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
The secrets having been concluded, the priest continues at once to greet the people in the usual way. He does not turn toward them, as now that we have fully entered into the offering up of the sacrifice, he will not face them again until what is on the altar is no longer bread and wine, but our Lord.
Dóminus
vobíscum.
Et cum
spíritu tuo.
|
The Lord be
with you.
And with
thy spirit.
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It
is interesting to note that the chants of “Dominus vobiscum” and
“Et cum spiritu tuo” appointed here are more musical than at
other times during the Mass, when it is sung effectively monotone.
Here, the priest and people are united in the priesthood that they
share, just as they were united at the Orate fratres. The
priest further calls them to this participation with an admonition,
also sung musically, to lift up their hearts (“Sursum corda”),
which now more than any other time need to be fixed firmly on God.
Sursum
corda.
Habémus
ad Dóminum.
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Lift up
your hearts.
We have
lifted them up to the Lord.
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While
singing this, he raises and extends his hands, adopting the same
posture as in the collects and secrets of a child crying out to his
Father: an appropriate visual representation of the words he is
singing. The choir responds in affirmation, “We have lifted them to
the Lord!” We open the Anaphora by giving thanks to God for all he
has given us, for thanksgiving is an essential part of the Mass
(Psalm 49:14, Hebrews 13:15-16). This necessitates our hearts being
lifted up to God. The Mass is our commemoration of the Lord's
Passion, but it is also our way of making what little return we can
for all he has done for us. In the Mass, we worship and adore God and
obey his command to continue this act (Luke 22:19).
Grátias
agámus Dómino, Deo nostro.
Dignum
et iustum est.
|
Let us give
thanks to the Lord our God.
It is
right and just.
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While
singing this, the priest momentarily joins his hands and bows his
head in adoration of God's benevolence. The people respond, "It
is right and just." Of course, it is very right and just to give
God thanks and praise; in fact, it would be wrong and unjust not to.
This dialogue between the priest and the congregation was probably
composed by the apostles.
The
priest again extends his hands and continues singing praise and
thanksgiving to God in the Preface, which is proper to the
liturgical season or the type of feast being celebrated (e.g. a feast
of an apostle or of our Lady). In all of them, he starts out by
stating our intent to give thanks to God, not just in the Mass or
even while praying, but always and everywhere, in our daily lives,
for this is truly right, just, and fitting for our salvation.
On
most Sundays of the year, the Preface of the Holy Trinity is sung.
Thus, we laud the greatest mystery of our faith, one that no human
can completely comprehend. This Preface is a beautiful description of
the theology of the Trinity. The liturgy describes the faith in a
most beautiful and concise way, such as can only come from over 1,500
years of Sacred Tradition, guided by the Holy Ghost.
Vere dignum
et iustum est, æquum et salutáre, nos tibi semper et ubíque
grátias ágere: Dómine sancte, Pater omnípotens, ætérne Deus:
Qui cum unigénito Fílio tuo et Spíritu Sancto unus es Deus,
unus es Dóminus: non in unius singularitáte persónæ, sed in
uníus Trinitáte substántiæ. Quod enim de tua glória,
revelánte te, crédimus, hoc de Fílio tuo, hoc de Spíritu
Sancto sine differéntia discretiónis sentímus. Ut in
confessióne veræ sempiternǽque Deitátis, et in persónis
propríetas, et in esséntia únitas, et in maiestáte adorétur
æquálitas. Quam laudant Angeli atque Archángeli, Chérubim
quoque ac Séraphim: qui non cessant clamáre cotídie, una voce
dicéntes:
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It is truly
right and just, our duty and our salvation, that we should at all
times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O holy Lord,
Father almighty, everlasting God; who, together with thine
only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not
in the oneness of a single person, but in the Trinity of one
substance. For what we believe by thy revelation of Thy glory, the
same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy Ghost, without
difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and
everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and
equality in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and
Archangels, the Cherubim also and Seraphim do praise: who cease
not daily to cry out, with one voice saying:
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"It
is right to give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty,
everlasting God," the priest sings, addressing the Father; then
the other two members of the Trinity are added, who together are one
God and Lord. This brings us back to the fact, first recalled at the
very beginning of the Mass, that the Mass is a trinitarian prayer. We
then unite ourselves to the Angels, Archangels, Seraphim, and
Cheribum, the noblest of God's creatures who sing praise to God
constantly forever (Apocalypse 7:11).
On
weekdays for which no other Preface is appointed, the Common Preface
is sung.
Vere dignum
et iustum est, æquum et salutáre, nos tibi semper et ubíque
grátias agere: Dómine sancte, Pater omnípotens, ætérne Deus:
per Christum, Dóminum nostrum. Per quem maiestátem tuam laudant
Angeli, adórant Dominatiónes, tremunt Potestátes. Coeli
coelorúmque Virtútes ac beáta Séraphim sócia exsultatióne
concélebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admitti iubeas,
deprecámur, súpplici confessione dicéntes:
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It is truly
meet and just, and profitable unto salvation, that we should at
all times, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O holy Lord,
Father almighty, eternal God, through Christ, our Lord. Though
whom the angels praise thy majesty, the dominions adore it, the
powers are in awe. Which the heavens and the hosts of heaven
together with the blessed seraphim joyfully do magnify. And do
thou command that it be permitted to us join with them in
confessing thee, while we say with lowly praise:
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After
singing “Vere dignum et justum est,” and so on, addressed to the
Father, the priest adds "through Christ our Lord." Of
course, all our praise and thanksgiving is directed through Christ,
the only mediator between God and man. Furthermore, the Holy
Sacrifice is the Son being offered to the Father, so it makes sense
to address both of them. And now, in our efforts to be like them, we
join ourselves with the angels. The priest names several of the
choirs of angels, concluding with the "blessed Seraphim,"
the highest order of angels, and then most humbly joins them himself
along with the whole congregation.
Other
prefaces are appointed for the Nativity, the Epiphany, Lent, the Holy
Cross, Easter, the Ascension, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Lord
Jesus Christ the King, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St.
Joseph, the apostles, and Masses for the Dead. They always conclude
by uniting ourselves to the angels and mentioning a few of the choirs
of angels. In this way, the Mass can be more tailored to the specific
occasion for which it is being offered up. Interestingly, which of
the choirs of angels are mentioned depends on the Preface.
Having
united ourselves with the angels at the end of the preface, we join
them in singing praise to God in the hymn that the holy angels sing
perpetually in adoration of God, as recorded in the prophecy of
Isaiah (6:3) and later in the Apocalypse of St. John (4:8).
Sanctus,
sanctus, sanctus Dóminus, Deus Sábaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et
terra glória tua. Hosánna in excélsis. Benedíctus, qui venit
in nómine Dómini. Hosánna in excélsis.
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Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory!
Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of
the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
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The
Sanctus is sung by the choir while the priest, deacon, and
subdeacon say it to themselves, just like the Gloria and Credo. The
bells are rung, sounding our joy. "Holy" is repeated
thrice, expressing that God is the holiest thing possible and also
referencing the Trinity. He is described as the God of Hosts in the
same manner as he is described as “Agios ischyros” ("Holy
mighty") in Eastern liturgies. God is strong and omnipotent,
like an army vanquishing every hindrance and foe it encounters. Thus,
holiness and power are ascribed to God in the highest degrees. To
this is added the cry of the multitudes as Jesus rode into Jerusalem
(Matthew 21:9). Just like the Jews did, we sing, “Hosanna,” a
Hebrew and Aramaic word meaning "save," used in Psalm
117:25 as a cry for help but now as a cheer of jubilation to our
Savior.
Having
finished saying the Sanctus, the priest continues with the Anaphora
known as the Canon of the Mass, the long prayer in which the
sacrifice is finally truly offered. If the Sanctus is being sung
polyphonically, it is paused after the first “Hosanna in excelsis”
and continued after the consecrations, so that there is silence
during the consecrations. At the beginning of the Sanctus, two, four,
or six servers come and kneel before the altar holding lit torches,
which represent the light of Christ. They will further illuminate our
Lord as he is made present in the Canon.
The
Canon is the most important part of the Mass and is said by the
priest alone almost completely silently. The text has remained
unchanged since the time of St. Gregory the Great at the end of the
sixth century. Many of the prayers originate from the second or third
centuries. The priest begins by raising his eyes to heaven and
extending and joining his hands, calling out for God's help and
protection, before immediately lowering his eyes and bowing down.
Te igitur,
clementíssime Pater, per Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum, Dóminum
nostrum, súpplices rogámus, ac pétimus, uti accepta habeas et
benedícas, hæc ☩ dona, hæc ☩ múnera, hæc ☩ sancta
sacrifícia illibáta, in primis, quæ tibi offérimus pro
Ecclésia tua sancta cathólica: quam pacificáre, custodíre,
adunáre et régere dignéris toto orbe terrárum: una cum fámulo
tuo Papa nostro Francisco et Antístite nostro __ et ómnibus
orthodóxis, atque cathólicæ et apostólicae fídei cultóribus.
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We
therefore humbly pray and beseech thee, most merciful Father,
through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, that thou wouldst
vouchsafe to accept and bless these ☩ gifts, these ☩ presents,
these ☩ holy unspotted sacrifices, which in the first place we
offer thee for thy holy Catholic Church to which vouchsafe to
grant peace, as also to preserve, unite, and govern her throughout
the world, together with thy servant Francis our Pope, and __ our
Bishop, and all orthodox believers and professors of the catholic
and apostolic faith.
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It
begins with the letter T, sharing form with the Hebrew and Greek
letter Tau, resembling the Cross. This resemblance was forshadowed in
the prophecy of Ezekiel (9:4-6). To this effect, almost all altar
missals now have an illustration of the Crucifixion on the page
opposite the beginning of the Canon. In the prayer that continues,
the priest first appeals to our most merciful Father in heaven and
then invokes the necessary mediation of his Son. The priest kisses
the altar, invoking also the intercession of the saints whose relics
are there.
He
then prays for God's acceptance and blessing of "these gifts,
these offerings, these holy unspotted sacrifices." The Canon of
the Mass has very rich linguistic beauty, seen here and constantly
throughout. While saying these words, the priest makes the first
three of a total of twenty-five Signs of the Cross over the host and
chalice during the Canon. This represents first of all the unity
between the Cross and the Mass. In addition, the Sign of the Cross is
used for blessing things, and the Blessed Sacrament is the most
blessed and holy thing that exists on earth.
Our
first and foremost intention for which we offer the sacrifice is Holy
Mother Church, the Lord's spouse. The priest prays with arms extended
for peace and for God's divine providence in the well-being of the
Church, who has Christ as her head. The Pope is prayed for by name,
who is Christ's vicar on earth and carries immense burdens in
governing the Church. He is always in need of our prayers. Also
mentioned by name is the bishop with jurisdiction over that priest.
Bishops have the fullness of the Holy Orders and, as the true
successors of the Apostles, are responsible for local governance of
God's Church. A bishop offering the Mass instead says, “together
with thy servant Francis, our Pope, and me, thy unworthy servant.”
When the Pope celebrates the Mass, he says, "together with me,
thy unworthy servant, whom thou hast been pleased to preside over thy
flock."
Of
course, the priest also prays for the whole Church. Emphasis is
placed on these people being orthodox believers and followers of the
Catholic and Apostolic faith, so as to exclude heretics and anyone
who denies the infallible teachings of the Church. It is interesting
to note here what tremendous importance the Mass has to the Church
and the Church must have to her members. If the true Mass were to be
taken away, society would crumble. Many empires have tried to attack
the Catholic Church by attacking the Holy Mass. They have all failed.
This first prayer of the Canon has no conclusion.
Meménto,
Dómine, famulórum famularúmque tuarum __ et __ et ómnium
circumstántium, quorum tibi fides cógnita est et nota devótio,
pro quibus tibi offérimus: vel qui tibi ófferunt hoc sacrifícium
laudis, pro se suísque ómnibus: pro redemptióne animárum
suárum, pro spe salútis et incolumitátis suæ: tibíque reddunt
vota sua ætérno Deo, vivo et vero.
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Be mindful,
O Lord, of thy servants and handmaidens, __ and __, and of all
here present, whose faith and devotion are known unto thee, for
whom we offer, or who offer up to thee, this sacrifice of praise
for themselves, their families and friends, for the redemption of
their souls, for the health and salvation they hope for; and who
now pay their vows to thee, the everlasting, living and true God.
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Then
follows the commemoration of the living. After the words, “Memento,
Domine, famulorum famularumque tuarum,” the priest joins his hands
and pauses for a moment. Having already prayed for the Church and her
leaders, the priest now prays for any living people he wishes to
remember. The deacon, who stands by the priest, steps back so as to
not hear the names being mentioned. The Sarum Missal, a peculiar rite
of the Mass used in England before the Council of Trent, directs the
priest to pray for himself, his parents and family, his special
friends and parishoners, the congregation, and for all living
Christians. No such instruction is present in the Roman Missal.
Having
said these names, he continues to pray for the present congregation,
“whose faith and devotion are known to thee.” Thus is the grace
attained by devout participation in the Mass, even if one does not
receive Communion: prayers and sacrifice are offered up for their
benefit. Also, the prayer says, “for whom we offer, or who offer up
to thee, this sacrifice of praise for themselves, their families and
friends,” acknowledging once again that the people are assisting in
offering up the sacrifice and have their own intentions to pray for.
At the end of the prayer is stated the desired result of salvation
for us and adoration for God.
New
terms
-
Preface – The prayer of praise and thanksgiving sung by the priest before the Canon.
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Sanctus – The angels' hymn of adoration to God that is sung by the choir after the Preface while the priest begins the Canon.
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Canon of the Mass – The long prayer or anaphora in the traditional Roman form of the Mass in which the sacrifice occurs.
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