Simple instructions On The Holy Eucharist As A Sacrament And Sacrifice by The Very Rev. Geo. Edw. Canon Howe. Part 26.

THE CANON 

From the Sanctus to the Pater

This, the most sacred portion of the whole Sacrifice, is called the " Canon of the Mass," because, derived from a Greek word meaning a rule, it is the fixed rule to be strictly followed by the priest, there being only five Feasts during the ecclesiastical year, on which a slight variation in the words of one prayer is at all tolerated ; apart from these, there is never any change. The Church has a most jealous care of this part of her Liturgy, and severely forbids any innovation here, on account of its venerable antiquity, which all writers seem agreed to admit.

As an instance of this, it may be stated that in the year 1815, at a time when devotion to S. Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, was spreading and gaining favour throughout the Church, an application was made, for this very reason, that his name might be added to those already found in the Canon. The reply, however, was in the negative, and his name has never been introduced; no addition has ever been made since the days of Pope Gregory the Great, in the sixth century.

The whole of the Canon, portions of which are probably the work of the Apostles themselves, is said in an inaudible voice, so as to promote recollection and devotion, in both priest and people, at this most solemn time. Moreover, it is desirable to prevent such sacred words becoming too familiar, as they might do, if they were recited aloud on every occasion, like other portions of the Mass. Silence, therefore, prevails, and, like a mysterious veil, envelops the Divine Mysteries, recalling Our Lord's sublime silence, at the time of His Passion, and also serving to remind us of the ancient Discipline of the Secret.

During the Canon, the Celebrant frequently makes the sign of the Cross over the Elements on the Altar, both before and even after the Consecration ! In the former case, it is the usual manner of imparting a benediction or blessing to creatures. But, in the second case, the idea of blessing the true Body and Blood of Our Lord, present on the Altar, is altogether repugnant. Then, the idea is to recall to our minds the Sacrifice of the Cross and its continuance in the Mass ; or, it is a profession of faith that, in the Mass, Christ crucified is present as priest and victim.

In the first prayer of the Canon, the Te igitur, we beg that God may vouchsafe to accept the gifts that are being offered to Him, and to grant peace to His Church ; we likewise pray for the Pope, the Vicar of Christ and Head of the Church, for the Bishop of the diocese where Mass is being said, and finally for all members of the Church on earth.

The Memento of the Living is the second prayer of the Canon. Here the priest pauses a little while, to make a spiritual remembrance of those for whom he particularly wishes to pray, and especially of the person or object for which he is offering the Sacrifice.

A word should be said here on the ancient use of the Diptychs, often referred to in early Church history. The diptychs were folding tablets, on the inner sides of which were inscribed names of persons living and dead. Among the former were included the Supreme Pontiff, the Bishop, and the ruling Sovereign, those also for whose special benefit the Holy Sacrifice was being offered, who supplied the wants of the Altar, or contributed to the support of its ministers. In another column were inserted the names of deceased Faithful; to this reference will be made later.

These diptychs used to be read up to the assembled congregation, at High Mass by the Deacon, at Low Mass by the celebrant himself. This practice remained in vogue for many long centuries, till vanity led so many to have their names inscribed and announced, that in the eleventh century the Church thought well to discontinue what was proving to be a source of sin and disedification ; hence, the custom no longer exists, except in some churches of the East.

But a further instance of the Church's conservative spirit is seen in the fact that the letters N.N. are still to be retained in the Missal at this point, though the practice of reading up the names has long ceased to exist.

Next comes the Communicantes, wherein we beg of God to grant us His help and protection, through the merits and intercession of His Saints. The Mother of God and the twelve Apostles are first mentioned, and to their names are added those of twelve Martyrs, well known and honoured in and about Rome, who adorned the early days of the Church by shedding their blood in defence of her doctrines. Those who had died for the Faith, by being thus named in the Canon, were said to be canonised, that is, found worthy of being named at this point of the Mass; thus was canonisation originally effected.

A vestige of this is still retained at the present day ; for, when the Pope has solemnly declared any servant of God to be worthy of the honours of the Altar, he invokes him, in the Mass said on the occasion, after the other Saints named in the Canon.

While reciting the next prayer, Hanc igitur, the priest spreads his hands over the bread and wine, a ceremony borrowed from the Old Law, as we read in Exodus xxix. 10, 15, 19, where God commanded that Aaron should place his hands on the head of the victims he was about to offer in sacrifice. This action denotes that the priest charges the victim with his own sins and with those of the people whom he represents, the victim which is to mystically suffer and die instead of the sinner. What was symbolism in the olden day is reality now in the Christian Mass, wherein the Lamb of God, who took upon Himself the sins of the world, daily renews the sacrifice of Calvary for their expiation. As this prayer and its accompanying action so closely precede the Consecration, the Server here rings the bell, to remind the people of the near approach of the solemn moment.

During the next few words, five times does the priest again make the sign of the Cross over the oblations, recalling the five Wounds of Victim of Calvary, and reminding us it is the sacrifice of the Cross that is here being renewed.

And now we have reached the sacred moment of the Consecration, the essential act of the Sacrifice, when the Angels of Heaven are preparing to come down upon earth to adore their sacramental Lord. The words of this part of the Liturgy are almost the same as those of the Gospel, relating the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. Suiting the action to the words, the priest, in imitation of Our Lord, takes the bread in his hands, and raising his eyes heavenwards, as tradition says Our Lord did, he blesses it, and pronounces the mystical words: " This is my body," and behold! transubstantiation is thereupon effected—the bread has become the true Body of Christ!

How stupendous a change! How sublime a miracle! How awful an act! Yet how marvellously simple is it all! Man utters a few words, and God's love and power fulfil the wondrous change. It is a repetition of the act of creation : " Be light made : and light was made" (Gen. i. 3). It is a commemoration also of another sublime mystery, expressed in the simplest terms: " The Word was made flesh" (John i. 14). 22

At once the priest bends his knee to adore his Creator whom, all unworthy though he be, he now holds in his hands! The bell here rings gently, to remind the Faithful of what has taken place at the Altar, and invite their adoring worship. This tinkling of the bell should bring ease to our souls : there is joy in the very ringing of it, for does it not signify the new birth of the God-made-man, ever living to make intercession for us ?

" Sound, sound His praises higher still, And come, ye angels, to our aid : Tis God ! Tis God ! the very God Whose power both man and angels made ! "

This adoration of the Holy Eucharist is attested by all antiquity, even the earliest Fathers of the Church instructing their flocks to renew their faith in the Real Presence, and adore Him whom their faith acknowledges to have descended from Heaven to earth } surrounded by the invisible angels of His Court.

The priest rising immediately, elevates the Sacred Host for the Faithful to look upon and adore, symbolising the lifting up of Christ on the Cross. Reverence and devotion have led them to bow down during the whole time of the Consecration and Elevation, and the deep-rooted custom has become universal. Yet the very object of the priest's thus raising the Sacred Host is that the Faithful may rest their eyes on It and see their Lord in His sacramental form! To urge them to revert to the original idea, the late Pontiff Leo XIII. granted an indulgence to all such as should reverently look upon their uplifted Lord at this moment. Hence, such as assist at the Holy Sacrifice should raise their eyes, for a moment at least, and so justify the Elevation, which otherwise would have no meaning, while, at the same time, they will gain with ease the indulgence that is offered for the mere act of thus looking devoutly on the Sacred Host, as it is raised up before them!

The reader must here be reminded that this elevation of the consecrated elements did not take place till the eleventh century. In 1047 Berengarius, who has already been referred to, began to broach errors on the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. These were promptly repudiated and condemned by the Church, and this ceremony — the Elevation — was unanimously adopted as a protest against the impieties and new doctrines of this heretic, and as a practical profession of faith in Our Lord's presence on the Altar, after the words of consecration have been uttered.

Devout Catholics must, during this solemn time, manifest both by outward demeanour and inward faith, the reverence they cherish towards the Eucharistic mysteries ; silent adoration is then their duty.' Silence during these moments produces a most impressive effect, and is by.all means to be encouraged.

Then follows the second Consecration, that of the wine in the chalice, with similar adoration and elevation. Thus two elements, bread and wine, are necessary for the Eucharistic Sacrifice, though one suffices for the Eucharistic Sacrament. This separate consecration of the bread and wine is, in a mystical sense, the painless immolation of the Divine Lamb, typifying that separation of His Blood from His Body, which took place on Calvary with the most painful reality.

It may be repeated here that, should the Celebrant die suddenly after either consecration, or be taken so seriously ill as to be unable to proceed further with the Mass, another priest must, if possible, be found to continue and complete it, even though (perhaps) he be not fasting; for, the Natural Law, requiring the completion of the Sacrifice, prevails over the law of fasting, which is merely of Ecclesiastical origin.

The first prayer after the Consecration is Unde et memores. The Mass of itself cannot but be pleasing in the sight of God, for Christ, the Victim, is His Own beloved Son, of infinite merit before him. Yet the priest and the Faithful also share in offering the Sacrifice, and this privilege should overpower them as they reflect upon their sins and unworthiness. Hence, as guilty beings, they here beg of God to accept their Sacrifice, as of old He was pleased to receive the offerings of Abel, Abraham, and Melchisedech. The sacrifices of the first two were, more than others, typical of the bloody Sacrifice of the Cross, while that of Melchisedech was a figure of the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass. The Celebrant asks also that God's angel may carry the offering to the Altar on High, in sight of the Divine Majesty and His heavenly Court—a reference to the golden altar of the Apocalpyse viii. 3.

The sign of the Cross that the priest now makes over the consecrated elements is no longer here a blessing given, but a reminder that the Victim who died on the Cross now lies before us on the Altar. The Church avails herself of every occasion to impress on the minds of priest and people alike this great truth—that the Sacrifice of the Altar is the selfsame as that of the Cross. Hence, the frequent use of the Cross over the oblations, even after the Consecration.

The next point to notice is the Memento of the dead. The Church, from the days of the Apostles, has ever taught and practised prayer for her deceased children. It has ever been her belief that there is a Purgatory, or place of suffering after death, where those who die in the state of grace, but as yet not pure enough to enter Heaven, are detained for awhile, till their souls are sufficiently cleansed to appear in the presence of God. It was hardly likely, therefore, that the Church would pray for her living members, in this august Sacrifice, and omit to pray for those who are no longer with her on earth, but have entered the home of their eternity. Hence, we have at this point the " remembrance" of the dead, that is, the names of departed Faithful, inscribed on the Diptychs, were read up, and prayers were asked that they might be granted "a place of refreshment, light, and peace," that their sufferings might be mitigated, or even ended by their release from Purgatory and their entrance into Heaven. We are thus requested to pray, as S. Augustine remarks, " that such religious duty, whenever it becomes neglected by parents, children, relations, or friends, may be supplied by our pious and common mother, the Church."

Should a departed soul for whom Mass is offered be unable to benefit by it, either because eternally lost, or because already in Heaven, theologians commonly teach that such sacrifice is by no means lost, but the fruit of it becomes part of the general treasury of the Church, whence indulgences may be granted by the dispensers of God's mercy.

And next, the priest strikes his breast, like the Publican in the Temple, and utters aloud the words Nobis quoque peccatoribus, beginning the last prayer of the Canon. After interceding for the souls of the Faithful departed, he prays now for sinners upon earth, whose future is still uncertain and exposed to many dangers. By way of showing the earnestness of his petition, or as a sigh from the heart, he pronounces these first three words aloud, (the only words heard during the Canon,) all the rest being recited in a subdued voice throughout. Mention is made of Martyrs and Saints belonging to different orders and states in the Church, with whom we ask God to grant us, in spite of our sins, some part and fellowship.

At the end of this prayer, the priest holds the Sacred Host over the chalice and raises them a little from the Altar, and then replaces them. This was formerly the Elevation of the Mass, and, till the eleventh century, the only one. But it has been already explained how, during that century, the principal Elevation came to be made at the time of the Consecration, as a protest against the errors of Berengarius.

With the second (and now, minor elevation), the priest concludes the prayer, raising his voice, and saying per omnia secula seculorum, "World without end: amen." This ends the Canon of the Mass, and leads us into the last division.

Simple instructions On The Holy Eucharist As A Sacrament And Sacrifice by The Very Rev. Geo. Edw. Canon Howe. Part 25.

OFFERTORY

(From the Credo to the Sanctus)

Now comes the Offertory, one of the three most important parts of the Sacrifice. When the Credo is said at Mass, it forms the transition from the first to the second part of the Liturgy. Before the Apostles separated, to begin their missionary work in various portions of the world, they drew up a symbol of faith, containing the chief doctrines they had received from their Divine Master. This was known as the Apostles' Creed, the standard of belief and teaching, which they were to carry forth to the nations of the earth, and for many generations it was the only formulary of faith in existence. It seems never to have been committed to writing, lest Catechumens or enemies should come to a knowledge of it, but it was handed down by word of mouth only. S. Cyril and S. Ambrose both warn the Faithful against writing it out. Some authors say it was used in the Mass into the early part of the fourth century.

About this time, Arius, priest of Alexandria, had been troubling the peace of the Church, by falsely teaching that Our Lord was not truly God, denying, in other words, the divinity of the world's Redeemer. The Council of Nicea was held in a.d. 325, and the three hundred and eighteen bishops there assembled condemned the impiety of Arius, giving forth the clear teaching of the Church on the divinity of Our Lord, as truly the Son of God, and enlarging upon some of the articles of the Apostles' Creed, which especially refer to the Son ; thus it is we have the Nicene Creed, which is merely a development of that of the Apostles.

Before the end of the same fourth century, errors arose also as to the divinity of the Holy Ghost, and these were condemned by the Council of Constantinople, in a.d. 381, when the Fathers enlarged and developed the Creed of Nicea, by adding the Church's teaching as to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity ; it is this Credo that we now recite in the Mass. It is usually styled the Nicene Creed, yet really it is the Creed of the Council of Constantinople.

It is said or sung after the Gospel, or after the Sermon, should there have been one. The congregation stand during its recital, as a mark of respect, and also as a bold profession of faith in the doctrines contained in it. At the words, however, which tell of the loving mystery of the Incarnation, the priest genuflects, bending his right knee to the ground, and the Faithful do the same, as an act of veneration to the Son of God made man : Et homo factus est.

When is the Creed said in the Mass ? Not in every Mass, but only on stated occasions, clearly defined and laid down by the rubrics, as follows :—

1. On all Sundays and Holidays of obligation.

2. On the various feasts of Our Lord and His Holy Mother.

3. On feasts of the Apostles, who by their arduous labours propagated it over the earth.

4. Usually on feasts of the Doctors of the Church, who in their writings have explained and developed the doctrines it contains.

5. On the feast of the Patron Saint of the Church or Diocese where Mass is said, and on feasts of the Angels.

6. Whenever the Creed is said on any feast day having an octave, it is said also each day throughout the octave, when the Mass of the feast is repeated.

Except on the occasions here enumerated, it is omitted. But it is interesting to remark that S. Mary Magdalen is the only female Saint, apart Our Blessed Lady, that has the Credo peculiar to the Mass of her feast, 22nd July. This privilege she enjoys, because, in the language of the Church, she is styled the " Apostle of the Apostles," for, as Holy Scripture avers, it was to her that Our Lord first appeared on His rising from the tomb, and commanded her to go and tell His disciples (John xx. 17).

After greeting the people once again, the priest, standing in front of the Crucifix, now reads from the Missal what is known as the Offertory. The origin of this anthem and of its name goes back to the days, when the Faithful themselves used to bring up to the Altar the bread and wine needed for the Sacrifice, this antiphon being said or sung as they were doing so. Here we have the principle and origin of the custom of the Faithful making an offering to the priest, when they desire Mass to be said for their intention ; a money offering is now made, towards their support, instead of gifts in the form of bread, wine, or fruit, etc. But a vestige of the old practice is still seen in the Mass of Ordination or Consecration, when wax candles, loaves of bread, and wine are, at this point of the ceremony, solemnly offered to the presiding Pontiff.

A word of explanation may be given here on an expression found in the Offertory of the Requiem Mass, which may puzzle pious souls who read it. Our Lord therein is begged to deliver the souls of the Faithful departed from the pains of hell and to deliver them from the mouth of the lion ! Yet, out of hell there is no redemption, and once souls are in the power of the Devil, never can they be freed from it. The simple answer to the difficulty is that in early ages, Mass could be said at any time of the day for a person who was considered to be at the point of death. The priest who received such intimation could, whether fasting or not, straightway offer the Holy Sacrifice for such person. The merit of the Mass could thus ascend to Heaven, and God was therein implored to have mercy and not allow such soul to fall into hell. The learned Pope Benedict XIV. is one of those who hold to this explanation. The ancient custom of thus saying Mass at any moment for a soul about to leave the earth is no longer in existence ; but the Church has not deemed it necessary to change the words of this Offertory, once again displaying her conservative instinct, by retaining words that refer to an extinct practice, which is here recalled by a seemingly inappropriate expression, so easily explained by a knowledge of its origin. Similarly, during Advent, we still pray that the clouds may " rain down the Just One," though the expected Messiah has long ago come and gone from the earth.

After reading the Offertory, the priest uncovers the chalice, and taking the paten in his hands, with the bread upon it, he makes the oblation thereof to God, begging Him to accept it as a victim for his own sins and offences, and those of all present, as well as for the benefit of Christians generally, whether living or dead. At the conclusion, he makes a cross with the paten over the corporal, and then, as it were, lays the victim upon it. The corporal aptly recalls the linen of the Crib and the shroud of the Tomb.

Then taking the chalice, he advances to the Epistle corner, where he receives the wine cruet, from which he pours a little into the chalice, saying nothing while so doing. Then from the other cruet, he pours in a few drops of water, begging of God that we may be united by grace to Our Lord's divinity, who deigned to become partaker of our humanity. Something has already been said in a previous chapter on this mingling of water with the wine, so that further comment here is unnecessary.

Returning to the middle of the Altar, the priest makes now the oblation of the chalice, praying that it may ascend with the odour of sweetness to Heaven, for the salvation of mankind. Lowering then the chalice, as he did the paten, he places it on the corporal, and covers it with the palla, which prevents flies or dust falling into it.

After bowing down a short time in prayer, the priest proceeds once more to the Epistle corner, where he washes the tips of the thumb and first finger of each hand ; these alone are allowed to touch the Blessed Sacrament, and were, on the day of his ordination, solemnly consecrated and anointed for that purpose. While the water is being poured, he recites a few verses from the twenty-fifth Psalm and says the Lavabo : " I will wash my hands among the innocent." Apart from the literal meaning of these words and the need of washing his fingers, to cleanse them from all soil and dust, especially after using the thurible at High Mass, there is also a figurative meaning in this little ceremony, namely, that his soul must be free from sin and defects, for the worthy celebration of Holy Mass.

Then, shortly, comes the Orate, fratres. The celebrant turns round to the congregation and addresses these words to them, asking them to pray that their common sacrifice may be acceptable in the eyes of God Almighty. Only these two words does he utter aloud, saying the rest to himself, perhaps that the choir might not be disturbed, who were still singing the Offertory at High Mass, and the custom has since been retained at every Mass. Or it may be that the earnestness and piety of some great Pontiff, in making the request, may have led him to utter these first words as a sigh and exclamation from the heart, an example that was followed by others, till it became general and universal. Of this we shall meet similar instances later on.

This is the last time the priest turns towards the people, till the Sacrifice is completed and the Communion received. He is now beginning the more solemn portion of the Mass, and entering, as it were, the Holy of Holies, like the High Priest of the Old Covenant. Knowing his own frailties and unworthiness, he appeals to his people to pray for him who is their fellow-being, their priest and mediator. By the lips of their representative, the Server at the Altar, they do his bidding, and pray : " May the Lord receive this Sacrifice from thy hands, for the praise and honour of His own name, for our benefit, and for that of the whole Church." When priest and people are thus united in prayer for each other, they may well expect Our Lord to fulfil His promise, and be in the midst of them, to grant their petitions.

After the Server's reply to the greeting addressed to the people, the priest recites the Secret. This is a prayer so named because said in a low voice, not heard by those around, and said thus for the same reason again, namely, that the choir, formerly situated close to the Altar, were still singing the Offertory, or some other anthem. As the Collect usually asks some grace or blessing from God, so the Secret generally begs Him to accept the gifts laid upon the Altar, and to reform our hearts that they may be acceptable in His sight.

There may be more than one Secret, but the number always corresponds with that of the Collects, read at the beginning of Mass; at the end of the last one, the priest raises his voice and, after three versicles and their answers, he begins - The Preface, most probably of Apostolic origin, a sort of introduction to the Canon, not an essential, but very impressive part of the Mass. It is an invitation to raise our hearts to God and tender Him our thanks, through His Divine Son, and in unison with the heavenly choirs mentioned by name, for His many favours, and for the great work He is about to accomplish, by the ministry of His priest, at the Consecration. Thus did Our Lord act, before instituting the Blessed Sacrament, as we read in the Gospels.

There are in the Roman Missal eleven different prefaces, used on various occasions, and serving to bring under our notice the characteristics of the feast, or the mystery for which we should thank and adore God. These prefaces are for the Nativity, the Epiphany, for Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Ascension for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, for feasts of the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles ; lastly, what is called the Common Preface, for ordinary use when no other is prescribed, and which is probably the oldest of them all.

At High Mass, the Preface is sung, and the Church here employs a chant most simple, yet most exquisitely thrilling and soul inspiring; apart from its venerable antiquity, dating back perhaps to the very days of the Temple, this plain chant has ever been regarded by musical experts with the greatest enthusiasm and admiration, often moving people to tears as they listened to it. Whichever preface be said or sung at Mass, it always concludes with - The Sanctus. Here the bell is rung to recall the wandering thoughts of the people, and to remind them that the Canon, the solemn part of the Mass, is commencing. This short hymn is said in a lower tone of voice than the preface, leading by a gentle transition to the Canon, the whole of which is inaudible to the congregation. The first words recall the glorious vision of Isaias vi. 3, wherein he heard the Seraphim crying out before the throne of God : " Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of hosts ; all the earth is full of His glory." While the second part consists of the words of King David, which the Jews sang to Our Lord, as He solemnly entered Jerusalem : Benedictus qui ventt, " Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matt. xxi. 9). These words are again a most appropriate welcome given to Our Lord, as He comes down upon the Altar, at the Consecration. Hosanna in excelsis is a shout of joy, concluding both parts of the Sanctus.