on no 
 other occasion. 
 
40 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 used to be studded with gems {Church of Our Fathers, 
 vol. i. p. 488, by Dr. Eock). A cincture found upon the 
 body of a deceased bishop taken up in Durham Cathedral 
 in 1829 is thus described by Raine : ''Of the girdle, or 
 cingulum, the portion which we were enabled to preserve 
 measures twenty-five inches in length ; its breadth is 
 exactly seven-eighths of an inch. It has evidently pro- 
 ceeded from the loom ; and its two component parts are a 
 flattish thread of pure gold and a thread of scarlet silk, 
 which are not combined in any particular pattern, save 
 that, at a very short distance from each selvage, there run 
 two or three longitudinal lines, which serve to break the 
 uniformity of the whole. The lining is of silk " [ibid. 489, 
 note 22). It varied also in color formerly, to suit the dif- 
 ferent colors of the vestments ; but now it is rarely seen 
 of any other color but white, although the rubrics do not 
 forbid other colors to be used at the option of tlie priest. 
 And as regards its material, according to the present dis- 
 cipline, it is required to be of pure linen, and of nothing 
 else. Terminating both ends are two large tassels, which 
 hang down equally on each side of the priest when vested. 
 
 Mentioned in Holy Scripture. — The Cincture is frequently 
 alluded to in Holy Scripture, where many moral significa- 
 tions are attached to it. The prophet Isaias, in describing 
 the Messias, says of him : '' Justice shall be the gh'dle of 
 his loins, and faith the girdle of his reins" (xi. 5). Our 
 Divine Lord himself, when addressing his disciples, thus 
 exhorted them : "Let your loins be girt, and lamps burn- 
 ing in your hands" (Luke xii. 35) ; and St. John, in the 
 Apocalypse, says that he saw "in the midst of the seven 
 golden candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed 
 with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps 
 with a golden girdle" (i. 13). 
 
 Cincture in the Old Law. — In the Old Law, as well as in 
 
The Cincture, 4-1 
 
 the New, the Cincture occupied a prominent place among the 
 priestly vestments. According to the Jewish historian Jose- 
 phus (p. 74), its width was four fingers, and it was woven in 
 such a manner as to exhibit the appearance of serpents' 
 scales. It used to be ornamented with floral embroidery 
 in purple, dark-blue, scarlet, and white. The manner of 
 weaving it was as now. The name given it by Moses was 
 Abtmeth j but the more recent Jews called it, in accordance 
 with Babylonic usage, Emia. 
 
 Cincture of the Orientals. — The Cinctures of the Greeks 
 and Syrians are much broader than ours, and, instead of 
 being knotted on the person of the wearer, are buckled in 
 front with a hook or clasp. These Cinctures are sometimes 
 made of very precious silk, studded with precious stones. 
 A gilt hook, shaped like an " S,'' is employed to fasten 
 them aroimd the waist (Dr. Eock, Church of Our Fathers^ 
 i. 490, 491). Eenaudot (Comment, ad Liturg. Copt. 8. 
 Basilii, p. 161) tells us that, to draw as broad a line as 
 possible between the followers of the Koran and the Chris- 
 tians of Egypt, some of tlie Caliphs' used to oblige the 
 latter to wear a certain kind of Cincture always in common 
 hfe. To exhort the faithful to bear this intended humil- 
 iation with true Christian fortitude, the Fathers of those 
 days delivered many touching homilies to them. While 
 this state of things lasted the Christians of those parts 
 were commonly styled '' Christian! de Cingulo " — that is, 
 Cincture-^vearing Christians. 
 
 The prayer recited in putting on the Cincture is worded 
 as follows : '' Gird me, Lord ! with the Cincture of 
 purity, and extinguish in my loins the heat of concupis- 
 
 3 Caliph— from the Arabic Jcaleefah, and the Chaldaic chalaph, to change, to succeed; 
 hence, a niler— is the official title of the highest Mahometan dignitary in spirituals 
 and temporals. He is regarded as actually holding the place of Mahomet himself ; 
 therefore he must he considered in point of fact as his vicar on earth. 
 
42 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 cence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide 
 in me." 
 
 The Russian priests, who wear a Cincture exactly hke 
 ours, recite the following prayer in vesting themselves with 
 it : '' Blessed be the Lord, who girdeth me with strength, 
 and maketh my path undefiled " (Romanoff, Greco-Russian 
 Church, 13. 89). 
 
 VeneraUe Relics. — Among the many sacred relics yet pre- 
 served, and exhibited every seven years for the veneration of 
 the faithful, in the great church of Aix-la-Chapelle, in France, 
 is the veritable Cincture worn by our Blessed Redeemer. 
 It is entirely of leather, and bears at its extremities the 
 imperial seal of Constantine the Great. Thousands flock 
 thither from all quarters of the globe to behold this pre- 
 cious curiosity {Catholic World, Sept., 1872). The Cincture 
 worn by Our Blessed Lady is said to be preserved also in 
 the Church of Our Lady of Montserrat at Prato, in Tus- 
 cany (Burder, Religious Ceremonies and Customs, 235). 
 
 Moral Lesson taught by the Cincture. — The moral lesson 
 intended to be conveyed by the wearing of the Cincture is 
 easily gathered from the prayer recited in putting it on. 
 It reminds the wearer of the great purity of mind and 
 heart that he ought to be filled with in his ministrations 
 before a God of infinite holiness and sanctity. The high- 
 priests of the Old Law were reminded of this solemn obli- 
 gation by being obliged to wear on their foreheads a golden 
 plate with the words ^^Min^^ ^cip "— Kadesh la Jehovah 
 (Bannister, Temples of the Hebrews, p. 180)— inscribed upon 
 it ; that is, Holiness to Jeliovah. How much more holiness 
 is required in priests of the New Law, where the Victim of 
 sacrifice is none other than the Son of God himself, the 
 Jehovah of the New Covenant ? 
 
 Other mystical meanings were also attached to the Cinc- 
 ture, such as 2^'^omptitude in executing the commands of 
 
The Manijole. 43 
 
 God ; exactness in religious observances ; and watchfulness 
 in regard to our eternal salvation, in accordance with tliat 
 solemn admonition of our Divine Lord himself : ^' Let your 
 loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands " (Luke xii. 
 35). That is, be ready at all times to appear before the 
 tribunal of divine justice. 
 
 THE MANIPLE. 
 
 The Maniple is the fourth article which tlie priest vests 
 himself with. It is a small strip of precious cloth, of the 
 same material as the Stole and Chasuble, having three 
 crosses embroidered upon it — one in the middle, and one 
 at each of its extremities. It is worn on the left wrist, to 
 which it is fastened either by a pin or a string. Its whole 
 length is generally about two feet, and its breadth about 
 four inches. When fastened on, it hangs equally on both 
 sides. 
 
 Ancient Names given the Maniple. — The Maniple was 
 anciently known by as many as ten different names — viz., 
 Mapjnila, Suda7'ium, Brachial Cincture, Mantile, Linteu7n, 
 Aer, Sacerdotale Cincticulum, Maniple, Mapya Parva, and 
 Phanon (Gavantus, Thesaur. Sacr. Pit., p. 130). 
 
 Originally it was intended solely for wiping the perspira- 
 tion from the face of the wearer, and drying the hands so 
 that the sacred vestments may not be soiled by them. In 
 fact, it served in every way as a handkerchief, as we see 
 from what the ancients have written about it. Thus 
 Alcuin, in the ninth century, speaks of it as follows : '^The 
 little kerchief which is worn on the left hand, wherewith 
 we wipe off the moisture of the eyes and nose, designates 
 the present life, in which we suffer from superfluous 
 humors" (Bona, Per. Liturg., 281). 
 
 Amalarius also, who lived about the same period, writes 
 
44 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 of it thus : '^ We carry a handkerchief {Sudarmm) for the 
 purpose of wiping the perspiration " (ibid.) 
 
 The Maniple, as we have said, was fastened to the left 
 wrist. The ancient form of the Chasuble, of which we shall 
 give a full account further on, required this disposition ; for 
 if it were kept anywhere else it would be almost wholly out 
 of reach of the priest, who was enveloped on all sides, as 
 our print will show (see figure). As long as the ancient 
 ample Chasuble r-emained in use the Maniple was not 
 allowed to rest on the wrist until the priest was about to 
 ascend the altar-steps. Then the Chasuble was folded up 
 by the deacon and sabdeacon, and the left arm being thus 
 entirely free, the Maniple was fastened to it, and thus 
 did it remain until the end of Mass. A vestige of this 
 ancient practice is yet preserved in a Bishop's Mass, where 
 the Maniple is not fastened to the prelate's wrist until the 
 " indulgentiam " — that is, a little before he ascends the 
 steps. 
 
 According to the best authorities, the Maniple served the 
 purpose of a handkerchief until about the twelfth century. 
 After this it became a liturgical ornament (Kozma, Liturg, 
 Sacr. Catliol., 44), with no other office but a symbolic one. 
 Our holy Church is always loath to part with any of her 
 ancient apparel. 
 
 Material of the Maniple. — Whilst the Maniple served as a 
 handkerchief it used to be made of fine white linen, and 
 was frequently carried in the hand during divine service 
 instead of being fastened to the wrist ; but when it passed 
 into a liturgical ornament, then the material of which it was 
 made changed to suit that of the Stole and Chasuble. In 
 some parts of England it was customary to attach little bells 
 of gold and silver to its edging (Dr. Kock, CJiurch of Our 
 Fathers, i. 422). 
 
 The Maniple is put on with the following prayer : *' May 
 
The Mcmiple. 45 
 
 I deserve, Lord ! to bear the Maniple of weeping and sor- 
 roAv, in order that I may joyfully reap the rewai'd of my 
 labors." The reference in the words *Sveeping and sor- 
 roAV " is to what frequently occurred in days gone by during 
 the sacred ministrations at the altar, when many holy 
 men wept, sometimes with joy at being allowed to assist at 
 so tremendous a sacrifice, and sometimes with sorrow for 
 their unworthiness. Durandus, in his Rationale Divi- 
 norum, p. 110, says that St. Arsenius used to be so affected. 
 
 Mystical Meaning. — The mystical meaning, then, of the 
 Maniple is that it reminds the priest of the trials and 
 troubles of this life, and the reward that awaits him if he 
 bears them in a Christian-like manner. 
 
 Maniple of the Orientals. — The Orientals wear two Mani- 
 ples, one on each arm, which are usually denominated Epi- 
 manikia, a barbarous word, from the Greek eTti, upon, 
 and the Latin manus, a hand — that is, something worn 
 upon tlie hand. In form the Epimanikia differ from our 
 Maniple considerably, although there is no doubt but that 
 at one time both served the same purpose. They are 
 shaped somewhat like the large, loose sleeves of a surplice, 
 and are fastened to the wrist by a . silken string. The 
 rule requires that they be fastened tightly, for they are 
 intended to remind the wearer of the cords that fastened 
 our Lord's hands to the pillar of flagellation. 
 
 The Oriental bishops are accustomed to wear upon their 
 Maniples an icon, or image of our Divine Saviour, which 
 they present to the people to be kissed. 
 
 With the Syrians the Epimanikia are called Zendo ; with 
 the Armenians, Fasban ; with the Eussians, Poruche 
 (hand-pieces) ; and with the Copts, Manicce. 
 
 A Russian priest, in donning these articles, says, when 
 putting on the right-hand one: *' The right hand of the 
 Lord hath pre-eminence ; the right hand of the Lord 
 
46 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 bringetli mighty things to pass " ; and wlien putting on 
 the left-hand one: **Thy hands have made me and fash- 
 ioned me ; oh ! give me understanding, that I may learn thy 
 commandments." In the sentence, "the right hand of the 
 Lord hath pre-eminence," there is a reference to the tradi- 
 tion that the Jews first nailed our Saviour's right hand to 
 the cross, and then the left (see Goar, Euchologium Grce- 
 corum, p. Ill ; Neale, Holy Eastern Church, vol. i. p. 307 ; 
 Eenaudot, Liturg. Orient, Collect., i. 162; Denzinger, 
 Ritus Orientalium, p. 131 ; and Gavantus, Thesaur. Sacr, 
 Rit., 131). 
 
 THE STOLE. 
 
 The Stole ranks fifth in the catalogue. It is a long band 
 of precious cloth, of the same width as the Maniple, but 
 about three times its length. It is worn round the neck 
 and crossed on the breast, in which position it is kept by 
 the Cincture. It is universally admitted that originally 
 the Stole was very similar to the modern Alb, and that, like 
 the latter, it used to envelop the entire person (Durandus, 
 Rationale Divinorum, lib. iii., v. 6, p. 108). 
 
 According to Cardinal Bona {Rer. Liturg., 282), what we 
 now call a Stole is nothing else but the ornamental band 
 that used to form the selvage of what was really the Stole of 
 the ancients ; and that as soon as the practice of wearing 
 that kind of Stole went into desuetude the band was re- 
 tained as a sort of memorial of it, just as the Maniple is a 
 memorial of the ancient Sudarium, or handkerchief. 
 
 Who may Wear the Stole.— The right to wear the Stole 
 begins from the time of one's ordination as deacon. The 
 deacon, however, cannot wear it as a priest does — that is, 
 around both shoulders — but only as yet over the left shoul- 
 der, and fastened at the right side ; and this to remind him 
 of his inferiority in orders to a priest, and of his obligation 
 
The Stole, 47 
 
 to be as little encumbered as possible, especially about the 
 right hand, when acting as his assistant minister. Upon 
 this head the fourth Council of Toledo, held in a.d. 633, 
 under Pope Honorius I., issued the following directions : 
 ^' Tlie levite (deacon) ought to wear one Orarion (Stole) on 
 his left shoulder when he prays ; but he must have the right 
 shoulder free, to the end that he may be the more expedi- 
 tious in administering to the wants of the priest " (Bona, 
 Rev, Lititrg., 282). 
 
 The bishop wears the Stole pendent on both sides, without 
 crossing it on the breast as a priest does, and this because 
 he wears a cross already on his breast — viz., the Pectoral 
 Cross ^ — whereby this necessity is obviated (Gavantus, 134). 
 
 The prayer recited by the priest while vesting himself with 
 the Stole is worded thus : '' Eestore to me, Lord ! the Stole 
 of immortality which I lost through the transgression of my 
 first parents, and, though I approach unworthily to celebrate 
 thy sacred Mystery, may I merit nevertheless eternal joy." 
 
 Many of the Anglo-Saxon Stoles and Maniples had lit- 
 tle bells of silver and gold attached to them, which made 
 a most agreeable, delicate sound whenever the sacred minis- 
 ter changed his position. Dr. Kock, in his Cliurcli of Our 
 Fathers, vol. i. p. 415, note 60, tells us that there was once 
 kept at Liege, in the Abbey Church of Wazor, the Stole of 
 St. Foraunan, an L'ish bishop who died in a.d. 982 while 
 abbot of that monastery, which had hanging from its ex- 
 
 •* The Pectoral Cross was originally a reliquary case, and received its shape from the 
 fact that it used generally to contain a splinter of the true cross upon which our Lord 
 was crucified. The reliquary, or neck-cross, as it used to be anciently called, worn by 
 Pope Gregory the Great, was made of thin silver. Those now in use date no further 
 back than the sixteenth century (Dr. Eock, Church of Our Fathers, vol. ii, 174). The 
 Eastern bishops wear hanging from their necks what is called the PanJiagia, a Greek 
 word meaning "all-holy," in which there is inserted an enamelled medallion of our 
 Lord and his Blessed Mother. This is often very richly ornamented with precious 
 etoncs. It is sucpended by a golden chain (Komanoff, Greco- Russian Chvrch, 399). 
 
48 Sacred Vestments, 
 
 tremities a number of little silver bells. These little bells 
 were sometimes as mauy as twenty-seven {ibid.) 
 
 Stole of the Orientals.— The Stole of the Orientals, gene- 
 rally known as the Eioitraclielion, from the Greek kni, 
 upon, and rpaxrfXov, the neck, is somewhat different 
 from ours ; for instead of being parted, so as to allow it to 
 hang down equally on each side, it is made of one piece of 
 stuff, with a seam worked along its middle, and having an 
 opening at the top wide enough to allow the priest's head 
 to pass through. It hangs down, when worn at Mass, in 
 front of the priest, reaching nearly to the instep. 
 
 The Copts call the Stole Bitarshil ; the Syrians, Ouroro ; 
 the Armenians, Ourar (Goar, Euchol. GrcBc, p. Ill ; 
 Neale's Holy Eastern Church, i. 308 ; Denzinger, Ritus 
 Orient., 133). 
 
 Touching the origin of this word ourar, or orarium, as 
 applied to the Stole in ancient manuscripts and liturgical 
 writings, there has always been much dispute. We incline, 
 for our part, to the side of those who derive it from the 
 Greek oopa, an hour, because it was by waving the Ora- 
 rium that the deacon pointed out the different hours or 
 stages during divine service at which the choir would sing 
 or the congregation pray. And this is in keeping with the 
 Oriental discipline yet. It must be remembered, too, that 
 the name Orarion was peculiar only to the Stole of the 
 deacon ; that of the priest was always called Epitrachelion. 
 
 We had almost forgotten to mention that at one time, at 
 least as far back as the ninth century, priests and bishops, 
 even when they were not in church, always wore the Stole 
 as part of their ecclesiastical dress and as a distinctive mark 
 of their dignity. The Council of Mayence, held in a.d. 
 813 under Pope Leo III., thus decreed upon this subject : 
 " Let priests use the Stole without intermission, on account 
 of the difference of the priestly dignity." According to the 
 
CT 
 
 
 m 
 
 o. 
 
 Sa 
 
Tlie CJiasuble. 49 
 
 present discipline, only the Pope wears the Stole in common 
 diiily life, and this in evidence of his jurisdiction over the 
 universal Church (Kozma, Liturg. Sacr. Cathol., p. 46). 
 The papal Stole is ornamented with three crosses, the keys, 
 and tiara (ibid.) 
 
 THE CHASUBLE. 
 
 The Chasuble, so called from the Latin casula, a little 
 house (for, according to its ancient form, it enveloped the 
 entire person of the priest, leaving nothing but the head 
 visible), is the last in the catalogue of sacred vestments. 
 In its present disposition it is open at both sides, and, as 
 it rests on the priest, it reaches down in front to about the 
 knees, and a few inches further behind. Its material is 
 required to be of precious cloth, such as brocade, silk, or 
 the like ; and its color one of the five mentioned in the 
 rubrics — ^:iz., tuhite, red, violet, green, or black. Without 
 a dispensation from the Holy See no other kind of Chasuble 
 may be used. 
 
 According to liturgical writers generally, the ancient 
 amjile-flowing Chasuble was in use up to the sixteenth 
 century (Kozma, Liturg. Sacr. Catliol., 49), but after that 
 period a practice of clipping it set in, first at the shoulders 
 and then down the sides, until it assumed its present 
 shape, which, strange to say, was the work of private indi- 
 vidual fancy rather than of any express wish or command 
 on the part of the Church. ''Id vero minime," says 
 Mgr. Saussay, tlie learned Bishop of Toul, "contigisse 
 ex ullo Pontificum judicio, ecclesiaeqne lege, sed ex privato 
 genio quorundam" (Dr. Eock, Ohurcli of Our Fathers, 
 vol. i. 329). Cardinal Bona makes the same assertion {Rer, 
 Liturg., lib. i. cap. xxiv. p. 237, ed. Sala), and so does 
 Honorius of Autun. 
 
 The cause generally assigned for changing the ancient 
 
50 ■ Sacred Vestments. 
 
 form of the Chasuble was the difficulty that prevailed for 
 a long time, especially about the sixteenth century, cf 
 procuring suitable pliant material for making it ; for if 
 made of hard, stiff, board-like cloth as it now is, while its 
 ancient shape was preserved, it would greatly encumber the 
 priest in his ministrations at the altar. Since, however, 
 nothing else could be conveniently had but this stiff mate- 
 rial, in order to save the Chasuble as much as possible from 
 the wear and tear occasioned by lifting and folding it up so 
 often during the Mass, it was deemed advisable to cut a slit 
 in both sides of it, and in this way its present shape ori- 
 ginated. 
 
 Another reason, too, and a very good one at that, contri- 
 buted much towards effecting this change. As long as the 
 ancient form was in use the difficulty of celebrating Mass 
 without the aid of deacon and subdeacon was very great, for 
 the Chasuble of the celebrant needed folding and lifting up 
 at several paits of the service ; and as it was not at all times 
 easy to have assistant ministers, and as private Masses became 
 more frequent, a form of Chasuble which the priest himself 
 could manage seemed to be a desideratum ; and this, as much 
 as anything else, was the cause of introducing Chasubles of 
 the present make (see Hieriirgia, p. 440 ; Les Cerhnonies de 
 VEglise, par M. De Conny, p. 256). 
 
 The reader will see with what indignation this change in 
 the style of the Chasuble was viewed at first from the fol- 
 lowing words thundered forth by De Vert.' Speaking of 
 
 6 Clandins De Vert was a monk of Clnny and a native of Paris. His death is placed 
 in 1701. He wrote a great Avork on the ceremonies, etc., of the Church, four volumes, 
 iu which he made himself singularly remarkable, and not unfrequently ridicu- 
 lous, by looking for literal and natural meanings, wholly disregarding mystical ones, 
 in everything that was done at Mass. Durandus is about as exact a match for him on 
 the opposite side as could possibly be foimd. The Hationale Divifiorum of this latter- 
 named author is on« of the most curious books ever written, and. to our mind, one of 
 the most fanciful and mystical. 
 
The Chasuble, 51 
 
 vestment-makers, he says : *^They are allowed to have the 
 liberty of nibbling, clipping, cutting, slashing, shortening, 
 just as the whim may take. Chasubles, Dalmatics, Tunicles, 
 and other j^riestly garments or ornaments which serve for 
 the ministry of the altar ; in a word, to give these robes 
 what shape they like, without consulting the bishop on the 
 matter" {Church of Our Fathers, vol. i. p. 330, note). - 
 
 The prayer recited in putting on the Chasuble is as fol- 
 lows : *^0 Lord ! who hast said, ^ My yoke is sweet and my 
 burden light,' grant that I may so carry it as to merit thy 
 grace." In its figurative signification, the Chasuble is 
 usually emblematic of charity, on account of its covering 
 the entire person, as charity ought to cover the soul. 
 
 Chasuble of the Orientals. — The ancient form of Chasuble 
 is yet in use with all the Oriental churches, whether 
 Catholic or schismatic. The Maronites have obtained per- 
 mission from the Holy See to use our form, but whether 
 they do so or not we have been unable to learn. 
 
 The Coptic Chasuble, which the natives call Alhornos, 
 has an ornamental border at the top worked in gold, and 
 denominated Tkoklia ; the Arabs call it Kaslet. This, 
 however, is not common to all the orders of their clergy, 
 but is rather the Chasuble of a bishop (Denzinger, Ritus 
 Oriental, p. 130). 
 
 Many of the Greek Chasubles are covered over with a 
 multiplicity of small crosses, to remind the priest that he is 
 the minister of a crucified Master, whose Passion should 
 be ever before his eyes. In the Eussian Church the bishop's 
 Chasuble has a number of little bells attached to the right 
 and left sides, and also to the sleeves (Romanoff, Greco- 
 Russia7i Church, pp. 89 and 399). 
 
 The Nestorian Chasuble is a square piece of cloth, of 
 linen or calico, having a cross in the centre. They call it 
 Shoshippa (Badger, Nestorians and their Rituals, i. p. 226). 
 
52 Sacred Vestment-^, 
 
 The Chasuble of the Hungarian Greeks is so clipped in 
 front that it hardly covers the breast (Kozma, Litunj, 
 8acr. Catliol., p. 48, note 6). 
 
 The. Chasuble of the Russian priests is now of the same 
 style (Neale, Holy Eastern Church, i. 309). 
 
 The Syrians call the Chasuble Philono, a word evidently 
 allied to the general denomination of the vestment with 
 the Greeks — viz., Phai7ioUo7i — and the ancient Latin name, 
 Penida. 
 
 In concluding our article .on the vestments, we have 
 thought it appropriate to api^end what the best authori- 
 ties have said concerning the reference of each to our Di- 
 vine Lord. We take our remarks from Gavantus {Thesaur, 
 Sacr. Rit, p. 137) : 
 
 1. The Amice is the veil which covered the face of our 
 Lord. 
 
 2. The Alb, the vesture he was clothed in by Herod. 
 
 3. The Cincture, the scourge ordered by Pilate. 
 
 4. The Maniple, the rope by which he was led. 
 
 5. The Stole, the rope which fastened him to the pillar. 
 
 6. The Chasuble, the purple garment worn before Pilate. 
 The reader need hardly be told that all the vestments 
 
 must be blessed by the bishop before being used at the altar. 
 Faculties to do this are generally enjoyed by ordinary priests 
 in missionary countries. 
 
 There are four other articles of clerical attire, which, 
 though not denominated sacred vestments, yet, because of the 
 important part they fill, we would consider it a great over- 
 sight to pass by in silence. These are the Berretta, 
 ZucchettOy Collar, and Cctssoch. 
 
 THE BEERETTA. 
 
 The Berretta (Italian), a sort of diminutive of the Latin 
 birr us, a cape or hood, is a square cap, with three corners 
 
The Berretta, 53 
 
 or prominences rising from its crown, and having, for tlie 
 most part, a tassel depending. When first introduced, 
 which is generally supposed to have been soon after the 
 ninth century, it had none of these corners, but was pliant 
 and plain, something like an ordinary cap. The difficulty, 
 however, of putting it on and adjusting it properly on the 
 head while it continued in this way was sometimes very 
 great, and hence it was deemed advisable to have it so fash- 
 ioned that it could be put on and taken off without any 
 trouble. This led to the introduction of the three corners, 
 which are also symbolic of the Blessed Trinity (Ferraris, 
 Bibliotheca, art. Bir). 
 
 Color of the Berretta. — The Berretta has but two varieties 
 of color — viz., 7'ed and Mack. Red is peculiar and proper 
 to cardinals, and to them alone. Black is the color for 
 all other ecclesiastics, from cardinals down, whether patri- 
 archs, archbishops, bishops, or priests. According to rule, 
 a bishojo's Berretta should be lined with green ; in all other 
 respects it differs in nothing from that worn by a priest 
 (Martinucci, Mamiale Sacr. Ccerem.,^. p. 11; De Herdt, 
 Praxis Fontificalis, i. pp. 44 and 45). 
 
 Cardinal's Berretta. — A cardinal's Berretta is generally 
 made of red silk. It has no tassel to it, and never any 
 more than three corners. A four-cornered Berretta is ex- 
 clusively the cap of a doctor of divinity, and he can wear it 
 by right only when teaching in the doctor's chair (Bou- 
 vry. Explicnfio 'Riihriearinn, etc., ii. 216, 217). 
 
 Ceremonies employed in Conferring the Doctor's Cap." — 
 Bv a recent decision of the Holy See the insignia of the 
 doctorate — i.e., the cap and ring — cannot be conferred upon 
 
 " The right' of conferrin;]: the defrree of doctor of divinity, with its insignia and 
 the privileges attached, is enjoyed only by three institutions in the United States— 
 viz., by the Jesuit colleges of Georgetown. D. C , and Spring Hill. Alabama, and by 
 the Sulpician Seminary of St. Mary's, Baltimore. 
 
54 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 any one who is not, together with being duly skilled in di- 
 vinity, also of high standing in a moral point of view, and 
 sound and solid in the faith. To this end, a profession of 
 faith (that of Pope Pius IV.) is first exacted of the candi- 
 date on his knees, and he must swear that he will defend 
 this faith even unto the shedding of his blood, if required. 
 
 Furthermore, he is to swear assent to the following arti- 
 cles, read to him by the person conferring the degree : 
 
 First. That he will never teach or write intentionally 
 anything that is repugnant to Holy Scripture, tradition, 
 the definitions of General Councils, or to the decrees of 
 the Supreme Pontiffs. 
 
 Secondly. That he will be watchful in doing his share to 
 preserve the unity of the Church, and not let the seamless 
 garment of Christ be rent by divisions ; also that he will be 
 studious in seeing due honor paid to the Supreme Pontiff, 
 and obedience and reverence to his own bishop. 
 
 Thirdly. He will swear to defend the Christian, Catho- 
 lic, and Apostolic faith, to the effusion of blood. 
 
 After this the various prerogatives and privileges that are 
 attached to the "D.D." are read, and the four-cornered 
 cap and the ring are imposed. A book is then put into 
 his hands— generally a theological work— as evidence of his 
 right to the honors conferred upon him ; and, if the whole 
 ceremony be fully carried out, he is to be led to the doctor's 
 chair, where, in "pledge of brotherly feeling towards him, 
 all the other doctors present impart to him a kiss. . 
 
 It is customary on such occasions for the newly-created 
 doctor to make an address in Latin to all tbe professors in 
 the audience, and to express his thanks for the elevation to 
 which he has been raised. 
 
 We have said that only cardinals wear a Berretta of a red 
 color. This privilege was first granted them by Pope Paul 
 II. in 1460 ; but the privilege of wearing the rod hat goes 
 
The Berretta. 55 
 
 back to tlio Council of Lyons, a.d. 1245, where it was grant- 
 ed by Pope Innocent IV. This, however, was only to car- 
 dinal legates ; but the privilege was extended, in short, to 
 all without exception, as was also the right to wear their 
 other articles of dress of the same color. The precise sym- 
 bolism attached to the red is that their Eminences must be 
 ready to defend the rights of the Holy See even unto the 
 shedding of blood (see Kozma, p. 72, note 2). 
 
 The Pope never wears a Berretta, but uses instead a tight- 
 fitting cap, always white in color, called a Solideo, from the 
 Latin solus and Deits, because it is only to God that he 
 doffs it — that is, at the more solemn parts of the Mass. To 
 no earthly ruler does the Pope ever take off this cap. Its 
 material is usually v/hite silk ; and on its crown a large but- 
 ton is sewed to facilitate its being taken off and put on. 
 
 We have said that a four-cornered Berretta is peculiar to 
 a doctor of divinity. From time immemoiial, however, the 
 clergy of France, Germany, and Spain have been accustomed 
 to wear Berrettas of this kind (Bouvry, in loc. cit.) 
 
 In some of the French universities, in days gone by, the 
 cap of a doctor oi divinity used to be ornamented with a 
 white silk tassel ; that of a canonist with a gi-een one ; and 
 a doctor's in civil law (D.C.L.) with a red one having a 
 purple tuft in the middle. 
 
 In Germany the latter were allowed a scarlet cap. In 
 the celebrated college of Salamanca, in Spain, in addition to 
 the cap, which was black, but decorated with a large tassel 
 of white silk, the '' Beca" was also conferred, a curious kind 
 of hood of red silk, which lay in graceful folds on the shoul- 
 ders of the wearer (Eock, Church of Our Fathers, p. 70, 
 vol. ii.) 
 
 When the Berretta may be worn.— Besides being worn in 
 every-day life, the Berretta is also allowed to be worn in the 
 sanctuary during the less solemn portions of the Mass. At 
 
56 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 the altar, however, when in actual celebration, no one may 
 wear it, not even the greatest dignitary. The discipline in 
 this respect is very strict, and admits of but one exception 
 throughout the entire Church — viz., in case of the Catholic 
 missionaries of the empire of China. It is well known how 
 indecent it is held by tlie Chinese for a i^erson to appear m 
 public with head uncovered. A greater insult you could not 
 off ex one of these people tiian to violate this part of etiquette. 
 Having these things in vie^y, and remembering the salutary 
 admonition of the great Apostle of the Gentiles, of becoming 
 **all to all people in order to gain all to Christ," our Holy 
 Father Pope Paul V., of blessed memory (1605-1621), grant- 
 ed to the missionaries of the Chinese Empiie the privilege 
 of wearing the Berretta all through Mass, even at the Con- 
 secration, with one proviso, however — that the said Berret- 
 ta be not the one used in every-day life. In no other j^art 
 of. the world is this privilege enjoyed (De Montor, Lives 
 of the Popes, vol. i. p. 943). 
 
 Berretta of the Orientals. — The Oriental Berretta differs 
 considerably from ours in shape. That of the Greeks is 
 round and close-fitting, and is generally of a violet color. 
 Attached to it behind is an appendage shaped like a tri- 
 angle, which the Greeks call nepiarspd, 'peristera, or the 
 dove, from its resemblance to the tail of that bird. It is 
 intended to remind the priest that the grace of his holy 
 ministry depends on the Holy Ghost, whom the dove sym- 
 bolizes (Goar, Eucliol GrcBC, 157). Throughout Eussia 
 all the "Black Clergy " ' wear a high cap resembling a hat 
 without a crown, liaving a veil covering it, which falls be- 
 hind on the shoulders. This the Eussians call Klohouh, 
 
 'The division of the Ruspian clergy into the "White" and "Black Clergy" is not 
 from any peculiar distinction in dress, but only from their different modes of life. Tlie 
 term Blaclc is applied to those who live in monasteries. All the rest are denominated 
 White, no matter what the color of their dress may be (Gagarin, Hvssivcn Clercy, In- 
 troduction). 
 
The Zucchetto, 57 
 
 but its Greek name is Kamelaucliion (Mouravieff, History 
 of the Russian Church, note?, p. 399). 
 
 The Greek bishops, who never wear a mitre like ours, use 
 a sort of low hat without a peak, over which a large veil 
 IS cast, something after the manner of the original Eoman 
 Urrus (Neale, Holy Eastern Church, i. 314). They per- 
 form-all the preliminary offices of the liturgy with this on 
 their heads. 
 
 The cap of the schismatical Patriarch of Alexandria is 
 crown-shaped, and is never removed at any part of divme 
 service. This privilege is also assumed by the Patriarch of 
 the Nestorians, who wears his cap even while distributing 
 Holy Communion. All the rest of the Orientals celebrate 
 with heads uncovered like ourselves (Goar, Euchot, 157 and 
 220 ; Neale, in loc. cit. ; Denzinger, Ritus Oriental., 132). 
 
 The Coptic Berretta differs hardly in anything from the 
 Greek, save that it has its crown ornamented with a vari- 
 ety of small crosses. The name they call it by is Cidar, 
 
 THE ZUCCHETTO. 
 
 The Zucchetto, from the Italian zuccha, a gourd, is a 
 small, closely-fitting skull-cap, shaped like a saucer, and of 
 a red, violet, or black color, according to the rank of the 
 wearer. Originally it was introduced to protect that part 
 of the head which had been made bare by the so-called cleri- 
 cal tonsure," but now it is worn irrespective of the laws 
 which regulated this ancient discipline. 
 
 « In ancient times there were three different forms of clerical tonsure. 1st. That of 
 St. Peter, or the Bcrnian, by which the top of the head was cleanly shaved, and the 
 base left with an edging or crown of hair to symbolize the Crown of Thorns. 2d. 
 That of St. Paul, in which the entire head was shaved, leaving no hair at all. 3d. That 
 of St. John the Evangelist, in which the front of the head was shaved so as to resembla 
 a crescent, and the hair allowed to fall down upon the back. This last was the form m 
 iiso with the Triph and P>ritons np to tho time of Colman. Bishop of Lindisfnrne, a.d. 
 
58 Sacred Vestments, 
 
 When the Zucchetto may be worn. — As the Zucchetto is 
 not exactly considered a cap, it has privileges which the ber- 
 retta never enjoys, for it can be worn upon occasions when the 
 use of the latter would be wholly forbidden. Permission is 
 often granted to wear it in the very act of celebrating, during 
 the less solemn portions of the Mass — i.e., from the begin- 
 ning to the Preface, exclusive, and from the end of Com- 
 munion to the completion of service. It must never be 
 worn during the Canon, and permission to wear it at the 
 times named must be had direct from the Pope. In case 
 the celebrant should have permission to wear a wig he is 
 never bound to remove it, for it ranks neither as a Berretta 
 nor Zucchetto, but is rather esteemed as one's own hair. 
 Permission to wear it, however, is very rarely granted by the 
 Holy See. 
 
 Color of the Zucchetto. — We have said that the color of 
 the Zucchetto varies with the rank of the wearer. That 
 worn by cardinals is always red; patriarchs, archbishops, 
 and bishops vv^ear a violet-colored one ; for all the rest of the 
 clergy the color is black. The privilege of wearing a vio- 
 let Zucchetto was not enjoyed by bishops until June, 1867, 
 when the concession was made by his Holiness Pope Pius 
 IX. This concession, however, concerned but the Zucchet- 
 to, not the Berretta. The latter must be of the same color 
 as that of a priest — viz., Uach (Martinucci, Manuale Cce- 
 rem., v. 14). 
 
 The Zucchetto is indifferently known by the several 
 
 661, when the Koman form was adopted in its stead (Alzog's Church Hist , vol. ii. p. 88, 
 no(e 3, and p. 91, by Pabisch and Byrne). 
 
 According to the Roman Pontifical, the bishop, when conferring tonsure, cuts off 
 with scissors five locks of hair from the head of the candidate for orders ; t\ie first, 
 over the forehead ; the second, at the back of the head ; the tJiird, at the right ear ; the 
 fourth, at the left ear ; and X\\q fifth, on the crown of the head. In no case is the hair 
 cut so deep that the head is exposed. This is what constitutes the clerical tonsure, the 
 initiative step to Sacred Orders, and that which raises a layman to the rank and im- 
 munities of an ecclesiastic 
 
The Collar, 59 
 
 names Calotte, Pileolus, Berrettino, and Submitrale. It is 
 called Calotte in French, from its resemblance to a shell ; 
 Pileolus is the Latin diminntive of pileus, a Eoman cap ; 
 Berrettino is a diminutive of Berretta ; and it received its 
 name Submitrale from the fact that it used to be generally 
 worn under the bishop's mitre. In common parlance it 
 is always spoken of as the Calotte or Zucchetto. 
 
 THE COLLAR. 
 
 The clerical Collar, generally styled the Roman Collar, 
 and in French Rabat, was unknown as an article of eccle- 
 siastical attire, at least in its present form, prior to the 
 sixteenth century. The religious orders have, as a rule, 
 ncA'er adopted it generally ; nor is it worn in the United 
 States to any great extent, unless in a few dioceses where 
 the statutes insist upon it as being the distinctive mark 
 of a Catholic clergyman. Where it can be worn without 
 exciting too much attention, or, as often happens in non- 
 Catholic countries, exposing a priest to public insult, it 
 ought to be; for it is wonderful, to pass over many other 
 reasons, how much Catholics are comforted by seeing in 
 their company, if travelling abroad, or even walking the 
 street, if at home, a priest arrayed in this distinctive 
 habiliment. There is no mistaking him then for a min- 
 ister of one of the sects. 
 
 Before the introduction of the Eoman Collar the ai-ti- 
 cle generally used was nothing else but a plain linen 
 collar similar to those ordinarily used now by lay people, 
 only a little wider. Some of the' higher dignitaries wore 
 frills, such as we see in paintings of the fourteenth and 
 fifteenth centuries ; but these were forbidden to the in- 
 ferior clergy, who were required to wear their Collars as 
 plain as possible, without even starch to stiffen them, oi 
 plaits to adorn them iu any way. In France, Belgium, and 
 
«»0 Sacred Vestments, 
 
 Italy laws were enacted proliibitiug lace or fancy needle- 
 work to be used in making them up, for they were required 
 to be of the plainest linen (Church of Our Fathers, vol. i. 
 p. 474). 
 
 According to its present disposition, the Collar itself 
 is a slip of thin linen about two inches wide, and long 
 enough to encircle the neck of the wearer. This slip is 
 folded doAvn over a circular band or stock of some pliant 
 but tolerably stiff material, such as fuller's board, to which 
 is sewed a piece of cloth, generally large enough to cover 
 the chest. The Collar is kept in its place by being buttoned 
 behind or fastened to the neck by strings. 
 
 The Collar, like the other articles of clerical attire men- 
 tioned, varies in color with the dignity of the wearer. That 
 of a cardinal is red ; a bishop's, violet ; a monsignore's, also 
 violet ; and a priest's, Uach. Canons, for the most part, 
 wear one of Uaclc, with red buttons down the centre, and 
 red trimmings. 
 
 Prothonotaries apostolic, of the class known as Vae partici- 
 pantes, who always rank as prelates, have the privilege of 
 wearing a violet Collar like a bishop ; but not so those who 
 rank only as prothonotaries titulares, or honorary prothono- 
 taries ; theirs is Uach like a priest's (Manuale Decretortim 
 de Proton. Apostol, '^53 and 759). 
 
 THE CASSOCK. 
 
 The Cassock, called in French Casaque, but more com- 
 monly Soutane, is that long outer black garment worn by 
 priests in every- day life and at all the sacred functions. It 
 is called in Latin Vestis talaris, from its reaching down to 
 the feet. With many of the religious orders it is called 
 the habit, and instead of being buttoned in front, as is the 
 case generally wnth the secular clergy, it is fastened to the 
 person by a large cincture. 
 
The Cassock. G.I 
 
 In ancient times the Cassock used to be known as the 
 FelUcea, or Pelisse, partly from the fact that it used to be 
 made of the skins of animals, and partly also because in 
 most cases it used to be lined with fur. Hence the origin 
 of the word surplice — something worn over the Pelisse 
 (Kozma, 49). 
 
 Color of the Cassock. — The color of the Cassock varies 
 with the rank of the person and the religious order to 
 which he belongs. Cardinals wear one of red generally, 
 but during seasons of penance and mourning the color is 
 violet. The color of a bishop's Cassock is violet, but on 
 the occasions mentioned violet is changed for black. With 
 priests who are not members of any particular order 
 black is the color always. 
 
 The Camaldolese," Cistercians,'" Carthusians," and Domi- 
 nicans '" wear white Cassocks. The Silvestrians '^ w^ear one 
 of dark blue ; the Third Order of Franciscans,'^ the Minor 
 Conventuals,'^ and Minor Observants '^ wear an ash-colored 
 one ; the Jeromites " gray. When a member from any of 
 these orders is promoted to the cardinalate he retains the 
 color peculiar to his order, as far as the Cassock is concern- 
 ed, but the berretta, zucchetto, and hafc must be always 
 scarlet (Martinucci, Manuale Ccerem., vi. 505). 
 
 The privilege of wearing a scarlet-colored Cassock was 
 granted to the doctors in theology and canon law of the 
 University of Paris by Pope Benedict XII. The same 
 pontiff is supposed to have extended the like privilege to 
 
 » The Camaldolese, founded by St. Eomuald in the early part of the eleventh cen 
 tury. So called from Maldoli, the name of the person who bestowed the groxmd upon 
 them in the Apennines in the eleventh centnry. '<> So called from Cisterze, diocese of 
 Chalons ; founded by St. Eobert, Abbot of Molesme, in 1098. " So called from Char, 
 treuse, in France ; founded by St. Bruno in 1084. ^2 Founded by St. Dominic, )< 
 Spaniard, in 1215 ; called also Preaching Friars. ^^ Called Silvestrians from tbe'i 
 founder, Silvester Gozzolino, 1230. i* The Third Order of Franciscans, or TerttaKa, 
 was founded in 1221. ^^ A branch of the Franciscans, established soon after 1£()2. 
 18 A branch of the Franciscans, established soon after 1302. " Founded in tho /our 
 teenth century by a number of solitaries. 
 
Q'i Sacred Vestments. 
 
 Oxfi/rd {Church of Our Fathers, ii. 19, note 47). The 
 Cassocks worn by the students of many of the European 
 colleges have large pendants behind like wings. These com- 
 memorate a fashion once very prevalent in Rome, where 
 tutors, in accompanying their pupils to school, held these 
 pendants in their hands as evidence of their watchfulness 
 over them. 
 
 Color of the Pope's Cassock. — In every-day life, and on all 
 solemn occasions, the Pope wears a Cassock of white silk 
 (Kozma, Lit. Sacra Cathol., 72). This custom, it is said, 
 dates from apostolic times, St. James the Less, first Bishop 
 of Jerusalem, being its introducer. As his life states, this 
 Apostle always appeared in fine white linen garments. St. 
 Cyril assures us that the Patriarch of Jerusalem always ap- 
 peared in white ; and it is also said that St. Peter used to wear 
 garments of this color, in memory of the shining garments 
 in which our Divine Lord appeared to him on the occa- 
 sion of the Transfiguration on Thabor (see Metropolitan, 
 '^Letters from Abroad," January, 1855). 
 
 All the popes of primitive times, as we see from ancient 
 mosaics, w^ere vested in white ; so it may be very lawfully 
 conjectured that the custom is as ancient as we have stated 
 it to be. 
 
 COLORS OF THE VESTMENTS. 
 
 The Church employs at the present day five different 
 colors in her sacred vestments — viz., ivhite, red, green, violet, 
 and dlack. Up to the sixth century she rarely used any 
 color but white (Kozma, 73) ; and in the time of Pope 
 Innocent III. (thirteenth century) there was no such color 
 in use as violet, for that pontiff makes no mention of this 
 color when he names the four employed in his day (De Sacr, 
 Altaris Myster., p. 86). That violet, however, was intro- 
 duced soon after this pontiff's book appeared, is evident from 
 
Colors of the Vestmenis. 63 
 
 DurandnSj who flourished about the year 1280 (Pope Inno- 
 cent III. died in ?215), for in his great work, entitled Ra- 
 tionale Divinorttm, violet is specially mentioned. 
 
 V/hite, being symbolic of purity, innocence, and glory, is, 
 as a general rule, employed on the special feasts of our Lord 
 and the Blessed Virgin, and on those of the angels, virgins, 
 and confessors. 
 
 Bed, the symbol of fortitude, is the color proper to Pen- 
 tecost, in memory of the *' tongues of fire " ; it is also used 
 on the feasts of the apostles and martyrs, and on those of 
 our Lord's Passion. 
 
 Green, symbolic of hope, is used as the color of the time 
 from the octave of the Epiphany to Septuagesima, and from 
 the octave of Pentecost- to Advent. 
 
 Violet, the penitential color, is used on all occasions of 
 public affliction and sorrow, in times of fasting and penance, 
 and in all those processions which do not immediately con- 
 cern the Blessed Sacrament. This color is also used on the 
 Feast of the Holy Innocents, on account of the lamentations 
 and weepings heard through Jerusalem when they were mas- 
 sacred by order of Herod. But should this feast fall on 
 Sunday, the color of the occasion is red, as is also the color 
 of the octave, from the fact that the lamentations taken up 
 are supposed to have ceased by this time, and the eighth 
 day is always significant of beatitude and glory (De Herdt, 
 Sacr. Liturg. Praxis, i. p. 190 ; Bouvry, Expos. Ruhr., ii. 
 199). 
 
 Black, from its gloomy appearance, and because it is the 
 negation of all color, is used in Masses and Offices of the 
 Dead, and on Grood Friday in memory of the profound dark- 
 ness that covered the land when our Lord was crucified. 
 
 In ancient times it was customary with many churches to 
 wear saffron-colored vestments on this latter day, to recall 
 to mind the bitter vindietiveness of the Jews in putting our 
 
G4 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 Saviour to death, saffron being indicative of bile. Writing 
 upon this, Bellotte thus remarks : '' Croceo namque sen flavo 
 colori bills assimilatur, cujus sedes et imperium in praecor- 
 diis et visceribus Judseorum nedum iram sed et irse f urorem 
 provocavit adversus Dominimi et adversus Christum ejus " 
 {Church of Our Fathers, ii. 263). For this same reason it 
 was that the traitor Judas, in all mediaeval paintings, is de= 
 picted with hair a shade of color between red and yellow. 
 The Jews themselves were obliged, up to a recent date, to 
 wear in many countries a yellow badge,so that all might know 
 them from the rest of the people (ibid.) 
 
 Local Customs and Privileges. — In France red used to be 
 used on feasts of the Blessed Sacrament instead of white. 
 In- Spain the rare privilege of using sky-blue vestments on 
 feasts of the Blessed Virgin has been enjoyed for some time 
 past. Some, however, restrict this privilege to the Feast of 
 the Immaculate Conception ; but we have not been able to 
 learn whether it is so restricted or not. A set purchased 
 for this occasion in 1843 cost the enormous sum of $14,000 
 (Dublin Revieiu, 1845, article Spain, vol. xviii. ; Church 
 of Our Fathers, ii. 259, note 32). That blue-colored vest- 
 ments were once common in England, we have the most un- 
 deniable proofs. In Dugdale's history of St. Paul's, '" Lon-> 
 don, we JBnd enumerated among that cathedral's goods in 
 1295 several vestments of a blue color ; and in an inventory 
 
 ^8 St. Paul's Church, London, was at one time one of the most venerable churches in 
 existence. The cathedral known as " Old St. Paul's " dates from the time of Bishop 
 Maurice, a.d. 1080. This wonderful edifice was nearly six hundred feet in length, and 
 the summit of the spire rose to within a short distance of five hundred feet from the 
 ground. It was made of wood covered with lead, and had relics placed in the ball 
 beneath the cross. On Candlemas eve, 1444, the spire was etruck by lightning and 
 partly destroyed. One of the greatest treasures and curiosities that this church pos- 
 sessed for some time was a relic of the Holy Blood, sent from Jerusalem to King 
 Henry HI. by the Knights of St. John and those of the Order of Templars. This pre- 
 cious gift was afterwards conveyed to "Westminster Abbey, where an indulgence of six 
 years and one hundred days was granted all who visited it with the proper dispositions 
 {Ecdesiostical Aniiqvities of Londcm. by Alex. Wood, M.A.) 
 
Colors of the Vestments, 65 
 
 of the Church of Lincoln there is mentioned ''a chesable 
 of blew damask, a cope of the same color, a cope of cloth of 
 gold, a bawdkin of blew color" [Church of Our Fathers, ii. 
 260, note 33). Bishop Wykeham bequeathed to his church 
 at Windsor ^' his new vestment of blue cloth, striped and 
 embroidered with lions of gold " {ibid.) 
 
 According to the Saruni Rite, there was no other color 
 used through Lent but red. The great minster of Peter- 
 borough had twenty-seven *^red albs" for Passion Week. 
 The Ambrosian Rite also prescribed red for the same season, 
 and so did many churches of France (ibid.) 
 
 On the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday 
 of Lent, called respectively " Gaudete " and '^Lsetare" Sun- 
 days,'® from the Introits on these days beginning with those 
 words, cardinals wear, instead of their usual color, that of 
 pale rose ; and this is required to be the color also of 
 their out-door dress on these occasions (Martinucci, vi. 
 504). 
 
 From an ancient Irish book called the Ledbhar Breae, 
 supposed to be written about the sixth century, the follow- 
 ing curious extract is given by Dr. Moran, now Bishop of 
 Ossory, in his Discipline of the Ectrlij Irish CMirch. It 
 relates to the colors of the sacred vestments : 
 
 *^ The priest's mind should agree with the variety and 
 meaning of each distinct color, and should be filled with 
 
 " The fourth Snnday of Lent is what is known as the " Sunday of the Golden Kose," 
 from a custom observed at Eome of blessing a rose made of pure gold mixed with mnsk 
 and balsam. The ceremony is performed by the Pope himself, and the rose thus 
 blessed is carried in solemn procession in the hand of the pontiff to and from his 
 chapel on this Sunday. The rose, symbolic of the eternal bloom and freshness of 
 Paradise, is afterwards bestowed as a mark of special favor oti some great potentate 
 who has done service to the Holy See Pope Pius IX. sent a Golden Rose to Maria 
 Theresa, Queen of Naples, for the kindness extended him by her and her husband 
 when he was obliged to flee to Gaeta in 1848. He sent one also to the Empress 
 Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III., and to Elizabeth, Empress of Austria (Kozma, 330 ; 
 Sacramentals, by Rev. W. J. Barry, p. 110). 
 
66 Sacred Vestments. 
 
 vigilance and awe, and be withdrawn from ambition and 
 pride, when he reflects on what the various colors typify. 
 
 *^ The y:liite typifies that he should be filled Avith confusion 
 and shame if his heart be not chaste and shining, and his 
 miud like the foam of the wave, or like the chalk on the 
 gable of an oratory, or like the color of the swan in the 
 sunshine — that is, without any particle of sin, great or 
 small, resting in it. 
 
 '' The red typifies that his heart should start and tremble 
 in his breast through terror and fear of the Son of God, 
 for the scars and wounds of the Son of God were red upon 
 the cross when he was crucified by the unbelieving Jews. 
 
 ^^ The green typifies that he should be filled with great 
 faintness and distress of mind and heart ; for what is under- 
 stood by it is his interment at the end of his life, under the 
 mould of the earth, for green is the original color of all 
 the earth. 
 
 ''The purple typifies that he should call to mind Jesus, 
 who is in heaven in the plenitude of his glory and majesty, 
 and with the nine orders of angels who praise the Creator 
 throughout all eternity. 
 
 '' The black typifies that he should shed bitter tears for 
 his sins, lest he be condemned to the society of the devil 
 and dwell perpetually in endless pain." 
 
 From all this we clearly see tliat even so far back as the 
 sixth century some churches had all the colors in use that 
 we have now. 
 
 We conclude our remarks on sacred vestments by saying 
 that those made of pure cloth of gold are tolerated at the 
 present day, and may be used instead of red, white, or 
 green (S. E. C, 28th April, 186G, 3644 [2]). Those of any 
 other material of a yellow color are wholly interdicted, and 
 cannot be used without permission of the Holy See. 
 
 Colors used by the Oriental Church.— Tlie Greek Church 
 
Colors of the Vestments, 67 
 
 uses but two colors the whole year round— viz., white and 
 red, in memory of what the Spouse says in the Canticle of 
 Canticles: '^ My beloved is white and ruddy." White is 
 their general color ; red is used in all Masses for the dead 
 and throughout the entire fast of Lent. According to the 
 Greeks -this latter color is better suited to Lent than any 
 other, for during tliat season we are doing penance for the 
 shedding of the innocent blood of our Divine Redeemer 
 (Goar, Euchol. Grcecorum, 113). 
 
 Eenaudot tells us in his Commentary on tlie Liturgy of 
 St. Basil, p. 160, that the Copts use no other color in their 
 sacred vestments but white, and this for the reason that at 
 his glorious transfiguration on Mt. Thabor it was in this 
 brilliant color that our Lord appeared. One of the Coptic 
 canons on this head reads as follows : "The vestments used 
 for saying Mass ought to be of a white color, not of any 
 other ; for Christ when transfigured had vestments on 
 brilliant as light " {ibid. ) If we are to credit the reports of 
 tourists to those regions, the Copts of to-day pay little 
 regard to this canon, for vestments of every hue may be 
 seen in use among them. 
 
 The Maronites use the same colors as we do. 
 
 Tlie Syrians are partial to purjDle and green, and hence 
 it happens not unfrequently that their chasubles unite 
 these colors at one and the same time (Denzinger, 131). 
 
 The Armenians allow their lectors to wear a cope of 
 purple silk similar to our pluvial. Their exorcists wear one 
 of liyacinth ; their acolytes of red {ibid. 133). 
 
 According to Badger {Tlie Nestorians, and their Rituals, 
 i. p. 226), the vestments of the Nestorians are white ; still, 
 the same author tells us that their girdle and stole consist 
 of a narrow band or scarf, with alternate white and blue 
 crosses worked on squares of the same colors. 
 
 Having now said all that to our mind it seemed necessary 
 
68 Sacred Vest7nents. 
 
 to say about tlie sacred vestments and their colors, we pass 
 on to another class of sacred appurtenances, called the 
 vessels of the altar. 
 
 It may be well to remark here-— we intended doing so 
 earlier, but forgot it — that inasmuch as our book is not a 
 Ceremonial, the reader must not expect to find in it all those 
 little points and exceptions to rules which only a Ceremonial 
 would comprehend. The main things are given ; and, wher- 
 ever we have thought it necessary for tlie reader's interest, 
 we have descended to many minute particulars, for nothing 
 is unimportant that directly concerns the Mass. We make 
 this apology in order not to be misunderstood. 
 
CHAPTEE III. 
 SACRED VESSELS. 
 
 The sacred vessels employed at the altar in the service of 
 the Blessed Sacrament are five in number — viz., Chalice, 
 Paten, Ciborium, Monstrance, and Lunette. 
 
 . THE CHALICE. 
 
 The Chalice is the large Eucharistic cup in which the 
 wine for consecration is placed. Eegarding its shape, no 
 precise rules are laid down, but custom would have it some- 
 what resemble the open calyx of a lily. In ancient times it 
 was formed so as to resemble an apple, and this with a view 
 to remind us that it is through the merits of Christ's Pre- 
 cious Blood, which the Chalice contains, that the sin of 
 Adam, in eating the forbidden fruit, was atoned for. 
 
 Many liturgical writers tell us that the Chalice which our 
 Divine Lord used at the Last Supper was made after the 
 manner of the Roman cantharus, or mug — that is, with a 
 handle on each side by which to lift it ; and that its capa- 
 city was a sextary, or about a pint and a half (Bona, Rer. 
 Liturg., .290 ; see also the Revelations of Anne Catherine 
 Emmerich). According to the testimony of Bede, quoted 
 by Baronius (Anno 34, No. 63), this Chalice was made of 
 silver, and was preserved for a long time at Jerusalem, where 
 the people used to offer it much veneration. All this, how- 
 ever, or at least the main part of it, is contradicted by the 
 gravest liturgical writers, and very justly ; for it is now 
 
70 Sacred V^tsnets. 
 
 pretty well known that the Bede who fabricated the story 
 was not the Anglican Bede called the Venerable, but a cer- 
 tain person of the name of Adamnamus Scotus, whose re- 
 putation for telling the truth did not stand very higli (Koz- 
 ma, Liturg. 8acr. Catliol., p. 82, note). 
 
 The great majority are in favor of saying that the Chalice 
 our Lord used was made of agate, and that by some means 
 or other it came into the possession of the people of Vakn- 
 tia, who now preserve ii; with jealous care (Gavantus, The- 
 saiir, Sacr. Bit., p. 124). 
 
 Material of which the Chalice is made. — According to the 
 present discipline of the Church, it is required that the 
 Chalice be made of gold or silver, or at least that the cup be 
 such. The privilege of using a Chalice of pewter is, how- 
 ever, sometimes granted to very poor churches, but always 
 on condition that at least the inside of the cup be gilt. 
 The stem or leg of the Chalice may be of any solid material 
 whatever, provided it be decent and not easily broken. 
 Chalices of brass, glass, or wood are wholly forbidden — of 
 brass, on account of its liability to rust ; of glass, on account 
 of its brittleness ; and of luood, on account of its great po- 
 rosity. There is no doubt, however, but that in the very 
 early days of Christianity, especially during the times of per- 
 secution, Chalices were often made of other materials be- 
 sides gold and silver. In the Catacombs' many Chalices of 
 glass have been found {Roman Catacombs, passim, by North- 
 cote), and the most reliable testimony is given that such 
 were often used in the celebration of Mass. Pope Gregory 
 the Great, for instance, informs us that St. Donat, Bishop 
 of Arezzo, used a Chalice of this material, and that when 
 
 1 The term catacomb, from the Greek Kard, beneath, and kvV/So?, a hollow or crypt, 
 is applied to those subterranean vaults that are situated under the city of Rome, to 
 which the Christians used to flee for shelter in the days of persecution, and v/here they 
 buried their dead and celebrated Mass. 
 
The Chalice. 71 
 
 the same was broken by the pagans the holy man had it 
 miraculously restored to its original form through means 
 of earnest prayer (lib. i. Dial. cap. vii.) 
 
 St. Caesar, Bishop of Aries, in France, used a glass 
 Chalice frequently. And St. Gregory of Tours tells us 
 of one that he himself used, and how when it was broken 
 by accident he had it restored through the intercession of 
 St. Lawrence (Bona, 290). It must be observed, however, 
 that the use of glass Chalices was never general in the 
 Church, and that whenever they were used at all it was 
 from pressing necessity. 
 
 Chalices of Wood. — Sometimes, too, in difficult circum- 
 stances, Chalices of wood were used. An amusing saying 
 upon this head is recorded of St. Boniface. Having been 
 asked in the Council of Triers what he thought of the prac- 
 tice of saying Mass in wooden Chalices, he replied as fol- 
 lows : *^ In ancient times golden priests said Mass in wooden 
 Chalices, but now wooden priests say Mass in golden Chal-' 
 2ces" (Bona, ihid.) The canons of King Edgar of Eng- 
 land (tenth century) wholly interdicted Chalices of wood 
 {ibid.) 
 
 That Chalices of stone and marble were used at one 
 time, at least on some pressiug occasions, we see from the 
 life of St. Theodore, Archimandrite," commonly known 
 as ^^ Theodore of the Studium," from the great abbey of 
 that name at Constantinople, where it is said that, when 
 this holy man had enlarged his monastery, he changed his 
 sacred vessels of marble for those of silver (Bona, ibid.; see 
 also the saint's life). 
 
 2 In the Oriental Church the term Archimandrite is applied to all those abljots who 
 have jurisdiction over several monasteries. It is said to be derived from the Greek 
 a.flxo's-, a chief, and txavhpa, a monastery. A head of a single monastery is styled 
 Hegumenok but not exclusively, for the term is often applied to other ecclesiastics also. 
 In the Latin Church the superior of the great monastery of Messina is styled Archi- 
 mandrite. 
 
72 Sacred Vessels. 
 
 It was customary, too, in some clmrches to use Chalices 
 of precious stones — of onyx, sardonyx, chrysolite, etc. — also 
 of horn and ivory. Among the ornaments donated by Pope 
 Victor III. (eleventh century) to the famous monastery of 
 Monte Casino, two Chalices of onyx are enumerated {ibid. ) 
 We find Chalices of horn prohibited as early as the eighth 
 century in the Synod of Calcuith, in England {Hid.) In 
 813 the Council of JRheims decreed that both the Chalice 
 and Paten should be of gold, or at least of silver. In case 
 of great poverty it allowed a Chalice of pewter. It strictly 
 forbade, however, no matter what the necessity, to conse- 
 crate in one made of wood or glass (Kozma, 83, note). 
 
 Ornamentation of Chalices. — Prom the great respect that 
 the Christians of early times manifested for anything con- 
 cerning our Divine Lord much care used to be bestowed 
 and much artistic skill displayed in the ornamentation of 
 Chalices. The devices v/ere, as a rule, taken from some in- 
 cident connected with our Saviour's life upon earth, such as 
 the raising of Lazarus from the dead ; changing the water 
 into wine at Cana ; multiplying the loaves ; brmging back 
 the ^^lost sheejD "; healiog the sick or consoling the afflicted. 
 
 The bottom of a glass Chalice found in the Catacombs, 
 and mentioned by Father jN"orthcote in his work on the Eo- 
 man Catacombs, represents four different scenes taken from 
 Scripture : first, Tobias and the fish ; second, our Lord 
 healing the paralytic ; third, the children m the fiery fur- 
 nace ; fourth, the changing of water into wme at Cana, 
 Another, taken from the same work, has enamelled figures of 
 the Blessed Virgin and of the Apostles SS. Peter and Paul. 
 
 Ministerial Chalices. — Whilst the discipline of communi- 
 cating the laity under both species prevailed,^ Chalices called 
 
 3 It prevailed up to the twelfth century, with few exceptions. It was wholly abro- 
 gated by the Council of Constance in 1414, and this, among other reasons, to confound 
 the teaching of John Huss and his party. 
 
Tlie Chalice. 73 
 
 Ministerial Vi^Q^ to be employed for dispensing the Pre- 
 cious Blood to the communicants. The deacon, as a rule, 
 had charge of these, and it was upon him that the duty de- 
 volved of communicating the people from them. The Chal- 
 ice used by the priest was then known as the Offertorial 
 Chalice, and was reserved for himself and the sacred min- 
 isters who assisted him. As all the other Chalices obtained 
 their supply from this, it used to be, in days gone by, of con- 
 siderable proportions. It was customary, however, when, 
 the number of communicants was very great, to use large 
 ministerial Chalices, and mingle with the Precious Blood 
 they contained ordinary wine in small proportions, in order 
 that the supply might not run short (Benedict XIV., De 
 Sacrosanct. Missce Sacrif., p. 27 ; Bona, 291, 292 ; Kozma, 
 83 ; Bellarmine, De Sacrif. Missce, lib. iv. cap. xxiv.) 
 
 Baptismal Chalices. — These were used solely for commu- 
 nicating children after they had been baptized — a custom 
 Avhich once prevailed in the Church of the AVest, and is 
 yet in vogue in the Eastern Church. 
 
 Silver Tubes attached to Ancient Chalices. — The first 
 Eoman Ordo, in laying down the rules that regard the dis- 
 tribution of the Precious Blood, says that, after the Pope 
 and his ministers had taken their portion from the Chalice 
 employed at the altar, the remainder was to be poured 
 into a large cup (sci/jjhus) and dispensed to the people 
 through a reed or tube {Church of Our Fathers, vol. i. 
 164). In Masses celebrated by an ordinary priest the 
 deacon used to pour unconsecrated wine first into the 
 Chalice intended for the people before he poured the Pre- 
 cious Blood, and then ** confirm " all, as the saying went 
 — that is, allow each to taste of the Blood thus mingled 
 through a reed made of gold, silver, ivory, or glass, as the 
 case might be {ihid. note 35). 
 
 These reeds were in many cases, but not in all, fastened 
 
74 Sacred Vessels, 
 
 on a pivot to the inside of tlie Chalice, and were so ad- 
 justed that there was no difficulty whatever experienced 
 in allowing the proper quantity of the Precious Blood to pass 
 through. The material of which they were made was often 
 of the most precious kind, and much labor used to be 
 expended in their workmanship. St. Paul's, London, had 
 in 1295 two reeds of silver gilt ; and among the presents 
 bestowed on the Cathedral of Exeter by its bishop, Leofric, 
 was one " silf ren pipe" {ibid. 168, note 39). As late as 
 A.D. 1200 the Cathedral of Pavia had reeds of glass (ibid.) 
 
 Up to a very recent date the silver tube was employed 
 in the Monastery of Cluny, and at that of St. Denis in 
 Paris, on Sundays and Holydays (ibid.) Kozma (p. 84) 
 would lead us to infer — in fact, he asserts it — that this 
 ancient custom is yet kept up in the Monastery of St. Dio- 
 nysius, of the Congregation of St. Maur, near Paris, where, 
 by a special indult of the Holy See, the deacon and sub- 
 deacon, at Solemn High Mass, yet communicate under 
 both kinds. With this exception the ancient practice is 
 now seen nowhere else unless in Solemn Mass celebrated 
 by the Pope, where his Holiness always receives the Chalice 
 through one of the fore mentioned reeds. The deacon as- 
 sisting him on such occasions receives the Precious Blood 
 through the reed also, but the subdeacon receives it from 
 the Chalice itself (Kozma, 84, note 13). 
 
 For purifying these reeds a long golden needle used to be 
 employed after they had first been rinsed with wine and 
 water. Dr. Rock, in his very valuable work. The Church of 
 Our Fathers, vol. i. p. 167, exhibits one of these needles hav- 
 ing a head of sapphire. The papal needle depicted in the 
 same place has two chain ornaments at its head, in which 
 the pontiff is expected to put his fingers when receiving the 
 Precious Blood. 
 
 Before we dismiss our subject we must not forget to 
 
The Chalice. 75 
 
 mention that, no matter how numerous the communicants 
 were when the discipline of receiving under both species 
 prevailed, there was but one Chalice used at the altar in the 
 act of consecrating. Pope Gregory II., a.d. 726, having 
 been asked by St. Boniface if it were lawful to employ any 
 more than one, thus replied : ^'In the celebration of Mass 
 that must be observed which Our Lord Jesus Christ ob- 
 served with his disciples ; for he took the Chalice, saying, 
 'This is the Chalice of the Kew Testament in my Blood ; 
 this do as often as you shall receive.' Whence it is not 
 fitting to place two or three Chalices on the altar at the 
 celebration of Mass" {Church of Our FatherSy i. 165, 
 note). 
 
 Chalices of the Orientals. — The extraordinary respect 
 shown by all the Orientals, schismatic as well as ortho- 
 dox, for the sacred vessels concerned immediately with the 
 Blessed Sacrament is worthy of all commendation. The 
 Copts will allow nothing to enter into the composition of 
 the Chalice but the most precious material ; and notwith- 
 standing their almost universal poverty as a people, yet care 
 is always taken to see that their Chalices are of the purest 
 silver or gold (Renaudot, Liturg. Oriento Collect., comment, 
 ad Liturg. Copt. S. Basilii, vol. i. p. 175). 
 
 Regarding the consecration of the Chalice the majority of 
 the Orientals are not particular. But this is not through 
 any carelessness whatever or disrespect on their part ; if 
 anything, it is a mark of the lively faith they have in the 
 real presence of our Divine Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, 
 and of their belief in the virtue that accompanies this 
 Sacred Presence everywhere. Their reasons for not paying 
 more attention to the consecration of their Chalices is that 
 to their minds the simple contact of the Precious Blood is 
 sufficient of itself to consecrate them without any additional 
 ceremony. In proof of this belief many examples of a 
 
76 Sacred Vessels, 
 
 miraculous nature are cited. The Copts, for instance, have 
 it on record in the patriarchal history of Alexandria that 
 when one of their Chalices was stolen by the Mahometans 
 and sold to an artisan, the latter observed blood flowing 
 from it the moment he broke it. Another story is related 
 in a history of the Nestorians, to the effect that a man who 
 had been almost crushed to death by the falling of a wall 
 was instantly restored to health and strength by drinking 
 the water which was poured out of a Chalice. Many other 
 miracles are cited, but those given we deem enough at 
 present. Nor was the belief that the Chalice is consecrated 
 by contact with the Precious Blood solely confined to the 
 Orientals ; some very able theologians of the Latin Church, 
 and Diana among others, held the same belief also (Eenau- 
 dot, ihid.; Merati, Thesaur. Sacr. Bit., 126). But the prac- 
 tice of our Church has always been to consecrate in every 
 case, irrespective of what theologians or others say upon 
 the subject. 
 
 It must be observed, however, that although many of the 
 Orientals do not consecrate their Chalices, yet there is a 
 form 'for so doing in all their rituals. According to the 
 Coptic Ritual, the form runs as follows : '' Lord Jesus 
 Christ, God and man together, whose divinity and humanity 
 are inseparable, who didst by thine owm free-will pour out 
 thy blood for the sake of thy creatures, stretch thy divine 
 hand over this Chalice, sanctify and purify it, to the end 
 that the same Precious Blood may be borne in it as a remedy 
 and pardon for all who truly partake of it." The Chalice is 
 then anointed within and without with holy chrism, whilst 
 the following words are said : ^' Sanctity, purity, benedic- 
 tion, and protection to all who drink of thy true and pre- 
 cious blood. Amen." According to the Greek Ritual, given 
 by Goar (EucJiolof/y, p. 853), the ceremony of consecration 
 is almost the same. 
 
Paten, Ciloriiim, Monstrance, 77 
 
 THE PATEJS". 
 
 The Paten is that small silver or gold dish, something 
 like a saucer, which covers the mouth of the Chalice, and 
 upon which the large bread for consecration is placed up to 
 the Offertory. It is required to be of the same material as 
 the Chalice,- and to be perfectly plain on its concave surface 
 (Bouvry, ii. 239). 
 
 In ancient times the Paten was much larger than now, for 
 it was made to hold all the bread that was to be consecrated 
 at Mass. Hence we must not be surprised when we hear or 
 read of Patens which weighed twenty-five and thirty pounds 
 (Bona, Eer, LUurg., 292; Kozma, 84). 
 
 Patens of the Orientals. — The Greeks call the Paten 
 ayioi dicTKO^y or holi/ tray. Theirs is much larger than 
 ours, as must needs be to keep their large Particles from 
 falling off, for their Hosts are not thin and flat like ours, 
 but thick and square. 
 
 THE CIBOEIUM. 
 
 Y.^'hen the number of communicants is great it is custo- 
 mary to administer the consecrated Particles to them from 
 a sacred vessel shaped somewhat like the Chalice, but much 
 more shallow and wide in the cup, called a Ciborium, from 
 the Latin ciius, food. In ancient times the Ciborium 
 meant the canopy of the altar, from which a contrivance 
 shaped like a dove, and generally fashioned of gold or silver, 
 used to hang for the purpose of reserving tlie Blessed 
 Sacrament (Kozma, p. 87). Whilst the Ciborium contains 
 the Holy Eucharist it is always kept under lock and key in 
 the tabernacle, unless when it is necessary to give Holy 
 Communion or to purify it. 
 
 THE MOKSTRAN'CB. 
 
 The Monstrance, called also the Ostensorium and Port- 
 
78 Sacred Vessels, 
 
 able Tabernacle, and sometimes, but less properly, tlio 
 Remonstrance, is that large appurtenance in which the 
 Blessed Sacrament is exposed at Benediction, and borne in 
 solemn procession outside the church on certain occasions. 
 It has a large stem something like that of the Chalice, and 
 its upper part is so formed as to resemble the rays issuing 
 from the radiant sun. In its centre there is a circular aper- 
 ture in which the Lunette, with the Blessed Sacrament 
 enclosed, is placed during exposition. 
 
 Monstrances date their origin from the institution of the 
 Teast of Corpus Christi,* which was first set on foot by 
 Eobert, Bishop of Liege, in the year 1246, at the instiga- 
 tion of a holy nun named Juliana, who frequently saw in a 
 vision a luminous moon with one dark line on its surface. 
 The moon, she was given to understand by special revela- 
 tion, was the Church ; and the dark line denoted the ab- 
 sence of a certain feast from those annually celebrated, and 
 Avhich she was afterwards given to understand meant one 
 specially directed towards the Blessed Sacrament. This led 
 to the institution of Corpus Christi, which Pope Urban 
 IV., in 1264, extended to the universal Church. Other rea- 
 
 * In order to invest this glorious Feast with as much solemnity ^nd grandeur as pos- 
 sible, Pope Trban caused a Mass and Office to be specially composed for it, which he 
 entrusted to two of the most illustrious and eminent scholars of the day— St. Bonaven- 
 ture and St. Thomas Aquinas. Both set to work with the most ardent zeal, but when 
 the great Franciscan saint went to compare his work with what the " Angelic Doctor" 
 had done, he was so dissatisfied with his own efforts that he threw his manuscript into 
 the fire and abandoned the task ; and hence the whole work devolved upon, and was 
 finished by. St. Thomas {Life of St. Thomas , by Most Eev. Dr. Vaughan, p. 880). This 
 Saint wrote out and arranged the Mass as it stands to-day for this feast. He composed 
 as a Sequence for it the inimitable " Lauda Sion " ; and for Divine Office, among other 
 hymns, the " Pange, lingua," of which the " Tantum ergo " forms a part. 
 
 Besides the office framed by St. Thomas, there was another in use for some time, 
 said to be composed by an ecclesiastic named John, of Mount CorneUo. It is the 
 opinion of several writers that when this Office was suppressed on account of some 
 things in it that did not wholly square with the disposition of the Roman Breviary— for 
 it was framed according to the Gallic Rite— St Thomas utilized much of it in the 
 Office he himself composed (Romsee, iii. p. 1&3 ; Ga^•antus, ThemJKr. Sacr. ItU., 4.')8). 
 
IT7^o may touch the Sacred Vessels, 79 
 
 sons, too, are given for tlie institution of this feast, such as 
 an apparition that a certain priest of little faith had after 
 the Consecration, when our Divine Lord appeared to him 
 on the Corporal in form of a beautiful infant. Another 
 legend says that the priest through some accident upset 
 part of the Precious Blood on the Corporal, and that an 
 image of a Host was seen wherever it fell (see Gavantus, 
 Tliesaiir. Bit., p. 458 ; Kozma, 88 and 388 ; and Romsee, 
 iii. p. 183). 
 
 For some time after the institution of Corpus Christi 
 the Monstrance took the shape of those little towers in 
 which the Blessed Sacrament used to be kept in ancient 
 times. 
 
 In some of the churches of the Cistercian Order in 
 France, instead of a regular Monstrance such as we use, 
 there is employed a small statue of the Blessed Virgin, so 
 constructed that the Sacred Host may be placed in its hand 
 during the time of exposition (Kozma, 89, note 6). 
 
 The present shape of the Monstrance, imitating the ra- 
 diant sun, forcibly recalls to mind the divine splendor of 
 our Lord's countenance on the occasion of his Transfigura- 
 tion on Thabor, and that saying of the royal Psalmist : 
 ^*He has placed his tabernacle in the sun" {Ps, xviii. C; 
 ibid.) 
 
 The material of the Monstrance is generally the same as 
 that of the other sacred vessels mentioned. When borne in 
 solemn procession, a large canopy, called a Baldachinum, is 
 carried over it. 
 
 WHO MAY TOUCH THE SACRED VESSELS. 
 
 So very particular is the Church regarding the respect 
 that should be paid to the sacred vessels immediately con- 
 cerned with the Holy Eucharist, that she forbids them, 
 under pain of sm, to be touched by any one but a cleric. 
 
80 Sacred Vessels. 
 
 Xay, even clerics, unless tliey have roaclied tlie rank of sub- 
 deacon, are not allowed to touch them without special per- 
 mission. Should any one wilfully touch the Chalice whilst it 
 contains the Precious Blood, and not be at least in deacon's 
 orders, all theologians hold that he would by so doing com- 
 mit a mortal sin. When permission is granted a lay j)erson 
 to touch the sacred vessels, he should always wear a glove 
 or have his hand covered with a cloth or clean napkin 
 (De Herdt, vol. i. Xo. 175). 
 
 APPALLIXG PU:N"ISHMENTS WITH VTHICH ALMIGHTY GOD 
 SOMETIMES VISITS THE PROFAXEES OF THE SACRED VES- 
 SELS AJSTD VESTMEifTS OF THE ALTAR. 
 
 The Old Testament is full of examples that show how in- 
 dignantly Almighty God takes the slightest disrespect shown 
 to any of the sacred vessels used in his service. Look at the 
 history of the Ark of the Covenant, and see what miracles 
 were wrought in testimony of its sanctity. First, it is cap- 
 tured by the Philistines, and insult is offered it by being 
 brought into the temple of Dagon ; but it has scarcely enter- 
 ed when Dagon falls to the ground (1 Kings v.), and for the 
 indignity offered it, the whole city of Azotus is severely 
 punished. The Gethites carry the Ark about from one 
 place to another, and wherever it entered the mortality was 
 so fearful that, as the Scripture says, ^' The fear of death 
 w^as in every city" (ibid.) Then, again, look at the sorrow- 
 ful example made of the Bethsamites. For looking with 
 curiosity into the Ark as many as fifty thousand of them 
 were slain (ibid. cap. vi.) But the most appalling example 
 of all is that recorded of Heliodorus in the second book of 
 Machabees, chap. iii. This infamous man, to gratify the 
 wishes of Seleucus, son of Antiochus the Great, set out for 
 Jerusalem in order to plunder the Temple of its valuable 
 treasures. Onias, a very saintly man, was High-Priest at the 
 
Appalling Punishmenls of Profaners, 81 
 
 time. All that could possibly be done by prayer and earnest 
 entreaty was done on that occasion to hinder Heliodorus 
 from persisting in his wicked design, but to no purpose. 
 He entered the Temple, and w^as about to lay hands upon 
 the sacred treasures, when lo ! the judgment of God fell 
 upon him. ** There appeared," says the sacred text, *' a 
 horse with a terrible rider upon him, adorned with a very 
 rich covering : and he ran fiercely and struck Heliodorus 
 with his fore-feet, and he that sat upon him seemed to 
 have armor of gold. Moreover, there appeared two other 
 young men beautiful and strong, bright and glorious, and 
 in comely apparel : wdio stood by him, on either side, and 
 scourged him without ceasing Avith many stripes. And He- 
 liodorus suddenly fell to the ground." These are but a few 
 of the many others that are found here and there in the Old 
 Testament, where we see the malediction of God visiting the 
 profaners of His sacred temple. Those furnished by histo- 
 rians and annalists of the Christian Church are in nowise 
 less astounding. 
 
 It is well known, for instance, how, when the Donatists 
 broke down the altars of the early Christian churches and 
 cast the Blessed Eucharist to the dogs, the latter turned 
 upon the wicked wretches themselves and tore them to 
 pieces. St. Gregory of Tours tells us of an English noble- 
 man who entirely lost the use of his feet on account of hav- 
 ing dared to wash them in a Paten which he had brought 
 from a neighbormg church (Kozma, 85, note 17). But 
 Avhat Theodoret relates in his third book, chap, xii., of the 
 soldiers of Julian the Apostate is the most appalling that 
 could be recorded. There was at that time a very beautiful 
 church at Antioch, called the '' Golden " from its wonderful 
 magnificence. Its valuable treasures were immense, and all 
 the donation of Constantine the Great. Julian sent two of 
 bis men to plunder this church and bring the spoils to him- 
 
82 Sacred Vessels. 
 
 self. They obeyed his commands ; but mark the result. 
 Not content with desecrating the sacred house itself, one of 
 them ascended the main altar and defiled it in a most shame- 
 ful manner, while the other kept crying out in blasphemous 
 derision : '* Behold what fine vessels they use in the worship 
 of the Son of Mary !" Divine vengeance in an instant over- 
 took both of them. The first was seized with an ulcer 
 which turned his inside to putrefaction, so that he died 
 vomiting his bowels through his blasphemous mouth. The 
 other was taken with a violent hemorrhage, which continued 
 without interruption until all the blood in his body had been 
 drained off ; then he expired amidst the most excruciating 
 pains. This dire occurrence is also related by Protestant his- 
 torians. Another singular visitation of God is related by Vic- 
 tor Uticensis in his work on the Vandal persecutions (lib. i. 
 p. 593). This historian tells us that a man named Proclus, 
 agent of one of the Vandal kings, once entered a Christian 
 church, and, having stripped the altar of its sacred coverings, 
 converted them to his own private uses. He made him- 
 self shirts of some of hhe coverings and drawers of others ; 
 but the very instant he put them on he was seized with so 
 frightful an attack of mental delirium that he died biting 
 his tongue off. 
 
 These examples are sufficient to show how inviolable and 
 sacred the smallest article of the sanctuary is held in the 
 eyes of Almighty God. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CHALICE LINENS. 
 CORPORAL, 
 
 The Corporal in its present form is a square piece of 
 linen about the size of a handkerchief, folded in four parts, 
 and having a small black cross worked near the middle 
 of its anterior edge. It is spread out on the altar, at 
 full length, at the beginning of Mass, and the Chalice is 
 placed upon it. The name Corporal is- given to it from the 
 fact that our Divine Lord's Body under the Sacred Species 
 rests upon it. It is of strict obligation that it be of linen^, 
 and this principally to commemorate the ** linen garments " 
 in which our Lord's Body was shrouded in the sepulchre. 
 So particular is the Church about this sacred cloth that she 
 will allow none to touch it but those who have the privilege 
 of touching the Chalice ; and when it needs washing the 
 duty devolves upon a subdeacon or one in major orders. It 
 must be washed with great care in three separate waters, 
 and should, if possible, be made up without starch. This 
 latter precaution is necessary on account of the danger of 
 mistaking a particle of the starch, which may often adhere 
 to it, for a Consecrated Particle. When the Corporal is not 
 in use it is kept folded up in the Burse. 
 
 We have said that the Corporal must be made of linen. 
 Pope Silvester I., a.d. 314, strictly forbade it to be made of 
 silk or of any tinctured cloth ; and a council held at Rheims 
 repeated this prohibition, adding that it must be of the 
 
84 Chalice Linens. 
 
 purest and neatest linen, and be mixed with nothing else, no 
 matter how precious (Kozma, 85). According to Durandus 
 {Rationale Divinorum, p. 217), the original injunction re- 
 quiring the Corporal to be of linen was promulgated by 
 Pope Sixtus I., A.D. 132. The same author gives a very 
 beautiful but rather far-fetched reason, as nearly all his rea- 
 sons are, for having it of this material. *^ As linen," says 
 he, " attains to whiteness only after much laoor and dressing, 
 so the flesh of Christ by much suffering attained to the glory 
 of the Eesurrection " (iZ'/iZ.) 
 
 In ancient times the Corporal was large enough to cover 
 the entire table of the altar, and the duty of spreading it 
 out, which was not done until coming on the Offertory, v/as 
 the peculiar office of the deacon, who also folded it up after 
 the Communion (Kozma, 86). To-day it is only at Low Mass 
 that the Corporal is spread out on the altar, from the begin- 
 ning ; at Solemn High Mass the ancient discipline of spread- 
 ing it out at the approach of the Offertory is still in vogue. 
 
 Corporal of the Orientals. — The Greeks call the Corporal 
 eiX-}rov, eileton — that is, sometliing rolled up, referring to 
 the wrapping up of our Lord's Body in the linen shroud 
 procured by Joseph of Arimathea (Goar, Euchol. Grmc, p. 
 130). The Corporals used by the Orientals scarcely differ in 
 anything from those used in the Greek Church. 
 
 PURIFICATOR. 
 
 The Purificator, called also the^Mundatory, is a piece of 
 linen about twenty inches long, and in width, when folded 
 in three, about four inches. It has a small cross in the 
 centre, and when not in use it is kept wrapped up by the 
 priest in the Amice. 
 
 That the Purificator is of modern introduction, we are jus- 
 tified in asserting from the fact that it is mentioned by none 
 of the ancient liturgists. All that we learn concerning it is 
 
Pall, Veil 85 
 
 that formerly the custom prevailed with the monks of cer- 
 tain monasteries of appending a piece of linen to the Epistle 
 side of the altar by which the Chalice used to be wiped after 
 Communion (Bona, Rer. Liturg., p. 297 ; Kosma, p. 86). 
 When the Purilicator became one of the Chalice Imens, is 
 not easy to determine ; certain it is that no mention is made 
 of it by any writer 2>i*ior to the thirteenth century. Pope 
 Innocent III., who died in 1216, makes ro allusion to it, 
 although he wrote a very exhaustive work on the Mass 
 and its ceremonies ; neither does Durandus speak of it, 
 although he describes the other linens minutely. 
 
 Instead of a Purificator like ours, the Greeks use a sponge, 
 and this with reference to the sponge employed at our Lord's 
 Crucifixion (Goar, Euclioh, p. 151). The Greeks rarely use 
 anytliing in their service which has not a reference of some 
 kind to our Saviours life upon earth. 
 
 PALL. 
 
 The Pall is a stiff piece of linen about five inches square, 
 having a cross worked in its centre. It is employed for 
 covering the moutli of the Chalice to prevent dust or flies 
 from falling in, and when not in actual use it is kept with 
 the Corporal shut up in the Burse. 
 
 For the first eleven or twelve centuries, tlie Corporal was 
 so large that it served to cover the Chalice instead of the 
 Pall now in use. To this end its hinder part was so arranged 
 that immediately after the Offertory it could be drawn over 
 the Host and chalice together. The Carthusians observe 
 this discipline yet (Bona, 207). 
 
 VEIL. 
 
 The Veil which covers the Chalice is generally of the 
 same material as the Chasuble ; but if that of the latter 
 be very stiff it is recommended to have the Veil made of 
 
S(j Chalice Linens. 
 
 silk, on account of its pliancy, but in color it must always 
 agree with the regular vestments. 
 
 THE BURSE. 
 
 The Burse, in which the Corporal and Pall are placed 
 out of Mass, ought to be of the same material and color 
 as the rest of the vestments, and a cross should be worked 
 in its centre. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 TEE MAimER OF RESERVINa THE BLESSED SACRA- 
 MENT, 
 
 We have said that in ancient times the Blessed Sacrament 
 used to be kept in a golden dove suspended from the canopy 
 of the altar. This was the way in which it was generally 
 kept, and it was on this account that many of the ancient 
 fathers used to designate the church by the appellation of 
 " Domus Columbse " — that is, the House of the Dove (Sel- 
 vaggio, b. i. p. 1). Reference, of course, to the Holy Ghost, 
 who is so often represented by a dove, is the ultimate intent 
 of the expression. 
 
 The Church of Verona used to keep the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment in an ivory vessel of costly workmanship (Mart^ne, 
 De Antiquis Ecdesim Ritihus), and this was the cus- 
 tom also with many British churches. Sometimes it was 
 kept in a small tower, and sometimes in a neat little basket 
 of delicate wicker-work, in allusion to the baskets that were 
 used at the miraculous multiplication of the loaves by our 
 Divine Lord. This latter way of keeping it was in vogue at 
 Rome in the time of Pope Gregory XI., a.d. 1370 (ihid.) 
 
 In many of the Anglo-Saxon churches, whilst the custom 
 prevailed of keeping the Blessed Sacrament in the golden 
 dove, a sort of aureola, formed of very brilliant lights, 
 used to surround it. In all cases a light burned before it 
 day and night (Dr. Rock, CMircli of Our Fathers^ vol. i. 
 200). 
 
 87 
 
88 The Manner of Reserving the Blessed Sacrament, 
 
 HOW THE BLESSED SACKAMEXT IS RESERVED XOW. 
 
 The Catholic reader need hardly be told that the Blessed 
 Saorament is now reseryed in a ciborium pla(,'ed in the 
 Tabernacle and covered with a silken veil. Here it is to be 
 had whenever it is needed, whether to communicate the 
 people during Mass or go on ics errand as the Holy Viati- 
 cum to the dying. A little lamp filled with pure olive-oil 
 burns before it constantly, and a bell is rung whenever it is 
 to be taken away outside of Mass. In order that there may 
 be no danger of the Sacred Particles becoming stale or 
 unpleasant to the taste, it is customary to renew them every 
 eight or ten days. Then the old Particles are either dis- 
 tributed at the rails to the communicants or consumed by 
 tlie priest at the altar whilst he yet remains fasting. 
 
 RESERYATIOX" OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST BY THE ORIENTALS. 
 
 The Greek Church reserves the Holy Eucharist in a little 
 satchel placed near the main altar, in what is termed the 
 Arfophormi, and keeps a light constantly burniug before it 
 (Goar, Euchol. Grcec, 15). When conveying it to the sick 
 as the Holy Viaticum, the priest must always be preceded 
 by two deacons with torches in their hands, who keep up a 
 continual recital of psalms the whole way. In some places 
 the law of the land requires all to kneel down on such occa- 
 sions until the Blessed Saci-ament has passed, and this 
 whether the parties who come in the way be Turks, Jews, 
 or heathens (Martene, De Antiq. Eccl. Bit., q. 2). 
 
 The Abyssinians reserve the Blessed Sacrament in what 
 they call the Tabout, or ark, for a tradition of long stand- 
 ing among them says that the real ''Ark of the Covenant " 
 is yet preserved in their land ; and hence their desire to 
 perpetuate the fact by applying the name to the tabernacle 
 in which the Blessed Sacrament is kept. The prayer for 
 
The Fxjx. 89 
 
 the consecration of this ark is thus given in the Ethiopic 
 Canon : " Lord our God, who didst command Moses thy 
 servant and prophet, saying, ' Make me precious vessels, 
 and put them in the tabernacle on Mount Sinai,' now, 
 Lord God Almighty, stretch forth thy hand upon this ark, 
 and fill it with the virtue, power, and grace of thy Holy 
 Ghost, that in it may be consecrated the Body and Blood of 
 tliiue only-begotten Son, our Lord " (Neale, Holy Eastern 
 Church, i. 186 ; Renaudot, Liturg. Orient., i. p. 474). 
 
 The Copts never reserve the Blessed Eucharist out- 
 side of Mass ; and they defend their strange discipline by 
 saying that it was forbidden the chosen people of old to 
 reserve any portion of the paschal lamb from one day to 
 another, but that all of it had to be consumed at one meal. 
 So that if a Coptic priest should be summoned any time of 
 tlie day or night to the bed of a dying person, in order to 
 procure the Holy V^iaticum, he will say Mass, whether fast- 
 ing or not, without the slightest scruple (Denzinger, Ritiis 
 Orientalium, p. 86). There are two other reasons, how- 
 ever, besides the one mentioned, for this strange discipline. 
 The first is that, inasmuch as the Copts are w^holly under 
 dominion of the Mahometans, they are apprehensive that 
 the latter might break into their churches at any time and 
 offer insult to the Blessed Sacrament. The second reason 
 wliy they do not reserve it, is owing to a strange fear they 
 have that it might be devoured by some of thoce treacherous 
 serpents for which their land is remarkable. An accident 
 of this kind happened once, and ever since the Coptic patri- 
 archs have forbidden all reservation of the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment outside of Mass (ibid.) 
 
 THE PYX. 
 
 The Pyx is a small box, generally of gold or silver, in 
 which the Blessed Sacrament is carried to the sick. In 
 
90 The Mannei' of Reserving the Blessed Sacrameyit, 
 
 shape it exactly resembles tlie case of a watch, and seldom 
 or never exceeds the latter in size. When carried on the 
 person of the priest it is enclosed in a silken purse, to which 
 a string is attached for fastening it around the neck. In 
 Catholic countries, instead of the Pyx, the ciborium is car- 
 ried in procession, and a ringing of bells is kept up all the 
 time as a warning to the people that our Lord is passing by 
 on his mission to the sick. 
 
 Out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament the priest is re- 
 quired to walk with a slow, dignified pace on these occa- 
 sions, and this must characterize his movements whether he 
 go on foot or horseback. Some of the very best authorities 
 maintain that a priest should not run or make any undue 
 haste on such occasions, even though he were quite cer- 
 tain that by not doing so the sick person would be dead 
 before he had reached him (De Herdt, 8acr, Liturg., iii. 
 234). 
 
 A solemn silence is also enjoined ; and no salutes or reve- 
 rences must be paid to any one on the way. 
 
 When the distance is short, walking is considered the 
 most respectful way of travelling ; when long, a carriage 
 or horse may be employed ; but care must be taken to move 
 slowly in every case. 
 
 Propriety also requires — in fact, the rubric directly pre- 
 scribes it — that the Pyx be fastened round the neck and 
 secured somewhere on the breast, but never enclosed in 
 the pocket ; and all the time that the priest holds it on 
 his person, while a Particle is in it, he must not sit down 
 nnless in case of real necessity. 
 
 Oriental Usage. — Unless the person be very dangerously 
 ill the Oriental priests will not carry the Blessed Sacrament 
 outside of church, but will require the sick person to be 
 conveyed thither and communicated there. When commu- 
 nicated out of church it is always, at least with the major- 
 
The Pyx. 91 
 
 ity of the Orientals, the rule to administer only under one 
 kind — viz., that of bread (Denzinger, 93 et passim). 
 
 The demonstrations made in the East before the Blessed 
 Sacrament, when going to the sick, are very great. A 
 solemn recitation of psalms and pious hymns is kept up all 
 the time, and deacons and acolytes head the procession with 
 torches and incense. No one of the party must ever dare 
 to sit down ; and the most solemn decorum must be ob- 
 served by all until the journey has been completed. 
 
 With the Syrian Jacobites it is strictly forbidden to put 
 the Blessed Sacrament in one's pocket when conveying it 
 to the sick. It must be carried in a purse fastened around 
 the neck ; and should the journey be made on horse- 
 back, on no account must this purse be fastened to the 
 saddle, or conveyed in any other way but on the person of 
 the priest {ibid. 92). That this is also the rule observed by 
 the Copts we see from Renaudot ( Comrnentarius ad Liturg. 
 Copt,, 270.) 
 
CHAPTER VL 
 INCENSE. 
 
 Of the use of Incense in divine seryice so much is said 
 in the Old Testament that it is not necessary to say much 
 about it here. Suffice it to say that its use in the Latin 
 Church is principally confined to Solemn High Mass and 
 Vespers, to expositions of the Blessed Sacrament, and to 
 the obsequies of the dead. In the Eastern Church, espe- 
 cially with the Maronites, it is used on almost every occa- 
 sion, whether the Mass be High or Low, ^s we shall see 
 further on. 
 
 Its spiritual meaning is as follows : Fi7'st, by its burning 
 we are reminded how our hearts should burn with the fire 
 of divine charity. Secondly , it represents the good odor of 
 Christ our Lord, in accordance with that saying in the Can- 
 ticle of Canticles, " We run in the odor of thy ointments." 
 Therefore, as Incense spreads its' odor through the entire 
 church and refreshes our bodies by its agreeable scent, so 
 also does our Lord spread his graces to refresh and nourish 
 our souls. Thirdly, Incense has, both in the Old and New 
 Law, been ever looked upon as symbolic of the virtue of 
 prayer, agreeably to that saying of the royal Psalmist, ''Let 
 my prayer, Lord, be directed as incense in thy sight" 
 {Ps. cxl.); and that of St. John in the Apocalypse, chap, 
 viii. : '' x\nother angel came, and stood before the altar, hav- 
 ing a golden censer; and there was given him much in- 
 cense, tliat he should offer of the prayers of all the saints" 
 
The Thurible, 93 
 
 (Boiivry, ii. 21; Bona, Rer, Liturg., 295; Dtirandiis, Rationale 
 Vivinorum, 165). 
 
 When Incense is offered to a person it is always indicative 
 of the highest respect. Thus, the Magi offered it to onr 
 Lord at his birth on Christmas morning. Our bodies, too, 
 when placed in the grave, are incensed, for the principal 
 reason that on account of the participation of the sacra- 
 ments during life they became the temples of the Holy 
 Ghost (Bouvry, ii. 594). , 
 
 THE THURIBLE. 
 
 The vessel in which the Incense is burned is called the 
 Thurible, a word of Greek origin, meaning the same as our 
 word censer, by which it is more generally designated. 
 Accompanying the Thurible is a little vessel, shaped like a 
 boat, in which the Incense is kept, and from which it is 
 taken by a small spoon. 
 
 Ill ancient times the material of the Thurible was some- 
 times very precious. Constantine the Great, as we read in 
 Anastasius (Vita S. Silvestri, i. 31), presented, among other 
 things, to the basilica of St. John Lateran at Eome a 
 number of Thuribles of the purest gold, set with a profusion 
 of gems and precious stones. 
 
 In the ancient Anglo-Saxon Church particular attention 
 was paid to the material as well as to the form of the Thu- 
 iible. Nor was the use of Incense wholly confined to the 
 sanctuary, for we have it recorded that in many churches 
 large Thuribles used to hang down from the roof; or, as 
 was often the case, from a specially-constructed framework 
 supported by columns. On the greater festivals Incense 
 was placed in these and allowed to burn throughout the 
 entire service (Dr. Rock, CMirch of Our Fathers, i. 206). 
 That these hanging Thuribles were also in vogue at Rome 
 we read in the life of Pope Sergius, a.d. 690. Around the 
 
94 Incense. 
 
 altar, too, it was customary in many places to have curiously- 
 wrought vessels for the same purpose. Some of them used 
 to be made so as to resemble various kinds of birds. In 
 these an aperture with a lid to it was formed in the back, 
 so that when fire was put in and Incense cast upon it the 
 fumes would issue through the bird's beak. Conrade, a 
 writer of the twelfth century, describes the hollow-formed 
 silver cranes that he saw in the church of Mentz, and how 
 the Incense issued from them when fire was applied (ibid. 
 p. 208, note). 
 
 OEIEIJTAL USAGE. 
 
 In the Oriental churches a free use of Incense is kept 
 up all through divine service ; and this is not confined to 
 Mass alone— it forms part of nearly every exercise of devo- 
 tion (Renaudot, Liturg. Orient., i. p. 183). 
 
 The Copts use it before pictures ^ of the Blessed Virgin 
 {ibid.) ; so also do the Greeks and Russians, both of whom 
 are particularly careful to keep a lamp burning besides, 
 upon which they throw grains now and then through the 
 day (Dr. Rock, Church of Our Fathers, i. p. 209, note ; 
 Burder, Religious Ceremonies and Customs, pp. 150, 151 ; 
 Rites and Customs of the Greco-Russian Church, passim, 
 by Romanoff). 
 
 » Throughout the East generally, instead of statues of saints, pictures are used, for 
 the Orientals maintain that the clause of Deuteronomy in which *' graven things " ar« 
 forbidden should be literally observed even now. 
 
CHAPTER VIL 
 
 BACKED MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 
 
 SACRED MUSIC. 
 
 As it would not be exactly in the line of this book to en- 
 iier into a full history of Ecclesiastical Music, we think we 
 shall have done our part when we have given the reader a 
 brief account of the place that it holds to-day in the service 
 of the Church. 
 
 And first let us remark that it is only in High Mass that 
 music forms part of divine service. For Low Mass it is not 
 prescribed. 
 
 For the preservation and cultivation of ecclesiastical mu- 
 sic, or Chant, as it is generally called, in the Latin or 
 Western Church, we are principally indebted to the zealous 
 labors of St. Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan (fourth cen- 
 tury), and to the illustrious pontiffs, Gelasius and Gregory 
 the Great. Most of the hymns of the Divine Office, or Bre- 
 viary, are the work of the first named ; and these, at least 
 in great part, he was led to compose, as he says himself, in 
 order to counteract the evil tendencies produced in the 
 minds of the faithful by the circulation and recital of the 
 Arian hymns which, during his day, had been gaining 
 such vantage-ground all through Christendom. Of the 
 Ambrosian Chant, strictly so-called, the only specimen we 
 have in the Mass of to-day is that found in the celebrated 
 composition sung at the blessing of the Paschal Candle on 
 Holy Saturday, and called, from the word with which it 
 
 95 
 
96 Sacred Music, and Musical Instruments. 
 
 begins, the " Exultet." It is almost universally admitted 
 that the composition of this is the work of St. Augustine, 
 but that the chant itself is Ambrosian. 
 
 As St. Ambrose lived a considerable time in the East, 
 where Church music had already been zealously cultivated, 
 it is generally believed that it was in that region that he 
 received his first impressions of its singular beauty, and 
 that thence he introduced it into his own church at Milan, 
 after much study had been expended in reducing it to a 
 system suitable to Western ears. Whetlier the chant thus 
 introduced was built upon the ** eight modes "V of Greek 
 music or not, we are unable to say with certainty ; very 
 likely it was. Certain it is, however, that his system w^as 
 rather intricate, and in many instances far above the com- 
 pass of ordinary voices ; for which reason it was deemed ad- 
 visable to give it a new touching, and so suit it to the capa- 
 city of all, that all might comply with the washes of the 
 Church in singing the praises of God together. The task 
 of doing this good work was undertaken by Pope Gregory 
 the Great, who also established a regular school at Rome to 
 see that his modified system Avas duly observed and prac- 
 tised everywhere. And this is the origin of the so-called 
 Gregoi'ian Chant. It is called jt?/^/;^ from its great sim- 
 plicity, and. '^ canto firmo" by the Italians, from the singu- 
 lar majesty that joervades it throughout. 
 
 As to the precise merits of the Ambrosian Chant we know 
 but little now^ ; whether that in use at Milan to-day be the 
 same as that used in the fourth century we leave others to 
 determine. Certain it is, however, that the ancient chant 
 was full of majesty and divine SAveetness ; this we have 
 
 ^ The eight modes or tones of the Greek music were : the Dorian, Hj/podorian, 
 Phrygian, Soft-HypopJu^jrfian, Lydian, Hypolydian, Mixed-Lydian, Hyperiastian. 
 Each of these was distinguished by peculiar characteristics, euch as soft, sited, mar- 
 tial, f'novs, etc. 
 
Sacred Music. 97 
 
 from the illustrious St. Augustine, whose big heart melted 
 into tears of comj^unction whenever he listened to its so- 
 lemn strains. " When I remember," says he in his Con- 
 fessions, "• the tears which I shed at the chants of thy 
 Church in the first days of my recovered faith, and how I 
 am still moved by them— not, indeed, by the song, but by 
 the things which are sung, ... I acknowledge the 
 great usefulness of this institution." 
 
 The merits of the Gregorian Chant are known to all ; and 
 who that has ever heard it rendered as it should be will not 
 say that it has a divine influence over the soul ? If St. 
 Augustine wept upon hearing the Ambrosian Chant, many 
 more recent than he have wept, too, upon hearing the sim- 
 ple but soul-stirring strains of the pure Gregorian. The 
 Venerable Bede, for example, tells us how deeply affected St. 
 Cuthbert used to be when chanting the Preface, so much 
 so that his sobbing could be heard through the entire con- 
 gregation ; and, as he raised his hands on high at the 
 *' Sursum corda," his singing was rather a sort of solemn 
 moaning than anything else (Vita S. Cuthbert, cap. xvi.) 
 The renowned Haydn was often moved to tears at listen- 
 ing to the children of the London charity schools sing the 
 psalms together in unison according to the Gregorian style ; 
 aud the great master of musicians and composers, Mozart, 
 went so far as to say that he would rather be the author of 
 the Preface and Pater Noster, according to the same style, 
 than of anything he had ever written. These are but a few 
 of the numerous encomiums passed upon this sacred chant 
 by men who were so eminently qualified to constitute them- 
 selves judges. 
 
 The great distinguishing feature of the Gregorian Chant 
 is the wonderful simplicity, combined with a sort of divine 
 majesty, which pervades it throughout, and which no 
 words can exactly describe. It must be lieard to be appre- 
 
98 Sacred Music and Musical Instruments, 
 
 ciated. Then, again, another great feature that it possesses 
 is the power of hiding itself behind the words, so as to render 
 the latter perfectly audible to the congregation. In this way 
 it is made a most solemn kind of prayer, so very different 
 from the great Bulk of modern compositions, whose entire 
 drift seems to be to drown the words completely, or so muti- 
 late them as to render them perfectly indistinct and unin- 
 telligible. 
 
 For many years Rome preserved this sacred chant in its 
 original purity, and watched with jealous care to exclude 
 from it everything that smacked of the world's music. But, 
 careful as Eome was, innovations and corruptions set in ; so 
 much so that, after a few years, hardly a trace of Gregorian 
 music could be distinguished in what was once the pride of 
 the Church. As might naturally be expected, the corruption 
 began in France. For the space of seventy years (from 
 Pope Clement V., in 1309, to Pope Gregory XI.) the 
 Eoman pontiffs resided at Avignon, and, as was reason- 
 able to expect, the papal choir was composed entirely 
 of French performers. They treated the Gregorian Chant 
 just as they pleased ; but little would that have mat- 
 tered had it not been for the fact that Pope Gregory 
 XI., upon his return to Rome, brought his French 
 choir with him with all their fantastic vagaries. The 
 impression made at Rome by the efforts of this musical 
 body was of the most disedifying kind, for not a word 
 could be heard or understood of all that they sang. So 
 ridiculous was their singing that when Pope Nicholas 
 V. asked Cardinal Capranica what he thought of it, 
 his Eminence humorously replied : ''Well, Holy Father, I 
 compare it to a sackful of swine squeaking away; they 
 make a tremendous noise, but not a word is articulated 
 distinctly." 
 
 Church music went on in this way until about the time 
 
Sacred Mtisic. 99 
 
 of the Council of Trent, when it was determined to ame- 
 liorate it or banish it entirely from the Church. A com- 
 mittee of cardinals was formed by Poi)e Pius IV. for the 
 purpose of seeing whether it was possible to compose a 
 Mass the music of which would be harmonious and the 
 words distinct a ad intelligible. St. Charles Borromeo and 
 Cardinal Vitelozzi were among the number selected for 
 the important task. There was at this time attached to 
 the choral staff of St. Mary Major a man of great musi- 
 cal renown and of singular originality. To him the com- 
 mittee applied. He accepted their proposal and set earn- 
 estly to work at writing a Mass to suit their taste. He 
 composed two off-hand which were greatly admired, but the 
 third was the climax of perfection. It was simple, har- 
 monious, and very devotional. Every word of it was articu- 
 lated distinctly. It was produced before the Pope and the 
 College of Cardinals, and with one consentient voice all 
 pronounced in favor of it. Thus the music of the Church 
 was saved. The person who figured in this momentous 
 juncture was the celebrated Palestrina,'' ever since known as 
 the great reformer of ecclesiastical chant. He is looked up 
 to as the father of Church harmony ; and his great Mass, 
 denominated ^* Missa Papae Marcelli " (from Pope Marcellus 
 II., A.D. 1554, before whom it was sung), will ever be ven- 
 erated as one of his greatest and happiest efforts. The 
 Mass is performed on every Holy Saturday in the Papal 
 Chapel. It was originally in eight parts, but was reduced 
 by Palestrina himself to six. The other great reformers, or 
 rather embellishers, of Church music were Allegri, author of 
 the famous "Miserere" of the Sis tine Chapel; Pergolesi, 
 
 ' His real name was Pierluigi (Giovanni Pierluigi), but he generally went by the 
 name of his native city, Palestrina, the ancient Praeneste, in Italy, where he was born 
 in 1524. His death took place in 1594, and he was buried in St. Peter's. St. Philip 
 Neri attended him in his last moments. 
 
100 Sacred Music and Musical Instrmuents. 
 
 author of the inimitable music of the '^ Stabat Mater" ; and 
 Mozart, whose renown will ever be known the world oyer. 
 
 MUSICAL IKSTRUMEHTS. 
 
 That the Gregorian Chant was at its introduction per- 
 formed without the aid of instruments everybody is willing 
 to admit. Instruments are not in use to-day with the Cis- 
 tercians or Carthusians, nor at the ancient church of Lyons, 
 in France/ and we see also that they have no place in the 
 service of the Oriental Church, if we except the few sorry 
 ones employed by the Abyssinians and Copts, of which 
 Pococke speaks in his Travels in Egyjyt, From the papal 
 choir, too, all instruments are excluded save a trumpet or 
 two, which sound a delicate harmony at the Elevation. 
 This choir, which is Justly esteemed the most select in 
 existence, always accompanies the Holy Father whenever he 
 sings Solemn High Mass in any of the churches of Rome. 
 Its members are strictly forbidden to sing anywhere else, 
 and none but male voices are admitted among them. 
 
 The Oi^n. — It is generally believed that the introduction 
 of the organ into the service of the Church was the work of 
 Pope Vitalian, or at least that it happened during his pon- 
 tificate, from A.D. 657 to 672. The first which appeared in 
 France was that which the Emperor Constantino Coprony- 
 mus sent in the year 757 to King Pepin, father of Charle- 
 magne. This was placed in the Church of St. Corneille, in 
 Compiegne. At first organs were of very small compass, 
 but not many years after their introduction they assumed 
 larger proportions. This may fairly be gathered from an 
 expression of St. Aldhelm, who in his poem, " De Laudibus 
 Virginitatis," tells the admirer of music that if he de- 
 spises the more humble sound of the harp he must listen 
 to the thousand voices of the organ. The ancient cathedral 
 
Musical lasiruments. 101 
 
 of Winchester, in England, liad a monster organ, which could 
 be heard at an incredible distance. Its sound, we are told, 
 resembled the roaring of thunder ; and so huge was it that 
 it required seventy stalwart men to feed it with air. It 
 had four hundred pipes, twenty-six feeders, and a double 
 row of keys. So famous was it that it formed the theme 
 of many of the poetic effusions of the day. Wolston, the 
 monk, wrote much about it. 
 
 Other Musical Instruments. — Besides the organ, the 
 Anglo-Saxon Church employed a variety of other wind 
 instruments, foremost among which was a sort of hoop 
 sheathed in silver plates, having a number of bells hung 
 around it. These were generally prescribed for processions 
 out of church, but they were used also in the regular choir 
 within. 
 
 In closing our chapter on Church music we cannot resist 
 calling the attention of the reader to the great care our 
 forefathers took to see that nothing should ever be sung in 
 divine service that was not of the purest and gravest nature. 
 To carry this out the better, some of the greatest nobles of 
 the land would now and then volunteer their services and 
 take an humble part with the rest of the choir in leading 
 the sacred chant on Sundays and festivals. What a glo- 
 rious and edifying thiug it was, for instance, to see 
 Itichard I., Coeur de Lion — the Lion-hearted King, as 
 he Avas familiarly called — take part in the choir of his 
 own chapel and sing from the beginning to the end of 
 service ! Yes, that mighty warrior, who spread terror 
 throughout the East by the formidable army he led to 
 Palestine in defence of the Holy Land on the occasion of 
 the Third Crusade, put himself on a level with his humblest 
 subjects in singing the praises of G-od. ^^ He would go up 
 and down the choir," says Radulf, Abbot of Coggeshall, 
 '^ and arouse all the members to sing out and sing together ; 
 
102 tSacred Music and Musical Instruments. 
 
 and lie would raise liis hands aloft, and take the greatest 
 delight in directing the music on the principal solemnities." 
 (For the principal matter of this chapter on Church Mu- 
 sic and Musical Instruments we are indebted to the follow- 
 ing works : Divina Psalmodia, by Cardinal Bona ; Antiqui- 
 ties of the Anglo-Saxon Church, vol. ii., by Lingard ; 
 Church of Our Fathers, vol. iii. part 2, and Hierurgia, by 
 Dr. Eock ; Holy WeeJc in the Vatican, by Canon Pope ; and 
 an article in the Dublin Revieio for 1836, denominated 
 " Ecclesiastical Music." The rest we have found in places 
 which we cannot now recall to mind. We have been care- 
 ful, however, to say nothing at random. ) 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 1.EE VARYING RITES WITEIN TEE GEURCE. 
 
 As we shall have occasion to refer frequently in the course 
 of this work to several rites that do not accord in everything 
 with that which is strictly termed Roman, we have thought 
 it well to give the reader a general survey of them here, in 
 order to make our remarks hereafter more intelligible and 
 to save unnecessary repetition. 
 
 •The learned Cardinal Bona, in speaking of the different 
 rites within the Church, compares them to the dress of the 
 spouse in the Canticle of Canticles, which abounded witli 
 such a variety of colors. At one time there was hardly a 
 locality which had not some peculiarity of its own in cele- 
 brating the Holy Sacrifice. This, of course, was nothing 
 touching the substance of the Sacrifice itself, nor, indeed, 
 could it be considered a change m the general norma of the 
 Mass. It was rather ^'prseter Missam," as theologians would 
 say, than ^^ contra Missam." It was some embellishment or 
 other in the ceremonies which was not prescribed in the 
 ordinary rules laid down for the celebration of divine ser- 
 vice. But as these peculiarities often gave rise to much dis- 
 sension, and tended in some cases to the formation of na- 
 tional churches, the Holy See thought well to direct imme- 
 diate attention to them and stay their rapid progress. The 
 matter was taken in hand by the Sacrosanct Council of 
 Trent, under the auspices of Pope Pius V. His Holiness 
 issued a decree to the effect that all those rites which had 
 
 103 
 
104 The Varying Rites within the Cliurch. 
 
 not been approved of by Rome from time immemorial, or 
 which could not prove an antiquity of two hundred years, 
 should be abolished then and for ever. The result was that 
 only three orders could prove an antiquity of two hundred 
 years — viz., the Carthusians, Carmelites, and Dominicans — 
 and only two of the other class could show that they had 
 been approved of from time immemorial — viz., the Mozara= 
 bics and Ambrosians or Milanese. All these were allowed 
 to stand and retain their own peculiar ceremonies and litur- 
 gical customs, but the rest were abolished at once. Some 
 of the French primatial churches, such as that of Lyons, and 
 one or two others throughout Germany and Naples, were 
 permitted to retain some laudable customs of a minor na- 
 ture ; but as these dia not constitute what would be techni- 
 cally called a rite, we shall give them but a passing notice. 
 
 CARTHUSIANS. 
 
 This religious body, so called from La Chartreuse, near 
 Grenoble, in France, the wild valley in which their first monas- 
 tery was built, was founded in the year 1084 by St. Bruno, a 
 priest of Cologne. It is regarded as the strictest order in the 
 Church, and is the only one which a member from one of 
 the mendicant orders can join as being of a higher order of 
 perfection than his own. It has as its device a cross sur- 
 mounting a globe, with the inscription, ^' Stat crux dum 
 volvitur orbis " — that is, " The cross stands as long as the 
 earth moves." In England they are called the "Charter- 
 House " Monks, a corruption of Chartreuse. Their habit is 
 entirely white, but abroad they wear over it a black cowl. 
 One strange and rare privilege enjoyed by the nuns of their 
 order is that, at the solemn moment of makirg their vows, 
 they put on a maniple and stole, and are allowed to sing the 
 Epistle in Solemn High Mass (Eomsee, iv. 356, note). They 
 
Carthiisians. 105 
 
 use no musical instruments whatever in their service, but 
 sing everything according to the ]3ure Gregorian style. 
 
 The peculiarities of their Mass are as follows : They put 
 the wine and water in the chalice at the beginning, and say 
 the introductory psalm and Confiteor, not at the centre, as 
 we do, but at the Gospel side, with face towards the altar. 
 Their form of confession is much shorter than ours, and 
 instead of saying the '' Oramus te, Domine,'' when the}) 
 ascend the altar- steps, they say a Pater and Ave, and theu 
 sign themselves with the cross. They say the *^ Gloria in 
 excelsis " at the Epistle corner, where the book is, and turn 
 round in the same place to say the '^Dominus vobiscum." 
 They kiss the margin of the missal after the Gospel instead 
 of the text itself, and only make a profound bow instead of 
 a genuflection at the ^^ Et homo f actus est " of the Creed. 
 In fact, at no part of the entire Mass^ do they touch the 
 ground with the knee when they make a reverence, as we do. 
 They bless both water and wine by one single cross at the 
 Offertory, and make the oblation of Host and chalice one 
 joint act by placing the paten and the large bread on the 
 mouth of the latter. From the beginning of the Canon to 
 the "Hanc igitur " they stretch out their arms in such a 
 manner as to exhibit the form of a cross, and at the Conse- 
 cration they elevate the chalice only a few inches from the 
 altar, never high enough to be seen by the people, just as we 
 do at the '' Omnis honor et gloria" before the '' Pater nos- 
 ter." After consecration they extend their hands again in 
 form of a cross until the " Supplices te rogamus," when 
 they bow and cross one upon the other. 
 
 At the end of Mass they do not bless the people, as we do, 
 nor say the Gospel of St. John, but come down and return 
 to the sacristy the moment they have recited the '' Placeat." 
 A few of their other peculiarities will be noticed throughout 
 this work. 
 
106 21ie Varying Rites within the Church. 
 
 CAEMELITES. 
 
 This order, so called from Carmel, in Palestine, where 
 Elias, the holy prophet, dwelt in a cave, owes its origin prin- 
 cipally to Berthold, a monk and priest of Calabria, who with 
 a few companions erected in 1156 some lints on the heights 
 of Mt. Carmel. The Carmelites themselves claim Elias as 
 their founder. 
 
 The peculiarities of their manner of saying Mass are these : 
 They recite the psalm ** Judica me, Deus," on their way to 
 the altar, and not standing in front of it, as we do ; and, like 
 the Carthusians, pour water and wine into the chalice be- 
 fore the beginning of Mass. On the greater festivals of the 
 year they repeat the ^^Introit" three separate times; on 
 other occasions only twice, as with ourselves. The moment 
 they uncover the chalice at the Offertory they make the 
 sign (ji the cross over the bread and wine, in the name of 
 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; then 
 they make the oblation of both Host and chalice under one 
 form of prayer — viz., '^ Suscipe Sancta Trinitas " — which we 
 are accustomed to say after the oblation has been finished ; 
 but their prayer has an addition to it that ours has not. 
 They say before the " Secreta ": " Domine, exaudi orationem 
 meam, et clamor mens ad te veniat." At the "Hanc igi- 
 tur " they incline to the altar and remain in that posture 
 until the ^' Quam oblationem." They extend their arms in 
 the form of a cross from the time they begin the " Unde et 
 memores" until they reach the part at which the crosses are 
 to be made. After the last of the three prayers preceding 
 Communion they say (in Latin, of course) : '^Hail, Salva- 
 tion of the world, Word of the Father, Sacred Host, Living 
 Flesh, Deity Complete, True Man." In saying the *^ Do- 
 mine, non sum dignus," they bow the knee a httle and 
 strike the breast as we do. After having blessed the people 
 
Dominicanfi. 707 
 
 they recite the '* Salve Regina," with its responses and 
 prayer, for which, in Paschal time, they substitute the " Re- 
 gina Coeli." After the Gospel of St. John they say, ^' Per 
 evangelica dicta," etc., as we do at tlie first Gospel, and then, 
 covering their headc with their cowl, return to the sacristy 
 reciting the "Te Deum." 
 
 DOMIls^ICAXS. 
 
 The Dominicans are so called from St. Dominic, a Spaniard 
 by birth, who founded them in the year 1215. Tliey are 
 very generally known by the name of Friars Preachers from 
 their peculiar mission. In England their general appella- 
 tion is the Black Friars, on account of their wearing an 
 overdress of a black color ; when at home their habit is 
 entirely white. Throughout France their familiar designa- 
 tion is Jacobites, from the fact that the principal house of 
 their order in Paris was first known by the name of St. 
 James, which in Latin is Jacohus. 
 
 Like the Carmelites and Carthusians, the Dominicans put 
 the water and wine into the chalice before they begin Mass. 
 They do not say the " Judica me, Deus," but recite instead 
 of it certain verses beginning with " Confitemini Domino 
 quoniam bonus." They say the opening words of the " Glo- 
 ria in excelsis" at the middle of the altar, but return to the 
 book at the Epistle side to finish the rest of it. Here also 
 they say the *'Dominus vobiscum." They observe some- 
 what similar ceremonies in reciting the Credo. First they 
 say '* Credo in unum Deum" at the middle ; then they return 
 to the missal at the Gospel side, and continue reciting it 
 there until the " Incarnatus est," when they go to the 
 middle again, and there, spreading out the anterior part of 
 the chasuble on the altar, kneel so as to touch the ground 
 at the " Homo facfcus est." They extend the chasuble in 
 like manner whenever the *^ Flecfeamus genua" is to be said. 
 
108 The Varying Rites loithiii the Church. 
 
 After the " Homo f actus est " they return and finish the 
 Credo at the book. They read the Olfertorium at the Gos- 
 pel side, after the manner of a collect, and make the obla- 
 tion of the Host and chalice as the two fore-mentioned or- 
 ders do. After the Gospel of St. John they make the sign 
 of the cross upon themselves, and then go to the middle, 
 where they fold up the corporal and put it in the burse, 
 and afterwards return to the sacristy with the amice cov- 
 ering their head as at the beginning of Mass. They recite 
 the ^^ Benedicite" after Mass, as we do. 
 
 MOZAEABIC LITURGY. 
 
 The ancient Spanish Liturgy introduced by St. Torquatus 
 and his companions resembled the Roman in all essential 
 points. When Spain was invaded by the Suevi, Alani, 
 Vandals, and Visigoths (fifth century), all of whom were 
 Arian, its Liturgy and the Arian Liturgy commingled, and 
 ran hand-in -hand for many years ; and from the fact that 
 a constant intercourse was kept up between the Sj)anish 
 Church and that of Constantinople, the lieadquarters of the 
 East in the beginning of the fifth century, several Greek 
 customs, as well as those that were rank with Arianism, 
 entered the Spanish Liturgy, so that it stood much in need 
 of renovation. In the year 537 Profuturus, Archbishop of 
 Galicia, wrote for advice in the matter to Pope Vigilius, 
 then the Sovereign Pontiff. His Holiness sent him the 
 Canon of the Mass according to the Roman norma, to- 
 gether with a copy of the entire Mass of Easter, in order 
 that he might shape his new Liturgy by them. Towards 
 the end of the sixth century the Visigoths were converted 
 to the faith, and then the Liturgy of Spain assumed its 
 most important appearance. In the fourth Council of 
 Toledo, A.D. 633, the Spanish bishops, at whose head was 
 St. Isidore of Seville, resolved to banish from the country 
 
Mozarahic Liturgy. 109 
 
 every foreign rite, and have but one Liturgy throughout the 
 land. From the fact that St. Isidore headed this work, he 
 is generally looked upon as the author of the Liturgy of 
 Spain. The Liturgy so formed, and called by the name of 
 Gothic, was used in Spain Avithout being in any Avay in- 
 fluenced by the reform of Pope Gregory the Great. A new 
 state of things set in towards the beginning of the eighth 
 century, when the land fell into the hands of the Moors.' 
 Those who yielded to the Moorish yoke were called 
 " Mostarabuna," an Arabic participle meaning *^ mixed 
 with Arabs," * and this Liturgy was denominated accord- 
 ingly Muzaralic or Mozarahic. During the dominion of 
 the Moors, which lasted nearly eight hundred years, the 
 Liturgy kept constantly changing and receiving new corrup- 
 tions, so that at the Synod of San Juan de la Peiia, held 
 under the auspices of Pope Alexander 11. (1601), Sancho 
 Ramirez, King of Aragon, caused the Gregorian or Eoman 
 Rite to supersede the Gothic. The Council of Burgos in 
 1085 issued a solemn proclamation to this effect. It was no 
 easy matter, however, to effect the introduction of the Gre- 
 gorian Rite entirely, for people cling with wonderful tenacity 
 to ancient customs. Some Avere for it, others against it. 
 To settle the matter, strangely enough, an appeal was made 
 to the *' judgment of God." A powerful fire was accord- 
 ingly made, and a copy of each Liturgy cast into it ; Avhich- 
 ever came out unhurt was to be the Liturgy of the land. 
 The Gregorian was thrown in first, but scarcely had it 
 
 * The Moors, or Mauri, Avere the people of Mauritania, or Morocco, in the north of 
 Africa. They embraced Mahometanism in the seventh century at the instigation of 
 their Arabian conquerors, and became so identified with the latter in everything that 
 Arab and Moor were synonymous terms. They were finally driven from Spain by 
 Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. 
 
 2 The Arabs divide their people into three classes : first, those called "el Arab el 
 Arabeh"— i.e., pure Arabs ; second, "el Arab el Mota' arribeh," or those who speak 
 and know the language ; and, third, " el Arab el Mosta' ribeh "—that is, mixed or natu- 
 rnlized Arabs. 
 
110 The Varying Rites witliin the Church. 
 
 touclied the flames when it rebounded and fell uninjured by 
 the side of the fire. The Mozarabic was then cast in, and, 
 singular to behold, it remained intact in the midst of the 
 flames ! As both liturgies were miraculously preserved, it 
 was decided that both were equally good, and that conse- 
 quently each should hold a place in Spain. Predominance, 
 however, was soon given to the Gregorian, so that it became 
 the Liturgy of the whole land, with the sole exception of 
 the city of Toledo, where the Mozarabic was employed in 
 six chui-ches — viz., St. Justa, St. Luke, St. Eulalia, St. 
 Mark, St. Sebastian, and St. Torquatus ; but as time wore 
 on the Mozarabic was even superseded in these, and solely 
 confined to the cathedral chapel. Cardinal Ximenes, how- 
 ever, by very earnest entreaties, whilst Archbishop of Toledo, 
 caused it to be readopted in five of the churches mentioned, 
 and instituted as its custodians what he termed ^* Sodales 
 Mozarabes,*' a company of thirteen priests, to whom he 
 assigned the Chapel of Corpus Christi. Tlie rite is yet kept 
 uj) in these places, but nowhere else (see Life of Cardirial 
 Ximenes, by Hefele ; Bona, Rer, Liturg., p. 219; Kozma, 
 157 ; and Gavantus^ Tliesaur, Rit., 23). We shall have 
 occasion to refer to the peculiarities of the Mozarabic Rite 
 throughout our work. 
 
 AMBEOSIAif LITURGY. 
 
 The Ambrosian Eite,^ so called from St. Ambrose, Bishop 
 of Milan, a.d. 374, claims a very high antiquity. Accord- 
 ing to the Milanese themselves, its main structure is the 
 work of St. Barnabas, Apostle ; but as it received a fresh 
 
 3 Strictly speaking, neither the Mozarabic nor Ambrosian Rite can be called a 
 liturgy. The latter name, taking it in its general acceptation, only applies when the 
 language used and the ceremonies employed are different from those of Rome ; but as 
 there is no difference in either case here mentioned in language, and but very little in 
 ceremonies, the term 7'ite is more proper than liturgy. 
 
Ainbrosiiui Liturgy. Ill 
 
 toucliing-up at the hands of St. Ambrose, it is generally 
 ascribed to him and called by his name. Many attempts 
 have been made to abolish this rite altogether and substi- 
 tute the Eoman in its stead, but all to no purpose. The 
 Milanese cling to it with a dying man's grasp, and the Holy 
 See, to choose the less of two evils, and make itself all 
 to all where nothing trenches upon faith, permits them 
 "to abound in tlieir own sense." In the year 1497 Pope 
 Alexander VI. solemnly confirmed its use, and ever since 
 then it has been strictly adhered to at Milan ; not, however, 
 in all the churches, for some even now follow the Eoman 
 Eite, but in a few belonging to the diocese (Kozma, 156). 
 St. Charles Borromeo did much to uphold this rite during 
 his time (1590). Some of the peculiarities of the rite are 
 as follows : It allows the "Agnus Dei " only in Masses for 
 the dead. The text of Scripture used is not that followed 
 by the Eoman Eite, but one of those versions in use before 
 St. Jerome's Vulgate was published. On Easter Sunday 
 two Masses are prescribed, one for the newly baptized, 
 the other of the day itself. Throughout the whole of Lent 
 there is no Mass on Friday of any kind (tliis was an or- 
 dinance of St. Charles Borromeo). On Sundays and feasts 
 of great solemnity a lesson from the Old Testament is read 
 before the Epistle, together with some versicles, after the 
 manner of our Gradual. Immediately before consecration 
 the priest saying Mass goes, according to this rite, to the 
 Epistle corner of the altar and washes his hands in silence. 
 The other peculiarities will be noticed as we go on (see 
 InstituUones LiturgiccB, vol. ii. p. 300, by Maringola ; 
 Cardinal Bona, 218 ; Gavantus, 22 ; Kozma, 156). 
 
 We mention, in passing, that according to this rite the 
 Sacrament of Baptism is administered by immersion, and 
 not by infusion, as with all who follow the Eoman Eite. 
 
ll;^. The Varying Rites tvitliin the Church, 
 
 GALLIC EITE. 
 
 We devote here but a passing notice to this rite, for the 
 reason that it never made any headway, if we except a few 
 ceremonial embellishments, after the time of Charlemagne 
 — that is, after the nmth century. In one of the cities of 
 France — viz., the ancient Lugdunum of the Eomans, now 
 Lyons — a few peculiar liturgic customs are yet kept up, 
 such as reading the Gospel from the ambo, and singing 
 without the aid of the organ or any musical instrument 
 whatever. The Lyonese ascribe the introduction of their 
 rite into Gaul to St. Irenseus, Bishop of their city in the 
 early part of the third century (see Becherches siir V Aboli- 
 tion de la Liturgie Antique dans VEglise de Lyon, by M. 
 De Conny ; Kozma, 157 ; Cardinal Bona, Divina Psah 
 modia, p. 559). 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE ALTAR. 
 
 AccOKDiNG to the best authorities the word altar is 
 formed from the Latin altuSy high, and ara, a mound or 
 eleyation. It is the sacred table upon which the Holy Sac- 
 rifice of the Mass is offered. 
 
 According to rule it ought to be about three and a half 
 feet high, three feet wide, and six and a half feet long ; and 
 to denote the perfection of our Lord, whom it is made to 
 represent in sacred symbolism, it should be solid through- 
 oat (Bouvry, ii. 223). Before Mass may be celebrated on 
 it, it must first be consecrated by the bishop. 
 
 MATERIAL. 
 
 According to the present discipline of the Church the 
 Altar must be made of stone, or at least that part of it 
 upon which the chalice and its appurtenances are placed. 
 When not entirely of stone the rubrics require that an ap- 
 pendage called an antipendium shoulcl hang always in 
 front of it to cover its anterior surface. 
 
 In ancient times, especially during the days of persecu- 
 tion, altars were for the most part made of wood ; in fact, it 
 would have been loss of time and useless to make them of 
 any more durable material, for the reason that the pagans 
 might have desecrated and destroyed them at any moment ; 
 but after peace was restored to the Church the costhest 
 materials sometimes entered into their composition. 
 
 THE ALTAR USED AT THE LAST SUPPER. 
 
 It is the general opinion of liturgical writers that our 
 
 113 
 
114 The Altar. 
 
 Divine Lord instituted the Blessed Eucharist on an ordi- 
 nary wooden table, such as tlie Jews in his day were wont 
 to eat from. 
 
 According to Martene (De Antiquis Eccl. Ritiius) there 
 are yet preserved at Rome two wooden altars, one in the 
 Church of St. John Lateran, the other in that of St. 
 Pudentiana, upon which St. Peter used to say Mass during 
 his Eoman pontificate. The one in the latter-named church 
 is now almost eaten up with age, but is preserved from utter 
 destruction by being covered over with a stone casing. The 
 following inscription appears upon it : *^ In hoc altari Sanc- 
 tus Petrus pro yivis et defunctis ad augendam fidelium mul- 
 titudinem. Corpus et Sanguinem Domini offerebat " — that 
 is, " Upon this altar St. Peter used to offer the Body and 
 Blood of our Lord, in behalf of the living and the dead, for 
 increasing the number of the faithful." 
 
 Pope Silvester (314) is said to have been the first who 
 made stone altars obligatory ; but some count this as doubt- 
 ful, both because the decree so ordaining cannot be found 
 among those attributed to this Pope, and because it is a 
 well-known fact that altars of wood existed and were used 
 after his time (Merati, 118). This much, however, is cer- 
 tain : that the Council of Epaon, held in the year 517, for- 
 bade any altars except those of stone to be consecrated. The 
 same prohibition may be seen in several of the capitularies 
 of Charlemagne {ibid.) 
 
 ALTAKS OP GOLD, SILVER, AN^D PRECIOUS STOKES. 
 
 During the reign of Constantine the Great (from a.d. 312 
 to 336), who published many edicts in favor of the Chris- 
 tians, stately altars of gold and silver, and sometimes even 
 of precious stones, were to be seen in several cities of the 
 East and West. The emperor himself had caused to be 
 erected at Rome, in the basilica called after his name — now 
 
Altars of Gold, Silver , and Precious Stones. 115 
 
 the Church of St. John Lateran — seven different altars of tlie 
 purest silver (Kozma, 29, note 4). The Empress Pulcheria 
 bestowed upon the great basilica of Constantinople an altar 
 formed of gold and gems {ibid.) There is still to be seen 
 at Chartres, in France, a very ancient altar made of jasper 
 {ibid.) 
 
 But the greatest of all altars was that of the famous 
 Church of Holy Wisdom' at Constantinople, justly regarded 
 as one of the wonders of the age. Everything that was pre- 
 cious on sea or land was purchased and brought together to 
 form this singular altar. Gold, silver, and the richest metals, 
 with every variety of precious stones, were collected by the 
 Emperor Justinian and used in its erection. The most ex- 
 perienced artisans of the day were employed in superintend- 
 ing its construction, and neither labor nor expense was 
 spared to make it perfect of its kind. When finished, the 
 following inscription appeared upon it : ^' AVe, thy servants, 
 Justinian and Theodora, offer unto thee, Christ ! thine 
 own gifts out of thine own, which we beseech thee favorably 
 to accept, Son and Word of God ! who wast made flesh 
 
 1 This church, from the fact that it is generally called Sancta Sophia, is often 
 falsely rendered Saint Sophy, by those who think that it was dedicated under the name 
 of some such saint ; whereas it was really dedicated to Holy Wisdom, in Greek ""A-yia 
 o-o(|»ia," but " Sancta Sophia " in Latin. This world-renowned church was first built by 
 Constanline the Great in the year 325. The second of the same name, and on the same 
 foundation, was built by Constantius in 359. Theodosius the Great built a third one 
 on the same site in 415. The fourth and last was the temple of Justinian. It was com- 
 menced at eight o'clock a.m., February 23, a. d. 53'<J The architects were Anthemius of 
 Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, both eminent mechanicians. Artists from the four 
 quarters of the globe were invited to take part in its construction, and foremost among 
 the workmen, we are told, was the emperor himself, girt in a tunic and equipped with 
 hammer and trowel. From the date of its commencement to its completion was five 
 years, ten months, and three days. When Justinian saw it finished, and beheld what a 
 magnificent edifice it was, he cried out in a transport of admiration, " I have con- 
 quered thee, O Solomon ! Glory be to God, who hath accounted me worthy of such a 
 work ! " In 1453, w'hen Constantinople fell into the hands of the Turks, this famous 
 church was converted into a Mahometan Jami, or greater mosque, and most of its em- 
 bellishments, but not all, were destroyed (Neale, Holy Eastern Church, i. 235, 236 ; 
 Catholic Woi'ld, August, 1865 ; Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Rom. Ernp., vii. 117). 
 
116 The Altar. 
 
 and crucified for our sakes ; keep us in the true orthodox 
 faith ; and this empire which thou hast committed to our 
 trust augment and preserve to thine own glory, through the 
 intercession of the Holy Mother of God and Virgin Mary " 
 (Martene, Be Antiquis Ecclesice Ritihus, art. ^^ Altare"). 
 
 ^ SACRED SYMBOLISM OF ALTARS. 
 
 The precise symbolism of the altar is that it denotes 
 Christ our Lord, in accordance with what St. Paul saj^s in 
 his first Epistle to the Corinthians : '' They drank of the 
 spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was 
 Christ " (Bouvry, ii. 222). According to Venerable Bede, 
 the altar is the body of Christ, or all the saints in whom a 
 divine fire ever burns, consuming all that is flesh. 
 
 RIGHT AXD LEFT OF THE ALTAR. 
 
 Up to the fifteenth century the rigltt and left of the altar 
 were settled by the position of the priest standing before it.- 
 The part which was opposite his right hand was the altar's 
 right, and that opposite his left the altar's left. This or- 
 dinance is now exactly the reverse, for the designations of 
 right and left are taken from the Crucifix, and not from the 
 position of the priest ; so that the right of the altar now is 
 the part to the right of the Crucifix — that is, the Gospel 
 side ; and tlie left, the left of the Crucifix, or Epistle side. 
 According to Father Le Brun {Explication de la Messe, i. 
 171, note), this change was first introduced by Patricius, 
 Bishop of Pienza, in Italy, about the year 1488, and 
 Pope Pius V. adopted it afterwards in his recension of the 
 missal. It is well to bear this in mind when reading such 
 works as those of Durandus and Pope Innocent III., who 
 wrote prior to this time, for what they invariably call right 
 is the left according to the present discipline. This rule 
 also holds good in every otlior case, at Mass and out of Mass, 
 
Altars of the Orientals. 117 
 
 where it becomes necessary to make a distinction of tliis 
 kind — such, for instance, as in sprinkling with holy water, 
 in putting incense in the thurible, and in incensing any- 
 thing. 
 
 COYERIilG Als"D FURNITURE OF THE ALTAR. 
 
 It is of strict obligation that every altar upon which the 
 Holy Sacrifice is offered should be covered with three linen 
 cloths. The first two must be large enough to cover the 
 entire table or upper surface ; the third, or outer one, must 
 cover the latter two and hang down on both sides so as to 
 touch the ground. In case three cannot be had, it is per- 
 mitted to fold the under cloth in two, and thus make up 
 the complement. Before these cloths are used they must 
 be blessed by the bishop, or by one to whom he delegates 
 his power in this matter. Three are used in honor of 
 the Blessed Trinity (Gavantus, p. 115), as well as to com- 
 memorate the linen cloths in which our Lord's Body was 
 wrapped when laid in the sepulchre (Kozma, 32). They are 
 mentioned as far back as the fourth century, at which period 
 they were not spread on the altar until after the exclusion 
 of the catechumens — i.e., before the Offertory {ibid.) 
 
 ALTARS OF THE ORIENTALS. 
 
 The discipline of the Oriental Church on the subject of 
 altars differs but little from our own. AVith them the 
 altars must be of stone also. However, in the absence of 
 a regular altar they will say Mass on certain cloths called 
 A?itime?is ; nay, even on a leaf of the Gospel, if necessity 
 presses. 
 
 Antimens. — This word is sometimes written Antimins, 
 ai\d nearly always so by the Greeks ; but as it is evidently 
 derived from anti, instead of, and mensa, a table or altar, 
 wc prefer writing it as here, because it is more suggestive 
 
118 The Altar, 
 
 of its origin. These antimens are held in great veneration 
 by the Orientals. Their material is generally silk, but in 
 some cases linen also is used, after the manner of our cor- 
 porals. They are consecrated with much ceremony, relics 
 being pounded up with fragrant gum, and holy oil bemg 
 poui^d out together with them by the bishop and cast upon 
 them. Then the Office of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated 
 on them for seven successive days before they are fully con- 
 secrated. The date of their consecration is generally worked 
 upon them, also the name of the consecrating prelate (Neale, 
 Holy Eastern Church, vol. i. p. 186 ; Hierurgia, 504 ; Uoar, 
 Euchol GrcBC., 653). Tliey measure about sixteen inches 
 square, and have generally a figure stamped upon them repre- 
 senting the burial of our Lord by Joseph of Arimathea and 
 the holy women (Romanoff, Rites and Customs of the Greco- 
 Russian Church, pp. 84, 85). The discipline of the Eussian 
 Church is so strict regarding these sacred cloths that no 
 church can be consecrated without them. When not in ac- 
 tual use, they are carefully folded up in a silken cloth called 
 the lliton (ibid.) Instead of these antimens, the Syrians use, 
 when pressed by necessity, slabs of wood called Mensm, 
 which they also employ, when the notion takes them, even 
 though regularly consecrated altars can be had (N^eale, 187). 
 
 HOW THE ALTAES OF THE OKIEJs^TALS ARE DRESSED. 
 
 The Orientals also, like ourselves, use three coverings. 
 The manner in which they vest the altar is thus described 
 by Neale ; "At the angles of the mensa are placed four 
 small pieces of cloth, symbolizing the four Evangelists, and 
 adorned with their respective emblems. Over these the 
 catasarJca of silk or stuff is spread, having four strings 
 or tassels at its extremities, and over this the STtevSv- 
 crz?, ependusis, or exterior covering, generally worked with 
 crosses" (i. p. 187). Although Neale agrees with Goar re- 
 
Altar Cards, 119 
 
 garding the number of altar coverings used by the Orien- 
 tals, still the latter mentions one — viz., the eileton — not 
 named by the former {Eachol. Gtcbc, p. 819). 
 
 According to the Kitual of Kussia, the altars first cover- 
 ing is a white linen cloth made in the form of a cross, the 
 four ends of which hang down to the floor. It is called the 
 stratchitza, and by it is meant the linen cloth left by our 
 Lord in the sepulchre after his glorious resurrection (Ro- 
 manoff, 85). The second covering resembles this in every- 
 thing, only that its material is of a richer kind. This is 
 denominated the mditi a, and signifies the "glory of God." 
 The third article is called the ilitoii (same as the Greek 
 eiletoii) ; it is intended to call to mind the napkin which 
 bound the head of our Lord, and which the Apostles Peter 
 and John saw "wrapped in a place by itself" {Greco- 
 Russian Church, p. 85). 
 
 The first cloth put on by the Copts is of a black color 
 (mappa nigra). With them, and in fact with the majority 
 of the Orientals, the altar is always bare and unfurnished 
 except at Mass ; nor must it ever be dressed unless when 
 the priest is standing before it making his acts of pre- 
 paration for the Liturgy (Eenaudot, Liturg. Orient. Collec- 
 tion tom. i. 166). 
 
 On Holy Thursday the Latin Church strips the altar of 
 all its coverings and ornaments, leaving nothing but the 
 candelabra and crucifix. This is intended to recall to 
 mind the denudation of our Divine Lord during his bitter 
 Passion (Bouvry, ii. 515). 
 
 ALTAR CARDS. 
 
 For the greater convenience of the priest there are always 
 placed on the altar three large cards, standing upright, con- 
 taining certain portions of the Mass which may be read at 
 sight. The priest, it is true, is expected to have these al- 
 
120 The Altar. 
 
 ready committed to memory ; but as the memory often fails 
 when Ave least expect it, it has been deemed advisable to 
 have certain prayers always in sight, and not trust to un- 
 certainty of any kind. 
 
 The card at the Gospel side contains the Gospel of St. 
 John. That in the centre the ^' Gloria in excelsis " and 
 '' Credo," as well as all the prayers said at the Offertory ; 
 also the '^Qui pridie," or beginning of the Canon, the form 
 of consecration, the prayers before Communion, and the 
 last prayer, or ^^Placeat." The card at the Epistle side con- 
 tains the prayer recited in putting the water into the chalice, 
 and that said at the washing of the fingers. Strictly speak- 
 ing, only the centre card is necessary, and it is the only one 
 the rubric calls for ; the other two have been introduced by 
 custom. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 RELICS. 
 
 ANCIENT CUSTOMS. 
 
 During the persecutions' the faithful were accustomed 
 to turn the tombs in which the martyrs were interred into 
 altars, and offer the Holy Sacrifice upon them. This can be 
 proved by innumerable testimonies, and even by ocular de- 
 monstration at this great distance, if trouble be taken to 
 visit the Roman Catacombs and read their sacred inscrip- 
 tions. ''l\\ the midst of these venerable symbols," says 
 D'Agincourt (tom. ii. p. 86), **upon a large slab of marble 
 which completely covered the sarcophagus of the martyr, 
 tne first ministers of the Christian worship celebrated the 
 mysteries of our faith in the time of persecution." Hence 
 the origin of such appellations as *' Memoria," ** Confessio," 
 ^* Marty rium," and ^^Apostolia" given by the ancient 
 Fathers to such places, and subsequently applied to the 
 churches erected over or near them (Kozma, 21, note ; Hie- 
 rurgia, 496). The name "Martyrium," however, was not 
 always confined to the altar nor to the church built over a 
 martyr's tomb ; it was sometimes given even to an ordinary 
 church when the latter was erected through the zeal of any 
 
 * It is generally admitted that there were ten persecutions of the Christians in the 
 early days of Christianity. The first began under Nero ; the second, under Domitian ; 
 the third, under Trajan ; fourth, under Marcus Aurelius ; fifth, under Severus ; sixth, 
 under Maximin ; seventh, under Decius and Gallus ; eighth, under Valerian ; ninth, 
 under Claudius and Aurelian ; and the tenth, under Diocletian and Maximian. The 
 date of the last was a.d. 303. 
 
 121 
 
122> Relics, 
 
 private indiyidual. Thus, Cons tan tine the Great called the 
 church he built at Jerusalem a '^^ Martjrium,-' as being a 
 monument or witness of his good feelings towards the Chris- 
 tian people (Kiddle, Christian Antiquities, p. TOtt). 
 
 PRESExN^T CUSTOMS, 
 
 AYhen peace was restored to the Church the custom of 
 saving Mass on the tombs of the martyrs gradually died 
 away and gave place to the present discij^line of depositing 
 some portions of the martyrs' bodies in the newiy-conse- 
 crated altars. Hence the import of that prayer now saia by 
 the priest as he la^^s his hands on the sacred table at the be- 
 ginning of Mass : '* We pray thee, Lord ! through the 
 merits of thy saints whose relics are here placed, and of all 
 the saints, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to forgive me all my 
 sins." 
 
 The relics of the martyrs are placed in the altar by the 
 bishop who consecrates it ; and, in order to verify the 
 words of the above prayer, it is required that a plurality 
 be inserted. It is customary to enclose with the martyrs' 
 relics seme also of the saint to whose name the church is 
 dedicated. Hereupon it is well to remark that a portion of 
 the saint's or martyr's dress is uot enough ; the relic must be 
 a part of the body (S. E. C, April 13, 1867, :N". 5379 ; He 
 Herdt, i. No. 178). Liturgical writers tell us that it was 
 Pope Felix (third century) who first enjoined this practice 
 (Merati, Tlcesaur. Eit., 115). The holy relics, before being 
 deposited in the altar, are first enclosed in a little case made 
 of silver or other metal, and have generally accompanying 
 til em the names of the saints whose relics they are, and the 
 name of the bishop who deposited them (Martinucci, yii. 
 306; Catalauus, Pojitif. Roman., iii. 403). They are de- 
 posited with these words : ^^ Under the altar of God ye saints 
 
Holy Eucharist deposited in place of Relics. 133 
 
 of God have received a place ; intercede for us with our 
 Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 HOLY EUCHAKIST DEPOSITED IJs^ PLACE OF KELICS. 
 
 A very singular custom prevailed at one time in many 
 pJaces of depositing the Sacred Host in the altar when no 
 relics could be obtained. Durandus, Bishop of Mende, who 
 died and was buried at Eome in 1296, says in his Rationale 
 Divinorum, p. 54, that when genuine relics cannot be had 
 the altar must not be consecrated without the Holy Eucha- 
 rist. The same custom was once very prevalent in England 
 while that country was Catliolic. This we learn, among 
 other sources, from the Council of Calcuith, held in a.d. 
 816, where the following enactment was made: *'When a 
 church is built let it he hallowed by the bishop of the dio- 
 cese ; afterwards let the Eucharist which the bishojD conse- 
 crates at that Mass be lajd up, together with the relics con- 
 tained in the little box, and kept in the same basilica ; but 
 if he cannot find any other relics, then will the Eucharist, 
 most of all, serve the purpose, for it is the Body and Blood 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ" [Church of Our Fathers, vol. i. 
 p. 41, note). This custom lasted in England up to the fif- 
 teenth century (ibid.) Three particles of incense, as is also 
 the rule now, used to be enclosed in the little box where the 
 relics were deposited (ibid. 42). 
 
 Another custom that prevailed in certain places was to en- 
 close with the regular rehcs portions of the instruments em- 
 ployed in torturing the martyrs, as well as documents of 
 high veneration. From a record of St. Paul's Church, Lon- 
 don, in 1295, we find that its jasper altar had deposited, in it, 
 besides the relics of SS. Philip and Andrew and those of 
 SS. Denis and Blasius, a relic also of the veritable cross 
 upon which St. Andrew was crucified {ibid. 254). 
 
124: Relics. 
 
 LETTER OP THE BLESSED VIKGIX ENCLOSED. 
 
 At Messina, iu Sicily, there is said to be aii altar in which 
 is enclosed, as a most precious relic, a letter written by the 
 Mother of God herself. The history of this curious letter 
 is as follows : Tradition has it that the Messinese received 
 the faith direct from the Prince of the Apostles himself 
 during his Roman Pontificate. Their cathedral is oue of 
 tlie most august in Europe, and the most venerable by 
 reason of its great antiquity, for it was founded in a.d. 
 1197. In the year a.d. 42, as the legend goes, St. Paul 
 visited Messina, and having found the people there well 
 disposed, and eager to hear the word of God from his lips, 
 he preached them two sermons, one on our Lord's Passion, 
 the other on the perpetual virginity of our Blessed Lady. 
 This latter had such a telling effect upon the inhabitants 
 that they cried out w^ith one acclaim, ** Our city must be 
 placed under the protection of the Virgin Mother." The 
 story goes on to say that an embassy, at the head of which 
 was St. Paul himself, was sent to Jerusalem, where the Mo- 
 ther of God was then living, and that as soon as the Blessed 
 Virgin received the embassy she sent a rej^ly to the Messi- 
 nese in Hebrew, stating that she was willing to accede to 
 their pious wishes. This letter was afterwards done into 
 Greek by St. Paul, and deposited in the ancient church of 
 Messina, whence in course of time it was removed to its 
 present place in the altar of the cathedral church. The 
 following is a copy of this singular document : 
 
 " Mary, Virgin, daughter of Joachim, most lowly hand- 
 maid of God, Mother of the Crucified Jesus Christ, of the 
 tribe of Juda, from the race of David, to all the people 
 of Messina salutation and blessiug from God the Father 
 Almighty. It is certified by public documents that all of 
 you have, in great faith, sent emissaries and ambassadors 
 
Relics of the Orientals. 125 
 
 to us. Led to know the way of the truth through the 
 preaching of Paul the Apostle, ye confess that our Son, tlie 
 Only-Begotten of Grod, is both God and man, and that he 
 ascended into heaven after his resurrection. For this 
 reason we, therefore, bless ye and your cit}', whose per- 
 petual Protectress we desire to become. — Year of our Son 
 42 ; Indiction I. ; iii. nones of June ; xxvii. of the moon ; 
 feria v. from Jerusalem. Mary, Virgin, who hath approved 
 the handwriting above" (Catholic Italy, by Hemans, vol. 
 ii. p. 511). 
 
 To establish the genuineness of this letter the learned 
 Jesuit, Father Melchior Inchofer, wrote a very learned 
 Latin work, entitled Epidolce B. Virginis Mar ice ad Messi- 
 nenses Veritas vindicata — *' The truth of the Epistle of 
 the Blessed Virgin Mary to the people of Messina vindi- 
 cated."' 
 
 RELICS OF THE ORIENTALS. 
 
 The Orientals agree with us also in the discipline regard- 
 ing sacred relics. These, with the Eastern churches, are 
 often placed under the altar in a little box, and are held in 
 the greatest veneration by the people. According to the 
 Ritual of Eussia,' this little box is only placed there when 
 the archbishop consecrates the church in person and not by 
 deputy (Romanoff, 84). Without these relics the Kestorian 
 Rituals forbid any altar whatever to be consecrated (Smith 
 and Dwight, Travels in Armenia, ii. 236). 
 
 ^ The Russian Church uses the same liturgies and ceremonies ae the Greek Church, 
 but the language of the Mass is Slavonic. There are, of course, a few other diffe- 
 rences of minor note. 
 
 3 By order of the Sacred Congregation of the Index the word truth, as herein 
 applied, was afterwards changed into conjecture. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 CRUCIFIXES AND CROSSES. 
 CRUCIFIXES. 
 
 According to the best liturgical writers, the custom of 
 placing the Crucifix — that is, a cross with the image of our 
 Lord crucified upon it — has been derived from the Apostles 
 themselves. Mention is made of it by all the early Fathers, 
 and, as we shall see a little further on, it has always been 
 used by the Orientals (Bouvry, ii. 225 ; Kozma, 33). It is 
 intended to remind all that in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 
 the same Victim is offered wliich was offered on Calvar}^, but 
 in an unbloody manner. *^ The Church omits nothing,'' 
 says Pope Benedict XIV., ^^to impress upon the minds of 
 tliC priest and people that the Sacrifice of the altar and that 
 of the Cross are the same" (Bouvry, ii. 22, note). 
 
 Whenever there is an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 
 it is recommended to take away the Crucifix as long as the 
 reality is present ; but, if this cannot be conveniently done, 
 it is not insisted upon. In fact, every church is allowed to 
 follow its own custom in this respect (De Herdt, i. 181). 
 
 differ EI^^T kinds OF '^SOSSES. 
 
 While on the subject of Crosses we deem it well to men- 
 tion the different kinds, as erroneous notions are prevalent 
 about some of them. There are usually enumerated six 
 different kinds of Crosses — viz.: 1st. The Latin Cross, v^licj-o 
 
 120 
 
Different Kinds of Crosses. 137 
 
 the transverse beam cuts the upright shaft near the top. 
 2d. The Greek Cross, where two equal beams cut each other 
 in the middle. 3d. The Cross commonl}^ known as St. An- 
 drew's, because the saint was crucified on it ; it resembles 
 the letter X. 4th. The Egyptian, or St. Anthony's Cross, 
 shaped like the letter T. 5th. The Maltese Cross, so called 
 because worn by the Knights of Malta, formed of four equi- 
 lateral triangles, whose apices meet in one common point. 
 Gth. The Russian Cross, having two transverse beams at the 
 liead, and one near the foot of tlie upright shaft, sliglitly 
 inclined, to favor a tradition of long standing with the Rus- 
 sians — VIZ., that when our Lord hung on the Cross one of 
 his foet was lifted a little higher than the other (Coxe, 
 Travels in Russia, p. 593). 
 
 Triple Cross, — A Cross with three transverse bars or tran- 
 soms is generally denominated the Papal Cross ; but this is 
 notliing more than pure imagination, for no such Cross ever 
 existed among papal insignia, and it exists nowhere to-day. 
 When the Holy Father moves in procession nothing but the 
 simplest kind of Cross — viz., that with one transverse beam 
 —is carried before him, and it is well known that he never 
 uses a bishop's crook, or crosier, as it is called. A triple 
 Cross, therefore, is a misconception, invented by painters, 
 but never authorized by the Church. 
 
 Double Cross.— The double Cross, or that with two 
 transverse beams at the head, one a little longer than the 
 other, owes its origin evidently to the fact that upon the 
 true Cross whereon our Lord suffered a board was placed 
 above the liead with the inscription in Hebrew, in Greek, 
 and in Latin, ''Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jcavs." 
 This board is represented by one transom; and that on 
 which our Lord's head rested, and to which his hands were 
 nailed, forms the second, and hence the so-called double 
 Cross. 
 
128 Crucifixes and Crosses. 
 
 Archiepiscopal Cross. — We are entirely at a loss to know 
 how this doable Cross came to be an archiepiscopal ensign. 
 Neither the CcBremoniale Episcoijorum nor the Pontificale 
 Romanum gives a word to distinguish it from any other ; 
 nor is it spoken of by any liturgical writer of our acquain- 
 tance, and there are few whose works we have not perused. 
 It cannot be denied, however, that such Crosses are in use, 
 and that they were formerly in vogue in certain places, par- 
 ticularly with the English jjrelates. It is generally supposed 
 that they found their way into England from the East in 
 the time of the Crusades. It is supposed, too, that his lord- 
 ship Anthony Beck, Bishop of Durham, whom Pope Clement 
 v., in 1305, created patriarch of Jerusalem, had something to 
 do with their introduction, for they were very common with 
 the Greeks (Dr. Rock, Church of Our Fathers, vol. ii. pp. 218- 
 223). It may interest the reader to know that the only two 
 prelates in the Church who are mentioned by name as hav- 
 ing a peculiar right to the double Cross are the Patriarcli 
 of Venice ' and the Archbishop of Agria, in Hungary (Koz- 
 ma, 73, note 3). 
 
 Jansenistic Crosses. — Crosses in which the arms of our 
 Lord are but partly extended are called Jansenistic, from 
 Cornelius Jansens, Bishop of* Ipres, or Ypres, in Belgium, 
 A.D. 1635, who maintained the heretical doctrine that Christ 
 died not for all mankind but only for the good. To con- 
 form with the true doctrine that Christ died for all, a regu- 
 lar Catholic Crucifix would represent our Lord's arms fully 
 extended. 
 
 ' Although the term patriarch is now nothing more than a mere honorary title, still 
 it is well for the reader know that there are twelve such dignitaries in the Catholic 
 Church to-day— viz., the patriarchs of Constantinople, of Alexandria, of Antioch of 
 the Maronites, of Antioch of the Melchites, of Antioch of the Syrians, of Antioch of the 
 Latins, of Jerusalem, of Babylon, of the Indies, of Lisbon, of Cilicia, and of Venice 
 (GerarcMa Cattolica, 1873). 
 
How our Lord was fadened to the Cross. 129 
 
 NUMBER OF Is^AILS BY "WHICH OUR LORD WAS FASTENED TO 
 THE CROSS. 
 
 It is commonly supposed tliut our Lord's feet were sepa- 
 rately nailed to the Cross, and not placed one over the otlier 
 and fastened by a single nail, as is the tradition in the 
 Greek Church. Pope Benedict XIV., commenting on this 
 l)oint, pertinently remarks that it would be almost impos- 
 sible to avoid breaking some of the bones of the feet if one 
 rested on the other and a nail were driven through both. 
 There would be danger in that case of making void the 
 Scriptural saying to the effect that not a bone of our Saviour 
 was to be broken. 
 
 Before the twelfth century the paintings representing the 
 Crucifixion always exhibited our Lord's feet nailed sepa- 
 rately ; and, therefore, four nails instead of three were the 
 entire number that fastened him to the cross. St. Gregory 
 of Tours and Durandus speak of four nails, but the latter 
 writer also alludes to three without saying Avhich number he 
 himself inclines to (Rationale Divinorum, p. 537). From 
 time immemorial the Latin Church has kept to the tradi- 
 tion that four nails were employed, and not three, and she 
 represents our Lord as thus crucified (see Notes, Eccle- 
 siological and Historical, on the Holydays of the English 
 Church, p. 172). 
 
 It is commonly believed that one of the nails of the Cru- 
 cifixion is kept yet in the Church of the Holy Cross at 
 Rome, and that the cathedrals of Paris, Treves, and Toul 
 have the others. When St. Helena first discovered them it 
 is said that she attached one to the helmet of her son, Con- 
 stantino the Great, and another to the bridle of his horse. 
 Tradition has it that she threw a third into the Adriatic 
 Sea to appease a storm. The crown of Italy contains a por- 
 tion of one of these nails, and filings from them are kept as 
 
130 Crucifixes and Crosf<^s. 
 
 precious relics in many churches of Europe {The Sacrame^i- 
 tals, by Rev. W. J. Barry). 
 
 THE PKACTICE OF THE OEIEJ^TAL CHURCH REGARDIN"G THE 
 
 CRUCIFIX. 
 
 The Oriental disciplinary canons regarding the sacred 
 symbol of salvation are very strict. No service must take 
 place without having the Cross promiuent. There is one 
 placed on the altar for the people to kiss the moment 
 they enter the church. It may be seen in all the principal 
 streets of Eastern cities, especially within the Russian do- 
 minions, and there is hardly a private house in which the 
 Crucifix and an image of our Blessed Lady, with a lamp 
 burning before them, are not prominently in view (see Por- 
 ter's Travels, p. 54 ; Romanoff, Greco-Russian Church, pp. 
 84 and 93). 
 
 The Armenians have an extraordinary reverence for the 
 Cross. Before they apply it to use it is first consecrated 
 Avith much ceremony. To this end it is washed in wine 
 and water, in imitation of the blood and water which flowed 
 from our Sftviour's side, and is then anointed with the sa- 
 cred oil, or meiron, in token of the Holy Spirit who de- 
 scended upon him. Following this, several passages from 
 the Psalms, the Prophets, and from the Epistles and Gos- 
 pels are recited ; after which the priest sends up a prayer of 
 invocation that God may give to this Cross the power of 
 casting out devils, of healing diseases, and of appeasing the 
 wrath that visits us on account of our sins. A Cross when 
 thus consecrated is called by the Armenians the ^^ Throne 
 of Christ," his ^^ Chariot," his *^ Weapon for the conquest 
 of Satan" (Smith and Dwight, Researches in Armenia, 
 vol. i. pp. 157, 158). 
 
 The i^estorians, also, have a singular reverence for it. 
 In order that thcv mav enter the house of God filled witli 
 
Practice of the Oriental CliurcJi regarding the Cracijix. 131 
 
 holy recollections, it stands at the very threshold of all their 
 churches (Badger, JSfestorians and their Rituals, ii. loo), 
 and not uufrequently is it worn with the prints of their 
 kisses. The two authors just quoted inform us that the 
 first act a Xestorian Christian performs upon entering the 
 church, and before he takes his seat, is to dolf his shoes 
 and j)ay his obeisance to the Cross, which stands on a side 
 altar, by humbly approaching and kissing it (ii. p. 210). 
 One of the greatest festivals in the Kestorian calendar is 
 ** Holy-Cross Day," which is celebrated wdth great j^omp 
 on the 13th of November. As the Eev. Mr. Badger admits, 
 volumes might be written about the veneration paid the 
 Cross by the Nestorians, heretics though they be. 
 
 JSTor are the Copts' behindhand in this sacred duty. 
 Their reverence for it is so great that, in order to have it 
 always before their eyes, they inscribe it on their amis by 
 a process of tattooing ; and when any one asks them whether 
 they are Christians or not, the arm thus tattooed is at once 
 displayed in testimony of their belief (Pococke, Travels in 
 Egypt, p. 370). 
 
 Protestant missionaries to the East would do well to re-, 
 sume their reverence for the sacred symbol of salvation. 
 As long as they reject it from their service, and ridicule 
 the pious veneration paid to it East and West, their prose- 
 lytes will be very few. In many parts of the Orient they 
 are looked upon as heathens on this account alone. The 
 authors above cited are forced to make open confession of 
 this fact. 
 
 ^ In speaking of the Eastern Christians throughout this work we have not deemed 
 it necessary, unless in a few particular cases, to specify their doctrinal tenets. As 
 far as ceremonies and liturgical customs are concerned, there exists hardly 
 any difference between the orthodox and the heterodox. It is well that the 
 reader should bear this carefully in mind, as it will serve as a key to many a 
 difficulty. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 LIGHTS. 
 
 Alo:s^gside the crucifix there are placed on every altar 
 for the celebration of Mass two candlesticks with candles 
 of pure wax burning in them during the entire time of 
 divine service. At Solemn High Mass the rule requires 
 at least six. At a Low Mass celebrated by a bishop it is 
 customary to light four. An ordinar}^ priest can never em- 
 ploy more than two. When tlie Holy Father celebrates 
 High Mass the candles used are always ornamented (Mar- 
 tin ucci, ii. p. 31, note). 
 
 The rule requiring the candles to be of pure wax is very 
 stringent, and dispensations from its observance are rarely 
 granted unless in difiicult circumstances. The Catholic 
 missionaries in some parts of the empire of China and 
 throughout Hindostan have, wlien pressed by necessity, 
 been allowed by the Holy See to use oil instead of candles. 
 Sperm candles and those known as jjaraffine are wholly 
 interdicted, unless in case of churches whose poverty is 
 so great that none others can be purchased. Besides tlie 
 natural reason for prohibiting the use of any lights but 
 those of pure wax — viz., because those of any other ma- 
 terial usually emit an offensive odor— there are many spirit- 
 ual or mystical reasons also, the principal of which is that 
 the pure wax symbolizes our Lord's humanity, which was 
 stainless and sinless; and the light his divinity y which 
 always shone forth and illuminated his every action. 
 
Mystic Signification of Lights, 133 
 
 AXTIQUITT OF LIGHTS UPOX THE ALTAR. 
 
 It is an opinion which it would be rash to diHer from that 
 the use of lights at tlie celebration of Mass is of apostolic 
 origin. Cardinal Bona and all liturgists of note strongly 
 maintain this, and many passages of the Xew Testament 
 seem to warrant it (Bona, Rev. Liturg., pp. 206-294). 
 
 MYSTIC SIGXIFICATIOX OF LIGHTS. 
 
 There are many mystic significations, besides the one we 
 have mentioned, to be found in the use of lights at Mass. In 
 the first place, they rej^resent our Divine Lord's mission 
 upon earth in a very striking and happy manner. He is 
 called by the Prophet Isaias '^ a great Light," who also says 
 that *^ to them who dwelt in the region of the shadow of 
 death a Light is risen " (chap. ix. 2). Tlie same prophet 
 calls him the "Light of Jehovah," and calls upon Jerusalem 
 to arise and be enlightened by him. When the aged Simeon 
 first saw him and held him in his arms in the Temple, he 
 designated him as "a Light to the revelation of the Gen- 
 tiles " (Luke ii. 32). He calls himself the Light of the ivorld: 
 '' I am the Light of the world " {John viii.); and St. John 
 describes him as " the true Light which enlighteneth every 
 man coming into this world." The Rabbis also had this 
 idea of our Divine Lord, or the '' great Expected of nations," 
 as he was called, for they looked to him as the Light of God 
 who was to guide them in the way of peace {Essays on tlie 
 Names and Titles of Jesus Christ, p. 216, by Ambrose Serle ; 
 London, 1837). Then, again, his teaching is aptly compared 
 to a light ; for as the latter dispels physical darkness, which 
 hides all the beauties of nature from our gaze, so the former 
 dispels all the darkness of the soul and enables it to see what 
 is beautiful and true and good in the spiritual order. "Thy 
 word is a lamp to my feet," says the royal Psalmist, " and a 
 light to my paths " {Ps. cxviii.) But more especially is the 
 
13-i Lights. 
 
 word of the holy Gospel this lamp and light, for which 
 reason, when it is chanted in the Mass, the Church wisely or- 
 dains that lights should accompany it in solemn procession. 
 ^^MVheiiever the Gospel is read," says St. Jerome, Avriting to 
 Vigilantius, " lights are produced ; not, indeed, to hanisli 
 darkness, but to demonstrate a sign of joy, that under the 
 type of a corporal light that light may be manifested of 
 which we read in the Psalmist : * Thy word, Lord, is a 
 lamp to my feet and a light to my paths' " {Hierurgia, p. 
 401). 
 
 Lights in the Old Law. — The use of lights in the Jewish 
 ceremonial is so well authenticated that we need not stay to 
 prove it. Tlie Holy Scrijotares themselves attest it. JS"or 
 need we dwell particularly on the seven-branched candlestick 
 which God himself ordered to be made and to be kept filled 
 with oil, in order that it may burn always (see Exod, xxv. 
 and xxvii. 20), for it is not certain whether this candlestick 
 gave light also during the day. If it did not it would not 
 help our purpose much to cite it as an example. Josephus, 
 however, who is a very reliable authority in this matter, dis- 
 tinctly says that three of its lamps burned also in the day- 
 time [Antiquities of the Jews, book iii. chap. viii. 3); and 
 in his account of the building of the Temple by Hiram of 
 Tyre he says that ten thousand candlesticks Avere made, one 
 of which was specially dedicated for the sacred edifice 
 itself, ^^that it might burn in the day-time, according to 
 law" (book viii. chap. iii. 7). 
 
 LIGHTS GIYEX THE NEWLY-BAPTIZED. 
 
 One of the most impressive ceremonies of the entire rite 
 of holy baptism is witnessed at that place where the priest 
 puts into the hand of the newly-baptized a lighted candle, 
 with the following solemn admonition : *' Receive this burn- 
 ing light, and preserve your baptism blamelessly : keep the 
 
Lights as Marhs of Piespecf. 135 
 
 commandments of God, in order that when the Lord shall 
 come to the marriage-feast you may run to meet him with 
 all the saints in his celestial palace, and may have life ever- 
 lasting and live for ever and ever. Amen." 
 
 LIGHTS AS MAEKS OF EESPECT. 
 
 Lights are significant of great respect, and hence they 
 were used on occasions of great moment. The Athenians 
 employed them on the feasts of Minerva, Yulcan, and Pro- 
 metheus, and the Eomans used them on all 'their solemn 
 days {Notes and Illustrations on the Reasons of the Law of 
 Moses, by Rabbi Maimonides, p. 411). Out of the great re- 
 spect that the Jews had for the garments of their high- 
 priest, a light was kept constantly burning before them as 
 long as they remained deposited in the tower called " Anto- 
 nia" at Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiq. of the Jeivs, book 
 xviii. chap. iv. 3). The grand lama, or sovereign pontiff, of 
 Tartary is never seen in his palace without having a profu- 
 sion of lamps and torches burning around him (Burder, 
 Relig. Customs and Ceremonies), and it is a well-known fact 
 that a certain European dignitary — a son of one of the 
 crowned heads — upon occasion of his visit to this country 
 some years ago, refused to sit down in the apartments as- 
 signed him in one of our fashionable hotels until two wax 
 candles had been brought and lighted before him. This 
 etiquette is very common in the East (see Religious Ceremo- 
 nies and Customs, by Burder, p. 502 and passim). 
 
 Lights at Funerals and Graves. — Eusebius gives a glow- 
 ing account of the profusion of lights used at the funeral 
 obsequies of Constantine the Great, who died a.d. 337, and 
 St. Jerome speaks of the quantity used at the burial of the 
 pious St. Paula. When tlie body of St. John Chrysostom 
 was conveyed from Comana to Constantinople vast crowds; 
 of people came to meet the cortege in vsliips on the I'x). - 
 
13 G Liglds, 
 
 pliorus, and so numerous were the liglits that burned on 
 the occasion that the whole sea appeared as if ablaze 
 {Hierurgia, p. 403). Lights were kept constantly burning 
 in Westminster Abbey, London, before England's great 
 heroes, and the old story of lamps being found burning in 
 sepulchres after the lapse of ages clearly shows how im- 
 portant it was considered by the ancients to show this mark 
 of respect to the dead. 
 
 .LIGHTS AT SOLEMN- HIGH MASS. 
 
 Besides the regular lights placed upon the altar at the 
 beginning of Mass, others are brought out by acolytes at the 
 approach of consecration, and are kept burning as long as 
 our Divine Lord is present on the altar— that is, until after 
 the Communion. 
 
 Oriental Practice in this Respect.— The discipline of the 
 Oriental Church and ours is in perfect agreement on this 
 point, as every one can testify who has ever travelled in the 
 East or looked into any of the Oriental Liturgies. The 
 Copts on no account will say Mass without two candles at 
 least. "Liturgia non celebretur," says one of their canons, 
 " absque cereis duobus majoribus aut minoribus qui a] tare 
 luceant" — that is, '^Let not the Liturgy be celebrated with- 
 out two large wax candles or two small ones to burn on 
 the altar " (Kenaudot, Litnrg. Orient. Col, i. p. 179). The 
 rest of the Oriental churches are equally strict in their ob- 
 servance of this practice. 
 
 We have designedly dwelt on this subject in order to 
 show that Protestants have no grounds whatever for saying 
 that our practice of burning lights in the open day is ridicu- 
 lous, and without any meaning or precedent to justify it. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 THE TABERNACLE, 
 
 The small structure in the centre of the altar, resembling 
 a church in appearance, is called the Tabernacle of the 
 Blessed Sacrament. It is here that the Holy Encharist is 
 always reserved under lock and key ; and so particular is 
 the Church about the respect that should be paid it that 
 the most minute directions are given regarding its exterior 
 and interior ornamentation. In sliape it may be square, 
 hexagonal, heptagonal, or any other becoming form ; but it 
 must not be crowned with any profane devices, or be made 
 so as to suggest anything else than the sacred purpose for 
 which it is intended ; hence, as far as can be, a cross should 
 surmount its top, and its outside, if means admit, should 
 be finished in gold. As wood is less liable to contract 
 dampness than any other material, it is advisable to have 
 the Tabernacle made of it ; but if made of marble, metal, or 
 any kind of stone, its inside at least should be lined with 
 wood out of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. Ko mat- 
 ter what its material be, the interior must always be covered 
 over with silk, and a clean corporal must lie under the ves- 
 sel in which the Blessed Sacrament is enclosed. 
 
 It is strictly forbidden to make the Tabernacle a base for 
 anything to rest on, even though the thing were a reliquary 
 containing a portion of the true cross or a relic of the great- 
 est saint in heaven ; and it is forbidden, too, to have any 
 'Irawers over or under it for the purpose of keeping the holy 
 
 137 
 
138 The TaUrnacle, 
 
 oils or any utensils belonging to the altar or sanctuary. 
 Upon no consideration can any emjDty vessels be kept within 
 it, such as the chalice, ciborium, lunette, monstrance, or the 
 like. A^othing, in fact, is allowed there but the sacred vessel 
 containing the Blessed Sacrament ; and if for any realbn 
 this should not be there, the door should be always open, in 
 order that the people may not be deceived. 
 
 The Tabernacle shotild have two key-s, made of gold or 
 silver, or at least gilt, one of which should be kept by tlie 
 pastor himself, the other by one of his priests. 
 
 A lamp fed with pure olive-oil must burn before it per- 
 petually — a discipline which, as we have seen, prevails also 
 in the Oriental Church, and by which we are reminded of 
 the ^^ perpetual fire" of Solomon's Temple, and of that sa- 
 cred mystic fire of divine charity with which our Lord's 
 heart ever burns in the adorable Sacrament of the Altar, 
 
CHAPTER XrV. 
 
 TEE MISSAL, 
 
 The Missal is the next thing that claims our considera- 
 tion. It is a large book in folio, printed iti Latin in red and 
 black letters, and containing all the Masses that are to bo 
 said throughout the year. It begins with the first Sunday 
 of Advent.' The portions printed throughout in red letters 
 are termed the rubrics.'' They give the directions by wliich 
 a priest is to be guided in performing the various actions of 
 the Mass. Attached to the Missal are five large ribbons, 
 or book-marks, corresponding in color to the five colors 
 used in the sacred vestments. It is customary to mark the 
 Mass of the day with the ribbon that suits it in color. 
 That part of tlie Missal called the '-Canon" has slips of 
 leather attached to its leaves for the greater convenience of 
 the priest. 
 
 J The First Sunday of Advent has no fixed date. According to the present disci- 
 pline, it is always the nearest Sunday to St Andrew's Feast (November 30), whether 
 before or after it. In case this feast should fall on a Sunday it is transferred to some 
 other day, and that Sunday Is the first of Advent. The old rule for finding Advent 
 Sunday was thus expressed : 
 
 *' Saint Andrew the king 
 Three weeks and three days before Christmas comes in ; 
 Three days after, or three days before, 
 Advent Sunday knocks at the door." 
 
 2 The word 7'ub?-ic, which comes from the Latin ruber, red, was first applied by the 
 ancient Eomans to a species of red chalk with which they marked the titles of their 
 books and statutes ; in process of time the red writing itself received the name, and in 
 this way has it descended to us. What the Romans called rvbrica the Greeks called 
 miitos. The latter used it in painting their phips (Homer. Iliad, ix. 125). 
 
 189 
 
140 The Missal 
 
 MISSAL STAKD. 
 
 Although the rubric calls for a cushion to support the 
 Missal, general custom justifies the use of a regular book- 
 stand for this purpose. The precise symbolism of the 
 cushion is this : it denotes the tender hearts of the true 
 hearers of the word of God, and not the hard hearts such 
 as were manifested for it by the Jews (Gavantus, 116). 
 
 AKCIEKT MISSALS. 
 
 Who the author of the first Missal was it is not easy to 
 determine. Some are of opinion that it was St. James the 
 Apostle/ first Bishop of Jerusalem, and that he composed 
 it in the Cenacle of Sion (Kozma, 97; Eenaudot, Dissert, 
 de Liturg. Orient. Origine et Auctoritate, vol. i.) Be this 
 so or not, all are agreed that the Liturgy which bears the 
 name of this Apostle is the most ancient in existence. It 
 was committed to writing about a.d. 200. 
 
 Following closely upon the apostolic age we find no less 
 than four special books employed in the service of the altar 
 — viz., an Antiphonary, an Evangeliary, a Lectionary, and 
 a Sacramentary. The Antiphonary contained all that was 
 to be sung by the choir and sacred ministers. It was some- 
 
 8 There were two apostles who bore the name of James. One, called James the 
 Greater from his seniority in age, was the son of Zebedee and Mary (surnamed 
 Salome). The other, called James the Less, also the Just from his great sanc- 
 tity, and "Brother of the Lord" because allied to him as cousin-german, 
 was the son of Alphseiis and Mary (sister of the Blessed Virgin). He was 
 appointed Bishop of Jerusalem soon after our Lord's ascension, where he met 
 death at the hands of the Jews by being cast from the battlements of the 
 Temple and then despatched with a blow from a fuller's club. According to 
 Josephus, he was esteemed so holy a man that it was generally believed the 
 final overthrow and destruction of Jerusalem was a divine visitation in punish- 
 ment for his cruel death. He is the author of the Catholic Epistle which goes 
 by his name. 
 
Ancient Missals. 141 
 
 thing like our modern gnidiuil. The Evangeliary contained 
 the series of Gospels for the Sundays and festivals of the 
 year. In the Lectionary were to be found all the lessons 
 that were read in the Mass from the Old and New Testa- 
 ments ; and whatever the priest himself had to recite, such 
 as the Collects, Secrets, Preface, Canon, etc., was found in 
 tlie Sacramentary. 
 
 The authorship of these four volumes is 3-et an unsettled 
 question. John the Deacon (1. 2, c. 6), who wrote the life of 
 Pope St. Gregory the Great, tells us that he saw with liis own 
 eyes the Antiphonary wliich was composed by that pontiff ; 
 but whether we are to consider this as the first written, or 
 only as a new edition of the first, the writer does not state. 
 Many, however, are of opinion that this really was the first 
 written, so that Pope Gregory may be considered its true 
 author (Kozma, 99, note ; Gavantus, 5). 
 
 Of the Lectionary we find mention made as far back as 
 the middle of the third century, for St. Hippolytus, Bishop 
 of Porto, in Italy, alludes to it in his so-called Paschal 
 Canon (Kozma, idid.) Its precise author is unknown. 
 Towards the end of the fourth century it underwent a 
 thorough revision at the liands of St. Jerome, Avho was 
 specially appointed for the task by His Holiness Pope St. 
 Pamasus. The Epistles and Gospels to be read throughout 
 tlie year were inserted in it, after much care had been ex- 
 pended in assigning to the different Sundays and festivals 
 the particular lessons that were best suited to them. This 
 codex is sometimes called the Hieronymian Lectionary, 
 from St. Jerome (Hieronyimis in Greek), its compiler ; 
 and it is from it that the series of Epistles and Gospels 
 in our present Missal has been taken (Kozma, 177, note ; 
 Gavantus, TJiesaur. Sacr. Rit.,h). 
 
 The authorship of the Evangeliary is still unsettled, 
 ^lention is often made of it by ancient writers, yet little 
 
U2 Tlie Missal 
 
 attempt has been made at discovering its precise author, 
 and this principally on account of its great antiquity. 
 
 Regarding the Sacramentary, called also the Book of the 
 Mysteries, much dispute has been raised. Although gene- 
 rally ascribed to Pope Leo the Great (fifth century), and 
 called Leonine from him, yet some of the ablest liturgical 
 writers deny it to be his composition. Besides this so- 
 called Leonine Sacramentary, two others appeared in course 
 of time : one edited by Pope G-elasius, the other by Pope 
 Gregory the Great. The Gelasian was, to all intents and 
 purposes, a recast of the Leonine, and the Gregorian was 
 formed from them both. Whenever allusion is now made 
 to a Sacramentary, that issued under the appellation of the 
 Gregorian is always understood, for it was more complete 
 than any other (Kozma, p. 99, note 9). 
 
 As it was oftentimes very embarrassing for a priest, es- 
 pecially if celebrating Low Mass, to have to turn from one 
 to another of these four volumes whenever he wanted to 
 read a particular prayer or lesson, tlie necessity of hav- 
 ing one book in which the matter of all the four would 
 be combined was soon felt, and this led to the subsequent 
 introduction of what were termed Plenary Missals. Al- 
 though Missals of this kind were in use long before the 
 Council of Trent (1545 to 1563), still, inasmuch as they 
 received greater perfection in being remodelled by a special 
 decree of the Fathers of this august assembly, their origin 
 is generally ascribed to it. The Sacramentary of Pope 
 Gregory the Great was the norma employed in preparing 
 the new Plenary Missal. The task, first taken in hand by 
 Pope Pius IV., was brought to a termination by his suc- 
 cessor, Pius v., who in 1570 produced a new Missal and 
 issued a bull enjoining its observance on all. This is the 
 Mass Book that we use to-day (Kozma, p. 101, note 3). 
 
 Of course the reader must not suppose that any change 
 
Missals of the Orientals. 143 
 
 of a substantial nature was made in the Ordinary of the 
 Mass when preparing this new edition of the Missal. All 
 that Pope Pius Y. did was to reduce it to a better form 
 and expunge those errors and interpolations from it which 
 were introduced about the period of the Keformation. He 
 did, it is true, make some things obligatory which it had 
 been customary to say or omit at pleasure before his time, 
 such as the Psalm ^^Judica me, Deus," at the beginning 
 of Mass, and the Gospel of St. John at the end ; but this 
 was all. The rest of his emendations principally concerned 
 certain rubrical observances which affected in no way the 
 norma of the Mass. 
 
 MISSALS OF THE ORIENTALS. 
 
 The Orientals use many more books in the service of the 
 altar than we. The Greeks alone employ as many as 
 eighteen, the principal of whicli are the following ; 1, 
 the Eucliology, which contains the three Liturgies used 
 by all who follow the Greek Rite — viz., the Liturgy of 
 St. Chrysostom, that of St. Basil, and the Liturgy of the 
 Presanctified ; 2, the Praxapostolos, so called from its con- 
 taining the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles ; 3, the 
 AnagnoseiSf or book containing the lessons read from the 
 Old Testament ; 4, the Fanegyricon, or collection of ser- 
 mons for tlie various festivals of the year (this book is gene- 
 rally in manuscript). 
 
 As Dr. Neale very justly remarks in his History of the 
 Holy Eastern Churchy vol. ii. p. 819, it is next to impossible 
 to get any clear idea of the books used by the Oriental 
 Church in the service of the altar. Their number is inter- 
 minable, and there is nothing but confusion in their service, 
 on account of the constant turning backward and forward 
 from one book to another in order to find the particular por- 
 tion to be read. Add to all this that there is no such thing 
 
144: The Missal. 
 
 known with them as a translation of a feast ; and hence 
 when an occurrence* of feasts happens all are celebrated 
 together, with a jumble of rubrics which it is impossible to 
 describe. The Typicon, or Ordo, for the feast of St. George, 
 for example, fills about ten pages of a quarto volume, and 
 this on account of all the other feasts that occur with it or 
 fall on the same day. 
 
 NESTORIAK MISSALS. 
 
 The Nestorians also employ a yast number of service- 
 books, but they do not trouble themselves much about ru- 
 brics. In the first j)lace, they have what is termed the 
 Eaangheliony or book of the Gospels. This they read at 
 every Mass. Second, the Sliho (in Syriac, j ^.v ^ ). or book 
 of Ei)istles, containing nothing but extracts from the 
 Epistles of St. Paul. Third, the Karyane (Syriac, lio9s 
 =horuzo, a preacher, hence the word Koran), which con- 
 tains extracts from the Old Testament and from the Acts 
 of the Apostles. Fourth, the Turgama (Syriac, j.:»a^^oZ 
 =.tiirgmo, interpretation, whence Targum), consisting of a 
 variety of hymns chanted responsively around the altar 
 by the deacons before the Epistle and Gospel, calling upon 
 the people to give ear to the words of the !N"ew Testament. 
 
 The Karyane is read by the Karoya, or lector, at the 
 altar door, on the south side ; the Sliho, on the north side, 
 by the subdeacon ; the celebrant himself reads the Euanghe- 
 lion at the middle of the altar. During the reading of all 
 these the sacred ministers are facing the congregation. In 
 case a Shammasha, or full deacon, is present the onus of 
 reading the Gospel devolves on him. The pulpit in which 
 
 * In liturgical language, wlien two or more feasts fall on the same day there is said 
 to be an occurrence of feasts ; when one feast meets another only at Vespers it is said 
 to constitute a concurrence. It is well to bear in mind that the ecclesiastical day 
 always begins in the evening and ends the evening following. 
 
Co;ptic Missal, 145 
 
 the Nestorlans formerly read the Sliho was denominated 
 Gagolta (same as Golgotha, the name of Mount Calvary), 
 from the steps by which it was ttscended. 
 
 The Chaldeans * use the same books in divine service, with 
 little difference, as the Nestorians (Badger, Nestorians and 
 their Rituals, vol. ii. p. 19). This difference touches, of 
 course, the Nestorian heresy of holding that -there are two 
 Persons in our Divine Saviour instead of one. 
 
 COPTIC MISSAL. 
 
 All that we know of the CojDtic Missal is that it is printed 
 throughout in the ancient Coptic language, and that its 
 rubrics are in the native Arabic, the language spoken by the 
 people ; for, as Dr. Neale very justly remarks, hardly three 
 persons can be found in all Cairo (the headquarters of the 
 Copts) who can speak the Coptic of the Missal, not except- 
 ing even the clergy, and hence the necessity of having the 
 rubrics printed in the vernacular. 
 
 6 The name Chaldean is generally used in the East as the distinctive appellation of 
 all who join our communion from Nestorianism. The Chaldean Catholics, as we have 
 said in another place, are governed by a patriarch with the title of " Patriarch of Baby- 
 Ion of the Chaldean Eite," TMs prelate generally reeides at Bagdad, 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 BELLS. 
 
 The use of bells in divine service is very ancient. We 
 find mention made of them in the books of Exodus 
 and Ecclesiasticus, where they are enumerated among the 
 ornaments of the high-priest's ephod^ in order that ^^ their 
 sound might be heard whenever he goeth in and cometh out 
 of the sanctuary." (We have stated in another place that 
 this ancient custom of attaching little bells to the fringes of 
 the priestly garments is yet very common in the Eastern 
 Church.) Besides these little bells the ancient Hebrews em- 
 ployed others of a larger kind, called Megeruphita, which 
 used to be sounded by the Levites on certain occasions. Of 
 these the Mishna ^ says that when they were struck their 
 noise was so deafening that you could not hear a person speak 
 in all Jerusalem. They were sounded principally for three 
 jDurposes : Eirst, to summon the priests to service ; secondly, 
 to summon the choir of Levites to sing ; thirdly, to invite 
 the stationary-men to bring the unclean to the gate called 
 Xicanor (Bannister, Temples of the HelreiuSj p. 101). The 
 Mishna further states that when these megeruphita were 
 sounded to their full capacity they could be heard at Jeri- 
 cho, eighteen miles from Jerusalem. 
 
 For the first three or four centuries of the Christian 
 
 ^ The Mishna, or oral law of the Jews, consists of various traditions respecting the 
 law of Moses. The Mishna and Gemara (or commentary on the Mishna) form what is 
 called the Talmud, of which there are two kinds — viz., that of Jerusalem and that of 
 Babylon. The latter is held to be the greater of the two. 
 
 146 
 
Ancient Substitute for Bells. 147 
 
 Church's existence the faithful were compelled to assemble 
 at divine service with as little noise as possible, for fear of 
 attracting the attention of their pagan enemies, and thus 
 bringing about fresh persecution ; hence we must not ex- 
 pect to find bells in use during those days. 
 
 According to Polydore Virgil it was Pope Sabinian (sev- 
 enth century), the immediate successor of Pope Gregory the 
 Great, who first introduced the practice of ringing bells at 
 Mass (Bona, Rer. Liturg., 259). The same thing is corrobo- 
 rated by Onuphrius Panvinius, who, when writing of this 
 pontiff, says : *' Hie Papa campanarum usum invenit, jus- 
 si tque ut ad horas canonicas, et Missarum sacrificia pulsaren- 
 tur in ecclesia " — that is, ^' This pontiff introduced the use of 
 bells, and ordained that they be rung in the church at the 
 canonical hours and during the Sacrifice of the Mass." 
 The usual ascription of the introduction of bells to St. 
 Paulinus of Nola stands upon little or no foundation. 
 
 The name campancB, sometimes given to bells, from Cam- 
 pana, in Italy, where large quantities of them were made, 
 generally denotes the larger kind, and nolm (also from an 
 Italian town) the smaller kind. Small bells went generally 
 by the name of tintinnabula, from their peculiar tinkling 
 sound. 
 
 ANCIEI^'T SUBSTITUTE FOR BELLS. 
 
 Before the use of bells had become general in the Church 
 it was customary to employ in their stead signal or sound- 
 ing boards, called semantrons, which used to be struck with 
 a mallet of hard wood. These are yet in use in most of the 
 Oriental churches, especially in those within the Turkish 
 dominions ; for it is the belief of the followers of the Koran 
 that the ringing of regular bells disquiets the souls of the 
 departed dead. Hence it is considered a great privilege in 
 the East, wherever Mahometanism prevails, to be allowed 
 
148 Bells. 
 
 the use of bells in divine service, and but few clinrcLes 
 enjoy it. Ali Pasha, in order to conciliate his Christian 
 subjects and win their esteem, granted the privilege to the 
 churches of Joannina, capital of Albania (Neale, Holy East- 
 ern Clmrcli, i. p. 216). They were also allowed at Argen- 
 tiera, or Khimoli, in the Archipelago {ibid.) ; and of late 
 their use was extended to the Church of the Holy Se- 
 pulchre at Jerusalem, where the sound of a bell had not 
 been heard since the time of the Crusades. 
 
 Of the semantrons there were two kinds, one made of 
 wood, the other of iron. The former consisted for the 
 most part of a long piece of hard, well-planed timber, 
 usually of the heart of maple, of from ten to twelve feet 
 in length, a foot and a half in breadth, and about nine 
 inches thick. In the centre of this piece of wood was a catch 
 in which to insert tlie hand while striking w^ith the mallet. 
 Persons who have heard these semantrons assure us that 
 the noise they make when struck by this mallet is perfectly 
 deafening. The sound emitted by the semantrons called 
 hagiosidera (because made of iron) is generally very musi- 
 cal, and consequently less grating on the ear than that 
 produced by those made of wood. These hagiosidera are 
 generally shaped like a crescent, and their sound differs 
 little from that of a Chinese gong. They are much in 
 use in the East. 
 
 With the Syrians the semantron is held in the greatest 
 veneration, for the reason that a tradition of long standing 
 among them ascribes its invention to Noe, who, according 
 to them, was thus addressed by Almighty God on the eve of 
 the building of the ark : '' Make for yourself a bell of box- 
 wood, which is not liable to corruption, three cubits long and 
 one and a half wide, and also a mallet from the same wood. 
 Strike this instrument three separate times every day : 
 once in the morning to summon the hands to the ark, 
 
Ancient Sulstitute for Bells. 149 
 
 once at midday to call them to dinner, and once in the 
 evening to invite them to rest." The Syrians strike their 
 semantrons wlien the Divine Office is going to begin and 
 when it is time to summon the people to public prayer 
 (Lamy, De Fide Sijrorum et Discip. in re EucharisticB). 
 The peculiar symbolism attached to this **Holy Wood," 
 as the semantron is often denominated, is, to say the 
 least, very significant and touching. Tlie sound of the 
 wood, for instance, recalls to mind the fact that it was 
 the wood of the Garden of Eden which caused Adam to 
 fall when he plucked its fruit contrary to the command of 
 God ; now the same sound recalls another great event to 
 mind — viz., the noise made in nailing to the wood of the 
 cross the Saviour of the world who came to atone for 
 Adam's transgression. This idea is beautifully expressed 
 in the '^Preface of the Cross." 
 
 That the Nestorians use bells in their service we are in- 
 formed by Smith and D wight {Researches in Armenia, ii. 
 p. 261), who, though rather dangerous to follow on account 
 of their narrow-minded bigotry, yet may be relied on when 
 treating of subjects which do not excite their prejudices. 
 They tell us that when the small bell is sounded the people 
 cross themselves and bow their heads a minute or two in 
 silent adoration. This is, very likely, at the Elevation. 
 
 With the Armenians there is an almost incessant ringing 
 of bells during Mass. These bells are for the most part en- 
 trusted to the custody of deacons, who carry them attached 
 to the circumference of circular plates held in the hand by 
 long handles. Large bells suspended from the domes of 
 their churches are also employed {ibid. ii. p. 101). 
 
 The Abyssinians, or Ethiopians, ring large bells during 
 the elevation of the Sacred Species. 
 
 According to Goar (EuclioL, p. 560), bells were not used 
 l)v the Oriental Cliurch before the end of tlio ninth conturv. 
 
150 Belh. 
 
 when Urso, Doge of Venice, sent twelve as a present to the 
 Emperor Michael, who afterwards placed them in the cam- 
 panile of the Church of Holy Wisdom at Constantinople 
 (Bona, p. 259). 
 
 At Mount Athos — called in the East the '' Holy Moun- 
 tain," from the vast number of its monasteries — bells are 
 "very much in vogue. The Monastery of St. Elias, on the 
 island of Crete, has some of rare excellence ; and that they 
 are held in genei'al esteem by the Cretans themselves may 
 be inferred from one of their ancient ballads, a stanza of 
 which runs thus (Neale, 216) : 
 
 " It was a Sunday morning. 
 
 And the bells were chiming free 
 To welcome in the Easter 
 At Hagio Kostandi."^ 
 
 The attachment of the Eussians to bells is known the 
 world over. Every church in the Kremlin ^ is loaded with 
 them ; and they are of such enormous size that several men 
 are required to ring one of them. The great tower of Ivan 
 Veliki has as many as thirty-three, among which is the 
 famous bell of Novgorod, whose sound used to call people 
 together from very distant parts. This immense bell is, 
 however, but a hand-bell in comparison to the great monster 
 bell of the world, known as ^^Ivan Veliki," or Big John, of 
 Moscow, for which no belfry could be built strong enough. 
 It weighs 216 tons — that is, 432,000 pounds. It is yet on ex- 
 hibition in the Kremlin, where for years past it has been 
 
 2 The word.3 "Hagio Kostandi" refer to Constantmople — I.e., the Holy Citj' of 
 Constantine. 
 
 ' As there is nothing more contemptible than pedantry, we foUow general custom 
 in spelling this word as i*^ is spelled here, although we know it is properly spelled 
 Kreml, which in Arabic means a fortified place. The Kremlin at Moscow is two 
 miles in circumference, and conta^as a vast number of magnificent churches ; that of 
 the Assumption is where the czars are always crowned. 
 
Bells silent in Holy Week. 151 
 
 serving as a chapel, the people entering through the large 
 ci-ack made in its side when in process of casting (Eoma- 
 noff, Rites and Customs of the Greco- Russian Church, p. 
 259 ; Porter's Travels, p. 163 ; Encyclopcedia Britannica, 
 art. ^'Bell").* 
 
 HOW THE FAITHFUL WERE SUMMOJifED TO CHUECH DUEIIfa 
 THE DAYS OF PERSECUTION". 
 
 Some writers have asserted, but altogether gi*atuitously, 
 that daring the days of persecution the faithful were sum- 
 moned to divine service by the sound of those boards called 
 semantrons, of wiiich we have been speaking ; but a moment's 
 reflection will convince us that this cannot be true, for it is 
 well known that in those times of trouble the utmost care 
 had to be taken in order that the gatherings of the faithful 
 might be entirely private, lest the pagans, hearing of them, 
 might make them a pretext for new persecution. It is 
 false, then, fco assert that any public signal was given for 
 gathering together the Christians, but rather that they were 
 assembled by some secret signs known among themselves, or 
 carried from one quarter to another by specially-deputed 
 persons. This is the view taken by Cardinal Bona (see Rer. 
 Liiurg,, p. 259), by Baronius, and many other eminent 
 writers. We have stated already that semantrons w^ere used 
 instead of bells in the early days, but by early days we 
 meant not the days of persecution, but only those which 
 followed closely upon the age of Constantino the Great. 
 
 BELLS SILE^^T 1^ HOLY WEEK. 
 
 As there is a mixture more or less of joy and solemnity in 
 the ringing of bells, it has been customary from time imme- 
 
 * The largest bells in the world, in actual use are : the pecond Moscow bell, which 
 weighs 128 tons ; the Kaiserglocke of Cologne Cathedral, 23 tons ; the great bell of 
 Pekin, 53 tons ; the bell of Notre Dame, 17 tons ; Big Ben of Westminster, 14 tons ; 
 Tom of Lincoln, 5 tons. 
 
152 Bells. 
 
 morial to suspend their use during the last days of Holy 
 Week, when the entire Church is in mourning for the 
 Passion and death of our Divine Saviour. Hence it is that 
 in many ancient documents this week is called the ^^ Still 
 Week'*'; in others, the -^Week of Suffering." The bells 
 are silent from the *' Gloria in excelsis " in the Mass of Holy 
 Thursday until the ''' Gloria" on Holy Saturday, when a 
 joyful and solemn peal is rung in memory of the glorious 
 resurrection of our Saviour. During the silence of the bells 
 little wooden clappers are used after the manuer of the 
 ancient semantrons, and are rung at all those parts of the 
 Mass, such as at the *' Sanctus," Elevation, Communion, 
 etc., iit which the usual bell would be sounded. 
 
 According to Pope Benedict XIY. (De Festis, No. 174), 
 bells are silent this week for the mystic reason that they 
 typify the preachers of the word of God, and all preaching 
 was suspended from our Lord's apprehension until after he 
 had risen from the dead. The apostles, too, when they saA\' 
 his bitter torments, and the indignities he was subjected 
 to by the Jews, stole away from him silently and left him 
 alone. Durandus gives many more mystic reasons for the 
 silence observed these three days {Rationale, p. 512). 
 
 The reader will do well to bear in mind that inasmuch as 
 the divine offices of Holy Week have a greater antiquity 
 than any others wdthin the annual cycle, they bear the im- 
 press yet of mauy early liturgical customs, all of which, as 
 we have taken care to note elsewhere, the Church clings to 
 with fond tenacity. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 BREAD USED FOR CONSECRATION, 
 
 For tlie valid consecration of the Holy Eucharist bread 
 made of wheat {panis triticeus), and no other, must be em- 
 ployed. According to the discipline of the Latin Church, 
 this bread must be luileavened, must have nothing temper- 
 ing or mixing it but water, and must be baked after the 
 manner of ordinary bread, and not stewed, fried, or boiled. 
 
 LEAVEJS'ED AXD UXLEAVENED BREAD. 
 
 No question has given rise to more warm dispute than 
 that which touches the use of leavened or unleavened bread 
 in the preparation of the Holy Eucharist. Cardinal Bona 
 tells us in his wonted modest way what a storm of indig- 
 nation he brought down upon himself when he stated in 
 his great work on the Mass and its ceremonies that the 
 use of leavened and unleavened bread was common in the 
 Latin Church until the beginning of the tenth century, 
 when unleavened bread became obligatory on all. We shall 
 not now go over the ground which the learned cardinal 
 did to prove this assertion, but we shall simply say for the 
 instruction of the reader that his opinion is embraced by 
 almost all writers on sacred liturgy. That the use of un- 
 leavened bread, or azymes, was never intermitted in the 
 Latin Church from the very institution of the Blessed 
 Eucharist itself all are willing to admit ; but it is very 
 commonly held that when the Ebionite heretics taught 
 
 153 
 
154 Bread used for Consecration. 
 
 that the precepts of the ancient law were binding upon 
 Christian people, and that, in consequence, the Eucharist 
 could not be celebrated at all unless the bread our Lord used 
 — viz., unleavened — were employed, the Church also sanc- 
 tioned the use of leavened bread to confound this teaching, 
 and that this remained in force until all traces of the Ebio- 
 nites had died away. This statement has for its supporters 
 several eminent theologians, among whom are Alexander of 
 Hales, Duns Scotus, St. Bonaventure, and St. Thomas Aqui- 
 nas (see Cardinal Bona, Rer. Liturg.., lib. i. cap. xxiii.; 
 Kozma, 238 ; Keale, Holy Eastern Chiorch, ** On the Con- 
 troversy concerning tbe Azymes," vol. ii.) 
 
 In so far as tbe validity of the sacrament is concerned, 
 both the Latin and Greek churches have always held that 
 consecration takes place in either kind, and that the use of 
 leavened or unleavened bread is altogether a matter of dis- 
 cipline and not of dogma. The latter Church, too, acknow- 
 ledges (at least the ancient Greek Church did), equally with 
 the former, that our Lord used unleavened bread at the Last 
 Supper, but that for very wise reasons the early Church 
 thought well to introduce leavened bread, and that when 
 itself (i.e., the Greek Church) adopted this custom it held 
 on to it without change (Neale, ii. 1059, and 1073-34). It 
 must not be concealed that the turbulent Michael Cerula- 
 rius. Patriarch of Constantinople in 1043, in order to make 
 the rupture between the two churches as great as possible, 
 went so far as to assert that consecration in any other bread 
 but leavened was invalid, and that hence the whole Latin 
 Church was heretical because it used unleavened. But the 
 Eastern theologians never adopted this teaching ; nor is it 
 held to-day, although, with the exception of the Armenians 
 and Maronites, all the Oriental churches follow the Greek 
 discipline in the use of leavened bread. 
 
 AYe have said that, according to the consent of both 
 
Devices used in Stamping the Bread. 155 
 
 churches, consecration is valid m either kind; the disci- 
 pline, however, ol the Latin Church is so strict in the mat- 
 ter of unleavened bread that, were a priest of her com- 
 munion to consecrate m any other kind without a special 
 dispensation, he would sin mortally. He could not even 
 do so were it to fulfil the precept of hearing Mass on Sun- 
 day or give the Holy Viaticum to the dying. The only case 
 in which it is allowed is when, through some accident or 
 other, the Sacred Host disappears immediately after conse- 
 cration, and no other bread is at hand but leavened. The 
 latter may then be used in order to the completion of the 
 Sacrifice (De Herdt, li. p. 167, No. 3). 
 
 HOW THE BREADS ARE BAKED. 
 
 The breads for the use of the altar are baked between 
 heated irons upon which is stamped some pious device, 
 such as the Crucifixion, the Lamb of God, or a simple cross. 
 The instrument used for this purpose somewhat resembles a 
 large forceps in appearance. It has two long handles, and 
 at its extremities is a pair of circular heads, one overlap- 
 ping the other. After this instrument has been sufficiently 
 heated in the fire a little lard or butter is rubbed over its 
 surface to keep the paste from adhering. A thin coating of 
 this paste is then spread over the surface of the under disc, 
 and the upper one being allowed to rest on it a moment or 
 two, it is taken out perfectly baked. The irons are then 
 separated, and the bread is taken out and trimmed for use, 
 
 DEVICES USED IJT STAMPIiTG THE BREAD. 
 
 At the present day there is no particular device pre- 
 scribed to be impressed upon the altar-breads. Every 
 church is allowed to abound in its own choice in this re- 
 spect. In some places a representatian oi our Lord cruci- 
 
156 Bread used for Consecration, 
 
 lied is the impression; in ctliers the ^' Agnus Dei." "We 
 have also seen breads upon which the first and last letters of 
 the Grreek alphabet were stamped, in allusion to our Lord's 
 saying in the Apocalypse, *•'! am Alpha and Omega, the first 
 and the last, the beginning and the end." The most gene- 
 ral device, however, is, as we believe, the ancient and 
 sacred monogram '-'IHS/' or, as it was formerly written, 
 'MHC." As to the precise interpretation of this ^MHS" 
 there has been much dispute; some contending that it 
 means (at least that its letters are the initials of) *' Jesus 
 Hominum Salvator" — Jesus , the Saviour of Men — others 
 that they are the initials of '•' I Have Suffered." Other in- 
 terpretations are given of them which we do not deem ne- 
 cessary to state. The truth, however, is that they are tlie 
 three first letters of our Lord's sacred name in Greek, viz., 
 IH20T2f and that as such tliey were very commonly em- 
 ployed as a sacred device on the Christian tombs during the 
 days of persecution. They are yet to be seen inscribed in 
 many places in the Roman catacombs (see Justorum Semita ; 
 or, Tlie Holydays of the English Church, p. 335 ; Holy Name 
 of Jesus ; also, Duhlin Bevieiv, vol. xliv., 1858, art. '^Pri- 
 macy of St. Peter"). 
 
 The interpretation *^^ Jesus, the Saviour of Men" first 
 originated with St. Bernardino of Sienna, in 1443, and was 
 brought about in this way : The saint, it seems, had oc- 
 casion to reprove a certain man for selling cards with dan- 
 gerous devices impressed upon them. The man tried to de- 
 fend his cause by saying that he could not earn a living in 
 any other manner, but that if Saint Bernardine offered a 
 device instead of those he himself used, and assured him 
 that he would not be a loser in adopting it, he would 
 at once abandon those he had ; whereupon the saint re- 
 commended the letters ^' IhjS," telling the man that they 
 stood for '-Jesus Hominum Salvator." They were fit once 
 
By whom ilie Brea(l<^ are Jfade. 157 
 
 adopted, and tlieir success was complete (see Gleanings fof 
 the Ciirious, by 0. 0. Bombaugh, A.M., pp. 98, 99). 
 
 BY WHOM THE BREADS ABE MADE. 
 
 Although it would be more proper that the breads for 
 altar purposes should be made by the sacred ministers them- 
 selves, yet, as the modern way of making and preparing 
 them for use is open to no abuse, the duty is often entrusted 
 to pious members of the congregation — for the most part to 
 the Sisters who may be attached to any particular church. 
 
 In ancient times it was considered a great honor to bo 
 allowed to make these breads, and we find some of the noble-s 
 of the land offering their services for this pious work. It is* 
 related of St. Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia (tenth century), 
 that he used to sow the wheat in tiie field with his own 
 hands, cut it down afterwards when ripe, winnow it himself, 
 grind it into flour, and finally make it into bread for the us? 
 of the Holy Sacrifice (Martene, Be Antiquis Eccl. Ritihiis, 
 f. 13 ; Lives of the 8amts, September 28). A similar story 
 IS i-elated of St. Eadegunde, Queen of France, in the sixth 
 century. 
 
 In the good old days of Catholic England the synodical 
 decrees relating to the making of the altar-bread were verj' 
 strict, as the following will show : '^ We also command thai 
 the ofletes ^ which in the Holy Mystery ye offer to God ye 
 either bake yourselves or your servants before you, that y^ 
 may know that it is neatly and cleanly done" (Dr. Rock, 
 Church of Our Fathers^ vol. i. p. 156, note). The Bishop 
 of Lincoln (thirteenth century) thus addressed the clergy 
 
 » This was the Anglo-Saxon name for the altar-bread. It was also called obley 
 (evidently from the Latin oblata) and " singing-bread." Dr. Rock conjectures that the 
 latter name must have been given it from the fact that it was used at High Mass ; but 
 we venture to say that it was so named because during its preparation a constant singing 
 of psalms and hymns was kept up, which, as we shall see, is yet the pi-actice in the 
 
158 Bread used for Consecration. 
 
 of his diocese : '* More care than ordinary must be taken 
 to see that the ofletes be made of pure wheat. Wliile the 
 work of preparing tliem is going on the ministers of the 
 church who make tliem ought to sit in a decent place and 
 be dressed in surplices. The instrument for baking these 
 ofletes ought to be anointed with wax only, not with oil or 
 any greasy material " {ibid.) 
 
 SIZE OF THE ALTAR-BEEAD. 
 
 Up to the eleventh century the custom was almost gene- 
 ral of communicating the people from particles of the larg-e 
 Host which the priest used ; hence this must have been of 
 far greater proportions than it is now (Kozma, 239). "When 
 the custom of thus communicating the people ceased, small 
 Hosts were introduced, which still bore the name of parti- 
 cles, and the priest's Host became smaller in size. 
 
 FORM OF THE HOST. 
 
 From time immemorial it has been customary to have the 
 Host, or altar-bread, of a circular form. This can be traced 
 as far back at leatit as the third century, for Pope Zephy- 
 rinus, who died a. J). 217, calls the bread a '^ crown of 
 a spherical figure " — Corona sive ollata spliericm figurce 
 (Benedict XIV., c. 5). Severus of Alexandria, styled the 
 ** Christian Sallust," who flourished in tlie fourth century, 
 calls it simply the ** circle" (Martene, De Antiquis Ecclesice 
 Ritibus, 14). According to Durandus, who is never at a 
 loss for a mystical meaning, the bread is circular, in the 
 shape of a coin, to remind us that the true Bread' of Life, 
 our Divine Eedeemer, was sold by Judas for thirty pieces of 
 silver {Rationale Divinorum, p. 256). 
 
 BREA.DS OF THE EASTER>^ CHURCH. 
 
 It (s very generally known that the entire Eastern Church. 
 
Ctremonies attending the Mahliuj of Altar- Bread. 159 
 
 with the sole exception of the Armenians and Maronites, 
 uses leavened bread in the preparation of the Holy Eucha- 
 rist. Whether it has kept up this practice from the begin- 
 ning or not we leave others to settle. Some are of opin- 
 ion that it has, and others, for very weighty reasons, say 
 that it has not ; but the point is one of small consequence 
 so long as all agree in admitting that consecration takes 
 place, no matter which of the two kinds is used. 
 
 According to Pococke {Travels i7i Egypt), the Copts also 
 use unleavened bread ; but this is certainly a mistake, for 
 no author that we have seen makes such an assertion. If 
 this were the case, Renaudot, who describes the Coptic cere- 
 monies and customs most minutely, would certainly have 
 made mention of it, or it would be referred to by Denzinger 
 in his Ritus Orientalium, 
 
 Brerewood, in that hodge-podge entitled Enquiries 
 touching the Diversity of Languages and Religions , Lon- 
 don, 1674, asserts that the Abyssinians do the same— r 
 i.e., consecrate in unleavened bread. But as this author 
 paid little or no attention to what he said, and took his in- 
 formation, in most cases, second hand, little reliance is to 
 be placed on any statement that he makes which does not 
 square with what has been said by approved authorities. 
 He says also that Thecla Haimonout, an Abyssinian priest, 
 stated that they celebrate ordinarily in leavened bread, but 
 that they use unleavened on Holy Thursday (p. 203). This 
 may have been done at one time, but it is not now. 
 
 CEEEMOIflES ATTEXDIXG THE MAK:I]S"G OF THE ALTAR- 
 BREAD i:jt the east. 
 
 The respect manifested by the Orientals even for the un- 
 consecrated bread, to say nothing of the Holy Eucharist 
 itself, is worthy of all admiration. And to begin with the 
 Copts, of whonj^ we have been speaking: So very particular 
 
IGO Bread used for Consecration, 
 
 are they about the sacrificial bread that they deem it jdi'o- 
 fane to purchase the grain used in making it with any other 
 money tlian that which lias been set aside for church pur- 
 poses. The wheat, too, when made into flour, must always 
 be kept in the church, where is also the oven in which the 
 breads are baked. During the process of making these 
 breads a constant chanting of psalms is kept up by the 
 clerics to whom the work is entrusted, and the whole thing 
 is looked upon as a sacred duty (Pococke, Travels m Egypt), 
 Their discipline requires that the bread be new, fresh, and 
 pure ; in fact, according to their canons, that of yesterday's 
 making could not be used in saying Mass to-day, but newly- 
 made bread must be offered — i.e., bread made the same 
 morning that Mass is said. On no account must this be 
 made by a female. A violation of this rule would subject 
 the offender to excommunication. *^ It is meet," says one 
 of their constitutionary laws, ^' that the Eucharistic bread 
 should be baked nowhere else but in the oven of the church. 
 Let not a female knead it or bake it. He who acts con- 
 trary to this, let him be anatliema" (Kenaudot, Liturg. 
 Oriental. Coll., i. p. 172). 
 
 The Syrian bread, called Xatlia, is made of the finest and 
 purest flour, and is tempered with water, oil of olives, salt, 
 and leaven. They defend the use of oil in making it by 
 saying that it is merely employed in order that the paste 
 may not adhere to the hands. The entire operation is car- 
 ried on within the church by a priest or deacon ; it is wholly 
 forbidden to entrust its preparation to any one not in sa- 
 cred orders {iUd. ; and Lamy, Be Fide Syroriwi et Discip. 
 in re Eucharist ice). One of the Syrian canons on this head 
 runs as follows: ''Let the priest or deacon who prepares 
 the bread of oblation take care to have the mould clean, 
 and to have a vessel for the purpose of straining the water 
 and oil: he most be careful not to let it be handled bv a 
 
Bread used by the Greek ClturcJi, 
 
 161 
 
 lay person. Besides this, he must have his loins girt, shoes 
 on his feet, be turned towards the east, and have his face 
 veiled with an amice. Psalms must accompau}^ this minis- 
 try" (Lamy, ibid.) 
 
 The discipline of the Armenians also requires that the 
 bread be made by the sacred ministers. Their bread is un- 
 leavened, like ours. 
 
 BREAD USED BY THE GREEK CHURCH. 
 
 The bread used by the Grreeks is round, like a large 
 griddle-cake, and rising from its surface is a square pro- 
 jection denominated the Holy Lamb, which, when cut off 
 
 Holt Lancb. 
 
 afterwards by the Holy Lance, becomes, properly speaking, 
 the sacrificial Host. What remains of the loaf when the 
 square projection has been taken away is divided into seve- 
 ral small particles, which are arranged in groups and dedi- 
 cated to the Blessed Virgin, the apostles, saints, and mar- 
 tyrs, as well as the living 
 
 and the dead (Goar, Eu- 
 cliol. GrcBc, p. 116 ; Prim- 
 itive Liturgies, pp. 120 and 
 18e3, by Neale and Little- 
 dale). The square projec- 
 tion itself is divided into 
 
 four equal portions after 
 
 Host of the Gbeeks. 
 consecration. \vhen cut- 
 ting of! the Holy Lamb from the large loaf the Greek 
 
1C2 Bread used for Consecration. 
 
 priest says, as he inserts the lance in the right side of the 
 seal (that is, the impression stamped upon the hread), 
 "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter"; when insert- 
 ing it into the left, "And as a blameless lamb dumb 
 before his shearers, he opened not his mouth." Inserting 
 it into the upper part, he says, " In his humiliation his 
 judgment was taken away"; into the lower, "And who 
 shall declare his generation ? " The deacon says at each 
 incision, "Let us make our supplications to the Lord." 
 By the quadrangular form of the holy bread the Greeks 
 intend to signify that Christ our Lord suffered for the four 
 quarters of the globe (Martene, De Antiquis Eccl. Ritibus, 
 f. 15). 
 
 IS-SCIlIPTIO>s'vS IMPEESSED OX THE HOLY BREAD. 
 
 Considerable diversity exists in the East in relation to the 
 devices employed in stamping the altar-bread. The Syrians 
 use only a number of small crosses ; the Nestorians the 
 same. The Coptic Host has upon one side, ^' A"yio^, 
 A"yio^, A^'yio^y Kvpio^ 2a/3£GD^'' — that is, Holy, Holy, 
 Huly, Lord of Hosts; and upon the other, ^'A'^'yioi 
 IffX^pd?'' — Holy Strong One. The latter is part of the 
 famous Trisagion which the Eastern Church employs in 
 every day's service, but which the Latin Church only re- 
 peats once a year, in the Mass of Good Friday. This sacred 
 hymn has a peculiar and interesting history attached to it. 
 I^the time of Theodosius the Younger, a.d. 446, Constan- 
 tinople was threatened by so dreadful an earthquake that 
 all believed the end of the world at hand. The wildest con- 
 fusion reigned throughout the city as the first signs of this 
 untoward calamity manifested themselves. Men, women, 
 and children ran frantic through the streets, and the utmost 
 consternation was depicted on every countenance. In this 
 
T}iscHptio7is impressed on the Holy Bread, 1G3 
 
 dreadful juncture Theodosius addressed a petition to St. 
 Proclus, archbishop of the imperial city, earnestly beseech- 
 ing him to ask of Almighty God to avert the impending 
 calamity. The saintly man acceded at once to the emperor's 
 wishes. He according- 
 ly formed a procession 
 of all his clergy and 
 people, and, with the 
 attendance of all the 
 members of the royal 
 court, marched a little 
 outside the city, and 
 then knelt down wath 
 the entire multitude 
 in solemn and earnest 
 prayer. They had not 
 been kneeling long 
 when, to the great 
 astonishment of all, a chiW was seen in the clouds above 
 them, moving from one place to another, and singing loud 
 enough to be heard by the spectators. After the lapse 
 of about an hour the child descended, singing, ''A"yioi 
 laxvpo?^ A"yio? 6 ©edb, A^'yioi A^avaTo?, i\iiiaov 
 7;//a?" — that is, Holif Strong One, Holy God, Holy Im- 
 wortal One, have mercy on us! Upon being questioned as 
 to the object of this singing, the child replied that he had 
 heard the angelic choir sing this sacred anthem at the 
 throne of God, and that if the people wished to avert the 
 terrors of the earthquake they should sing it also. It was 
 taken up at once, and tranquillity was restored (Goar, Eu- 
 chol. Groecorum, p. 12G ; Xeale, Holif Eastern Church, i. p. 
 367). The emperor afterwards issued a decree causing it to 
 be universally adopted, and it is said tliat St. Proclus had 
 it inserted in the liturgies of Constantinople (Ferraris, 
 
 Host op the Copts. 
 
104 Bread used for Consecration, 
 
 Bibliotheaa ; Butler's Lives of the Saints, Oct. 24, St. Pro- 
 cliis). 
 
 The small crosses that appear on the face of the Coptic 
 bread are in memory, it is said, of a celebrated discourse of 
 St. John Chrysostom on the divinity of our Lord, in which 
 the word cross appears several times. Mart^ne tells us that 
 the seals uaed by the Oriental patriarchs for stamping the 
 altar-bread differ much from those used by the priests. The 
 inscription on the Greek Host — viz., "IX. NIK A" — is trans- 
 lated ^' Jesus Christ conquers," 
 
CHAPTER XVIL 
 
 WINE. 
 
 If we except the Aquarians alone, who said that water 
 may be employed instead of wine in the consecration of the 
 chalice, no dispute has ever arisen upon this subject ; all are 
 at one 'in holding that for the valid consecration of this 
 species the juice of the grape (vinum de vite) is necessary. 
 Nor does it matter as to the color of the wine ; some prefer 
 red, others white wine, but this is altogether a matter of 
 taste. One great advantage that red wine has is this : that 
 there is no danger of mistaking it for water, owing to its 
 resemblance in color to blood. 
 
 WIi^"E OF THE OllIEXTAL CHURCH. 
 
 The discipline of the Oriental and the Western Church 
 are in perfect agreement regarding the sacrificial wjne. An 
 abuse, however, exists among the Copts which, tliough not 
 resorted to save in extreme cases, is still deserving of con- 
 demnation. We refer to the employment of what is called 
 zehih instead of pure juice of the grape. Pococke, in 
 his -Travels in Egypt, art. *^The Religion of the Copts," 
 describes the process of making this very doubtful wine 
 as follows : " In the Catholic churches they must use 
 wine, but in the others they use what they call zebib. 
 . . . Zebib is a sort of raisin wine. They put five ro- 
 tolas of new grapes to five of water, or more grapes are 
 used if they arc older. It is left to steep seven days 
 
 165 
 
166 Wi7ie. 
 
 in winter and four in summer. The deacons strain it 
 through two bags, one after another, to make it fine. 
 This keeps seven years, and tastes like a sweet wine that 
 is turned a little sour. They keep the zebib in a jar, 
 and cover it closely so that no wind can come to it." Be 
 all this as it may, the canons of the Coptic Church are very 
 clear and strong upon the poi^t that no other wine but the 
 unadulterated juice of the grape must be used for Mass pur- 
 poses ; and so particular are they that this shall be of the 
 finest quality that they will allow no one to have anything 
 to do with its preparation but the ministers of the altar. 
 To this end the grapes are picked with great care, and are 
 bruised between the hands in extracting the juice from 
 them, instead of being trodden out by the feet, as is the 
 custom when the wane is destined for ordinary use. While 
 the wine remains in the casks it is considered a mortal 
 offence for any one to meddle with it before the quantity 
 necessary for altar uses has first been set aside (Kenaudot, 
 vol. i. pp. 176 and 177). The Copts will not say Mass 
 with wine which has been purchased in a store, for the 
 reason that it may not be pure {iMd.) 
 
 CRUETS. 
 
 The wine and water necessary for the Holy Sacrifice are 
 kept in two glass vessels termed Cruets. Although it is not 
 specially required that they be made of glass, still, for the 
 greater convenience of those who have to keep them clean, 
 but above all for the advantage Cruets of this material have 
 over those which are not transparent, it is better that they 
 should ; for accidents of a very serious nature are liable 
 to happen unless it can be seen at a glance in which vessel 
 the wine is and in which the water. 
 
 In early times these Cruets were often made of the most 
 precious materials. Gold, silver, and precious stones fre- 
 
Cruets. in? 
 
 quently entered into their composition, and the most elabo- 
 rate workmanship was displayed in making them. John of 
 Hothum, Bishop of Ely/ gave to his church, as a private 
 donation, in a.d. 1336, a set of golden Cruets studded with 
 rubies and pearls {Church of Our Fathers^ by Dr. Rock, 
 i. p. 159, note). Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, bequeathed 
 in A. D. 1400, to his lord the king, an image of the Blessed 
 Virgin, with two cruets, silver and gilt, made in the shape 
 of two angels (ibid.) In those good old days the highest 
 nobles of the land strove with holy zeal to see how much 
 each could do towards beautifying the house of God and 
 having the sacred vessels of the altar and sanctuary of the 
 most ornate kind. 
 
 1 Ely, an ancient city of Cambridgeshire, England, was once a resort of much note. 
 It is about seventy miles from London. It had a venerable Catholic cathedral in 1107, 
 which was 517 feet long, with a tower 270 leet high. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 NU3IBER OF 31 ASSES TEAT A PRIEST HAY SAY UPON 
 TEE SAME DAY. 
 
 DuEii^G the Yery early days it was entirely at the discre- 
 tion of every priest whether he said daily a plurality of 
 Masses or not (Gavantus, Thesaur. Sacr, Bit., p. 19). It 
 was quite usual to say two Masses, one of the occurring 
 feast, the other for the benefit of the faithful departed. A 
 plurality of Masses, however, was soon restricted to occasions 
 upon which a greater concourse of people than ordinary was 
 gathered by reason of some solemnity. Then, in order to 
 afford all an opportunity of assisting at the Holy Sacrifice, 
 as many Masses as were deemed necessary could be said, and 
 these even by the same priest. Pope Leo III. (ninth cen- 
 tury), we are told, said as many as nine Masses on a single 
 day to meet an exigency of this kind {ibid. p. 19). This 
 practice, however, kept gradually falling into desuetude 
 until the time of Pope Alexander II. (from a.d. 1061 to 
 1073), when that pontiff decreed that no priest should say 
 more than one Mass on the same day. The decree was thus 
 worded : ^'It is sufficient for a priest to say one Mass the 
 same day, because Christ suffered once and redeemed the 
 whole world. The celebration of one Mass is no small mat- 
 ter, and very happy is the man who can celebrate one Mass 
 worthily" (ibid.) This is the present discipline of the 
 Church in this matter. Faculties, however, are granted to 
 priests in charge of two churches to say Mass in each church 
 on Sunday, in order to give the people an opportunity of 
 
Christmas Day an Exception. 1G9 
 
 complying with the precept requiring them to assist on that 
 day at the Holy Sacrifice. But under no circumstances can 
 more than two be said by the same priest on these occa- 
 sions/ Permission to duplicate may be also had for one 
 church where two Masses are required. 
 
 CHRISTMAS DAY AK EXCEPTIOJST. 
 
 Christmas day is now the only day of the year upon which 
 a plurality of Masses may be said. On this great feast the 
 Church extends to every priest the privilege of celebrating 
 the Holy Sacrifice three times the same morning, without, 
 however, binding him to celebrate any mora than one, if he 
 does not wish to do so. According to Durandus {Rationale 
 Divin., p. 419, No. 17), this privilege was granted by Pope 
 Telesphorus, a.d. 142. Liturgical WTiters assign to these 
 three Masses the following mystic meaning : first, the eter- 
 nal birth of the Son of God in the bosom of his Father ; 
 secondly, his birth in time in the womb of his Immaculate 
 Mother ; thirdly, his spiritual birth in the hearts of the 
 faithful by a worthy reception of his sacraments, but, above 
 all, by the reception of himself in the adorable sacrament 
 of the altar (Benedict XI Y., De Festis Doin. Nostr. J. 
 Christ i, No. 668; Bouvry, Exposifio Rvhr., i. 437). 
 
 Throughout the kingdom of Aragon, in Spain (includ- 
 ing Aragon, Valentia, and Catalonia), also in the king- 
 dom of Majorca (a dependency of Aragon), it is allowed 
 each secular priest to say two Masses on the 2d of Novem- 
 ber, the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed, and 
 each regular^ priest three Masses. This privilege is also 
 enjoyed by the Dominicans of the Monastery of St. James 
 
 1 Father Vetromile {Tt^avels in Europe and- the Holy Land, p. 171) is our authority 
 for saying that the priests attached to the Chapel of Calvary at Jerusalem can say Mass 
 there at any hour of the day, and as often as they please. 
 
 2 The term regular is applied to all priests who live together in community. Those 
 who live outside of community life are termed seculars. 
 
170 Number of Masses that a Priest may say, 
 
 at Pampeluna (Benedict XIV., De Sacrif. Missm^ Eomae, 
 ex. Oongr. de Prop. Fide, an. 1859 editio, p. 139). This 
 grant, it is said, was first made either by Pope Julius or 
 Pope Paul III., and, though often asked for afterwards by 
 persons of note, was never granted to any other country or 
 to any place in Spain except those mentioned. For want of 
 any very recent information on the subject I am unable to 
 say how far the privilege extends at the present day. A 
 movement is on foot, however, to petition the Holy Fa- 
 ther for an extension of this j^rivilege to the universal 
 Church, in order that as much aid as j)ossible may be 
 given to the suffering souls in Purgatory. 
 
 THE PRACTICE OF THE ORIENTAL CHURCH REGARDIJ5"G THE 
 CELEBRATI02^ OF MASS. 
 
 The practice of the Oriental Church regarding the cele- 
 bration of Mass is somewhat lax; but in so far as relates 
 to the number a single priest may say the same day, if we 
 except the Copts, that Church and ours agree. Daily Mass 
 is very rare in the East, except among tlie Papal Catholics 
 (as those of our communion are termed), and even in many 
 places there is no celebration on Sunday, unless it be one of 
 great note. 
 
 According to the Nestorian Ritual, Mass is prescribed for 
 every Sunday and Friday and every Church festival through- 
 out the year. It is also prescribed every day of the first, 
 middle, and last week of Lent, except Good Friday ; daily 
 also the week following Easter. At present, however, Mass 
 is restricted to Sundays and principal holydays ; and in some 
 ])laces whole weeks pass without a celebration. The Eev. 
 Ctco. Percy Badger, whom we are quoting, says that on some 
 occasions it is the practice for the priest to read the Litui-gy, 
 omitting the prayer of consecration and other parts of the 
 office, after the manner of a Dry Mass. This the Nesto- 
 
Practice of the Oriental Church. 171 
 
 rians call by the name of d' Sh-heeme, or Simple {Nestorians 
 and their Rituals, vol. ii. p. 243). 
 
 Smith and D wight, in their travels through the East, 
 were informed by some ^NTestorian priests that a wliole year 
 sometimes passes without there being any more than three 
 Masses celebrated {Researches in Armenia, vol. ii. p. 230). 
 They state, however, that the more devout celebrate very 
 regularly, especially during the season of Lent. ' 
 
 According to the discipline of the Armenians, daily Mass 
 is enjoined, and is rarely omitted where there is a sufficiency 
 of priests {iUd. 103). Xcale, however, flatly contradicts 
 this in his Holy Eastern Church (vol. i. p. 380, note a), 
 where he distinctly states that it is a regulation of the Ar- 
 menian Church that the Liturgy is not to be celebrated 
 excepting on Saturday and Sunday, and when any great 
 festival of our Lord or his Mother occurs. On ordinary 
 days, instead of Mass, they recite Tierce, Sext, and None 
 of the Divine Office. Xeale adds, however, that during 
 Lent celebration is more frequent. * 
 
 3 The season of Lent is very strictly observed throughout the entire East. In fact, 
 it is not merely one Lent they have, but several, and these are kept with all the ancient 
 rigor even at the present day. Besides fasting on every Wednesday and Friday of the 
 year, the Nestorians fast also for twenty -five days pre\ious to Christmas ; fifteen days 
 before the Feast of St. Mary— that is, before the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin ; 
 three days before the Feast of the Holy Cross ; three before the Feast of St. John ; 
 fifty days before Easter ; and fifty before Pentecost. The fast of Wednesday and Fri- 
 day is 60 strict that no meat is eaten from the evening before untU the evening follow- 
 ing (Smith and Dwight, Researches in Armenia, ii. 208, 209). The total number of 
 fasting days with the Armenians in one year amounts to one hundred and fifty-six 
 {ibid. i. p. 156). 
 
 According to Dr. Neale, the fasts in the Greek Church amount to two hundred and 
 twenty-six per annum. He further states that during the " Great Fast," as Lent is 
 called, nothing can equal the rigor observed everywhere and by all. The only relaxa- 
 tions given are the allowance of more than one meal on Saturday and Sunday, and the 
 use of fish on the Feast of the Annunciation. At all other times meat, fish, cheese, 
 eggs, butter, oil, and milk are strictly forbidden. So strictly is this "Great Fast" 
 kept by old and young that poor men will throw away their only loaf if a drop of oil 
 or other forbidden substance should accidentally touch it {Holy Eastern Church, 
 ii. 744). 
 
172 Number of Masses that a Priest may say. 
 
 In case of a death occurring Mass is never omitted. 
 The Armenians say one on the day of burial and one on 
 the seventh, fifteenth, and fortieth after death ; also one 
 on the anniversary day. This holy practice of praying for 
 the dead and saying Mass in their behalf is very com- 
 mon throughout the entire East, with schismatics as well 
 as Catholics. 
 
 According to Pococke, the liturgical days of the Copts are 
 Sundays and holydays, and the Wednesdays and Fridays of 
 the fasting seasons. The same author remarks that, under 
 pretext of not being able to obtain grapes from Cairo for 
 wine purposes, their priests say they cannot celebrate Mass 
 oftener than once a month. These remarks, of course, 
 wholly refer to the schismatic Copts and not to the Catho- 
 lic, The latter celebrate regularly. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 CONCELEBRA TION. 
 
 Until about the beginning of the thirteenth century the 
 custom of having several priests unite in offering the same 
 Mass was very prevalent on the more solemn festivals of the 
 year. The priests who lent their aid on sucli occasions were 
 said to concelebrate — that is, to perform one joint action with 
 the regular celebrant of the Mass ; and no matter how great 
 their number was, no one ever supposed that more than a 
 single Sacrifice was offered (Bona, Rer. Liturg., p. 246). 
 Touching this peculiar custom Pope Innocent III., in his 
 fourth book on the Mass, chap, xxv., writes as follows : " The 
 cardinal priests have been accustomed to stand around the 
 Roman Pontiff and celebrate together with him ; and when 
 the Sacrifice is ended tliey receive Communion at his hands, 
 signifying thereby that the Apostles who sat at table with 
 our Lord received the Eucharist from him ; and in their 
 celebrating together it is shown that the Apostles on that 
 occasion learned the rite by which this Sacrifice should be 
 offered.'' 
 
 This custom of concelebrating must have gone into 
 desuetude in the early part of the thirteenth century, for 
 Durandus, who flourished in a.d. 1260, speaks of it as a 
 thing already passed away. The only vestige of it that now 
 remains m the Latin Church is to be found in the Mass of 
 the ordination of a priest and the consecration of a bishop. 
 In the former case the candidate, or ordinandus, as he is 
 called, takes up the Mass with the bishop ordaining at the 
 
 173 
 
1 74 Concelehraiion. 
 
 Offertory, and goes on with him to the end, reciting every- 
 thing aloud, even the form of consecration of the Host and 
 Chahce ; in the latter case the bishop-elect takes up the Mass 
 at the very beginning with the bishop consecrating, and fol- 
 lows him in everything to the end, except that he does not 
 turn with him at any time to the people when saying ^^Pax 
 vobis," "Dominus vobiscuui," or '* Orate fratres." At the 
 Communion he receives part of the Host used by the 
 consecrating bishop ; and with him, also, part of the Pre- 
 cious Blood, from the same chalice. 
 
 Eegarding this Mass of concelebration many curious ques- 
 tions are asked ; but as it would be entirely beyond our pur- 
 pose to delay in discussing them, we shall give only the 
 most important to our readers. This is. Whether the con- 
 secration of the bread or wine is to be ascribed to the bishop 
 ordaining or to the ordinandus, in case the latter should 
 have pronounced the entire form first ? Some theologians 
 formerly held that, in order to avoid all scruple on this 
 head, the newly-ordained priest ought to recite the words 
 of consecration liistorically {liistorico modo), and have no 
 personal intention of effecting transubstantiation at all. 
 According to others, it mattered nothing whether the ordi- 
 nandufi pronounced the form before the bishop or not ; con- 
 secration was in every case to be ascribed to the latter. The 
 third opinion is the one accepted today — viz., that al- ■ 
 though the newly-ordained i^riest may through haste have 
 pronounced the sacred words of institution before the bishop 
 ordaining, still the whole thing must be considered as one 
 joint moral action, in virtue of which consecration is ef- 
 fected only when all parties have pronounced the entire 
 form. This is supported by Pope Innocent III. among 
 others, and by the great doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas (see 
 Pontificale Romanum, by Catalanus, newly edited by MiiliJ- 
 bauer, fascic. i. p. 167). 
 
Oriental Usage in this Matter. 175 
 
 All are at one in saying that the newly-ordained priest 
 really offers a true sacrihce on this occasion, and that hence 
 he must have the intention of consecrating the same bread 
 and wine with the bishop (Benedict XIV., sect. 2, No. 142; 
 Bouvry, ii. 493, q. 4). 
 
 ORIENTAL USAGE IN THIS MATTER. 
 
 The ancient custom of con celebrating is yet in use with 
 nearly all the Oriental churches. Wherever the Greek rite 
 prevails it is strictly observed ; and Badger tells us that it 
 is common with the Nestorians {Nestorians and their Ritu- 
 als, i. p. 286). That the custom is also in vogue with the 
 Maronites we see from their liturgy and liturgical customs. 
 Goar tells us {Fnchol, p. 299) that whenever the patriarch 
 celebrates a Mass of this kind he is attended by several 
 bishops and priests, who celebrate and communicate with 
 him. When the bishop is the celebrant all the priests who 
 are jn-esent assist him, and the same is done when the cele- 
 brant is a protopope.^ All this, however, applies only to 
 the greater festivals of the year ; on ordinary occasions this 
 display is dispensed with. 
 
 ^ A protopope in the Eastern Church is nearly the same as our archdeacon. His 
 precise jurisdiction is the same as that of the ancient chorepiscopus., or rural bishop. 
 
CHAPTEE XX. 
 
 CUSTOMS RELATING TO THE CELEBRATION OF MASS. 
 
 MASS MUST BE SAID WITH SHOES Oi^T. 
 
 Whethee in imitation of the high -priest of the old law, 
 who always celebrated barefooted, or through profound re- 
 spect for the Holy Eucharist, there were some in times past 
 who used to say Mass in their naked feet. This was the 
 practice of certain monks of Egypt until forbidden by the 
 Holy See (Cassianus, Inditut., lib. i. cap. vi.) It is never 
 allowed by the existing order of things to celebrate bare- 
 footed ; the rubric distinctly says that the priest must have 
 shoes on (pedibus calceatus). 
 
 With the Nestorians, however, the case is very different ; 
 for, according to them, it is considered a great offence to say 
 Mass with the feet covered. They require them to be en- 
 tirely bare from beginning to end, as an evidence of deep 
 respect towards the Blessed Sacrament (see, among others, 
 Smith and D wight, ii. 229). According to Burder (Reli- 
 gious Ceremonies and Customs, p. 180), the Armenian clergy, 
 when assisting in choir, never wear anything on the feet, 
 but the celebrant of the Mass always wears a light black 
 slipper. 
 
 Ancient Rules regarding the Color of the Shoes worn at 
 Mass. — Although bishops in the early days could wear any 
 color they pleased in what was termed their sandals, yet 
 for priests and those of tlie lower order of clergy black was 
 always prescribed. The Council of Exeter, held in a.d. 
 
 176 
 
Mass must he Celehratcd Fasting. IT? 
 
 1287, ordained that the clergy should wear no other than 
 black boots ; and in a council held in London in 1342 it 
 was enacted that they should not wear green or scarlet leg- 
 gings. Bishop Waneflete, in the statutes he drew up for his 
 college at Oxford, strictly forbade the use of a low kind of 
 shoe called high-lows j also red peaked boots, and every- 
 thing of that kind which was not suitable to the priestly 
 state and the holy canons (Dr. Eock, Church of Gur Fatliers^ 
 ii. 244). 
 
 At the adoration of the cross on Good Friday the sacred 
 ministers doff their shoes out of respect. The Eomans, we 
 are told, walked barefooted at the funeral of Augustus, in 
 testimony of the great respect that should be paid such a 
 man. 
 
 MASS MUST BE CELEBEATED FASTIJS^G. 
 
 According to Cardinal Bona (i?er. Liturg., p. 255), the 
 practice of celebrating fasting is of apostolic origin, and was 
 always strictly observed in the early Church. St. Augus- 
 tine says that, out of respect for the Holy Eucharist, we 
 should partake of no food whatever before communicating. 
 To this rule there was, however, one signal and special 
 exception in ancient times — viz, , in case of the Mass cele- 
 brated on Holy Thursday. On this day, in memory of the 
 Last Supper, it was customary for some years, at least in 
 Africa, to celebrate after having taken food. The decree 
 regulating this discipline, and issued by the Council of 
 Carthage in a.d. 397, was thus worded : '^The sacrament 
 of the altar must not be celebrated unless by those who are 
 fasting ; an exception, however, is made on the anniver- 
 sary upon which the Lord's Supper was instituted" (ihid.) 
 Some claimed an exception, also, in case of Masses for the 
 dead, but the practice gained but little favoi*. To-day the 
 rule eujoinino^ fast is of universal obligation, and admits 
 
178 Customs relating to the Celebration of Mass. 
 
 of no relaxation, except in one or two special cases — viz., 
 where an accident should befall a priest after consecration, 
 rendering him unable to go on any further, and there is 
 no other priest at hand to complete the SacrijQce but one 
 who has already broken his fast. Some theologians make 
 another exception in the case where people had been de- 
 prived of Mass for a long time, and could not, on account 
 of their great distance from church, be early enough for the 
 regular Mass. But as such things rarely happen, they are 
 hardly exceptions to the universal rule. 
 
 Practice of the Eastern Church in this respect. — We have 
 said in another place that the Copts will say Mass any time 
 of the day or night, whether fasting or not, in order to give 
 Holy Viaticum to the dying, as they do not reserve the 
 Blessed Sacrament. This, however, must be considered a 
 solitary case, for the discipline of all the Oriental churches 
 in this matter is precisely the same as our own. 
 
 According to many of the Coptic and Ethiopic discipli- 
 nary canons, the priest Avho is to say Mass must be fasting 
 from the previous evening, and must not even take a glass 
 of wine before he has celebrated (Denzinger, Eitns Orieii- 
 talinm, p. 66 ; Renaudot, Liturg. Oriental., i. 268). So 
 fearful are they of violating this sacred law that it is quite 
 common to find a priest taking up quarters in the sacristy 
 the previous day, and remaining there, secluded from all 
 danger of breaking ths fast, until Mass has been celebrated. 
 
 WASHIK'G OF THE HAIs^DS. 
 
 On account of the profound i-espect that is due to our 
 Lord in the Holy Sacrament of the altar, as well as to 
 signify that interior purity of heart which we should always 
 possess when celebrating the tremendous Sacrifice of the 
 new law, it is of strict obligation that the priest should 
 
Washing of the Hands. 179 
 
 wasli his hands immediately before donning the sacred 
 vestments. All are unanimous in saying that this practice 
 is as old as the Christian Church itself. While perform- 
 ing this ablution the priest recites the following prayer : 
 " Grant, Lord ! such virtue to my hands that they may bo 
 cleansed from every stain, to the end that I may serve thee 
 without defilement of mind or body." 
 
 In early times not only was the priest who was to say 
 Mass required to wash his hands, but also every mem- 
 ber of the congregation as he entered the sacred edifice. 
 For which reason there used to be placed at the entrance 
 of all the ancient churches fonts filled with water (Riddle, 
 Christia7i Antiquities, p. 739). These fonts were some- 
 times elaborately finished, and inscriptions of a pious nature 
 were engraved upon them. The celebrated Church of Holy 
 Wisdom (Sancta Sophia) at Constantinople had an inscrip- 
 tion on its font which read the same way backwards and 
 forwards. It was printed in Greek characters, thus : 
 'rmWON ANOMHMATA MH MONAN OWIN''— that 
 is, '' Wash away your sins, and not your countenance only" 
 (Neale, i. 215). In the Oriental Church the ablution of 
 the hands is performed after having vested, and not before, 
 as with us. On such occasions the Oriental priests recite, 
 the psalm *^ Lavabo inter innocentes." 
 
 Whenever a bishop celebrates he washes, according to our 
 rite, four different times: the first before vesting; the^ 
 second, after he has read the Offertorium ; the third, after 
 the Offertory; and the fourth time, after Communion. 
 
 After the priest has washed his hands he goes to prepare, 
 the chalice by first placing upon it a clean purificator, over 
 which he also places the paten with a large Host resting 
 upon it, and over this the pall. He then covers all with 
 the chalice veil, and rests the burse with the corporal in 
 it on the top. The chalice is then said to be dressed. 
 
180 Ctistoms relating to the Celehration of Mass. 
 
 The priest proceeds now to vest himself, putting on each 
 article in the order which we have described already, and 
 with the same ceremonies. This is done in the sacristy ; 
 but should the celebrant be a bishop, he always vests at 
 the altar.' 
 
 Having put on all the sacred vestments, he takes the 
 chalice in his hands and proceeds to tlie altar with a solemn, 
 dignified gait ; and, to show the great importance of the work 
 he is about to engage in, he must salute no one as he passes 
 along, unless the person be some great dignitary, and then 
 only by a moderate bow of the head. We have a remarkable 
 precedent for this in the solemn discourse made by our Lord 
 to his disciples when sending them to preach the Gospel ; he 
 commanded them to ^^ salute no man by the way" (Luke 
 X. 4). 
 
 When the priest has arrived in front of the altar he takes 
 off his cap, or berretta, and having made a low bow to the 
 crucifix, or a genuflection if the Blessed Sacrament be in the 
 tabernacle, he ascends the steps, and, having spread out the 
 corporal in the middle of the altar, places the chalice with its 
 appurtenances on it. (At Solemn High Mass the chalice is 
 not brought to the altar until the Oifertory.) After this 
 he i^roceeds to the Epistle side, and, having opened the mis- 
 sal at the Mass of the day, returns to the front of the altai-, 
 at the lowest step, and there begins tlie service. (A server, 
 or altar-boy, kneeling at his left, answers the responses in 
 
 ^ The reason of this distinclion is founded on the fact that in all the ancient 
 churches there used to be built, generally in the nave, a small altar, at which the bishop 
 would seat himself before Mass to receive the obeisance of the people as they passed in, 
 and impart them his blessing ; for which reason this altar used to be generally known 
 as the Scdutatonum. When the entire congregation had gathered, his lordship would 
 vest at this small altar, and then proceed in solemn procession to the sanctuary, where 
 he Avould begin Mass. When the practice of building these appurtenances ceased, the 
 main altar of 'Aid church served in their stead ; and hence the origin of the present prac- 
 tice. This may be gleaned from the CcerernonicUe Episcoporum and the other works 
 that mention the Secretarium, as the Salutatorium was sometimes called. 
 
The Sign of ihe Cross. 181 
 
 the name of the people.) He first makes a low bow, or a 
 genuflection if the Blessed Sacrament be present, and then 
 
 THE SIGI!^" OF THE CEOSS, 
 
 by touching his forehead, breast, left and right shoulder, 
 as he says, ** In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, 
 amen" — that is, *' In the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen." When he touches 
 his forehead he says, ''In the name of the Father"; 
 when he touches his breast, '' and of the Son"; and as he 
 passes his hand from the left to the right shoulder he con- 
 cludes by saying, '^ and of the Holy Ghost, amen." We 
 call the reader's special attention to this distribution of the 
 words, for they are very frequently misplaced, it being quite 
 common to hear nothing but " Amen " said as the right 
 shoulder is touched. This is wholly incorrect, as may be 
 seen at once from the rubrics describing tlie manner of 
 making the sign of the cross. It is hardly necessary to 
 add that it is always the right hand which is used in 
 going through this ceremony. 
 
 Ancient Customs regarding the Manner of Making the 
 Sign of the Cross. — In the Christian Church in early times 
 the custom of making the sign of the cross on the forehead 
 only was very common. Tertullian (a.d. 200) alludes' to 
 it in his De Corona Militis, cap. iii., as does also the Ro- 
 man Ordo in its directions for saying Mass. Sometimes, 
 too, only the mouth was signed, and sometimes nothing 
 but the breast. Customs varied in diffeient places. 
 Anxious, kowever, to retain vestiges of all these ancient 
 and pious practices, the Church still preserves them in 
 some part of her sacred offices. The three may be seen 
 united in one ceremony at the reading of the Gospel, where 
 the priest signs himself on the forehead, mouth, and 
 breast as he pronounces the initial words. The signing 
 
182 Customs relating to the Celebration of Mass. 
 
 of the moutli only is seen in the Divine Office of the 
 Breviary at the words *^Domine, abia mea aperies" — 
 "Lord, thou wilt open my lips." 
 
 When all the ancient practices died away, and the present 
 discipline was introduced, for quite a long time it was the 
 rule to trace the right . hand from the right to the left 
 shoulder after having touched the breast, instead of, as now, 
 from the left to the right. The latter came into general 
 use in the time of Pope Pius V. (sixteenth century). 
 
 The Spanish peasantry, in making the sign of the cross, 
 use the formula, *^ By the sign of the Holy Cross deliver 
 us from our enemies, God our Lord ! In the name of 
 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen, 
 Jesus." 
 
 Regarding the disposition of the fingers in making this 
 sacred sign, different practices existed, too, at one time. 
 The most general way, however, in the Latin Church was 
 to close the small and annular fingers of the right hand and 
 extend the other three ; then to make with the hand thus 
 disposed the required sign. Bishops and the members of 
 the Carthusian and Dominican orders have retained this 
 custom. The two fingers united in this way symbolize the 
 duality of natures in our Divine Loi*d, against the Eutych- 
 ians, who maintained that there was but one ; and the 
 three other fingers typify the Blessed Trinity (Eomsee, 
 iv. 56 ; Bona, De Divina Psahnodia, p. 507). It will interest 
 the reader to know that our Holy Father the Pope always 
 observes tliis ancient disposition of the fingers whenever he 
 imparts his blessing, as may be seen from any correct pic- 
 ture representing him in this attitude. 
 
 Customs of the Oriental Cliurch. — The ancient practice of 
 touching the right shoulder before the left is j^et in vogue 
 with all who follow the Greek Rite, but the disposition of 
 the fingers is entirely different. In making the sign of the 
 
ETD 
 
 m^ 
 
 IIxRekBishop in Cmsijble.^ 
 
 -HOLDING THE DIKERlON 'AN D TRIKIRION.o^-^ -R 
 
The Sign of the Cross, 183 
 
 cross the Greek priest first crosses his thumb on the annu- 
 lar or fourth finger of the right hand, and bends his little 
 finger so as to have it resemble the curve of a crescent ; he 
 allows the index finger to stand perfectly erect, and, having 
 bent tlie middle one so as to form the same figure as that 
 formed by the little finger, raises his hand aloft, and then 
 traces the sign. The interpretation of all this is yery inter- 
 esting. The outstretched finger stands for the Greek letter 
 /; the bending of the middle finger represents the letter C, 
 one of the ancient ways of writing Sigma, or tlie English S j 
 the letter /, and this C or S, form the well-known con- 
 traction for " Jesus," being its first and last letters. The 
 thumb, crossed upon the fourth finger, is the Greek letter 
 X, equivalent to our ch ; and this, with the small finger 
 shaped as the middle finger, and representing C or S, forms 
 the contraction for ^' Christus," or Christ. Hence, *' Jesus 
 Christ" is the interpretation of the whole action. The 
 Greeks are so careful to keep the fingers thus adjusted when 
 making the sign of the cross that we find them so disposed 
 when blessing the people with the Dikerion and Trikerion^ 
 (see figure). 
 
 In the great church of Holy Wisdom at Constantinople, 
 of which we have said so much already, there was a very 
 celebrated painting of our Lord in the inner porch over the 
 central door, with St. John the Baptist on one side and the 
 Blessed Virgin on the other, in the act of blessing the Em- 
 peror Justinian, who lay prostrate before him. The man- 
 ner in which our Lord's fingers are adjusted in this painting 
 is in accordance with the practice we have just described. 
 Although the great temple itself is no longer a house of 
 Christian worship, it being converted into a Mahometan 
 
 2 The Dikerion is a sort of candlestick with two lights, signifying the duality of na- 
 tures in our Lord ; and the Trikerion, with its three lights, symbolizes the ever Blessed 
 Trinity. With these the Greek bishop blesses the people before Mass. 
 
184 Customs relating to the Celelration of Mass. 
 
 jami/ traces of the ancient painting may yet be seen there, 
 though in a very dingy condition. 
 
 The Maronites/ in making the sign of the cross, use the 
 formula, ^' In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
 of tlie Holy G-host, one True God " {Syriac Maro7iite Bre- 
 viary, Ferial Office). 
 
 The Monophysites,* in order to give as much promi- 
 nence as possible to their heresy of holding that tliere was 
 but one nature in our Lord, make the sign with one finger 
 only. The orthodox of the East, as a set-oS against this, 
 make it with two (Smith and D wight, Researclies in Ar- 
 menia, i. 159, note; Bona, Be Bivina Psalmodia, pp. 507, 
 508). According to the first-mentioned authority, the Ar- 
 menians make the sign of the cross exactly as we do. 
 
 We will now return to where we left off. Having made 
 the sign of the cross upon his person, the priest, alternately 
 with the server, recites the '^Judica me, Deus," or Forty- 
 second Psalm. The peculiar adaptation of this Psalm for 
 this part of the Mass is very happy when we consider that, 
 according to the most general acceptation, it was originally 
 written by King David when exiled from his house and 
 home by the treachery- of his son Absalom and his kinsman 
 Saul. The only consolation that was left him iH his misery 
 was the hope he fondly cherished of returning again to the 
 
 3 The jami is to a Mahometan what a cathedral is to a Christian. Ordinary 
 churches the Mahometans call mosques; the greater ones, or those in which the ofiBce 
 of Friday (the Turkish Sunday) is performed, are called jamies. The service peculiar 
 to them is denominated Jumanamazi. 
 
 * We have said in another place that the name Maronite comes from Maro, a hoiji 
 recluse of Mt. Lebanon. We deem it well to mention here that the Maronites them- 
 selves derive it from Moran. our Lord, and say that this better appUes to them than 
 any other name, inasmuch as they never lost the faith which they received from our 
 Saviour (Bona, Bivina Psalmodia, p. 567). 
 
 5 All through Africa the followers of the heretic Eutyches are called Monophysites— 
 i.e., believers in one nature ; but in the East they are universally styled Jacobites, from 
 James Bardai. one of their leaders. 
 
*' J'lulica me, Deus'' 185 
 
 tabernacle Tvhere, better than anywhere else, he could pour 
 out his soul to God in humble prayer. 
 
 Before the time of Pope Pius V. the recital of this Psalm 
 was entirely at the option of the priest, somewhat in the 
 same way as the '^ Benedicite" after Mass is at present ; but 
 in the new edition of the missal, published by order of the 
 Council of Trent and supervised by the j^ontiff named, its 
 recital was made a red letter, and since that time it has be- 
 come obligatory. Those who were allowed to retain their 
 ancient rites by the above-mentioned pontiff, such as the 
 Carthusians, Carmelites, Dominicans, Ambrosians, etc., do 
 not recite it now, at least not before the altar as we do. The 
 Carmelites say it on the way out as they are going to cele- 
 brate, and that iu an undertone of voice, without the anti- 
 phon ^' Introibo." Inasmuch as it is more or less a Y)salm of 
 jubilation, it is omitted in Masses for the dead and in those 
 of Passion-time. Such expressions as ^' Why art thou sad, 
 my soul ?" and '* Why dost thou disquiet me ?" are but ill- 
 suited to Masses which are said on mournful occasions. 
 According to Pouget, another reason may be given for its 
 omission in these cases — viz., that a vestige of the ancient 
 custom of not reciting it at all may be preserved (Eomsee, 
 iv. 60). 
 
 The Psalm is concluded with the minor doxology, ^^ Glory 
 be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. 
 As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world 
 without end. Amen." 
 
 Regarding the antiquity of the '^ Gloria Patri," there 
 seems to be unanimous consent that, with the exception of a 
 few words, it originated with the Apostles themselves, who 
 in conferring Holy Baptism had frequent occasion to pro- 
 nounce the greater part of it at least in the sacred formula 
 (Kozma, 164). Up to the Council of Xicaea, a.d. 325, its 
 form was this : " Glory be to the Pather, and to the Son, 
 
186 Customs relating to the Celehration of Mass. 
 
 and to the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen." The 
 part, "as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be," 
 was added by the fathers of that council against the heretic 
 Arius, who denied that our Lord was coequal in eternity 
 and in glory with God the Father (Selvaggio, 1. ii. p. i. c. 
 10). According to Durandus {Rationale Divin., p. 330), 
 Pope Damasus (366-384), at tlie suggestion of St. Jerome, 
 ordered the "Gloria" to be said after every psalm. The 
 Greeks say it only after the last, and then not precisely as 
 we do, but as follows : " Glory be to the Father, and to the 
 Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to all ages." 
 They, in common with ourselves, call it the minor doxology, 
 in contradistinction to the " Gloria in excelsis," which is de- 
 nominated the major, or greater. It is never caid in the 
 Masses or offices of the dead, on account of their lugubrious 
 nature. With the Nestorians it is recited thus : " Glory be 
 to thee, God tlie Father ! Glory be to thee, God the Son ! 
 Glory be to thee, thou all-sanctifying Spirit. Amen" 
 (Burder, ii. 236). 
 
 COITPITEOE. 
 
 Following closely upon the "Gloria Patri" is the Con- 
 fiteor, or Confession, which the priest recites bowed down in 
 profound humility. It is worded as follows : " I confess to 
 Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael 
 the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apos- 
 tles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, and to you, brethren, 
 that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, 
 through my fault, through my fault, through my most griev- 
 ous fault. Therefore I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin, 
 the blessed Michael the Archangel, the blessed John the Bap- 
 tist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, 
 and you, brethren, to pray to the Lord our God for me." 
 
 Although the form of confession precisely as it now stands 
 
Cooifiteor. 187 
 
 is not of very high antiquity, yet all are agreed that its main 
 structure is of apostolic origin. It must not, however, be 
 supposed that ever since the days of the Apostles it has 
 formed part of the Mass ; the best authorities say that it 
 was not introduced into it until about the eighth century 
 (Romsee, iv. 69). Cai'dinal Bona conjectures that some 
 form of confession must have been in use all the time, but 
 what it was and where it came in he ventures not to 
 say (Rer. Liturg., p. 310). According to Merati (Thesaur. 
 Sacr. Rit., p. 158), the Confession was reduced to its present 
 form of wording, out of the many then in use, by the third 
 Council of Ravenna, held in the year 1314, and all the others 
 were suppressed. 
 
 Of the many that formerly appeared and were used in the 
 Mass we select the following from the celebrated Missal of 
 Sarum," as being the shortest ; ^' I confess to God, to blessed 
 Mary, to all the Saints, and to you, that I have sinned 
 grievously in thought and in deed, through my fault. I be- 
 seech blessed Mary, all the Saints, and you to pray for me." 
 
 With tlie Dominicans the form of confession is as follows : 
 '' I confess to Almighty Cod, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, 
 to our blessed father Dominic, and to all the Saints, that I 
 have sinned exceedingly in thought, in speech, in work, and 
 in omission, through my fault. I beseech the blessed Mary 
 
 6 Sarum was an ancient borough in Wiltshire, England, a little north of Salisbury. 
 It was rendered famous and of venerable reminiscence from the great St. Osmund, 
 who was bishop of the place in 1078, and who, after much labor and careful study, in- 
 stituted the so-called Sarum Rite, or " Use of Sarum," so well known throughout the 
 land for the magnificence of its ceremonies. This rite prevailed throughout Great 
 Britain generally until the reign of Q,ueen Mary, in 1560, when, through the mediation 
 of Cardinal Pole, Archbishop of Canterbury, the regular Roman Rite was introduced in 
 its stead. (For a full account see Butler's Lives of the Saints, under the history of St, 
 Osmund, December 4, and Dr. Rock's Church of Our Fathers, vol iii. part ii ) The 
 Sarum Rite never obtained at either Lincoln, Hereford, or York ; but it did at the 
 famous cathedrals of Peterborough, Ely, and Durham. In a great many of its cere- 
 monies it resembled the Carthusian and Dominican rites, as will be seen further on in 
 the present work. 
 
188 Customs relating to the Celehration of Mass. 
 
 ever Virgin, and onr blessed father Dominic, and all the 
 Saints to pray for me." As the priest says, '' Through my 
 fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault," 
 he strikes his breast three separate times in token of the sor- 
 row that he feels for having offended God in the manner 
 specified. This is a very ancient practice, for we find it done 
 by the poor publican when he entered the Temple to pray, 
 and by the people who witnessed our Lord's crucifixion on 
 Calvary; for, as the Holy Scripture says, '* They returned 
 striking their breasts"' {Luke xxiii. 48). The custom, too, 
 was very prevalent in the early Church. '^We enter the 
 temple," says St. Gregory Xazianzen, '• in sackcloth and 
 ashes, and day and night between the steps and the altar we 
 strike our breasts" (Bona, p. 311). According to Duran- 
 dus {Rationale, p. 163), striking the breast three times at 
 the Confiteor is intended to remind us of the three essen- 
 tial parts of the Sacrament of Penance — viz., contrilion, 
 confession, and sc.tisfaction. 
 
 Confession in the Old Law. — That confession also preceded 
 the offering of sacrifice according to the Aaronic ritual tlie 
 Eabbi Moses Maimoiiides and other Jewish doctors assure 
 us (Bona, p. 309). The manner in which this confession 
 was to be made was fully explained in the Mishna, and the 
 (kihalcC unravelled its spiritual signification. The form of 
 
 '■ The Ctaicto— called by the Jews the " Soul of the Soul of the Law," in contradis- 
 tinction to the Mishna, which they called simply the " Soul of the Law " — compre- 
 hended all the ^cisions of the rabbins on civil and religious points. Strictly speaking, 
 it was the unwritten word handed down from sire to son in sacred tradition, and con- 
 taining all that was necessary to know in order to understand the law and the prophets. 
 According to the Jewish doctors, it was first delivered to Moses by Almighty God him- 
 self on Sinai, but was never committed to \vTiting. It was intended to explain all the 
 difficult passages of the law and to give their mj-stical interpretation. Those versed 
 in this species of exegesis are called Cabalists. Their principal commentiiries are con- 
 tained in the book named Zohar, said to have been written by Eabbi Ben Jochai, who 
 died about the year a.d. 120. Others ascribe to it a later date (see The Reaso)U of the 
 Law of Moses, from the More Nevochim of Mairaonides, done into English by James 
 Townloy. D.D., London, 1827 ; and Bannister's Tt?nples of the Hebrews, p. 359). 
 
Conjiteor. 189 
 
 its wording was as follows : *' Truly, Lord! I have sinned; 
 I have acted iuiquitously ; I have prevaricated before thee, 
 and am ashamed of my deeds ; nor shall I ever return to 
 them more." This the Jews called '^Viddin Haddenarin" 
 (Merati, Tliesaur. Sac, Rit., p. 158). 
 
 Without the express permission of the Holy See nothing 
 can be added to the Oonfiteor. The privilege of adding the 
 names of their founders to it is enjoyed by several religious 
 orders, such as the Benedictines, Carmelites, Dominicans, 
 Franciscans, and Augustinians. 
 
 Confession in the Oriental Church. — All the Eastern 
 churches, as we see from their liturgies, observe the practice 
 of making some sort of confession before the beginning of 
 Mass. Save that of the Armenians alone, the form in no 
 case agrees, as far as words are concerned, with ours, but the 
 sentiments are the same. The confession used by the Maron- 
 ites is as follows : ''I ask thee, God ! to make me worthy 
 of approaching thy pure altar without spot or blemish ; for 
 I thy servant am a sinner, and have committed sins and 
 done, foolish things in thy sight. Nor ami worthy to ap- 
 proach thy pure altar nor thy holy sacraments, but I ask 
 thee, pious, merciful, lover of men, to look upon me 
 with thine eyes of mercy." After the Confiteor, which the 
 server also recites, the priest says : '' May Almighty God be 
 merciful unto you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to 
 life everlasting!" Tlie server having answered *'Amen," 
 the priest subjoins, ^'May the Almighty and merciful God 
 grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins," to 
 which '^Amen" is also responded. In beginning the last 
 prayer, or '^Indulgentiam," the priest makes the sign of 
 the cross upon his person to show that it is only through 
 Him who died upon the cross for love of man that he ex- 
 pects indulgence and pardon. He then recites a few verses 
 taken from Holy Scripture, principally from the Psalms, 
 
190 Customs Relating to the Celehratioa of Mass. 
 
 and ascends the altar-steps repeating that beautiful pray- 
 er, " Take away from us, we beseech thee, Lord ! 
 our iniquities, that we may be worthy to enter with 
 pure minds the Holy of Holies, through Christ our 
 Lord." 
 
 The expression ^' Holy of Holies," or, as it is in He- 
 brew, d^©-tp uTp, KodesJi Kodeshim, refers away back to 
 that portion of the Temple of Solomon which was in- 
 accessible to all save the high-priest alone, and even to 
 him unless on the great Day of Atonement, which was 
 celebrated yearly in the month of Tisri. At all other 
 times it was considered sacrilegious even to look into this 
 hallowed place, whence the very light of day itself was 
 excluded, and where nothing w^as allowed to remain save 
 the Ark of the Covenant, over the lid of which, or Pro- 
 pitiatory, as it was called, shone the divine Slieck'inali^ or 
 visible manifestation of Jehovah's presence, in the form 
 of a luminous cloud. 
 
 The adaptation of this prayer to this part of the Mass 
 is admirable. In Solomon's Temple the Holy of Holies 
 was entirely shut in from the rest of the building, and 
 from the gaze of everybody, by a thick veil, which no 
 one was ever permitted to draw aside but the high- 
 priest on the Day of Atonement, and not then until 
 after much time had been spent in prayer and in per- 
 
 8 The presence of the Shechinah (from the Hebrew Shak, to dwell) was one 
 of the rare privileges of Solomon's Temple, neither of the subsequent ones pos- 
 sessing it. By it the Jews understood the presence of the Holy Ghost ; and 
 hence it is that in the Targums we find the distinctive appellations of Jehovah, 
 or God ; Memra, or the Word ; and Shechinah, or the Holy Spirit. According 
 to the rabbins, the presence of the Shechinah drove the princes of the air from 
 the Temple, terrified the demons, and communicated a peculiar sanctity to all around 
 the sacred edifice (Bannister, Temples of the Hebreics, p. 142). A tradition of long 
 standing among the Jews says that when the Temple was destroyed by the Chaldeans 
 the Shechinah was ?een to fly away from it in the shape of a beautiful dove, never 
 more to rettirn. 
 
Confiteor, 191 
 
 forming the purifications required by the law. In ask- 
 ing Almighty God, therefore, to take away from us our 
 iniquities, we, as it were, ask him to take away the 
 veil alluded to, for our sins as a veil keep us from see- 
 ing Him as He is, and keep us from the true Holy of 
 Holies, where not a mere Shechinah resides, but the 
 great Jehovah of the New Testament, the Son of God 
 himself, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. By as 
 much, then, as a substance exceeds its shadow, by so 
 much does our Holy of Holies exceed that of Solomon's 
 Temple ; and the Tabernacle in which the Holy One is 
 kept is infinitely more holy and more precious than ever 
 the Ark of the Covenant was. The prayer alluded to is 
 very ancient, as it may be seen in all the early Roman 
 Ordos, and mention is made of it by Micrologus,^ who 
 wrote in the eleventh century (Romsee, iv. 75). 
 
 When the priest has reached the altar he places his 
 hands upon it, and, having made a slight inclination, 
 recites the pra3^er ^^Oramus te, Domine," which may 
 thus be rendered in English: '^We pray thee, Lord! 
 through the merits of thy saints whose relics are here 
 present, and of all the saints, that thou wouldst vouch- 
 safe to forgive me all my sins." As he pronounces the 
 words '^ whose relies are here present," lie kisses the 
 altar out of respect for the sacred relics themselves, as 
 well as to testify his love for our Divine Lord, whom 
 the altar mystically represents. As we have already de- 
 voted several pages to the custom of enclosing relics in 
 the altar, we shall only say here that, even though for some 
 reason or other there should be no relics at all enclosed, as 
 is often the case in this country, still the prayer '^Oramus 
 
 9 It is not certain whether " Micrologns " was the name of an author or the name 
 of a book. The production, at any rate, dates from the time following closely upon 
 the death of Pope Gregory VII., which happened a.d. 1085. 
 
192 Customs relating to the Celebration of Mass. 
 
 te, Doniine," must not be omitted. At Solemn High 
 Mass the altar is incensed at this place, but at Low Mass 
 the priest, after having recited the '^Oramus te," goes im- 
 mediately to the missal, placed on its stand at the Epistle 
 corner. 
 
 Ancient Customs. — Although the prayer we have been 
 speaking of may be found in missals which date as far back 
 as the ninth century, still with many chnrches it was never 
 customary to recite it at all/ and we see tliat it is not recit- 
 ed now by either the Carthusians or the Dominicans. The 
 former say m its stead a ^' Pater " and '' Ave " ; the latter 
 kiss the altar simply, and say nothing but the '' Aufer a 
 nobis." 
 
 In ancient times the custom prevailed of kissing at this 
 place, instead of the altar itself, a cross which used to be 
 painted on the missal (Romsee, iv. 77). A vestige of this is 
 yet to be seen m Pontifical Mass, where the bishop, after he 
 has said the *^ Oramus te, Domine," kisses the altar first, 
 and then the Gospel of the day, presented to him by a 
 subdeacon. Some used to kiss a sign of the cross traced 
 upon the altar with the finger. The Dominicans observe 
 this practice yet. 
 
 Oriental Customs in this Respect. — The Xestorian priests 
 kiss the altar, as we do, upon first reaching it, and repeat 
 this act of reverence frequently through the Mass (Smith 
 and D wight. Researches in Armenia, ii. 2G1 et i-)assim). 
 The Armenians kiss a beautifully-wrought cross on the back 
 of the missal {ibid, 112)l. The practice with the rest of 
 the Orientals is precisely like our own, as we see from their 
 various liturgies. 
 
 Here we beg to call the reader's particular attention to a 
 fact well worthy of remembrance — viz., that there was 
 hardly a ceremony or liturgical custom ever used which 
 
Ancient Customs still retained. 193 
 
 may not yet be found, either whole or in part, in the cere- 
 monies employed by the Church to-day. What is not seen 
 in Low Mass may be seen in High Mass ; and what is not 
 seen in the Mass of an ordinary priest may be seen in that 
 celebrated by a bishop ; tlieu, again, what a bishop's Mass 
 has not a pope's has. We shall illustrate what we mean by 
 examples. In ancient times the ''pax," or kiss of peace, 
 was common to every Mass, and every member of the con- 
 gregation received it in due order ; now it is only given at 
 Solemn High Mass, and then only to the members of the 
 sanctuary. T]ie custom once prevailed, too, of pinning a 
 handkerchief or maniple to the priest's left WTist a little be- 
 fore he ascended the altar-steps, for purposes that w^e have 
 already explained; this custom is now reserved for a 
 bishoi)'s Mass, where the maniple is fastened to his lord- 
 ship's arm at the "Indulgentiam." Again, when the peo- 
 ple communicated under both species, other chalices besides 
 that used by the priest were employed, which received the 
 name of ministerial, from the fact that the Precious Blood 
 was administered from them by means of tubes or long 
 reeds ; these tubes are yet employed whenever the pope 
 celebrates Grand High Mass. Many things, too, may be 
 seen in Masses for the dead which date away back to the 
 early days, such as not saying tli^ ojiening psalm, or ^^ Judi- 
 ca me, Deus"; omitting the blessing of the water at the 
 Offertory, and of the people at the end of Mass. Many 
 other vestiges of ancient practices might be enumerated, 
 but we rest content with the citation of one more, taken 
 from the Divine Office of the Breviary. It is a well- 
 known fact that while the Disciplina Arcani, or ^'Disci- 
 pline of the Secret," prevailed, the Lord's Prayer was one of 
 those things that the catechumens were not allowed to learn, 
 or even liear recited. Now, as all these were allowed to be 
 present at the recital of the Divine Office, this prayer was 
 
194 Customs relating to the Celebration of Mass. 
 
 never said alond, lest it might be heard by the uninitiated : 
 but at Mass the case was otherwise. No catechumen could 
 remain in church after the Gospel, and hence, as no fear 
 was to be apprehended from the presence of any but the 
 faithful, when the priest came to the ^' Pater Noster" he 
 said it loud enough to be heard by all. The same is ob- 
 servable in the Office and Mass of to-day. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 THE CELEBRATION OF MASS. 
 
 THE IKTROIT. 
 
 The priest, having readied the Epistle corner of the altar, 
 after the "Oramus te, Domine," stands before the missal and 
 reads from it the Introit, or beginning of the Mass of the 
 day. In pronouncing its initial words he makes the sign of 
 the cross upon himself, thereby calling to mind a memorable 
 ancient custom so often alluded to by the early Fathers — 
 viz., of making the sacred sign at the beginning of every 
 important work. *'At every step and movement," says 
 Tertullian (second century), '^ whenever we come in or go 
 out, at the bath, at table, whatever we are doing, we make 
 the sign of the cross upon our foreheads " (De Corona 
 MilitiSf c. ii.) Strictly speaking, the Introit is the begin- 
 ning of Mass, for all that precedes it may be considered 
 as a preparation for celebration ; and we have seen that 
 the greater part of it has not been long of obligation. 
 With the Ambrosians, or Milanese, the Introit is called the 
 Ingress. The Mozarabic Missal calls it the Office^ as does 
 also that of the Carthusians, Dominicans, and Carmelites ; 
 and by this name was it designated, too, in the ancient 
 Missal of Sarum ( Church of Our Fathers, vol. iii. p. 147). 
 
 According to Merati (Thesaur. Sacr. Bit., p. 70), the in- 
 troduction of Introits into the Mass is to be ascribed to Pope 
 Celestine (a.d. 423-432). Previous to this pontiff's time 
 
 195 
 
190 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 Mass began witli the lessons, and in some eases with the 
 litanies, vestiges of which custom we have yet in some 
 Masses of Lent. All liturgical writers are agreed in ascrib- 
 ing the arrangement of the Introits as they stand now, at 
 least of all those that are taken from the Psalms, to Pope 
 Gregory the G-reat. He placed these, together with the 
 Graduals, Offertories, Communions, etc., in a separate book 
 by themselves, called the Anti2Jlionary , and afterwards drew 
 U2)on them as occasion demanded. It is well to note here 
 that in compiling this Antiplionary the pontiff made use, not 
 of the Hieronymian translation of the Vulgate that was then 
 in circulation, but of that which was in general use before 
 St. Jerome's time, and called indifferently the Versio Comm-a~ 
 ?iis, Vetus Itala, and Editio Vulgata. This accounts for the 
 difference in wording between those passages of the Psalms 
 used in the Mass and those that are said at Vespers and at 
 other parts of the Divine Office. For example, the psalm 
 " Beatus vir," or the Cxith, has, in the version that is used 
 in the Mass, ^^metuit" and '' cupit " where, according to 
 St. Jerome's version, we read ^^ timet" and ^' volet." And 
 in the Cxlviith Psalm, or the ^^Lauda Jerusalem," instead of 
 St. Jerome's rendition, '' Mittit crystallum suam sicut buc- 
 cellas," that read in the Mass has '' Emittit christallum suam 
 sicut frusta panis," and so on with many others. Those of 
 the Mozarabic and Ambrcsian rites, though not following 
 closely the ancient Versio Communis, yet approach nearer to 
 it by far than to St. Jerome's version, in the portions that 
 are used in the Mass. The versions used by them (they are 
 not the same) are evidently some of those of which St. Au- 
 gustine speaks as being innumerable about his time. 
 
 Whence the Introits are taken. — We have said that Pope 
 Gregory is the author of all — at least so far as regards their 
 arrangement — the Introits that are taken from the Psalter. 
 There are several which are not taken from the Psalms at 
 
The Introit 197 
 
 all, and a few which are taken from no part of Scripture, be- 
 ing the composition of some j^ious individuals. Nay, more, 
 there is one which is taken from an apocryphal book — viz., 
 the fourth book of Esdras — of which we shall presently 
 speak. Tliose Introits which are not from the Psalms but 
 from other parts of Scripture are by Durandus termed i7i'egu' 
 lar, probably because they are not found in the Gregorian 
 Antiphonai^y, Of such is the Introit for the third Mass of 
 Christmas morning, the ^'Puer natus est nobis," taken from 
 Isaias, chapter ix., and that for the Epiphany, ^'Ecce ad- 
 venit Dominator Dominus," from Malachias, chapter iii. 
 Those that are not Scriptural at all are the ^^ Salve sancta 
 parens," common to nearly all the Masses of our Blessed 
 Lady, the Mother of God, and the accredited composition of 
 the Christian poet Sedulius, or Shiels,' who flourished in the 
 fifth century ; the ^^ Gaudeamus omncs in Domino " of the 
 Feast of the Assumption ; and the ''Benedicta sit Sancta 
 Trinitas" for the Feast of Holy Trinity. This latter is 
 generally- marked in our missals as being from tlie book of 
 Tobias, chapter xii., but this is a mistake; in no part of 
 Scripture do we find the Adorable Trinity mentioned ex- 
 pressly by one name. That-the greater part, indeed, of this 
 Introit is framed on the sixth verse of the said chapter is 
 undoubtedly true, but it is incorrect to say that all of it is 
 taKen thence. We have said that there is an Introit which 
 is taken from an apocryphal book ; this is the one used in 
 the Mass for the third feria after Pentecost Sunday, be- 
 
 1 According to the general opinion, Sedulius, or Shiels, was an Irishman by birth. 
 ,\t an early age he is said to have settled in Italy, where, having prosecuted his studies 
 with much success, he was ordained priest, and, according to some, advanced to the 
 rpiscopacy. All pronounce him an eminent scholar and profound divine. The Church 
 uses many of his hymne in her service, the principal of which are, " A solis ortus car- 
 dine," proper to Lauds of Christmas day; and "Herodes hostis impie," or, as the 
 Roman Breviary has it, "Crudelis Herodes." The reader must be careful not to con- 
 found this Sedulius with another of the same name, but styled the Younger, '^^•h^ was 
 bishop in Spain in the eighth century, and who wrote a history of the ancient Irish- 
 
198 The Celehratlou of Mass, 
 
 giuuing thus: "Acuipite jucunditatem." It is from the 
 fourth book of Esdras/ chapter ii. 
 
 Scope of the Introit. — As a general rule the scope of the 
 InLroit is a key to the entire Mass of the day. If the occa- 
 sion be one of great solemnity, and the Introit be taken from 
 the Psalter, it is generally from those psalms that are most 
 expressive of joy and exultation. Thus, on Easter Sunday, 
 when the whole earth bursts forth in songs of praise over 
 the glorious Kesurrectiou of our Divine Lord, the Introit is 
 taken from one of the most beautiful psalms among the 
 entire one hundred and fifty — viz., the Cxxxviiith. 
 
 On occasions of great sorrow the Introit is generally from 
 those i)salms known as the elegiac, such as that for Septuage- 
 sima Sunday, when the Church puts on her penitential gar- 
 ments, and earnestly exhorts her children to prepare them- 
 selves by fasting and penance for the sorrowful tragedy that 
 is to be enacted the last week of Lent. 
 
 On the feasts of particular saints it is generally formed so 
 as to favor some special feature in the saint's career. Thus, 
 for instance, in the case of St. Jerome ^^milianus, who was 
 known the world over for his singular compassion in behalf 
 of forlorn children, the Introit is taken from the Lamenta- 
 tions of Jeremias : " My liver is poured out upon the earth, 
 for the destruction of the daughter of my people, when the 
 children and the sucklings fainted away in the streets of 
 the city" (chap. ii. 11). 
 
 Structure of the Introits. — The Introits, as a general rule, 
 are made up of a few verses from some of the Psalms or 
 other portions of Holy Scripture, followed by the minor dox- 
 ology. Formerly the entire psalm used to be repeated at 
 
 2 There was a very spirited discussion in the Conncil of Trent about the propriety 
 of putting this book on the list of canonical Scripture. Some of the Fathers, consider- 
 ing its rare worth in general and the lofty tone of its sentiments, argued strongly in 
 favor of it, while others oppo.«ed it. The latter, however, ruled ; and so it yet remains. 
 
The hitroit. 199 
 
 this place (Bona, p. 312), either by the priest himself oi 
 more generally by the choir. Pope Benedict XIV. is oui 
 authority for saying that this custom prevailed in the ma- 
 jority of churches up to the sixteenth century [De Sacro. 
 Missce Sacrif., c. xvii.) 
 
 When the priest has read the entire Introit he reiterates it 
 as far as the psalm appended to it. Taken in a mystic point 
 of view, this initiatory prayer recalls to mind the clamors 
 and anxious expectations of the patriarchs and prophets of 
 old for the coming of the Messias, and its double repetition 
 signifies the renewed earnestness wath which this great event 
 was looked for (Durandus, Rationale Divin., p. 153). In many 
 of King David's Psalms we find examples of this holy im- 
 portunity, where we see the most important verses recited 
 sometimes twice and thrice over ; see, among others, Psalm 
 xli. The Canticle of Canticles affords many more instances, 
 and striking ones at that. Thus, in the fourth chapter 
 the spouse is invited from Lebanon three different times : 
 ^' Come from Lebanon, my spouse, come from Lebanon, 
 come.*' 
 
 The priests of the Carmelite Rite repeat the Introit as we 
 do, on ordinary occasions ; but on the more solemn feasts of 
 the year they repeat it three times. According to Le Brun, 
 the literal or natural reason of thus lengthening out this 
 part of the Mass was to give time for the incensing of the 
 altar, etc., at Solemn High Mass, where the duty of singing 
 the Introit always devolved upon the choir (see Explication 
 ties Pin^res et des Ceremonies de la Messe, i. 176). 
 
 Almaricus, Bishop of Treves, as related by Fortunatus (De 
 Ord. Anfijoh., cap. xxi.), says that Almighty God, in order to 
 testify His approval of this portion of the Mass, caused His 
 angels to sing for the Introit of the Mass in the Church of 
 Holy Wisdom, at Constantinople, on the Feast of the Epiph- 
 any, the ninety-fourth Psalm, or the "Venite exulfomas.** 
 
200 The OeMratmi of Mass, 
 
 In Masses for the dead the priest does not make the 
 sign of the cross on himself when beginning the Introit, 
 but rather over the book, towards the ground, as if to 
 bless the earth where the dead lie sleeping (Kozma, p. 
 226). 
 
 Introits in the Eastern Church. — In the Mass of the East- 
 em Church there are two Introits, although neither is 
 precisely the same thing as ours, but rather a minor and 
 greater procession. The former takes place a little before 
 the expulsion of the catechumens,^ and consists only of the 
 translation of the book of the Holy Gospels to the altar by 
 the deacon. The latter, or greater Introit, called by the 
 Greeks ij fxeyaki] ei(joSo<^, megale eisoclos, follows the expul- 
 sion of the catechumens, and is attended with such a gor- 
 geous display of ritual that many have taken umbrage at it. 
 To understand the ground of oifence it must be borne in 
 mind that on the occasion of this major Introit the uncon- 
 secrated elements are carried in solemn procession from the 
 prothesis, or cruet-table, to the main altar amid fumes of 
 incense and a multitude of blazing torches. An army of 
 deacons and acolytes accompanies the procession, and the 
 people of the congregation as it passes along prostrate them- 
 selves in silent adoration. It was this latter feature that 
 formed the chief cause of complaint, and that led the cen- 
 sors sent out by the Holy See to the Eastern regions to 
 abolish this rite in the liturgies of the orthodox. The 
 Orientals attempt a -defence of their seemingly strange cus- 
 tom by saying that no adoration whatever is here intended, 
 but only what may be termed a sort of anticipatory reverence 
 in view of what the elements will be changed into in course 
 of the Holy Sacrifice — viz., the Body and Blood of Christ. 
 This is the explanation given by Gabriel, Exarch of 
 
 3 Although the ceremony of expelling the catechumens has long since ceased in the 
 East as well as in the West stiil these expressions are j-et retained b}' the Orientals. 
 
Kyrie Eleison. 201 
 
 Philadelphia, in Lydia, Asia Minor (Neale, Holy Eastern 
 <::hurcli, i. 375). 
 
 KYRIE ELEISON". 
 
 When the priest has finished the Introit he proceeds to 
 ihe middle of the altar, and there recites alternately with the 
 ierver the *' Kyrie eleison," or Minor Litany, as it used to 
 be called in the early days. When it is a Solemn High 
 Mass this is recited at the book. ** Kyrie eleison," and its 
 accompanying " Christe eleison," are two Greek expressions 
 meaning " Lord have mercy on us," *' Christ have mercy on 
 us." Including w4iat is said by the priest of this solemn peti- 
 tion for mercy, and what is said by the clerk or server, we 
 have in all nine separate petitions, which liturgical writers 
 interpret as follows : *' Kyrie eleison " is said three times to 
 God the Father for his manifold mercies ; " Christe eleison " 
 is said three times to God the Son, the author of our redemp- 
 tion ; and ^^ Kyrie eleison " is thrice repeated again to God 
 the Holy Ghost, the sanctifier and consoler (Kozma, 1G8). 
 
 There is a very ancient tradition, and, to say the least of 
 it, a very beautiful one, to the effect that our Divine Lord, 
 on the occasion of his glorious ascension into heaven, tarried 
 one day with each of the nine choirs of angels before he 
 reached the celestial throne, and that in memory of this the 
 *^ Kyrie" is repeated nine times (Neale, Song of Songs, ^, 
 86). This tradition, according to some of the early Fathers, 
 furnishes a key to the interpretation of that passage in the 
 Canticle of Canticles where the spouse is represented as 
 'Heaping upon the mountains" and ^^ skipping over the 
 hills" (chap. ii. 8). The mountains and hills, say they, 
 are the grades of the angelic choir through which our Lord 
 passed (ibid.) 
 
 Some attribute the introduction of the ^"^ Kyrie" into the 
 Mass to Pope Gregory the Great ; but this cannot be correct. 
 
^02 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 for that holy pontiff himself said that he only caused it to 
 be recited by both priest and people, because in the Greek 
 Church it was solely confined to the latter, and even then 
 there was no mention whatever of the *' Christe eleison." 
 Another very strong proof of the earlier introduction of it 
 is that the Fathers of the second Council of Vaison, held in 
 A.D. 529, speak of it as if well known throughout the whole 
 Church ; and this was at least sixty years before Pope 
 Gregory's pontificate. We deem it well to quote the words 
 of this council : *'Let that beautiful custom of all the pro- 
 vinces of the East and of Italy be kept up — viz. , that of sing- 
 ing with grand effect and compunction the * Kyrie eleison ' 
 at Mass, Matins, and Vespers — because so sweet and pleas- 
 ing a chant, even though continued day and night with- 
 out interruption, could never produce disgust or weariness" 
 (Summa Concilioriimy p. 89). 
 
 In many churches the custom prevailed for some time of 
 intermingling with the *' Kyrie, "certain intercalary expres- 
 sions touching the nature of the feast of the occasion. Thus, 
 on feasts of the Blessed Virgin it would read after this 
 manner : ''' Lord, thou lover of virginity, illustrious Fa- 
 ther and Mary's Creator, have mercy on us"; and so on 
 with the rest of it (Eomsee, p. 84). 
 
 The Ambrosians, or those who follow the Milanese Rite, 
 recite the ^^ Kyrie" at three different periods of the Mass — 
 viz., after the *^ Gloria in excelsis," after the Gospel, and 
 at the conclusion of divine service. 
 
 Why said in Greek. — There are certain words and expres- 
 sions so peculiarly adapted to the language in which they 
 were first conceived that they lose all their force and beauty 
 when translated into another. Of such a nature are the 
 words "alleluia," '^hosanna," and "Kyrie eleison." But 
 there is a deeper reason than this for retaining them in the 
 Mass. Originally the Church was principally formed out of 
 
Ktjrie Eleison. 203 
 
 three different nations — viz., the Latin, the Greek, and the 
 Hebrew — and in order to testify that the belief of these three 
 nations was one and the same, the Western or Latin Church 
 thought it proper to preserve the memory of the fact by 
 adopting phrases from each of them. From the Greek we 
 have "Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison," and in the Impro- 
 per ia of Good Friday, "Agios Theos, Agios Ischuros, Agios 
 Athanatos"; and from the Hebrew, "amen," "alleluia," 
 " hosanna," " Sabaoth," "cherubim " and " seraphim," and 
 several others which occur now and then in the Epis- 
 tles and Gospels. But liturgical writers give several other 
 reasons for the retention of these languages in the Mass, 
 foremost of which is that they have ever been looked upon 
 as venerable and sacred, from the fact that the title of the 
 cross was written in them ; and as the sacrifice of the Mass 
 and that offered on the cross are one and the same, except 
 that the former is offered in an unbloody manner, what 
 could be more appropriate than to give these hallov/ed lan- 
 guages a place in it ? The Greek has innumerable other 
 claims to the place it holds. It was the vernacular of some, 
 in fact we might say of the vast majority, of the early heroes 
 and defenders of the faith — of St. John Chrysostom, St. Gre- 
 gory Nazianzen, St. Basil the Great, St. John Damascene, 
 and hosts of others. It was in it that the very valuable 
 and venerable translation of the Scriptures called the Sep- 
 tuagint was made, from which our Lord and his blessed 
 Apostles drew so largely in their addresses to the people 
 (Dixon, Introduction to the Sacred Scrip., p. 98). 
 
 One thing alone, to pass over all others, should entitle the 
 Hebrew to a place in the Mass — viz., it was the language of 
 Melchisedec, the prototype in the old law of our Divine Lord 
 himself in relation to his sacred and eternal priesthood. 
 It was also the vernacular of our Lord and his ever-blessed 
 Mother, not to say of the majority of his disciples in the 
 
^04 lite Celebration of Mass. 
 
 new law. We do not think it necessary to enter here into a 
 full history of the ancient Hebrew and what it is so often 
 known by — viz., the JSyro-Chaidaic, or Syriac. Let it suffice 
 to say that since the Babylonic captivity there has been no 
 true Hebrew spoken by the Jews ; and that what goes by 
 that name in the Isew Testament was an Aramean branch of 
 the Semitic family of languages known as the Syriac. It can 
 be proved, almost to a demonstration, that this was the 
 language our Lord spoke. 
 
 Oriental Usage regarding the "Kyrie eleison." — The Li- 
 turgy of St. James* is the only Eastern Liturgy which 
 enjoins the recital of the ^'Kyrie" on the priest. In 
 all the others it is solely confined to the choir and peo- 
 ple, who, however, on no occasion say " Christe eleison." 
 The Liturgy of St. Chrysostom * prescribes the recital of the 
 ^*Kyrie" after all the principal supplications. 
 
 GLORIA I^^ EXCELSIS. 
 
 After the recital of the *^Kyrie" follows that of the 
 *' Gloria in excelsis," or major doxology, during which the 
 priest makes several reverences by bowing the head 
 slightly at some of its principal clauses, and terminates it 
 by making the sign of the cross upon his person. 
 
 * TTie Liturgy of St. James lays claim to the first place among all the liturgies of the 
 East. It is said to be the eldest in existence, having been committed to -sATitiug some- 
 where about the beginning of the third century. Though now rarely used in its en- 
 tirety, still it is the basis of all those liturgies used by the Maronites, Syrians, and 
 Nestoriaus, and is the one accredited to the churches within the patriarchate of Jerusa- 
 lem. It is used in some of the islands of the Archipelago on St. James' day. ' The Lit- 
 urgy of St. Chrysostom, derived and abbreviated from that of St. Basil, as the latter is 
 from that of St James, has the largest circulation at present of any known Liturgy in 
 the East. It is in general use wherever the Greek Rite, no matter what the language 
 be, prevails. It is therefore the Liturgy of Russia and of the four patriarchates, Con- 
 stantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, as well as of the kingdom of Greece. 
 On those occasions upon which it is not employed— viz., on the Sundays of Lent, ex- 
 cept Palm Sunday, and Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, and the vigUs of Christmas and 
 the Epiphany— the Liturgy of St. Basil supplies its place. 
 
Gloria in Excelsis. 205 
 
 Eegarding the authorship of the opening words of this 
 sublime anthem no doubts can be entertained, for the 
 Evangelists record them as having been sung by the 
 Heavenly Host over Bethlehem on Christmas morning. 
 Much dispute, however, has arisen regarding the remain- 
 der ; some attributing them to one author, others to an- 
 other. A very widely circulated opinion accredits it to 
 St. Hilary, Bishop of Poictiers, in France, a.d. 353. 
 Whoever be its author, this much is certain : that it 
 existed word for word as it stands now before the Coun- 
 cil of Nicsea, held in a.d. 325 (Kozma, p. 170; Bona). 
 Rather, then, than ascribe it to any one in particular, 
 in the absence of substantial proof, it is better to 
 say, with the Fathers of the fourth Council of Toledo, in 
 Spain, held a.d. 633, that the remainder was composed hy 
 doctors of the Church, ichoever these were (Merati, Thesaur. 
 Sacr, Bit., p. 72). 
 
 So careful was the ancient Church of securing for this 
 sacred anthem all the veneration that was due to it that 
 she restricted its recital to very grand occasions, and even 
 then confined it solely to bishops. But it was not at its 
 introduction confined exclusively to the Mass, for we find 
 it prescribed for the Morning Service, or Matins, of the 
 Divine Office (Eomsee, iv. 90). The precise date of its 
 introduction into the Mass, or who introduced it, is not 
 easy to settle. Those who ascribe its introduction to Pope 
 Telesphorus are evidently incorrect in so doing, for it is 
 now very well ascertained that he only caused to be said 
 the initial sentence, or the part chanted by the angels, and 
 had nothing to do with the rest of it (Bona, p. 317). Until 
 the entire hymn was composed, the first part of it, or 
 the angelic words, used to be sung — not, however, in every 
 Mass, but only in the Midnight Mass of Christmas, as the 
 above-named pontiff decreed (Hid.) According to Pope 
 
206 Tlie Gelelration of Mass. 
 
 Innocent III. {De Sacr, Altaris Mysterio, cap. xx. p. 113), 
 it was Pope Sjmmachns (498-514) who extended it in its 
 present form to every Sunday in the year and to the feasts 
 of all the holy martyrs. Some maintain that the decree 
 regulating this discipline was to be viewed as a general one, 
 and that hence it included priests as well as bishops ; oth- 
 ers hold that it affected the latter only. Whether it did 
 or did not, this much is certain : that when Pope G-regory 
 the Great attained to the pontificate (590-604) no priest 
 was accustomed to say it in any Mass, unless in that of 
 Easter Sunday ; and bishops were not allowed to recite it 
 except on Sundays and festivals. From a very ancient 
 Roman directory yet preserved in the Vatican Library we 
 derive the following information in point : " Dicitur * Glo- 
 ria in excelsis Deo,' si episcopus fuerit, tantummodo die 
 Dominico, sive diebus festis. A presbyteris autem minime 
 dicitur nisi in solo Pascha " (Bona, p. 317) — that is, " If the 
 bishop celebrates, the ^ Gloria in excelsis ' is said only on 
 Sundays and festivals. On no account must it be said by 
 priests, unless on Easter Sunday alone." This same re- 
 striction was approved of and enjoined by Pope Gregory, 
 wiio also caused it to be inserted in a conspicuous place in 
 the missal made out under his supervision ; and in this way 
 did it continue, according to Cardinal Bona, until about the 
 middle of the eleventh century, when the restriction was 
 taken away and the privilege of reciting it extended to 
 priests and bishops alike in every Mass that admitted 
 of it. 
 
 According to Martene and others, this hymn used to be 
 chanted in early times at Rome on Christmas morning, in 
 Greek first and then in Latin. The same custom prevailed 
 also among the clergy of Tours, where it was said in Greek 
 at the first Mass, and at the second in Latin (Enchiridion de 
 Sarr. Misscp ex opere Ben. XIV., p. 31). 
 
Gloria in Excels'is. 207 
 
 When the " Gloria in excelsis" may be said. — As the An- 
 gelic Hymn is one of joy and festivity, its recital is forbid- 
 den to all during seasons of penance and monrning. Hence 
 it is not heard during Lent or in Masses for the dead. Du- 
 randus tells us, with no small amount of holy indignation, 
 that in times gone by the bishop of Bethlehem arrogated to 
 himself the right of reciting it on every occasion, no matter 
 whether it was a joyful or a sorrowful one, and this for the 
 reason that an exception should be made in case of the city 
 where the sacred anthem had first been heard {Rationale 
 Divinorum, p. 172). The present rule regarding its recital 
 is that which was laid down by Pope Pius V. — viz., that 
 whenever the " Te Deum " is recited in the Divine Office this 
 hymn is said in the Mass. This, however, admits of a 
 few exceptions ; but as we are not writing a ceremonial, we 
 do not think it our duty to name what they are, and Ave wish 
 our readers to bear this in mind in similar cases. 
 
 How the Dominicans, Carthusians, and Others recite it. 
 — The Carthusians and Dominicans, as their ceremonials 
 direct, goto the middle of the altar, as we do, to recite this 
 hymn, but after they have said its initial words they return 
 and finish the remainder at the missal. This custom pre- 
 vailed also in the Mass according to the Sarum Eite ( Church 
 of Our Fathers, iii. 148). 
 
 Practice of the Oriental Church. — Singularly enough, the 
 Nestorians are the only Christians of the East who recite 
 this hymn in the Mass (Neale, Holy Eastern Church, i. 471). 
 The Greek Church recites it frequently in the Divine Office, 
 but never in the Liturgy or Mass. It appears, to be sure, 
 in the Liturgy of St. James, but not the entire hymn, only 
 the angelic part, or that which used to be said at first in 
 the Latin Church. And this cannot but be a strong argu- 
 ment against those who would have the authorship of it 
 accredited to Pope Telesphorus. who died in a.d. 154: for 
 
WS The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 undoubtedly, if it existed iu its entirety tlien as now, it 
 would be so inserted in that Liturgy, which, in the opinion 
 of the ablest critics, w^as not edited earlier than the year 200. 
 
 DOMIKUS YOBISCUil. 
 
 At the conclusion of the ^' Gloria in excelsis" the priest 
 stoops down and kisses the altar; then, having turned to 
 the people, salutes them with ^^ Dominus yobiscum" — '^ The 
 Lord be with you" — words evidently taken from the Old 
 Testament, where we see them emploj^ed on various occasions 
 (see BtitJi ii. 4 ; 2 Par^al. xvi. et passim). The Jews were 
 very particular in having the name of God in all their salu- 
 tations, or at least an allusion to some one of God's good 
 gifts. Their other salutatioiis used to be : 1, The blessing 
 of Jehovah upon thee; 2, May God be Avith thee; 3, Be 
 thou blessed of Jehovah ; 4, Peace be to thee. It was this 
 last form that the Angel Gabriel used w^hen he announced 
 to our Blessed Lady that she was to be the favored Mother 
 of the ^' Long-expected of nations," our Saviour and Ke- 
 deemer. What in English is rendered by '^ Hail to thee " is 
 in Syriac — the vernacular of the Blessed Virgin at that time, 
 and evidently the language in which the angel addressed 
 her — wksi^ >o^.» Slo7n leJc — "Peace to thee." 
 
 PAX YOBIS. 
 
 We have seen that the recital of the " Gloria in excelsis " 
 was at its introduction into the Mass solely confined to bish- 
 ops, and continued to be peculiar to them for many centu- 
 ries afterwards. Now, inasmuch as peace — i.e., the peace of 
 God, which, as the apostle saith," surpasseth all understand-' 
 ing" — is the most prominent feature set forth in this sacred 
 anthem ; and as our Divine Lord always made use of the 
 word in his salutations to his disciples after his resurrec- 
 
Pax VoUs, 209 
 
 tion, it v/as deemed appropriate to deviate from the usual 
 "Dominus vobiscum" after the recital of this hymn, and 
 say in its stead, '' Pax vobis "— '^ Peace be to you " To keep 
 up an old custom, and to establish a slight difference be- 
 tween a bishop's manner of saying Mass and that of a 
 priest, the former was allowed to retain the use of ''Pax 
 vobis" after the privilege of reciting the ''Gloria" had 
 been extended to the latter (Bona, p. 318 ; Le Brun, i. 205). 
 But it is only at the end of this anthem that the bishop 
 salutes with "Pax vobis"; upon every other occasion he 
 says "Dominus vobiscum" like an ordinary priest. Some 
 Spanish bishops, it is true, arrogated to themselves the right 
 of saying it upon every occasion, but we see how severely 
 they were reprehended for so doing by the first Council of 
 Braga, in a.d. 561 (Bona, iMd,) 
 
 Oriental Customs. — The Greeks never use the salutation 
 " Dominus vobiscum," but always say in its stead '^ Eipi'jyrj 
 Ttaaiv,^^ eirene pasin — that is, "Peace to all" ; to which is 
 responded, " Ka\ rc^ nv^vjxari aov,^^ Kai to pneumati soic 
 — "And to thy spirit." The same forms are observed in 
 all the other churches of the East, with very little difference. 
 At several parts of the Mass it is customary with the Nes- 
 torian priests to make the sign of the cross upon themselves 
 when using this salutation, which is generally, " Peace be 
 with you all." Their deacons, for the most part, say, 
 "Peace be with us" (Badger, Nestorians and their Rituals^ 
 ii. 237 et passim). 
 
 After having said the " Dominus vobiscum," the priest 
 returns to the Epistle corner of the altar, and there, extend- 
 ing his hands in tlie manner of a suppliant, reads from the 
 missal before him the prayers proper to the occasion. Ashe 
 is about to reed the first he invites all to unite with him in 
 the sacred act by reciting aloud " Oremus" — "Let us pray." 
 In former times it was customary to turn entirely around to 
 
210 The Celehration. of Mass, 
 
 the congregation after this invitation had been pronounced, 
 and explain to them the precise nature of the prayer that 
 followed, a vestige of which is still retained in the long 
 series of prayers recited in the Mass of Good Friday, 
 where we see a particular object prefixed to each. Another 
 custom, too, that obtained in ancient times was for the 
 people to enter into a sort of silent prayer after they had 
 heard *^ Oremus," and remain in this quiet meditation until 
 the general prayer was announced. This general prayer was 
 denominated ^' iniKk-qGiZ,^'' epihlesis, by the G-reeks, from 
 ini, upon, and uaXecso, I call — that is, an invocation — 
 but in Latin it received the name of collecta, or collect, 
 from the verb colUgere, to gather together ; because the 
 common wants of the whole people w^ere, as it were, brought 
 together in it and laid before Almighty God. These pray- 
 ers go by the name of collects even to-day (Bona, p. 319 ; 
 Selvaggio, Inst. Christian Antiq., i. p. 1). 
 
 MAXXER OF RECITING THE PRAYERS. 
 
 The priest recites all the prayers with outstretched and ex- 
 tended hands. This practice is not new, for we find that it 
 was observed also in the old law. Moses thus prayed in the 
 w^ilderness, and the Holy Scripture tells us that as long as 
 he kept his hands thus uplifted on high while his kinsmen 
 fought against the Amalekites in the valley of Eaphidim, the 
 former were always victorious, but that when he let them 
 down a little, victory fell to the latter (Exod. xvii. ) Many 
 touching allusions are made to this extending of hands in 
 prayer throughout the Old Testament ; and we see it also 
 strongly recommended mthe ]N"ew, for St. Paul says, ^' I will 
 that men pray lifting up j^ure hands '' (1 Tim. ii. 8). And that 
 this holy and venerable attitude was observed by the ancient 
 Christians in their devotions, innumerable testimonies prove. 
 The Catacombs bear witness of the fact in the pictures they 
 
Manner of reciting the Prayers, 2H 
 
 furnish us of men and women praying in this way. But 
 it is only the priest at Mass who observes this practice 
 now. The people pray that way no longer, but rather with 
 hands united. Dr. Kock tells us in his Hierurgia (p. 61) 
 that while travelling in Europe he noticed the people in 
 many of the churches of Munich praying after the ancient 
 manner. In the mystic interpretation of this posture there 
 is reference, first, to Adam's uplifting of his hand in reach- 
 ing for the forbidden fruit ; and, secondly, to the lifting 
 up and outstretching of our Divine Lord's hands on the 
 cross, by which Adam's transgression was atoned for (Bona, 
 p. 322). Prayiug with the hands fully extended in the form 
 of a cross is yet observed at certain parts of the Mass by the 
 Carthusians, Carmelites, and Dominicans, as we see from 
 their ceremonials. 
 
 Tlie reader, no doubt, will be curious to know something 
 more about the manner in which the ancient Christians 
 assisted at Mass than what wc have given. As a general 
 rule the ancient cluirchos had no seats for the people to sit 
 on, as that position was deemed ill in keeping with the 
 gravity becoming the house of God. xls the services, how- 
 ever, in the very early days were much longer than at pre- 
 sent, those who, througli feebleness of health or other cau- 
 ses, could not stand, were allowed the use of staves to lean 
 upon, and in some rare cases even of cushions to sit upon, 
 a practice which is yet quite common in the churches of 
 Spain, and in many of those of the rest of Europe. It was 
 the rule to stand always on Sunday, in memory of our Lord's 
 glorious resurrection, and to kneel the rest of the week 
 (Selvaggio, b. 10). As kneeling is a sign of humiliation, it 
 was the rule to observe ifc during the penitential seasons 
 and on all occasions of mourning. Accordiug to St. Jerom^e, 
 St. Basil the Great, Tertullian, and others, these rules were de- 
 rived from the Apostles themselves ; but because some would 
 
212 Tlie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 sit when tliey ought to stand, and some stand when they 
 ono-hfc to kneel, the Sacrosanct Council of Mca3a, in or- 
 der to establish uniformity, thus decreed in its twentieth 
 canon : '^ In order that all things may be done alike in every 
 parish, it has seemed good to this Holy Synod [to decree] 
 that the people pour out their prayers standing '' {Summa 
 Conciliorum, p. 35 ; Selvaggio, 8). Of course this rule did 
 not affect the Public Penitents, who were obliged to remain 
 kneeling during the entire time that they were permitted to 
 be present in the house of God. The fourth Council of 
 Carthage strictly forbade them ever to change this posture. 
 
 Whenever any important prayer or lesson was to be read, 
 and the people had been kneeling beforehand, the deacon 
 invited them now to stand by the words, ^^Erecti stemus 
 honeste " — that is, '^^Let us become erect and stand in a be- 
 coming manner." During the penitential season the con- 
 gregation were invited to kneel by saying, '' Flectamus 
 genua," and to stand up afterwards by ^'Levate." The 
 same custom may yet be observed in Lent and on some 
 other occasions. The Catholic reader need not, of course, 
 be told that during the actual celebration of Mass the priest 
 is always standing. At Solemn High Mass he and his min- 
 isters are allowed to sit down while the choir are chanting 
 the ^^Kyrie eleison," *• Gloria in excelsis," and *^ Credo," 
 but never at any other jDart of the service. Two singular 
 instances of saying Holy Mass in a sitting posture are upon 
 record. Pope Benedict XIY. did so in his declining years, 
 when through great feebleness of health he could neither 
 stand nor kneel, and the same is recorded of the saintly and 
 ever-memoi'able pontiff, Poi^e Pius YII. 
 
 Praying towards the East. — The custom prevailed very 
 generally with the Christians of early days of turning to the 
 east in prayer, whether at Mass or out of Mass, and the ma- 
 jority of ancient churclies were built with a view to favor 
 
Number of Collects said in the Mass, 213 
 
 this custom. The reasons given for this practice are the 
 following : First, because the east is symbolic of our Lord;, 
 who is styled in Scripture the *' Orient from on high/' the 
 *' Light," and the *' Sun of Justice." Secondly, the Garden 
 of Eden was situated in that region, and thence did the 
 Magi come to lay their gifts at the crib of our Lord on 
 Christmas morning. Thirdly, according to St. John Da- 
 mascene, when our Lord hung on the cross his back was 
 turned to the east and his face to the west ; w^e therefore 
 pray to the east that w^e may, as it were, be looking in his 
 face. Fourthly, the ancients prayed in this direction, in 
 order not to resemble the pagans, who moved in every direc- 
 tion — now praying towards the sun at mid-day, now towards 
 the moon, and again towards the stars ; the Saracens prayed 
 towards the south, the Jews towards Jerusalem, and the 
 Mahometans towards Mecca. Fifthly, it has always been 
 looked upon as an established thing tliat at the last day our 
 Lord, with his effulgent cross sjiarkling in tlie heavens, will 
 come to judge mankind from the eastern quarter (see Bona, 
 Divina Psalmodia, p. 441 ; Eiddle's Christian Antiquities, 
 p. 795). 
 
 NUMBER OF COLLECTS SAID IN THE MASS. 
 
 On occasions of great solemnity the general rule pre- 
 scribes but one Collect, but on ordinary occasions three is 
 the number. It is forbidden to say more than seven at 
 any time, and this number is rarely reached unless when 
 some special commemorations are made. According to 
 liturgical commentators, one prayer mystically represents 
 the unity of our faith ; three are said in honor of the 
 Blessed Trinity, and in memory of our Lord's praying thrice 
 in the G-arden of Olives ; five commemorate his five wounds ; 
 and by seven we are reminded of the seven gifts of the Holy 
 Ghost (Bouvry, ii. 128 ; Durandus, Rationale Divi^i.^ p. 181). 
 
314 Tht Celebration of Mass, 
 
 Vvhatever be the number of the Collects, none others may 
 be said unless those given in the missal. As far back as the 
 year 416 laws were made by the Council of Milevi, in Africa, 
 forbidding under severe censures the introduction of any 
 prayers into the Mass except those approved of by legitimate 
 authority. This discipline is yet strictly observed. 
 
 Prayers of the Oriental Church. — The prayers used by the 
 Orientals are much more numerous than ours, as may be 
 readily seen from any one of their liturgies. In length, too, 
 they far exceed those that we employ, for which reason alone 
 the service of Mass in the East occupies nearly twice the 
 time that ours does. The Copts generally add prayers for 
 the favorable flow of the Nile, which is to them one of the 
 chief sources of temporal blessings, for the entire vegetation 
 and fecundity of Egypt depends upon its inundations.* 
 The ^^ Oratio fluminis," or Prayer of the Eiver, is thus 
 worded : '^Eemember, Lord ! the waters of the river, and 
 bless and increase them according to their measure." 
 
 AMEN-. 
 
 At the conclusion of the prayers the server answers 
 "Amen," a Hebrew word meaning "may it be so." The 
 custom of thus answering amen at the end of the prayers is 
 evidently derived from the old law, for we find it in nearly 
 every book of the Old Testament, and it is also very common 
 in the New. According to Cardinal Bona (Divina Psalmo- 
 dia, p. 532), it is one of those words which the translators of 
 the Bible left untouched, lest by rendering it in any other 
 
 6 There is an instrument for measuring the rise of the Nile in the isle of Khoda, 
 called the nilometer, but by the Arabs Dir-d-Mekias—plEiQe of measure. According 
 to Kalkasendas, if the river rose but twelve pikes there would be a famine ; fourteen 
 pikes caused a year of plenty ; sixteen gave abundance for two years ; and when It 
 reached seventeen it had attained its full limit. Great fears were always entertained of 
 its going beyond this boundary, for a serious inundation would be the result ; and 
 hence the earnestness with which the Copts prayed for a duo disposition of thess 
 waters (cfr. Pococke's Travels in Egypt). 
 
The Ejpistle. 215 
 
 language but its native Hebrew its power and beauty might 
 be lost. 
 
 THE EPISTLE. 
 
 The reading of the Epistle immediately follows the last 
 Collect. To this end, instead of keeping his hands spread 
 out as heretofore, the priest now rests them on the missal- 
 stand, while he reads the Epistle in an audible tone. Nor is 
 this change in the position of the hands without a mystic 
 meaning. By it the priest is made aware of the obligation 
 he is under of not only reading the law, but also of doing 
 what it prescribes, the hands being indicative of labor 
 (Eomsee, jv.- 101). 
 
 The particular part of Scripture from which the Epistle 
 is taken, as well as the Apostle's name to whom it is ac- 
 credited, both of which form the title, are first read before 
 the text itself ; thus, for example, " the reading of the 
 Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians," 
 **to the Hebrews," ^^to the Eomans," etc., as the case 
 may be. If the lesson to be read be taken from any one 
 of the three books, viz., Proverbs, the Canticle of Can- 
 ticles, or Ecclesiasticus, its. title is always, " the reading of 
 the Book of Wisdom," without any further specification, for 
 the reason that these three books were always denominated 
 the *^ Sapiential Writings" by the ancient Fathers (De 
 Herdt, Sacr. Liturg., ii. No. 63). 
 
 The ancient Hebrews — and the practice is yet kept up by 
 the modern Jews — always began the reading of the Law with 
 the forty-fourth verse of the fourth chapter of Deuteron- 
 omy, viz., "this is the law that Moses set before the chil- 
 dren of Israel" (Burder, Rehg. Cerm. and Customs, p. 39). 
 Before the Epistles were in circulation, the custom of read- 
 ing portions of the Old Testament was always observed in 
 the early Church, as can be proved by numberless testimo- 
 
216 TJie Celelration of Mass, 
 
 liies. The Acts of tlie Apostles refer frequently to this 
 jiracticc. But as soou as the Epistles were written the cus- 
 tom of reading the Old Testament gradually died away, and 
 gave j)lace to the custom which is now in vogue. St. Paul 
 strictly ordained that his Epistles should be read in all the 
 churches under his charge. In his Epistle to the Colos- 
 sians, chajoter iv., he writes thus: *• And when this Epistle 
 shall have been read with you, cause that it be read also in 
 the Church of the Laodiceans." And at the end of his first 
 Epistle to the Thessalonians he thus expresses himself : '^ I 
 charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read to all the 
 lioly brethren." St. Justin Martyr (second century) informs 
 us that this practice was general in his time {Aimh, 2) ; and 
 Tertullian refers to it also {Aiwl., c. 30). 
 
 In many of the churches of early days it was custom- 
 ary to read first a lesson from the Old Testament, and 
 then an Epistle from the !N'ew, in order to show that both 
 the one and the other are entitled to much respect ; and 
 that although the new law is much more perfect than the 
 old, still the moral teaching of the latter remains yet in all 
 its vigor. This custom is yet kept uj^ in the Mozarabic 
 and Ambrosian rites ; and the Carthusians and Domini- 
 cans observe it on Christmas day and its vigil. A vestige 
 of the practice may be seen in our own missal, also, in the 
 Masses of the Quarter Tenses — with this difference, how- 
 ever : that instead of one lesson several are read, in order to 
 show the aspirant for the holy ministry the necessity he 
 is under of becoming thoroughly conversant with the law 
 and the prophets, as well as wdth what the JSTew Testament 
 contains ; for it was during these days that orders were 
 conferred in ancient times, and even according to the pre- 
 sent discipline of the Church they are yet set apart for this 
 purpose in the majority of places in Europe (Gavantus, 
 Tliesanr. Saer. Rit., p. 338). The Council of Laodicea, 
 
The Epistle. 217 
 
 held in the fourth century, and the third Council of Car- 
 tilage forbade the reading of anything in the Mass which 
 was not taken from Holy Scripture. An exception, how- 
 ever, seems to have been made in some cases, for we see 
 that the letters of the Supreme Pontiffs and the Acts of 
 the Martyrs, also the letters of the bishop of the diocese, 
 used to be read very frequently (Martene, De Antiquis 
 ^ccl. RiHlus), 
 
 With the ancient Hebrews, the Pentateuch, or Sepher 
 Tora,^ as they called it, was held in such high estimation 
 that they made it a practice to read as much of it on every 
 Sabbath as would enable them to finish it in the course 
 of a year. • For which reason they divided the entire five 
 books into portions called parsliizoth, fifty-three or fifty-four 
 in number, corresponding with the entire number of ser- 
 vice days, and read one at every service. The Jews of to- 
 day keep up this custom (Bannister, Temples of the He- 
 Irews, p. 351). 
 
 It is universally admitted, we believe, that the series and 
 order of the Epistles read to-day in the Mass were drawn up 
 by St. Jerome at the request of the Sovereign Pontiff Pope 
 Damasus (Cardinal Bona, Rer. Liturg., p. 324). They 
 were first inserted in a book by themselves, called by St. 
 Jerome the Companion, but when plenary missals came into 
 use the Companion was superseded by them, and in this 
 way it lost its individuality. 
 
 At High Mass the Epistle is chanted by the subdeacon in 
 a loud tone of voice, with only one modulation at the con- 
 
 • We deem it well to inform the reader at this place that the Hebrews made three 
 great divisions of the entire Bible, which they denominated respectively Sepher Tora, 
 or the Book of the Law — i.e., the Pentateuch ; N^ebiim, or the Book of the Prophets ; 
 and Ketobiim, or the Sacred "Writings. This last division was what the ancient Fa- 
 thers called Hagiographa. The reading of the Sepher Tora began at Nisan, the first 
 month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, and continued up to the end of Adar, the 
 last month. Much display attended this reading. 
 
218 The Celebration of Mans, 
 
 elusion. It is chanted facing the altar and not the congre- 
 gation, as is the case when the Gospel is chanted, because 
 the latter, being the words of our Lord, is entitled to more 
 respect, and, besides, it is principally designed for the in- 
 struction of the jjeople. The custom of sitting down during 
 the reading of the Epistle is very ancient, being evidently 
 derived from the synagogue and early Christians (Eomsee, 
 iv. p. 103). According to Durandus, the Epistle is read 
 before the G-ospel on account of its symbolizing the mission 
 of St. John the Baptist, who was the precursor of our Lord 
 {Rationale, p. 183). 
 
 Deo Gratias.— At the conclusion of the Epistle the server 
 answers, " Deo gratias " — '' Thanks be to Grod '•' — as an evi- 
 dence of the gratitude we ow^e to our Creator for the spiri- 
 tual nourishment of his sacred words. According to the 
 Mozarabie Eite, this response is made as soon as the title 
 of the Epistle is announced. 
 
 In ancient times the expression '^ Deo gratias " was in 
 very common use among the faithful. It was, in fact, one 
 of their principal forms of salutation whenever they met, 
 as we learn from St. Augustine, who also tells us that the 
 impious Donatists endeavored to turn it into ridicule. 
 When the proconsul Galerius Maximus read out the 
 decree, '^ Thasius Cyprianus shall die by tlie sword," the 
 saintly bishop received the sentence by exclaiming, "Deo 
 gratias ! " 
 
 Epistle in the Eastern Church. — The practice of reading 
 the Epistle in the Mass is also observed by all the Oriental 
 churches, as their liturgies show us. The Copts at this 
 place read five different portions of the Sacred Writings, 
 each of which, in accordance with Oriental usage, they de- 
 nominate the Apostle. These five portions are taken respec- 
 tively from the Epistles of St. Paul, the Catholic Epistles, 
 the Acts of the Apostles, the Psalter, ami the Evangels 
 
The Epistle. 219 
 
 (Renaudot, Liturg. Orient., i. 186). Their canons are so 
 strict in this matter that, were a priest to omit any of these 
 designedly, he would subject himself to excommunication ; 
 and as the ancient Coptic, or that in which their service is 
 carried on, is entirely unknown among the people, after the 
 Epistle has been read in that tongue, it is again read in 
 Arabic, the language of the day in those parts. All through 
 the East the Apostle — as they call the Epistle — is listened to 
 and read with a very great amount of respect. 
 
 The Ambo. — Whenever there was Solemn High Mass, which 
 was the case nearly always in the early Church, the Epistle 
 used to be chanted, not in the sanctuary as now, but from 
 an elevated lectern or puljoit known as the Ambo, from the 
 Greek ava/3aivGj — anahaino, I ascend — placed generally 
 in the nave of the church. In some places there were as 
 many as three appurtenances of this kind : one for the read- 
 ing of the Epistle, another for the reading of the Gospel, 
 and the third for the Prophecies. Specimens of these may 
 yet be seen in that ancient church at Rome known as St. 
 Clement's. Though many churches possessed two of these 
 amboes, one set apart for the chanting of the Epistle, the 
 other for the chanting of the Gospel, still the general rule 
 was to make one ambo serve for both these purposes ; and 
 w^e find but one employed in the great church of Holy 
 Wisdom at Constantinople, which all regarded as the most 
 l^erfect temple of worship then in existence. 
 
 Material of ivMch the Amboes tuere made. — The material 
 as well as the workmanship of the amboes varied, of 
 course, according to the means of the church. Some were 
 plain and made wholly of wood, while others were formed 
 of the costliest materials. That in the Church of Holy 
 Wisdom was constructed of pure alabaster, and enriched 
 with columns of silver and gold sparkling with gems 
 (Xeale, ffohj Eastern Churchy i. 203). The celebrated 
 
220 TJie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 ambo of the ancient Cathedral of Durham, in England, 
 was made of solid brass, and so beautifully finished was it 
 that persons came from afar to see it. It is described in 
 the Ancient Monuments of Durham as having a gilt peli- 
 can, feeding its young with blood from its breast. These 
 annals describe it as the ^^goodlyest letteron of brass that 
 was in all the countrye " ( Church of Our Fathers, yoI. iii. 
 191). (The reference in the figure of the pelican is to a 
 vision had by St. Gertrude, where our Divine Lord ap- 
 peared to her in the form of this bird with his Precious 
 Blood flowing from his Sacred Heart for the nourishment 
 of mankind. The pelican is said to open its breast with its 
 bill when all other means of feeding its young fail, and keep 
 them from utter starvation by administering its life-blood 
 for their food.) Many of the ancient amboes had curious 
 figures engraved and constructed upon them. In some the 
 Archangel St. Michael with the last trumpet could be seen ; 
 in others a huge eagle with its eyes turned aloft, to signify 
 the sublimity of the Word of God. This was generally the 
 device used in the Gospel ambo. 
 
 But the ambo was not exclusively used for the Epistle 
 and Gospel. Sermons were preached from it sometimes, 
 and in the churches of Egypt it was thence that the an- 
 nouncement regarding the time of Easter and the other 
 movable feasts was made. The ambo was also the place 
 where the diptychs were read ; and at Constantinople it 
 was there that the emperors were generally crowned (Neale, 
 Holy Eastern Church, i. 205). 
 
 Although these ancient appurtenances have long been 
 discontinued, traces of them may yet be seen in some of the 
 European churches, particularly in those of Kome. At 
 Lyons, too, not only are amboes seen, but the old custom 
 of chanting the Epistle and Gospel from them is still 
 strictly observed. 
 
The Gradual 221 
 
 THE GRADUAL. 
 
 After the Epistle comes the Gradual, so called not, as 
 some suppose, from the steps of the altar — for it was never 
 read from these — but i-ather from the steps of the ambo, 
 which was the place always assigned it. The Roman Ordo 
 is very explicit on this point. *^ After the lesson has been 
 finished," it says, 'Het those who are going to sing the 
 Gradual and Alleluia stand on the lower step by the pul- 
 pit" (i.e., the ambo). The remarks of Cassander regarding 
 this are to the same effect. *^ The responsory," says he, 
 *^ which is said at Mass is called, in contradistinction to 
 the others, the Gradual, because this is sung on the steps, 
 the others wherever the clergy please" (Bona, p. 325). It 
 is called a responsory from the fact that it is a kind of 
 reply to the Epistle, after which it is sung to stir up tlie 
 hearts of the people to the salutary truths the latter con- 
 tains (Kozma, p. 178). 
 
 The principal literal reason for introducing singing at 
 this place was to keep the attention of the people from 
 flagging in the interval that elapsed while the procession 
 for the chanting of the Gospel was forming (ibid., and 
 Eomsee, iv. 105). 
 
 • The Gradual is made up of two verses taken from the 
 Psalms or some other part of Holy Scripture, followed by 
 an Alleluia repeated twice, to which is added another verse 
 with one Alleluia at the end of it. 
 
 Alleluia. — Alleluia is a Hebrew word translated generally 
 by "praise the Lord." Its precise derivation is '^allelu," 
 to praise with jubilation, and " Jah," one of the names of 
 the Almighty. This sacred word was held in so much es- 
 teem by the early Christians that it was only pronounced 
 on very solemn occasions. St. Jerome tells us in his twenty- 
 seventh Epistle that in a convent founded at Jerusalem 
 by the pious St. Paula it used to be the signal for assem- 
 
22'Z The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 bling all the nuns to their exercises of devotion. To this end 
 it used to be chanted along the corridors several times in a 
 loud tone of voice/ 
 
 St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109, 
 held a strange opinion regarding tiie origin of this word. 
 According to him, it belonged to no language upon earth, 
 and could not be properly rendered into any one, but 
 was altogether angelic in its formation. Cardinal Bona, 
 wondering at this strange deception, humorously writes 
 (Divina Psalmodia, p. 511) : " Omnis homo aliquid hu- 
 manum patitur, et quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus " — 
 that is, ** Every man has a little of the frailty of human 
 nature in him ; even the good Homer sometimes nods." 
 
 During the penitential seasons and on occasions of 
 mourning Alleluia is not said, according to the Roman Rite, 
 but in the Mozarabic it is always said even in Masses for the 
 dead ; and this is the rule, too, ia the Greek Church. 
 
 The Tract. — When the Alleluia is not said, what is known 
 as the Tract is added to the Gradual in its place. This 
 Tract, which is made up of three or four verses taken from 
 the Psalms — though sometimes the entire psalm is recited, 
 as on Palm Sunday and Good Friday — derives its name from 
 the Latin tr alter e, to draw, agreeably to which liturgical, 
 writers inform us that in ancient times it used to be drawn 
 out in a slow, measured tone without any interruption what- 
 ever on the part of the choir (Romsee, i\-. 105; Durandus, 
 Rationale, book iv. chaj). xxi.) 
 
 ' According to St. Jerome, Aloiglity God was known to the ancient Hebrews under 
 ten different names, viz. : "El"or"Al," the Strong One; "Eloah," the Adorable ; 
 " Adonai " (plural of Adon), the Great Lord ; " Tsabaoth," God of Hosts ; " Jah," the 
 Ever- Living ; "Nghelion," the Most High ; "Elohim," Gods (plural form — suggestive, 
 as some maintain, of the Blessed TrinitjO ; " Havah," He wJio is ; " Shaddai," the All 
 Mighty ; and " Jehovah," or He who is, was, and will be. This last name the Jews 
 would never pronounce, out of the great respect they had for it, but would always use 
 Adonai in its stead. 
 
^ Sequences, 223 
 
 SEQUENCES. 
 
 On particular occasions of the year there are added imme- 
 diately after the Gradual certain rhythmical pieces of com- 
 position called by the several names of Proses, Jubilations, 
 iind Sequences. They are denominated Proses because, 
 though written like verse, yet they are destitute of the quali- 
 fications that are looked for in regular metrical composi- 
 tions, for they are formed more with a view to accent than 
 quantity — a very striking characteristic of the poetry of the 
 early ages of the Christian Church. The name Jubilations 
 was given tliem from their having been for the most part 
 employed on occasions of great solemnity and rejoicing ; 
 and that of Sequences j or Sequels, from their following the 
 Alleluia (Bona, p. 326). Formerly it was customary to pro- 
 long the singing after the last note of the Alleluia for 
 quite a considerable time, without using any words what- 
 ever, but merely the notes themselves. This was what re- 
 ceived the name of the Pneuma, or breathing ; and, strictly 
 speaking, it was the origin of what we now call Juhila- 
 turns or Sequences {ihid.) 
 
 For a considerable time every Sunday in the year, except 
 those of the penitential season, had a Sequence of its own, 
 as may be seen from any ancient missal, and the, rite ob- 
 served at Lyons keeps up this custom yet. But as a great 
 deal of abuse crept in on account of having to use such a 
 multiplicity of Sequences, and as many were carelessly 
 written, the Church thought it well to subject the en- 
 tire number to a rigid examination, and retain only those 
 which were remarkable for their rare excellence. The 
 principal step in this matter was first taken by the Coun- 
 cil of Cologne, held in a,d. 1536, and its measures were 
 seconded by that of Eheims in 1564 ; so that of the entire 
 number which obtained in the Church up to these dates five 
 only were deemed worthy of a place in the Mass, viz.: 1, 
 
224 Tlie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 the ^* Victimse Paschali/' proper to Easter; 2, the "Yeui 
 Sancte Spiritus," proper to Pentecost ; 3, the *' Lauda Sion," 
 proper to Corpus Ohristi ; 4, the *' Stabat Mater/' proper to 
 the Feast of the Seven Dolors of B.V.M. ; 5, the '' Dies Irse/' 
 proper to Masses for the dead. In addition to these it may 
 be well to add that which the Friars Minor were allowed to 
 retain on the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, the first 
 lines of which begin thus (Gavantus, p. 355) : 
 
 "Lauda, Sion, Saiyatoris 
 Jesu Nomen et Amoris.'' 
 
 Authors of the Sequences. — Much variety of opinion exists 
 regarding the authors of these Sequences, but, as we are un- 
 able to settle the question, we shall simply name those to 
 whom they have been attributed from time to time. 
 
 The first, or the ^' Victimm Faschali," is, we believe, by 
 the viast majority of critics accredited to a monk, Notker by 
 name, of the celebrated monastery of St. Gall, in Switzer- 
 land, who flourished in the ninth century, and attained to 
 much renown by his talent for writing sacred poetry. Ac- 
 cording to some, he is said to have been the first who caused 
 this species of comj)osition to be introduced into the Mass; 
 and, if we are to believe Durandus, he was i .couraged in 
 this by Pope Mcholas the Great (858-867). Others ascribe 
 its introduction to Alcuin, the preceptor of Charlemagne. 
 The '^Yictimse Paschali" is also sometimes attributed to 
 Eobert, King of the Franks. 
 
 '^Ve7ii, Sande Spirilus,'^ — This beautiful hymn is gene- 
 rally accredited to the Blessed Hermann, usually styled Con- 
 tr actus, or the Cripple, from the deformity of liis limbs. As 
 the early history of this remarkable man is very interesting, 
 we presume that the reader will not think it amiss if we 
 give a brief sketch of it, as it bears much upon our subject : 
 "Hermanhus Contractus, the son of Count Weringeu, in 
 
Sequences, 225 
 
 Lironia, was, at the age of fourteen, sent to the monastery 
 of St. Gall to be educated. He was lame and contracted iu 
 body, and made little progress in learning on account of his 
 slowness of mind. Hilperic, his master, seeing how bitterly 
 he bewailed his misfortunes, pitied him, and advised him to 
 apply himself to prayer, and to implore the assistance of the 
 Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God. Hermannus obeyed his 
 master, and about two years after thought he saw the holy 
 Virgin one night whilst he was asleep, and that she thus ad- 
 dressed him : * good child ! I have heard your prayers, 
 and at your request have come to assist you. Now, there- 
 fore, choose whichever of these two things you please, and 
 you shall certainly obtain it : either to have your body 
 cured, or to become master of all the science you desire.' 
 Hermannus did not hesitate to prefer the gifts of the mind 
 to those of the body, and such from this period was his pro- 
 gress in human and divine science that he was esteemed 
 the most learned of his contemporaries. He excelled them 
 all in philosophy, rhetoric, astronomy, poetry, music, and 
 theology ; composed books upon geometry, music, and as- 
 tronomy, the eclipses of the sun and moon, the astrolabe, 
 the quadrant, the horologue, and quadrature of the circle ; 
 wrote commentaries on Aristotle and Cicero ; translated 
 some Greek and Arabic works into Latin; composed a 
 chronicle from the creation of the world to the year 1052, a 
 treatise on physiognomy, and several hymns, amongst which 
 the 'Salve Eegina,' 'Alma Redemptoris,' and 'Veni, Sancte 
 Spiritus ' are enumerated. He died in 1054, aged forty-one 
 years" (Dublin Revieio, vol. xxx., June, 1851; Gavantus, 
 ii. p. 166). The ''Veni, Sancte Spiritus" is also ascribed 
 to Pope Innocent III., to St. Bonaventure, and to Robert, 
 King of the Franks. 
 
 ^^ Lauda Sion." — All are unanimous in ascribing this to 
 the ''Angelic Doctor," St. Thomas Aquinas, who, at the re- 
 
226 The Celehration of Mass, 
 
 quest of Pope Urban IV., composed it for the solemnity of 
 Corpus Christi, of wiiicli we have already spoken at lengtli. 
 ^' Stahat Mater. ''^ — A good deal of dispute -has arisen 
 regarding the author of this sublime production, some as- 
 cribing it to Pope Innocent III., some to Jacoponi (1306) — 
 sometimes called Jacobus de Benedictis, a Franciscan monk 
 — and others to St. Bonaventure. We follow the majority, 
 however, in ascribing it to Pope Innocent III. To our 
 mind Jacoponi's claims to this hymn are not very strong ; 
 and if there were no other reason to justify our opinion 
 but that founded on his hymn for Christmas morning, 
 beginning with 
 
 " Stabat Mater speciosa 
 Juxta foeniim gaudiosa 
 Dum jacebat parvulus," 
 
 we think that would be sufficient. 
 
 "Dies Irce.''^ — The authorship of the '^Dies Irae" seems 
 the most difficult to settle. This much, however, is certain : 
 that he who has the strongest claims to it is Latino Orsini, 
 generally styled Frangiimni, whom his maternal uncle, 
 Pope Nicholas III. (Gaetano Orsini), raised to the cardinal- 
 ate in 1278. He was more generally known by the name 
 of Cardinal Malabranca, and was at first a member of the 
 Order of St. Dominic (see DuMin Review, vol. xx., 1846 ; 
 Gavantus, Tliesaur. Sacr. Bit., p. 490). 
 
 As tliis sacred hymn is conceded to be one of the grandest 
 that has ever been written, it is but natural to expect that 
 the number of authors claiming it would be very large. 
 Some even have attributed it to Pope Gregory the Great, 
 who lived as far back as the year 604. St. Bernard, too, is 
 mentioned in connection with it, and so are several others ; 
 but as it is liardly necessary to mention all, we shall only 
 
Seqiiences. 22? 
 
 say that, after Cardinal Orsiiii, the claims to it on the part 
 of Thomas de Celano, of the Order of Franciscans Minor, 
 are the greatest. There is very little reason for attributing 
 it to Father Humbert, the fifth general of the Dominicans, 
 in 1273 ; and hardly any at all for accrediting it to Augus 
 tinus de Biella, of the Order of Augustinian Eremites. A 
 very widely circulated oi^inion is that the *^Dies Irae" as it 
 stands now is but an improved form of a Sequence which 
 was long in use before the age of any of those authors whom 
 we have cited. Gavantus gives us, at page 490 of his The- 
 saurus of Sacred Rites, a few stanzas of this ancient Se- 
 quence, which we deem well to place before the reader : 
 
 *' Cum recorder moritiirus, 
 Quid post mortem sim futurus , 
 Terror terret rae ventunis, 
 Quem expeeto non securus : 
 Terret dies me terroris. 
 Dies irse, ac furoris, 
 Dies luctus, ac moeroris, 
 Dies ultrix peccatoris, 
 Dies ira?, dies ilia," etc., etc. 
 
 As late as 1576 tlie ** Dies Irae" w^as forbidden to be said 
 by the Dominicans of Salamanca, in Spain. Maldonatus, 
 also, the great Jesuit commentator, objected to its use in 
 Masses for the dead, for the reason that a composition of 
 that kind was unsuited to mournful occasions. Others, too, 
 made similar complaints against it. To repeat what learned 
 critics of every denomination under heaven have said in 
 praise of this marvellous hymn would indeed be a difficult 
 task. One of its greatest encomiums is that there is hardly 
 a language in Europe into which it has not been translated ; 
 it has even found its wav into Greek and Hebrew — into 
 
2'4^ TJie Celebration of Mass, 
 
 the former through an English missionary of Syria named 
 Hildner, and into the latter by Splieth, a celebrated Orien- 
 talist. Mozart avowed his extreme admiration of it, and so 
 did Dr. Johnson, Sir Walter Scott, and Jeremy Taylor, be- 
 sides hosts of others. The encomium passed upon it by 
 Schaff is thus given in his own words : '' This marvellous 
 hymn is the acknowledged masterpiece of Latin poetry and 
 the most sublime of all uninspired hymns. The secret of 
 its irresistible power lies in the awful grandeur of the 
 theme, the intense earnestness and pathos of the poet, the 
 simple majesty and solemn music of its language, the stately 
 metre, the triple rhyme, and tho vocal assonances, chosen in 
 striking adaptation — all combining to produce an over- 
 whelming effect, as if we heard the final crash of the 
 universe, the commotion of the opening graves, the trumpet 
 of the archangel summoning the quick and the dead, and 
 saw the King of tremendous majesty' seated on the throne 
 of justice and mercy, and ready to dispense everlasting life 
 or everlasting woe " (see Latin Hymns, vol. i. p. 292, by 
 Professor March, of Lafayette College, Pa.) The music 
 of this hymn formed the chief part of tlie fame of Mozart ; 
 and it is said, and not without reason, that it contributed 
 in no small degree to hasten his death, for so excited did 
 he become over its awe-enkindling sentiments while writing 
 his celebrated ^^ Mass of Requiem" that a sort of minor 
 paralysis seized his whole frame, so that he was heard to 
 say : " I am certain that T am writing this Requiem for 
 myself. It will be my funeral service." He never lived 
 to finish it ; the credit of having done that belQiigs to 
 Sussmayer, a man of great musical attainments, ^n(i a most 
 intimate friend of the Mozart family (^^uUin Review, vol. 
 i.. May, 1836). ^ , ^^... _. ^ 
 
 The allusion to the sibyl in the third line of the first 
 stanza has given rise to a good deal of anxious enquiry ; and 
 
Sequences, 229 . 
 
 so very strange did it sound to French ears at its introduc- 
 tion into the sacred hymnology of the Church that the 
 Parisian rituals substituted in its place the line '" Crucis 
 expandens vexilla.*' The difficulty, however, is easiJy over- 
 come if we bear in mind that many of the early Fathers 
 held that Almighty God made use of these sibyls to promul- 
 gate his truths in just the same way as he did of Balaam of 
 old, and many others like him. The great St. Augustine 
 has written much on this subject in his City of God; and 
 the reader may form some idea of the estimation in which 
 these sibyls were held when he is told that the world-re- 
 nowned Michael Angelo made them the subject of one of his 
 greatest paintings. In the Sistine Chapel at Eome may 
 yet be seen his celebrated delineation of both the sibyl of 
 Erythrea and that of Delphi. In the opinion of the ablest 
 critics it was the first-mentioned, or the Erythrean sibyl, 
 that uttered the celebrated prediction about the advent of 
 our Divine Lord, and his final coming at the last day to 
 judge the living and the dead. This prediction, it is said, 
 was given in verse, and written as an acrostic on one of the 
 ancient designations of our Divine Lord in Greek — viz., 
 ix^^^, ichthnSj a fish, referring to our spiritual regene- 
 ration through the efficacy of the saving waters of holy 
 Baptism established by our Saviour for our sakes. The 
 letters of this word when taken separately form the initials 
 of the sacred name and official character of our Divine Lord, 
 thus: ^^J" stands iov Jesus ; '' X'' for Christ; "0" for 
 Tlieos, or God; '' T" for Tio?, or So?i ; and ''2'' for 
 ffGOTT^p, or Saviour — ^that is, ''Jesus Christ, Son of God, 
 the Saviour," The part of the sibyl's response which re- 
 ferred particularly to the Day of Judgment was written 
 on the letters of $oUr, or Saviour. It is given as follows 
 in the translation of the City of God of St. Augustine 
 (edited by Clarke, of Edinburgh, 1871): 
 
230 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 '* /Sbunding, the archangel's trumpet shall peal down from heaven 
 Over the wicked who groan iu their guilt and their manifold sorrows ; 
 ^embling, the earth shall be opened, revealing chaos and hell, 
 ^very king before God shall stand on that day to be judged; 
 divers of fire and of brimstone shall fall from the heavens." 
 
 There are in all twenty-seven lines. 
 
 The *' Stabat Mater," too, deserves more than a mere pass- 
 ing notice, for, in the estimation of able critics, it is one of 
 the most pathetic hjmns ever written. Hogarth called it 
 ''a divine emanation of an afilicted and purified spirit," and 
 the encomiums lavished upon it by other men of genius are 
 numberless. As far as concerns its musical merits, the chief 
 credit is due to Pergolesi and Rossini, both of whom im- 
 mortalized themselves in their rendition of it. 
 
 The precise merits of the *' Lauda Sion " lie in this : that 
 it is one of the most able theological exegeses that have ever 
 been written on the doctrine of the Real Presence. Every 
 possible objection that could be raised concerning the 
 Blessed Sacrament is comprehended in it. 
 
 Sequences of the Oriental Church. — By way of compensat- 
 ing for the entire absence of all instrumental music from the 
 service of the Oriental Church, sacred hymnology is made to 
 act a far more conspicuous part there than it is with us. 
 Not a Mass is celebrated without at least half a dozen of 
 Troparia, as they are called, nearly all of wliich end with a 
 doxology in honor of the Mother of God, to whom, as we 
 have already said, the Orientals are very devout. To give 
 the reader an idea of the intrinsic beauty of some of the 
 Oriental Sequences, we copy the following, inscribed " for a 
 Sunday of the First Tone." It, of course, is written and 
 sung in Greek, and the work from which we copy it 
 {Hymns of the Eastern Church, by Rev. Dr. Neale) ascribes 
 it to St. Anatolius, a.d. 458. It refers to that scene on the 
 Sea of Galilee where the disciples are out in a boat and our 
 
'' Munda cor meum.^'- 231 
 
 Lord comes to them walking upon the waters (Matthew 
 xiv.) : 
 
 •' Fierce was the wild billow, 
 
 Dark was the night ; 
 Oars labored heavily, 
 
 Foam glimmered white 
 Trembled the mariners, 
 
 Peril was nigh ; 
 Then said the God of God, 
 
 'Peace ! it is I.' 
 
 Ridge of the mountain-wave. 
 
 Lower thy crest ! 
 Wail of Euroclydon, 
 
 Be thou at rest ! 
 Sorrow can never be, 
 
 Darkness must fly, 
 "Where saith the Light of Light, 
 
 'Peace ! it is L' 
 
 Jesu, DeUverer ! 
 
 Come thou to me 
 Soothe thou my voyaging 
 
 Over life's sea ! 
 Thou, when the storm of death 
 
 Roars sweeping by. 
 Whisper, Truth of Truth 1 
 
 'Peace ! itisL'" 
 
 "MIJNDA COR MEUM." 
 
 After the Epistle and the responses following it have been 
 read, the priest goes to the middle of the altar, and, having 
 bowed profoundly, recites the prayer '' Munda cor meum,^' 
 by which he begs of God to purify his heart and lips, as he 
 did those of Isaias of old, in order that he may announce 
 the good truths of the Gospel in a befitting manner. In 
 the meantime the missal is removed by the server from tlie 
 
23:2 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 Epistle to the Gospel side, and so placed that the priest may 
 be a little turned towards the congregation while reading 
 it, and this to preserve a vestige of the ancient custom of 
 reading the Holy Evangel from the ambo in the hearing and 
 sight of all. 
 
 The literal or natural meaning of removing the missal at 
 this place is that the Epistle corner of the altar may be 
 entirely free for receiving the gifts presented and placed 
 there by the people at the OSertory, and to make room for 
 the paten, which in former times was much larger than it 
 is now (Eomsee, iv. 107 ; Kozma, p. 182). Mystically, this 
 ceremony is intended to remind us of the translation of 
 the word of God from the Jews, represented by the Epistle 
 side, to the Gentiles, represented by the Gospel side, in 
 accordance with what is said by SS. Paul and Barnabas in 
 the Acts of the Apostles (xiii. 46) : '' To you it behoved us 
 first to speak the word of God ; but because you reject it, 
 and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we 
 turn to the Gentiles." The bringing back of the missal 
 afterwards denotes the final return of the Jews to Chris- 
 tianity at the preaching of Enoch and Elias (Durandus, 
 Rationale, p. 195). 
 
 We haye said that the Missal is placed at the Gospel side, 
 a little turned towards the congregation, and that this is 
 with a view to preserve a vestige of the ancient practice of 
 reading tiie Gospel from the ambo. As it may be objected 
 that the Epistle, too, was formerly read there, and why not 
 now be read as the Gospel is ? we reply by saying that 
 whenever the Epistle was read from the ambo it was 
 always from an inferior stand to that set apart for the 
 Gospel, generally from the steps themselves, and always 
 facing the altar ; for it was not, at its introduction into the 
 Mass, designed so much for the instruction of the people as 
 the Gospel was, nor did it ever occupy the same place of 
 
The Gospel 233 
 
 honor, although the honor shown it was very great (Mar- 
 tene, De Antiquis Eccl, Ritihus, f. 24). 
 
 THE GOSPEL. 
 
 When the priest has arrived at the missal after the prayer 
 **Munda cor meum," lie pronounces in an audible tone the 
 salutation, " Dominus vobiscum," without, however, turn- 
 ing to the people — for he is partly turned already — and then 
 announces the title of the Gospel he is going to read. To- 
 gether with doing so he makes the sign of the cross with his 
 thumb on tlie missal itself at the beginning of the Gospel, 
 and then upon himself in three separate places — viz., on 
 the forehead, mouth, and breast respectively. That made 
 upon the book is intended to teach us that the Holy Gospel 
 contains the words of Him who died upon the cross for oui 
 salvation ; that made upon the forehead is intended to 
 remind us that Ave must never be ashamed of the Word of 
 God, for our Lord himself says : " He who is ashamed of 
 me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be 
 ashamed when he shall come in his majesty" (Luhe ix. 26) ; 
 and the cross upon the breast reminds us of the holy ad- 
 monition in the Canticle of Canticles : " Put me as a seal 
 upon thy heart " (chap, viii.) (For other mystical mean- 
 ings see Durandus, p. 202. ) When the priest has announced 
 the title of the Gospel, the server answers : ^^ Gloria tibi, 
 Domine" — Glory be to thee, Lord — and the congregation 
 sign themselves after the manner of the priest. The re- 
 sponse, " Glory be to thee, Lord," is made to thank God 
 for the spiritual blessings contained in the holy Gospel. 
 The Acts of the Apostles, chap. xiii. 48, tell us how the 
 Gentiles glorified the word of God, and expressed their 
 heartfelt thanks to SS. Paul and Barnabas for having 
 brouoht them the salutary truths which the Jews rejected. 
 
 Standing up at the Gospel. — At the reading of the Holy 
 
234 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 Gospel all stand up out of respect for the sacred words of 
 our Divine Lord, as well as to testify their readiness to fol- 
 low out all that the Gospel teaches. This custom is very 
 ancient, as we find the Jews observed it when Esdras the 
 Scribe read them the Law after the return from the Babyr 
 Ionian captivity (2 Esdras^ viii. 4). When the custom was 
 in vogue of bringing staves to church for the purpose of 
 leaning on them during certain parts of the service, their 
 use was never permitted during the reading of the Holy 
 Gospel. They were at that time to be put aside, and with 
 them all insignia of royalty, such as sceptres, crowns, and 
 things of tliat sort, in order that all might appear in the 
 humble posture of servants before the Lord (Bona, p. 328 ; 
 Komsee, p. 114). Certain military knights, and among 
 others the Knights of St. John/ were accustomed to un- 
 sheatli their swords at this place, as evidence of their readi- 
 ness to defend the interests of the sacred words even unto 
 the shedding of blood (Bona, iMd.) 
 
 When the priest has finished reading the Gospel he kisses 
 the sacred text out of reverence for the words of our Lord — 
 for the Gospel is pre-eminently ^^ Christ's Book," as it used 
 to be styled in ancient times — and as he j^erforms this act he 
 says: "Li virtue of the evangelical words may our sins be 
 blotted out." The Carthusians kiss the margin of the mis- 
 sal instead of the text itself. Should some great dignitary 
 
 8 The Knights of St. John, established first at Jerusalem about the year 1098, were 
 also kno^^^l by the several names of Hospitalers, from the fact that their first house 
 was a hospital specially built for the care of the sick ; Knights of Efiodes, from their 
 temporary residence in that island ; and Knights of Malta, from their last stronghold 
 at Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea. They exist no longer as a distinctive military 
 body, but several yet bearing the name, and obser\-ing to a great extent their original 
 vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, may be met with throughout Italy, Eno'land, 
 and other parts of Enrope, and their honorary grand-master has a right to the high 
 title of " Most Eminent." Their patron saint is St. John the Baptist ; and their badge 
 a white cross, with eight points in it, in memory of the eight beatitudes (see Lives 
 of the Saints, vol. i. 571, note ; Ferraris. BiUiotheca ; Knights of Malta, bp Taaffe). 
 
The Gospel 235 
 
 be present in the sanctuary, it is the rule to present him the 
 book first, in which case the priest celebrating would not 
 kiss it at all. In ancient times not only did the priest kiss 
 the book at this stage of the Mass, but every member of the 
 congregation did so (Bona, p. 329). In the Sarum Eite a 
 special codex was set apart for this purpose ( Churcli of Our 
 Fathers, iii. 192). The custom of kissing documents of im- 
 portance is very ancient, and prevails yet in the majority of 
 ro3'al courts, especially in those of the East. Those that 
 come direct from our Holy Father the Pope are always 
 shown this mark of respect ; and that the pious practice of 
 kissing not only the book of the Gospels, but almost every 
 utensil in the house of God, even the very door-posts 
 and pillars, was generally observed by the primitive Chris- 
 tians v/e learn from numerous sources (Riddle, Christian 
 Antiquities, p. 739 ; Life of Cardinal Ximenes, by Hefele, 
 p. 87). 
 
 At the conclusion of the Gospel the server answers, " Laus 
 tibi, Christe" — '-Praise be to thee, Christ ! " — but in the 
 Mozarabic Rite the old custom of answering ^^Amen" at 
 this place is yet \Q^t up (see Littirgia Mozarahica, ed. 
 Migne). Another ancient custom — viz., that of making 
 the sign of the cross here — is still retained by the Carmel- 
 ites. 
 
 At Solemn High Mass. — At Solemn High Mass, where the 
 Gospel is chanted in a loud tone of voice, the ceremonies 
 are imposing and full of deep meaning : As soon as the 
 celebrant has passed from the middle of the altar, after the 
 ^'Munda cor meum," to the Gospel side, the deacon receives 
 from the master of ceremonies the book of the Holy Evan- 
 gels, wiiich he carries to the altar with much reverence, and 
 places in front of the tabernacle in a liorizontal position. 
 He does not return immediately, but remains there to assist 
 the celebrant at the blessing of the incense for the forth- 
 
236 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 coming procession. The incense Laving been put in the 
 censer and blessed, the deacon descends one step and recites 
 the prayer '* Munda cor meum," at the conclusion of which 
 he rises from his knees, and, having taken the book from 
 the altar, kneels down with it before the celebrant and asks 
 the latter to bless him. Having received the blessing, he 
 kisses the celebrant's hand, and then descends to the floor, 
 where he awaits tlie signal for the procession to move to that 
 part of the Gospel side of the sanctuary Avhere the Holy 
 Evangel is chanted. A full corps of acolytes with lighted 
 candles, incense, etc., head the procession, and the deacon, 
 walking immediately behind the subdeacon, moves in a slow 
 and dignified manner, carrying the sacred codex elevated 
 before his face. This is afterwards given to the subdeacon, 
 who holds it resting against his forehead during the entire 
 time of chanting. Having given the usual salutation of 
 " Dominus vobiscum," and announced the title of the Gos- 
 pel, the deacon receives the thurible, or censer, and incenses 
 the book in three different places — viz., in the centre, at the 
 right, and at the left. He then chants the text in a loud 
 tone of voice, and, having finished, receives the censer agam 
 and incenses the celebrant at the altar, who stood facing the 
 Gospel the whole time that the deacon was chanting it. 
 
 Exiiilanation. — The taking of the book of the Gospels 
 from the altar is intended to remind us, according to Pope 
 Innocent III., that the law has come forth from Sion, and 
 the ivorcl of the Lord from Jerusalem ; not so much the law 
 of Moses, but the law of the New Covenant, of which the 
 prophet Jeremias wrote: ^'Behold the days shall come," 
 saith the Lord, " and I will make a New Covenant with 
 the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda. ... I 
 will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in then- 
 heart, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people " 
 (chap, xxxi.) The deacon, kneeling at the feet of the 
 
lliG Gotpel 237 
 
 priest in the manner of an humble suppliant to receive his 
 blessing, teaches us the necessity of first asking permission 
 to preach the Gospel, and then a blessing for the sacred work 
 in order that it may produce the proper fruit. To take 
 upon ourselves the heavy onus of preaching without having 
 been divinely called to that sacred office would be to incur 
 God's wrath, and, instead of a blessing, draw down his con- 
 demnation. The Apostle St. Paul lays particular stress upon 
 the necessity of receiving a special call to discharge this 
 duty {Eomaris, chap, x.) Then, again, this taking of the 
 book from the altar and reading it aloud in the hearing 
 of the people forcibly recalls to mind what Moses did of old 
 on Sinai, whence he brought down the tables of the law and 
 read them before the chosen j)eople at the mountain's edge. 
 The subdeacon goes before the deacon to the place where the 
 Gospel is chanted to remind us that John the Baptist, whose 
 ministry the Epistle, and consequently the subdeacon, typi- 
 fies, went before our Lord, who is represented by the Gospel 
 (Durandus, p. 199). Incense is used on this occasion to 
 commemorate what St. Paul says (2 Cor. ii.), that we are 
 the good odor of Christ unto God in every place. And 
 lighted candles are employed to testify our joy at receiving 
 the glad Gospel tidings, as well as to show our respect for 
 Him who is the "Light of the World'' (Innocent HI., 
 Sacrif. Miss:, p. 141). Finally, the Gospel is cliantcd at the 
 corner of the sanctuary, with the sacred text facing the 
 north, to show that the preaching of our Lord was specially 
 directed against Lucifer, who said, " I will establish my seat 
 in the north, and will be like the Most High" {Isaias ; 
 ibid.) When, according to the ancient discipline, the Gos- 
 pel was chanted from those elevated pulpits called amboes, 
 it was in remembrance of that sacred admonition of our 
 Lord to his disciples when he charged them regarding the 
 ministry of the word. " That which I tell you in the 
 
238 Hic Celehraiion of Mass, 
 
 dark," said he, *' speak ye in the light ; and that which you 
 hear in the ear, preach ye on the housetops " {Matthew x. ; 
 Durandus, Rationale, p. 200). The last-named author speaks 
 of the custom that prevailed in his day (thirteenth century) 
 of chanting the Gospel from the eagle, referring to the ap- 
 purtenance in the shape of this hird that used to be em- 
 ployed in the embellishment of the ancient book-stands, 
 and this with a view to the fulfilment of the words, '' He 
 flew upon the wings of the wind" {Ps, xvii.) ; for the wings 
 of the eagle are aptly compared to the wings of the wind, as 
 that bird can fly highest of all the feathered race, and the 
 Gospel is the highest of aU the inspired writings. For 
 many other interesting facts about what we have been 
 speaking the reader is referred to Durandus, chap, xxiv.. 
 Rationale Divinorum. 
 
 Respect, shown to the Gospels in Ancient Times. — The re- 
 spect shown to the Gospels in ancient times is evinced from 
 the fact that the sacred codex used to be bound in massive 
 covers of gold, silver, and precious stones, as we learn from 
 many sources. The cases, too, in Avhich the sacred volumes 
 used to be enclosed when not in use, were made of the cost- 
 liest materials, often of beaten gold, and the most exquisite 
 workmanship was displayed in finishing them (Kozma, p. 
 105). Dr. Eock {Church of Our Fathers, iii. 31) tells us 
 that sheets of gold, studded with large pearls and precious 
 stones, were not thought too good to be the binding of these 
 books, and that their printing used to be often in letters 
 of gold upon a purple ground. At all great ecclesiastical 
 meetings the holy Gospels were assigned a very conspicu- 
 ous 2:)osition. At tlie General Council of Ephesus, held in 
 the Church of St. Mary in that city a. D. 431, the book of 
 the Gospels was placed upon an elevated throne in view of 
 all the assembled Fathers (Bona, p. 329). At a Solemn 
 High Mass celebrated by the Pope the Epistle and Gospel 
 
The Gospel 239 
 
 are first chanted in Latin, then in Greek, to express the 
 union of the two churches (Kozma, p. 183). 
 
 The Gospel in the Oriental Church. — The ceremonies at- 
 tending the reading of the Gospel in the East resemhle our 
 own very closely. In the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom the 
 deacon, kneeling down at the feet of the celebrant before 
 the procession moves, asks the customary blessing in these 
 words : *^ Sir, bless the preacher of the holy Apostle and 
 Evangelist N." (here the name of the Gospel is mentioned) ; 
 then the priest, making the sign of the cross upon him, 
 says : ** May God, through the preaching of the holy and 
 glorious Apostle and Evangelist N., give the Avord with 
 much power to thee, who evangelizest to the accomplishment 
 of the Gospel of his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 After this the procession moves to the ambo, and everything 
 goes on much in the same way as with ourselves at Solemn 
 High Mass. With the Abyssinians, the deacon makes a cir- 
 cuit of the entire church at this phice, saying with a loud 
 voice as he goes along : '^ Arise ! hear the Gospel and the 
 good tidings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." This 
 circuit is intended to signify the promulgation of the Gos- 
 l^ol by the Apostles throughout the entire globe, in accord- 
 ance with the sacred text, " Their sound has gone forth 
 into every land, and their words unto the end of the world " 
 (Ps. xviii. 5). 
 
 The Copts, instead of making the circuit of the church in 
 this way, go around the altar in a procession, headed by an 
 immense number of acolytes and other ministers bearing 
 torches and incense. The display is very imposing. After 
 the Gospel has been chanted it is first kissed by the clergy, 
 it is then covered with a silken veil and presented to be 
 kissed by the people (Eenaudot, Liturg. Orient., i. 190). It 
 is customary also with the Coptic prelates, should any be 
 present, to put aside their mitres and crosiers at this time, 
 
2-U) The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 and remain slightly bowed down during the entire chant- 
 ing. 
 
 The Greek bishoiDS, besides rising uj? to hear the holy 
 Evangel, also put aside their omopliorion,^ testifying there- 
 by, according to St. Simeon of Thessalonica, their total sub- 
 jection to the Lord (Groar, EuclioL Grcec, p. 223). 
 
 • The omophorion of the Greeks serves the same end as our pallium, only that it is 
 common to every bishop, instead of being restricted to archbishops, as with us. Like 
 the pallium it is made of wool, but is much broader, and, instead of hanging down 
 freely, is fastened round the neck in a knot. It is usually ornamented with silver and 
 silken threads, and symbolizes the " Lost Sheep " (Neal^, Holy Eastern Church, i. 312 ; 
 Eomanofi, Greco-Bvssian Church, p. 400). 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 THE SERMON. 
 
 According to the present discipline of the Church, regu- 
 lated in a great measure by the General Council of Trent, it 
 is required that at every parochial Mass on Sundays and 
 holydays of obligation a sermon touching the great truths 
 of our holy faith should be preached to the people. To do 
 this the more effectually it is recommended to follow the 
 line of thought expressed in the Gospel of the day, as it is 
 the wish of the Church that this portion of the sacred 
 writings should be carefully expounded and developed in all 
 its bearing. 
 
 The custom of thus preaching at Mass is of the highest 
 antiquity, the ablest critics maintaining that it is of aposto- 
 lic origin ; and the Holy Scriptures themselves would seem 
 to warrant this assertion. St. Justin Martyr (a.d. 167) tells 
 us in his Apology, i. 67, that it was the practice in his 
 day to read portions of the Sacred Scriptures first in the 
 assemblies of the people, and then explain their application 
 and meaning afterwards. The ancient Hebrews always 
 preached to the people after the reading of the Seplier Tora, 
 or book of the Law (Bannister, Temples of the Hehrews, 
 p. 351). 
 
 WHOSE DUTY IT WAS TO PREACH. 
 
 Whenever the bishop presided, as used to be the case in 
 nearly all the cathedral churches, the duty of preaching 
 
 241 
 
243 The Sermon, 
 
 devolved upon him. This duty was, indeed, regarded in 
 early times as so peculiar to a bishop that whenever a priest 
 addressed the people in any public church it was looked 
 upon as a sort of great concession and favor. '* Episcopi 
 proprium munus," says St. Ambrose {De Off. Sac, lib. i. 
 c. i.), '^ docere j)opulum" — '^Itis the peculiar office of the 
 bishop to teach the people " ; and St. Chrysostom, com- 
 menting on this faculty, says that the bishop who does not 
 possess it should be deposed from his office {Horn, x. in I. 
 Ep. ad Tim.) 
 
 During the prevalence of the early heresies, the greatest 
 care was taken to see that no one should ascend the pulj^it 
 unless he possessed the rarest qualities as a preacher and 
 theologian. This was especially the case when the heresy of 
 Arius broke out. So dangerous was this considered to be 
 that it was thought well all through the East to confine 
 preaching solely to bishops, and forbid priests under severe 
 penalties to take upon themselves this task. The Council of 
 Chalcedon (a.d. 451), as is well known, interdicted preach- 
 ing to monks, on account of the fall of Eutj^ches, one of the 
 heads of this body {Comment, in Pontif. Romamim, Cata- 
 lani ; MiihJbauer, i. 133). 
 
 LAYMEN" ALLOWED TO PREACH. 
 
 Although the ancient Fathers were very strict on the sub- 
 ject of preaching, and always insisted on having it entrusted 
 to men of tried ability and worth among the higher grades 
 of the hierarchy, still we find a little relaxation of this rigor 
 in certain rare cases ; for not only did members of the in- 
 ferior orders of the clergy discharge this duty, but even 
 those who were not ranked among the clergy at all. The 
 celebrated Origen, as we learn from Eusebius, preached fre- 
 quently in Jerusalem while yet a layman ; and we are assured 
 by the same author that this permission was also granted on 
 
Posture of the Preacher, 243 
 
 certain occasions to Constantine the Great {De Vita Const., 
 lib. iv. c. xxix.-xxxiv.) 
 
 DEPORTMENT OF THE PEOPLE DURING THE SERMON. 
 
 The behavior of the people during the sermon was nearly 
 always of the most edifying kind. Sometimes a little inat- 
 tention or carelessness would be observed in some, while 
 others in rare instances might be seen engaged in frivolous 
 conversation. Whenever this was noticed it was the duty 
 of the deacon to stand up i\\ the sanctuary and call for at- 
 tention and order by exclaiming : '^Silentium habete !" — 
 *^ Keep silence." St. Ambrose had frequent occasion to give 
 this order at Milan, and many bitter complaints did he make 
 of the people of that city for their want of propriety in this 
 respect. 
 
 POSTURE OP THE PREACHER. 
 
 As a general rule, the preacher stood while delivering his 
 sermon, and this generally in the sanctuary. The custom 
 of preaching from the ambo, where the Gosj)el used to be 
 read, is said to have been introduced by St. John Chrysos- 
 tom (Socrates, Hist. Eccles., lib. vi. c. v.; Sozomen, Hist, 
 Eccl., viii. V.) When, through feebleness of health or other 
 causes, the preacher could not stand, he was allowed to sit 
 upon a chair. This practice was often resorted to by St. 
 Augustine in his declining years, and many of the early Fa- 
 thers rather favored it, even when there was no special need 
 of having recourse to it, in memory of our Lord's Sermon on. 
 the Mount. Bishops of the present day observe this prac- 
 tice yet in many places. But, whether the preacher stood 
 or sat, the general rule was, as we learn from St. Gregory 
 Nazianzen, Eusebius, and St. Chrysostom, that the people of 
 the congregation should stand. Whenever the preacher 
 said anything that deserved special approbation slight indi- 
 
244 The iSernio)i, 
 
 cations of appreciation used to be manifested, such as bow- 
 ing the head, making gestures Avith the hands, sometimes 
 even clapping the liands or waving the garments. The 
 j)eople were so carried away upon one occasion by the gol- 
 den eloquence of St. Chrysostom that they cried out with 
 one acclaim : " Thou art worthy of the priesthood ; thou 
 art the thirteenth apostle ; Christ liath sent thee to save 
 our souls" (Riddle, Christian Antiquities, p. 455). 
 
 The custom of offering up a short prayer before the ser- 
 mon was observed by the early Fathers. Sometimes* this 
 was nothing more than an ejaculation or a salutation to 
 the people, under such forms as ^* Peace be to you," "May 
 God bless you," *^ The Lord be with you " {ibid.) The cus- 
 tom now in vogue in many countries, especially in France, 
 of saying a "Hail Mary," or some other prayer to Our 
 Blessed Lady, was introduced by St. Vincent Ferrer in the 
 fifteenth century as a protest against the indignities of- 
 fered the Mother of God by the heretics of that time (see 
 Manahan's Triumph of the Catholic Church), 
 
 Regarding the delivery of the sermon the ancient Fathers 
 were very exact. Earnestness on the part of the preacher 
 and sympathy with his people were looked upon as the great 
 redeeming features of every discourse. Too much gesticula- 
 tion was always severely reprehended ; and if the preacher 
 manifested any signs of levity in the pulpit, or indulged in 
 any actions which were not considered entirely in keeping 
 with the dignity of the place and occasion, he was at once 
 commanded to desist, and silence was imposed upon him 
 ever afterwards. It is said of the heretic Paul of Samosata 
 that he carried gesticulation so far as to stamp the pulpit 
 with his feet, beat his thighs with his hands, and act while 
 preaching in a most unbecoming manner, for which reason 
 the Council of Antioch, in a.d. 272, bitterly complained of 
 him to Pope Dionysius, the reigning pontiff. 
 
Influence of the DisciiMne of the Secret on Preaching. 24j 
 
 IN^FLUENCE OE THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SECRET 01^ THE 
 PREACHING. 
 
 We wish here to call the particular attention of the reader 
 to a fact which is too often lost sight of in treating of the 
 customs of the early Church. We refer to the DiscipUna 
 Arcani, as it was called, or the Discipline of the Secret, in 
 virtue of which the principal mysteries of our holy faith and 
 the nature of many of the public prayers of the Church were 
 carefully concealed from all who were not considered as be- 
 longing to the household of faith, and this with a view to 
 follow out to the letter that sacred admonition of our Divine 
 Lord himself, viz. : not to *^ cast pearls before swine or 
 give what was holy to dogs." '^The mysteries," says St. 
 Athanasius, " ought not to be publicly exhibited to the un- 
 initiated, lest the Gentiles, who understand them not, scoff 
 at them, and the catechumens, becoming curious, be scan- 
 dalized " {ApoL contra Aria^i., p. 105). 
 
 The caution which was to be observed during the preva- 
 lence of this discipline — which, as we have said in another 
 place, lasted during tlie first five centuries — influenced the 
 preachers of those days very considerably, from the fact 
 that tlieir audiences were often made up of Jews, Gentiles, 
 pagans, and others who were wholly ignorant of the nature 
 of our belief, and who would, had they but understood 
 it in all its bearings, have made it a pretext for inciting 
 fresh persecution. This accounts for the thick veil of mys- 
 tification that hung over many of the sermons of the early 
 Fatliers, and for the abruptness with which several of them 
 ended. Many a time did St. Chrysostom break off his 
 discourse with some such expression as this : '' The initiated 
 know what I mean." This he would do if he saw any per- 
 sons in the audience who did not belong to the faithful. " I 
 wish to speak openly," said he upon a certain occasion while 
 addressing his flock, *'but I dare not on account of those 
 
24G The Sermon, 
 
 who are not initiated. These persons render explanation 
 more difficult by obliging us to speak in obscure terms or to 
 unveil the things that are secret ; yet I shall endeavor, as 
 far as possible, to explain myself in disguised terms " {Horn, 
 xl. in I. Corinth.) Tertullian, who lived in the second 
 century under the Emperors Severus and Caracalla, says 
 upon this subject: *'The i)i*ofane are excluded from the 
 sight of the most holy mysteries, and those are carefully 
 selected who are permitted to be spectators" (A^joI. adver- 
 sus Gentes). 
 
 The extreme reserve of St. Epiphanius (fouvth century) 
 when speaking upon the Blessed Eucharist is very remark- 
 able. Lest he might make use of the slightest expression 
 that would be calculated to excite the curiosity of the unini- 
 tiated, he has recourse to the folloAving guarded language : 
 ^' We see that our Lord took a thing into his hands, that ho 
 rose from the table, that he resumed the thing, and, having 
 given thanks, said : ' This is that of mine.'" "We should 
 rather shed our blood," says St. Gregory Xazianzen, "than 
 publish our mysteries to strangers '^ {Orat., pp. 35 and 4.2). 
 
 'Nor must we omit to mention that during those times 
 swift-hand writers (o^vypdq)oi) were sent around in bands 
 by the pagans to take down whatever they heard j)reached 
 in the Christian assemblies. Frequent mention of these is 
 made by Sozomen and other historians ; and, according to 
 the testimony of St. Gregory Nazianzen {Thirty -third Ser- 
 mon), he himself, while preaching, saw men of this kind 
 stealing among the people and hiding, so as not to be de- 
 tected in their work ; and when they could hear nothing 
 worthy of noting they would fabricate something, and often 
 make the preacher say what was farthest from his intention. 
 St. Gaudentius (427) bitterly inveighed against this clandes- 
 tine practice (Riddle, Christian Antiquities, p. 457). 
 
 We have designedly dwelt upon this subject for the reason 
 
Dismissal of the Cafechtt?tie?is. 247 
 
 tliat Protestants are fond of saying that the early Fathers 
 say little or nothing about the Keal Presence of our Lord in 
 the Holy Eucharist. Let them but remember that until the 
 sixth century it was strictly forbidden to teach this doctrine 
 openly, in virtue of the Discipline of the Secret, and they 
 will cease to be surprised at this prudent silence. The his- 
 torian Sozomen had so scrupulous a regard for this sacred 
 Discipline that he would not commit to writing the Creed 
 framed by the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, for this also 
 came under the Secret. 
 
 PREACHING IX THE ORIE>s^TAL CHURCH. 
 
 If we are to credit the reports of travellers and tourists, 
 preaching in the Oriental Church has gone almost into des- 
 uetude, at least among the schismatics ; and at this we 
 cannot wonder when we see the superficial training that 
 candidates for the sacred ministry there receive. Tliey are 
 ordained in some phices upon the sole qualification of being 
 able to recite a few prayers in addition to the Creed ; and so 
 low is their status among the Copts that it has been found 
 necessary to print all the rubrics of the missal in Arabic, in 
 order that they might know what to do. (For a corrobo- 
 ration of this statement concerning the wide-spread igno- 
 rance among the Oriental clergy see Smith and Dwiglit, 
 Researches in Armenia, vol. ii. p. 34 et joassim.) 
 
 So careless are tlie Eussians in regard to preaching that 
 they entrust the duty not unfrequently to the most illite- 
 rate persons, even to laymen, and attach very little impor- 
 tance to the ortliodoxy of the preacher's views. 
 
 DISMISSAL OF THE CATECHUMEN'S. 
 
 The moment the sermon was ended, or, in the absence of 
 a sermon, at the end of the Gospel, the catechumens were 
 dismissed from the church, and then the Mass of the Faith- 
 
248 The Sermon. 
 
 fill began with closed door?. ^^ Ecce post sermonem/' says 
 St. Augustine, " fit missa catechnmenis ; manefciint fide- 
 les" — that is, "After tlie sermon the catechumens are 
 dismissed ; the faithful will remain '* (Sermo 237). To- 
 gether with the catechumens were also dismissed the ener- 
 gumens, or those troubled with unclean spirits ; the lajjsecl, 
 or those who had denied the faith openly ; public sinners 
 whose term of penance had not yet expired ; and, finally, 
 Jews, Gentiles, and pagans. As the going out of these 
 caused no small commotion in the church in the early days 
 — ^for their number was yery great — it was usual to place 
 porters at the outer doors to see that the strictest decorum 
 was observed, and that nothing was done out of keeping 
 with the dignity of the place. The forms of dismissal varied 
 with different churches. Sometimes it was, " Si quis est 
 catechumeuus exeat f oras " — "If there be any catechumen 
 present let him go out" — at other times, " Catechumens de- 
 part ! Catechumens depart ! " This was vociferated seve- 
 ral times by the deacon. For a while the phrase used to be, 
 " Si quis non communicat det locum" — " If any one does not 
 intend to communicate let him depart." We shall see by- 
 and-by that all who assisted at Mass in the early days were 
 expected to approach Holy Communion, or be considered 
 among the excommunicated. According to the Liturgy of 
 St. James, the form of dismissal was, "Let none of the cate- 
 chumens remain; let none of the uninitiated, let none of 
 those who are not able to join with us in prayer, remain ! " 
 After which the deacon cried: "The doors! the doors! 
 All upright ! " 
 
 The Mozarabic is the only rite in the Latin Church which 
 yet retains in divine service the appellations of " Mass of the 
 Catechumens" and "Mass of the Faithful." ISTeither in 
 the East nor in the West are these dismissals anything more 
 now than mere commemorations of an ancient practice. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 TEE CELEBRATION OF MASS, 
 THE SYMBOL, OK CREED. 
 
 Theke are few words that have a greater variety of 
 meanings than the word symbol, but there seems to be an 
 almost unanimous opinion that its application to the Creed 
 has been owing to the fact that it was at its formation 
 the joint contribution of the Apostles before their separa- 
 tion to evangelize the different portions of the globe. In its 
 original acceptation, coming as it does from the Greek 
 (Xvv {sun, or syn, with or together) and ftaWoo {hallo, 
 I throw), it means the portion subscribed by any one in- 
 dividual towards some common fund. Thus, with the an- 
 cient Romans the part contributed by a person in getting 
 up a public dinner or banquet went by this name. The 
 application, then, of the term to the Creed is very appro- 
 priate, seeing that it has been formed, as the constant tradi- 
 tion of the Church and the unanimous consent of the early 
 Fathers testify, by the Apostles themselves, from whom it 
 derives its name (Bona, Rer. LiUcrg., p. 330; Divma 
 Psalmodia, p. 501). 
 
 THE PAKT COMPOSED BY EACH APOSTLE. 
 
 At the end of the Missal of St. Columbanus (an Irish 
 samt of the sixth century) there is a very curious tract on 
 the Creed, which, among other things, assigns the portion 
 
 349 
 
250 TJie Celehrailo7i of Mass, 
 
 composed by each of the twelve Apostles. The order is as 
 follows : 
 
 1st, St. Peter — / believe in God the Father Almighty, Crea- 
 tor of heaven and earth, 
 2d, St. John — And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 
 3d, St. James — Who was conceived hy the Holy Ghost, born 
 
 of the Virgin Mary. 
 4th, St. Andrew — Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cru- 
 cified, dead, and buried. 
 5th, St. Philip — He descended into hell. 
 6th, St. Thomas — The third day he arose again from the 
 
 dead. 
 7th, St. Bartholomew — He ascended into heaven, and sitteth 
 
 at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. 
 8th, St. Matthew — From thence he shall come to judge the 
 
 living and the dead. 
 9th, St. James, son of Alphaeus — / believe in the Holy 
 
 Ghost. 
 10th, St. Simon Zelotes — The Holy Catholic Cliurch, the 
 
 Communio7i of Saints. 
 11th, St. Thaddeus — The forgiveness of sinSi 
 12th, St. Matthias — The resurrection of the body and life 
 
 everlasting. 
 According to Ferraris, this analysis of the symbol was 
 worked ont by Duns Scotns, familiarly known as the '* Sub- 
 tile Doctor" on account of his keen intellect; but as the 
 Missal of St. Columbanus was composed long before the 
 thirteenth century, when Scotus flourished, it is not easy to 
 see how he could be accredited with this w^ork. 
 
 As the Creed was one of the public prayers of the Church 
 which the catechumens were not allowed to hear, it was not 
 recited until they had left the house of God, and prior to 
 the Council of Nicaea it was never committed to writing, 
 but only confided bv word of mouth. This we clearly learn 
 
CreeiJ of yictea. 351 
 
 from St. Cyril among others, who in his catechetical instruc- 
 tions (v. 1-12, i^p. 77, 78) tlius addresses his pupils : '' This 
 [i.e., the Creed] I wisli you to remember in the very phra- 
 seology, and to rehearse it with all diligence amongst your- 
 selves, not writing it on paper, but graving it by memory on 
 your hearts, being on your guard in your exercise lest a cate- 
 chumen should overhear the tilings delivered to you." St. 
 Ambrose speaks to the same effect : ''This warning I give 
 you," says he, "that the symbol ought not to be written" 
 (Explanatio Symb. ad Initiandos). 
 
 According to several authors of note, the Apostles' Creed 
 was used in the Mass up to the year 325, when that framed 
 by the Fathers of the Council of Nicaga superseded it, as 
 being more explicit and complete on the dogmas of our 
 holy faith (Gavantus, Thesaur. Sacr. Rit., p. 86). 
 
 CREED OF NICvEA. 
 
 This was framed in the year 325 at the General Council of 
 Nicaea, a town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, where three 
 hundred and eighteen Fathers assembled at the call of Pope 
 Sylvester for the purpose of condemning the heretic Arius, 
 who denied the divinity of our Lord. 
 
 Among the Fathers present at this famous synod, known 
 throughout the East as the '' Council of the three hundred 
 and eighteen," were several upon whose persons could yet 
 be seen the wounds they had received for the faith in the 
 previous persecutions. The great Paphnutius, Bishop of 
 the Thebaid, was there with his right eye plucked out, and 
 his right hand burned into the very socket of the arm, in 
 the persecution of Maximilian. So deeply affected was thp 
 Emperor Constantine the Great at the appearance of this 
 saintly hero of the faith that he never took leave of him 
 without first having kissed his wounds. Another venerable 
 spectacle was St. Paul of [NTova Caesarea, whose two hapds 
 
252 lite Celebration of Mass. 
 
 were burned off by order of Licinius. There was present, 
 too, the great St. Potamon, Bishop of Ileraclea, whose right 
 eye was plucked out during another persecution. All these 
 venerable men, old and feeble as they were, braved the perils 
 of sea and land in order to defend the integrity of the 
 apostolic faith against the most daring heresy tliat was ever 
 broached in the Church. 
 
 The Council; Constantine the Great, etc. — Pope Sylvester 
 was the reigning pontiff at this time, but he did not preside 
 in person. Vitus and Vincent, priests of Rome, and Hosius, 
 Bishop of Cordova, in Spain, represented him. It is gene- 
 rally believed that the last-named prelate presided over the 
 deliberations of the Fathers ; and there is an almost unani- 
 mous agreement among ecclesiastical historians that it was 
 he who drew uj) the famous Creed, which the reader need 
 hardly be told was written in Greek. 
 
 Constantine the Great was present a few moments after 
 the Fathers had assembled. When his arrival was an- 
 nounced all rose to their feet to welcome him, and he was 
 forthwith conducted to the magnificent golden throne pre- 
 pared for him in the assembly-room. The emperor forbade 
 any of his court to follow him, except those who had been 
 baptized. The entire scene is so beautifully described by 
 Eusebius that we cannot refrain from giving it in full : 
 " The emperor appeared as a messenger of God, covered 
 with gold and precious stones — a magnificent figure, tall 
 and slender, and full of grace and majesty. To this majesty 
 he united great modesty and devout humility, so thiit he 
 kept his eyes reverently bent upon the ground, and only sat 
 down upon the golden seat which had been prepared for 
 him when the bishops gave him the signal to do so. As 
 soon as he had taken his place all the bishops took theirs" 
 {Vita Constan., iii. p. 10). After the congratulatory ad- 
 dress had been delivered to the emperor, the latter in a 
 
Creed of Xiccea. 253 
 
 gentle voice addressed the Fathers. He spoke in Latin, 
 which a scribe at his side immediately turned into Greek. 
 At the end of the speech the articles touching the heresy of 
 Arius were read and examined, and then the heretic himself 
 was called to stand at the tribunal. 
 
 Descri'ption of Arius. — Arius is described as tall and 
 thin, of austere appearance, serious bearing, but yet of very 
 fascinating manners. He is represented as a learned man, a 
 clever and subtle logician — proud, ambitious, insincere, and 
 cunning. St. Epiphanius called liim a perfidious serpent. 
 
 What his Error really was. — Like Philo, Arius admitted 
 an intermediate being, who, being less than God, was the 
 divine organ of the creation of the world, like tlie gods of 
 Plato. Furthermore, he transferred the idea of time which 
 rules every human generation to the divine generation, and 
 drew from that, as he himself supposed, by logical necessity, 
 the proposition that the Son could not be co-eternal with 
 the Father. It was precisely this that condemned him. 
 
 Eegarding the celebrated word that the Fathers employed 
 as the great w^eapon of defence against his lieresy — viz., 
 ofxoovawi {Homoousios) — a very considerable amourit of 
 discussion has been set on foot, owing to its different shades 
 of meaning, for in its own langTiage it may be iifterpreted in 
 various ways ; nor can it be proved so easily that tlie Fathers 
 of Nicsea intended it to signify, in a theological point of 
 view, all that it really does, for it is well known that the 
 numerical unity of the three Persons of the Adorable 
 Trinity was not defined until the Fourth Council of Late- 
 ran, in 1215, condemned the opposite error of the Abbot 
 Joachim. 
 
 To translate *' Homoousios" by consul stantial is not 
 enough without considerable explanation, for it is equally 
 true that the Son of God is consubstantial with his Blessed 
 Mother and with us. His consubstantiality with God the 
 
2'h^ The Celehratmi of Mass. 
 
 Father must be something higher. Neither will it do 
 to translate it, as may be done, by tlie same being, for 
 this would be the heresy of Sabellius, who maintained that 
 the Eather and the Son were one and the same person, 
 but differing in name onl3% But although it is not certain 
 what the exact ground was that the Fathers of JSTicaea in- 
 tended to cover by their use of Homoousios, this much we 
 know and believe, that no better word could have been 
 chosen under the circumstances as a crucial test for tlie 
 heresy of Anus ; and this Arius himself perfectly un- 
 derstood, for he moved heaven and earth to escape its 
 force. The least ambiguous term for rendering this cele- 
 brated word into English is co- eternal, or co-equal, as the 
 word consuhstantial is very liable to be misinterpreted (see 
 DuUin Revieiv, June, 1845, vol. xviii., art. *' Difficulties of 
 the Ante-Mcene Fathers"; Alzog's Church History, vol. i., 
 **Arian Controversy," translated by Pabisch and Byrne; 
 History of the Christian Councils, by. Hefele, vol. i.; and 
 Tracts, Theological and Ecclesiastical, by Eev. Dr, JS"ew- 
 man). 
 
 We must remark here that the Nicene Creed had for its 
 basis the Apostles' Creed, and that only those clauses were 
 added which bore upon the heresy of Arius and his heretical 
 predecessors. Another remark, too, that it will not be 
 amiss to make is this : that although Ariaiiism at one time 
 shook the whole earth to its foundations, still it never 
 formed a church of itself, as did Nestorianism and Eutychi- 
 anism. There are thousands in the East to-day who belong 
 to both of these sects, but not an Arian can be found any- 
 where. 
 
 We shall now give the principal clauses of the Creed that 
 the Fathers of Nicsea inserted in their new symbol of faith, 
 as well as the names of the principal heresies against which 
 tliey were directed : 
 
Creed of Nicma. 255 
 
 ** Qeov akrjOivov in Qsov aXr^Oirov.'^ 
 Deum Verum de Deo Vero. 
 True God of True God. 
 
 This was inserted against the Arians and Eunomians, both 
 of whom denied that our Divine Lord was very God by 
 natural property, but only in the same way in which certain 
 classes of men are styled gods in the Scripture ; as, for 
 instance, in the Eighty-first Psalm. 
 
 '^ revvrjdsvra ov TtonjOevra,'' 
 Genitum, non factum. 
 Begotten, not made. 
 
 This is to show that our Lord was not a creature, as some 
 heretics implied by their phraseology, and others, such as 
 Arius, asserted. 
 
 ** '0/ioovaiov Tcp IlaTpi." 
 Consubstantialem Patri. 
 Consubstantial witli the Father. 
 
 The ^' 6}xoov(jio?" as we have said already, was the wea- 
 pon which prostrated Arius, for it took from him the last 
 prop upon which his heresy rested. Besides his, there 
 were also included in the anathema fulminated by this 
 council the teachings of the Manichaeans, Basilians, Ebion- 
 ites, Simonians, and those of Paul of Samosata. 
 
 " 6i^ ov ra ndvra iykvBXoP 
 Per quern omnia facta sunt. 
 Through whom all things were made. 
 
 Many of the early heretics maintained that God the 
 Father was the maker of all things, to the total exclusion of 
 the Son, contrary to what our Divine Lord himself says in 
 St. .John, chapter v.: "What things soever he \i.e,, the 
 
250 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 Father] doth, these the Son also doth in like manner." In 
 their works ad extra, say theologians, the three divine Per- 
 sons are concerned and united. 
 
 ^' Kai aapKooOevTa, xai evaydpoonrfGarra.^^ 
 
 Et incarnatus est, et homo f actus est. 
 And became incarnate, and was made man. 
 
 This was inserted against the many v,dio maintained that 
 our Lord's body was not, strictly speaking, a real human 
 body, and that his divinity supplied the place of a human 
 soul. 
 
 According to Cardinal Bona {Rer, Liturg., p. 331), as 
 soon as this famous Creed was promulgated all the churches 
 of the East adopted it ; the faithful and the catechumens 
 were taught it ; and those who did not profess it openly 
 were stigmatized at once as Arians. 
 
 COJ^STANTINOPOLITAI^ CREED. 
 
 We have just seen how Arius was condemned at Nicaea 
 for denying the divinity of our Lord. Another great here- 
 tic now started up, Macedonius by name, denying the 
 divinity of the Holy Ghost, for which he was condemned at 
 the second general council — viz., that of Constantinople, 
 held in the year 381. This council was entirely Oriental in 
 its nature, and only became general, or oecumenical,* by a 
 subsequent decree of the Eoman Pontiff, or, as theologians 
 say, ex post facto. In the condemnation of Macedonius 
 were included also Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea, and 
 Eunomius, of whom we have spoken already. 
 
 As the Symbol of Faith received an additional accretion 
 at this Council, and as it was considered a very important 
 
 5 The word csaimenical, coming from the Greek oUeia (oikeo, to dwell), in its 
 original acceptation means habitable; but as the habitable globe is, in a certain sense, 
 the whole world, it has in a secondary way come to mean universal or general. 
 
When the Nicene Greed became part of the Mass. 257 
 
 one at that period of the Church's existence, it was deemed 
 advisable to construct a new Creed on the basis of the 
 Nicene, in which the distinctive prerogatives of each of the 
 three Persons of the Adorable Trinity would be fully set 
 forth. The opinion is almost universal that the composi- 
 tion of this Creed was the work of St. Gregory Nazianzen. 
 After thi^ had been drawn up and submitted to the council 
 for inspection it is said that all the Fathers cried out with 
 one acclaim: *'This is the faith of all; this is the ortho- 
 dox faith ; this we all believe " (St. Liguori, History of 
 Heresies, i. 84). 
 
 This Creed is more specific, too, than the ISTicene on the 
 incarnation, death, and resurrection of our Saviour; for it 
 inserts the clauses in italics of " born of the Virgin Mary,''^ 
 *^ suffered under Pontius PUate,^^ ^^rose on the third day 
 according to the Scriptures.^^ 
 
 In its Latin form the Creed of Nic^a contains in all 
 ninety-five words, whilst that of Constantinople has as 
 many as one liundred and sixty-seven. The two are fre- 
 quently confounded ; and even to-day it is believed by many 
 that the Creed we use in tlie Mass is that which was 
 framed at Nicaea. Strictly speaking, it is neither the 
 Nicene nor Constantinopolitan, but the one which was 
 prepared by the Fathers of the Council of Trent in the 
 sixteenth century. Of course we must not be understood as 
 saying that this council added anything new to the Creed 
 in the way of a dogma. The changes that it made wholly 
 respected its grammatical construction (see Ferraris, BiMio- 
 theca, art. ^^Symb.") 
 
 WHE;N" the i^ICEN"E CREED BECA^IE PART OF THE MASS. 
 
 According to Eenaudot {Liturg. Orient., i. p. 200), the 
 Nicene Creed was introduced into the Mass of the Eastern 
 Cliurch immediately after its formation by the ^' Three 
 
258 The Celehration of Mass. 
 
 hundred and eighteen," and its recital was never inter- 
 rupted. But it did not find its way into the Mass of the 
 Western Church at so early a period, for the reason, given by 
 some, that this Church never fell into any of the errors 
 spoken of, and that, therefore, since its faith was evident to 
 all, there was no necessity of making open profession of it. 
 Indeed, it may be asserted without fear of contradiction tliat 
 the i^icene Creed, strictly so called, was never recited in the 
 Mass of the Western Church ; for when the practice of recit- 
 ing one at all came into use, which, according to Pope Ben- 
 edict XIV. (De Sacr. Miss., p. 46), was soon after the year 
 471, the Creed was not the Xicene but that of Constanti- 
 nople. The custom of singing the Creed at Mass was not, 
 according to the same pontiff, introduced into the Eoman 
 Church until the time of Benedict VIII. (1012-1024), and 
 it was only introduced then in order to gratify the most 
 earnest wishes of Henry II., Emperor of Germany. Pre- 
 vious to this, the Creed was simply recited. 
 
 ADDITION OF THE *^' FILIOQUE." 
 
 We have now come to one of the most interesting ques- 
 tions that we possibly could be engaged in considering, 
 and the most difficult, perhaps, that has ever been raised in 
 the Church ; but, inasmuch as we are not writing an ecclesi- 
 astical history or dealing with purely dogmatical questions, 
 we think our duty will be discharged if we give the reader 
 the leading facts of the great controversy that this celebrated 
 clause gave rise to. 
 
 We preface our remarks by correcting an error which too 
 many have fallen into for want of a thorough examination 
 of the case — to wit, that of ascribing the separation of the 
 Eastern Church from the AYestern to the doctrine involved 
 in the ^^Filioque." Every student of ecclesiastical history 
 knows that the original cause of this separation was tlie 
 
Addition of ilie ** Filiuqnt'.'' 259 
 
 refusal on the part of Rome to acquiesce in the impious 
 action of the Emperor Bardas, who thrust into the See 
 of Constantinople the audacious Photius, a mere layman, 
 in place of St. Ignatius, the legitimate bishop. This 
 happened about the year 858, and from tliis dates the 
 separation of the two churches.' Photius, finding that 
 his sacrilegious act would not be countenanced at Rome, 
 moved heaven and earth to stir up as bitter feelings as he 
 could between the two churches, and so began to arouse the 
 suspicions of the Greeks by representing to them that the 
 Latins were favoring the Manichaean heres}^ inasmuch as 
 they admitted two principles in the Deity ; furthermore, 
 that the Latin Church, in holding that the Holy Ghost pro- 
 ceeded from the Father and the Son, acted contrary to the 
 express wishes and declarations of the j)i'6vious general 
 councils, and that, in consequence, it had fallen from the 
 faith and become heretical. The Latin Church foresaw from 
 the beginning that the state of affairs in the Greek Church 
 would eventually take this turn, for tlie Greeks were always 
 hot-headed and diiJicult to manage ; but slie wisely abstained 
 from aggravating the case by making any public parade of 
 the '-'Filioque" until things would assume a more tranquil 
 appearance. 
 
 It is now very well understood that there never existed 
 anything more between these churches on the doctrine in- 
 volved in the clause in question than a mere misunderstand- 
 ing in regard to some theological technicalities. ''The 
 
 2 To show how flckle-minclcd the Greeks were, and how very ill they bore being 
 separated from the ^Vestcrn Church, which they well knew contained the centre of 
 unity and the divinely-appointed teacher and expositor of all that pertained to faith and 
 morals, they sought to be reunited no less than fourteen different times prior to the Gene- 
 ral Council of Florence, where the last union between the two churches was effected. 
 Unhappily for themselves, none of these unions lasted long. The Greeks returned 
 again to their errors, and so they remain to-day, like the Jews, a spectacle to the rest 
 of mankind 
 
200 The Celehratmi of Mass. 
 
 Greeks," says the late Dr. Brownson in an article in the 
 Ave Maria of June, 1868, *^ never denied that the Holy 
 Ghost proceeds from the Son as medium ; what they denied 
 was — what they understood by the "^ Filioque ' — that he pro- 
 ceeds from the Son as a principle distinct from the Fa- 
 ther. . . . There was a misunderstanding- between the La- 
 tins and the Greeks. The Latins supposed that the Greeks 
 excluded the Son, and made the Holy Ghost proceed from the 
 Father alone without any participation of the Son, which is 
 unquestionably a heresy ; the Greeks, on the other hand, 
 supposed that the Latins by their ' Filioque ' represented 
 the Holy Ghost as proceeding from the Father and the Son 
 as two distinct original principles, which w^as equally a here- 
 sy." The depositions made at the Council of Florence in 
 1439 clearly show that both Greeks and Latins were alike 
 orthodox on this celebrated question. 
 
 When the Filioq^ue was inserted.. — The reader need hardly 
 be told, but we think it well to call his particular atten- 
 tion to the fact, that the early ages of the Church and those 
 we now live in differ very widely. There were no swift 
 ships then to cross the ocean and bear despatches from place 
 to i^lace ; nor had such things been heard of as railroads 
 and telegraphs. Xews travelled very slowly ; and things 
 went on in their own way, unknown and unobserved by any 
 save those in whose locality they occurred. That Rome, the 
 centre of unity and ortliodoxy, always kept a vigilant watch 
 over the whole of Christendom nobody attempts to deny ; 
 but as Rome was often very far away, it could not be ex- 
 pected that she would become cognizant of local events as 
 soon as they occurred. For this reason customs were intro- 
 duced into many remote churches and allowed to take deep 
 root there before the Holy See even knew of their existence. 
 The ^^ Filioque " first took rise in this way, and forced itself 
 into the Creed without either the knowleds^e or consent of 
 
Addition of the " FiUoque.^'^ 261 
 
 Kome. The precise date at which this happened remains 
 yet among the disputed jioints — some say in the year 400 ; 
 others, 589. All, lioAvever, are unanimous in saying that the 
 addition, was Jfirst made in Spain ; that thence it made its 
 way into Francej from France it was introduced into Ger- 
 man}^, and so continued its course until it was deemed 
 necessary at last to authorize its "final insertion. 
 
 When the Spanish Church was called upon to answer for 
 its conduct in tliis matter, it alleged as a plea that it was 
 necessitated to ])lace the divinity of our Lord in as strong a 
 light as possible, in order to check the rapid strides that 
 Arianism was making in its territories at the hands of the 
 Goths and Visigoths, who had then almost undisturbed 
 possession of the country, and who were avowed professors 
 of this dano-erous heresv. As the French Church had some 
 misgivings about the propriety of following the example of 
 the Spanish in a matter so very delicate, a council was sum- 
 moned at Aix-la-Chapelle, in December, 809, by order of 
 Charlemagne, to see what steps should be taken. Pope Leo 
 III. was the reigning pontifi at the time. The council 
 unanimously agreed that the proper way to act was first to 
 consult the Holy See and abide by its decision. Bernhar, 
 Bishop of Worms, and Adelard, Abbot of Corby, were ac- 
 cordingly despatched to the Pope with instructions to ask 
 whether it would be j)leasing to his Holiness or not to have 
 the Church of France, after the example of its Spanish 
 sister, add the '^ Filiocpie " to the Creed. From the manner 
 in which the Holy Father, Pope Leo, acted with the legates 
 it is easy to see how displeased he was at learning that any 
 Church should dare to tamper with the Creed without the 
 supreme authority of the Holy See. He did not say to the 
 legates that they might add it, nor did he say that they 
 might not. If he said the first, he clearly foresaw the un- 
 pleasant results that would ensue when the thing came to 
 
362 The Celeb ralioii of J/rt6-6\ 
 
 the knowledge of the troublesome Greeks, who would not 
 hear of any intermeddling whatever with the Creed of 
 Nicaea or Constantinople ; and if he said the second, he 
 feared very much that the Spaniards and others might 
 accuse him of fayoring the Arians. He evaded a direct 
 answer by saying to the legates : *^ Had I been asked 
 before the^ insertion took j)lace, I should have been against 
 it; but now — which, however, I do not say decidedlj', but 
 merely as discussing the matter with you — as far as I see 
 both things may thus be accomplished : Let the custom of 
 singing that Creed cease in the palace, since it is not sung 
 in our holy Church, and thus it will come to pass that what 
 IS given up by you will be given up by all ; and so, perhaps, 
 as far as may be, both advantages will be secured." The 
 legates dej^arted satisfied with this response, and Pope Leo, 
 to evince his determination to preserve the Creed inviolate, 
 caused two silver plates to be cast, upon Avhich he had the 
 symbol engraved in Latin and Greek and affixed to the gate 
 of the Church of St. Paul. Por a full and interesting 
 account of the entire interview between the legates of 
 Charlemagne on this occasion and the Sovereign Pontiff, 
 the reader is requested to consult Baronius, tome ix., or 
 Scale's HoIi/ Eastern Church, ii. p. 1163. 
 
 According to some, the final insertion of the "Pilioque" 
 was made by Poj^e Nicholas the Great somewhere between 
 the years 858 and 8G7 ; others maintain that this was not 
 authoritatively done until the time of Pope Benedict VIIL 
 — that is, about the beginning of the eleventh century (see 
 Perron e, Prcelectiones Tlieol,, iv. p. 346, note 8). It will 
 interest the reader to know that the Uniat Greeks, or those 
 in communion with Eome, are not required to recite the 
 " Filioque " in the Creed at the present day, even though 
 saying Mass in presence of the Supreme Pontiff. All that 
 the Holy See requires of them in this matter is that they 
 
Part of ike Mass at which the Creed is JiccitecL 'Z^y-j 
 
 believe in the doctrine involved in it, and be ready to make 
 open profession of it when called upon to do so (ibid. p. 
 350, note 16). 
 
 PART OF THE MASS AT WHICH THE CREED IS RECITED. 
 
 According to the Roman Eite, the Creed is recited im- 
 mediately after the Gospel, or after the sermon, if there 
 should have been one. In the Mozarabic Rite it is recited 
 just before the "' Pater :N"oster,'' in accordance with a decree 
 of the third Council of Toledo, a.d. 589, and this in order 
 that the people may receive the Body and Blood of our Lord 
 in Holy Communion with hearts full of fresh faith and love 
 {Summa Concilioriim, p. 124; Liticrg. Mozar., Migne, p. 
 118, note). 
 
 Eastern Practice regarding its Recital. — The Armenians 
 recite the Creed at the same part of the Mass that we do — 
 viz., after the Gospel. In the Liturgy of St. James it fol- 
 lows soon after the expulsion of the catechumens. It is a 
 little further on in the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom. The 
 Xestorians recite it close upon the Canon, and the Copts 
 immediately before the prayer of the '* Kiss of peace." So 
 great a veneration has the Russian Church for the Creed 
 that the great bell of the Kremlin tolls the entire time of its 
 chanting, and with many of the nobles of the land it is cus- 
 tomary to have it worked in pearls upon their robes of state 
 {Holy Eastern Church, by Neale and Littledale, p. 32). 
 
 Ceremonies attending the Recital of the Creed. — With very 
 little exception the Creed is recited precisely as the '* Gloria 
 in excelsis.'* When the priest has come to the "et incar- 
 natus est " he begins to incline the knee so as to touch the 
 ground at "homo factus est," and this to recall" more inti- 
 mately to mind the profound humility of our Divine Lord in 
 coming upon earth for our sakes and taking our nature upon 
 
264: The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 him (Eomsee, iv. 118). Tlie Carthusians make only a simple 
 bow of the knee at this place, without touching the ground. 
 According to the Roman Rite, the priest says the entire 
 Creed at the middle of the altar before the crucifix. The 
 Dominicans begin its initial words there, but finish the rest 
 of it at the Gospel side, where the missal is. WJien they 
 come to the place where the genuflection is to be made they 
 move to the middle, and, having spread out the anterior part 
 of the chasuble on the altar in front of them, kneel down 
 and touch the ground as we do. They then return to the 
 missal and finish the rest there. In the Masses that are said 
 in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jersusalem — which, 
 it is well to state, are always de Resurrectione — instead of 
 simply saying ^'^et sepultus est," it is of obligation to add 
 the adverb ^'hic," and say *' was buried here" by way of 
 specification of place (Vetromile, Travels in Europe a7id the 
 Holy Land, p. 211). 
 
 TO WHAT MASSES THE CREED IS PROPER. 
 
 The Creed is said on all the Sundays of the year, in 
 memory of our Lord's resurrection on that day, and also 
 out of deference to the Adorable Trinity, to whom Sunday, 
 as being the principal liturgical day, is dedicated. During 
 the rest of the week the Creed, as a general rule, is not said. 
 Formerly it was not said on the feasts of the Holy Angels, 
 inasmuch as they had nothing to do with it, but it is said 
 now because they come under the ^^invisibilium omnium" 
 (Ferraris, p. 751). It will interest the reader to know that 
 St. Mary Magdalene is the only female saint in heaven — the 
 Mother of God alone excepted — who enjoys the privilege of 
 having a Credo in her Mass, and this because, in the lan- 
 guage of the Church, she is styled ^^ Apostola Apostolorum " 
 — the Apostle of Apostles — for it was to her, as the Scriptures 
 testify, that our Lord first appeared after his resurrection. 
 
To what Masses the Creed is Proper. 2G5 
 
 The other occasions upon which the Credo is said are, 
 with few exce^jtions, comprehended under the old dictum of 
 rubricists, "' Muc non credunt." Taking the letters of Muo 
 apart, we have ^'m," which stands for martyrs; '"u," or 
 " V," for virgins, widows, and non-virgins; and *' c,'' for 
 confessors, all of whom have no Credo special to them. 
 As exceptions to this rule may be mentioned the feasts of 
 the apostles and doctors of the Church, also those of our 
 Lord and his Blessed Mother. With us the Creed is never 
 said in Masses for the dead, but it is with th3 Creeks, who 
 also on such occasions celebrate in red vestments instead of 
 black, as is our customo 
 
CHAPTEE XXIV. 
 
 TEE CELEBRATION OF 31 ASS. 
 THE OFFERTORY. 
 
 The word Offertory — from the Latin offerre, to offer — 
 is now used in two special senses, the first, meaning the 
 prayer called in the Missal the Offertorium, which the priest 
 reads immediately after the Creed ; the second, all that takes 
 place at the altar from the end of this prayer to the end of 
 the oblation of the bread and wine. 
 
 In the early ages of the Church it was customary for the 
 people to present here bread and wine for the use of the 
 altar, oil for the sanctuary-lamp, incense for Solemn High 
 Mass, and ears of corn and clusters of grapes as the first- 
 fruits of the land (Bona, ^. 332). By the third of the 
 Apostolic Canons, nothing but what was required for the 
 Holy Sacrifice could be placed on the altar ; all the other 
 offerings were usually received on a side-table prepared for 
 the purpose, and called in ancient books, and yet so styled 
 by the Greeks, the Gazopliilacium. The Council of Trullo,^ 
 in the year 692, forbade the offering of milk and honey. 
 The Council of Carthage, in 397, allowed these commodities 
 to be offered once a year — viz., at Easter — because it v/as 
 customary at that time especially to give milk and honey 
 to the newly baptized ; a custom which is yet almost univer- 
 sally observed in the East. In presenting these gifts the 
 
 ^ So called because the room of the emperor's palace at Constantinople where this 
 council was held was shaped after the manner of a trulla^ or basin. It was this 
 council that forbade the making of the cross on the pavements, lest people walking 
 upon it may desecrate it. 
 
 S66 
 
Tlie Order in which the Ojfcrings luere Presented. 20? 
 
 people usually gave in their names also, in order that they 
 might be recorded among those for whom the priest made 
 a special memento ; and it served, too, for determining who 
 it was that intended going to Holy Communion on that 
 occasion, for, as a general rule, all who presented offerings 
 approached the Blessed Eucharist (ibid., p. 333). 
 
 This ancient custom is yet kept up in many European 
 churches, at Lyons especially ; and vestiges of it may be 
 seen in the Masses of ordination, where the elect to orders 
 present wax candles at this place to the ordaining bishop ; 
 also in the Mass of the consecration of a bishop-elect, where 
 the newly-appointed oJBfers two lighted candles, two loaves of 
 bread, and two ornamented small barrels of wine. Accord- 
 ing to Kozma (p. 186), this ancient custom continued, with 
 little interruption, up to the thirteenth century, when if 
 gave place to that in vogue to-day of receiving the p)eople's 
 offerings in the pews throughout the church. 
 
 THE OKDER IK WHICH THE OFFERINGS WERE PRESENTED. 
 
 The Eoman Ordo, describing the Offertory as it was ob- 
 served in the ninth century, tells us that the people pre- 
 sented their gifts in a clean linen cloth, the male portion of 
 the congregation leading the way, and the females after 
 them with their cakes of fine flour and cruses of wine. 
 The priests and deacons presented gifts after the people, but 
 these were of bread simply. When the bishop was present 
 the onus of receiving the gifts devolved always upon him. 
 For this reason, as soon as the time for presenting them had 
 arrived, his lordship walked over to the end of the altar- 
 rail, followed by an archdeacon, a subdeacon, and two aco- 
 lytes. The subdeacon, with an empty chalice, followed 
 immediately after the archdeacon, who, upon receiving the 
 offerings of wine from the hands of the bishop (who himself 
 
268 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 had received them first from the people), poured them into 
 the large chalice held by the subdeacon. The offerings of 
 bread were handed direct by the bishop to the subdeacon, 
 who placed them in a large linen cloth carried by two aco- 
 lytes. When all was ended the bishop washed his hands 
 (a custom yet observed in a Bishop's Mass), and, having 
 returned to the altar, there received the offerings of tlie 
 jDriests and deacons. All that remained over and above 
 what was necessary for the immediate wants of the altar 
 on these occasions, went into a common fund for the suste- 
 nance of the clergy and the poor of the parish (Kozma, 
 ibid.) 
 
 A question that is not easily settled is this : Did any of 
 the congregation approach the altar at the Offertory and 
 l^lace their gifts upon it, instead of presenting them at the 
 rails, as we have described ? The discipline of allowing no 
 one inside the sanctuary but the ministers of the altar was. 
 always very strictly observed in the Greek Church, excej^t in 
 case of the emperors of Constantinople, in whose favor an 
 exception was made ; and that it was strictly observed, too, 
 in the Latin Church, at least for quite a long time, may be 
 clearly seen from the conciliar statutes that were made con- 
 cerning it. But that there were places and times when a re- 
 laxation of this discipline was allowed to be made, there is 
 every reason to believe, and it is generally understood that at 
 least the male portion of the congregation went up with 
 their gifts to the altar itself, but that the female portion 
 presented them at the rails. This, certainly, was the cus- 
 tom throughout the diocese of Orleans, in France, as we 
 learn from tlie capitulary of Theodulf, bishop of that see. 
 Cardinal Bona says that in course of time this whole disci- 
 pline was so relaxed that both males and females approached 
 the altar indiscriminately when the Offertory was at hand 
 {Ue)\ Liturg., p. 336). 
 
Mitsic during the Offertory. 269 
 
 AJ^CIEIs^T LOCAL CUSTOMS REGARDING THE OFEERIXG OF 
 
 GIFTS. 
 
 As late as the sixteenth century a very singular custom 
 prevailed in England — viz., that of presenting at the altar 
 during a Mass of Requiem all the armor and military 
 equipments of deceased knights and noblemen, as well as 
 their chargers. Dr. Rock {Church of Our Fathers, ii. 
 507) tells us that as many as eight horses, fully capari- 
 soned, used to be brought into the church for this pur- 
 pose at the burial of some of the higher nobility. At 
 the funeral of Henry YII., in Westminster Abbey, after 
 the royal arms had first been presented at the foot of the 
 altar, we are told that Sir Edward Howard rode into church 
 u23on '^agoodlie courser," with the arms of England em- 
 broidered upon his trappings, and delivered him to the 
 abbots of the monastery {ibid.) Something similar hap- 
 pened at the Mass of Requiem for the repose of the soul of 
 Lord Bray, in a.d. 1557, and at that celebrated for Prince 
 Arthur, son of Henry YII. {ibid.) 
 
 MUSIC DURING THE OFFERTORY. 
 
 Up to the fourth century the presentation of gifts took 
 place in silence, but after this period the custom of singing 
 psalms at this place, in order to relieve the tedium of the 
 people, was introduced (Kozma, pp. 186, 187). St. Augustine 
 alludes particularly to this custom in his works (see Retract., 
 1. ii. c. xi.), and a precedent for it may be seen in the old 
 law, where the sons of Aaron, while the high-priest was 
 offering the blood of the grape, sounded their silver trum- 
 pets, and the singers lifted up their voices and caused the 
 great house to resound with sweet melody {Ecclesiasticus, 
 chap. 1.) 
 
 The custom very generally prevails here to-day of singing, 
 
270 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 instead of the Offe7'torium itself, a certain musical composi- 
 tion called a motet, "^ in which several voices join, accom- 
 panied by mstrtiments. These motets must be always sung 
 in Latin, never in English, or any other language, without 
 the permission of the Holy See. They must be character- 
 ized, too, by gravity and dignity both as to wording and 
 rendition, so as to be qualified to raise the feelings to a con- 
 templation of heavenly things rather than excite in them 
 earthly desires (Benedict XIV., 1. c, § 89). 
 
 The Offertorium, according to the present disposition of 
 the Eoman Missal, is, for the most part, very short, seldom 
 exceeding half a dozen lines. It is generally taken from 
 the Psalter of David, and was formerly called an antiplion, 
 for the reason that in the Antiplionary of Pope Gregory 
 the Great certain verses used to 1)6 attached to it after 
 the manner of a versicle and response. Whenever the offer- 
 ing of the gifts on the part of the people took up more time 
 than usual, it was customary to sing the entire psalm here, 
 or at least as much of it as would occupy the whole time 
 that elapsed from the reading of the Offertorium by the 
 priest to the end of the offering of gifts (Eomsee, iv. 125 ; 
 Kozma, pp. 186, 187). 
 
 The Offertoriinn common to all Masses for the dead is 
 yet formed after the ancient manner of an antiphon, a 
 versicle, and a response, though it is not, like the great ma- 
 jority, taken from the psalms. In fact, it is from no part of 
 
 2 The word motet comes originally from the Latin motere, to move ; but whether 
 this name has been given it from its moving effect upon the feelings, or from its some- 
 what lively and more sprightly nature in opposition to the slow, measured motion of 
 plain chant, authors are not prepared to say. Morley, in liis Introduction to Har- 
 mony, p. 179, thus writes of it : "A motet is properly a song made for the Church, 
 either upon some hymn or anthem, or such .'ike ; and that name I take to have been 
 fifiven to that kind ot mnsicke, in opposition to the other, which they call ' canto 
 firmo,' and we do commonlie call plain chant ; for as nothing is more opposite to 
 standing and firmness than motion, so did they gi\'e the motet that name of moving, 
 because it is, in a manner, quite contrarie to the other." 
 
The Offertorinm. 271 
 
 Holy Scripture. As this same Offertorium, on account of 
 its strange wording, has given rise to much curious ques- 
 tioning, some going so far as to say that the Church in- 
 tends by it the liberation of the souls of the damned from 
 hell, we deem it well to give it entire to the reader, 
 and make the necessary comments afterwards : " Lord 
 Jesns Christ, King of glory, deliver the souls of all the 
 faithful departed from the pains of hell and the deep lake ; 
 deliver them from the mouth of the lion, lest Tartarus swal- 
 low them up, lest they fall into the dark place ; but let the 
 standard-bearer, St. Michael, bring them into the holy 
 light which thou didst of old promise to Abraham and his 
 posterity." 
 
 In a secondary way all this may be applied to Purgatory ; 
 but to our mind the intrinsic beauty and effect of the whole 
 prayer would be lost if this were its exclusive application. 
 Its true explanation is this : In the very early days of tlie 
 Church Masses for the faithful departed were accustomed to 
 be celebrated the moment it became known that any given 
 soul was in its last agon}^ and, consequently, past all chance 
 of recovery. It made no difference what time of the day this 
 happened, or whether the priest who said the Mass was fast- 
 ing or not. The virtue of the Holy Sacrifice was then sup- 
 posed to ascend before the throne of God simultaneously 
 with the departure of the soul of the deceased to the 
 tribunal of judgment, and the merciful God was besought, 
 in consideration of this, not to condemn it to hell's flames. 
 (The authors who say that this view may be taken of it are 
 Pope Benedict XIV., De Sac^ofi. Missce Sacrif.; Romsee, 
 iv. 126 ; Cavalieri, torn. iii. dec. 19 ; Grancolas, De Missis 
 Mortuor^im, p. 536 ; Gavantus, TJiesanr. Sacr. Rit., p. 92.) 
 A moment's consideration would enable any one to see that 
 Purgatory never could have been directly meant by the word- 
 ing of this Offertorium. For wha^fear, it might be asked. 
 
272 TJie Celehration of Mass. 
 
 could there be entertained of having a sonl swallowed np by 
 Tartarus, or drowned in the ''deep lake," who was already 
 secure in that middle state, and whose eternal happiness 
 was certain ? The souls in Purgatory are in a state of 
 grace, and, as there is no danger of their ever falling from 
 it, it would be idle, nay, heretical, to pray for them as if 
 such danger existed. 
 
 To this interpretation it is sometimes objected that the 
 entire tenor of these Masses would lead a person to suppose 
 that the soul for whom they are designed to be offered had 
 been some time dead ; how, then, it is asked, can this view 
 be reconciled ? Although the ancient custom of saying 
 these Masses when the soul was in its last agony no longer 
 exists, still the Church has not deemed it necessary to 
 change their wording, inasmuch as it may yet be easily veri- 
 fied by supposing the time at which these Masses are now 
 offered withdrawn to that very moment in the past when 
 the soul Avas leavinsf the bodv. Instances of thus withdraw- 
 ing from the present time, and representing an event as yet 
 to take place which has really already taken place, is by no 
 means uncommon in the offices of the Church. The whole 
 of Advent time, for example, is framed upon this principle. 
 "We pray then for the coming of the great Messias with as 
 much earnestness as if lie were yet to appear. We ask the 
 heavens to open and rain down the Just One. We beg of 
 God to send ns a Redeemer, and we ask the aid of His divine 
 grace to enable us to prepare in our hearts a suitable dwell- 
 ing into which to receive Him. Many more examples may 
 be cited to show that this mode of praying is by no 
 means unusnal. St. Michael is here styled God's standard- 
 bearer because chief of the heavenly host ; and it was to 
 him, as ancient tradition states, that the duty of hurling 
 Satan and the rest of the fallen angels from heaven was 
 entrusted. He is called the " Wimred Andrei," and is irene- 
 
Tlie Offertory prope-*. 273 
 
 rally represented in art with a sliield and lance. When 
 depicted as the conqueror of Satan he stands m armor 
 with his foot upon the demon, who is represented prostrate 
 in the shape of a fierce dragon. As loid of souls St. 
 Michael holds a balance in his hand. According to an 
 an(,'ient legend, it was he who appeared to our Blessed 
 Lady to announce the time of her death, and conduct her 
 afterwards to tlie throne of her Divine Son in heaven. It 
 may interest the reader to be told that the old English coin 
 called an angel received its name from the fact that St. 
 Michael was depicted upon it (see Legends and Stories Illus- 
 trated in Art, by Clara E. Hemans, p. 228). 
 
 After the priest has recited the Offertorium he proceeds 
 without delay to the Offertory proper. The chalice, wiiich 
 had stood up to this time on the corporal in the centre of 
 the altar, is now uncovered, and the oblation of the Host, 
 resting on the paten, is made with the following w^ords : 
 '^Accept, Holy Father, Omnipotent, Eternal God, this im- 
 maculate Host which I, thy uuw^orthy servant, offer thee, my 
 living and true God, for my innumerable sins, offences, and 
 negligences, and for all who are present ; moreover, for all 
 faithful Christians, living and dead, that it may avail both 
 me and them unto salvation and life everlasting." Having 
 finished this prayer, the priest lowers the paten, and, haviug 
 made the sign of the cross with it over the corporal, places the 
 Host upon the latter, near its anterior edge, where it re- 
 mains until the time of Communion.^ He places the paten 
 itself at his right, partially covering it with the corporal, 
 and lays the purificator over the rest of it. At Solemn 
 High Mass the paten is not placed here, but is wrapped up 
 by the subdeacon in a corner of the humeral veil, and lield 
 
 ' The reader must not suppose that it remains so undisturbed until the time of 
 Communion. This would not be true, for at the consecration the priest takes it in 
 his hands, and does so frequently afterwards. 
 
274 The Cehhration of Mass. 
 
 partially elevated by him below near the altar-rails until the 
 end of the "Pater noster." This ceremony is intended to 
 preserve a vestige of a very ancient rite, the explanation of 
 which is generally given as follows: For the first six centuries 
 of tlie Christian Church it was on the paten that the Hosts 
 used to be consecrated and broken, and from it distributed 
 to the people at Holy Communion. This we clearly see 
 from the words of the Sacr anient ary of Pope Gregory the 
 Great, to wit : " We consecrate aud sanctify this paten for 
 confecting in it the Body oi our Lord Jesus Christ." But 
 when this custom ceased, in order that the paten might not 
 lie uselessly on the altar and impede the oj^erations of the 
 IDriest (for in ancient times, as we have already stated else- 
 where, it was of very large proportions), it used to be given 
 m charge to the subdeacon until it was needed again. 
 Why the subdeacon held it rather than any of the other 
 ministers was to remind him of his office, because it was his 
 duty to see always to the bread of oblation, as may clearly 
 be understood from the words addressed him at his ordina- 
 tion ; and then, again, he was more free from this part of 
 the Mass to the time of. Communion than any of the rest in 
 the sanctuary (see Eomsee, ii. 32, note ; Catalanus, Com- 
 ment, in Pontif. Roinanum ; Miihlbauer, De Ordin. SuM,, 
 i. 41). 
 
 Regarding the expression '^ immaculate host," applied 
 here to what is as yet but mere bread, enquiries are often 
 made ; the answer to all of which is that the appellation 
 is given solely by way of anticipation of what is going 
 to take place at consecration. "We do not call the bread 
 and wine an immaculate host," says Hofmeister, "but the 
 Body and Blood of the Lord which they are changed into. 
 Therefore, not from what they now are, but from what they 
 are going to be, are they dignified with such a title " (Bona, 
 Ber, Lifiirg., p. 337). 
 
The Offertory proper. 275 
 
 Having completed the oblation of the bread, the priest 
 takes the chalice in hand and goes to the Epistle corner to 
 receive the wine and water from the server. The amount of 
 wine placed in the chalice on the occasion is, as a general 
 rule, about as much as would fill a small wine-glass, and the 
 water added seldom exceeds two or three drops. To ap- 
 proach as nearly as possible to the proper quantit}^, and have 
 an exact measure to go by, it is customary to use a small 
 spoon in many places of Europe for this purpose. The wine 
 is poured into the chalice without either a blessing or a 
 prayer ; but as the water is added the priest makes the sign 
 of the cross over it and recites the following prayer in the 
 meantime : ''0 God ! who didst wonderfully form the sub- 
 stance of human nature, and more wonderfully still regene- 
 rate it, grant us, by the mystery of this water and wine, to 
 be united with the divinity of Him who deigned to become 
 partaker of our humanity, thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, 
 who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy 
 Ghost, God, world without end. Amen." 
 
 Liturgical writers seem to be unanimous in holding that 
 the literal reason for mixing a few drops of water here with 
 the wine is to commemorate what our Lord himself most 
 probably did at the Last Supper ; for it was always customary 
 in his time, and the custom remains yet unchanged through- 
 out the entire East, to temper the wine, before drinking it, 
 with a little water. A neglect of this was looked upon by 
 the Jews as a great breach of etiquette." But besides this 
 literal reason there are several mystical reasons for this very 
 ancient ceremony. In the first place, as the prayer recited 
 while adding the water implies, it is intended to remind us 
 
 4 Bannister, in his Temples of the Hebrewa, p. 233, tells ns that water was always 
 mingled with the wine at the Feast of the Passover, and that the master of the assem- 
 bly offered a form of thanksgiving on the occasion by using these words : " Blessed be 
 thou, O Lord ! who hast created the fruit of the vane." 
 
''i7ij The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 of the very close union tliat exists between ourselves and our 
 Lord — so close, indeed, that we are said to j)arrake in a mea- 
 sure of his divinit}', as he partook of our humanity and 
 became like unto its in all things, as the apostle says, sin 
 alone excei^ted. Secondly, this mixture recalls to mind the 
 blood and water which issued from our Lord's side on the 
 cross when pierced by the spear. Thirdly, it has a reference, 
 according to some, to Holy Baptism, in vii'tue of which we 
 are all regenerated. The small quantity of water added on 
 this occasion is said to be intended as a reminder of the few- 
 ness of the elect at the last day (Gavantus, p. 199). 
 
 WHY THE WATER IS BLESSED BEFOEE PUTTIXG IT IXTO 
 THE CHALICE. 
 
 It will always remain a wonder to us why the blessing of 
 the water here has occasioned so much anxious enquiry, and 
 given rise to an almost interminable amount of discussion, 
 when the reason is so close at hand. It is blessed here 
 simply because it cannot be found by itself afterwards. 
 The wine is not blessed until immediately before the con- 
 secration — that is, wdien the priest makes the sign of the 
 cross over it at the word ^^benedixit." It is at this part 
 of the Mass that the bread also receives its special blessing, 
 and not at the Offertory. Formerly the water was not 
 blessed at this place — and is not even now in Masses for 
 the dead — but was let fall into the chalice in the form of 
 a cross, a custom which we see yet in vogue with the Car- 
 thusians. The Carmelites and Dominicans place the wine 
 and the water in the chalice at the beginning of Mass ; 
 the Carthusians put the wine in at that time, too, but not 
 the water until the Offertory. The reason usually alleged 
 for putting the wine and water into the chalice at this early 
 stage is that sufficient time may be given for the water to 
 be converted into the substance of the wine before consecra- 
 
Why Vie Water is Blessed before Using. 277 
 
 tion takes place. A rubric to this effect thus reads in tlie 
 Dominican Missal: *'Tantam quantitatem aquae distillet 
 in calicem, quag facillime tota possit in vinum converti" — 
 "He drops as much water into the chalice as may very 
 easily be converted, in its entirety, into the substance of 
 the wine." Few questions gave rise to more spirited argu- 
 mentation in the middle ages, especially towards the latter 
 part, than that which respected the mingling of the water 
 with the wine, as here alluded to ; some holding that the 
 water was immediately taken up by the wine and made part 
 of its own substance, while others maintained that the 
 water always remained as it was, even after consecration, 
 and was not transubstantiated at all, as the wine was. Pope 
 Innocent III. discusses the question at full length in his 
 treatise on the Mass, but abstains from giving any definite 
 decision in the matter. According to St. Thomas Aquinas 
 (par. 3., quest. 74, art. 8) and St. Bonaventure (dis. ii. 
 par. 2, art. 1, q. 3), the water is not converted immediately 
 into the Body and Blood of our Lord in this case, but me- 
 diately only — that is, it is first converted into wine, and 
 then both, as one entire body, are transubstantiated. All 
 the Thomists and Scotists alike held this. 
 
 Local Customs. — The priests of the Ambrosian Eite, in 
 pouring the water into the chalice, say : " Out of the side of 
 Christ there flowed blood and water at the same time. In 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost. Amen." The priests of Lyons Cathedral say : 
 *'From the side of our Lord Jesus Christ there issued 
 blood and water at the time of his Passion ; this is a mys- 
 tery of the Blessed Trinity. John the Evangelist saAv it 
 and bore witness of the fact, and we know that his testi- 
 mony is true." In the Mozarabic Eite the formula is : 
 "From the side of our Lord Jesus Christ blood and water 
 nre said to have flowed ; and, therefore, we mix them, in 
 
278 The Celehrcdion of Mas^. 
 
 order that the merciful God may Youchsafe to sanctify both 
 for the salvation of our souls." 
 
 OBLATIOK OF THE CHALICE. 
 
 The priest, in making this oblation, holds the chalice with 
 both hands raised before his face while he recites the fol- 
 lowing prayer : *MVe offer thee, Lord! the chalice of sal- 
 vation, beseeching thy clemency that it may ascend in the 
 sight of thy divine Majesty with the odor of sweetness for 
 our salvation and for that of the whole world. Amen." 
 He then lowers the chalice, and, placing it on the corporal 
 immediately behind the Host, covers it with the pall. Up 
 to the fifteenth century the practice was very much in vogue 
 of placing the chalice not behind the Host, as now, but at 
 the right of it — that is, opposite the left of the priest — and 
 this with a view to catch the Precious Blood, as it were, as it 
 flowed from the body of our Lord when opened by the sol- 
 dier's spear. The tradition in the Eastern Church as well as 
 the Western, has always been that it was our Lord's right 
 side that was pierced on the cross, and not the left (Eock, 
 Church of Our Fathers, i. 261 ; Translation of the Primitive 
 Liturgies, p. 182, note 12, by Neale and Littledale). The 
 plural form '-we offer" used in this prayer, instead of the 
 singular ''I offer," is retained here, some say, from Solemn 
 High Mass, where the deacon touches the chalice with his 
 hand while the celebrant is making its oblation, and thus 
 offers it conjointly with him (Komsee, iv. 141). Others see 
 in the retention of the plural a special reference to the 
 duty of the deacon — viz., of dispensing the chalice to the 
 people when the custom of communicating under both spe- 
 cies was in vogue (Bona, Rer. Liturg., p. 338). And as to 
 the retention of the plural form when no deacon assists, as is 
 the case in Low Mass, authors tell us that Pope Gregory the 
 Great was very fond of employing the plural instead of the 
 
Oblation of the Chalice. 279 
 
 singaliir, and tlitit very likely he allowed this to stand un- 
 touched, as he did the form '' benedicite, Pater reverende/' 
 instead ot* '• benedic, Pater" (Le Brun, Exj^lioation des 
 Prieres et des Ceremonies de la Messe, ii. pr-00, note a). 
 
 After the oblation of the chalice the priest inclines 
 slightly, and, placing his hands united, palm to palm, on 
 the altar, recites the following prayer: "' In a spirit of hu- 
 mility and with contrite heart may we be received by thee, 
 Lord ! and grant that the sacriiice we otfer this day in thy 
 sight may be pleasing to thee, Lord God I " The priest 
 then becomes erect, and presently, raising, then lowering 
 his hands, invokes the Holy Ghost, saying: '"Come, O 
 Sanctifier, Omnipotent, Eternal God! and bless this sacrifice 
 prepared to thy holy name." Upon saying *^ bless" he 
 makes the sign of the cross over the Host and chalice con- 
 jointly. This prayer affords the only instance in the whole 
 Mass where the Holy Ghost is invoked expressly by name, 
 for which reason some have supposed that it is God the 
 Father who is meant ; but, as Romsee very well says, we do 
 not apply the term come to the Father, but only to God the 
 Son, or God the Holy Ghost, both of whom are always sent, 
 or implored that they might come; but God the Father, 
 who sends them, is never addressed in this way (Romsee, iv. 
 p. 146). In many ancient missals the Holy Ghost used to 
 be mentioned in this prayer expressly, and is so mentioned 
 yet in the Mozarabic Rite, where the prayer of invocation 
 thus begins: "Come, Holy Ghost, Sanctifier!" etc. 1\\ 
 commenting on this prayer Pope Benedict XIV. says, in his 
 treatise on the Mass, that it is addressed to the Third Per- 
 son of the Blessed Trinity, in order that, as the Body of our 
 Blessed Lord was formed by the power and operation of this 
 Holy Spirit in the chaste womb of the Blessed Virgin, it 
 may be formed anew by the same Spirit upon the altar of 
 God {Enehiridion de Sacrif. Missm, p. 53). 
 
280 lite Celebration of Mass. 
 
 At Solemn High Mass incense is brought on the altar 
 after tliis prayer, and the oblation, as well as the altar it- 
 self and its ministers, are incensed. Then follows the in- 
 censing of all in the sanctuary, and, finally, of the people 
 of the congregation. We have not deemed it necessary to 
 enter more minutely into this ceremony, as our book is not a 
 treatise on rabrics. 
 
 Having recited the prayer '^ Come, Sanctifier!'' the 
 priest goes to the Epistle corner, and there washes the 
 tips of his fingers — not of all his fingers, but only of the 
 thumb and index-finger of each hand, as it is tijese, and 
 these only, that are allowed to touch the Blessed Sacrament, 
 for which reason they are sometimes called the canoni- 
 cal fingers ; and it is they which were anointed with holy 
 oil by the bishop when the priest was ordained. While per- 
 forming this ablution the priest recites that portion of the 
 twenty-fifth Psalm which begins with "I wdll wash my 
 hands among the innocents." Besides the literal reason 
 of this ablution, there is a beautiful mystical reason also 
 — to wit, that in order to offer so tremendous a sacrifice 
 as that in which the victim is none else than the Son of 
 God himself, the priest's conscience must be free from the 
 slightest stain of sin. *'This signifies," says St. Cyril of 
 Jerusalem, in his fifth book of Catecliesis^ '^ that our souls 
 must be purified from all sins and wickedness. For, as the 
 hands are the instruments of action, the washing of them 
 shows the purity of our desires." St. Germanus says to the 
 same effect: "The washing of a priest's hands should re- 
 mind him that we must approach tlie holy table with a clean 
 conscience, mind, and thoughts (the hands of the soul), 
 with fear, meekness, and heartfelt sincerity." It is w^orth 
 noting here that the priest does not remain at the middle of 
 the altar while washing his hands, but goes to the Epistle 
 corner, and this out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament 
 
''Orate Fr aires:' 281 
 
 enclosed in the tabernacle and for the crucifix. In case the 
 Blessed Sacrament should be exposed, to show a still greater 
 degree of respect, he descends one step at the Epistle side, 
 and, standing so as to have his back turned to the wall and 
 not to the altar, performs the ablution there. The Church 
 is very particular in all that concerns the reverence due to 
 the Holy Eucharist. 
 
 Having performed this ablution, the priest returns to the 
 middle of the altar, wliere, bowing down slightly, he recites 
 the following prayer : "Eeceive, Holy Trinity! this obla- 
 tion, which we oifer thee in memory of the passion, resurrec- 
 tion, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ ; in honor of 
 Blessed Mary ever Virgin ; of blessed John the Baptist ; 
 and of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of these and of 
 all the Saints, that it may tend to their honor and to onr 
 salvation, and that they whose memory we celebrate upon 
 earth may deign to intercede for us in heaven. Through 
 the same Christ our Lord. Amen." During the first four 
 centuries the Church was very careful in alluding to the 
 Blessed Trinity, for the reason that she feared it might 
 lead the pagans and infidels to suppose that slie worshipped 
 a plurality of Gods. She wisely abstained, therefore, from 
 addressing her public prayers to any of the three Divine 
 Persons but the Father only. This prayer, although not of 
 as high antiquity as some of the others, is yet very old, for 
 we find it in the so-called Illyric Missal, sup[)osed to date as 
 far back as the seventh century (Eomsee, p. 156). 
 
 *^ ORATE FRATEES." 
 
 Having finished this prayer, the priest turns round to the 
 congregation and salutes them with "Orate fratres," or 
 "Pray, brethren," which he continues reciting as follows : 
 " That my sacrifice and j'ours may be acceptable to God 
 the Father Almighty." The reason generally assigned for 
 
282 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 only saying tlie first two words of tliis prayer in an audible 
 tone is that the singers may not be disturbed while going 
 through their offertorial pieces {ibid.) To this prayer the 
 server answers, " May the Lord receive this Sacrifice from 
 thy hands, to the praise and glory of his name, for our bene- 
 fit also, and that of his entire holy Church." At the end 
 the priest says ^^Amen" secretly. 
 
 Although there should be none but females assisting at a 
 priest's Mass, as is frequently the case in convents, still the 
 form of salutation must not be changed from the masculine 
 gender ; nor must any addition whatever be made to it by 
 reason of the attendance of the opposite zex. In ancient 
 times, however, such a change used to be made in some 
 places, for we find that the Sarum Kite used to say, '^ Orate 
 fratres et sorores" — '^Pray, brethren and sisters" ; and the 
 form may also be seen in a Missal of Cologne ^ edited in 
 the year 1133. 
 
 THE '^ SECEET^," OR SECRET PRAYERS. 
 
 Having said ^^Amen" after the server's response to the 
 ^' Orate fratres," tlie priest, standing at the centre of the 
 altar, reads from the missal, placed at his left (Gospel side), 
 the prayers called " Secretag," which always correspond in 
 number with the collects read at the beginning of Mass. As 
 to how the term secret came to be applied to these prayers 
 much diversity of opinion exists. According to some, tliis 
 
 s The Cathedral of Cologne is the finest specimen of Gothic architecture in the 
 world. It was begun ia 1248, and is yet in process of building. Its two nascive 
 towers will, when completed, be each 500 feet high — that is, about 50 feet higher than 
 St. Peter's at Rome, and 25 feet higher than the tower of the great Cathedral of Strass- 
 burg, which ranks now as the highest structure in the world. The Cathedral of 
 Cologne has the rare privilege of possessing the skulls of the Magi who came to 
 adore our Lord on Christmas morning. They are preserved in silver cases studded 
 with gems, and their names— viz., Caspar, Melchior, and Baltassar— are wrought upon 
 them in rubies. 
 
Offertory in the Oriental Church. 283 
 
 name was given them because they were the first pra3'ers re- 
 cited after the catechumens had been dismissed or set apart 
 {secret i) from the rest of the congregation, the Latin origin 
 of the word — viz., secernere — favoring this interpretation. 
 Others say they are so called from the fact tliat they are re- 
 cited over that part of the offerings presented by the peo- 
 ple, according to the ancient rite, which was separated and 
 set aside from the rest for altar purposes. The great weight 
 of authority, however, inclines towards attributing their 
 name to the fact that they were recited secretly — that is, 
 jn a sort of whisper — in order not to disturb the singers, 
 who in ancient times were stationed in the choir quite 
 close to the altar. In order to have as little difference 
 as possible between one kind of Mass and another, the 
 Church has allowed many things to remain in Low Mass 
 wliich really liad their origin in High Mass, and, as Ave have 
 taken care to state already, the majority of Masses in the 
 early days were of the latter kind (Romsee, p. 162 ; Enchi- 
 ridlon Sac. Missm, ex Opere Bened. XIV., p. 55). At the end 
 of the last secret prayer the Offertory is said, strictly sj)eak- 
 ing, to conclude. 
 
 OFFEETOEY li^ THE OEIEi^^TAL CHUECH. 
 
 From what we have said in another place regarding the 
 singular care which is taken by the Orientals in the matter 
 of the sacrificial oblations, it will be easy to understand why 
 the custom so long prevalent in the Western Church — viz., 
 of receiving bread and wine from the people for altar pur- 
 2^oses — never gained any ground with them. The Orientals 
 take nothing for the holy Mass except what has been first 
 prepared and presented by their own clergy. There is, then, 
 strictly speaking, no offering on the part of the people in 
 the Oriental Church, but donations in the shape of money 
 are handed in for the sustenance of the clergy. ^' Before 
 
^84: TJte Celehratmi of Mass. 
 
 they go to the Prothesis " (the cruet-table), says Dr. Covel, 
 "to begin the liturgy, all good people who are disposed to 
 have their absent friends, living or dead, commemorated go 
 
 to them that celebrate and get their names set down there 
 
 being two catalogues, one for the living, one for the dead 
 
 for which they deposit some aspers, or richer presents in 
 silver or gold, as they are able or disposed, this being a 
 great part of the common maintenance of a priest, especially 
 in country villages" (Xeale and Littledale, Primitive Litur- 
 gies, p. 186, note). This offering, then, takes place in the 
 East at the beginning of Mass, at what is called the Lit- 
 tle Entrance, or Introit, and there is no offering whatever 
 made at the Offertory proper. 
 
 Before we j^ass on to the next portion of the Mass we beg 
 to delay the reader here a while, in order to say a few words 
 about certain liturgical appurtenances that were in quite 
 general use in days gone by. We refer to the Holy Fan 
 (Sacrum Flahellum), the Colum or Strainer, and the Comh. 
 
 THE HOLT FAN. 
 
 For quite a long time the custom prevailed in the Western 
 Church, and we see it continues yet in the Eastern, of cm- 
 ploying a fan at the Offertory, and up to the end of Com- 
 munion, for the purpose of driving away flies and other 
 troublesome insects from the priest and the sacred oblation. 
 The charge of this fan was entrusted to the deacon, and its 
 delivery to him at his ordination formed, in early days, one 
 of the necessary things, and is still so considered in the 
 Greek Eite. 
 
 In the ancient Eite of Sarum these fans were remarkable 
 for the beauty and costliness of their workmanship, being 
 sometimes made of the purest silver and gold curiously 
 wrought. In an inventory found in the Cathedral of Salis- 
 
TJiG Holy Fan. 285 
 
 bury, in 1222, a fan of pure silver is mentioned. In the 
 great Cathedral of York there was a precious fan which ex- 
 hibited on one side an enamelled picture of the bishop of 
 that see ( Church of Our Fathers, iii. p. 200). Sometimes 
 these fans were made of parchment finely wrought, and 
 sometimes again of peacock's feathers. They had a long 
 handle attached, which was, for the most part, made of 
 ivory. Hano, Bishop of Eochestcr, gave a fan to his cathe- 
 dral in 1346 which was made of precious silk, with an ivory 
 handle {ibid.) 
 
 The earliest definite account that we have of these fans is 
 that which is furnished by the so-called AjJOstoUc Constitu- 
 tions. These give the following directions concerning their 
 use : " Let two deacons stand on both sides of the altar, 
 holding a small fan made of parchment, peacock's feathers, 
 or fine linen, and with a gentle motion let them keep away 
 the flies, in order that none of them may fall into the cha- 
 lice " (Riddle, Christian Antiquities, p. 603). 
 
 We have said that the use of the fan is yet kept u}) by the 
 Orientals during divine service. That employed by the 
 Maronites is circular in shape, and has a number of little 
 bells round its rim. It is generally made of silver or brass 
 {Church of Our Fathers, p. 179). The Greek fan — of 
 which Goar gives a full account, with a print on the oj^posite 
 page, in his Euchol. Grcec, p. 136 — is made in the shape of 
 the winged face of a cherub. In the Western Church fans 
 were symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and the flies and other 
 troublesome insects which the fan was made to banish were 
 supposed to be vain and distracting thoughts (Durandus, 
 Rationale Divinorum, iv. p. 35) . As the fan of the Greek 
 Church resembled a cherub in shape, its motion during Mass 
 symbolized the flitting about of these blessed spirits before 
 the throne of God {Prim. Liturgies, by Neale and Little- 
 dale, Introduction, p. xxix.) 
 
28G TJie Celebration of Mass, 
 
 THE STKAIJS'EE. 
 
 In order to have the wine for the service of the altar 
 wholly free from, all manner of imi^urity, it was customary 
 in the early days to pass it into the chalice through a litur- 
 gical appurtenance called a colu7n, or strainer. Tliis strainer, 
 like all the other sacred utensils used about the altar, was 
 frequently made of the most costly material, and was looked 
 upon as filling a very important part in the service of the 
 Mass. As a general rule it was made of silver, shaped like 
 a spoon, and perforated with a number of very minute holes 
 through which the pure wine was passed into the chalice in 
 a filtered state. Cardinal Bona speaks at some length of 
 these in his Ber. Liturg., j). 293. 
 
 THE COMB. 
 
 Another ancient liturgical utensil, which perhaps we 
 should have spoken of sooner, was the comb, employed foi 
 the purpose of keeping the celebrant's hair in order during 
 divine service. These were for the most part made of ivorj. 
 but we find them of silver and gold very frequently, and 
 studded in many cases with pearls. The Cathedral of Sens 
 has yet among its ancient curiosities a liturgical comb of 
 ivor}-, with the inscription, ^*Pecten sancti Lupi" — ^^ The 
 comb of St. Lupus" — engraved ujDon it. St. Lupus was 
 bishop of this place in the year 609, from which we see that 
 the comb is of a very high antiquity ( Church of Our Fa- 
 thers, ii. p. 124). 
 
 The Cathedral of Sarum, in England, had a vast number 
 of ivory combs of this nature beautifully finished ; and as 
 a curious bit of information we mention that among the 
 spoils carried away from Glastonbury Abbey by the English 
 Nabuchodonosor, Henry VIII., there is mentioned '^ a combe 
 
The Comb, 287 
 
 of golde, garnishede with small turquases and other course 
 stones " (Diigdale, Mon. Any., torn. i. p. 63^ from Dr. Eock). 
 
 When the bishop officiated the deacon and subdeacon 
 combed his hair as soon as his sandals had been put on ; 
 when the celebrant was a priest the office of combing was 
 first performed for him in the yestr}^ and then at stated 
 times during Mass. The rule in this respect was that when- 
 ever the officiating minister stood up after having been seat- 
 ed for some time, and took off his cap, his hair was combed 
 before lie ascended the altar. While the process of combing 
 was going on a cloth was spread over the shoulders to pre- 
 vent the sacred vestments from being soiled. 
 
 Durandus, who is always ready with a mystic meaning for 
 everything, says that the stray hairs which lie upon the 
 head now and then are the superfluous thoughts which 
 trouble us from time to time and hinder tis from paying 
 the attention that we ought to our sacred duties (RationaUy 
 pp. 149, 150). 
 
 The use of the comb in the Western Church is now en- 
 tirely unknown, but it may 3^et be seen in some churches of 
 the East, for nearly all the Eastern clergy allow the beard to 
 grow freely down the face after the manner of the ancient 
 patriarchs (see Eomanoff, Rites and Customs of the Greco- 
 Russian Church, p. 401), for which reason combing be- 
 comes frequently necessary in order to present a neat and 
 becoming appearance. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 TEE CELEBRATION OF MASS. 
 
 THE PEEFACE. 
 
 At the end of the last secret prayer the priest raises his 
 voice and says, ^^Per omnia saecula saeculorum," to which 
 the server answers, "Amen." He then says, "' Dominus vo- 
 biscum," without, how^ever, turning to the people, and now 
 enters upon the Preface, so called because it is, as it were, 
 a preparation for the most solemn part of the whole Mass — 
 viz., the Canon. The reason why the priest does not turn 
 round to the people at this place when he says *' Dominus 
 vobiscum'' is founded on that ancient custom wdiich once 
 prevailed in tlie West, and still continues in the East, of 
 drawing aside the sanctuary curtains so as to hide the altar 
 from the congregation the moment the Preface began. As 
 there were no persons in sight then to salute, it was not 
 deemed necessary to turn round, and a vestige of this ancient 
 practice is here kejjt up (Kozma, p. 193). 
 
 After the " Dominus vobiscum " tlie priest raises his 
 hands aloft and says, ^' Sursum corda" — " Your hearts up- 
 wards "; that is, " Lift your thoughts to heaven " — to which 
 the server responds, "We have lifted them up to the Lord." 
 The " Sursum corda" is, no doubt, taken from the Lamen- 
 tations of Jeremias (iii. 41), and is found in all the litur- 
 gies of the East and West. The solemn motion of the 
 priest's hands, as he raises them on high while pronounc- 
 ing this sacred admonition, is aptly compared by several 
 
 288 
 
Antiquity of the Preface. 289 
 
 liturgical writers to the outspreading wings of a dove wlieu 
 going to fly, and forcibly recalls to mind that beautiful say- 
 ing of King David, ^' Who will give me the wings of a dove, 
 and I will fly and be at rest ? *' (P.s\ liv.) After the -'^Sur- 
 sum corda*' the priest says, '^Gratias agamus Domino Deo 
 nostro" — "Let us return thanks to the Lord our God" — 
 to which the server answers, *' Dignum et justum est " — 
 *'" It is meet and just." The priest then enters on the Pre- 
 face proper, and continues reciting it to the end without fur- 
 ther interruption. 
 
 The question is sometimes asked, Where does tke Preface 
 really l)cgin ? Strictly speaking, not till the 'SSursum cor- 
 da," for the "' Per omnia sascula sseculorum " belongs to the 
 conclusion of the last secret prayer, and the '^Dominus vo- 
 biscum " is a salutation to the people ; but as all our missals 
 begin the Preface at the "' Per omnia ssecula sseculorum," it 
 is wxll that this should be considered its true beginning. 
 
 In the Mozarabic Liturgy the Preface is called the Inlatio, 
 or Inference, ixom the fact, as Cardinal Bona conjectures, 
 that the j)riest infers from the responses of the people that it 
 is meet and just to give thanlcs t'o the Lord. In some ancient 
 manuscripts it is called the Immolation, for the reason that 
 it is, as it were, an introduction to that most sacred part 
 of the Mass where Christ our Lord, the Immaculate Lamb, 
 is newly immolated as on Calvary of old. 
 
 Ai^^TIQUITY OF THE PREFACE, AXD THE KUMBER OF PRE- 
 FACES NOW USED. 
 
 The use of the Preface in the Mass is, according to the 
 best authorities, of apostolic origin. For quite a long time 
 it was customary to have a special one for every feast that 
 occurred, so that the number was once very great. Ac- 
 cording to Neale, as many as two hundred and forty are 
 yet preserved. 
 
290 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 In the Mozarabic Eite there is still a proper Preface for 
 every Sunday and festival ; and the Ambrosians, or Milanese, 
 have a different one every day in the week (ISTeale, Holy 
 Eastern Church, i. p. 467). Towards the eleventh century 
 the Roman Church reduced'' the entire number to nine, to 
 which two others were subsequently added, leaking in all 
 eleven, which is the number of distinct Prefaces that we 
 use to-day. Their names are as follows : 1st, the Preface 
 of the Nativity, or Christmas day ; 2d, the Preface of the 
 Epiphany, or 6th of January ; 3d, the Preface of Quadra- 
 gesima, or Lent ; 4th, the Preface of the Cross and Pas- 
 sion ; 5th, the Preface of Easter Sunday ; 6th, the Preface 
 of the Ascension ; 7th, the Preface of Pentecost ; 8th, the 
 Preface of the Blessed Trinity; 9th, the Preface of the 
 Blessed Virgin ; 10th, the Preface of the Apostles ; 11th, 
 the Preface of the Common. 
 
 Preface of the Blessed Trinity. — It is admitted by all 
 that this Preface is a masterpiece of composition. It reads 
 very like a work of inspiration, and is, as far as its theology 
 goes, the most profound of the eleven. We subjoin a trans- 
 lation of it in full, but we beg to remind the reader that to 
 be fully appreciated it must be read in its original tongue, 
 the Latin. When rendered into English much of its sub- 
 limity is lost : ^' It is truly meet and just, right and salu- 
 tary, that we should always, and in all places, give thanks 
 to thee, Holy Lord, Father omnipotent. Eternal God, 
 who, together with thy Only-Begotten Son and the Holy 
 Ghost, art one God and one Lord ; not in the singularity of 
 one Person, but in a Trinity of one substance. For what 
 we believe of thy glory as thou hast revealed, the same we 
 believe of thy Son and of the Holy Ghost, without any 
 difference or distinction. So that in the confession of the 
 True and Eternal Deity we adore a distinction in the 
 Persons, a unity in the Essence, an equality in the Majesty. 
 
Prefaces of the Blessed Trinity and of the B. V. M. 291 
 
 Whom the Angels and Archangels praise, the Cherubim 
 also and the Seraphim, who without ceasing cry out daily 
 with one accord. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts. 
 Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the 
 highest ! Blessed be he who cometh in the name of the 
 Lord ! Hosanna in the highest ! " Looking at this Preface 
 from a theological point of view, it would appear that some 
 of its phraseology must have been changed subsequent to 
 the General Council of Nicaea, held in the year 325, for it is a 
 well-known fact that, prior to that period, the Church, as 
 we have already intimated in another place, wisely abstained 
 from giving too much publicity to her doctrine concerning 
 the exact relations existing between the three Persons of the 
 Adorable Trinity. She declared, it is true, by her solemn 
 definition against Arius at the above-mentioned council, 
 that the Son of God was homoousios — that is, consubstantial 
 with the Father ; but it was not until nine hundred years 
 and more had passed away that she openly defined as de 
 fidii Catholica that the unity of the Godhead was a numeri- 
 cal unity, and not a generic or specific unity, as the wTit- 
 ings of many of the ancient Fathers would be apt to lead 
 one to suppose. *'^ot till the thirteenth century," says 
 Dr. Newman, ^^ was there any direct and distinct avowal on 
 the part of the Church of the numerical unity of the 
 Divine Nature, which the language of some of the principal 
 Greek Fathers, prima facie, though not reall}^, denies " 
 {University Sermons, p. 324). The cause that led to the 
 definition of this numerical unity in the thirteenth century 
 . — that is, at the fourth Council of Lateran, a.d. 1215 — was 
 the opposite teaching of the Abbot Joachim {Dublin Re- 
 view, 1845, ^^Difficulties of the Ante-Nicene Fathers"). 
 
 The Preface of the Blessed Virgin.— This is called the 
 Miraculous Preface ; for, as the story goes, the greater part 
 was miraculously put in the mouth of Pope Urban XL as he 
 
292 The Celehration of Mass, 
 
 was one day singing Higii Mass in the Church of our 
 Blessed Lady at Placentia. He began by chanting the 
 Common Preface, but Avlien he had come to that part where 
 the Prefaces generally turn off to suit the occasion he heard 
 angels above him singing as follows : ^' Who, by the over- 
 shadowing of the Holy Ghost, conceived thine Only- Begotten 
 Son, and, the glory of her virginity still remaining intact, 
 brought into the world the Eternal Light, Christ Jesus, our 
 Lord." The holy pontiff caused these words to be after- 
 wards inserted in the Common Preface at the council held 
 in the above place in 1095, and for this reason the 
 Preface of the Blessed Virgin is ascribed to him (Ferraris, 
 BiUiotheca; Bona, p. 341; Merati, Tliesmtr, Sacr.lHt., p. 94). 
 A custom once prevailed in many places of bowing solemn- 
 ly to the ground at the words, ^^Adorant dominationes." 
 There was a rubric to this effect in a Roman ordo of the 
 eighth century, composed for the use of monasteries (Mar- 
 tene, De Antiq. Eccl. Rit.., f. 31). 
 
 TERMIN^ATIOK OF THE PEEFACE. 
 
 All the Prefaces terminate with the *' Holy, holy, holy. 
 Lord God of Hosts," etc. This is called the triumplial 
 hymn, sometimes the seraphic, and is taken from Isaias, vi. 
 3 ; St. John also mentions it in the fourth chapter of his 
 Apocalypse. The Mozarabics recite the termination of the 
 Preface — that is, the '*Holy, holy, holy," etc. — in Greek as 
 well as in Latin. 
 
 At Solemn High Mass, as the reader knows, the Preface is 
 chanted throughout by the celebrant. The music is of the 
 simplest kind of plain chant, but very soul-stirring. We 
 have shown in our chapter on '' Church Music " how deeply 
 affected some of the ancient Fathers used to be when sing- 
 ing this part of the Mass, and what abundance of tears its 
 celestial melody often drew from their hearts. The chant 
 
Prefaces of the Oriental Clnirch. ;i03 
 
 used at Lyons and Milan differs a little from ours, as does 
 also the Mozarabic, but the same divine fascination is in- 
 herent in all of them. 
 
 PREFACES OF THE ORIENTAL CHURCH. 
 
 The Orientals have no variety of Preface at all. Every 
 liturgy has one peculiar to itself, and this is employed the 
 whole year round without any change whatever. It is 
 called by the Easterns the Ana^jhora (although this word 
 also includes the Canon of the Mass), and begins and ends 
 almost precisely like our own. According to a ritual of 
 Gabriel, Patriarch of Alexandria, directions are given to the 
 priest to make the sign of the cross three different times at 
 the " Sursum corda " : first, upon himself; secondly, upon 
 the attending deacons ; and, thirdly, upon tlie congregation 
 (Renaudot, i. p. 20G). In the East, as well as in the West 
 with ourselves, it is customary to stand up always the mo- 
 ment this portion of the Mass begins, and this as a testi- 
 mony of the great respect that is due it. At Low Mass, 
 however, the rule is to remain kneeling. 
 
 The Greeks call the "Holy, holy, holy," etc., the Tri- 
 umphal Hymn, as we do. The "Gloria in excelsis" they 
 call the Angelic Hymn. Their Trisagion, or Thrice Holy, 
 which we recite on Good Friday, and of which we have 
 given a full history already, is that which begins with 
 " Holy God, Holy Strong One, Holy Immortal One." They 
 have another hymn, called the Cherulic, which they recite 
 in the Mass soon after the expulsion of the catechumens. 
 It is worded as follows : " Let us, who mystically represent 
 the Cherubim, and sing the Holy Hymn to the Life-giving 
 Trinity, lay by at this time all worldly cares, that we may 
 receive the King of glory invisibly attended by the angelic 
 orders. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia." 
 
 In the Ethiopic Liturgy four archangels are particularized 
 
'^M TJie Celehratioii of Mass. 
 
 in tlie Preface — viz., Michael, Gabriel, Eaphael, and Sariel, 
 or, as he is more commonly styled, Uriel. The Syriac 
 Liturgy of Philoxenus mentions the celestial spirits after a 
 somewhat singular manner, thus : '^The jubilees of Angels ; 
 the songs of Archangels ; the lyres of Powers ; the pure and 
 grateful voices of Dominations ; the clamors of Thrones; 
 the thunders of Cherubim ; and the swift motion of Sera- 
 phim." Immediately before the conclusion of the Preface 
 in the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom mention is made of the 
 celestial spirits as singing {adovra), bellowing (jSoc^vra), 
 crying (Kexpayota), and speaki?ig (Xtyovra). According 
 to some Oriental commentators, the four Evangelists are 
 here mystically represented. The singing with a loud voice 
 alludes to St. John, who, on account of the lofty flight of his 
 genius, is aptly compared to the eagle, and is geuerally repre- 
 sented in art with this bird by his side. The Mloiving re- 
 fers to St. Luke, who, on account of his setting forth the 
 priesthood of our Lord so conspicuously, has been always 
 represented by an ox, the s3^mbol of sacrifice. By the crying 
 or roaring like a lion St. Mark is meant, as he is said to be 
 pre-eminently the historian of our Lord's resurrection ; and 
 an Eastern tradition has it that young lions are born dead and 
 are brought to life after three days (the time our Saviour was 
 in the grave) by the roaring of their sire. And by i\\Q speak- 
 ing — that is, like a man — St. Matthew is meant, on account 
 of his dwelling so much on the human nature of our Lord. 
 In art he is generally represented by the figure of a cherub, 
 whicli is sujiposed to resemble a human being so much (Neale, 
 Holy Eastern Church, i. p. 470 ; Symbolism in Art, by Clara 
 E. Clement, p. 18 ; also St. Jerome on the Four Evangelists). 
 At the conclusion of the Preface the little sanctuary bell 
 is rung to remind the people of the approach of the most 
 solemn part of tlie Mass, in order that their attention may 
 bo fixed upon it more earnestly. 
 
CHAPTER XXVL 
 
 TEE CELEBRATION OF MASS. 
 THE CAi^Ol^. 
 
 We have now come to the most sacred portion of the 
 entire Mass — sacred by reason of its great antiquity, for it 
 carries us away back to the days of the apostles ; and doubly 
 sacred because it contains those blessed words uttered by our 
 Divine Eedeemer at the Last Supper, in virtue of which the 
 bread and wine are changed into his own Body and Blood. 
 For the latter reason alone the Canon should be treated of 
 on bended knees. 
 
 WHY CALLED BY THE NAME OF CAKON. 
 
 The word Canon, from the Greek Kavcov, was used 
 in a variety of senses by ancient authors. Originally it 
 meant a rule or contrivance by which other things were kept 
 straight ; but in a secondary sense it w^as variously applied 
 according to the nature of the case, always, however, pre- 
 serving the idea inherent in its original meaning. In ar- 
 chitecture it was the plumb-line or level ; in weights and 
 measures it was the tongue of the balance ; in chronology 
 it was the chief epoch or era ; in music it was the mono- 
 chord, or basis of all the intervals ; and when apj)lied in a 
 literary sense it served to designate those writings which 
 were to be distinguished from all others by the elegance and 
 excellence of their diction. The Dornplioros of Polycletus 
 was called by this name, and for this reason also the select 
 
29G The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 extracts of many of the aucieut Greek authors (Miiller, A r- 
 chuol d. Kumt, § 120, 4 ; Ruhnkeu, Hist. Crit. Orat. Grcec. ; 
 Quiutihaii, Inst. Rhet., 10). To this last acceptation of tlie 
 word the Canon of the Mass has a tliousand claims, for 
 all admit that it is a work of rare Avorth — in fact, a model 
 of perfection ; for which reason, to pass over many others, it 
 used to be formeiiy written in letters of gold (Martene, De 
 Antiquis Ecd. Hit., f. 34). Many writers, however, say that 
 it is called the Canon because of its unchangeable nature ; 
 but to our mind this has never seemed a good reason, nor 
 is it strictly true. The Canon does change on some oc- 
 casions. 
 
 THE EXTRAOKDINARY CARE TAKEX BY THE CHURCH OF THIS 
 PART OF THE MASS. 
 
 So careful is the Church to prevent innovations from en- 
 tering into tliis part of the Mass that she forbids any one to 
 meddle with it under pain of incurring her most severe cen- 
 sures. She will not even permit a correction to be made in 
 iL for fear of destroying its antiquity. We shall mention a 
 few cases in point. It is a well-known fact that tlie Canon 
 terminates at the ^^ Pater noster"; yet we find the word 
 Canon printed in every missal from the first jn-ayer, or 
 *'Te igitur," to the end of the Gospel of St. John. This 
 is evidently a printer's blunder ; but because it is of a very 
 ancient date the Church has allowed it to stand, and printers 
 to the Holy See are strictly forbidden to change it in print- 
 ing new missals. A still more striking instance is the fol- 
 lowing: As far back as the year 1815, when devotion to St. 
 Joseph, the sjDouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster-father of 
 our Divine Lord, was making rapid headway, the Sacred Con- 
 gregation of Rites was earnestly besought to grant permission 
 to add the name of this venerable jDatriarch to this part of 
 tlie Mass, one of the reasons assigned for making the request 
 
The Canon — its Antiquity, former Xames, etc. 2{)7 
 
 being that many persons had a particular devotion to him. 
 The request was not granted, the reply to the petition being 
 negative; and this was denominated a response urbis et 
 orbis—i\\2ii is, one binding in Rome and everywhere else. 
 
 ITS GREAT Al^TIQUITY. 
 
 That the Canon is of very great antiquity all writers and 
 critics admit. The precise date at which it was composed, 
 and who its real author was, still remain among the dis- 
 puted questions. Certain it is, however, that a hand has 
 not touched it since the time of Pope Gregory the Great — 
 that is, since the early part of the seventh century — and 
 what that pontiff added to it was so very little that we 
 would be almost justified in saying that it takes us back, in 
 its present form, to those days in the past when we could 
 converse with men who spoke face to face with our Divine 
 Lord himself and his blessed apostles. The Church pos- 
 sesses nothing more venerable than this sacred memorial. 
 
 N^AMES BY WHICH THE CANOiq- WAS FORMERLY KNOWN-. 
 
 The Canon was known in early times by a variety of 
 names. Pope Gregory the Great always called it the Prayer; 
 by St. Cyprian it was styled the Oration ; by St. Ambrose, 
 the Ecclesiastical Rule; and by St. Basil, the Secret. To 
 indicate its great excellence, many of the ancient Fathers 
 called it the Action, and we see this word yet retained as 
 the heading of the prayer '^ Communicantes." 
 
 WHERE THE CAXON ANCIENTLY BEGAN. 
 
 That the Canon formerly included the Preface, just as it 
 does to-day in the Oriental Church, we have the most in- 
 dubitable proofs. In the Sac^amentary of Pope Gelasius, 
 for instance, it is thus introduced • "Incipit canon actionis ; 
 
298 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 Sursum corda ; habemus ad Dominum," etc. (Le Brun, Ex- 
 plicat. de la Messe, ii. p. Ill, note). 
 
 MANKER OF EEADIKG THE CAJS'ON". 
 
 Out of the gi^eat respect that is due to this most solemn 
 portion of the Mass, as well as to secure the utmost recol- 
 lection on the part of the priest and people, it has been cus- 
 tomary from time immemorial to recite it throughout in 
 secret. Another reason, too, that is often given for this 
 laudable practice is that the sacred words may be kept from 
 becoming too common — a thing which could hardly be avoid- 
 ed if they were read in a tone audible to all ; for, inasmuch 
 as the Canon seldom changes, the same words would be heard 
 upon every occasion, and in process of time thoughtless per- 
 sons would have committed them to memory, and perhaps 
 might use them in common parlance, to the great disedifica- 
 tion of our holy religion. (For a very low misapplication 
 of the sacred words of institution, which originally took riso 
 in the way we are speaking of, the reader is referred to 
 Disraeli's Amenities of Literature.) 
 
 A very singular story touching the silence observed in 
 reciting the Canon is related in the Spiritual Meadoiv, a 
 bock written about the year 630 by a holy recluse named 
 John Moschus. The book received the encomiums of the 
 Fathers of the seventh General Council, held at Nicasa m 
 787, and it therefore carries some authority with it. It is 
 therein stated that a party of bo3^s guarding flocks in 
 Apamea, in Syria, took it into their heads one day to while 
 away a portion of their time by going through the cere- 
 monies of Mass. One acted as celebrant, another as deacon, 
 and a third as subdeacon. All went along pleasantly, as 
 the story relat(?s, until he who personated the celebrant pro- 
 ixounced the sacred words of consecration, when suddenlv a 
 
Manner of Reading the Canon, 299 
 
 ball of fire, rapid and fierce as a nieteor, fell down from 
 heaven, and so stunned the boys that they fell prostrate on 
 the ground. When this singular occurrence was afterwards 
 related to the bisliop of the place, he went to examine the 
 spot, and, having learned all the particulars of the case, 
 caused a church to be built thereon to commemorate so 
 remarkable an event. From this circumstance, it is said, 
 the Church derives her custom of reciting the Canon in 
 secret. Be this as it may, the ablest liturgical writers 
 maintain that the Canon has been recited in secret from its 
 very institution (Romsee, iv. p. 175). 
 
 As a precedent for this solemn silence many examples 
 may be adduced from Holy Writ. On the great day of 
 Atonement, for instance, while the high-priest was offering 
 incense to Jehovah on the golden altar, a deep silence pre- 
 vailed throughout the entire temple, and all the people re- 
 cited their prayers in secret. To this solemn silence St. 
 John evidently alludes when he says that at the opening of 
 the seventh seal 'Hhere was silence in heaven, as it were 
 for half an hour " {Apoc. viii. 1). Mention is also made of 
 it in the Mishna in describing the " drink offering " : 
 "Then came the time of the drink offering, when, having 
 given him the wine of which it consisted, the Sagan,^ who 
 stood beside the horn of the altar, observed the time for 
 pouring it out, and with a napkin gave the signal for the 
 music to begin. The reason of their being so long was that 
 the perfect sacrifice might be before God, and that silence 
 best suited so solemn a duty " (Bannister, Temples of the 
 Hedrews, pp. 211, 329 ; see also Hahacuc, \\. 20). 
 
 1 The Sagan, though not mentioned by name in the Holy Scriptures, was neverthlese 
 looked upon as a very important minister by the Jews, for it was he who discharged the 
 duties of the high-priest whenever the latter, through any indisposition or legal defilcr 
 ment, was unable to act (Bannister, p. 190). 
 
;iO;.> Tlie Celelration of Mass, 
 
 THE PICTUKE AT THE BEGIXKIKG OF THE CANON. 
 
 In all the missals of the present day a picture represent- 
 ing our Lord crucified, and gazed at m sorrowful contem- 
 plation by the three Marys — viz., Maiy of Cleophas, Mary 
 Magdalene, and Mary the Mother of God — is inserted, in 
 order to recall vividly to the mind of the priest that, at this 
 most solemn part of the Mass, he should be wholly intent 
 on his crucified Redeemer. That the 2'>i*actice of inserting 
 a picture here is yery ancient may be seen from [several early 
 manuscripts, and almost every liturgist of lote refers to it. 
 Ilonorius of Autun, who flourished towards the beo-inning 
 of the twelfth century, thus writes of it: **Hic in libris 
 crucifixum ideo depingitur quia per illud passio Christi 
 oculis cordis ingeritur" [Gemma Animce, cap. 103, ** De 
 Canone '') — that is. Here a crucifix is painted in the missals, 
 in order that by it the Passion of Christ may be fixed in the 
 eyes. of the heart. Pope Innocent III. also alludes to the 
 practice, and dwells particularly on the striking coincidence 
 that the very first prayer of the Canon begins with one of 
 the ancient representations of the cross — viz., the letter T. 
 In many early missals this letter was beautifully illuminated 
 and made very large, in order that the eye of the priest 
 might rest uj)on it, and, in doing so, that he might remem- 
 ber the mysterious Thau of the prophet Ezechiel, which 
 was ordered to be made on the foreheads of the men '^that 
 sigh and mourn for all the abominations that are committed 
 in the midst." In Leofric's Missal, of Anglo-Saxon times, 
 this letter is splendidly illuminated in gold, and so very long 
 that it nearly stretches the whole length of the page. In a 
 folio vellum copy of the Salisbury Missal, which was written 
 towards the middle of tlie fourteenth century, the letter is 
 so drawn out as to hold within it an illuminated picture of 
 Abraham about to sacrifice his only son, Isaac {Chi(,rch of 
 Our Fatliers, i. p. 103). 
 
'' Tc- Igifurr 301 
 
 In many cliurclies the custom prevailed of kissing the 
 picture at the beginning of the Canon, when the priest 
 came to that part, and at Milan, where the A^mbrosian Rite 
 is kept up, the custom is in vogue of washing the hands 
 here. 
 
 " TE IGITUR." 
 
 While reciting the opening words of this jDrayer the 
 priest is profoundly inclined, with hands resting upon the 
 altar; but when he comes to the words, " these gifts, these 
 presents, these holy and unspotted sacrifices," he becomes 
 erect and makes three crosses over the oblation. The 
 crosses made at this place now more strongly than ever re- 
 mind us that we are fast approaching that solemn moment 
 at which He who wrought our salvation on the cross of Cal- 
 vary will be present on our altar. The reader who wishes 
 to see their various mystic interpretations will do well to 
 consult Durandus (Rationale Divin., p. .241). The literal 
 meaning of these three crosses is, according to De Vert 
 (Explic. Riib. Miss., tome iii. p. 1, rub. 122), founded on a 
 very ancient custom yet in vogue with the members of the 
 Carthusian Order — viz., of making tAvo equal divisions of the 
 ITosts used for Communion, and placing one on each side of 
 the large Host. When the breads were so arranged the 
 priest would make a separate cross over each portion and 
 over the large Host placed in the centre, thus forming 
 three crosses in all. Although this custom went into desue- 
 tude soon after its introduction, De Vert still maintains that 
 the three crosses have been retained as a vestige of it. 
 
 There was great diversity of usage in former times about 
 the number of crosses made here, as may be seen from 
 some of the ancient sacramentaries. In the Galilean there 
 was but one cross prescribed. In the Gelasian there were as 
 many as five, and these, it is supposed, in memory of the 
 
302 Tlie Celehralion of Ma^s. 
 
 Five Wounds. So great was the diversity of practice in tliis 
 matter that St. Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, wrote for 
 advice upon the subject to Pope Zachary (741 to 752), and 
 received a response to the effect that wherever a cross was 
 required to be made it would be marked for him in the 
 Canon. According to Eomsee, whenever there is but one 
 cross it signifies the unity of the Divine Essence ; when 
 two are made, the duality of natures in our Divine Lord is 
 signified ; three crosses are typical of the Blessed Trinity, 
 and five of the Five Wounds (iv. p. 180). 
 
 In the first prayer of the Canon the j^riest prays for the 
 Universal Church at large, and for its visible head upon 
 -eartli, the Supreme Pontiff, by name ; then for the bishop 
 of the diocese in which he is celebrating ; and, finally, for 
 all the orthodox upholders of the Catholic Faith. In men- 
 tioning the reigning Pope he gives him the first part of liis 
 ofiicial title, without adding anything else to particularize 
 him — thus, '' Pius," '•' Cregory," " Leo," or whatever else 
 the name be — and makes a slight bow to the missal as he 
 pronounces it, out of reverence for the name of the Yicar 
 of Christ. The bishop of the diocese is mentioned in the 
 same way, but without any bow of the head. In case the 
 diocese should be ruled by a bishop administrator or co- 
 adjutor while the real bishop, through some indisposition, 
 is unable to attend to it, the name of the indisposed bishop 
 must, nevertheless, be inserted, and not that of the admin- 
 istrator or coadjutor. When a bishop himself says Mass, 
 instead of saying, ''and our bishop, Is." he says, ''and I, 
 thy unworthy servant," without expressing his name. 
 When the Holy Father celebrates he says, " I, thy un- 
 worthv servant, whom thou hast wished should preside 
 over thy flock." If the Mass be celebrated at Eome no 
 bishop's name is mentioned after the Pope's, for there is 
 no other bishop of Rome but the Holy Father himself. 
 
^- Te Igitur:' 303 
 
 What has been said here of bishops, of course, applies ako 
 to archbishops, patriarchs, and cardinals, no matter of what 
 grade. The members of religious orders are not permitted 
 to insert here the name of their superior, but must, like 
 secular priests, add that of the bishop of the diocese. 
 
 *' Pro omnibus orthodoxis " — 
 " For all the orthodox." 
 
 Since there are two expressions in the latter part of this 
 first prayer which mean one and the same thing, many 
 writers have supposed that by the word ortliodox are here 
 meant all those who are outside tlie visible unity of the- 
 Church by schism only ; according to which the present 
 Greek Church with its offshoot, that of the Russian Empire, 
 would be included. The reader need hardly be told that 
 any given Church may be schismatic without being heretical 
 at the same time. The one neither means nor necessarily 
 implies the other. The one may, theologically speaking, be 
 sound in the faith ; the other never can be. A heretic, from 
 the very derivation of the word (aipeoj), is one who consti- 
 tutes himself a judge and cJiooses his faith upon the strength 
 of his own private authority. A schismatic, strictly speak- 
 ing, is one who separates or cuts himself off (<yjz<?ca?) from 
 the outward unity of the Church by refusing assent to some 
 point of discipline, or authority to the chief pastor. Now, 
 although the so-called Creek Church has been schismatic 
 since the ninth century, with little exception, still it has 
 never by any formal act been declared heretical by the Holy 
 See ; and until the Holy See passes judgment upon it and 
 pronounces it heretical no private authority has a right to 
 do so. Some think, therefore, that it is no distortion of the 
 meaning of this prayer to suppose that it refers to, or at 
 least includes, schismatics when it speaks of the orthodox, 
 
304 The Celebration of Mats, 
 
 for, as tliey say, a j)erson may be orthodox — that is, sound 
 in the faith — and still be outside the visible unity of the 
 Church. The principal objection to this interpretation is, 
 that the Church is not accustomed to share the Holy Sacri- 
 fice of the Mass with those who are wilfully out of her 
 Communion. (See the Catholic World for the months of 
 March and April, 1877; articles, ''The Eussian Chancellor" 
 and ''Xatalie Xarischkin.") 
 
 PRATIXG FOR TEMPORAL RULERS. 
 
 In countries where Catholicity is the established religion 
 it is customary in this prayer to add the name of the sove- 
 reign on the throne immediately after that of the diocesan 
 bishop. The Venetians used to insert the name of the 
 grand doge here. For some time the Hungarians prayed at 
 this place for the king, but by a recent decree of the Holy 
 See the title of emperor has been substituted instead (Koz- 
 ma, p. 198). A priest celebrating in any part of the Aus- 
 trian dominions, therefore, is bound to observe this rule. 
 It is hardly necessary to add that without the express joer- 
 mission of the Holy See it is unlawful to insert any name 
 whatever in this place. 
 
 CAXOX OF THE ORIENTAL CHURCH. 
 
 "We liave already stated that the Canon of the Oriental 
 Churcli begins at the Preface. That of the Liturgy of St. 
 Basil the Great is ushered in with this solemn admonition : 
 ''Come forward, men I Stand with trembling awe and 
 look towards the east." According to nearly all the Orien- 
 tal liturgies, some such warning precedes the Canon, and 
 the moment the peojile hear it they become at once erect 
 and attentive. The Maronite laity, who use staves in 
 church to lean upon, as the modern custom of sitting down 
 at Mass is not in vogue with them, are required to stand up 
 
Canon of the Oriental Churcli. 305 
 
 here without any support whatever, as a mark of great re- 
 spect for this most solemn part of divine service. The form 
 of prayer for the spiritual and temporal ruler with the Ar- 
 menians is thus worded : 'Tor our lord the most holy Pa- 
 triarch N., for his health and the salvation of his soul." 
 Then the minor clergy are mentioned : '^for all vartabeds/ 
 priests, deacons, and subdeacons." After this comes tlie 
 name of the sovereign on the throne: '^ the emperor, the 
 imperial family, the court, and the camp." This prayer as- 
 sumes formidable proportions in the Russian Church, foi 
 every member of the imperial family must be mentioned in 
 it by name, and woe to the poor priest or bishojo Avho would 
 dare to omit one of them ; for tlie czar is supreme in spi- 
 rituals as well as in temporals tliroughout that empire, and 
 arrogates the right to himself of having his name and title, ^ 
 wherever they appear, always written in capital letters (Ton- 
 dini. The Po2)e of Rome and tlie Eastern Popes^ p. 95). 
 
 The prayer for the temporal ruler in the Liturgy of St. 
 Mark is very beautiful. It runs thus : " The orthodox and 
 Christ-loving king : ... lay hands upon the shield and 
 buckler, and stand up to help him; . . . cover his head in 
 the day of battle; speak good things to his lieart for thy 
 Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and all the people 
 that loveth Christ." 
 
 Tlie prayer in St. Clement's Liturgy is thus expressed : 
 " For every episcopate under heaven of those who rightly 
 divide the word of thy truth let us make our supplication ; 
 and for our Bishop James and his parishes let us make our 
 supplication ; for the Bishop Clement and his parishes let 
 us make our supplication ; for our Bishop Evodius and his 
 parishes let us make our supplication, that the merciful 
 God may vouchsafe them to their holy churches, safe, hon- 
 
 5 By Vartabed the Armenians understand a monaptic or celibate priest. They are 
 , generally the preachers of the Word in the East. 
 
30G Tlie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 orable, full of length of days, and may afford them an hon- 
 orable old age in piety and righteousness." 
 
 THE SECOISTD PRATER OE THE CA.^01^, OR THE MEMENTO 
 FOR THE LIVIi^G. 
 
 As the priest begins this prayer he moves his hands 
 slowly before his face, and, having united them, rests in 
 meditation awhile, pausing over those for whom he intends 
 to pray particularly. He is at liberty to remember here 
 — privatel}', of course — whomsoever he pleases, no matter 
 whether ho bo in the Church or out of it ; for the prayer 
 is private, and the Church exercises no jurisdiction over 
 jDrivate prayers. This memento is worded as follows : 
 '^Eemember, Lord, thy servants, male and female, N.N. 
 §pause], and all here present, whose faith is known to thee 
 and devotion manifest ; for whom we offer, or who offer 
 to thee, this sacrifice of 2:)raise, for themselves and all that 
 belong to them, for the redemption of their souls, for tlie 
 hope of their salvation and safety, and who render their 
 vows to thee, the Eternal, Living, and True God." 
 
 Eegarding the expression, ^^who offer to thee," as api)lied 
 to the people, the reader must not suppose that the right 
 or 230 wer of offering sacrifice in the true sense is meant, for 
 the peoj^le cannot do this, but only the priest. The expres- 
 sion is a familiar form for signifying co-operation in the 
 sacred mystery, and directly refers to the ancient practice of 
 receiving offerings from the people in the shape of bread 
 and wine for altar purposes. According to Eomsee (p. 187), 
 the particle ^'^or " in this prayer must be considered a co;j?/- 
 lative conjunction, and not a disjunctive one ; and that hence 
 the wording in its true sense would be, '^for whom we offer, 
 and who offer unto thee," etc. Eegarding the word "vo- 
 ta," translated by us as votus^ it is well to remark tliat 
 what are technically called by that name, whether they be 
 
Dissertation on the Diptychs. 30? 
 
 simple vows or solemn ones, are here meant only in a very 
 remote sense ; the direct application of the word is to be 
 taken in the sense of pious desires, thaiiksgivingSf and j^n- 
 vate intentions (Romsee, p. 189). 
 
 Formerly it was customary to read aloud at the letters 
 "N.N." of this memento the names of all those who were 
 entitled to special mention. In Solemn High Mass the duty 
 of doing this devolved upon the deacon, who would stand 
 for this purpose on the altar-steps, or ascend the ambo, 
 which was the more general way ; but in Low Mass the duty 
 devolved upon the priest, who turned round to the congre- 
 gation at this place, and read the names from folded tablets 
 called diptychs. According to the general opinion of litur- 
 gists, this custom lasted, with little interruption, up to the 
 eleventh century, when, on account of the excessive vain- 
 glory that many indulged in at hearing their names and 
 offerings read out in public, the Church thought well to 
 discontinue it (Romsee, p. 185). 
 
 DISSERTATION 0^ THE DIPTYCHS. 
 
 The diptychs, from the Greek di<S, twice, and nr-uGGoD, I 
 fold, Avere, agreeably to their derivation, tablets folding in 
 two somewhat after the manner of a writing portfolio, and 
 having three separate columns of equal extent. In the 
 first of these columns were inscribed the names of tlie 
 holy martyrs who openly died for the faith, and who, 
 from the fact of their being mentioned here, were said 
 to be canonized — that is, worthy of being named in the 
 Canon of the Mass. This was the primitive way of 
 bringing about canonization ; and a vestige of it is yet 
 kept up, for, according to the present discipline, when any 
 servant of God has been declared a saint it is customary 
 for our Holy Father the Pope to invoke him in the Mass 
 said on that occasion, after the other saints mentioned 
 
'308 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 {Hieriirgia, p. 480, note). The second column contained 
 the names of those who were illustrious among the living, or 
 held places of eminence either in the temporal or spiritual 
 order, such as the Supreme Pontiff, the patriarch, arch- 
 bishop, or bishop of the diocese, and after these the ruling 
 prince or sovereign. In this same column were also inserted 
 the names of those for whose special intention the Mass was 
 offered, or who contributed bountifully towards the wants of 
 the altar and the support of its sacred ministers. As it was 
 strictly forbidden to receive gifts from those whose lives 
 were in any way scandalous, or who were not considered, 
 strictly speaking, practical Catholics, so it was also forbid- 
 den to insert their names in the sacred tablets, no matter 
 how exalted a position in life they otherwise held. In the 
 third column of the diptychs were enrolled those of the 
 dead who departed life in full communion with the Church, 
 but who were not otherwise in any degree remarkable. The 
 substance of these three columns is now distributed among 
 the following prayers, viz. : the first memento, the '' Com- 
 municantes," the ^^ Nobis quoque iDcccatoribus," and the 
 second memento. 
 
 Here we call the reader's attention again to \eX another 
 proof of the reluctance of the Church to make any altera- 
 tion in the Canon. Although the custom of reading the 
 names of the living and the dead has long since ceased, still 
 the letters ''N. N.," where this reading occurred, have never 
 been removed, although they serve no particular purpose 
 now, nor is the priest required to pause at them in celebrat- 
 ing, as he was of old. 
 
 Ceremonies attending the Reading of the Diptychs. — In 
 many of the ancient cathedral churches a very great dis- 
 play used to be made — almost as great as that made at the 
 Gospel — when the time for reading the diptychs had arrived. 
 We have said that, as a general rule, they were read from 
 
Dia^tviation on the DijAychs. 309 
 
 the ambo. For this reason it was customary for tlie entire 
 congregation to turn their eyes in this direction ; and such 
 of them as could conveniently do it would flock around the 
 ambo and remain there until all the names had been read. 
 Whenever any name was read out which was entitled to 
 special veneration it was usual to exclaim : " Gloria tibi, 
 Domine" — '^ Glory be to thee, Lord " — as if to thank God 
 for the favors bestowed on such individuals. This was done 
 at a Mass celebrated durino- the session of the fifth General 
 Council, held in 553 at Constantinople, when the names 
 of Pope Leo the Great and those of the saintly bishops 
 Macedonius and Euphemius were read out (Selvaggio, i. 
 p. 21 ; Bona, j). 345). Sometimes, too, the names of these 
 general councils in which some remarkable dogma of faith 
 was defined or heresy condemned were also read for the 
 gratification of the people {ibid.) When the names of the 
 persons to be prayed for reached a very high figure, in order 
 not to increase the tedium of the people, a catalogue of 
 them was drawn up and placed on the altar before the eyes 
 of the priest, who would remember them in this man- 
 ner : '^Eemember, Lord! thy servants, male and fe- 
 male, and those also who have a special claim to be men- 
 tioned in the sight of thy Divine Majesty ; of those, too, 
 whose names we are looking at or express in words." 
 Martcne tells us that in some churches the practice pre- 
 vailed through the ninth century of having the subdeacon 
 recite, in a low whisper, to the celebrant the names of those 
 who deserved special commemoration (De Antiquis Eccl. 
 Ritihus, f. 37). The only rite which yet retains the reading 
 of the diptychs in the Latin Church is the Mozarabic. 
 
 Diptychs of the Oriental Church.— That the reading of 
 the diptychs is yet kept up in all the churches of the East 
 may be seen from a glance at any of their liturgies, where 
 we find special directions given on this head to the deacon 
 
310 Tlie Celehratloii of Mass. 
 
 of the Mass. The order of the memento in the Coptic 
 diptychs is, first, for the Church at large, then for bishops 
 in general, after this for their patriarch and all tlie orders 
 of the clergy, and, finally, for the favorable flow of the 
 Nile. In the Creek Liturgy of St. Basil mention of the 
 Pope is made ; but this is not, as some have supposed, the 
 Pope of Eome, but rather the Patriarch of Alexandria, to 
 whom this title is always given in the East. In some of 
 the churches of Syria it is customary to say '^ Kyrie eleison " 
 after every name read from the diptychs (Renaudot, 
 Liturg. Orient., ii. p. 96). As there is nothing else of any 
 great importance in this second prayer of the Canon, we 
 now pass on to the third prayer, or the " Communicantes." 
 
 THIKD PRAYEE, OR THE 
 
 The priest, remaining in the same place and i:)reserving 
 the same attitude, with outstretched hands recites the third 
 prayer of the Canon, which, in English, may be rendered 
 as follows : ^^ Communicating and venerating the memory, 
 in the first place, of the ever glorious Virgin Mary, Mother 
 of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, as also of thy blessed 
 Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, 
 John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, 
 Simon and Thaddaeus, Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus, 
 Cornelius, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas 
 and Damian, and of all thy saints; by whose merits and 
 prayers grant that we may be aided in everything, and 
 fortified by thy help ; through the same Christ, our Lord." 
 
 The Saints mentioned in this Prayer. — As is just and pro- 
 per, because she has the proud litle of Queen of Saints and 
 Martyrs, our Blessed Lady's name lieads the list in this 
 sacred catalogue, where she is commemorated as the *' ever 
 glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God, our Lord Jesus 
 
Tliird Prayer, or the ^^ Covimunicantes." 311 
 
 Christ." There is not a liturgy in the East or West in 
 which our Heavenly Queen, with her singular prerogatives, 
 is not mentioned. In the Liturgy of St. James she is styled 
 " the most holy, immaculate, exceedingly glorious, blessed 
 Lady, Mother of God, and ever Virgin Mary." In that of 
 St. Chrysostom she is denominated " the most holy, unde- 
 liled, exceedingly laudable, glorious Lady, Mother of God, 
 and ever Virgin Mary." The Liturgy of St. Basil the 
 Great styles her ^' the all-holy, immaculate, super-eminently 
 blessed, glorious Lady, Mother of God, and ever Virgin 
 Mary "; and in the Coptic version of the same she is com- 
 memorated in the following manner : '^ Above all, the most 
 holy, most glorious, immaculate, blessed Lady of ours, 
 Mother of God, and ever Virgin Mary." Nor are the Nes- 
 torians, who deny her the title of Mother of God, behind- 
 hand, for all that, in showing her every other mark of reve- 
 rence and respect. They invoke her as follows : ** The 
 prayers of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus our Saviour, 
 be to us at all times a wall of defence by day and by night." 
 And in another place they say of her : " Eejoice and exult, 
 thou who art full of grace, holy and chaste Virgin Mary, 
 Mother of Christ, because the archangel became a heavenly 
 messenger unto thee, thou. Mother, who in virginity didst 
 bring forth the Wonderful, the Counsellor, and Saviour of 
 the world." The Rev. Mr. Badger, from whose work {The 
 Nestorians and their Rituals, ii. p. 249) we copy these words, 
 declares his utter astonishment at the intense devotion mani- 
 fested by these heretics to our Blessed Lady ; he is forced 
 even to confess— with much reluctance, we may be sure, for 
 he is a Protestant of the first water — that they do not 
 scruple to apply to our Lady, now and tlien, the epithet 
 TJieotolcos — that is, Mother of God — of which so much was 
 said at the General Council of Ephesus in the year 431, 
 where Nestorius himself was condemned. The reader will 
 
ol2 TJie Celehraiion of Ma^s. 
 
 see in this work of Badger many good j^oints on tlie devo- 
 tion of the Eastern lieretics to onr Blessed Lad}-. 
 
 Before we enter on a history of the other saints mentioned 
 in the *' Commnnicantes '' we deem it well to inform the 
 reader that it is only those who arc ranked as martyrs who 
 have a place in the Canon ; and this is another proof of its 
 great antiquity, for it was not until the fourth century that 
 the Church instituted feasts in honor of the other classes of 
 saints. 
 
 St. Peter. — The Prince of the Apostles was a native of 
 Bethsaida, and, as tradition goes, was our Divine Lord's 
 senior in age by about ten years. He received at his cir- 
 cumcision the name of Simon, or Simeon, meaning in He- 
 brew *• Jehovah hath heard," but this was afterwards 
 changed by our Lord to "Kipho,'' generally written Cephas 
 in English, from the Syriac j.^*^ — a rocl:. St. Peter was 
 a married man, but a very ancient tradition, upon which 
 St. Jerome lays particular stress, assures us that after his 
 call to the apostleship he and his wife (a very holy lady) 
 agreed to live continent the rest of their lives. He 
 had a daughter named Petronilla, whom the Church 
 honors as a saint on May 31. Our glorious apostle, as 
 is well known, suffered death under Xero on the Vati- 
 can Hill, where, at his own request, he was crucified 
 head downwards. He is represented in most of the early 
 paintings as bald on the crown of the head, but having 
 a thick circle of hair growing round the under part, after 
 the manner of some of the clerical tonsures Avorn by members 
 of religious orders. In Anglo-Saxon art he is always beard- 
 less, to favor a long-standing tradition that the pagans, in 
 order to make him as desjoicable-looking as possible in the 
 eyes of the people, shaved his head closely. Ever since the 
 eighth century it has been customary to represent him with 
 a pair of keys in hand, symbolic of his power in heaven and 
 
Third Prayer, or the ^^ Communicantes.'^ 313 
 
 on earth. Many will have it appear that the ecclesiastical 
 tonsure, so-called, owes its origin to the indignity practised 
 on our apostle by the pagans — viz. , shaving his head. 
 
 St. Paul. — St. Paul was a native of Tarsus, a city of 
 Cilicia, in Asia Minor. After his miraculous conversion to 
 the faith he went to Jerusalem, where, through the medi- 
 ation of his companion, St. Barnabas, he made the acquaint- 
 ance of SS. Peter and James. With the former he became 
 associated in the see of Rome, and together with him suf- 
 fered martyrdom about the year 67 of our era and the 
 twelfth of the reign of Nero. The two holy apostles are 
 generally named together, for, as the Church sings of them, 
 *' in life they loved each other ; in death they are not sepa- 
 rated." According to some, our apostle changed his first 
 name, Saul, to Paul through respect for the Proconsul 
 Sergius Paulus, whom he converted to the faith. Others 
 say that he took the name from the Latin paulus, "little," 
 because, as he says in his own profound humility, he loas 
 the least of the apostles. 
 
 St. Andreiv, November 30. — St. Andrew was St. Peter's 
 brother, but whether his senior in years or not the JSTew 
 Testament does not say. Upon the i)ortioning out of the 
 globe among the twelve Scythia was assigned as the field of 
 his labors. He finally penetrated Cappadocia, Galatia, 
 Bithynia, and the parts around the Euxine Sea, and end- 
 ed his days, like his Divine Master, by dying on the cross. 
 This, according to tlie best authorities, happened at Pa- 
 tras, a city of Achaia. In the fourth century some of his 
 relics were taken to Scotland by St. Eegulus, from which 
 fact he has been venerated as the patron of the country 
 and of its first order of knighthood, or that known as the 
 "Order of the Thistle."' He is also the patron of the 
 
 3 The collar of the Order of the Thistle is made of thistles and rue. The one cannot 
 be touched without hurt ; the other is an antidote against poison. 
 
314 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 " Order of the Golden Fleece " of Burgundy, founded by 
 Philip the Good in 1429, and of the entire empire of Rus- 
 sia, together with its great order, known as the " Order of 
 the Cross of St. Andrew." In heraldry our saint is gene- 
 rally represented with a cross decussate, or saltier. AYlien 
 blended with the cross of St. George and the saltier gules 
 of St. Patrick this cross forms the English flag familiarly 
 known as the " Union Jack." * 
 
 St. James, July 25. — This blessed apostle, generally 
 known as St. James the Greater, because of his seniority 
 in years to St. James, commonly styled the "brother of the 
 Lord," was son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of St. 
 John the Evangelist. It was this apostle who, in company 
 with St. Peter and St. John, formed the three that were 
 present on TJiabor at our Lord's Transfiguration and in the 
 Garden of Olives when his agony began. By command 
 of Herod Agrippa, who, as the Acts of the Apostles relate 
 (chap, xii.), "stretched forth his hands to afflict some of 
 the Church," he was " killed with the sword." This hap- 
 pened about the year 4-3. The body of the apostle was first 
 interred at Jertisalem, but was finally removed to Spain, 
 where it is alleged he once preached the Gospel, and de- 
 posited at Iria Elavia, now El Padron, on the confines of 
 Galicia. By order of Alphonsus the Chaste, King of Leon, 
 it was subsequently transferred to Compostella (a corruption 
 of Giacomo Postolo), in whose cathedral it lies at present. 
 From this circumstance our blessed ajiostle has been chosen 
 as the Patron of Spain under the name of Sant lago di Com- 
 postella. A military order, known as that of " St. James the 
 Xoble," was established in his honor by Ferdinand II. in 1175. 
 
 * The name "Jack," as used here, is nothing else but a corruption of the French 
 "Jacques," James, and had its origin in the fact that, at the accession of King James 
 I., the cross of St. George and that of St. Andrew were united in one, thus forming the 
 original "Union Jack." 
 
Third rraycry or ilie ^*Co?nmu?iicajiie6.'^ oio 
 
 SI. John, December 27. — This holy apostle and Evange- 
 list, called in the New Testament '' clie disciple whom Jesus 
 loved," was a Galilean by birth. According to a ti-adition of 
 long standing, he is said to have dwelt at Jerusalem until 
 the death of our Blessed Lady, which took place, it is said, 
 about the year 48, and that then he journeyed into Asia, 
 where he is said to have founded the seven churches men- 
 tioned in his Apocalypse. Authentic accounts say that he 
 died and was buried at Ephesus when about one hundred 
 years of age. According to Polycrates, St. John always wore 
 the golden plate of the Jewish high-joriest upon his fore- 
 head, upon which w^as engraved " Kodesh le Jehovah " — • 
 *^ Holiness to Jehovah." The Greeks generally style him 
 "St. John the Divine." From his great purity, having 
 always led a single life, and from his singular intimacy with 
 our Divine Lord, many of the Oriental Fathers held that he 
 was taken up, body and soul, to heaven like Enoch and 
 Elias. Though he died a natural death, he is by all es- 
 teemed a martyr from the fact that he submitted to mar- 
 tyrdom when cast by order of Domitiau into a caldron of 
 boiling oil, from which he escaped unhurt. 
 
 St. Thomas, December 21. — According to the most general 
 opinion, this apostle was by birth a Galilean. Parthia was 
 given as his field of labors when the portioning out of the 
 globe was made among the twelve. He is said to have met 
 death by being run through with a spear by the Brahmins 
 of India. As he is universally styled the '^ Doubting Disci- 
 ple " (from the fact of his saying that he w^ould not believe 
 the other apostles, who told him they had seen our Lord 
 after he had risen from the dead on Easter Sunday, unless lie 
 saw him with his own eyes and examined his wounds), it is 
 commonly said that the shortest day in the year was assigned 
 as his feast day, to remind us of the shortness of his faith. 
 
 St. James, May 1. — The second apostle mentioned by the 
 
316 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 name of James is lie who is generally styled the '^brother of 
 our Lord," from a Hebrew usage of thus naming cousins- 
 german. He is called ''James the Less" from being 
 younger than the other of the same name, and '' James the 
 Just" on account of his great sanctity. He is said to be the 
 son of Alphaeus and Mary (sister of the Blessed Virgin). 
 It is the general opinion that he was the first bishop of 
 Jerusalem, having been appointed to that see soon after our 
 Lord's xiscension. Like the '* Beloved Disciple," he is said 
 to have always worn the j^late of gold peculiar to the Jewish 
 high-priest, as an ensign of his consecration to the Lord. 
 According to Hegesippus, quoted by St. Jerome, and others, 
 he met death by being cast by the Jews from the battle- 
 ments of the Temple and afterwards despatched with a blow 
 from a fuller's club. It is said that the resemblance of this 
 apostle to our Lord was so great that it was difficult to tell 
 the two apart, for which reason Judas found it necessary to 
 tell his band to seize upon him whom he would address. 
 " Whomsoever I shall kiss," said he, ''that is he ; lay hold 
 of him and lead him away carefully" [Mark xiv. 4-4). Ac- 
 cording to the legend, St. James said he would eat nothing 
 from the time he partook of the Last Supper until our Lord 
 had risen from the dead. Soon after the Resurrection it is 
 said that our Lord appeared to him and asked for a table 
 and some bread, where uj^on he said to the saint : " My 
 brother, eat thy bread, for the Son of Man is risen from 
 among them that sleej^." According to "St. Gregory of 
 Tours, our saint's remains were interred on Mount Olivet in 
 a tomb which he had built for himself. He is the author of 
 the Catholic Epistle called after his name, and which the 
 disdainful heretic Luther denominated " Epistola strami- 
 nea" — an "Epistle of straw" — because it says very point- 
 edly that faith loithout good works is dead^ for which reason 
 Protestants rejected it formerly. 
 
Third Prayer, or the '' Communicantes,'^ 317 
 
 St Philijj, May 1.— St. Philip was born at Betlisaida, 
 and received as the place of his apostolic labors, upper Asia. 
 He finally came to Hierapolis, in Phrygia, Avhere.he suffered 
 martyrdom at a very advanced age. One of his arms was 
 brought from Constantinople to Florence in the year 1204; 
 the rest of his body is kept in the Church of SS. Philip and 
 James at Rome. 
 
 St. Bartholomeiv, Aiigust 24. — According to the most ex- 
 act commentators, our saint and Nathanael are one and the 
 same person. He is said to have been born at Cana of Gali- 
 lee. His name, Bartholomew, comes from the Syriac tar, 
 a son, and Tolmai, a proper name.^ As to the precise man- 
 ner of this apostle's death authorities are not agreed, but 
 all hold that he died a martyr, and this, according to St. 
 Gregory of Tours, in Greater Armenia. One of his arms, 
 it is said, was sent by the Bishop of Benevento to St. Ed- 
 ward of England (Edward the Confessor), who deposited it 
 in the Cathedral of Canterbury. In art he is generally 
 represented with a butcher's flaying-knife, the supposed 
 instrument of his torture, in commemoration of which the 
 strange custom of bestowing such knives as gifts on the 
 recurrence of the feast once prevailed at Croyland Abbey. 
 
 St. Matthew^ Septeml)er 21. — St. Matthew was, according 
 to the most general opinion, a native of Nazareth, and a 
 2^ublican by profession. His original name was Levi, but 
 this he abandoned when he became an apostle. Ethiopia 
 is generally assigned as the field of his apostolic labors — not 
 the African Ethiopia, but that which corresponds with the 
 ancient Chaldea. At Nadabar, a city of this region, he is 
 said to have ended his days by martyrdom. 
 
 ^Before tlie Captivity, when the Jews spoke the true Hebrew, the name for son was 
 "Ben," thus: Benjamin— son of my right hand; Benoni— son of my anguish; but 
 after the Captivity, when the pure Hebrew was no longer spoken, but only the Aramaic 
 or Syriac, a eon was designated by the term "Bar," thus ; Bar-Jona — son of Jonah; 
 Bartimeus— son of Timeus ; Barabbas (strangely enough)— son of his father. 
 
318 The Celehration of Mass, 
 
 St. Simon, Odoher 28. — To disLinguisli this saint from 
 the Prince of the Apostles, who was called Simon Peter, 
 and from St. Simon, brother of St. James the Less, he is 
 generally known as Simon the Cananean, and sometimes 
 Simon Zelotes. According to St. Jerome, the epithet last 
 menrioned is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Clianaan- 
 ite, a zcalons imitator, so that it must not be supposed that 
 our apostle was a native of Cana from having this epithet 
 attached to his name. x\ccording to the Grreek menology, 
 our apostle passed over into Britain towards the end of his 
 career, and was there crowned with martyrdom. 
 
 St. Thaddeus, Octoder 28. — This apostle is known in the 
 New Testament by three different names — viz., Jude, Tliad- 
 deus^ and Lebbmus. By the last-mentioned name he is called 
 in the Greek text of St. Matthew. It is generally under- 
 stood that our apostle changed his first name, Jiide^ to his 
 second, Thaddmiis, in order not to have the same name as 
 the traitor Judas Iscariot. Others say that he did so out 
 of respect for the ineffable name of Jehovah, which the Jews 
 would never pronounce. His field of labor was first Sama- 
 ria, then Syria and the eastern i:)arts. His martyrdom is 
 said to have occurred in Persia. He wrote an Epistle, which, 
 like that of St. James, is denominated Catliolic, from the 
 fact that it was addressed to no Church in i^articular, but 
 to Christendom at large. 
 
 St. Linus, September 23. — St. Linus was the immediate 
 successor of St. Peter in the Roman see, over which he 
 reigned twelve years, and suffered martyrdom about the year 
 of our Lord 87. 
 
 St. Cletus, Ajjril 26. — ^St. Cletus succeeded St. Linus as 
 pope, and ruled the Chnrch for about thirteen years. His 
 martyrdom is said to have taken place about the 3'ear 91. 
 There has always been much dispute as to whether tliis 
 saint and Anacletus are two distinct persons or one and the 
 
Third Prayer, or the ^^ Communicanles.''^ 319 
 
 same. Most probably they were different. In the Gerar- 
 cliia Caitolica Anacletiis is reported to have governed the 
 Church from a.d. 100 to 112, and that then he died a mar- 
 tyr. The two are also distinguished in the Liberian Cal- 
 endar. 
 
 8t. Clement, Kovemher 23. — St. Clement, the companion 
 and fellow-laborer of St. Paul, was, according to the most 
 reliable accounts, a Jew by birth. He is specially men- 
 tioned by the Apostle of the Gentiles as having his name in 
 the ^^Book of Life." An epistle written by him to the 
 Christians of Eonie in their severe hours of trial has been 
 looked upon by many as a work of inspiration ; and, from 
 its great resemblance to St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, 
 the authorship of the latter has been often called into ques- 
 tion. St. Clement met death, it is said, by decapitation, 
 under the persecution of Trajan. 
 
 St. Xystus, August 6. — He suffered martyrdom under 
 Valerian in 258. 
 
 St, Cornelius, Septemher IG. — St. Cornelius was pope 
 from A.D. 254 to 255. He is styled by St. Cyprian ^'^a 
 blessed martyr." 
 
 St. Cyprian, Septeml^er 16. — This saint was born at Car- 
 thage, in Africa, and suffered martyrdom about the year 
 258. When the decree concerning his torture was read to 
 him he is reported to have exclaimed in a transport of holy 
 joy, "Deo gratias !"— " Thanks be to God !" Our saint's 
 name will be ever held in remembrance from the celebrated 
 controversy he had with the bishops of Numidia about the 
 validity of baptism given by heretics. Pope St. Stephen 
 pronounced^uch baptism valid, and forbade any steps what- 
 ever to be taken to reiterate it, saying: ^'Xihil innovetur 
 nisi quod traditum est" — that is, " There must be no inno- 
 vation upon what has been handed down by traditional 
 authoritv." 
 
3^0 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 St, Laurence^ August 10. — It is generally supposed that 
 St. Laurence was by birth a Spaniard. All are unanimous 
 in saying that he suffered martyrdom in a.d. 258, and this 
 on an instrument made after the manner of a gridiron, 
 which w^as heated to redness and then the saint placed upon 
 it. One of the most celebrated monuments built in honor 
 of him now in existence is the famous palace of the Escu- 
 rial, fifteen miles from Madrid, in Spain, which was found- 
 ed by Philip II. in 1557, out of gratitude for a victory over 
 the French at St. Quentin, in Picardy, on the feast of St. 
 Laurence. The palace is built in the shape of a gridiron, 
 the royal apartments forming the handle, and the church 
 the body of the instrument. It is built of solid granite, 
 700 feet long, 564 wide, and 330 feet high. Over one of its 
 main grand entrances are six beautifully-finished statues, 
 each seyenteen feet high, of Kings David, Solomon, Josa- 
 phat, Ezechias, Manasses, and Josias. This structure is 
 one of the greatest curiosities, perhaps, in the world. 
 
 St. Clirysogonus, Xovemher 24. — Very little is recorded of 
 this saint, further than that he w^as slain by the sw^ord and 
 then cast into the sea. His body w^as afterwards found and 
 is now said to be kept at Venice. A church was built to his 
 memory in the Trastevere in a.d. 599. 
 
 88. John and Paul, June 26. — These two saints were bro- 
 thers and officers in the Eoman army together under Julian 
 the Apostate. They received the crown of martyrdom about 
 the year 362. 
 
 SS. Cosmas and Damian, Septemler 27. — There were three 
 pairs of saints who bore the names of Cosmas and Damian, 
 but it is almost universally admitted that the two mentioned 
 here were those who suffered at Rome during the persecu- 
 tion of Diocletian. 
 
 The reader will remark that in the enumeration of the 
 apostles in the '^ Communicantes " SS. Mark and Luke do 
 
Third Frayer, or the ''Commaniccmtes,'' 'd'Zl 
 
 not occur, and this because it is not certain whether they were 
 martyrs or not, and none but such are named in the Canon. 
 " Communicantes" in the Eastern Church.— Protestants 
 
 would fain have it believed that '^saint-worship/' as they 
 term the holy practice, is entirely confined to the Ciiurch of 
 Eome and has no place at all in the churches of the East ; 
 but evidence too strong to be rejected, or even called in 
 question, proves that such is not the case ; that the Eastern 
 Church as w^ell as the Western believes, confesses, and prac- 
 tises the doctrine that the saints of God, as such, ought to 
 be revered, venerated, and invoked. 
 
 "I beheve and confess," says the Eitual of Eussia in its 
 article on adult unction, '' according to the understanding 
 of the Holy Eastern Church, that the saints who reign with 
 Christ in heaven are worthy to be honored and invoked, and 
 that their prayers and intercession move the all-merciful 
 God to the salvation of our souls" (Rites and Customs of the 
 Greco-Russian Church, by Eomanoff, p. 308). Part of tlie 
 Armenian ** Communicantes" reads as follows: ^^0 Lord, 
 through the intercession of the immaculate parent gf thino 
 only-begotten Son, the holy Mother of God, and the en- 
 treaties of all thy saints, and of tliose who are commemo- 
 rated this day, accept our jn-ayers " (Smith and Dwight, 
 Researches in Armenia, i. p. 185). The following extract 
 will show that the Nestorians are sound on this doctrine 
 also : ^^0 ye saints, prophets, apostles, doctors, confessors, 
 martyrs, priests, and hermits, pray to Christ your strength 
 for us all ; that through your prayers we may receive out 
 of his treasure an answer to all our j'^rayers as may be 
 profitable to us " (from the collection of Collects at the 
 end of the Kliudrah ; Badger, ii. p. 138). We could thus 
 go on reciting at pleasure testimonies from all the 
 churches of the East, to shoAV how sacred a duty the 
 veneration of the saints is considered to be in all those ro_ 
 
322 The Celehration of Mass. 
 
 gions, and how very efficacious before the tlirone of God ; 
 but as what we have said is sufficient to convince any un- 
 biassed mind of this fact, we do not think it necessary to 
 continue tlie subject further. 
 
 rOUETH PRAYER, '' HAXC IGITUE." 
 
 The priest, while reciting this prayer, keeps his hands 
 spread out over the oblation, after the manner of the 
 priests of the ancient law, who observed a similar usage 
 in regard to the victims offered in sacrifice {Exod. xxix.; 
 Levit. i. 4). As this praj-er comes close upon consecra- 
 tion, it is customary for the server to ring -the little bell 
 at the beginning of it, in order to remind the people of 
 the near approach of that moment when our Divine Lord 
 will be present on the altar. According to Durandus 
 {Rationale, p. 249), Pope Leo the Great composed and in- 
 serted the first part of this prayer down to the words 
 ''placatus accipias." The remainder was added by Pope 
 Gregory the Great, in order to beg of God to avert the hor- 
 rors of war and pestilence that threatened Eome in his 
 time (Romsee, p. 199). 
 
 An ancient Eoman ordo prescribed this prayer to be re- 
 cited with hands raised aloft — a ceremony which the Do- 
 minicans yet keep up, and which was formerly observed in 
 all those places of England where the Sarum Rite was fol- 
 lowed. The Carmelites recite it lowly bowed down w^ith 
 hands resting upon the altar. According to Eomsee, our 
 present custom dates no further back than the fifteenth 
 century, and we see that the Orientals do not observe it. 
 
 PIFTH PRAYER, ^^ QUA:^I 0BLATI0:S"EM." 
 
 This prayer is worded thus: '^^ Which oblation we be- 
 seech thee, Lord ! that thou wouldst Youchsafe in all 
 respects to bless, approve, ratify, make rational aud ac- 
 ceptable, that it may become the Body and Blood of our 
 
Fifth Prayer, " Quam ollatlonem.*' 323 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ." The Latin word " rationabilem " 
 is here sometimes rendered in English by reasonable, 
 sometimes by rational The latter is the better word, 
 because less liable to be misunderstood, for the epi- 
 thet is evidently given with a view to distinguish the 
 effect which is about to be produced on the bread and 
 wmo from tJie sacrifices of the old law, all of which were 
 irrational, inasmuch as they were constituted of nothing 
 but of bulls, goats, etc. (Diirandus, p. 253). 
 
 In reciting the latter part of this prayer the priest 
 makes five crosses over the oblation, three over the Host 
 and chalice conjointly, and one over the Host and chalice 
 singly. As to the peculiar import of these five crosses 
 there is want of agreement among liturgical writers. No 
 one, so far as we have seen, has attempted any other ex- 
 planation of them than a purely mystical one. Some say 
 they are commemorative of the Five AVounds; others that 
 they are intended to recall to mind the threefold delivery 
 of our Lord — viz., to the Jewish priests, to the scribes, 
 and then to the Pharisees — and the duality of his nature. 
 A very nice interpretation of them is that they are in- 
 tended to remind us, now that consecration is about to 
 take place, that the Blessed Victim who is going to be 
 present on our altars suffered in his five senses during 
 his bitter Passion — in his seeing, when the Jews veiled 
 his face ; in his hearing, when they laughed him to 
 scorn ; in his taste, when they gave him vinegar and gall 
 to drink ; in his smelling^ when they conveyed him to 
 Calvary, a hill used as a receptacle for dead bodies, 
 whence its name when interpreted from the Hebrew, ^^ a 
 place of skulls"; and, finally, he suffered in his touch, 
 when his hands and feet were nailed to the cross and his 
 side pierced with a lance {Enchiridion de Sacr, 8acrif, 
 Miss. Ben. XTV., p. 71). 
 
CHAPTER XXYII. 
 
 THE CELEBRATION OF MASS. 
 THE COXSECRATIOX. 
 
 Havixg concluded the last-mentioned prayer, the priest 
 /nbs the thumb and index finger of each hand over the cor- 
 23oral, in order to free them from any dust or defilement that 
 may have adhered to them up to this time, and all this oat 
 of respect for the Sacred Host which he is going to handle 
 at the moment of Consecration. 
 
 Taking up the Host, he says : '' Who the day before he 
 suffered took bread into his holy and venerable hands, and 
 with eyes uplifted to heaven to thee, God ! his Father 
 Almighty, giving thanks to thee, he blessed, broke, and 
 gave to his disciples, saying : * Take and eat ye all of this : 
 FOR THIS IS MY BoDY.'" The consccration of the bread is 
 now effected, and, to adore our Lord present on the altar, 
 the priest makes a i^rofound genuflection the moment he 
 Las pronounced the sacred words. After this he raises the 
 Host on high for the adoration of the people, and, having 
 then placed it on the corporal before him, goes on to the 
 consecration of the chalice. He first takes off the pall which 
 had been covering the mouth of the chalice since the Of- 
 fertory, and rests it against the altar-card in front of him. 
 Then, taking the chalice, he continues thus : ^^n like man- 
 ner after he had supped, taking this goodly chalice into 
 liis holy and venerable hands, also giving thanks to thee. 
 
r-L 
 
 ^^ 
 
 A[(GEBpD of T-HEtolN|liUl\Cl-[ 
 
 
 ':ARTIGL£r^ 
 
 ^^-^ 
 
 e..=..a?\.Ci5s 
 
 
The Consecration. 325 
 
 he blessed and gave to his disciples, saying : ' Take and 
 
 DRIJS^K YE ALL OF THIS, FOR THIS IS THE ChALICE OF MY 
 
 Blood of the New Ai^^D Eternal Testament ; the mys- 
 tery OF faith, which shall be shed for you and for 
 MANY UNTO THE REMISSION OF SINS.' " This is the form by 
 which the consecration of the chalice is effected, after which 
 the priest kneels down in adoration as before, and recites 
 while he is doing so the words, "As often as you do these 
 things you shall do them in remembrance of me. " He then 
 elevates the chalice as he did the Host, and after the last 
 genuflection covers it again with the pall. 
 
 With the exception of a few words, both forms of conse- 
 cration are taken from Holy Scripture. What is added over 
 and above we shall now point out and explain according to 
 the most approved authorities. We preface our remarks by 
 reminding the reader that the essential form of the conse- 
 cration of the bread is, This is my Body, and of the wine. 
 This is the Chalice of my Blood, or, simply, This is mij 
 Blood. The rest, however, must be said under pain of 
 mortal sin. 
 
 " Wio the day lefore he suffered.'^ 
 
 These words are not Scripture, but were added very early by 
 some of the popes. Walfridus and Micrologus ascribe them 
 to Pope Alexander, who ruled the Church from a.d. 121 to 
 132 ; but Cardinal Bona and others are in favor of attribut- 
 ing them to some one of the apostles. They are to be found 
 in the Liturgies of SS. James and Clement. 
 
 " Tlie day lefore he suffered.'^ 
 
 This was what we now call Maundy Thursday, which, ac- 
 cording to the best authorities, fell at the period of our 
 Lord's Passion on the 22d of March ' (Romsee, ^v. p. 207). 
 
 ' The Jews always celebrated the Passover on the fonrteenth day of Nisan, the first 
 month of their ecclesiastical year. To avoid agi-eeing with them in our celebration of 
 
3^G The Celehration of Mats. 
 
 '' Toole bread mto his holy and venerable hands.'' 
 The words ''took bread"' are given bj the Eyangelists, but 
 the remaining ones are not. Thej are, however, of very 
 high antiquity, and are found also in the liturgies of the 
 East. 
 
 '' With eyes uplifted to heaven to thee, God! Ms Father 
 Almighty.''^ 
 
 These words are not found in Scripture, but it has been a 
 constant tradition that whenever our Lord was about to per- 
 form any solemn act he always looked up to heaven. St. 
 Matthew (xiv. 19) records that he did so when he performed 
 the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves; and St. 
 John records the same of him at the resuscitation of Laza- 
 rus (xi. 41). The particle enim, "for," in both forms of 
 consecration, is also a subsequent insertion. St. Thomas 
 Aquinas says {Qiccest. 78, 3) that it w^as added by St. Peter. 
 In the language which our Lord spoke at the Last Sup- 
 per and during his life upon earth — viz., the Syriac — the 
 consecration of both species was effected by uttering two 
 
 Easter, it was decided at the Council of Nicaea. in a.d 325, that the latter should be 
 celebrated the first Sunday after the first full moon that set in after the 21st of March ; 
 according to which, Easter cannot be earlier than the 22d of this month nor later 
 than the 25th of April. By the Gregorian style (so-called from Pope Gregory XIII.), 
 the mode of reckoning Easter is not the astronomical, but vRther the absolvte mode, 
 in order that the celebration may take place on the same day throughout the entire 
 Church, which, ovnng to the difference of time between countries far apart, could not 
 happen if the astronomical mode were followed. Still, for all. the Gregorian mode is 
 not wholly free from faults. A somewhat defective cycle in regard to the months was 
 selected on account of its gi-eat simplicity, which clashes very considerably with the 
 astronomical computation, for by the latter mode the Easter full moon may rise two 
 hours after the time calculated by the calendar. Thus, it may be at one o'clock on 
 Sunday morning, whilst announced to take place at eleven o'clock on Saturday night 
 by the calendar : in which case Easter would be celebrated on that same Sunday, when 
 it ought not to be until the Sunday following. The Gregorian Calendar, too, in some 
 very rare cases, makes our Easter and the Jewish Passover agree ; as, for example, 
 happened in the year 1825. It is impossible, in fact, to avoid an occurrence of this 
 kind now without upsetting the whole new style of reckoning. 
 
Tlic Consecration^ 327 
 
 words each time ; the form of the consecration of the bread 
 being ^9^oJc — lionau pagri, and of the wine, ^-^? cJot — 
 honcm demi. Whereupon it is worth remembering that the 
 verb " is " does not stand separate bj itself, but is incorpo- 
 rated, in each case, with tlie demonstrative pronoun ''this," 
 thus leaving no room for doubt as to what our Divine Lord 
 meant when he pronounced the sacred formula. 
 
 '^ Benedixit" — he Messed. 
 
 Touching the word "benedixit" employed upon this occa- 
 sion, and in virtue of which both bread and wine are blessed 
 by the priest, some curious opinions have been advanced. 
 Ambrosius Catharinus,^ the great Dominican theologian 
 wdio proposed so many intricate questions at the Council of 
 Trent, held that the moment our Lord pronounced the 
 blessing over each element at the Last Suj)per consecration 
 took place, and that the words, " This is my Body," etc., 
 were merely added to point out the change which had been 
 effected. Catharinus, it seems, preferred to take this view 
 of the matter, in order not to make it appear that consecra- 
 tion did not take place until the disciples had the bread 
 and wine in their own hands, which would certainly involve 
 an incongruity. St. Augustine, who evidently foresaw the 
 same difficulty, advanced the opinion that the order of the 
 words may have been different from that given by the Evan- 
 gelists, and that probably they were as follows: "He 
 blessed, saying, * This is my Body '; then he broke and gave 
 to his disciples." According to this, consecration took place 
 the mopient ''This is my Body" was pronounced. Sfc. 
 Thomas Aquinas, the great Doctor of the Blessed Eucharist, 
 
 ' Catharinus was Archbishop of Compsa, in Italy, in the year 1552. Ho made 
 himself famous at the Council of Trent for the very intricate theological questions 
 he proposed to the Fathers. His opinions regarding the intention of the minister 
 who conferred baptism are well known. 
 
328 • The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 follows the same line of thought as St. Augustine, and 
 gives the order of words as follows : " Taking bread into 
 his hands, he blessed it, saying, *This is my Body'"; so 
 that, according to the Angelic Doctor, the blessing uttered 
 on this occasion was also the formula of consecration. 
 There is yet another view. According to Fromondus and 
 others, it cannot be presumed that in a matter of such grave 
 moment the Evangelists would omit the slightest particular, 
 and that inasmuch as all of them agree in narrating the 
 order of the words on this occasion, it is not lawful to 
 change this order from the way in which the Gospels give 
 it; and that, therefore, we must read as follows: "He 
 blessed" by invoking the name of his Father upon the 
 bread in order that it should become his Body ; "he broke" 
 into as many parts as tlie're were persons to communicate ; 
 and, thirdly, "he gave to his disciples" — that is, into their 
 hands — saying, " Take ye and eat ; this is my Body." 
 "Whether the order of words was different or not, at the Last 
 Supper, from that given by the Evangelists makes but 
 little matter to us, since it is the teaching of the Church 
 that the essential form of consecration is, "This is my 
 Body," and of the chalice, "This is my Blood " or "This 
 is the chalice of my Blood," which amounts to the same 
 thing (see Romsee, iv. p. 209). As far as relates to the other 
 question sometimes asked — viz., whether our Lord made 
 the sign of the cross or not when he blessed, as we do — it is 
 hardly necessary to delay, for whether he did or not 
 matters little. Most 2:)robably he did not make this sign 
 upon that occasion, for as yet the cross had not ob- 
 tained its efficacy, 
 
 " Fregit " — He Irohe. 
 
 It is generally held that our Lord on this occasion made 
 thirteen divisions of the Holy Eucharist, and tliat he 
 
The Consecration. 3^1) 
 
 himself communicated, and permitted the traitor Judas to 
 communicate with the rest. The Fathers of the Eastern 
 Church, as well as those of the Western, have always held 
 this. It is also surmised that our Lord must have broken 
 the Sacred Host at this time with peculiar and impressive 
 ceremonies ; for it is narrated of the disciples who supped 
 with him at Emmaus that their eyes ivere opened, and that 
 they hnew liim in the breaking of hread. 
 
 The Ambrosians, or Milanese, immediately before the 
 " qui pridie " — that is. a moment or two before they pro- 
 nounce the sacred words of institution — go to the Epistle 
 side of the altar and wash their hands, out of respect for 
 the Host which they are soon going* to handle. This is 
 the only rite in the Church where such a custom pre- 
 vails. 
 
 A very important question that calls for consideration 
 here is, whether the words of consecration are pronounced 
 by the priest at this moment narratively, historically, or 
 significatively. According to Pope Benedict XIV., they are 
 pronounced in the last- mentioned way, that is, srgnificative- 
 ly— significative ; and that hence the priest who pronoun- 
 ces them does so as effectively in what relates to conse- 
 cration as if they were pronounced by our Lord himself 
 {Enchiridion de Sacrif. Miss., p. 71). St. Thomas agrees 
 with this, but adds that they are also pronounced recitative- 
 ly — recitative (ibid.) 
 
 We should have said before, perhaps, that immediately 
 after the priest has placed the Sacred Host on the cori:)oral 
 after the elevation, he joins the thumb and index finger 
 of both hands, and never separates them from that time 
 until Communion is over, unless when touching the Sacred 
 Host. This is done out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament, 
 as well as to avoid the danger of losing any minute particles 
 that may have adhered to these fingers. 
 
330 The Celehmtlon of Mass. 
 
 cojn^secration of the chalice. 
 
 As mncli of what we have said of the consecration of the 
 bread applies to that of the chalice also, it will be only ne- 
 cessary to dwell upon what refers to the chalice directly in 
 the following remarks : 
 
 " This is the Clialice of my Blood," 
 
 By a figure of speech called metonymy the container is here 
 .put for tlie thing contained, so that, according to St. 
 Thomas {QitcBst. 78, iii. art. 3), the real form would be : 
 '- This is my Blood contained in the chalice." 
 
 ^'jEterni Testamenti" — Eternal testament. 
 
 These words are not in the Holy Scripture, but it is the uni- 
 versally received opinion that tliey were added by some of 
 the apostles, and this to point out directly that the sacred 
 priesthood of our Divine Lord would continue for ever, in 
 accordance with the proj)hecy expressed in the One hundred 
 and ninth Psalm, '' Thou art a priest for ever according to 
 the order of Melchisedech-" There is also allusion here, 
 by way of opposition, to the "Old Testament " which was 
 ratified by the blood of bulls and goats only, not by the 
 Blood of Christ. 
 
 '' The mystery of faith." 
 
 The Holy Eucharist is called the "mystery of faith" from 
 the fact that its real greatness is hidden from the senses, 
 and nothing is left to enable us to form a judgment of the 
 extraordinary change which has been wrought any more 
 than if no such change had ever taken place. All is left to 
 pure faith ; and, therefore, well may i t be called a mystery. 
 How beautifully this is expressed in the Lauda Sio7i of St. 
 Thomas x\quinas : 
 
Consecration of the Clialice. 331 
 
 '' Quod non eapis, 
 Quod non vides, 
 Animosa firmat fides, 
 Praeter rerum ordinem." 
 
 " WJiich for you and for many shall be shed^ 
 
 According to the best authorities, and Pope Benedict XIV. 
 among others {Enchirid., p. 72), the word ''many" is here 
 to be taken as meaning all, a mode of expression by no 
 means uncommon in the Holy Scripture. St. Thomas 
 Aquinas also interprets it in this way. If taken in any other 
 sense it would hardly be possible to keep free of the Calvin- 
 istic error that our Lord died only for a certain class of 
 persons. 
 
 At each elevation the little bell is rung to remind the 
 people that our Lord is now present on the altar ; and the 
 end of the j)riest's chasuble is lifted up by the server, who 
 kneels for this purpose (just as consecration is about to take 
 place) on the highest step. This ceremony of lifting the 
 end of the chasuble is not observed now through any neces- 
 sity whatever — for, if so, there would be as strong a reason for 
 doing it at every otlier part of the Mass at which the priest 
 genuflected — but is kept up merely as a vestige of that an- 
 cient custom of having the deacon and subdeacon hold up 
 the priest's robes at this place when the ample and long- 
 flowing form of chasuble was in use. This was required 
 to be done then in order that the priest might not be im- 
 peded m any way at the solemn moment of consecration, 
 when the slightest accident might cause an incalculable 
 amount of distress-. In some places the joraotice of lift- 
 ing the chasuble here is going, or has already gone, 
 into desuetude ; but this should not be tolerated for a 
 moment, for it is a flagrant act of supreme disobedience 
 which no authority in tlie Church, short of the Pope himself, 
 
332 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 could sanction. We do not know an instance in which the 
 Eubrics are departed from, without a sacrifice of real beau- 
 ty, for which reason alone, to pass over many others, the 
 slightest innoyation in this respect should be looked up- 
 on as a species of sacrilege, and should in no case be al- 
 lowed. 
 
 THE ELEVATIOK. 
 
 We have stated that immediately after the consecration 
 the blessed Body of our Lord is elevated on high for the 
 adoration of the people. Before the eleventh century the 
 elevation did not take place at this part of the Mass, but 
 only at the ^^Omnis honor et gloria," a little before the 
 '^ Pater noster," which we now call the minor elevation. 
 The present discipline was introduced as a solemn protest 
 against Berengarius, who had the audacity to deny Tran- 
 substantiation. It first began in France, for Berengarius 
 was a native of that country, and archdeacon of Angers ; 
 from France it was introduced into G-ermany, and from 
 Germany it found its way into the other countries of Eu- 
 rope, until at last it came to be an established law of 
 the Church, binding everywhere. It must not, however, be 
 supposed that when the new discipline of elevating the 
 Sacred Species here was first introduced both the Host and 
 chalice were elevated. Not so ; for quite a long time there 
 was no elevation at all here of the chalice, but only of the 
 Host — a custom which we yet see in vogue with the Carthu- 
 sians.' The elevation of one species was considered enough, 
 inasmuch as our Lord was as complete under one kind 
 as under both by what is termed concomitayice ; but 
 that the elevation of the chalice soon followed that of the 
 
 3 It must not be supposed tliat the Carthusians have no elevation of the chalice at 
 all. They have, and that, too, at the regular place, but it is no higher than what we 
 observe at the minor elevation. 
 
Consecration in the Eastern Church, 333 
 
 Host there is every reason to believe, for Duraudns, Bishop 
 of Mende, whose death is placed at 129G, makes mention of 
 it in his Rationale Divinorum (p. 2G5, jS"©. 52). Then, 
 again, as to the manner of elevating, local cnstoms varied. 
 Some covered the chalice with the pall, as we see the Moza- 
 rabics still do. 
 
 The question is sometimes asked, Has it been customary 
 from the beginning to have an elevation of some kind ? All 
 are agreed that it has, but Cardinal Bona says that it is im- 
 possible to tell, from the data given, whether the Sacred 
 Species were raised any higher than they are now at what we 
 call the minor elevation. As a precedent for our custom of 
 elevating the Sacred Species may be mentioned the practice 
 which obtained in the old law of lifting the victims on 
 high at the regular sacrifices {Exod. xxix. ; Levit. vii. and 
 xxiii.) 
 
 COXSECllATIOX I>^.THE EASTEEN CHURCH. 
 
 We have mentioned in our Preface that where validity of 
 orders prevails the power of consecration exists indej^en- 
 dently of either schism or heresy ; and that, consequently, 
 in all the churches of the East a true sacrifice of the Mass 
 may be looked for, and as veritable a Eeal Presence as that 
 which we have the happiness to enjoy. 
 
 Strangely enough, nearly all the Oriental liturgies men- 
 tion the mingling of water with the wine in the form of con- 
 secration. "Thou didst take,'' says the Liturgy of St. Gre- 
 gory of the Alexandrine family, '^the chalice and mingle it 
 of the fruit of the vine and water''; "In like manner, 
 also," says the Syro-Jacobite Liturgy of St. Marutas, "he 
 took wine, and when he had mingled it in just proportion 
 with water," etc., and so on with several others. 
 
 It is customary all through the East for the priest to 
 pronounce the words of consecration aloud, and for the 
 
334 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 people to answer " Amen " after each assertion of the narra- 
 tive portion. Thus, according to the Liturgy of St. Basil, 
 the arrangement is as follows : ^ ^ Pries t : He blessed it ; Peo- 
 23le : Amen. Priest : And sanctified it ; People : Amen. 
 Priest : And tasted it, and gave to his disciples." Where- 
 upon it is also worthy of remark that nearly all the Eastern 
 liturgies mention our Lord's communicating upon this occa- 
 sion as well as his disciples. 
 
 In an Ethiopic Liturgy, called the Atlianasian, the sacred 
 words of consecration are thus given: "This bread is my 
 Body, from which there is no separating " ; and of the 
 chalice : " This cup is my Blood, from which there is no 
 dividing. As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this 
 Chalice, set forth my death and my resurrection, and con- 
 fess my ascension to heaven and my coming again with 
 glory whilst ye await." The Armenian form thus reads : 
 *' Taking bread into his holy, divine, spotless, and venerable 
 hands, he blessed, and gave to his holy, elect, and fellow- 
 disciples, saying, ' This is my Body, which for you and for 
 many is given for remission and pardon of sins.'" The 
 consecration of the chalice is worded in nearly the same 
 way. According to the Liturgy of St. Basil, the narration 
 thus goes on : " In the night when he gave himself up for 
 the life of the world, taking bread into his holy and spotless 
 hands, having shown it to thee, his God and Father, having 
 given thanks, blessed, hallowed, and broken it, he gave it to 
 his disciples and apostles, saying, ' Take, eat ; this is my 
 Bod}", which is broken for you unto the remission of sins.'" 
 And of the chalice : " Likewise taking the chalice of the 
 fruit of the vine, having mingled, given thanks, blessed, 
 and hallowed it, he gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, 
 saying, ^ Drink ye all of it, for this is my Blood of the ISTew 
 Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the re- 
 mission of sins." In the Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril the 
 
Consecration in the Eadern Church. 335 
 
 form is worded as -follows : ''He took bread into his holy, 
 immaculate, pure, blessed, and quickening hands, and 
 looked up to heaven, to thee his God and Father, and Lord 
 of all, and gave thanks, and blessed, and sanctified it, and 
 broke it, and gave to his holy disciples and pure apostles, 
 saying, ' Take, eat ye all of this ; for this is my Body, 
 which shall be broken for you, and for many shall be given 
 for the remission of sins.''' The form according to the 
 Liturgy of St. James is almost word for "word like this ; 
 and as that of the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom differs hardly 
 in anything from our own, we do not deem it necessary to 
 give it. 
 
 The Elevation in the Eastern Church. — Nowhere in the 
 East does the elevation take place immediately after conse- 
 cration, as wdth ourselves, but only before the Communion. 
 As the solemn moment draws near, the deacon turns round 
 to the people and cries with full compass of voice, *'At- 
 tendamus I" — ^'Let us be attentive." In some places this 
 admonition is worded : '' Let us attend with the fear of 
 God." The Ethiopians say, ''Inspiciamus ! " After the 
 admonition follows the elevation, wdiich all the churches of 
 the East observe just as we do, with this difference : that 
 while perfect silence pervades our congregations at this 
 solemn moment, in theirs the noise is deafening, for both 
 priest and people are shouting at the highest pitch of their 
 voices. 
 
 When the Sacred Host is first raised on high, the priest 
 cries aloud, '' " Ayia ayioi?,'' Hagia hagiois — that is, 
 ''Holy things for holy people"— to which the people, or 
 rather the choir, respond, '' One Holy, one Lord, Jesus 
 Christ to the glory of God the Father." According to the 
 Syriac Liturgy of St. James, which all the Jacobites follow, 
 the priest exclaims, ''Holy things are given for holy per- 
 sons in perfection, purity, and holiness" ; to which the peo- 
 
330 TJio Celebration of Ma.^s. 
 
 pie respond, " One Holy Father, one Holy Son, one Holy 
 Ghost ; blessed be the name of the Lord, for he is one in 
 heaven and on earth ; glory be to him for evermore." At 
 the elevation which takes place with the Maronites the 
 priest, raising the sacred Host aloft, cries out, '^Holy 
 things are given for holy people in perfection, purity, and 
 sanctity " ; to which the people respond, '^ One Holy Father, 
 one Holy Son, one Holy Ghost ; glory be to the Father, to 
 the Son, and to the Holy Ghost." When elevating the 
 chalice the priest says, according to the same rite, " Thus, 
 Lord ! in truth we verily believe in thee just as believes 
 in thee the Holy' Catholic Church, that thou art one Holy 
 Father, to whom belongeth glory, Amen ; one Holy Son, to 
 whom belongeth glory. Amen ; one Holy Spirit, to whom 
 belongeth glory and thanksgiving for ever, Amen." The 
 elevation with the Maronites takes place at the same time 
 as it does all over the East — viz., before Communion. 
 In some of the Oriental churches it is customary for the 
 priest to turn round to the people and bless them three 
 times before the elevation takes place, and after the eleva- 
 tion to move around, with the sacred Host in his hands, at 
 the centre of the altar, just as we do when giving bene- 
 diction of the Blessed Sacrament. This especially obtains 
 throughout Syria (Eenaudot, Liturg. Orient., ii. p. 114). 
 
 The words, '' One Holy Father, one Holy Son, one Holy 
 Ghost," common to all the Oriental liturgies with hardly 
 an exception, is employed as a profession of faith in the 
 Adorable Trinity. The Copts at this j^lace make a profes- 
 sion of faith in the Eeal Presence, which, on account of its 
 singular beauty, we give word for word. It is as follows : 
 ^'I believe, I believe, I believe, and confess to the last breath 
 of my life, that this is the real, life-giving flesh of thy Only- 
 Begotten Son, our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ; 
 he received it from the blessed Lady of us all, the Mother of 
 
Couisecratioii in the Eastarn Church. 337 
 
 God, and ever Virgin Mary." It is customary, too, in the 
 East, as with many of our own congregations, to strike the 
 breast with the hand as the Host is elevated. In one of the 
 Coptic versions of the Liturgy of St. Basil a rubric on this 
 head thus reads : " Then [that is, at the elevation] the 
 priest will take the Isbodicon [i.e., the Holy Body] in his 
 hands, and will raise it aloft as far as he can stretch his 
 arms, with head inclined, and will shout with full compass 
 of voice, * Holy things for holy people ! ' All the people will 
 incline their heads, adoring their Lord in fear and trem- 
 bling, and asking with tears, with earnestness, and with the 
 striking of their breasts the remission of their sins, and 
 their confirniation in the orthodox faith unto the last breath 
 of life" (Eenaudot, i. ji. 245). On Sundays the rubric 
 calls for only a simple genuflection, but on week-days the 
 Copts are required to bow their heads down to the ground 
 at this place. The crying out at the elevation, which varies 
 slightly with the different churches, is intended by the Ori- 
 entals to commemorate the cry of the penitent thief when 
 our Lord was raised on the cross beside him. In many 
 j)laces they exclaim : *' God, be merciful to me a sinner ! " 
 Sometimes tlie very words of the holy thief are used, viz. : 
 ''Lord, remember me w^hen thou reachest thy kingdom" 
 {ibid, i. p. 246). That the ringing of bells, also, is ob- 
 served in the East when consecration takes place we learn 
 from various writers. Xeale makes special mention of this 
 practice as prevailing among the Ethiopians and Syrians 
 (Hist, of the Holy Eastern Church, i. p. 517). 
 
 The Orientals say but little about the elevation of the 
 chalice, for the reason that they look upon itself and the 
 Host as one and the same thing ; but that the elevation of 
 it is observed by them their liturgies clearly show. In that 
 of St. Xystus, for example, the chalice is elevated with these 
 words: ''0 Lord ! we believe, and believe in truth, just as 
 
338 Tlie Celebration of Mass, 
 
 thy Holy Catholic Church believes in thee, that there is one 
 Holy Father ; one Holy Son ; one Holy Ghost ; glory to the 
 Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, who are one 
 for ever and ever." This agrees almost wholly with what is 
 said at the elevation of the chalice iu the Maronite Church. 
 
 We have said that the words of consecration are pro- 
 nounced aloud in the East. It must not, however, be sup- 
 posed that the rest of the Mass is pronounced in this man- 
 ner. Not so ; for the Orientals say a great number of 
 prayers in secret, as we ourselves do, and only break silence 
 at those i^laces where the people are accustomed to join in 
 and respond. Nothing is more common in the liturgies of 
 the East than the admonition, ^^Let all in fear and silence 
 stand and pray." 
 
 ^'UNDE ET MEMOEES." 
 
 This is the first prayer the priest recites after the eleva- 
 tion has taken place, and he does so with hands extended as 
 when reciting the collects, only that, as we have already 
 stated, the thumb and index finger of each hand are joined 
 together. The Carthusians, Carmelites, and Dominicans 
 recite it with outstretched arms in the form of a cross — a 
 custom which was also in vogue under the Sarum Eite. At 
 the words ^^a pure Host, .a holy Host, an immaculate Host ; 
 the holy Bread of life eternal, and the Chalice of perpetual 
 salvation," the sign of the cross is made five different times 
 — three times over the Host and chalice conjointly, and once 
 over each of them singly. Many curious questions are asked 
 about the meaning of these crosses at this place. That they 
 are not intended as blessings all are agreed, because neither 
 Host nor chalice needs a blessing now ; but as ix) their pre- 
 cise import opinions vary very much. According to the 
 majority of liturgists, they must be accounted for wholly in 
 a mystic manner, as commemorative of the Passion of our 
 
''Unde et Memores.'' 330 
 
 Lord, the five recalling to mind, 'as St. Thomas AquiBjjs 
 says, and others repeat after him, the Five AVounds. Father 
 Le Brim, in that truly excellent work of his entitled BxpU' 
 cation des Prieres et des Ceremonies de la Messe, torn. ii. 
 p. 232, gives as beautiful an exj)lanation of these crosses as 
 any that we have seen. His words are : *' When we make five 
 signs of the cross at this prayer, the first, in saying ' Hos- 
 tiam puram,' points out that there lies the pure Victim 
 which was nailed to the cross ; the second, m saymg ' Hos- 
 tiam sanctam,' indicates that there lies the Victim which was 
 offered up on the cross ; the third, in saying ' Hostiam im- 
 maculatam,' indicates that this is the Victim without blem- 
 ish which was immolated on the cross ; the fourth, at 
 * Panem sanctum,' shows that we have before us the holy 
 Bread of Life — that is to say, Him who said, ' I am the true 
 Bread of Life, who descended from Heaven and died upon 
 the cross to give you life ' ; and the fifth, at * Calicem salu- 
 tis/ is intended to show that the Blood which is contained 
 in the chalice is the very same that was shed upon the cross 
 for the redemption of the world." In one word, then, 
 crosses made before consecration are always symbolic of 
 blessing or are such in reality ; after consecration they 
 signify that the blessed Victim who suffered on the cross 
 is now lying before us on the altaa*. 
 
 Crosses made after Consecration in the Oriental Church. — 
 From the fact that many, even withm the Church, have 
 looked upon these crosses as an idle and useless observance 
 it is a great relief to us to find that they are also employed 
 by the Orientals. A rubric on this head m the Liturgy of 
 St. Basil reads as follows ; " Then the deacon, bowing his 
 head, points to the holy bread with his stole and says se- 
 cretly, *Sir, bless the holy bread,' and the priest, stand- 
 ing up, signs the holy gifts, saying secretly, ' This bread is 
 the Precious Body itself of our Lord and God and Sa- 
 
340 Tko Celebration of Mass. 
 
 viour Jesus Christ.'" Deacon: *^Sir, bless the chalice." 
 Priest: ''This chalice is the Precious Blood itself of our 
 Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ." After this both 
 Host and chalice are blessed conjointly, as with ourselves ; 
 so that, in fact, our interpretation of these crosses entirely 
 agrees with that of the Orientals. We do not deem it ne- 
 cessary to lengthen our pages by giving any more examples 
 of this practice ; let it suffice to say that it may be seen in 
 all the Eastern liturgies. 
 
 ''SUPRA QU^ PROPITIO." 
 
 The only thing that deserves special notice in this prayer 
 is the allusion made to the sacrifices of Abel, Abraham, and 
 Melchisedech ; and these are mentioned because they refer 
 more directly than any of the other sacrifices of the old law 
 to the sacrifice we offer in the Mass. For, in the first place, 
 the blood of Abel, the just man, wantonly shed by his bro- 
 ther Cam, very forcibly recalls to mind the iniquity of the 
 Jews in shedding the blood of our innocent Saviour, who, 
 according to the flesh, was a kinsman of their own. Then, 
 again, as Abel offered to God the firstlings of his flock 
 {Genesis iv% 4), he aptly prefigures our Lord, who, as St. 
 Paul says, " ivas the first-bom among many brethren" {Rom. 
 viii. 29). The holy Patriai'ch Abraham leading up his only 
 son, Isaac, to immolate him on the mount, specially prefig- 
 ures the Eternal Father immolating his Only-Begotten Son, 
 our Lord and God, for our sake ; and Isaac carrying the 
 wood upon which he was to be sacrificed represents our Sa- 
 viour carrying his cross to Calvary. 
 
 The allusion to the sacrifice of Melchisedech is full of im- 
 port. He is mentioned in Scripture as a priest of the Most 
 High, without father or mother, without genealogy of any 
 kind, and without beginning or end of days. Herein he is 
 a most striking figure of our Lord, of whom the Scripture 
 
" SujjpUces te Jlogamus.^^ 
 
 o-ii 
 
 says: ''Who shall declare his generation?" But there is 
 yet a still closer resemblance between Melchisedech and our 
 Lord. The former was king and priest at the same time. 
 Our Lord is king and priest also. The king of Salem 
 offered bread and wine in virtue of his being a priest of the 
 Most High ; our Lord offers himself in the Holy Mass un- 
 der the same species, and is styled by the royal Psalmist 
 "a Juried for ever according to the order of Melchisedech'' 
 (Ps. cix.) The last words of the prayer— viz., "Sanctum 
 sacrificium, immaculatam Hostiam" — w^re added by Pope 
 Leo the Great (fifth century). They refer, as is evident, 
 not to the sacrifices of the old law here mentioned, but to 
 the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where our Lord, the Im- 
 maculate Lamb, is the victim. 
 
 ''SUPPLICES TE ROGAMUS." 
 
 Whilst reciting the first part of this prayer the priest is 
 bowled profoundly, with his hands resting upon the altar, 
 and when he comes to the w^ords, ''ex hac altaris participa- 
 tione," he kisses the altar, and, having become erect, makes 
 the sign of the cross upon himself at the same time that he 
 pronounces the words, "omni benedictione coelesti et gratia 
 repleamur." In English this entire prayer is rendered as 
 follows : "We humbly beseech thee, Almighty God ! that 
 thou w^ouldst command these gifts to be carried by the 
 hands of thy holy angel to thy altar on high, before tlie 
 sight of thy Divine Majesty, that all of us who by this par- 
 ticipation shall receive the most holy Body and Blood of 
 thy Son may be enriched with every heavenly blessing and 
 grace, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen." As to 
 who the holy angel mentioned here is, a diversity of opinion 
 exists. Some say that it is the angel deputed by God to 
 watch over the Sacrifice after the manner in which blessed 
 spirits of this name were appointefl to watch over the sacri- 
 
342 The Celehration of Mass, 
 
 fices of the old law, as we read in various parts of Scripture 
 (see Genesis xxii. 11; Judges yi. and xiii.; and St. Luke i.) ; 
 but, according to the yast majority of commentators, the holy 
 ano-el referred to is none other than our Lord himself, who 
 is styled " the Angel of the Great Council " in Holy Writ 
 (Romsee, iv. p. 231). The Carmelites and Dominicans, while 
 reciting the first part of this prayer, bow down and cross 
 their arms one oyer the other {brachiis cancellatis) before 
 their breast. 
 
 When an explanation was demanded of the G-reeks at the 
 Council of Florence, in 1439, of their prayer which asks 
 God to make the bread the Precious Body and the chalice 
 the Precious Blood of Christ, and all this after they had 
 become such already by consecration, they objected the 
 wording of the prayer now under consideration — yiz., the 
 *'Supplices te rogamus" — contending that theirs could be 
 as easily defended as this. As they fully acquiesced, how- 
 eyer, in the teaching that the sacred words of institution — 
 yiz., **' rovTo yap sffri to acofxa yuou,'' fouto gar esti to 
 soma mou — are alone the efficient cause of transubstantia- 
 tiou, the Fathers of the Latin Church did not deem it neces- 
 sary to push the motion before the council any further, and 
 so they allowed the prayer alluded to to stand where it was 
 in all the Greek liturgies, instead of changing it to some 
 earlier part of the Canon. 
 
 mixing warit water with the precious blood after 
 co:n'secratiox. 
 
 Another strange custom which prevails with the Greeks 
 is the milling of warm water with the chalice after consecra- 
 tion. They mingle a few drops of ordinary water with the 
 wine at the beginning of Mass, as we do, and for the same 
 literal and mystical reasons ; but the adding of warm water 
 besides, and that, too, after consecration has taken place, is. 
 
Memento for the Dead. 343 
 
 Lo say the least of it, yerv strange — we were about to say 
 very offensive. There was a spirited discussion about this 
 ceremony at the Council of Florence, for the Latin Fathers 
 severely reprehended it, and were at first fully determined 
 to compel the Greeks to abolish it before the decree for the 
 reunion of the churches would be made out and ratified. 
 Dorotheus, Bishop of Mitylene, however, made so eloquent 
 and satisfactory a defence of the practice that he gained all 
 the Fathers to his side ; and as the Pope himself expressed 
 his admiration of the defence, the custom was approved of, 
 and so it is still kept up by the Greeks. 
 
 The words employed in adding this warm water suggest 
 its mystic meaning. They are: "The fervor of faith, full 
 of the Holy Ghost. Amen." This is repeated thrice, aud 
 the water is poured in in the form of a cross. Speaking of 
 this ceremony, St. Germanus writes as follows : "As blood 
 and tvann water flowed together from the side of Christ, 
 thus hot water poured into the chalice at the time of conse- 
 cration gives a full type of the mystery to those who draw 
 that holy liquid from the chalice as from the life-giving 
 side of our Lord" {Translation of the Primitive Liturgies, 
 p. 120, by Neale and Littledale ; Goar, Euchol. GrcBC, p. 
 148). As the latter-named author gives a full history of 
 this rite, he may be consulted with advantage. 
 
 MEMEIs^TO FOR THE DEAD. 
 
 As he begins to recite this prayer the priest moves his 
 hands slow^ly before his face, so as to have them united at 
 the words, "in somno pacis." This gentle motion of the 
 hands is aptly suggestive here of the slow, lingering motion 
 of a soul preparing to leave the body, and the final union of 
 the hands forcibly recalls to mind the laying down of the 
 body in its quiet slumber in the earth. As this prayer is 
 very beautiful, we transcribe it in full. It is thus worded : 
 
344 The Celehration of Mat<s. 
 
 '' Eemember also, Lord I thy servants, male and female, 
 who have gone before us with the sign of faith and sleep 
 in the sleep of peace, N. X. ; to them, Lord I and lo all 
 who rest in Christ, we beseech thee to grant a place of re- 
 freshment, light, and peace ; through the same Christ our 
 Lord. Amen." At the letters ''Is. Is:' the names of the 
 particular persons to be prayed for among the departed Avere 
 read out from the dipiychs in ancient times. When the 
 priest comes to them now^ he does not stop, but pauses 
 awhile at "in somno pacis" to make his private memento of 
 those whom he' wishes to pray for in particular, in which he 
 is to be guided by the same rules that directed him in making 
 his memento for the living, only that here he cannot pray for 
 the conversion of any one, as he could there, for this solely 
 relates to the dead who are detained in Purgator3\ Should 
 the Holy Sacrifice be offered for any soul among the de- 
 parted which could not be benefited by it, either because of 
 the loss of its eternal salvation or its attainment of the ever- 
 lasting joys of heaven, theologians commonly teach that in 
 that case the fruit of the Mass would enter the treasury 
 of the Church, and be applied afterwards in such indulgen- 
 ces and the like as Almighty God might suggest to the dis- 
 pensers of his gifts (Suarez, Disj). xxxviii. sec. 8). 
 
 We beg to direct particular attention here to the expres- 
 sion "sleep of peace." That harsh word death wliich we 
 now use Avas seldom or never heard among the early Chris- 
 tians when talking of their departed brethren. Death to 
 them was nothing else but a sleep until the great day of re- 
 surrection, when all would rise up again at the sound of the 
 angel's trumpet ; and this bright idea animated their minds 
 and enlivened all their hopes when conversing with their 
 absent friends in prayer. So, too, with the place of in- 
 terment ; it was not called by that hard name that dis- 
 tinguishes it too often now — viz., the grave yard — but was 
 
Memento for the Dead. 345 
 
 called by the milder term of cemetery, which, from its 
 Greek derivation, means a dormitory, or sleeping-place. Nor 
 was the word hury employed to signify the consigning of the 
 body to the earth. No, this sounded too profane in the ears 
 of the primitive Christians ; they rather chose the word de- 
 pose, as snggestive of the treasure that was put away until 
 it pleased God to turn it to better use on the final reckoning 
 day. The old Teutonic expression for cemetery was, to say 
 the least of it, very beautiful. The blessed place was called 
 in this tongue Gottes-acher—t\\^i is, God's field— for the 
 reason that the dead were, so to speak, the seed sown in 
 the ground from which would spring the harvest reaped 
 on the day of general resurrection in the shape of glori- 
 fied bodies. According to this beautiful notion, the stone 
 which told who the departed person was that lay at rest 
 beneath, was likened to the label that was hung up on a 
 post by the farmer or gardener to tell the passer-by the name 
 of the flower that was deposited beneath. This happy appli- 
 cation of the word sleej) to death I'uns also through Holy 
 Scripture, where we frequently find such expressions as 
 "He slept with his fathers"; "I have slept and I am re- 
 freshed," applied from the third Psalm to our Divine Lord's 
 time in the sepulchre; the "sleep of peace"; "he was 
 gathered to his fathers," etc. (For a very interesting article 
 on this subject see 21ie Catholic World, November, 1872. ) 
 
 Memento of the Dead in the Oriental Church. — The 
 prayers of the Orientals for the faithful departed are sin- 
 gularly touching. In the Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil the 
 memento is worded thus: "In like manner, Lord! re- 
 member also all -those who have already fallen asleep in the 
 priesthood and amidst the laity ; vouchsafe to give rest to 
 their souls in the bosoms of our holy fathers Abraham, 
 Isaac, and Jacob ; bring them into a place of greenness by 
 the waters of comfort, in the paradise of pleasure where 
 
340 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 grief and misery and sighing are banished, in the brightness 
 of the saints." The Orientals are very much attached to 
 ancient phraseolog}^, and hence their frequent application 
 of ''the bosom of Abraham" to that middle state of purifi- 
 cation in the next life which we universally designate by the 
 name of Purgatory. In the Syro- Jacobite Liturgy of John 
 Bar-Maadan part of the memento is Avorded thus : " Reckon 
 them among the number of thine elect ; cover them wich 
 the bright cloud of thy saints ; set them with the lambs on 
 thy right hand, and bring them into thy habitation." The 
 following extract is taken from the Liturgy of St. Chrysos- 
 tom, w^hich, as we have said already, all the Catholic and 
 schismatic Greeks of the East follow : "Remember all those 
 that are departed in the hope of the resurrection to eternal 
 life, and give them rest where the light of thy countenance 
 shines upon them." But of all the Orientals the place of 
 honor in this resjiect must be yielded to the IS'estorians ; for, 
 heretics as they are, too much praise cannot be given them 
 for the singular reverence they show toward their de- 
 parted brethren. From a work of theirs called the Si7i- 
 hades, which Badger quotes in his Nestorians and tlieir 
 Rituals, we take the following extract: "The service of 
 the third day of the dead is kept up, because Christ rose on 
 the third day. On the ninth day, also, there should be a 
 commemoration, and again on the thirtieth day, after the 
 example of the Old Testament, since the people mourned for 
 Moses that length of time. A year after, also, there should 
 be a particular commemoration of the dead, and some of the 
 property of the deceased should be given to the poor in re- 
 membrance of him. We say this of believers ; for as to 
 unbelievers, should all the wealth of the world be given to 
 the poor in their behalf it would profit them nothing." 
 The Armenians call Purgatory by the name Gayan — that is, 
 a mansion. The Chaldeans stvle it MattJiar, the exact 
 
^* Nobis quoque Peccatorihis.'' 347 
 
 equivalent of our term. By some of tlie other Oriental 
 churches it is called Kavarau, or place of penance ; and 
 Makraran, a ]3lace of purification (Smith and Dwight, i. 
 p. 169). 
 
 We could multiply examples at pleasure to prove that 
 there is no church in the East to which the name of Chris- 
 tian can be given that does not look upon praying for the 
 faithful departed, and offering the Holy Mass for the repose 
 of their souls, as a sacred and solemn obligation. Protes- 
 tants who would fain believe otherwise, and who not unfre- 
 quently record differently in their writings about the Ori- 
 ental Christians, can verify our statements by referring to 
 any Eastern liturgy and examining for themselves. We con- 
 clude our remarks on this head by a strong argument in 
 point from a very unbiassed Anglican minister — Rev. Dr. 
 John Mason Neale. Speaking of prayers for the dead in his 
 work entitled A Historij of the Holy Eastern Church (gene- 
 eral introduction, vol. i. p. 509), this candid-speaking man 
 uses the following language : *^ I am not now going to 
 prove, what nothing but the blindest prejudice can deny, 
 that the Church, east, west, and south, has with one con- 
 sentient and universal voice, even from apostolic times, 
 prayed in the Holy Eucharist for the departed faithful." 
 Would that we had more of such candid-speaking men in- 
 stead of those modern sciolists who travel east and west 
 and afterwards record their observations as if they had eyes 
 and saw not ! 
 
 '^ NOBIS QUOQUE PECCATOKIBUS." 
 
 At the initial words of this prayer the priest breaks 
 silence for the first time since he began the Canon, but only 
 while he is saying the words '' to us also sinners," at which 
 he strikes his breast as the poor publican in the Gospel did 
 when he went up to the temple to pray. In many parts of 
 
8-iS The Cdelratiott of M(l<^. 
 
 Ireland it is customary for tlie persoii serving Mass to an- 
 swer, " Parce nobis, Domine " — ''Spare ns, Lord!" — at 
 this place ; but the origin of the custom we have never been 
 able to trace, nor is it spoken of by any liturgist whom we 
 have consulted. The precise reason for breaking silence here 
 has never been satisfactorily explained. All that liturgical 
 writers say of it is that it is intended to commemorate the 
 humble cry for mercy of the penitent thief on the cross ; 
 but from all we have seen about it in the ancient Eoman 
 ordinals, and in other works of a like nature, we are in- 
 clined to think that it was originally intended as a sort of 
 signal for the minor ministers of the Mass to attend to some 
 particular duty at that time. Eomsee intimates that it 
 might have been used as an admonition for the people to 
 enter into themselves and bewail their offences together with 
 the priest. An ancient Roman ordo has the following words 
 upon this matter, from which our opinion derives some 
 strength: *'.When he shall say, * Nobis quoque peccatoribus,' 
 the subdeacons rise." The Carthusians do not raise their 
 voice here at all, but simply strike the breast ; and this is 
 also the custom at the cathedral church of Lyons. 
 
 The force of the word quoque^ ''also," employed here, 
 depends on the connection of this prayer with the preceding 
 one, as if it were said, " We have prayed for a place of rest 
 and peace for our departed brethren ; we also pray for a 
 similar favor in behalf of ourselves, in order that we may 
 become associated with thy holy apostles and martyrs," etc. 
 As it is necessary for a priest to know exactly who the saints 
 are that are mentioned in this prayer, and also in the 
 " Communicantes," in order to be able to bow the head 
 v/iien Mass is celebrated on the recurrence of their festivals, 
 or a commemoration is made of them m another Mass, we 
 liave deemed it proper to give a brief sketch of their lives. 
 
 First, as to who the St. John is that occurs here. For 
 
SL John the Bajjllst. U') 
 
 quite a long time it remained undecided whether thir. 
 was St. John the Evangelist or St. John the Baptist, 
 and many weighty opinions lay on both sides. Pope In- 
 nocent III., speaking as an ordinary liturgical scholar, 
 maintained that it was St. John the Evangelist. He 
 was named first, according to tliis Pontiff, as an apostle in 
 the prayer *• Communicantes," and here, again, as a vir- 
 gin disciple. Others held, too, that it was the Evangelist 
 who was mentioned, not on account of iiis virginity, but 
 simply because he was looked upon as having, in a mannei*;, 
 died twice : first, when plunged into the caldron of boiling 
 oil by order of Domitian, from which, however, he was mir- 
 aculously preserved ; and, secondly, when he died a natural 
 death at Ephesus. Tliis latter opinion never had manjr 
 supporters, and, we think, deservedly. The principal objec- 
 tion to naming St. John the Baptist here was that he was 
 not, strictly speaking, a saint of the new law, liaving been 
 put to death before the Passion of our Lord. The question 
 remained thus unsettled for a long time, with opinions 
 on both sides (by far the weightier, however, on the side of 
 the Evangelist), until at last the decision of the Sacred 
 Congregation of Eites was asked in the matter. When the 
 question was first proposed — viz., in April, 1823 — it responded, 
 *' Dilata," that is, that the answer was held over for fur- 
 ther consideration. In March, 1824, it replied that the 
 saint mentioned, and at whose name a reverence should be 
 made, was St. John the Baptist. After this decision had 
 appeared all further discussion ceased. The question was 
 settled. The Church has instituted two special feasts in 
 honor of the Baptist : the one, that of his nativity, on June 
 24 ; the other, of his decollation, or beheading, on August 
 23. Part of the precursor's head is said to be kept in the 
 Church of St. Sylvester at Rome, and another part at 
 Amiens, in France. 
 
350 Tlie Celehration of Mass, 
 
 St. Stephen, December 2G. — This saint is generall}* dis- 
 tinguished by the title of proto martyr, from the fact that 
 he was, strictly speaking, the first martyr of the new law 
 who suffered publicly for the faith. His relics were con- 
 veyed from Jerusalem to Lome some four hundred years 
 after his death ; and when deposited beside those of the 
 holy martyr St. Lawrence, a pious legend says that the 
 latter moved to the left in order to yield the place of honor 
 to the protomartyr, for which reason the Romans styled 
 St. Lawrence II cortese Sjmgniolo — that is, the j^oUte 
 Spaniard — for he was of that nation. The Feast of St. 
 Stephen used anciently to be called ''straw day" in the 
 South of France, from a custom that prevailed there of 
 blessing straw on that day. Throughout England and Ire- 
 land it was known as '' wrennmg da}'," from the very 
 singular custom of hunting and stoning a wren to death in 
 commemoration of St. Stephen's martyrdom. Wren-boy day 
 in the South of Ireland was a regular gala-day for the young 
 folks ; it is still celebrated to some extent in many places. 
 
 St. Matthias, February 24. — A vacancy having occurred 
 among the twelve by the apostasy of Judas, Matthias was 
 chosen by lot to fill it. The manner of his death is not 
 exactly known, but it is generally believed that he ended 
 his days by crucifixion. The reason for not naming this 
 apostle with the others in the '' Communicantes " is that 
 he was not associated to the apostolic band until after the 
 Passion of our Lord ; nor is he named in any of the Gospels. 
 And if it be objected to this that St. Paul was neither an 
 apostle nor even a Christian until after the Passion, and 
 still he is mentioned m the '' Communicantes " with the 
 other apostles, we reply that this was done in order not to 
 separate him from St. Peter ; for the Church smgs of both 
 of them : *' In life they loved each other ; in death they are 
 not separated." This is the reason given by all. 
 
The Holy Saints and Martyrs. 351 
 
 St. Barnalas, June 11.— St. Barnabas was a native of 
 C3^prus. His first name was Joses, which he himself 
 changed to Barnabas, an Aramean name meaning '' son of 
 consolation." He was the friend and companion of St. Paul 
 in the holy ministry. The Feast of St. Barnabas was, ac- 
 cording to the old style/ the longest day in the year, and 
 hence the familiar rhyme : 
 
 " Barnaby bright, Barnaby gay, 
 The shortest night and the longest day." 
 
 St. Ignatius, February 1.— According to a pious tradi- 
 tion, it was this saint whom our Lord took into his arms 
 when he said to his apostles: *' Whosoever shall receive 
 one of such children in my name receiveth me." He be- 
 came Bishop of Antioch in the early part of the second 
 century, and suffered a glorious martyrdom under Trajan 
 in the year 107. He is said to have been the originator of 
 responsive singing in the Church — a practice which he 
 learned, it is said, from the angels, whom he frequently 
 heard chanting after this manner. 
 
 St. Alexander, May 3. — This saint succeeded Evaristus as 
 Pope in the year 109, and is named as a martyr in the 
 Sacramentary of St. Gregory the G-reat. 
 
 St. Marcellimis, Jujie 2. — St. Marcellinus was a priest 
 of Rome, who, with St. Peter the Exorcist, suffered martyr- 
 dom in the persecution of Diocletian, a.d. 304. 
 
 St. Peter, June 2. — This saint, generally styled ^' Peter 
 the Exorcist " — for he was not in full orders — suffered mar- 
 
 * Russia 13 the only Christian country which yet retains the old stjie, or Julian 
 Calendar. The principal error of this style consists in making the year 365K days, or 
 about eleven minutes too much. The new style, or Gregorian Calendar (so called from 
 Pope Gregory XIIT.), began in 1582. In order to obtain the true date according to this 
 style, we must deduct ten days for the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, eleven days 
 for the eighteenth century, and twelve for the nineteenth. It is well to bear this in 
 mind, as a neglect of it has often occasioned much perplexity. 
 
352 The Celehraiioa of Mass. 
 
 lyrdom under the Emperor Diocletian, together Avith St. 
 Marcellinus, in a.d. 304. 
 
 St. Perpetua, March 7. — St. Perpetua suifered martyr- 
 dom at Carthage, in Africa, in the year 202, at the age of 
 twenty-two. The instrument of her torture was a wild cow 
 let loose upon her, by which she "was tossed about and 
 frightfully mangled in the ampliitheaLre, Her name and 
 that of her companion, St. Felicitas, were added to the 
 Canon of the Mass by Pope Gregory the G-reat. 
 
 St. Felicitas, March 7. — There is little to be said of this 
 saint further than that she suffered martyrdom with St. 
 Perpetua, She must not be confounded with the St. Fe- 
 licitas who suffered under the Emjperor Antoninus Pius. 
 
 St. Agatha, Fehruary 5. — She is said to have been a Sici- 
 lian . by birth, and to have suffered martyrdom in the per- 
 secution of Decius, about the year 251. 
 
 St. Lucy, Decemher 13. — St. Lucy was a native of Syra- 
 cuse, in Sicily, and suffered martyrdom about the year 304. 
 Her body is said to be preserved at Metz, where it is ex- 
 posed for the veneration of the faithful on certain occasions 
 of the year. In art she is generally represented with a 
 palm-branch in one hand, and in the other a burning lamp 
 expressive of her name, which comes, it is said, from the 
 Latin lux, light. 
 
 St. Agnes, January 21. — There are two saints of this 
 name in the calendar, but the one named here is the saint 
 generally meant when St. Agnes is spoken of. She is said 
 to have suffered martyrdom about the year 305. Her 
 church on the Via Nomenfana, at Rome, gives title to a car- 
 dinal, and furnishes the lambs annually from whose wool 
 the palliums of archbishops are made. In ancient art she is 
 represented in her miraculous snow-white garment, with an 
 executioner by her side armed with a halberd. Her feast 
 was once a holvdav of oblio-ation in Eno-land. 
 
"Per queiii licec umuicC 3o3 
 
 St. Cecilia, Novemher 22. — According to the best ac- 
 counts, this saint suffered martyrdom in the year 230. 
 From the great love she manifested for singing the divine 
 praises she is generally looked up to as the patroness of 
 music, and is always represented in art with a lyre in her 
 hand. So eminent a saint was she held to be in the early 
 Church that a special preface was composed for her feast 
 and inserted in the Sacramentary of Pope Gregory the 
 Great. She is said to have always carried a copy of the 
 Gospels with her— a pious custom very prevalent among the 
 primitive Christians, and not entirely extinct yet. 
 
 St. Anastasia, Decembe?' 25.— This saint is said to have 
 met her death by being burnt at the stake by order of the 
 prefect of Illyria in the year 304, during the persecution of 
 Diocletian. 
 
 ''PER QUEM H^C OMNIA." 
 
 At each of the words "sanctify," ''vivify," and "bless," 
 of this prayer, a cross is made over the Host and chalice 
 together. The chalice is then uncovered, and the priest, 
 taking the sacred Host between the thumb and index finger 
 of the right hand, makes three crosses with it over the 
 chalice as he says "through him," "with him," and "in 
 him," and two between the chalice and himself in a direct 
 line at the expression " to thee, God the Father Almighty, 
 in the unity of the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory." 
 As -he says "all honor and glory" he raises the chalice and 
 Host a few inches from the altar. This is called the minor 
 elevation, and here the Canon ends. 
 
 According to Pouget (Inst. Cathol., tom. ii. p. 8G9), when 
 the ancient discipline of elevating the Host and chalice 
 together at this place prevailed, they were raised high 
 enough to be seen by the people. He is about the only 
 
354 The Celehration of Mass. 
 
 author who ventures to assert this, but there is very good 
 reason to think him right. 
 
 It was long customary in the early days to bless new 
 fruits and products of various kinds at this part of the 
 Mass, such as grapes, milk and honey, oil, wine, etc. This 
 was done just before the '^per quern h^ec omnia," and the 
 commodities to be blessed were placed on the altar by the 
 deacon. 
 
CHAPTER XXYIIL 
 
 TEE CELEBRATION OF MASS, 
 THE PATER FOSTER. 
 
 In" concluding the Canon the priest raises his voice and 
 says aloud, "Per omnia ssecula saeculorum " ; then, "Ore- 
 mus " ; and after this follows the " Pater noster/' or Lord's 
 Prayer, to which the following short preface is prefixed : 
 *' Being admonished by salutary precepts, and taught by 
 divine institution, we presume to say, * Our Father,' " etc. 
 According to several authorities of note, the expression, 
 **' being admonished by salutary precepts," refers to the 
 existence of the Discipline of the Secret, in virtue of which 
 it was strictly forbidden to recite, among other things, the 
 "Lord's Prayer" in the hearing of the catechumens; but 
 inasmuch as none of this class could be present at this part 
 of the Mass, there was no danger to be apprehended from 
 reciting it aloud. At the Divine Office, however, it was 
 never said but in secret, for catechumens as well as Chris- 
 tians could be present then. This discipline stands yet. 
 The rest of this short preface refers to what our Lord said 
 to his disciples on the quantity and quality of prayer, for 
 the "Pater noster" was formulated by himself as a model 
 for their guidance {Enchiridion Sacrif. Misses Benecl XIV., 
 p. 95 ; J. Pleyer, S.J., De Sacr. Miss. Sacrif., p. 7). 
 
 Li the Liturgy of St. James this little preface is thus 
 worded : " Grant us, Lord, and lover of men ! with bold- 
 ness, witliout condemnation, with a pure heart, with a bro- 
 
 355 
 
35G The (Jelehralion of Mass. 
 
 ken spirit, with a face that needs not to be ashamed, with 
 hallowed lips, to dare to call upon thee, our Holy God and 
 Father in heaven, and say, 'Our Father,'" etc. All the 
 Oriental liturgies have some preface of this kind here. 
 
 Throughout the Western Church it is the priest himself 
 who says the " Pater noster," but in the Eastern Church 
 it is said by people and priest together. The Mozarabics 
 add ^' Amen " after each of its different petitions. 
 
 In the time of Pope Clement III. (1187-1191), while the 
 Crusaders were engaged in fighting for the recovery of the 
 sacred places of Palestine, it was customary to recite imme- 
 diately after this prayer the psalm ''Deus venerunt gentes" 
 — " God ! the heathens are come into thy inheritance." 
 Pope Innocent III. ordered the same psalm to be sung, 
 together with a verse and a prayer, after the " Pax " ; and 
 by a decree of Pope John XXII. (1316-1334) the psalm 
 *' Lsetatus sum " Avas to be recited in every Mass after tlie 
 " Pater noster " for the extinction of heresies and schisms 
 (Eomsee, p. 255). 
 
 We had almost forgotten to mention that when the Pope 
 celebrates on Easter Sunday, '' Amen " is never responded 
 to the " Per omnia saecula sseculorum/' immediately before 
 the " Pater noster," and this to commemorate a miracle once 
 wrought in favor of Pope Gregory the Great, to whom the 
 angels responded at this place upon a certain Easter morn- 
 ing (ibid.) 
 
 SEQUEJ^CE OF THE LOED'S PRAYER. 
 
 The moment the priest has finished the Lord's Prayer he 
 wipes the paten with the purificator, in order to prepare it 
 for receiving the sacred Host ; and then, holding it in his 
 right hand, resting erect on the altar, recites t«he sequence, 
 or, as it is called, the emMismns (that is, something added 
 on) of the " Pater noster." It is worded as follows : " De- 
 
Sequence of the Lord's Prayer, 357 
 
 liver us, Lord 1 we beseecli tliee, irorn aii evils, present, 
 past, and future, and through the intercession of tlie blessed 
 and' ever-glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with thy 
 blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and Andrew, and all thy 
 samts, grant of thy goodness peace in our days, that, being 
 assisted by the help of thy mercy, we may be always tree 
 from sin and secure from all disturbance.' 
 
 Many writers are of opimon that the name of St. Andrew 
 was here added by Pope Gregory the Great, because he 
 cherished a singular devotion to him and built several 
 churches in his honor. In early times it was left entirely to 
 the celebrant of the Mass what saints' names to add to this 
 prayer after that of St. Andrew. He could name any one 
 that his own devotion prompted; and this was the rule, 
 with little interruption, until the eleventh century, when 
 that now in vogue superseded it. 
 
 The emboUsmus is recited in secret, because, on ac- 
 count of all the saints' names that used to be added to it 
 formei-ly, it could not be easily chanted in High Mass ; and 
 from that the custom found its way into Low Mass also. 
 He Vert, however, says that this way of saying it was 
 adopted m order not to interfere with the singing of the 
 choir at this place (Eomsee, p. 264). 
 
 When the priest comes to the words, " grant of thy good- 
 ness peace m our days," he makes the sign of the cross 
 upon his person with the paten, and then kisses the latter at 
 its rim. The paten is here kissed because it is about to 
 receive our Hivine Lord, w^ho is pre-eminently the author of 
 peace, and who makes the paten his throne at this solemn 
 part of the Mass. Having come to the words, " being as- 
 sisted by the help of thy mercy," etc., he places the paten 
 under the Host, and then, removing the pall from the chal- 
 ice, genuflects to adore our Lord. He then becomes erect, 
 and, bringing the Host over the chalice, breaks it first 
 
358 Tlio Celebration of Mass, 
 
 into two equal parts, saying, "■ Through the same Jesus 
 Christ our Lord, thy iSon." The part held in the right hand 
 is now placed on the paten, and from the part he holds m 
 his lett, still over the chalice, he breaks a minute particle, 
 and places the remainder with the other large portion on 
 the paten also, reciting during this action the concludmg 
 words of the jprayer, ' ' Who liveth and reigneth with thee in 
 the unity of the Holy Ghost, God." Still holding the mi- 
 nute particle over the mouth of the chalice, he says aloud, 
 *^ Per omnia ssecula sseculorum,*' and then, ^^ Pax Domini sit 
 semper Yobiscum" — '^The peace of the Lord be always with 
 you." When reciting these last words he makes three 
 crosses over the mouth of the chalice with the particle held 
 in his right hand, and then lets it fall into the Precious 
 Blood, saying at the same time, ^* May this commixture and 
 consecration of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ be to us who receive it unto life eyerlasting." 
 
 EXPLAKATIOK OF THESE CEREMOIS"IES. 
 
 The Host is broken in memory of what our Lord himself 
 did at the Last Supper and on those occasions afterwards 
 which are recorded in Holy Scriptures ; but as regards the 
 triple division, all we can say is that in ancient times there 
 was much diversity of practice in this respect. Some broke 
 it mto three portions ; some into four ; and some, like those 
 who follow the Mozarabic Rite, into nine. According to the 
 ancient Roman Rite, it was first broken into three portions, 
 one of which was cast into the chalice; another was reserved 
 for communicating the celebrant, deacon, and subdeacon ; 
 and the third was kept for the sick. This custom was in 
 vogue in the majority of churches, and a vestige of it is yet 
 retained in Papal High Mass, where the Holy Father drops 
 one part of the Host into the Precious Blood, communi- 
 cates himself from another part, and the deacon and sub- 
 
Exjjlaiiation of these Ceremonies, 359 
 
 deacon from the tliird. Tlie like, too, may be seen in the 
 consecration of a bishop (Komsee, p. 273). 
 
 According to Durandus, the three crosses made over the 
 chalice here with the small particle are intended to com- 
 memorate the three days that the blessed Body of our Lord 
 remained in the sepulchre ; and the casting in of this par- 
 ticle afterwards to unite with the Precious Blood forcibly 
 recalls to mind the union of our Lord's Soul and Body after 
 his resurrection. 
 
 We haye said that the Mozarabics break the Host into 
 nine parts. The first division made is into two equal por- 
 tions ; then a subdivision is made by which one portion is 
 broken into four parts and the other into five, thus making 
 nine in all, which are then arranged on the paten in the 
 form of a cross, and a name given to each commemora- 
 tive of the principal events in our Lord's life : thus, 1st, the 
 Incarnation; 2d, the Nativity; 3d, the Circumcision; 4th, 
 the Epiphany ; 5th, the Passion ; 6th, Christ's Death ; 7th, 
 his Eesurrection ; 8th, the Glory of Christ in heaven ; 9th, 
 tlie Kingdom of Christ. From Easter to Pentecost, and 
 also on the Feast of Corpus Christi, while the priest of this 
 rite holds the part called the " Kingdom of Christ " in his 
 hand over the chalice, he says three times aloud, " The 
 Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, has conquered "; 
 to which the choir responds, " Thou who sittest upon the 
 cherubim, root of David, alleluia." 
 
 Division of the Host in the Oriental Church. — The Greeks 
 divide the Host into four parts, one of which the priest 
 casts into the chalice ; another he receives himself ; a third 
 he puts aside and distributes among the communicants ; and 
 the fourth part he reserves for the sick. According to the 
 Liturgy of St. Chrysostom, the rubrics touching this cere- 
 mony are worded as follows : 
 
 Rubric : The deacon then girds his Orarion [stole] 
 
3G0 Tlie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 crossioisG and goes into the lioly Benia, and standing on 
 the right hand {the priest grasping the holy Bread), 
 saith : 
 
 Deacon : " Sir, break the Holy Bread." 
 
 EuBRic : And the priest, dividing it into four parts 
 icith care and reverence, saith : 
 
 Priest : *' The Lamb of G"Dd is broken and distributed ; 
 he that is broken and not divided in sunder ; ever eaten and 
 never consumed, but sanctifying those who receive him." 
 
 Before the particle is cast into the chalice by the Greeks 
 the sign of the cross is first made with it, and it is then al- 
 lowed to fall in with the words, '' the fulness of the chalice 
 of faith of the Holy G-host," to which the deacon responds, 
 *^ Amen." 
 
 In the Liturgy of St. James the particle is cast into the 
 chalice with the words, "The union of the most Holy Body 
 and Precious Blood of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ." The Copts first divide the Host when pronouncing 
 the word /re(/iY — "he broke" — ^just before they pronounce 
 the exact words of institution, and make subdivisions of 
 it afterwards a little before communion. The Nestorians 
 divide it into three parts, using both hands, and saying 
 during the ceremony, " We now approach in the true faith 
 of thy name, Lord ! and through thy compassion we 
 break, and through thy mercy we sign, the Body and Blood 
 of our Lifegiver, the Lord Jesus Christ ; in the name of 
 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost " ; and 
 when putting the particle in the chalice, " May the Pre- 
 cious Blood be signed with the life-giving Body of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
 and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." From all this we see 
 how much the practice of the Eastern Church resembles our 
 own in all that concerns the Holy Eucharist. 
 
All Ancient Custom. — Agnus Dei, 361 
 
 AJs^ ANCIENT CUSTOM. 
 
 After the recital of the embolismus, or sequence of tlie 
 " Pater noster," the archdeacon who assisted at Episcopal 
 Mass was accustomed, in early days, to turn round to the 
 congregation and intone ** Humiliate vos ad benedictionem " 
 — "Bow down for the benediction"; to which the rest of 
 the clergy would respond, '' Deo gratias." Then the bishop, 
 before he said "^ Pax Domini," would turn to the people 
 and impart his solemn blessing. 
 
 According to the Mozarabic Rite, this custom was also 
 observed in Low Mass, and that by priests as well as by 
 bishops. The fourth Council of Toledo, however, decreed 
 that the custom should be abolished. The reason assigned 
 by Mabillon {De Liturgiis GaUicanis, lib. i. cap. iv. Nos. 
 1 3 et 14) for this ceremony was that those who did not in- 
 tend to communicate might leave the church. Hence the 
 meaning of that invitation to depart mentioned by Pope 
 Gregory the Great : " Si quis non communicat det locum " — 
 " If any one does not intend to communicate let him m'ake 
 way." 
 
 AGNUS DEI. 
 
 During the recital of the " Agnus Dei " the priest strikes 
 his breast three times in humble sorrow for his sins, saying 
 the two first times, "Lamb of God who takest away the 
 sins of the world, have mercy on us "; and the third time, 
 " Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world, 
 grant us peace." In Masses for the dead the form is, 
 "Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world, 
 grant them rest " ; this is repeated twice, and the third 
 time is said, "Lamb of God who takest away the sins of 
 the world, grant them eternal rest " ; but the breast is 
 not struck at all at these Masses, inasmuch as they concern 
 
362 Tlie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 the dead and not the living. The expression " Lamb of 
 God," as applied to our Lord, is taken from Holy Scrip- 
 ture, where we find it frequently occurring. From the 
 relations between our Saviour and the Pasclial lamb of the 
 ancient law, a preference was given to the use of it in early 
 days. 
 
 Before the time of Pope Sergius L (a.d. 687 to 701), the 
 chanting of the ^' Agnus Dei" was solely confined to the 
 choir, but by a decree of this pontiif it was also extended to 
 the clergy. This is the explanation that Mabillon gives ; 
 and it seems in accordance with what the Pontifical Book 
 states about the pontiff named, for in its fourteenth chapter 
 the following occurs : *^ He ordained that at the time of the 
 fraction of the Body of the Lord 'Agnus Dei qui tollis 
 peccata mundi, miserere nobis,' should be sung by the 
 clergy and people" (Eomsee, p. 281). It is for this reason 
 that Pope Sergius is generally accredited with the introduc- 
 tion of the ''Agnus Dei" into the Mass. But that it ex- 
 isted long before his time may be seen from the Sacramen- 
 tary of Pope Gregory the Great. 
 
 The number of times, however, tliat it was to be said 
 varied very considerably. Sometimes it was said but once, 
 and this was all that Pope Sergius ordered in his decree 
 concerning it. At other times it used to be kept up until 
 the entire ceremony of the fraction of the sacred Bread had 
 been gone through with ; whence it was sung once, tioice, 
 three times — as often, in fact, as was necessary. Its double 
 repetition was very frequent in the eleventh century; and 
 Beletlius (chap, xlviii.) alludes to its triple repetition in the 
 century following. The same may be seen in the Missals 
 printed at that period, from which it may be fairly inferred 
 that the present discipline dates. Nor must we omit to 
 mention that the celebrant did not say the " Agnus Dei " at 
 all when first introduced, but only the choir. When the 
 
The Pax. 363 
 
 duty became incumbent on the priest also it is not easy to 
 determine. According to Eomsee, the pope used to say it 
 in his Mass about the fourteenth century. Very likely it 
 became obligatory on priests in general about this j)eriod 
 also. Another variation that respected its recital was that 
 in some places it used to be said once before the Preface 
 and twice at the place where it is now recited (Eomsee, 
 p. 282). 
 
 The words " grant us peace/' added to the last repetition, 
 instead of "have mercy on us," have not been alwaj's in 
 use, nor is it customary now to say them in the church of 
 St. John Lateran at Eome. According to very creditable 
 authorities (see Bona, p. 358), they were first introduced by 
 directions received from the Mother of God, who appeared 
 one day to a certain carpenter as he was felling trees in the 
 forest, and gave him a medal with the image of our Lord 
 upon one side, and the inscription, '*Lamb of God, who 
 takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace," on the 
 other. The Blessed Virgin commanded the carpenter to 
 show this medal to the bishop of the place, with the re- 
 quest that others miglit be made in imitation of it and be 
 reverently worn, in order that God might restore peace to 
 the Church of those days. The addition soon found its 
 way into the Mass, where it has been retained ever since. 
 
 THE PAX. 
 
 Having recited the Agnus Dei, the priest bows a little, 
 and, resting his hands upon the altar, recites three prayers 
 without changing his posture. The first is a petition to 
 Almighty God for that peace tohich the ivorld cannot give ; 
 the second asks for deliverance from all iniquity in virtue 
 of the Body and Blood of our Divine Redeemer; and the 
 third, that the reception of the same Body and Blood may 
 prove to be a remedy for all the infirmities of soul and body. 
 
'604: The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 When the Mass is a Solemn High Mass a very ancient 
 and interesting ceremony is witnessed here after the recital 
 of the first of these ^^rayers — viz., the imparting of the 
 "Pax," or kiss of peace, which is kept up in the Mass to 
 commemorate that tender-hearted and loving practice which 
 our Divine Lord always observed in his intercourse with his 
 disciples. And here it may be well to remark that although 
 our Blessed Saviour said, " Do this in remembrance of 
 me," only of what was done in regard to coufecting the 
 Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, still the Church has 
 thought fit to do not only what her Divine Founder did 
 and commanded to be observed aftei-wards, but also many 
 other things which, though not prescribed expressly, are 
 yet recorded by the Evangelists as worthy of imitation. 
 These she has introduced into the Mass as being the most 
 fitting place to commemorate them ; for what is the Mass 
 itself but a mystic biography of our Lord's life upon earth ? 
 The moment, then, that the celebrant has recited the first 
 of these prayers he turns to the deacon, and, having placed 
 his hands upon his shoulders, inclines his head slightly 
 as if about to kiss him, and says, "Pax tecum" — "Peace 
 be with you" — to which the deacon responds, "Et cum 
 spiritu tuo" — "And with thy spirit." The pious saluta- 
 tion is then taken up by all the other ministers of the altar 
 and the clergy who are present, but it is no longer observed 
 among the people of the congregation. It is not witnessed 
 in Masses for the dead, on account of their lugubrious 
 nature, and also for the reason that in former times it was 
 not customary to communicate at such Masses, and the 
 "Pax "was intended principally as a ceremony of recon- 
 ciliation between man and man previous to the reception of 
 the Holy Eucharist (Bona, p. 359). 
 
 In ancient times, when the male portion of the congrega- 
 tion was separated fi-om the female portion, the kiss of 
 
The Pax. 3G5 
 
 jioaoe went through the entire church ; and this disciphne 
 continued, with little interruption, up to the time of Pope 
 Innocent III. — that is, until the thirteenth century — when, 
 on account of the increasing depravity of morals, and from 
 other causes, it was deemed prudent to discontinue the 
 practice in its primitive spirit, and substitute another form 
 of holy salutation in its stead. A small instrument made of 
 silver or gold, and having a representation of our crucified 
 Eedeemer upon it, was accordingly introduced, and deno- 
 minated the osculatorium, which all kissed, even the cele- 
 brant, at this part of the Mass. Though once very com- 
 mon, this instrument of peace is now seldom seen, at least in 
 American churches, the general practice being to approach 
 each other as above described, and salute with ^^Pax te- 
 cum.'* In the ordination of priests the ^Mviss of peace" is 
 commanded to be given as of old by the ordaining bishop 
 to the newly-ordained. Many religious orders observe it, 
 too, in private life. 
 
 In ancient times it was customary for the priest, before 
 he gave the ^^Pax" to any one else, to stoop down first 
 and kiss the sacred Host lying on the paten before him, to 
 signify that it is from our Divine Lord that he received 
 tliat peace which he wished to communicate to others. 
 This practice was, however, soon abrogated, as it was con- 
 sidered somewhat unbecoming, and there was alwa3^s danger 
 attending it on account of the liability of some particles of 
 the sacred Host adhering to the lips. 
 
 The custom prevailed in some places, too, of first kissing 
 the chalice, and then sending the salutation around in the 
 ordinary way among the clergy of tlie sanctuary. This was 
 long in vogue with the Dominicans, and is, to a certain ex- 
 tent, observed by them yet ; for their ceremonial directs that 
 the priest first kiss the rim of the chalice, and afterwards 
 the paten, or the regular instrument of peace presented him 
 
306 Tlie Celebration of Mass, 
 
 by the deacon, and say: ^^ Peace to tliee and to tlie Holy 
 Oliurcli of God." The practice of first kissing the missal 
 on this occasion, as containing the sacred words of our 
 Lord, was in vogue at Cologne, and in many churches of 
 France, in the beginning of the sixteenth century. 
 
 Pax in the Oriental Church.. — In the Liturgy of St. James 
 the "Pax" follows closely upon the recital of the Creed, at 
 some distance from the Preface. The time of its observ- 
 ance is thus announced by the deacon: "Let us kiss one 
 another with a holy kiss ; let us bow our heads to the 
 Lord." When the Maronites are giving the "Pax," which, 
 like all the Orientals, they do before the Preface, the cele- 
 brant first kisses the altar and the sacred oblation placed 
 upon it, saying: "Peace to thee, altar of God, and peace 
 to the mysteries placed upon thee "; then gives it to the at- 
 tending minister with the words : "Peace to thee, minister 
 of the Holy Ghost." The whole congregation then go 
 through the ceremony, beginning with a general shaking of 
 hands. The only Western rite which gives the kiss of peace 
 before the Preface is the Mozarabic. The salutation in 
 many of the ancient churches when imparting it used to be : 
 "' May the peace of Christ and his Church abound in you" 
 (Bona, p. 358). Cardinal Bona is of opinion that it was 
 the Franciscans who induced the Holy See to discon- 
 tinue giving the "Pax" according to the primitive mode, 
 on account of certain abuses that were gradually creeping 
 into the ceremony. This opinion is also sustained by Pope 
 Benedict XIV. {Encliiridion Sacr. Missce, p. 106). 
 
 COMMUiflOX OF THE PRIEST. 
 
 At the end of the last of the three prayei's mentioned the 
 priest genuflects, and, upon becoming erect, says: "I will 
 receive the Bread of heaven, and call upon the name of the 
 Lord " — words taken from the one hundredtli and fifteenth 
 
Communion of the Priest. 367 
 
 Psalm, with tlie exception of '* Bread of heaven." For- 
 merly the words used here varied very much, nor was it 
 until the thirteenth century that anything like uniformity 
 was establij;hed concerning them. The Carmelite priests say 
 here at the present day : *' Hail, Salvation of the world. 
 Word of the Fatlier, Sacred Host, Living Flesh, Perfect 
 God, Perfect Man ! " 
 
 Having recited the words above given, the priest takes the 
 sacred Host from the paten, and, supporting the latter un- 
 der it with his left hand, raises it a little from the altar and 
 says : *' Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter 
 under my roof ; say but the word and my soul shall be 
 healed." ^ This solemn protest, taken from the reply of the 
 centurion mentioned in the Gospels, he repeats three times, 
 striking his breast at each repetition ; and then raising the 
 Host to about the height of his eyes, and tracing wath it the 
 sign of the cross in front of him, says : " May the Body of 
 x)UY Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life everlasting. 
 Amen." He then stoops down, and, resting his elbows 
 reverently on the altar, receives the sacred Host. After 
 this lie becomes erect and pauses awhile in solemn medita- 
 tion w^itli his hands joined before his face. 
 
 It is well to remark here that the teeth must never be 
 applied to the sacred Host when it enters the mouth. It 
 must be swallowed by the sole aid of the tongue ; and if a 
 difficulty should be experienced in this respect, on no ac- 
 count must the finger be introduced to overcome it. 
 
 Next follows the communion of the chalice. To this end 
 the priest removes the pall from the mouth of the chalice, 
 and, having made a genuflection as before, recites the words, 
 
 1 In the Latin form as used here the expression for " say the word" is die rerho, 
 where we would naturally expect die terbvm. In using the ablative instead of the 
 accusative form the Church has followed the Greek of St. Luke— viz., cijre \6yw—m 
 preference to the etTre Ao'vov of St. Matthew. In the Syriac (the language in which St. 
 Matthew is supposed to have written his Gospel) both forms are the same. 
 
368 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 "What shall I render to the Lord for all the good things 
 that he has rendered me?" (Psalm ex v.) He then takes 
 the paten in hand, and gathers up with it, from the corpo- 
 ral, any loose particles that may have remained upon the 
 latter from contact with the sacred Host, all of which he 
 allows to drop into the chalice by the aid of the thumb and 
 index finger of his right hand. After this he places his 
 hand on the Chalice, saying, " I will receiye the Chalice of 
 Salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord ; praising I 
 will invoke the Lord, and will be safe from my enemies " 
 (Psalm cxv.) Then placing the paten under his chin with 
 his left hand, and taking the chalice in his right, he makes 
 the sign of the cross and communicates with the woi-ds, 
 "May the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul 
 to life everlasting. Amen." 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 TEE CELEBRATION OF MASS, 
 
 "1 
 
 COMMUl^ION OF THE PEOPLE. 
 
 Ii^ order to give sncli members of the congregation as may 
 be desirous of communicating timely notice of this sacred 
 work, it is customary for the server of the Mass to ring the 
 little hand-bell each time that the priest says, *' Domine non 
 sum dignus," just before he communicates. The people 
 then advance to the sanctuary rails, where they take a kneel- 
 ing posture, and, having placed the communion cloth im- 
 mediately under their chins, await the approach of the priest. 
 The server, in the meantime, recites in their behalf the 
 same form of Confession that was said at the beginning of 
 Mass, while the priest is getting ready the Sacred Particles 
 for distribution. To this end he opens the tabernacle, and, 
 having made a genuflection, takes therefrom the cibovium 
 in which these Particles are kept; and places it on the 
 corporal in front of him. He uncovers it immediately, 
 and, having made another genuflection, turns a little to- 
 wards the communicants and pronounces over them the 
 two following prayers : 1st, " May the almighty God have 
 mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to 
 life everlasting." 2d, '* May the almighty and merciful 
 God grant you pardon, absolution, and remission of your 
 sins." When pronouncing this form of absolution he makes 
 the sign of the cross over all at the rails, and, having made 
 a third genuflection, takes the ciborium in his left hand, 
 
370 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 and, holding a Particle over it with his right, says in ai 
 audible Lone, " Behold the Lamb of God ; behold who tak- 
 eth away the sins of the world. Lord, I am not worthy that 
 thou shouldst enter under my roof ; say but the word and 
 my soul shall be healed." This latter protestation he pro- 
 aounces three times, and then descends to the rails, where 
 \q distributes the Sacred Particles to the communicants, 
 always beginning at the Epistle side. At this part of di- 
 vine service all are on a level — rich and poor, learned and 
 illiterate, king and peasant. All kneel together at the 
 same rail, and, side by side, receive their Lord at the same 
 time without any distinction of ceremony by reason of rank 
 or title ; and so careful is the Church of the reputation of 
 her children that she forbids the j)riest to pass any one by 
 at the rails, no matter how unworthy that person be, pro- 
 vided his criminality is secret ; thus imitating that singular 
 charity of her Divine Founder, who allowed Judas to com- 
 municate at the Last Supper, although he knew that he 
 would soon betray him. In administering the Blessed Par- 
 ticle to each person the priest says, "May the Body of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. 
 Amen." Unless in danger of death, Holy Communion 
 must be always received fasting. 
 
 Having communicated all, the priest returns to the altar 
 and encloses the ciborium in the tabernacle with the cus- 
 tomary genuflections. He then holds out the chalice to the 
 server, and receives about as much wine in it for the ablu- 
 tion as was first put into it for conseci-ation. While doing 
 this he says: "What we have taken with our mouth, 
 Lord ! may we receive with pure mind ; and from being a 
 temporal gift may it become for us an eternal remedy." 
 The Holy Eucliarist is here called "a temporal gift," inas- 
 much as received here b'clow by wayfaring men. It is de- 
 nominated "an eternal remedy" in accordance with what 
 
Holy Com7nunio7i m Ancient Times, 371 
 
 our Lord himself says of it : " If any man eat this Bread 
 he shall live for ever." The wine is taken into the chalice 
 in order to purify it from all traces of the Precious lilood, 
 and is drunk by the priest instead of being thrown into the 
 sacrarium, as was the custom in early times (Bona, p. 371). 
 Having drunk this first ablation, the priest takes the chal- 
 ice with both hands, and proceeds to the Epistle corner of 
 the altar to receive the second ablution from the server, 
 consisting of wine and water, which he allows to fall into 
 the chalice through the tips of the thumb and index finger 
 of each hand held over the chalice's mouth, and this to 
 purify them from sny particles of the sacred Host that may 
 have adhered to them. He drinks this second ablution also ; 
 and having then purified the chalice with the purificator — 
 instead of which the Greeks use a sponge — arranges it in the 
 centre of the altar, putting all that belongs to it in the 
 proper places. 
 
 HOLY COMMUNIOK IK ANCIENT TIMES. 
 
 In the early days of the Christian Churcli's existence the 
 people were accustomed to communicate every time they as- 
 sisted at Mass ; and many would do this frequently on the 
 same day, if they assisted at more Masses than one and were 
 still fasting. St. Jerome says in his Epist. 1. to Pam- 
 machius that this praiseworthy custom prevailed through- 
 out Spain and at Eome in the fourth century. By degrees, 
 however, the practice went so much into desuetude that 
 St. John Chrysostom, who died in the early part of the 
 fifth century, bitterly complained of it to Lis people. ''In 
 vain," said he when Bishop of Constantinople, "is there 
 a daily oblation when there is no one present to com- 
 municate." Notwithstanding all attempts to check it, cold- 
 ness in this respect went on increasing from day to day 
 and from vear to vear, until the Church found it necesr 
 
372 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 sary to enact laws requiring all to approach Holy Com- 
 munion at least on Sundays and festivals. We see a statute 
 in the Capitulary of Charlemagne (1. v., No. 182) strictly 
 enjoining this practice. In course of time still greater 
 latitude was given, for it was only required that a person 
 should communicate at three special periods of the. year 
 — VIZ., on Christmas day, Easter Sunday, and Pentecost. 
 The decree specifying these three occasions was promulgated 
 by the Council of Tours in the ninth century, during the 
 pontificate of Pope Leo III. The Council of Agatho, held 
 some time before, ordained that those who did not approach 
 the Blessed Eucharist on these occasions should not be 
 looked on as Catholics at all (Romsee, p. 309). This prac- 
 tice continued until about the thirteenth century, when the 
 fourth Council of Lateran, a.d. 1215, held under the aus- 
 pices of Pope Innocent III., solemnly declared and decreed, 
 under pain of excommunication, that all the faithful who 
 had reached the years of discretion should confess their sins 
 at least once a year and approach Holy Communion within 
 the Paschal time.' This solemn injunction w^as confirmed 
 and renewed by the Council of Trent,2 which said in its 
 twenty-second session that it desired that tlie faithful should 
 communicate not only once a year, but every time they as- 
 sisted at Mass, if their consciences were pure and guiltless 
 before God. Practical Catholics now, as a general rule, 
 approach Holy Communion the first Sunday of every month 
 and on every intermediate festival of note. Many have' 
 the pious practice of going once a week ; and it is 
 
 ' The Pasclial time commences, strictly speaking, on Palm Sunday and ends on Low 
 Snnday. The time in Ireland, by an apostolic indnlt, is from Ash Wednesday nntil the 
 Feast of SS. Peter and Paixl (June 29) ; in England, by a similar indult, from Ash 
 Wednesday till Low Sunday ; and in America from the first Sunday in Lent to Trinity 
 Sunday. 
 
 2 The Council of Trent opened on December 13, 1545, and lasted, but with con- 
 fsiderablc interruption. nntU the year 1563. 
 
Coimnunion under both Kinds. 373 
 
 not unfrequent;, thank God ! to meet tri-weekly communi- 
 cants. 
 
 COMMUJnON" UNDER BOTH KI]S^DS. 
 
 Up to the twelfth century Holy Communion was admin- 
 istered to the faithful under both kinds, as we see from 
 numerous testimonies (Kozma, p. 236 ; Romsee, p. 311). 
 After this time it began to be restricted to the celebrant, 
 but the restriction did not become a universal law of the 
 Church until the Council of Constance, in a.d. 1414, de- 
 clared it such. We shall see what prompted this declara- 
 tion. 
 
 It is worth observing that whenever any of the Church's 
 adversaries taught as a matter of dogma what she herself 
 only considered a matter of discipline, to confound their im- 
 piety she either dropped the practice altogether or strenu- 
 ously exerted herself in an entirely opposite direction. 
 The Ebionites, for example, held that the Holy Eucharist 
 could be confected with no other kind of bread but un- 
 leavened, or azymes ; to confound these the Church allowed 
 for some time the use of leavened bread also. The Arme- 
 nians maintained that it was wholly unlawful to mix eveu 
 the smallest drop of water with the wine used for consecra- 
 tion ; the Church said that it was not so, and that, rather 
 than grant dispensation in this respect to this people, she 
 would suffer the entire body of them to separate from her 
 communion ; still, she looked upon the observance as en- 
 tirely disciplinary. The arch-heretic Luther said that those 
 Masses at which only the priest himself communicated were 
 idolatrous and should be abolished at once. The Church, 
 on the other hand, approved of them, and granted full 
 faculties to the priests of those days to celebrate them at 
 pleasure. This brings us to the question under considera- 
 tion. John Huss held such fanatical views about the neces- 
 
S74: The Celehratlon of Mass. 
 
 sity of Communion under both kinds that the whole land 
 was disturbed by his teaching. According to him, the 
 Church could not dispense with the obligation of receiving 
 both species, for Communion under one kind was no Com- 
 munion at all, and that all who received in that way 
 were damned. Huss was supported in these views by his 
 disciples, Jerome of Prague, Jacobellus of Misnia, and 
 Peter of Dresden. To confound these heretics, and for 
 other very wise reasons, the Council of Constance, assembled 
 in A.D. 1414, declared that Comm^union under one species 
 was as true a participation of the Body and Blood of the 
 Lord, in virtue of what theologians called concomitance, as 
 if both species were received ; and that all who held dif- 
 ferently were to be anathematized as heretics. A decree was 
 then issued by said council abrogating Communion under 
 the species of wine ; and from this dates our present disci- 
 pline in this respect (Kozma, p. 236). But the practice of 
 receiving under both kinds, even after this decree, was en- 
 joyed, as a particular favor of the Holy See, by certain per- 
 sons and in a few particular places. It was granted, for 
 instance, 1st, to the kings of France on the day of their 
 coronation, and also at the point of death ; 2d, it was al- 
 lowed to the deacon and subdeacon of Papal High Mass ; 
 3d, the deacon and subdeacon of the Monastery of St. Diony- 
 sius, near Paris, communicated Under both kinds on Sun- 
 days and festivals, as did also the monks of Cluny (Rom- 
 see, p. 306). 
 
 Four principal reasons, not including the heresy of John 
 Huss and his followers, induced the Church to abandon 
 Communion under the species of wine : 1st, the great 
 danger the Precious Blood was exposed to in communicat- 
 ing so many ; 2d, the scarcity of wine in certain regions, 
 and the difficulty in procuring genuine wine in northern 
 climates ; 3d, the nausea that this species creates in some 
 
Oomniu/iioii under the Species of Bread. 3?o 
 
 people; 4tb, the great difficulty of reserving the Holy 
 Eucharist under this kind in warm climates, where the 
 tendency to acidify is very great. 
 
 COMMU2^I02Sr U]S"DER THE SPECIES OF BREAD. 
 
 Some of the ablest commentators see in the '* breaking of 
 bread from house to house/' and in other similar expres- 
 sions of the New Testament, Communion under one species 
 only ; and it is admitted by all that in this way did the two 
 disciples communicate whom our Lord met on the way to 
 Emmaus on Easter Sunday after his Kesurrection, for, as 
 the narrative has it, ^' they knew him in the breaking of 
 bread." Communion under one kind has been common 
 ever since the days of the apostles, especially in case of 
 sick persons and of those who lived a great distance from 
 the church ; and we shall see a little further on that the 
 Orientals have practised such Communion from time im- 
 memorial. 
 
 Order of Receiving in Ancient Times.— After the celebrant 
 had communicated, the sacred ministers attendino- him 
 
 o 
 
 communicated next in order— first the deacon, then the 
 subdeacon, and after him the rest of the clergy. Tlie Com- 
 munion of the people, which took place at the rails, was 
 arranged in the following order : deaconesses, virgins con- 
 secrated to God, children, then the grown people of the 
 congregation— the men first, and then the women (Kozma, 
 p. 2-40). This order is fully set forth in the Apostolic Con- 
 stitutions. 
 
 Manner of Receiving.— With very little exception, it was 
 customary during the first five or six centuries to place the 
 sacred Host in the hands of the communicant and let 
 him communicate himself. The male portion received the 
 
376 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 Blessed Particle in their nuked hands, one placed over the 
 other i^i the form of a cross, and the palm of the right bent 
 a little so as to have it hollow-shaped, in order that there 
 mioiit be no danger of letting the Particle fall oif. The 
 females never received the Host in the naked hands, but 
 were always required to bring with them, when they in- 
 tended to communicate, a clean linen cloth called a domini- 
 cal, with which they covered their hands when about to 
 receive the consecrated Particle. The rule in this respect 
 was so rigid that, should a female present herself for Com- 
 munion and be without this hand-cloth, she would be 
 obliged to leave the rails and defer receiving until another 
 occasion. The custom of thus receiving the sacred Host in 
 the hands was instituted to commemorate what was done at 
 the Last Supper, when the apostles received in this way. 
 But as the custom was op§n to many dangers and abuses in 
 places whe]-e large numbers approached the Holy Table, it 
 was abrogated about the beginning of the ninth century 
 (Kozma, p. 241). 
 
 Form used in giving the Holy Eucharist. — In early times 
 the words used by the priest in giving Holy Communion 
 were, for the species of bread, ''Corpus Christi" — ''the 
 Body of Christ " — to which the receiver answered, "Amen "; 
 and for the species of wine, "Sanguis Christi poculum 
 Salutis "— " the Blood of Christ, the cup of Salvation "—to 
 which "Amen" was also answered. About the time of 
 Pope Gregory the Great (sixth century) the form had 
 changed into " Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi conser- 
 vet animam tuam" — "May the Body of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ preserve your soul" — to which the receiver would 
 respond, as before, " Amen." With Alcuin, preceptor of 
 Charlemagne, we find the form, " May the Body of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ preserve you unto life everlasting." 
 
The Holy Eucharist carried on Journeys. 377 
 
 permissions" grafted to bring the blessed sacramext 
 
 HOME. 
 
 During the cla3^s of persecution permission was granted 
 the faitliful to bring the B>jssed Sacrament to their houses 
 and communicate themselves in case of imminent death. 
 St. Basil speaks of this custom as prevailing throughout all 
 Egypt. Tertullian and St. Cyprian frequently allude to it 
 also. The Holy Eucharist on these occasions used to be 
 carefully put away in little boxes specially made for the pur- 
 pose, on the lids of which some such pious devices as IHS 
 (Jesus) or XP (Christ) used to be engraved. These boxes 
 were generally made of gold or silver when owned by the 
 wealthy classes, and had a ring attached to their lids, 
 through which was passed a string, in order to fasten them 
 to the neck (see Hierurgia, p. 194, note). 
 
 the holy EUCHARIST CARRIED OK JOURNEYS. 
 
 According to the present discipline of the Church, per- 
 mission is enjoyed by no person, no matter how exalted his 
 dignity, unless it be the Holy Father himself, to carry the 
 Blessed Sacrament on his, person when travelling, except for 
 tlie purpose of communicating the sick. In ancient times, 
 liowever, this permission was often granted, but generally in 
 case of very long and dangerous journeys ; and we see that 
 many of the Orientals make it a practice yet to bring it with 
 them whenever they intend to set out on any hazardous 
 voyage. This is especially the case with the Maronites 
 (Denzinger, Ritus Orient., p. 99). When the Pope conve3^s 
 the Blessed Sacrament publicly on any long journey from 
 Rome, a sort of procession is generally organized of the 
 Noble and Swiss Guards, and of the other functionaries and 
 officials who usually attend him ; but there is no demonstra- 
 tion whatever made when the Holv Father is travellins: 
 
378 Tlie Celebration of Mass, 
 
 priyately. He then carries the Blessed Sacrament around 
 his neck, as Pope Pius IX., of blessed memory, did in his 
 flight from Eome to Gaeta m 1848. 
 
 The Armenians (that is, the schismatic Armenians) are 
 much to blame for allowing the Blessed Sacrament to be 
 carried on caravan expeditions through the country, and 
 that, too— to their shame be it said—by lay persons, by the 
 merchants who organize these caravans for the purpose of 
 selling their wares. 
 
 HOLY COMMUNION GIVEN TO CHILDEEN". 
 
 For a long time it was customary to communicate chil- 
 dren, under the species of wine, immediately after their 
 baptism. This used to be done by the priest dipping his 
 finger in the Precious Blood and then putting it into the 
 child's mouth to suck. The custom is still kept up in the 
 East, where Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation are 
 administered on the same occasion. Komsee says (iv. p. 
 309) that this custom prevailed, at least in some churches 
 of the West, up to the eleventh century. According to the 
 practice of the modern Greek Church, infants are now gene- 
 rally given the Precious Blood in a spoon. 
 
 THE BLESSED EUCHAEIST BURIED WITH THE DEAD. 
 
 So great was the faith of the primitive Christians in the 
 virtue of the Holy Eucharist that, not content with giving 
 it to the living, they also placed it in the grave with the 
 dead, in order that it might be a safeguard against the 
 wiles of the devil, and as a companion for that body which 
 had been through life, in virtue of the participation of the 
 sacraments of the Church, the temple of the Holy Ghost, as 
 blessed Paul the Apostle says. But there were other reasons 
 for this strange practice. Many believed, in simplicity of 
 mind, that the Blessed Sacrament in this case would answer 
 
Holy Communion when given ly the Bishop. 379 
 
 as a substitute for the last rites of the Church, should it 
 happen that the person had died suddenly or otherwise un- 
 prepared. 
 
 it is generally said that a stop was put to this practice by 
 a miracle which was witnessed at the grave of a person re- 
 cently buried. The Blessed Sacrament, as the story goes, 
 was interred with the corpse, but the moment the grave was 
 covered the earth burst open, and after some time the coffin 
 was exposed to view. As no miracle was apprehended at 
 first, the earth was gathered up and the grave made over 
 anew ; but the same thing happened again — the earth 
 was scattered, as before, in all directions. This led to an 
 examination as to the probable cause, and as it was found 
 that the Blessed Sacrament sprang forth from the body of 
 the deceased person, it was concluded that it was a portent 
 of the displeasure of God. The custom, it is said, ceased 
 from that time. (The reader must take our own statement 
 of this story instead of better authority, as we find it im- 
 possible to recall the name of the work in which we read 
 it.) Be this story true or false, the practice, as bordering 
 on irreverence, was very early condemned, first by the third 
 Council of Carthage, in a.d. 393, and afterwards by those of 
 Auxerre, in France, and Trullo, at Constantinople. 
 
 In examining ancient customs we must be careful not to 
 form hasty conclusions, and condemn our fathers in the 
 faith for what may seem irreverent to us, but was never so 
 intended by them. 
 
 : HOLY COMMUNION" WHEN" GIVEN" BY THE BISHOP. 
 
 Whenever the bishop administered Holy Communion he 
 gave the kiss of peace first to the ministers assisting him, and 
 then to those whom he communicated, who also in turn 
 saluted him. There is a vestige of this ancient practice yet 
 in vogue ; for, according to our modern discipline, whoever 
 
3^0 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 receives Holy Communion from a bishop is required to kiss 
 Ins ring lirsc. Tlie true origin of tJiis ceremony is founded 
 on tlie fact tiiat m ancient times ail tlie faithful ^ere re- 
 garded as forming one common family with the bishop as 
 their head, and as a pledge of this spiritual union the kiss 
 of peace used to be imparted upon receiving the great Head 
 and Father of all (Mabillon, Comment, in Orel. Rom.; 
 Valesius, Not. ad Euselii Hist., 1. vi. c. xliii. ; Kozma, 
 Liturg. ^acr. Cathol, p. 243, note ; Bona, p. 359). The 
 modern practice of kneeling down to kiss the bishop's ring 
 is derived from this ancient custom. 
 
 RESPECT SHOWN TO THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 Nothing can exceed the singular care that the Church 
 always manifests in everything that concerns the Blessed 
 Eucharist. We have spoken already of the minute direc- 
 tions she has given about the vessels in which it is kept — 
 the chalice, the ciborium, the pyx, and the tabernacle ; how 
 clean and precious they must be, how they are to be 
 touched, and wiio has the right to touch them ; and then, 
 again, the sacred linens, and the extraordinary care that must 
 be taken of them in Mass and out of it. Every imagin- 
 able accident, too, that could happen to the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment is provided for ; and directions on this head of the 
 most minute kind are printed in all the missals, in order 
 that every priest may know what to do in each case. 
 Should a Particle fall to the ground, for instance, it is order- 
 ed that the spot where it fell should be carefully marked by 
 a strip of linen, and afterwards scraped and washed and the 
 ablution thrown into the sacrarium. It was the considera- 
 tion of all this care bestowed on the Blessed Sacrament by 
 the Church, coupled Avith the magnificent and solemn gran- 
 deur of the ceremonies of Holy Mass, that drew from Fre- 
 derick the Groat that noble and magnanimous saying : 
 
Holy ConimiDiion in the Eastern Church. 381 
 
 *'Tlie Calvinists treat Almighty God as a servant ; the Lu- 
 therans as an equal ; the Catholics as a God " (Kozma, 
 Liturg. Sacr. Cathol., Praefatio). 
 
 In Spain, whenever the Blessed Sacrament is borne 
 through the streets on a sick-call, red curtains hang in all 
 the principal windows, and the people fall on their knees at 
 their doors until ^^ His Majesty " (the common appellation in 
 that country of the Blessed Sacrament) has passed by {Im- 
 pressions of Sjmin, by Lady Herbert). At Seville the choir 
 dance before the Host on the Feast of Corpus Christi, in 
 imitation of David's dancing before the Ark of the Cove- 
 nant ; and so exceedingly devout is this dance in all respects 
 that persons who have witnessed it describe it as singu- 
 larly touching. Lady Herbert tells us, on page 137, that no 
 one could speak of the holy dance of Corpus Christi at 
 Seville without emotion. Spain is pre-eminently the land 
 of the Blessed Sacrament. It is by no means unusual to 
 see in the streets of some of its principal cities little chil- 
 dren cluster together in groups, and cry out one to another, 
 as the Most Holy is borne to the sick, '* Sale su Magestad " 
 — "His Majesty is going out !" 
 
 HOLY COMMUNION IN THE EASTERN CHURCH. 
 
 According to the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom, the cele- 
 brant of the Mass communicates first, under the follow- 
 ing form of words : " The blessed and most holy Body of 
 our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ is communi- 
 cated to me, N., priest, for the remission of my sins and 
 life everlasting." When receiving the chalice he says : 
 "I, !N"., priest, partake of the pure and holy Blood of our 
 Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the remission 
 of my sins and life everlasting." When communicating the 
 deacon the priest says : "N., the holy deacon, is made par- 
 taker of the precious, holy, and spotless Body of our Lord 
 
382 TJie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the remission of his 
 sins and life everlasting." In giving the Precious Blood to 
 the deacon the form' is the same as when the priest receives. 
 According to the Coptic Eite, the priest first kisses the 
 sacred Host before he receives it, and then communicates 
 the rest (Renaudot, p. 261). The form, according to the 
 JSTestorian Rite, for communicating a priest is, *'The Body 
 of our Lord to the chaste joriest for the forgiveness of sins." 
 The form of giving the chalice is the same. 
 
 Communion of the People in the Eastern Church. — As we 
 have said already, it is customary all througli the East, 
 with Catholics and schismatics alike, to administer Holy 
 Communion under both species. There are three par- 
 ticular ways of performing this ceremony : According to 
 the first, the sacred Host is given by itself, then the com- 
 municant drinks from the chalice ; according to the second, 
 the sacred Host is given by the priest to each communi- 
 cant, and the chalice is administered by the deacon through 
 the aid of a small spoon, which he dips into it and after- 
 wards puts into the mouth of the receiver ; and accord- 
 ing to the third way, which is the most common, the Holy 
 Bread is broken into many minute particles, and, having 
 been steeped in the wine, is afterwards given to the 
 communicant in a sjDOon. In this last case there is no 
 separate receiving of the Precious Blood. The first way 
 here spoken of is peculiar to the ministers of the altar ; also 
 to the patriarch, if he should be present. The minor clergy 
 receive in the second way, and the laity in the third. In 
 some of the Syro-Jacobite churches the priest goes down 
 to the laity with the paten and the deacon with the chalice, 
 upon which occasion the priest dips the Particles in the 
 Precious Blood and distributes them to the people. In 
 many places in the East a lighted taper is borne by some 
 of the assistant ministers at this time. 
 
Holy Communion in the Eastern Churcli. 383 
 
 With the Nestorians the method of commuuicating the 
 laity is rather i^eculiar. The priest first comes out with the 
 Holy Bread in a napkin fastened around his neck, and the 
 deacon carries the Precious Blood in a large boAvl with a 
 cloth under it, intended as a purificator. Each communi- 
 cant in succession stands up before the priest and holds his 
 liand under his chin to receive any loose particles that may 
 fall from the sacred Host. After he has partaken of the 
 latter he goes to the deacon and sips a little from the bowl, 
 then wipes his mouth on the napkin carried for this pur- 
 pose. He then returns to his place, keeping his hand up 
 to his mouth for some time (Smith and D wight, Re- 
 searches in Armenia, ii. jd. 262). The formula of distri- 
 bution among the laity, according to the Liturgy of St. 
 Chrysostom, is : "N., the servant of God, is made partaker 
 of the pure and holy Body and Blood of our Lord and 
 God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the remission of his sins 
 and life everlasting." The rubric on this head directs the 
 receiver to draw near with reverence and hold his arms 
 crossed upon liis breast. It is not customary in any part of 
 the East to kneel while receiving ; all stand up, but bow 
 the head a little as the Blessed Sacrament approaches. 
 
 The directions given in the Coptic rituals about the 
 administration of Holy Communion to the laity are ex- 
 ceedingly praiseworthy. Nothing can exceed the singular 
 reverence that the Copts show our Lord upon these oc- 
 casions. According to their rubrics, the priest and dea- 
 con descend from the altar, the one with the Holy Bread, 
 the other with the chalice, and advance to where the com- 
 municants are, all of whom the priest blesses with the paten 
 when he arrives there. An assistant deacon bears a lighted 
 candle before the sacred Host. The moment each person 
 is communicated he retires to his place, moving so as not to 
 turn his back on the Blessed Sacrament, as Judas is said to 
 
384 . Tli^ Celebration of Mass, 
 
 have done, according to the tradition of the Copts. When 
 the Communion of the male portion of the congregation has 
 been administered in this way, that of the females begins. 
 Exceeding great care is required to be taken in the latter 
 case, for, as all the females of the East are veiled in church 
 and out of it, it is often impossible to discern who the per- 
 son is that you have to deal with, and, according to the 
 Coptic canons, the Blessed Eucharist must not be given to 
 any unknown person (Renaudot, i. p. 205). When all the 
 females are communicated the sacred ministers return to 
 the altar 
 
 Form used in Communicating. — The form of Communion 
 in use with the Copts is : ^^The Body and Blood of Eman- 
 uel our God is really here "; and he who receives says, 
 "Amen." It is worthy of remark that the Copts al- 
 ways communicate the laity by dipping the Host in the 
 chalice, and not by administering both separately. He who 
 receives Holy Communion must shut his mouth and be 
 very careful not to rub the Precious Particle with his teeth : 
 he must have his head uncovered, his hands disposed in the 
 form of a cross ; must be humble in his bearing, with eyes 
 cast down, and profound recollection depicted on his coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 The Abyssinians, too, are very strict in their discipline 
 regarding Holy Communion. With them it is customary 
 for all who are going to receive to wash their hands first, 
 and afterwards approacli with great humility and recollec- 
 tion. Just before distributing the sacred Particles the 
 priest stands in front of the communicants, and, holding 
 the Host in his hand, says aloud : " Behold the Bread of 
 the Saints ! Let him who is free from sin approach ; but let 
 him who is stained with sin retire, lest God strike him 
 with his lightning ; as for me, I wash my hands of his 
 sin." Out of respect for the Holy Eucharist, the com- 
 
Holy Communion m the Eastern Church. 385 
 
 municants are cautioned against expectorating during the 
 entire day. 
 
 Conmmnion under one Kind in the East. — Outside of Mass 
 the Orientals rarely administer Holy Communion under any 
 other form than that of bread. There is hardly any excep- 
 tion to this rule throughout the entire East when the Com- 
 munion is intended for the sick. The discipline of the 
 Greeks in this respect is very singular. They do not cele- 
 brate regular Mass on any of the days of Lent, except Satur- 
 days, Sundays, and the Feast of the Annunciation. In or- 
 der, then, that a sufficiency of consecrated Particles may be 
 always oh hand for the sake of the sick, they consecrate on 
 these occasions a large quantity of bread, which they steep 
 in the chalice before the Precious Blood is consumed. They 
 then take this sacred bread out, and, having placed it on a 
 large paten, apply heat to the latter until it becomes warm 
 enough to cause all the moisture of the Host to evaporate. 
 By this means the Holy Bread becomes almost as hard as 
 flint, and is rendered proof against all danger of corruption, 
 so that it may be put away with safety for an entire year, if 
 necessary. When communicating the sick afterwards with 
 this, ordinary wine is sprinkled over it in order to soften it 
 (Goar, Euchol. Grcec, p. 208). 
 
 Throughout the entire East the general term for a conse- 
 crated Particle is Margarita — that is, a pearl. The Syrians 
 call it Margonita, but both words are the same. The term 
 Carlo, a coal, is frequently applied to the large Host on ac- 
 count of its vivifying nature. 
 
 We shall now return to the end of the Communion accord- 
 ing to the Latin Rite. 
 
 After the priest has adjusted the chalice he goes to the 
 Epistle side, and there reads from the missal the prayer 
 called the " Communio," which is a short antiphon bearing 
 
386 TJie Celebration of Mass, 
 
 apon the feast of the day, and generally taken from the Psal- 
 ter. In former times this prayer was denominated " Anti- 
 phona ad Commnnionem," and it was customary to sing it, 
 together with some portions of a psalm, or, if necessary, the 
 entire psalm, while rhe priest was communicating the peoj)le. 
 Having read the '' Communio," the priest goes to the centre 
 of the altar, kisses it, and, having turned round to the people, 
 says: "Dominus vobiscum." He goes to the missal again, 
 and reads from it, in an audible tone, as many prayers called 
 *' Post-Communions " as he read collects at the beginning of 
 Mass. In many ancient missals the '' Post-Communion" is in- 
 scribed " Oratio ad complendum," or the concluding prayer, 
 because the moment it was said the people were dismissed 
 from church. During the Lenten season it was customary 
 to add a prayer for the sake of those who could not, for legi- 
 timate reasons, approach Holy Communion with the rest. 
 This used to be called the '* Oratio super Populum," and in 
 the Sacrament aries of Pope Gelasius and Pope Gregory the 
 Great we find it prescribed for eyery occasion on which any 
 of the people did not communicate. ISTow the " Oratio super 
 Populum " is confined solely to Lent, and is always the same 
 as the prayer said at Vespers, for the reason that, according 
 to the ancient discipline, Vespers and Mass formed one joint 
 act during this season — a vestige of which we have to-day in 
 the service of Holy Saturday — and the last prayer of the one 
 was made to serve for the other also. It must be borne in 
 mind that up to the twelfth century it was the rule during 
 Lent to defer the celebration of Mass until the ninth hour 
 of the day — that is, until three o'clock m the afternoon, 
 the time at which regular Vespers began. Up to this 
 hour all were obliged to remain fasting. When the disci- 
 pline of the Church was changed in this respect the after- 
 noon meal was appointed for midday, and Mass was changed 
 to the forenoon. The ^* Oratio super Populum," however, 
 
End of Mass. 387 
 
 was left as it stood, and this is wEy itself and the prayer at 
 Vespers are the same to-day. This prayer is never said on 
 Sunday, because that day was never kept as a fasting day. 
 
 After the last prayer the priest closes the book, and, hav-^ 
 ing turned round at the middle of the altar to the people, 
 salutes them for the last time with ^^Dominus vobiscum," 
 and, if the Mass of the day admit of it, subjoins, without 
 changing his position, '' Ite missa est " — " Go, the dismis- 
 sal is at hand." If the occasion should not admit of the 
 dismissal of the people, he says instead of this, but facing 
 the altar, ^^ Benedicamus Domino " — ^^ Let us bless the 
 Lord." According to the arrangement of Pope Pius V., the 
 rule to be guided by in this respect is that whenever the 
 "Te Deum " is said in the Divine Office "Ite missa est" is 
 said in the Mass ; but when the " Te Deum " is not said, 
 then "Benedicamus Domino." 
 
 The "Ite missa est " was originally an invitation to leave 
 the church ; but it is not so now, for Mass is not finished un- 
 til the end of the last Gospel. It is, therefore, like many 
 other things, merely kept up to preserve a vestige of an 
 ancient rite. The precise force of the "Benedicamus 
 Domino " said at this place will be readily seen when we 
 bear in mind that during the penitential seasons it was cus- 
 tomary to say some part of the Divine Office after Mass ; and 
 as the people generally were present at this, they were not 
 dismissed at the regular place, but were invited to remain 
 and continue their devotions to the Lord. Durandus tells 
 us that in many places it was customary to say "Benedica- 
 mus Domino" instead of "Ite .missa est " after the first 
 Mass on Christmas morning, for the reason that the office 
 of Lauds immediately followed, at which the people always 
 assisted. This custom is yet kept up at Lodi (Romsee, p. 
 330). 
 
388 The Celebration of Mass, 
 
 "ITE MISSA EST." 
 
 Touching the exact rendition of these words into Eng- 
 lish a diversity of opinion exists. According to some, the 
 full form is, ^^Ite missa est Hostia" — *^Go, the Host has 
 been sent on high"; according to others, it is, '^Ite missa 
 est ecclesia" — "Gro, the church, or assembly, is dismissed." 
 The great majority, howeyer, interpret the words in an en- 
 tirely different way, and in doing so they are supported by 
 the strongest authority. The word ^^ missa " here has precise- 
 ly the same meaning — and is, in fact, the same word, only in 
 a different form — as ^' missio," or " dimissio," the Latin noun 
 for dismissal J and therefore, according to this, '^Ite- missa 
 est "is nothing else but ^^ Ite missio est" — that is, "Go, 
 the dismissal is at hand." The practice of using the parti- 
 cipial form in such cases as this, instead of the real substan- 
 tive, was very common with the early Fathers, and we find 
 instances also of it in Cicero, Horace, Ovid, Virgil, and Sue- 
 tonius. TertuUian and St. Cyprian both use " remissa " in- 
 stead of " remissio." The first says, for example, " Diximus 
 de remissa peccatorum " (lib. iv. ad Marcio7iem) ; the second, 
 "Dominus baptizatur a servo, et remissani peccatorum da- 
 turus," etc. {Hierurgia, by Dr. Eock, p. 210, note). 
 
 Having said the "Ite missa est," the priest turns to the 
 altar, and, with hands placed upon it, recites the prayer, 
 "Placeat tibi, Sancta Trinitas," to the Holy Trinity, asking 
 that his service may be pleasing on high. After this prayer 
 he turns and blesses the people in the name of the Father, 
 and of the Son, and of the. Holy Ghost. In Masses for the 
 dead there is no blessing, for reasons that we shall presently 
 see ; nor is there any dismissal, because the people are sup- 
 posed to remain for the absolution of the body and its inter- 
 ment. The priest, on such occasions, turns to the altar and 
 simply says, " Requiescant in pace." 
 
End of Mass in Ancient Times, 389 
 
 Dismissal in the Eastern Church. — The forms used in 
 the Eastern Church vary with the different liturgies. In 
 some places the dismissal is, *^Go in peace"; in others, 
 **Let us depart in peace"; and in a number of places, 
 "Let us go in the peace of Christ." In the Liturgy 
 of St. James the expression is, "In the peace of Christ 
 let us depart." In most of the Oriental churches a long 
 prayer is sometimes read, called the prayer of dismissal, 
 after which all the people leave the church. According to 
 the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom, this prayer is worded as 
 follows : " The grace of thy lips, shining forth like a torch, 
 illuminated the world, enriched the universe with the trea- 
 sures of liberality, and manifested to us the height of 
 humility ; but do thou, our instructor, by thy words, Fa- 
 ther John Chrysostom, intercede to the Word, Christ our 
 God, that our souls may be saved. " 
 
 END OF MASS IK AKCIENT TIMES. 
 
 That Mass formerly terminated at the "Ite missa est" 
 is too well known to need proof, for the Gospel of St. John 
 is a late introduction. The old custom is yet kept up by 
 the Carthusians, who neither say the " Placeat tibi," as we 
 do, nor bless the people at this place. 
 
 The custom of blessing the people at this part of the Mass 
 only goes as far back as the tenth century. Before this time 
 the only blessing given was that spoken of as taking place 
 before the "kiss of peace" (Bona, p. 372 ; Eomsee, p. 334). 
 Some writers, from not having borne this carefully in mind, 
 have fallen into the strange blunder of saying that in 
 ancient times the blessing'used to be given before the "Ite 
 missa est." If by hefore they mean, in this case, what used 
 to take place at the " Pax," they are right ; but as they can- 
 not mean this, their mistake is a great one. This error 
 arose from the fact that the prayer now called the " Post- 
 
390 Tlie Celebration of Mass. 
 
 Communion" used to be anciently called the " Benedictio," 
 inasmuch as it was said to inyoke a blessing on all who had 
 communicated that day. No particular ceremonies attended 
 its recital, and no blessing was imparted before or after it. 
 Strabo makes this very clear when he says : "It was decreed 
 by the Council of Orleans that the people should not go 
 away from Mass before the blessing of the priest, by which 
 blessing is understood the last prayer that the priest re- 
 cites" (Bona, p. 372). 
 
 When the custom of blessing the people at the end of 
 Mass was introduced every priest blessed with a triple cross, 
 as bishops do now ; and this continued to be the rule until 
 the sixteenth century, when it was abrogated by Pope Pius 
 v., yet so as not to abolish it altogether, for he allowed it at 
 Solemn High Mass. Pope Clement VIII., however, entirely 
 restricted the triple form to bishops, and ordained that 
 priests should bless only with a single cross (Eomsee, 
 p. 336). The old custom of not blessing the people at all is 
 yet kept up in Masses for the dead. In the old law it was 
 customary, too, to pronounce a blessing over the people 
 before they were dismissed. This was generally worded as 
 follows : "May the Lord bless thee and keep thee ; may the 
 Lord show thee his face and have pity on thee ; may the 
 Lord turn his countenance to thee and grant thee peace " 
 (Bona, p. 373 ; Reasons of the Laio of Moses, by Maimon- 
 ides, notes, p. 402). The Jews even at the present day are 
 dismissed from their synagogues with this blessing, which 
 they all look upon with the greatest reverence. According 
 to many liturgical scholars of note, the triple blessing now 
 peculiar to bishops is founded on the three divisions made 
 of this ancient mode of blessing in use with the Jews, 
 which, as we see, is taken from the Book of Numbers, vi. 
 24-26 (Bona, ihid.) When the priests of the Carmelite 
 Rite have given the last blessing they kneel down on the 
 
The Gos^pel of SL John. 391 
 
 upper step of the altar and recite aloud the " Salve Eegina," 
 or '^Eegina Coeli" if it be Paschal time. 
 
 THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHi^". 
 
 After the priest has imparted his blessing he turns to the 
 Gospel corner of the altar, and there, standing with his face 
 a little turned towards the people, as at the first Gospel, 
 reads the ^'In principio," or Gospel of St. John. He" 
 kneels so as to touch the ground at the words '^et Verbum 
 caro factum, est'' — " And the Word was made flesh" — to 
 remind us of the profound humility of our Lord in becom- 
 ing man for our sake. 
 
 At the end of the Gospel the server answers, "Deo 
 gratias," and the Mass is ended. The priest then takes the 
 chalice with him into the sacristy, and, having unrobed 
 himself, remains some moments in acts of thanksgiving and 
 prayer. 
 
 History of the Gospel of St. John.— From the surpassing 
 sublimity of this Gospel many ancient philosophers used to 
 say that it ought to be written in letters of gold and con- 
 spicuously hung up in every church, in order that all might 
 be able to see it (Bona, p. 373). From the remotest days of 
 Christianity it has been held in the deepest veneration by all 
 classes of people, and many pious Catholics now, as well as 
 of old, carry their reverence for it so far as to wear it on 
 their persons. But it has not been always a part of the 
 Mass. Up to the time of Pope Pius V. a priest could say it 
 or omit it, just as he pleased, for it was then only a private 
 prayer, just like the " Benedicite." This holy Pontiff, how- 
 ever, finding how very much attached the people were to it, 
 inserted it in the missal which was drawn up by his orders, 
 and so made its recital obligatory on all, with certain special 
 exceptions. The bishop does not recite it at the altar in 
 Solemn High Mass, but only on the way back to his throne, 
 
392 Tlie Antidoron, 
 
 and it is never recited by the Carthusians, Cistercians, the 
 monks of Monte Casino, or those of Climy. At Lyons it 
 is recited by the priest on his way back from the altar, and 
 at Clermont it is said at the sacristy door (Eomsee, p. 341). 
 It has no place in the Mass of the Orientals, nor is it cus- 
 tomary to say it in the Pope's Chapel at Eome. 
 
 THE ANTID0K02S". 
 
 For the reason that many Protestants who travel in the 
 East are fond of saying when they come home that the Ori- 
 entals allowed them to partake of the ^' conse(?rated wafer," 
 meaning Holy Communion, we do not think that our work 
 would be complete if we failed to expose this deception. 
 From time immemorial it has been customary all through 
 the East to bless, before regular Mass begins, a large quan- 
 tity of bread at one of the side altars, and keep it for distri- 
 bution, after service is over, among all who, for some legiti- 
 mate reason, could not approach regular Communion on 
 that day. From the fact that it was given as a sort of sub- 
 stitute for ordinary Communion it used to be called the 
 Antidoron — that is, something in lieu of the Dor on, or gift, 
 as the Holy Eucharist was generally styled ; and all could re- 
 ceive it at pleasure. Its use is still kept up in the East, 
 and at one time it w^as also employed in the Western 
 Church. The French call it pain lenit. This is the true 
 account of what Protestant tourists are pleased to call the 
 *^ consecrated wafer " of the Oriental Church, and which 
 they often boast of having received. To them it certainly 
 ought to be something sacred, for it is, to say the least of it, 
 hlessed, and therefore far superior to any bread that they 
 have in their service; for the power of blessing resides not in 
 their ministers, but is enjoyed by those of the East, not- 
 withstanding that they may be heretical and schismatical at 
 the same time. 
 
A LIST 
 
 OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORS CONSULTED IN WRITING THE 
 PRESENT WORK. 
 
 Augustine, Saint, City of God. 
 
 Bona, Cardinal, Rer. Liturg. Antwerp, 1739. 
 
 " " Divma Psahnodia. 
 
 Benedict XIV., Pope, Be Sacrosanct. Missce Sacrif. et Mi- 
 
 chiridion. 
 Bouvry, Expositio Rulricarum Missalis et Bitualis. 
 
 " " *' Breviarii. 
 
 Bannister, Temples of the Hebrews. London, 1861. 
 Burder, Religious Cerem.onies and Customs. London, 1841. 
 Badger, The Nestorians and their Rituals. London, 1852. 
 Brerewood, Enquiries on the Diversity of Languages and 
 
 Religions. 1674. 
 Bingliam, Antiquities of the Christian Church, 
 Barry, The 8acramentals. 
 Breviary, Syriac Maronite. Eome, 1863. 
 Catalanus, Comment, in Pontifical. Romanum. 
 Cceremoniale Episcopo7-um. 
 
 " Prmdicatorum sen Dominicanorum, 
 
 " Carthusianorum. 
 
 " Carmelitarum. 
 
 Ceremonial of the Papal Chapel. 
 
394 A List of the Princiixd Authors Consulted, 
 
 Denzinger, Ritus Orientalium. 
 
 Durandus, Rationale Divinorum Offic. Naples, 1859. 
 
 De Herdt, Praxis Pontificalis. 3 toIs. 
 
 " 8acr, Liturg. Praxis. 3 vols. 
 De Conny, Les Ceremonies de VEglise. 
 
 '' ■ Reclierches sur V Abolition de la Liturg, Ant. dans 
 VEglise de Lyon. 
 De Montor, Lives of the Pojoes. 
 De Carpo, Cmremoniale juxta Ritum Romanum, 
 Ferraris, BiUiotheca. 
 
 Goar, Euchologium Grcecorum. Paris, 1647. 
 Gavantusand Merati, Thesaiir. Sacr. Rit. Missalis, Venice, 
 1749. 
 
 " " Thesaur. Sacr. Rit. Breviarii. 1749. 
 
 Gagarin, Tlie Russian Clergy. 
 Hefele, History of the Christian Councils. 
 Hemans, Catholic Italy. 2 yoIs. Florence, 1862. 
 Holy Days of the English Church. 
 Innocent III., Pope, De Sacro Altar is Mysterio. 
 Kozma, Liturgia Sacra Catholica. 
 Lobera, El Porque de todas las Ceremonias de la Iglesia, 
 
 1781. 
 Liturgia Mozaralica. 
 Lingard, History and Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon 
 
 Church. 
 Lamy, De Fide Syrorum et DiscipUna in re Eucharistica. 
 Le Brnn, Explication de la Messe. 2 vols. 
 Merati and Gavantus, Thesaur. Sacr. Rituum. 
 Martinucci, Manuale Sacr. Cceremoniarum. 4 vols. 
 Maimonides, Reasons of the Latus of Moses. 
 Maringola, Institutiones Litnrgicm. 2 vols. 
 Manuale Decretorum (up to 1866). 
 Moran, Origin, Doctrine, and Discipline of the Early Irish 
 
 Church, 
 
A List of the Principal Authors Consulted. 395 
 
 Morinus, De Sacris EcclesicB Ordinatio7iibus, 
 Miihlbauer, Comment, in Pontif. Romanum. 
 Martene, De Antiquis Ecclesice Ritihus. Venice, 1783. 
 Neale, Holy Eastern Churchy General Introduction, 2 vols. 
 
 " Hymns of the Eastern Church. 
 Neale and Littledale, Pri^nitive Liturgies, 
 North cote, The Roman Catacombs. 
 Newman, Tracts, Ecclesiastical and Theological. London, 
 
 1874. 
 PoetcB Christians. 
 Pococke, Travels in Egypt, etc. 
 Pleyer, De Sacrosancto Missce Sacrificio. 
 Pope, Holy Week in the Vatican. 
 Palma, Historia Ecclesiastica. 
 Riddle, Christian Antiquities. 
 
 Romanoff, Rites and Citstoms of the Greco-Russian Church. 
 Renandot, Liturgiarum Orie^italium Gollectio. 2 vols. 
 Romsee, Sensics Lit. Moralis ac Histor. Rit. ac Cm. Misses. 
 Rock, Church of our Fathers. 4 vols. 
 
 '' Hierurgia. 
 Schild, Manuale Liturgicum. 
 Semita Sanctorum. 
 
 Selvaggio, Institutiones Christianorum Antiquorum. 2 vols. 
 Smith and Dwight, Researches in Armenia. 2 vols. 
 Tondini, The Pope of Rome and the Eastern Popes. 
 Vetromile, Travels in Europe and the Holy Land, 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 (The numbers refer to the pages.) 
 
 Abaneth — name given by Moses to the cincture, 41. 
 
 i^.blution — ablution of the hands, 178; of the chalice, 370; how often a 
 bishop washes his hands when celebrating, 179; ancient practice 
 in this respect, 179. 
 
 Abouna — origin of the word — an xibyssinian prelate, 28. 
 
 Abyssinians — how governed in spirituals--present orthodox population 
 — ^number of the schismatics — their spiritual head— their ordina- 
 tions doubtful as to validity — celebrate Mass in the ancient 
 Ethiopic — its two dialects — ^why sometimes called the Chaldaic — 
 their singular devotion to the Mother of God, 28, 29; their 
 strange tradition regarding the Ark of the Covenant — keep tlie 
 Holy Eucharist in it — prayers and ceremonies used in blessing 
 it, 89. 
 
 Adar — ^last month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, 217. 
 
 Adrian II., Pope, gives permission to have Mass said in the Sclavonic 
 language, 24, 25. 
 
 Agnus Dei, 361 ; who introduced it into the Mass— its triple repetition, 
 362; apparition of the Mother of God regarding the " dona nobis 
 pacem," 363. 
 
 Alb — ^why so called, 36; antiquity of its use — formerly made of silk— its 
 ornamentation — the alb presented to St. Peter's at Rome by the 
 father of Alfred the Great — silken albs for Holy Thursday and 
 Holy Saturday— those of cloth-of-gold worn by the monks of 
 Cluny — albs of green, blue, and red in the Monastery of Peter- 
 borough — one of a black color used on Good Friday — figurative 
 meaning, 37; Alb of the Greeks— its material, 38; prayer said by 
 the Russian priests in donning it, 39. 
 
 AUeluia — its derivation and meaning — how esteemed by the early Chris- 
 tians, 221; what St. Anselm said about its celestial origin — when 
 omitted in the Mass, and why, 222. 
 
 ** Alma Redemptoris " — its author — see Hermcm/nus. Contractus, 
 
 897 
 
398 General Index. 
 
 Altar — its derivation — dimensions — material — the one used at the Last 
 Supper, 113 ; wooden altars of St. Peter yet preserved at Rome — 
 inscription upon one of them — the first Pope who made stone 
 altars obligatory— altars of gold, silver, and precious stones, 114; 
 silver altars presented to St. John Lateran by Constantine the 
 Great — altar of gold and gems bestowed by the Empress Pul- 
 cheria — the marvellous altar of the Church of Holy "Wisdom 
 (Sancta Sophia) at Constantinople — inscription upon its front, 
 115; tombs of the martyi's used as altars — why called "Memo- 
 ria," "Confessio," etc., 121; symbolism of altars, 116; altars of 
 the Oriental Church, 117; altar coverings, 117. 
 
 Altar cards — how many required by the rubrics, 119, 120. 
 
 Ambo — its use in ancient times — origin of the name — more than one 
 used in some churches — materials of which made, 219; devices 
 used upon them — where they are yet employed, 220. 
 
 Ambrosian Liturgy — its full history and peculiarities, 110, 111. 
 
 Amen — its meaning — antiquity of its use — same in every language, 214 ; 
 not answered at the end of the "Canon" on Easter Sunday 
 when the Pope is the celebrant, why, 356. 
 
 Amharic — see Etliiopic or Abyssinian. 
 
 Amice — origin of the name — its various appellations — not in use with 
 the Greeks — custom in regard to it with the Ambrosiahs and 
 Maronites — what the Armenians call it— description of theirs — its 
 early history, and the office it formerly served — how long this 
 continued — practice of the Capuchins and Dominicans regarding 
 the manner of wearing it — its mystical meaning, 35, 36. 
 
 Angel, a coin — why so called, 273. 
 
 Antidoron— its derivation— what it means— how Protestants travelling 
 in the East mistake it frequently for the Blessed Eucharist— what 
 the French call it, 392, 393. 
 
 Antimens— what they are— their use by the Orientals— how consecrated, 
 117, 118. 
 
 Antipendium— when used, and why so called— its color, etc., 113. 
 
 Apse — see frontispiece. 
 
 Aquarians— why so called— their heresy— what they offered in the 
 chalice, 165. 
 
 Arabic— the -pure Arabic of the Koran a dead language— liturgical 
 language of all the Mahometans, 32; the vernacular of the Maro- 
 nites, Copts, etc.— the Gospel of the Mass read in it after it has 
 first been read in the liturgical language, 23, 30. 
 
 _A.rabs — divided into three special classes— names and meaning of each 
 class, 109. 
 
 Archimandrite — origin and application of the word, 71. 
 
General Index, 399 
 
 Arius — his personal appearance — his real error — condemned at the 
 General Council of Nicaea in a.d. 325, 253. 
 
 Ark of the Covenant, 80 ; strange tradition of the Abyssinians concern- 
 ing it, 88. 
 
 Armenians — use unleavened bread in the Holy Eucharist — ^liturgical 
 language — ^patriarch — residence — their great monastery of San 
 Lazaro — do not mix water with the wine in the chalice, and why, 
 25, 26. 
 
 Artophorion — name of the receptacle in which the Blessed Sacrament is 
 reserved by the Greeks — where situated, 88. 
 
 "Aufer a nobis" — when said — meaning and reference of the expression 
 Holy of Holies, 190 ; antiquity of the prayer, 191. 
 
 Bali language — its relation to the Sanscrit — ^though now a dead language, 
 yet is used by the natives of Ceylon, Bali, Madura, and Java in 
 their religious service — language of Lamaism, 82. 
 
 Baradai, James — one of the reformers of Eutychianism — ^the Jacobites, 
 or Monopliysites^ of Syria, so called from him, 26. 
 
 Beca — one of the ancient insignia of the doctorate — what it is — its color, 
 etc., 55. . 
 
 Bells — their use in divine service — mentioned in the old law — large 
 ones described in the Mishna, 146; the first who introduced them 
 into the Christian Church — why called canipanm, why nolce — 
 ancient substitute for bells, 147; different kinds of semantrons — 
 why the Mahometans prohibit bells to be rung in their dominions, 
 147; concessions in this respect to the Christians of the East — 
 bells of the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem — ^the 
 Syrians ascribe their invention to Noe — their explanation of this, 
 148 ; bells of the Nestorians, Armenians, and Abyssinians — when 
 first introduced into the Eastern Church, and by whom, 149, 150; 
 Cretan ballad regarding their ringing — those used in the Russian 
 Church — the great monster bell of Moscow, 150 ; serves now as a 
 chapel, 151 ; bells silent the last days of Holy Week, and why, 
 152; names and dimensions of the largest bells in the world, 151. 
 
 Benedict XIV., Pope — how he used to say Mass sitting down during his 
 last sickness, 212. 
 
 Berretta — clerical cap — origin of the word — shape of berretta, 52; its 
 primitive form — date of its introduction as an article of clerical 
 attire — ^what its corners symbolize — its color — who may wear a 
 red one — description of a Cardinal's — that worn by doctors of 
 divinity — when it may be employed — ceremonies employed in 
 conferring it, 53; the oath taken — names of the institutions in the 
 TTnited States which have the privilege of conferring it — when 
 
400 General Index, 
 
 cardinals first received permission to ^vear a red one, 54, 55; 
 what the red color is intended to call to mind — substitute worn by 
 the Pope for a berretta — its matericil — description — when dofied — , 
 number of comers worn to the berretta by the clergy of France, 
 Spain, and Germany — ornamental one of the French uniyersities 
 for a doctor of divinity, for a canon — singular privilege granted 
 by the Holy See to the Catholic missionaries of China regarding 
 the use of the berretta at Mass, 56 ; berretta of the Orientals, 56, 
 57; the kind worn by the schismatieal Patriarch of Alexandria, 
 who never doffs it during !Mass — this right also arrogated by the 
 Patriarch of the Xestorians — the one used by the Copts, 57. 
 
 Bible — ^how the ancient Hebrews divided it, 217. 
 
 Bishop — why he vests at the altar, 180 ; the Greek bishops wear no mitre 
 like ours, 57; his blessing, 361. 
 
 " Black Clergy " — why so called by the Russians, 56. 
 
 Blessed Eucharist — ^brought home during the days of persecution — 
 brought on journeys sometimes, 377; given to children — buried 
 with the dead, 378 ; why this practice was discontinued — miracle 
 recorded, 379; ceremonies observed when given by the bishop, 
 379, 380 ; respect shown to it by the Church, 380 ; the great reve- 
 rence shown it all through Spain, §81 ; inserted formerly in the 
 altar instead of relics. See Relics^ also Koly Communion, for fur- 
 ther particulars. 
 
 Blessed Virgin — ^how represented in mediaeval art, 6; a letter supposed 
 to be written by her inserted as a relic in the Cathedral of Mes- 
 sina, 124. 
 
 Blessing of nuptials, according to the Kite of York, 6 ; see also Bridal 
 Jfass. 
 
 Book — see Jlissal. 
 
 Borromeo, St. Charles — chosen by the Council of Trent as one of the 
 committee to examine chui-ch music, 99. 
 
 Bread used at ^y^ass — leavened and unleavened — hovr baked, 153, 155; 
 devices used on the irons — the various interpretations of " I H S " 
 — ^its true meaning, 155, 156 ; breads, by whom made — story of St. 
 ^Venceslaus, Duke of Bohemia, 157; size of the bread — ^form — 
 breads of the Oriental Church, 158; ceremonies attending their 
 making, 159 ; how strict the Oriental canons are on this head, 
 160 ; bread used by the Greeks — ceremonies attending its prepara- 
 tion at the Prothesis — meaning of its quadrangular shape — in- 
 scription stamped upon it, 161, 162, 164; inscription of the Coptic 
 bread— history of the Trisagion, 162, 168. 
 
 Breaking of the Host — explanation and history of this rite — into how 
 many parts it is broken by the Mozarabics — their different names, 
 
Oenerul Index. 401 
 
 358, 359; the breaking of the Host in the Eastern Church, 859, 
 360. 
 
 Burse — its material and use, 85. 
 
 Cabala — what the word means with the rabbins, 188. 
 
 Caliph—origin and application of the word, 41. 
 
 Calotte — see Zucchetto, 
 
 Canon — origin of the word — its various applications, 295; care taken 
 by the Church of this part of the Mass — instances of her unwill- 
 ingness to change any part of it. 296 ; its great antiquity — names 
 given it by the early Fathers — where it anciently began, 297; why 
 read in secret — singular story upon this head related in the 
 Spiritual Meadow of John Moschus — a precedent for this silence 
 — what the Mishna says about it, 298, 299 ; picture at the begin- 
 ning of the Canon — ancient customs, 300. 
 
 Canonical fingers — why the thumb and index-finger are so called, 280 ; 
 how the priest joins these fingers after the consecration of the 
 Host — the reason of this practice, 329. 
 
 Cap, clerical — see Berretta. 
 
 Cardinal's berretta — full history of it, 53, 54. 
 
 Cardinal's red hat — date of its introduction — to whom first granted, 55. 
 
 Cardinal Vitelozzi— chosen by the Council of Trent as one of the com- 
 mittee to examine church music, 09. 
 
 " Care-cloth " — what it was used for, and when, 6. 
 
 Carmelites — ^by whom founded, 01; their history and the manner in 
 which they say Mass, 106, 107. 
 
 Carthusians — why so called — who founded them, 61 , the peculiarities of 
 their manner of celebrating Mass — other privileges enjoyed by 
 them, 104, 105. 
 
 Cassock — ancient name — material, 60; color — the kind given by the 
 University of Paris to doctors of theology and canon law — who 
 empowered them to do this, 61 ; Oxford said to enjoy the same 
 privilege — cassocks with pendants to them — meaning of this cus- 
 tom — color and material of the cassock worn by our Holy Father 
 the Pope — antiquity of this practice, 62. 
 
 Catacomb — what the Catacombs are— origin of the word, 70. 
 
 Catechumen— origin of the word — its application — how many classes of 
 catechumens in the early Church — ^where their Mass began and 
 ended — their expulsion from the church, 2, 247, 248. 
 
 Cenacle of Sion — account of it — indulgences granted to all who visit it 
 with the proper dispositions, 18, 
 
 Ceremony — origin of the word, 3. 
 
 Chaldaic language — ^has eighteen alphabets — by whom used in the Mass 
 — ^how the word is used in the East, 24 
 
402 General Index. 
 
 Chalice — its present form — why made formerly in shape of an apple — 
 chalice used by our Lord at the Last Supper, 69, 70; material of 
 the chalice — chaUces of pewter — why those of brass, glass, and 
 wood forbidden — ^glass chalices used in the very early days, 70, 71 ; 
 also those made of wood — ^what St. Boniface said when questioned 
 upon this head — ^wooden chalices interdicted by the canons of 
 King Edgar of England — chalices of marble, 71; of precious 
 stones — of horn and ivory — ^those of horn prohibited by the Synod 
 of Calcuith — decree of the Council of Rheims regarding their ma- 
 terial — ornamentation of chalices formerly — the various devices 
 employed in them, 72 ; ministerial chalices, 72 ; to whose charge 
 entrusted— off ertorial chalice — baptismal chalices — chalices with 
 tubes or reeds attached — how adjusted, 73, 74; vestige of this 
 custom yet in Papal High Mass, 74; chalices of the Orientals — 
 those used by the Copts — why their consecration is not generally 
 observed in the East, 75 ; miracles recorded on this head — form 
 and ceremonies of the consecration of a chalice according to the 
 Coptic Eitual — always consecrated in the Latin Church — opinion 
 of Diana upon the necessity of this, 76. 
 
 '* Charter-House ]\Ionks " — see Carthusians, 
 
 Chasuble — ^why so called — ancient form — material — when the present 
 kind came into use — how introduced — upon what authority, 49, 
 50 ; chasuble of the Orientals — the one used by the Maronites — 
 Coptic chasuble — chasuble worn by the Greeks — that in use 
 among the bishops of Russia — Xestorian chasubles, 51 ; that used 
 by the Hungarian Greeks — its name among the Syrians — what 
 called in ancient Latin — how named by the Greeks, 52 ; St. Pe- 
 ter's, 21. 
 
 Chorepiscopus, 175. 
 
 Christians, ancient — how they assisted at Mass, 211. 
 
 Christmas day — mystical meaning of its three Masses — who instituted 
 them, 169. 
 
 Ciborium — why so called — when used — its ancient meaning, 77. 
 
 Cincture-^antiquity of its use — its various names- -ancient form, materi- 
 al, color, etc., 39; the one found at the ruins of Durham — men- 
 tioned in Holy Scripture, 40 ; description of the Aaronic cincture 
 as given by Josephus, 41 ; that worn by our Lord yet preserved 
 at Aix-la-Chapelle — when exposed for veneration — our Blessed 
 Lady's kept at Prato, in Tuscany, 42 ; cincture of the Orientals — 
 what the Mahometan rulers of Egypt used to enact regarding its 
 daily use by the Christians of that country — ^name given it by 
 Moses, 41; cincture of the Russian priests — moral signification, 
 41, 42. 
 
General Index. 403 
 
 Clergy— origin of the word, 32. 
 
 Coeur de Lion — Richard I., King of England — his zeal in leading the 
 choir at Mass, 101. 
 
 Collar, Roman — when introduced— custom regarding its use among the 
 religious orders generally — its ancient form — laws relating to it 
 passed in France, Belgium, and Italy, 59 ; how it varies in color 
 with the rank of the wearer — the kind worn by cardinals — by 
 bishops — by monsignores — by canons, 60. 
 
 Collects — number generally said — why so called, 213; collects of the 
 Orientals, 214. 
 
 Cologne — history of its great cathedral — possesses the skulls of the Magi 
 —how preserved, 282. 
 
 Comb— when used in the jMass— full history of it, 286, 287. 
 
 " Communicantes " — ^how our Blessed Lady is here styled — how styled in 
 the Oriental liturgies, 310, 311 ; brief history of the saints herein 
 mentioned, 312 to 321; why none but martyrs are mentioned, 
 312; why SS. Mark and Luke are not named, 321. 
 
 *' Communio " — ^how this prayer was designated in ancient times, 386. 
 
 Communion — see Holy Communioyi. 
 
 Concelebration — what it means — how long practised in the Latin Church 
 — what Pope Innocent III. says concerning it — vestiges of it 
 remain unto this day, 173; questions started concerning it, 174; 
 the Orientals practise it yet, 175. 
 
 Confession — see Confiteor. 
 
 Confiteor — its antiquity — when reduced to its present form — the Con- 
 fiteor of the Sarum Rite, how worded — form used by the Domini- 
 cans, 187; why the priest strikes his breast three times when 
 saying it — ancient precedents for this practice — confession in the 
 old law, 188; form of wording — nothing can be added to the 
 Confiteor without the permission of the Holy See — what orders 
 have the privilege of adding the name of their founder — con- 
 fession in the Oriental Church — its form Tvith the Maronites, 
 189. 
 
 Consecration — explanation of both forms, with comments on the words 
 of the narration and those of institution, 324 to 330; strange 
 opinion of Ambrosius Catharinus about "benedixit" — what hap- 
 pened, according to his views, when our Lord pronounced the bless- 
 ing in each case — views upon this head of St. Thomas Aquinas and 
 St. Augustine, 327. 328 ; what Fromondus says — into how many 
 parts our Lord broke the bread on this occasion, 328 ; custom of 
 the Eastern and "Western Church in this respect, 329 ; consecra- 
 tion of the chalice — full explanation of all the ceremonies and 
 actions — comments on the form and on its dUBferent clauses, 380, 
 
404 General Index. 
 
 331; consecration in the Oriental Church — words pronounced 
 aloud — ^people answer, 333, 334. 
 
 Constantinopolitan Creed — see Symlol. 
 
 Coptic language — its connection with the ancient Egyptian — who say 
 Mass in it — origin of the word Copt — liturgies used by this peo- 
 ple, 26, 27. 
 
 Corporal — why so called— its material and size— decree of Pope Silves- 
 ter concerning its material, 83 ; of the Council of Rheims also, 83, 
 84 ; who first prescribed linen corporals, and why — corporals of the 
 Orientals, 84. 
 
 "Corpus Christi" — full account of the institution of this feast — the 
 author of its Mass and office, 78. 
 
 Council of Trent — what it enacted concerning Private Masses, 8. 
 
 Creed — see Symtol. 
 
 Cross— ancient customs regarding the manner of making it, 181 ; how 
 the Spanish peasantry make it — the various ways of holding the 
 fingers while making it in former times, 182 ; custom of the 
 Orientals in this respect, 182, 183; singular way in which the 
 fingers are disposed by the Greeks — meaning of this practice, 183 ; 
 formula used by the Maronites in making it, 184; different kinds 
 of crosses, 126, 127; triple cross a misconception — history of the 
 double cross, or that generally called the Archiepiscopal, 127 ; the 
 two prelates who have a special right to carry a double cross 
 to-day — Jansenistic crosses — why so called — how formed, 128 ; 
 crosses after consecration, what they mean, 338, 339 ; made also 
 by the Orientals at this part, 339. 
 
 Cunegunda, St. — her trial for suspected adultery by the so-called Mass 
 of Judgment — her innocence, 16. 
 
 Cuthbert, St. — how he wept when chanting the Preface, 97. 
 
 Dagon — false god — falls to the ground before the Ark of the Covenant, 80. 
 
 *'Deo gratias" — when said — custom of the ancient Christians regarding 
 it, 218. 
 
 De Vert — his great work on the ceremonies of the Church — ^his singular 
 views regarding the literal meaning of the ceremonies of the Mass, 
 50. 
 
 Diana — ^his opinion regarding the necessity of consecrating the chalice 
 before using it at Mass, 76. 
 
 " Die verbo " — why used instead of " Die verbum " in the form of Com- 
 munion, 367. 
 
 " Dies Irae "—its history, author, and merits — see Sequences. 
 
 Dikerion, 183. 
 
 Diptychs — why so called — dissertation on them, 307 to 309; their use 
 in the Oriental Church, 309. 
 
General Index. 405 
 
 Discipline of the Secret — ^what it was and how long it prevailed in the 
 Eastern and Western Church— what came under it, 1. See also 
 Sermon. 
 
 Doctorate — its insignia, 53; doctor's cap— ceremonies gone through in 
 conferring it — the oath taken — what institutions in the United 
 States have the right to confer the degree and its insignia, 53, 54; 
 custom of Salamanca, 55. 
 
 Dominicans — their history and manner of saying Mass, 107, 108. 
 
 **Dominus vobiscum" — ^whence taken — different forms of salutation 
 among the ancient Hebrews — how careful they were to have God's 
 name or some of his peculiar prerogatives mixed up in each, 208; 
 how the Oriental priests salute the people at Mass, 209 ; how 
 bishops salute after the " Gloria in excelsis " — see Paxvobis. 
 
 Duns Scotus — ^his analysis of the Creed, 250. 
 
 Easter Sunday — ^how regulated so as not to be celebrated with the Jew- 
 ish Passover, 32G. 
 
 Eckius — his erroneous notions about the language in which Mass was 
 first celebrated, 20. 
 
 Elevation — when it took place formerly— origin and cause of the present 
 discipline in this respect, 332, 333; elevation in the Oriental 
 Church — ^impressive demonstrations of the Orientals at this part 
 of the Mass, 335 ; beautiful profession of faith in the Real Pre- 
 sence made on this occasion by the Copts, 336 ; additional parti- 
 culars, 337, 338. 
 
 Ely — description of its ancient cathedral, 167. 
 
 Embolismus — addition to the " Pater noster " — see Pater noster. 
 
 Ephesus — ^general council held here in 431 — Nestorius condemned, 24. 
 
 Ephod, 35. 
 
 Epimanikia — maniples of the Orientals — their description and history 
 — their material — how those worn by the bishops of the Eastern 
 Church have images or icons upon them — ^what they are called by 
 the Syrians — by the Armenians — by the Russians, 45. 
 
 Epistle — manner of reading it — mystic meaning of, 215. 
 
 Epitrachelion — Oriental stole, 48. 
 
 Esdras — one of the Introits taken from the apocryphal Fourth Book, 198. 
 
 Estrangelo — origin of the word, and comments upon it, 24. 
 
 Ethiopic canon — meaning of, 29. 
 
 Eucharist — how reserved in ancient times — how reserved now — manner 
 of reserving it in the Oriental Church — Coptic custom, 87, 88, 89. 
 
 Evangelists — how symbolized in art, and why, 294. 
 
 " Exultet " — author of this anthem — its music, etc., 96. 
 
 Faithful — ^how summoned to church during the days of persecution, 151. 
 
 Fasting days in the Eastern Church— how rigidly they keep Lent, 171. 
 
4:06 General Index, 
 
 "Filioque" — ^who first inserted it in the Creed — why — when this was 
 supposed to have been done — what Charlemagne did about it — 
 what Pope Leo III. said to the emperor's legates — what the H0I7 
 Father did to preserve the Creed inviolate — ^to whom the authori- 
 tative insertion of the clause is ascribed — ^the G-reek CathoHcs are 
 not required to insert it now, even in the hearing of the Pope, 258 
 to 263. See also Symbol. 
 
 First Sunday of Advent — how regulated, 139. 
 
 Gallic Eite, 112. 
 
 " Gaudete Sunday " — why so called — what color cardinals wear on this 
 day at Mass and out of Mass, 65. 
 
 Gemara — commentary on the Jewish Mshna, 146. 
 
 " Gloria in excelsis " — its author, 205; discipline of the early Church re- 
 garding it, 205, 206. 
 
 "Gloria Patri," etc. — how said in ancient times — ^what additions the 
 Council of Xiceea made in it, 185, 186. 
 
 God Almighty — ^known to the Hebrews under ten different names — 
 meaning of each name, 222. 
 
 Golden Rose — ^upon what occasion it is exhibited by the Pope — its full 
 history, meaning, blessing, and to whom generally given, 65. 
 
 Gospel — ceremonies employed in reading it — ^why read sideways — the 
 meaning of the crosses made, 233 ; why all stand up — ^what mili- 
 tary knights are accustomed to do here — kissing the Gospel, cere- 
 mony of, 234; Gospel at Solemn High Mass, 235; ceremonies 
 attending its chanting, and their meaning — full explanation, 236, 
 237; respect shown to the Gospel in ancient times — how the sacred 
 volume used to be bound, 238 ; Gospel in the Oriental Church — 
 ceremonies attending its reading, 239. 
 
 Gospel of St. John, 391 ; how reverenced in ancient times — what the pri- 
 mitive Christians used to do with it — encomiums passed upon it 
 by pagan, philosophers — when it became obKgatory in the Mass, 
 892. 
 
 Gottes- Acker — meaning of this expression, and full history of how ten- 
 derly the primitive Christians spoke of the faithful departed, 
 344, 345. 
 
 Gradual — why so called, 221. 
 
 Grand Lama — how surrounded by lights, 135. 
 
 Gregorian Chant — see Music. 
 
 Gregorian Style — ^how Easter Sunday is determined by this mode, 328. 
 
 Gregory the Great, Pope — ^his reliquary, 47; what he did for church 
 music — see Musig, 
 
 Gudule's, St. — Golden Mass said there, 7. 
 
 Hagiographa — ^the books that were included under this name, 217. 
 
General Index, 407 
 
 " Hanc igitur "—how tMs prayer is recited, and why— its author— how 
 recited formerly, and hoAv the Carmelites now recite it— how old 
 the present custom of reciting it is, 322. 
 
 Hebrew words retained in the Mass, 203. 
 
 Hegumenos— his position in the Oriental Church, 71. 
 
 Heliodorus— attempts to rob the Temple of Jerusalem— he is frightfully 
 punished, 80, 81. 
 
 Heretic — origin and theological application of the word, 303. 
 
 Hermannus Contractus — apparition of the Mother of God enjoyed by him 
 — his writings and history, 224, 225. 
 
 Hindoos — allow none but the Brahmins to read the Veda — read in a dead 
 language, 32. 
 
 "Holiness to Jehovah" — inscription used on the golden plate of the 
 high-priest, 42. 
 
 Holy Blood — relic of it sent from Jerusalem to Henry III. of England, 
 and preserved for some time in St. Paul's, London, 64. 
 
 Holy Communion — Communion of the priest, 366 to 368 ; of the peo- 
 ple, 369, 370; in ancient times, 371, 372; under both kinds, 378; 
 when this practice was discontinued, and why — exceptions made 
 in certain cases, 374; order of receiving in ancient times — manner 
 of receiving, 375 ; Holy Communion in the Eastern Church, 381, 
 382 ; how distributed — extraordinary care of the Orientals regard- 
 ing its distribution— how administered to the laity, 383, 384 — Com- 
 munion under one kind in the East, 385. See also Blessed Eiu- 
 diarist. 
 
 Holy Fan — its use in the Mass in the early days — to whom assigned — 
 workmanship of these fans, 284 ; their full history in the Western 
 Church — fans of the Oriental Church — the kind in use with the 
 Maronites— the Greek fans, 285. 
 
 "Holy God, Holy Strong One," etc.— the Trisagion, 162, 163, 293. 
 
 " Holy Lamb " — what the Greeks mean by it, 161. 
 
 Holy of Holies, 190. 
 
 Holy A%ticum — Coptic custom regarding it, 11, 12; how carried to the 
 sick, 90; Oriental usage regarding it — given in the East only 
 under one kind — demonstrations made on the way before it — cus- 
 tom of the Syro-Jacobites, 90, 91; how the Spaniards act when 
 they see it passing by, 381. See also Blessed Eucharist and Holy 
 Communion. 
 
 Holy "Wisdom — church of this name built at Constantinople by Justinian 
 — history of it, 115 ; its marvellous altar — see Altar. 
 
 Homoousios — ^history of this celebrated word — what the Fathers of Mcsea 
 meant by it — how Arius refused to accept it — its insertion in the 
 Creed, 253, 254 
 
408 General Index. 
 
 Host, sacred— dancing before it at Seville, 381. 
 " House of the Dove " — church so called — why, 87. 
 '* I H S " — the various interpretations given it from time to time — its true 
 meaning, 155, 156. 
 
 Incense — antiquity of its use in divine service — when employed now — 
 the Maronites use it at Low Mass— its several spiritual significa- 
 tions — why used at the obsequies of the dead — its use with the 
 Orientals, 92 to 94. 
 
 Introit— why so called — how recited — its name with the Ambrosians, 
 Mozarabics, Carthusians, and Carmelites — who introduced it into 
 the Ma&s, 195 : who it was that arranged the present order of In- 
 troits, and according to what plan — the version of the Xew Tes- 
 tament employed on this occasion — difference in wording between 
 the psalms of the Mass and those of the Divine Office — how ac- 
 counted for — whence they are taken, 1 96 ; history of that which 
 is taken from the apocryphal book of Esdras, 197; scope of the 
 Introits — their mystical meaning, 198 ; Introits of the Eastern 
 Church, and ceremonies attending them, 200. 
 
 Islam — origin and application of the word, 32. 
 
 " Ite Missa est " — various interpretations of the phrase — how it ought to. 
 be translated, 388, 389 — end of Mass in ancient times, 390. 
 
 Jami — a Mahometan temple of worship— difference between it and a 
 mosque, 183. 
 
 Jansenistic crosses — see Crosses. 
 
 Jews — why obliged in some countries to wear a yellow badge — how 
 Judas was represented in mediasval art, 64. 
 
 John of Mount Cornelio— his Office of Corpus Christi suppressed, 78. 
 
 John YIII., Pope — his confirmation of the privilege of saying Mass in 
 Sclavonic — upon what conditions, 25. 
 
 Jubilation — see Sequence. 
 
 Judas — why painted by all the ancient and mediseval artists with yellow 
 hair, 64. 
 
 Julian the Apostate — sends Ms men to plunder the " Golden " Church at 
 Antioch — fi'ightful example made of them, 81, 82. 
 
 Juliana, Blessed — her vision of the Blessed Sacrament — what it led to— 
 full history of everything concerning the feast, 78. 
 
 Kalkasendas — ^his account of the rising of the Xile, 214. 
 
 Kiss of peace — see Pax. 
 
 Knigbts of St. John — their several names and history, 234. 
 
 Koran — why so called — its language — how the Mahometans try to prove 
 its miraculous nature — its constraction — ^by whom the false pro- 
 phet was aided in composing it, 31. 
 
 Kremlin— origin of the word — what the Kremlin is, loO. 
 
General Index. 409 
 
 Kyrie eleison — its ancient name — why said nine times — who introduced 
 it into the Mass, 201; ancient customs regarding its recital— at 
 how many different parts of the Mass the Ambrosians recite it — 
 why said in Greek, 202 ; Oriental usage regarding its recital, 204. 
 
 " Lady Mary " — title given by the Abyssinians to the Blessed Virgin, 28. 
 
 Laetare Sunday — why so called— color of cardinal's dress on this day at 
 Mass and out of Mass — full account of the blessing of the Golde:i 
 Rose, 65. 
 
 Lamaism — language of, 32. 
 
 Languages in which Mass is celebrated to-day — brief account of each, 
 and of the people who employ them, 21. 
 
 " Lauda Sion " — its author and history — see Sequence. 
 
 Leabhar Breac — its date, 65. 
 
 Legends regarding the Blessed Sacrament and the Feast of Corpus 
 Christi, 78, 79. 
 
 Lent in the Eastern Church — see Fasting days. 
 
 Lights — antiquity of their use at Mass, 21; full history of them, 132, 
 133, 134. 
 
 Liturgy of St. Basil — when used in the East — see Dissertation. 
 
 Liturgy of St. Chrysostom — when used — see Dissertation. 
 
 Liturgy of St. James, 204; see also Dissertation. 
 
 Lyonese Rite, 112. 
 
 Maniple — its material — form — ancient names — primitive use, 43; how 
 long it served this purpose — little bells often attached to it for- 
 merly, 44 ; maniple of the Orientals, 45. 
 
 Maronites — origin of the name — say Mass in Syriac — how governed — 
 number of their clergy, secular and regular, 23, 24, 184. 
 
 Marriage of the Oriental clergy, 22. 
 
 Mass — why so called — not froin Ilassah, Myesis, Mes, or Messe — not 
 connected with the affix in Cliristmas, Childermas, Michaelmas, 
 etc., 1; Mass of the Catechumens and Mass of the Faithful — 
 meaning of these appellations— different names by which the 
 Mass was anciently known, 2; explanation of each, 3; Solemn 
 High Mass — Simple High Mass — Low Mass — Conventual I\Lt,ss — 
 Bridal Mass, 4; Golden Mass — Private Mass, 7; Dry Mass, 10; 
 Evening and Midnight Mass, 11, 12; Mass of the Presanctified, 
 12; Solitary Mass, 8; Votive Mass, 9; Dry Mass, 10; Mass of 
 Requiem — Mass of Judgment, 14; Bridal Mass according to the 
 Sarum Rite, 5 ; number of Masses that a priest may say on the 
 same day — ancient discipline in this respect — how many Pope 
 Leo III. is said to have celebrated in one day, 168 — Masses of 
 Christmas day — of other privileged days — concession to the 
 Spaniards in case of the Masses said on the commemoration of 
 
•ilO General Index, 
 
 the faithful departed, commonly called All Souls' day, 16^ 
 when Mass cannot be celebrated; and why— reason given by St. 
 Thomas Aquinas — the custom of the priests of the Ambrosian 
 Rite in this respect, IT ; Mass of Holy Saturday— its peculiar 
 wording — how explained, 18; meaning of the expression "dies 
 obitus seu depositionis " in the Mass of Requiem— why the de- 
 parted souls are commemorated on the third, seventh, thirtieth 
 day and anniversary of their death, 14 ; first Mass, by whom cele- 
 brated — when, where, and in what language, 18, 19; the nine 
 different languages in which it is celebrated to-day — brief account 
 of each, 21 to 38 ; must be said fasting— antiquity of this discipline 
 — exceptions which it admitted formerly, 177; practice of the 
 Oriental Church in this respect, 178; the priest who celebrates 
 must wear shoes — those of the Nestorian Rite celebrate in naked 
 feet after the manner of the Jewish high-priest— ancient rules 
 regarding the color of the shoes worn while celebrating, 176; 
 Mass in the Eastern Church — niles regarding its celebration — 
 daily Mass very rare in the East — Dry Mass of the Nestorians, 
 170; Armenian discipline, 171; why Mass is said in Latin, 33; 
 the missionaries of China say it with caps on — who granted this 
 privilege, and why, 56; ancient custom of saying Mass for the 
 dead at any time of the day, fasting or not fasting — Evening Mass 
 in the Oriental Church, 11 ; Midnight Mass in Russia and in the 
 Eastern Church, 13 ; where Mass ended in ancient times, 533. 
 
 Mayence, council of — what it decreed regarding Solitary Masses, 9. 
 
 Memento for the dead, 343; ancient customs, 344; dissertation on the 
 word "sleep" as used here instead of "death," 344, 345; how the 
 faithful departed are prayed for in the Eastern Church — speci- 
 mens of the beautiful prayers used, 345 to 347. 
 
 Memento for the living — who may be prayed for here — ancient rites, 
 306. 
 
 Micrologus, 191. 
 
 Minor doxology — see Gloria Patri. 
 
 Minor elevation — when it takes place, 353. 
 
 Mishna, 146, 188. 
 
 "Missa Papas Marcelli " — history of this Mass, 99. 
 
 Missal— how printed — where it begins, 139; how supported — spiritual 
 signification of the cushion, 140— ancient missals — author of the 
 first one, 140, 141 ; full history of the missal now in use, 143, 143 ; 
 missals of the Oriental Church, 143, 144. 
 
 Monophysites — origin and application of the word — how they make the 
 sign of the cross, and why, 26, 184. 
 
 Monstrance — its various names — what used for — when first introdiK^cd 
 
General Index. 411 
 
 77, 78 ; its early form — tlic kind now used by the Cistercians of 
 France — what its present shape recalls to mind — its material, 79. 
 
 Mooi-s, or Mauri, 109. 
 
 Moslem — same as Mussulman. 
 
 3Iotet — origin and application, 270. 
 
 Mount Athos — its monasteries — the Holy Mountain of the Eastern 
 Church, 150. 
 
 Mozarabic Liturgy— its full history, 108 to 110. 
 
 Mozart's Mass of Requiem — 228. 
 
 "Munda cor meum," 231. 
 
 Music, sacred — to whom we are principally indebted for its introduction 
 into the Christian Church — to whom for its preservation, 95 ; the 
 eight modes of Greek music, 96 ; full history of the Gregorian 
 Chant, 96 to 99 ; musical instruments not in use with the Car- 
 thusians, Cistercians, Lyonese, or in any of the churches of the 
 East, nor are they used in the Papal choir, 100. 
 
 Mussulman — see Islam. 
 
 Nails — the number by which our Lord was fastened to the cross — history 
 of these nails, 129. 
 
 Nestorians — why so called — their other names, 24; their missals, 144. 
 
 Nicaea — council held there — history of its transactions — Constantine the 
 Great attends it — description of him, 251, 252. 
 
 Nilometer, 214 
 
 " Nobis quoque peccatoribus, " 347; why silence is broken here, 348. 
 
 fficumcnical — derivation and application of this word, 256. 
 
 Offertory — why so called — early practice regarding it — rules regarding 
 the offerings presented at this place, 266 ; where the ancient cus- 
 tom is yet kept up — how long it continued before abrogated — 
 order in which the offerings were presented, 267; what was done 
 with the surplus, 268 ; horses and the armorial bearings of knights 
 and nobles sometimes offered in Masses for the dead, 269 ; wiiy 
 in the oblation of the chalice the plural form is used instead of 
 the singular, 278; Offertorium in Masses for the dead— defence 
 and explanation of its true meaning, 270 to 272; Offertory in 
 the Oriental Church, 283, 284. 
 
 Omophorion, or Horaophorion — why so called — its material and resem- 
 blance to our pallium — all Greek bishops wear it — its mystic 
 meaning, 240. 
 
 Orarium — ancient name of the stole — origin of the word, 48. 
 
 "Orate fratres" — ancient mode of saying it and the variations it admit- 
 ted — how said in the Sarum Rite, 282. 
 
 Order of the Thistle, 313. 
 
 Organ — when first introduced into the Christian Church, and by whom 
 
412 General Index, 
 
 — the monster organ of the ancient Cathedral of Winchester, in 
 England, 100, 101. 
 
 Orsini, Cardinal — supposed author of the "Dies Ira?," 236. 
 
 Palestrina — his real name — what he did for church music — brief history 
 of his labors, 99. 
 
 Pall — its material, dimensions, use — when introduced — Carthusian cus- 
 tom, 85. 
 
 " Pange lingua " — its author, 78. 
 
 Panhagia — the pectoral cross of the Eastern bishops, 47. 
 
 Papal choir — see Sacred Music. 
 
 Papal cross — see Cross. * 
 
 Paschal time — its limits in England, Ireland, and the United States, 373. 
 
 Paten — its material — size in ancient times — the kind used by the 
 Orientals — appalling punishment of a nobleman who washed his 
 feet in one, 77 — why the subdeacon takes the paten from the 
 altar at the Offertory and holds it up before his face until after 
 the "Pater noster," 373. 
 
 "Pater noster," 355; meaning of its short preface — how the Orientals 
 recite it — how the Mozarabics — sequence of this prayer, 356. 
 
 Patriarch of Alexandria says Mass with cap on, 57; Patriarch of the 
 Nestorians does the same thing, 57; the old title of patriarch yet 
 retained in the Latin Church — names of the twelve sees that are 
 ruled by patriarchs at the present day, 138. 
 
 Pax, or kiss of peace, 363; ceremonies attending it— ancient customs 
 regarding it, 364, 365— Pax in the Oriental Church, 366. 
 
 " Pax vobis " — why said by the bishop — its history, 308, 309. 
 
 Pectoral cross — what it was originally — that of Pope Gregory the Great 
 — substitute for it used by the Oriental bishops, 47. 
 
 Pergolesi— his famous "Stabat Mater," 99. 
 
 Pictures — used instead of statues all through the East, and why, 94. 
 
 Post-Communio, 386. 
 
 Preface — why so called — why the priest does not turn to the people here 
 when he says "Dominus yobiscum, " 388 ; what the Mozarabics 
 call it — number formerly in use, 389; number in use to-day — 
 remarks on the sublime Preface of the Blessed Trinity, 390, 
 291; miraculous Preface of the Blessed Virgin — vrhcn inserted 
 among the others, and by whom, 391, 393 — Preface of the Ori- 
 ental Church, 393. 
 
 Profaners of sacred vessels and vestments — how punished by the hand 
 of God, 80, 81, 83. 
 
 Purgatory — how styled by the Orientals, 346, 347. 
 
 Puriflcator — called also mundatory — its material and dimensions — when 
 introduced — what the Greeks use as puriflcator, and why, 84, 85. 
 
General Index, 413 
 
 Pyx— what it is used for, 89 ; its shape— how carried on the person, 90. 
 
 Kehcs — by whom placed in the altar— when — how many — why, 122; 
 Holy Eucharist used to be inserted very often in former times, 
 123 ; a letter supposed to have been written by the Blessed Virgin 
 inserted in the cathedral altar at Messina— copy of this curious 
 document and its history, 124, 125 — relics inserted by the Ori 
 entals, 125. 
 
 Ivheims, council of — its decree concerning the chalice and paten, 72. 
 
 Rites, varying, within the Church, 103 to 112. 
 
 Rubric — origin and meaning of the word, 139. 
 
 Saints, worship of, in the Oriental Church, 321. 
 
 Sarum Rite, 187. 
 
 Sancta Sophia, or Church of Holy Wisdom, at Constantinople— its his- 
 tory, 115. 
 
 Schismatic— origin and application of the word, 303. 
 
 Secretas, or secret prayers — Avhy so called — different opinions regarding 
 the origin of their name, 282, 283. 
 
 Sequence — full history of the sequences — of those also in use with the 
 Orientals, 223 to 231. 
 
 Sermon — full history of it in ancient times— why the early Fathers had 
 to be so reserved in preaching on the Blessed Eucharist — short- 
 hand writers in ancient times — preaching in the Oriental Church 
 241 to 247. 
 
 Shechinah — what the rabbins meant by it — its origin, 190. 
 
 Sibyls — their history, and the value placed upon their responses by some 
 of the early Fathers, 229, 230. 
 
 Sponge — used by the Greeks instead of a puriflcator like ours — why, 85. 
 
 Stole, 46, 47, 48; stole worn by the Pope, 48. 
 
 Strainer — used in pouring the -wine into the chalice In early times, 286. 
 
 Sura — the chapters of the Koran, so called — their number, 31. 
 
 *' Suscipe, Sancta Trinitas *' — remarks upon this prayer, 281. 
 
 Symbol — its full history, 249 to 257; how the Carthusians and others 
 recite it — how said in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jeru- 
 salem — to what Masses the Symbol is proper, 264. 
 
 Tabernacle — its form — full particulars concerning it, 137, 138. 
 
 Talmud, 146; the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian, ihid. 
 
 Targum — origin of the name — different targums at present in existence, 
 31, 144. 
 
 Thurible— full histoiy of it— ancient customs regarding it, 93, 94. 
 
 Tones — the eight tones of Greek music— character of each, 96. 
 
 Tonsure^<lifferent forms in ancient times, 57; present discipline — how 
 the ceremony is performed — what the privileges of tonsure are, 
 58. 
 
il4 
 
 General Index. 
 
 Tract--w]iy bo called, 222. 
 
 Trikerion — triple candle used by Greek bishops for blessing the peopie, 
 
 183. 
 Usher — his erroneous notions about saying Mass in the veruacular, 29. 
 Vestments — their various colors, 62 to 68. 
 Vartabed — an Armenian monastic priest, 305. 
 Waters of -jealousy — history of this ordeal, 14, 15. 
 Wine — what sort required at Mass, 165 ; care bestowed upon it by the 
 
 Orientals, 166. 
 Zucchetto— its form — color — when worn at Mass — privilege granted to 
 
 bishops regarding its color by Pope Pius IX., 57, 58, 59. 
 
 
 E. .1. HEWITT, PRINTER, 27 ROSE STREET, NEW YORK. 
 
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