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From the St. Joseph Daily Missal, 1959 edition.By Richard Kugelman, C.P., S.T.L., S.S.L.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

HOLY Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the New

Testament in which the Body and Blood of our Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ, are offered to God under the

appearance of bread and wine.

Humanity's redemption was accomplished when Christ

bowed His head in death on the Cross. The Holy Mass is

the sacrament of the sacrifice of Redemption, through which more abundantly than through

any other means (Council of Trent) the merits of Christs redeeming death are applied to

souls. The Mass is not a mere symbol recalling the sacrifice of the Cross. It is a sacrament,

a symbol that does what it signifies. Through the separate consecration of the bread andwine, Christ our Lord, speaking through His priests, portrays the shedding of His Blood

and His dying on Calvary, and becomes really present under symbols that show Him to be

in a state of victimhood. In accomplishing this act, Christ presents once more before His

Father His immolation on the Cross, with all that it involves of love and obedience, of

adoration, thanksgiving, propitiation and petition. Thus, St. Cyprian writing to the

Christians of the 3rd century declared: The sacrifice which we offer to God is the Passion

of our Lord Himself.

Besides being the sacramental renewal of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, the Massis also our sacrifice. Holy Baptism grafted us in Christ, the true Vine. We are

members of Christ's Mystical Body, the Church. Christ our Head is the priest andthe victim of every Mass. The Sacred Ministers act in the person not only of ourSavior, but of the whole Mystical Body and of everyone of the faithful. Christ offersnot only Himself as Head of the Church, but in Himself His mystical members aswell. (Pope Pius XII,Mediator Dei.) In every Mass, therefore, we are associatedwith the complete consecration, the obedience unto death of Christ our Head.Attendance at Mass should be for us the renewal of our Baptismal promises, asincere dedication to Christian living, to the following of Christ, to doing the Will ofGod.

THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF THE MASS

THE Holy Mass really consists of two services. The First Part, from the Prayers atthe foot of the Altar to the Creed inclusively, is a service of prayer and instructioncalled Mass of the Catechumens, because, during the early centuries ofChristianity, people under instruction, but not yet baptized (Catechumens), werepermitted to be present at this service, but were excluded from the Eucharisticsacrifice. The Second Part called Mass of the Faithful, because only the baptized

Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger) Offering theTraditional Latin Mass
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were permitted to assist, is the Eucharistic sacrifice. This part begins with theOffertory Verse and continues until the end of Mass.

I. MASS OF THE CATECHUMENS

The purpose of this service of prayer and instruction is to prepare us for the propercelebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice. We approach God in prayer; God speaks tous in the inspired words of the Epistle and Gospel and, through the lips of Hispriest, in the sermon.

1. PRAYERS AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR: The priest and the server (inthe name of all present) recite part of Psalm 42, a hymn written by a Jewish priestor levite under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, about eight hundred years beforethe birth of Christ. This hymn, in which the inspired author speaks his yearning toworship on the holy hill of Jerusalem, expressesbeautifully the sentiments that fillour hearts as we approach the altar for the Eucharistic sacrifice: consciousness of

our sinfulness and weakness, confidence in God Who has saved us throughChrist's sacrifice.

Then the priest and server, speaking for all present, recite in turn the Confiteor, ageneral confession of sinfulness and a poignant plea for Gods forgiveness.

Every altar stone contains the relics of some martyr-saint, reminiscent of the earlyChristian practice of celebrating Mass over the tombs of the martyrs. Kissing thealtar the priest says: By the merits of Your Saints, whose relics lie here, and of allthe Saints: deign in Your mercy to pardon me all my sins.

2. INTROIT: Going to the Missal the priest reads a few verses usually takenfrom a Psalm. This prayer is called the Introit, from the Latin Introitus, meaningentrance, because it used to be sung, and at Solemn Mass is still sung as thesacred ministers enter the sanctuary.

3. KYRIE ELEISON These are Greek words, the only Greek in our RomanMass, meaning, Lord have mercy (Kyrie eleison), Christ have mercy (Christeeleison).

4. GLORIA: This hymn of praise, adoration and thanksgiving begins with thewords the angels sang at Jesus birth: Glory to God in the highest and on earth

peace to men of good will. It is omitted during penitential seasons, in Masses of thedead and in ferial and votive Masses, e.g. in Nuptial Masses.

5. PRAYER (or COLLECT): Returning to the Missal the priest reads thePrayer of Petition, called the Collect, because it is a petition made in the name ofall the people collected, gathered together in church. This prayer, which is differentfor every Mass, is always a prayer of petition.
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6. EPISTLE (or LESSON): God inclines toward us to instruct us. The priestreads a passage from the Bible, called the Epistle, because it is usually taken fromthe inspired letters of the Apostles.

7. GRADUAL: The verses, usually from a Psalm, recited after the Epistle are

called the Gradual (from the Latin gradus, a step), because they used to be in-toned by a cantor standing on the steps of the pulpit or altar.

8. ALLELUIA: A Hebrew expression meaning Praise the Lord! In the RomanRite, AIIeIuiais regarded as an expression of joy, and consequently is omitted dur-ing penitential seasons and in Requiem Masses.

9. TRACT: A Psalm, or verses of a Psalm, recited in place of the Alleluia duringpenitential seasons.

10. GOSPEL: The climax of the prayer and instruction service. God speaks to

us through the words of His Incarnate Son, as recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke,and John.

11. CREED: With this profession of faith we express our acceptance of Godsrevelation and instruction. The First Part of Mass began on a note of humilitycon-scious of our sinfulness we begged Gods mercy. It closes with a note ofconfidence; faith in the reward God has promised us as the fruit of Christssacrifice: I believe in . . . life everlasting. Amen.

II. MASS OF THE FAITHFUL

The Second Part of Mass, from the Offertory Verse to the end, is the service ofsacrifice, the unbloody sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ, the sacramentalrenewal of His sacrifice on Calvary. This part of Mass consists of three actions: (a)The Offering, (b) The Consecration, (c) The Communion.

A. THE OFFERING

1. OFFERTORY: In the name of the whole Church the priest offers to God thebread and wine, mixed with a few drops of water, which will be changed into theBody and Blood of Christ. In ancient days the people gave the priest the bread andwine for the Holy Sacrifice. Today, for reasons of practicality, a money collection

has been substituted for this ancient custom. With the offering of the host and thechalice we should make a complete offering of ourselves to God, accepting fromthe divine good pleasure the chalice that His Wisdom wills to mix for us, be itsuffering or joy, good fortune or bad fortune. For He wills all for our ultimatehappiness.

2. LAVABO: Washing of the Hands. Originally the priest washed his handsbecause they had become soiled by handling the bread and flasks of wine pre-
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sented by the people at the Offertory. Now this act is a symbol of the inner puritywith which priest and faithful should approach the Sacrifice of the Lord.

3. SECRET.: This prayer is so called because it is said inaudibly. The Secret isalways a petition to God to receive favorably the offering of the Church and to

sanctify the faithful.

B. THE CONSECRATION

The second act of the Eucharistic sacrifice begins with the Preface and concludeswith the words, World without end. Amen (just before the Pater Noster). This partof Mass is, strictly speaking, the Canon, although the Roman Missal uses this termfor the parts of the Missal immediately following the Sanctus.

1. PREFACE: The solemn introduction to the Canon of the Mass, to theConsecratory or Sacrificial Act. The Preface is always a hymn of thanksgiving,

because Jesus giving thanks instituted the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the LastSupper. The Preface concludes with the jubilant cry of adoration of the Seraphimof Isaias vision (Isa. 6, 3), called the Sanctus.

2. TE IGITUR: These words, Therefore, most gracious Father, we humbly beg,introduce a great intercession in which the priest implores Gods good favor for thePope, the Bishop of the diocese, all the faithful, especially those present, andthose for whom he is offering Mass or whom he wishes to remember in the HolySacrifice.

3. COMMUNICANTES: Naming our Blessed Mother, the Apostles, some of the

ancient Popes and Martyrs, the priest begs that in view of their merits and prayersand the intercession of all the saints, we may all be protected by God's Providenceand grace, and brought to the glory of the saints.

4. CONSECRATION: Speaking through His priest our Blessed Lord changes thebread and wine into His own Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Through theseparate consecration of the bread and wine, which portrays the shedding of HisBlood, He shows forth His death, renewing sacramentally the sacrifice He made ofHimself on Calvary.

5. OFFERING OF THE VICTIM TO GOD: Recalling the Sacrifice of our Lord

on Calvary and the Resurrection and Ascension by which God manifested Hisacceptance of Christ's bloody sacrifice, the priest begs, with absolute assurancethat the Eucharistic sacrifice is pleasing to God, that all who partake of thissacrifice in Holy Communion may be filled with grace and heavenly blessing.

6. COMMEMORATION OF THE DEAD: The priest prays for all the faithfuldeparted and in particular for those whom he wishes to remember.


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7. THE MINOR ELEVATION: For us sinners also the priest beseeches ashare in the joy of the glorified martyrs and saints. The Consecration Act, theCanon properly so-called, concludes with a beautiful doxology (a prayer of praiseof the Holy Trinity). Through Him and with Him and in Him (Christ our Lord), is toYou God the Father Almighty, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory,

world without end. Amen.

C. THE COMMUNION

In Communion our Blessed Lord gives Himself to His faithful to develop andstrengthen the life of grace they received in Baptism, just as food nourishesphysical life.

1. PATER NOSTER: In preparation for Holy Communion the priest recitesaloud the Our Father, the prayer taught us by our Lord Himself. The daily bread webeg for is, more than anything else, the living bread the Holy Eucharist, which

preserves us for eternal life and guarantees the resurrection of our bodies.

2. THE BREAKING OF THE SACRED HOST: In imitation of our BlessedLord, Who at the Last Supper broke bread, the priest breaks the ConsecratedHost. The Christians of the Apostolic times called the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,The Breaking of the Bread.

3. AGNUS DEI: A petition for mercy to Christ, the Lamb of God, Whoredeemed us by the Sacrifice of the Cross and Who applies the benefits of thatSacrifice to our souls through the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

4. COMMUNION: Originally this antiphon and psalm were sung while HolyCommunion was being distributed to the faithful. Now the short Communionantiphon is recited after Holy Communion.

5. POSTCOMMUNION The Church's prayer of thanksgiving is short. Anearnest endeavor to live a better Christian life is the thanksgiving she wants thefaithful to offer God for the graces they have received through the Holy Sacrificeand in Holy Communion. Those who have received Holy Communion, however,are urged by the Church to spend some time in fervent thanksgiving.

The Sacred Vessels Needed for Mass

The CHALICE: A cup of precious metal (the inside must be gold or gold-plated), that

holds the wine consecrated at Mass.

The PATEN: A small plate of precious metal that holds the Sacred Host.

The CIBORIUM: A large cup of precious metal with a cover of the same material, that

contains the hosts consecrated for distribution to the Faithful in Holy Communion.
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The PURIFICATOR: A small linen cloth used by the priest to dry his fingers andthe chalice, when he has washed and purified them after Communion.

The CORPORAL: The linen cloth spread by the priest on the altar at the beginningof Mass. The chalice and host rest upon this cloth.

The PALL: A small square of stiffened linen, or of cardboard covered with linen, used to

cover the chalice.

The CHALICE VEIL: A cloth covering, of the same color as the Chasuble, that conceals

the chalice and paten up to the Offertory and after the Communion.

The BURSE: A flat, square contamer of cloth, the same color as the vestments, in which

the corporal is carried to and from the altar. It is placed over the veil on top of the chalice.

High and Low Mass

From the viewpoint of external ceremony, we speak of High Massand Low Mass.A High Mass is sung. A Low Mass is read. A High Mass is called Solemn Masswhen it is sung with the help of Deacon and Subdeacon. A High Mass sung by apriest, without the assistance of those Sacred Ministers is known as a Missa Cantta.

Low Mass is one in which the priest, assisted by one server, recites in a speakingtone the parts that are sung in a High Mass. It is in fact the abridgement of theSolemn Mass which, in ancient days, was the normal way of celebrating the HolySacrifice. Low Mass was evidently introduced on account of the difficulty of se-

curing the help of Deacon and Subdeacon.
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