Previous parts in this series:
Part 3: The incensations, Kyrie, Gloria, and collects
Part 4: The Epistle, Gospel, and what occurs in between
Part 5: The Nicene Creed
Part 6: The OffertoryPart 4: The Epistle, Gospel, and what occurs in between
Part 5: The Nicene Creed
Part 7: The Preface, Sanctus, and beginning of the Canon
Part 8: The rest of the Canon
Part 9: The Our Father, the breaking of the Host, and the Agnus Dei
Part 10: Communion
Having read the Communion verse, the priest kisses the altar and turns to greet the people in the usual way.
Dóminus
vobíscum.
Et cum
spíritu tuo.
Orémus.
|
The Lord be
with you.
And with
your spirit.
Let
us pray.
|
Every
time these words are sung, the priest goes to the middle of the altar
to kiss the relics of saints. Once again, the Mass involves, not just
the priest and those physically present, but the whole Church. By
this kiss, he extends the greeting to the Church Triumphant. The
choir responds, “Et cum spiritu tuo,” the way St. Paul ended some
of his epistles (Galatians 6:18, Philippians 4:23, 2 Timothy 4:22).
The priest returns to the Epistle side of the altar and invites them
to pray, singing, “Oremus.”
In
each of the three major actions of the Mass, the Church has prayers
proper to the occasions being observed and to her other intentions.
Toward the beginning of the Mass, when we were preparing to offer the
sacrifice, the collects were sung. At the Offertory, when we were
making our initial offering to God and entering into the true
sacrifice, the secrets were said. Now that we have received
Communion, the priest sings the postcommunions to give thanks
to God for all he has given us in the Mass and to ask for his grace
as we go back out to the world. Postcommunions follow the same format
as collects and secrets, concluding with a short doxology and mention
of the Trinity. Then, the missal is closed. Like the veiling of the
chalice, our exit from the solemn liturgy is marked by closing and
covering things, in reverse of when we entered.
The
priest once again returns to the center, kisses the altar, and greets
the people. In all this, the three ministers move together, with the
priest at the top of the steps, the deacon in the middle, and the
subdeacon on the ground. How they are standing shows precedence. The
priest is superior to the deacon, who is superior to the subdeacon.
The way they move together also represents the Trinity and its three
equal persons. Though unequal, the ministers are in a category
separate from others present. After the priest has greeted the
people, the deacon turns and sings the dismissal. It is usually sung
to an elaborate melody.
Dóminus
vobíscum.
Et cum
spíritu tuo.
Ite,
Missa est.
Deo
gratias.
|
The Lord be
with you.
And with
your spirit.
Go,
the Mass is ended.
Thanks
be to God.
|
This
is one of the most difficult texts in the Mass to translate and
interpret. Often, it is simply rendered, “Go, the Mass is ended,”
but there is far more meaning than that. There is also considerable
debate as to the origins and meaning of this phrase. It has its
earliest origins in the dismissals of meetings of the Roman Forum and
has been part of the Mass from the earliest centuries. It literally
means, “Go, it is the dismissal.” The Latin word “missa,”
here meaning “dismissal,” is also the word for “Mass,” and
some believe that the word for “Mass” originates from the phrase,
“Ite Missa est.” There is a popular theory that the word “missa”
came to imply a mission. After devoutly assisting in the Mass, the
faithful are sent forth into the world to carry on Christ's mission
(Mark 16:15-20). Although this probably is not the actual historical
origin of this phrase, it is still a good reminder of what we are
sent to do as we are dismissed from the Mass. Illustrated below are
the priest, deacon, and subdeacon in a semicircle. The priest and
deacon are both turned to the people while the deacon sings, “Ite
Missa est.” The subdeacon remains facing the altar. A server holds
the book containing the chant melody for the deacon.
Image credit: Lumen roma
Until
1962, whenever the Gloria was not sung, such as in Advent and Lent,
“Ite Missa est” was not sung. During these times, we do not wish
to be dismissed, but rather to remain keeping watch with Christ. The
Church desires, then, not a grand sending forth, but rather a more
subdued dismissal, which the deacon sings facing the altar.
Benedicamus
Domino.
Deo
gratias.
|
Let us
bless the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
|
We
ought to bless the Lord always in our lives, but Holy Mother Church
sings this because she wishes to remain with her spouse, the Lord,
and keep watch until all is accomplished at Christmas or at Easter,
when “Ite Missa est” is sung again. This beautiful tradition was
discontinued in the 1962 Missal, which directed that “Ite Missa
est” always be used unless some other liturgy immediately follows
the Mass.
Whether
the deacon sings “Ite Missa est” or the lesser “Benedicamus
Domino,” the choir responds to the same melody, “Deo gratias.”
Indeed, thanks be to God for all he has done for us, for the
immeasurable grace given us in the Mass! What other remark could we
make at the thought of exiting the Mass, after the amazing things
that have just happened? Thanks be to God for the perfect sacrifice
that we have offered and the most Blessed Sacrament that we have
consumed. As we go out, we will still give thanks to God with our
lives, doing his will. At Easter, the most glorious feast of the
year, the Church further exclaims her jubilation by adding “alleluia,
alleluia” to both the dismissal and its response.
At
Masses for the Dead, neither “Ite Missa est” nor “Benedicamus
Domino” are sung. In their place, the Church makes one final prayer
for her suffering members. Thus the deacon sings to a simple tone.
Requiescant
in pace.
Amen.
|
May they
rest in peace.
Amen.
|
This
is the origin of the acronym “R.I.P.” and is always sung in the
plural, for just as every Mass involves the whole Church, a Mass for
the Dead always remembers all the Church Suffering, perhaps with
special emphasis on a particular person. Because it is a sorrowful
prayer, the response is not, “Deo gratias,” but rather, “Amen.”
Even
when we are dismissed with “Ite Missa est,” the Mass does not end
quite yet. The following ceremonies appeared as private devotions
during the Middle Ages and were not prescribed in the missal until
1570. The priest turns back to the altar and bows down to whisper one
final prayer.
Pláceat
tibi, sancta Trínitas, obséquium servitútis meæ: et præsta;
ut sacrifícium, quod óculis tuæ maiestátis indígnus óbtuli,
tibi sit acceptábile, mihíque et ómnibus, pro quibus illud
óbtuli, sit, te miseránte, propitiábile. Per Christum, Dóminum
nostrum. Amen.
|
May the
performance of my homage be pleasing to thee, O holy Trinity: and
grant that the sacrifice which I, though unworthy, have offered up
in the sight of thy majesty, may be acceptable to thee, and
through thy mercy, be a propitiation for me, and for all those for
whom I have offered it. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
|
Just
as the Mass began with an invocation of the Trinity, so it ends in
this prayer addressing the whole Trinity together. Here, the priest
makes his last supplication for acceptance of his worship and
sacrifice. Once again, he prays for reception of the graces attached
to Holy Communion. Nothing new is introduced in this prayer; it a
sort of epitome to close the Mass. As with every prayer, it ends,
“Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.”
As
the faithful are sent out, the priest blesses them on their journey.
A blessing is the dedication of something or someone to a sacred
purpose. When confered on a person, it has the effect of assisting
personal devotion and giving actual graces. God blessed the human
race at the beginning of time, and he did the same with Noah and
Abraham (Genesis 1:22, 9:1, 12:1-2). Priests of the Old Covenant
blessed the Israelites (Numbers 6:23-27). In the New Covenant, one of
the purposes for which priests are ordained is to give blessings.
Benedícat
vos omnípotens Deus, Pater, et Fílius, ☩ et Spíritus Sanctus.
Amen.
|
May
almighty God bless you, Father, Son, ☩ and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
|
The
priest first raises his eyes to God, whose blessing is being given,
and says the first part, “Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus.” The
priest then turns to the people and blesses them with the Sign of the
Cross, saying, “Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus.” Thus, we
are blessed in the name of the whole Trinity.
Because
a bishop has the fullness of the Holy Orders and full apostolic
authority, he gives a more solemn blessing than a simple priest. A
bishop sings the blessing, whereas a simple priest says it aloud. In
addition, a bishop makes three Signs of the Cross.
Finally,
throughout the Middle Ages and earlier, the faithful had great
devotion to the beginning of the Gospel according to St. John, which
beautifully describes the Nativity and the Incarnation of Jesus as
the Word made flesh. Often times, as a private devotion, priests
would bless people with this passage from the Gospel. It also became
part of the private prayers said by the priests after Mass: a fact
still seen in a Pontifical Mass, when it is recited as the bishop
leaves the altar. From this devotion grew the custom of reading this
Gospel passage at the end of Mass as the “Last Gospel.”
The origins of the Last Gospel as a private devotion are evident in
the lack of any real ceremony to it. It is said, not sung, and no
incense is used.
Dominus
vobiscum.
Et cum
spiritu tuo.
Initium ✠
sancti Evangélii secúndum Ioánnem.
Gloria
tibi, Domine.
In
princípio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat
Verbum. Hoc erat in princípio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta
sunt: et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est: in ipso vita
erat, et vita erat lux hóminum: et lux in ténebris lucet, et
ténebræ eam non comprehendérunt.
Fuit homo
missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Ioánnes. Hic venit in testimónium,
ut testimónium perhibéret de lúmine, ut omnes créderent per
illum. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimónium perhibéret de
lúmine.
Erat lux
vera, quæ illúminat omnem hóminem veniéntem in hunc mundum. In
mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non
cognóvit. In própria venit, et sui eum non recepérunt. Quotquot
autem recepérunt eum, dedit eis potestátem fílios Dei fíeri,
his, qui credunt in nómine eius: qui non ex sanguínibus, neque
ex voluntáte carnis, neque ex voluntáte viri, sed ex Deo nati
sunt.
Et Verbum
caro factum est, et habitávit in nobis: et vídimus glóriam
eius, glóriam quasi Unigéniti a Patre, plenum grátiæ et
veritatis.
Deo
gratias.
|
The Lord be
with you.
And with
your spirit.
The
beginning ✠ of the holy Gospel according to John.
Glory be
to Thee, O Lord.
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by him, and without him was made nothing that was made: in
him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light
shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a
man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a
witness, to testify concerning the light, that all might believe
through him. He was not the light, but he was to testify
concerning the light.
That was
the true light, which enlighteneth every man, that cometh into
this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own
received him not. But as many as received him, to them he gave
power to become sons of God, to them that believe in his name, who
are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.
And the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us: and we saw his glory, the
glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth.
Thanks
be to God.
|
All
genuflect at the words, “Et Verbum caro factum est,” when the
Incarnation is mentioned, just as all genuflect at the words, “Et
homo factus est,” in the Credo. The Last Gospel being completed,
Holy Mother Church's greatest act of worship to God, the Holy Mass,
is now finished. The sacred minsters descend the steps of the altar,
cover their heads with the birettas, and exit with the servers.
New
terms
-
postcommunion – A prayer proper to the day sung after Communion, related to the collect and secret.
-
Last Gospel – A passage from the Gospel, nearly always the beginning of the Gospel according to St. John, read as the final act of the Mass.
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