Dom Gueranger: Explanation of the Prayers and Ceremonies of Holy Mass

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EXPLANATION OF THE MASS

The Ordinary of the Mass, (or, as it is called in the Roman Missal, Ordo Missae,) is the summary of the rubrics and prayers, which are used in the celebration of Mass, and which are observed, without any variation, on all the Feasts celebrated by the Church.

We shall never have anything like a full idea of the ceremonies of the Mass, unless we keep referring to what is called a High Mass, (Missa Solemnis), and which is the type of all others.  Thus, one would ask, why does the Priest say the Epistle at one side of the Altar, and the Gospel at the other? why not read both from the middle?  This has no connection with the Holy Sacrifice itself; it is merely an imitation of what is done in a High Mass, in which the Deacon has to sing the Gospel on the left, and the Sub-deacon the Epistle on the right, as we shall explain further on.  The Priest who celebrates a Mass without Deacon and Sub-deacon, has to take their functions in this instance; and, accordingly, varies his position.  We shall continually have to seek in the ceremonies of a High Mass, for the meaning of those of a Low Mass.

The Sacrifice of the Mass is the Sacrifice of the Cross itself; and in it we must see our Lord nailed to the Cross; and offering up his Blood for our sins, to his Eternal Father.  And yet we must not expect to find, in the several portions of the Mass, all the detailed circumstances of the Passion, as some authors have pretended to do, when giving us methods for assisting at it.

The Priest leaves the Sacristy, and goes to the Altar, there to offer up the holy Sacrifice.  He is, as the rubric expresses it, paratus, - that is, he is clad in the sacred vestments, which are appointed for the celebration of the Sacrifice.  Having reached the Altar, he makes the due reverence before it; that is to say, if the Blessed Sacrament be there, he makes a genuflexion; otherwise, he merely makes a profound inclination.  This is the meaning of the rubrics saying: debita reverentia.

JUDICA, Ps. XLII.

Having made the sign of the Cross, the Priest says the Antiphon: Introibo ad altare Dei, as an introduction to the 42nd Psalm.  This Antiphon is always said, both before and after the Psalm, which he at once begins: Judica me Deus.  He says the whole of it, alternately with the Ministers.  This Psalm was selected on account of the verse Introibo ad altare Dei: I will go unto the altar of God.  It is most appropriate as a beginning to the Holy Sacrifice. 

We may remark here, that the Church always selects the Psalms she uses, because of some special verse which is appropriate to what she does, or to what she wishes to express.  The Psalm, of which we are now speaking, was not in the more ancient Missals: its usage was established by Pope Pius the Fifth, in 1568.  When we hear the Priest saying this Psalm, we understand to whom it refers:- it refers to our Lord, and it is in his name, that the Priest recites it.  We are told this by the very first verse: Ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.

The verse here used as an Antiphon, shows us, that David was still young when he composed this Psalm; for, after saying, that he is going to the Altar of God, he says: Ad Deum, qui laetificat juventutem meam: To God, who giveth joy to my youth.  He expresses astonishment at his soul being sad; and, at once, cheers himself, by rousing his hope in God; hence, his song is full of gladness.  It is on account of the joy which is the characteristic of this Psalm, that holy Church would have it be omitted in Masses for the Dead, in which we are about to pray for the repose of a soul, whose departure from this life leaves us in uncertainty and grief.  It is omitted, also, during Passiontide, in which season, the Church is all absorbed in the sufferings of her divine Spouse; and these preclude all joy.

This 42nd Psalm is an appropriate introduction to the Mass, inasmuch as it in our Lord whom it will bring among us.  Who is He that is to be sent to the Gentiles, but He that is Light and Truth?  David foresaw all this; and, therefore, he uttered the prayer: Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam.  We take his prayer and make it ours; and we say to our heavenly Father: send forth Him, who is thy Light and thy Truth!

The Psalm having been terminated by the Gloria Patri, and the Antiphon repeated, the Priest asks for God's assistance, saying Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini: Our help is in the name of the Lord: To which the Ministers reply: Qui fecit coelum et terram: Who hath made heaven and earth.  In the Psalm just recited, the Priest expressed his ardent desire to possess our Lord, who is Light and Truth: but the very thought, that he, - a sinful creature, - is about to meet this Lord of his, makes him feel the need he has of help.  True, - God has willed this meeting; he has even vouchsafed to prescribe it as one of our duties: and yet, notwithstanding, man is continually made to feel his unworthiness and nothingness.  Before going further in the holy Sacrifice, he is determined to humble himself, and confess that he is a sinner.  He encourages himself to this, by making the sign of the Cross, and imploring God's aid.  He then begins the avowal of his sins.


CONFITEOR.

Holy Church here makes use of the formula of confession, which she has drawn up; it probably dates from the 8th century.  We are not allowed to make the slightest change in the words.  It has this prerogative, in common with all the other Sacramentals, - that its recitation produces the forgiveness of venial sins, provided we be contrite for them.  Thus it is, that God, in His Infinite Goodness, has provided us with other means, over and above the Sacrament of Penance, whereby we may be cleansed from our venial sins: He, for this end, inspired His Church to give us her Sacramentals.

The Priest, as we were saying, begins the confession; and, first of all, he accuses himself to God.  But, he is not satisfied with that; - he as good as says: "I not only desire to confess my sins to God, but to all the Saints; in order that they may join their prayers with mine, and obtain pardon for me."  Therefore, he immediately adds: "I confess to the Blessed Mary ever Virgin."  Not that he has ever committed any offence against this holy Mother; but he has sinned in her sight; and the very thought of it urges him to make his sins known to Her also.  He does the same to the glorious St. Michael, the great Archangel, who is appointed to watch over our souls, especially at the hour of death.  In like manner, he confesses to St. John the Baptist, who was so dear to our Lord, and was His precursor.  Lastly, he desires to own his sins to Saints Peter and Paul, the two Princes of the Apostles.  Certain Religious Orders have permission to add the name of their Patriarch or Founder.  Thus, the Benedictines insert the name of St. Benedict; the Dominicans, St. Dominic; the Franciscans, St. Francis.  After mentioning these and all the Saints, he would have even the Faithful, who are present, know that he is a sinner; and he therefore says to them: And to you, Brethren! because, as he is now humbling himself on account of his sins, he not only accuses himself before those who are glorified in God, but moreover, before those his fellow-mortals who are there visibly present, near the sanctuary. 

And not satisfied with declaring himself to be a sinner, he adds in what way he has sinned; and confesses, that it is by all the three ways, wherein men commit sin, namely, by thought, word, and deed: cogitatione, verbo, et opere.  Then wishing to express, that he has thus sinned and through his own freewill, be utters these words: Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.  And, that he may, like the publican of the Gospel, outwardly testify his inward repentance, he thrice strikes his breast, whilst saying those words.  Conscious of the need he has of pardon, he once more turns towards Mary and all the Saints, as likewise to the Faithful who are present, begging that they will all pray for him.  In reference to this formula of Confession, which has been established by our holy Mother the Church, it may be well to remind our readers, that it would, of itself, suffice for one who was in danger of death, and unable to make a more explicit Confession.

The Ministers answer the Priest by wishing him the grace of God's mercy; they express their wish under the form of prayer, during which he, the Priest, remains bowed down, and answers: Amen.

But, the Ministers themselves stand in need of God's pardon; and, therefore, they repeat the same formula as the Priest, for the confession of their sins; only, instead of saying: Et vobis, fratres, and to you, Brethren, they address the Priest, and call him Father: Et tibi, Pater.

It is never allowable to change anything which holy Church has prescribed for the celebration of the Mass.  Hence, in the Confiteor, the Ministers must always use the simple words: Et tibi, Pater; Et te, Pater; they must add no further title, not even were they serving the Pope's Mass.

As soon as the Ministers have finished the Confession formula, the Priest says the same prayer for them, as they had previously made for him; and they, also, respond to it by an Amen. A sort of blessing then follows: Indulgentiam, &c., whereby the Priest asks, both for himself and his brethren, pardon and forgiveness of their sins; he makes the sign of the Cross, and uses the word nobis and not vobis, for he puts himself on an equality with his Ministers, and takes his share in the prayer that is said for all.

The Confession having been made, the Priest again bows down, but not so profoundly as he did during the Confiteor.  He says: Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos: Thou, O God, with one look, wilt give us life; to which the Ministers answer: Et plebs tua laetabitur in te: And thy people will rejoice in thee.  Then, - Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam: Show unto us thy mercy, O Lord; Et salutare tuum da nobis: And grant us the Saviour whom thou hast prepared for us.

The practice of reciting these Versicles is very ancient.  The last gives us the words of David, who, in his 84th Psalm, is praying for the coming of the Messias.  In the Mass, before the Consecration, we await the coming of our Lord, as they, who lived before the Incarnation, awaited the promised Messias.  By that word Mercy, which is here used by the Prophet, we are not to understand the Goodness of God; but, we ask of God, that He will vouchsafe to send us Him, who in His Mercy and His Salvation, that is to say, the Saviour, by whom Salvation is to come upon us.  These few words of the Psalm take us back in spirit, to the Season of Advent, when we are unceasingly asking for him who is to come.

After this, the Priest asks of God, that He would vouchsafe to grant his prayer: Domine, exaudi orationem meam: Lord, hear my prayer.  The Ministers continue, as though in his name: Et clamor meus ad te veniat: And let my cry come unto thee.  The Priest salutes the people, saying: Dominus vobiscum: The Lord be with you.  It is as though he were taking leave of them, now that the solemn moment is come for him to ascend the Altar, and, like Moses, enter into the cloud.  The Ministers answer him in the name of the people: Et cum spiritu tuo: And with thy spirit.

Whilst going up to the Altar, the Priest says Oremus: he stretches out his hands, and joins them again.  As often as he uses this word, he observes the same ceremony.  The reason is, that it immediately precedes some prayer which he is going to make; and, when we pray, we raise our hands up to God, who is in heaven, and to whom we are about to speak.  It was thus that our Blessed Lord prayed on the Cross.  In the prayer, which the Priest says, whilst ascending the Altar-steps, he uses the plural, because he is not alone; for the Deacon and Subdeacon go up together with him, and minister to him. 

The thought which is uppermost in the Priest's mind, at this solemn moment is, to be all pure; for, as he says, he is entering into the Holy of Holies: Ad Sancta Sanctorum, meaning to express, by this Hebrew superlative, the importance of the act which he is going to fulfil.  He prays, therefore, that his sins, as well as those of his Ministers, may be taken away.  The nearer we approach to God, the more we feel the slightest sin to be an intolerable blot upon our soul; so that the Priest redoubles his prayer, that God would cleanse him from his sins.  He has already prayed this merciful Lord to turn and give him life; Deus tu conversus vivificabis nos. - Ostende nobis Domine misericordiam tuam. 

But, having drawn nearer to that God, his fear increases, and his desire of pardon is more ardent; he repeats this same prayer again now whilst going up the Altar-steps. Having reached the Altar, he puts his hands upon it, first joined, and then separated, so that he may kiss it. This kissing the Altar is prompted by a sentiment of respect for the Saints' Relics, which are there. Again, another prayer for pardon of his sins: in it, he says: peccata mea: my sins; although he began it by: Oramus Te, Domine: We beseech thee, O Lord; nor is there any inadvertency in this; for, all those who assist at the holy Sacrifice should entertain, for the Priest, a sentiment of filial respect, and pray with and for him.


To be continued...