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THE MASSITS DOCTRINE, ITS HISTORYThe Story of the Mass in Pen and Picture

ByABBOT CABROL, O.S.B.

FRA ANGELICO : THE LAST SUPPER. In theMuseum of San Marco, Firenze. (PhotoBrunner et C O

TOURSA. MAME & SONS

Publishers to the Holy Apostolic See

Printers to the Sacred Congregation of Rite

OGT 3 1 1940

Printed in France.

CONTENTSINTRODUCTION 5

I. THE ORIGIN OF THE MASS 9

II. THE MASS AMONGST CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES. 14I. The Early Church 14

II. From the Fourth Century onwards: Liturgical Variations 19

III. THE EXPLANATION OF THE ROMAN MASS 22I. The Mass of the Catechumens 24

II. The Mass of the Faithful 27

IV. THE MASS COMPARED WITH OTHER RITES 35I. Comparison with non-Christian Rites 35

II. Comparison with other Christian Rites 37

III. Efficacy 40

V. THEOLOGY OF THE MASS : Its Place in Theology ; In the

Liturgy ; In the Mystical Life 13

VI. THE MASS IN ART : Architecture; Painting; Music 47VII. LITERATURE OF THE MASS 54

VIII. CONCLUSION 58

APPENDIX AND NOTES 61I. The Bread, Wine and Water of the Mass 61

II. The Gestures used in the Mass; Sacred Vestments;

Liturgical Colours 63

III. Stipends for Masses 68

VAN THULDEN. THE ADORATION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST.

LEONARDO DA VINCI : THE LAST SUPPER. - One of the finest pictures of this scene. Rarely hashis genius served the artist better than when he composed this painting, so rich, and at thesame lime so simple; and of which the wonderful face of Our Lord is the centre. (Phot. Ets.Levy et Neurdein.)

INTRODUCTION

Of all the Christian Rites notone is more universally known ormore important than that of theMass. The only proof of thiswhich we will give here is thatall heresies, all the Protestant

sects which have eliminated the

greater number of the other riteshave, under one form or another,

kept this one. The only exceptionof which I know is that of theQuakers, who have rejected thisas well as all the other Catholic

Ceremonies.

The complete history of the Masshas not yet been written, but itwould be a truly marvellous history.It would show how the Mass, mysteriously celebrated in the vaults

of the catacombs, on the tombsof the martyrs, became in the fifthand sixth centuries, in that sameRome which for 300 years had

persecuted Christianity, a public solemnity where the Pope,surrounded by numbers of his

clergy and followed by crowds ofthe faithful, went in processionto the church of the " Station

"

to offer the Holy Sacrifice as Su

preme Pontiff.The synaxis, or liturgical as

sembly described in the Acts ofthe Apostles and by the writersof the first centuries, had become

everywhere in the churches of

Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria,

Edessa, Constantinople, Milan,and Rome ; in Gaul, in Spain, andthroughout the whole Catholicworld - - a solemn ceremony, sur

rounded with symbolic rites ; the

centre of Catholic worship. It is

the same Mass, with new developments, which, from the ninth to the

fifteenth century was to flower in

THE MASS

the choirs of our

Roman and Gothic cathedrals, as

well as in the

sanctuaries of the

Greek and Oriental churches ; it

is the Mass atwhich our con

temporaries mayassist to-day in

their own parishchurches, in the

humblest villageor beneath the

tent of the mis

sionary priest.It would tell of

such tragic daysas those in England in the reignof Elizabeth andher successors,when the priestin hiding who celebrated Mass in some secret placewas accused of the crime of trea

son, and risked being drawn,

hanged and quartered at TyburnTree. And how a little later, during the French Revolution, for thesame crime of saying Mass priestswere tracked from farm to farm,and condemned to the scaffold, orto an imprisonment worse thandeath.

Lastly it would recall, in a chapter by no means the least important of this history, the magnificent masterpieces which the Last

Supper, the journey to Emmaus,the wedding at Cana, the sacrifice of Abraham, the multiplication of the loaves, and all the pagesof the Old and New Testamentsrelating to the Mass or the Eucharist have inspired in artists, paint-

GRANET : LEAVING THE SACRISTY. Precededby acolytes bearing lighted c ndles, t nd byhis assistants, the celebrant passes down thelong cloister on his way to the church. (PhotoBloud and Gay.)

Apostles ; the

ers, sculptors, ar

chitects, musi

cians, illumina

tors of missals andbreviaries. Sim

ply from the philosophic and historic standpointit would interest

every enquiringmind.

The Mass, as a

rite, is the most

august in the

Catholic religion,for none has founda more sublime

symbol to realisethe union of the

faithful with their

God. It is the

act which recallsand renews theLast Supper ofChrist with His

bread and wine

changed into His Body and Bloodbecome the food of His disciples.It is Jesus Christ Himself, WhoseBody is to be crucified, WhoseBlood is to be shed to redeem thesin of mankind. What earthlypoem can be compared with thisDivine story?

Theologians and Catholic litur-

giologists are by no means the lastto exalt the value and supremeimportance of the Mass. It isindeed their mission to show thatit is the centre of Christian wor

ship ; to point out the eminent

place it holds in the economy ofChristian dogma, of which it maybe called the synthesis. As to

mystical writers, they are never

weary of describing the effectsof this Sacrament of Life upon

PROLOGUE

the Christian soul. Lastly, what

gives the Mass a unique place inthe history of religions is, that

wherever it is celebrated it abol

ishes all sacrifices involving the

shedding of blood, and becomestheir substitute. In this way,wherever He is sacrificed, theLamb without spot has stayedthe flow of that river of blood

which streamed from heathen al

tars, and even in the Jewish

Temple : blood of bulls, goats,lambs, and sometimes that of human victims.

Sacrifice is an essential element

of all the ancient religions : in a

general sense it might even be said,of all religions. To some this may

MAURICE DENIS : THE EXECUTION OF NOELPINOT AT ANGERS. The martyr is led to thescaffold vested in his sacerdotal ornaments.

According to tradition his last words werethose of the priest going up to the altar.

(Taken from the Histoire religieuse de laNation Francaise, by M. Georges Goyau).

ALTAR OF THE ENGLISH MARTYRS, SETHENEATH A REPLICA OF TYBURN " TREE "IN TYBURN CONVENT, HYDE PARK PLACE,LONDON.

be a cause of scandal : others will

seek for an explanation of this

problem, which assuredly needs

one. Let us be content with stat

ing the fact, rejoicing that the

Host of Peace has freed all othervictims ; and that the human soulfinds in this Sacrament, which is

at the same time a Sacrifice, therealisation of its deepest needs,

its highest ambitions.

For many, unfortunately, theMass is only a mysterious, complicated rite, of which they do not

grasp the meaning. Early in the

morning a man, clad in archaic

vestments, comes out of the sa

cristy holding a chalice in his

hands and followed by a server.

Together they pass to the altar

where two tapers are lit ; a dia

logue in Latin begins ; certain

prayers are recited in a low voice ;

THE MASS

certain ceremonies performed.All this lasts about half-an-hour ;after which the priest returns to

the sacristy. How many in thetown, just beginning to wake tothe stir of its daily affairs, realise

that in this obscure chapel a greatevent-- certainly the greatest of

the day has just taken place ; and

that only a few steps away Jesusof Nazareth, Christ Himself in

person, has again descended to

earth, and has renewed the mir

acle and the mysteries of His

life? And I speak not only of theindifferent ; or even of enemies,who see in the Mass nothingbut an act of idolatry, or atbest a sacrilegious comedy, I

speak also of Christians : of

those who on Sundays in our

great towns press in vast crowdson the thresholds of our chur

ches : how many of them could

explain satisfactorily the rite at

the celebration of which they have

just assisted ?

During the Great War I waspresent in Westminster Cathedralat a Requiem Mass for fallen soldiers, to which had been invitedall the King s Ministers, with Generals and Ambassadors of all theAllied Powers. Many of themwere evidently attempting tounderstand this ceremony, quitenew to them. Another priestsaid to me : " Why do they notgive them a little book of thewords a sort of programme twoor three pages long, which wouldallow them to follow the Mass? "

To such as these ; to all who donot know, to those who wish toknow, this little book may perhapsbe of some help ; for it aims in amodest way at explaining in a fewpages what the Mass really is; atdescribing its origin, and its component parts.

MASS IN THE DESERT. Beneath a tent andupon a haphazard altar Father Charles deFoucauld celebrates Holy Mass. (PhotoHarlingue.)

THE I.AST SUPPER. A PAINTING BY FRA ANGELICO. In the Museum of San Marco, Fire.nze.

THE ORIGIN OF THE MASS

The word Mass is to-day the mostpopular name for that august actwhich has yet other titles. It isderived from the Latin word Missa,the equivalent of Missio, which,in the language of the fifth to theninth centuries means " dismissal.

"

At the end of the ceremonythe Deacon said, as he does still :He, Missa est : (Go, it is over ; theMass is ended.) This word wasremembered by the people, andby them applied to the entire rite ;hence the word Kermesse, or Kir-

messe, meaning the Patronal Feast,or the dedication of a church

;

a day of rejoicing, and frequentlythe day of the parish fair .

In early days a higher and deeper meaning was attached to certain words than now. Hence theterm Eucharist, which expressesthe Sacrament more generally,and means thanksgiving. Christblessed all food, and gave thanksat every meal, as did the otherIsraelites. But at the Last Supper His prayer was of so solemn a

1 The attempts made by some scholars to seek the etymology of the word Mass, in Hebrewor other languages are purely fantastic, and may be passed over in silence.

9

THE MASS

THE WASHING OF THE FEET. The Gospelof SI. John relates how Our Lord, on thenight of the Last Supper, washed the feetof his apostles. The difjerent scenes ofthis act of humiliti/ are here presented.

(From the collection of Comte Dur-rieu, Paris. Extracted from I he

" Flemish Miniatures in the time of the courtof Burgundy.

" Van (Est, Paris.)

character that this divine Sacra

ment has become for us the veryhighest Act of thanksgiving, the

Eucharist, which alone allows usto thank God adequately for allHis benefits. The word Eulogy,which means blessing, and which

originally rivalled the word Eucharist, soon came to mean merelythe blessed bread which was distributed at the Mass, and thus, in a

general way, every object blessed1

.

The expression Breaking ofBread was also much used duringthe first centuries to express the

whole Eucharistic mystery ; andthe words are full of meaning.Christ, after having consecratedthe bread, broke it (fractio) to dis

tribute it to His disciples. Theyunderstood the full meaning ofthis action. Christ had only changed the bread into His Body in order to give It to them as food.Each received a fragment ; buttheir Lord was whole and entirein each, and to each gave Himself whole and entire. Thus, Communion is the necessary result ofConsecration ; and this is the greatmystery of the unity of the membersin Christ which the early Christiansunderstood by the term FractioPanis. " We, being many, are one

bread, one body : all that partakeof one bread.

"

(I. Cor. X. 17.)The Last Supper (Cosna, supper)

means that last meal which Jesustook with His disciples ; but the

Protestants of the sixteenth centu

ry, having got all their notions con

fused, took pleasure in substitu

ting for the word Mass the expression the Last Supper ; thereby ex

cluding its sacrificial character,and for the most part making itlittle more than a symbolic repast.To accomplish the Sacrament (orbetter, the Sacraments, i. e., the Mass)meant with the ancient Fathers,

notably with St. Augustine, to

say Mass. And this too is right ;since the Mass is the greatest Sacrament of all. Hence is derivedthe word Sacramentary, which isthe old name for the Missal. Theword Offering (Oblatio) was alsosometimes used to design the Mass,which is a sacrifice, and thus an

offering to God. Lastly, the

phrase the Holy Sacrifice teaches

us that the Mass is the sacrifice of

Calvary renewed amidst ourselves.

The Mass, if we disregard all the

1 The custom of blessing bread at the Offertory in still maintained in France (le painbenit) and in some other places.

10

THE ORIGIN OF THE MASS

ceremonies which surround it to

day and go straight to the central

point, the Consecration, is the repetition of the Last Supper whereJesus gave to His disciples His

Body and Blood, under the forms ,of bread and wine. To understand the origin of the Mass wemust recall the circumstances ofthat Last Supper.Palm Sunday is marked by the

triumphal entry of Jesus into Jeru

salem. From that moment theevents which are to bring aboutthe condemnation and death ofChrist crowd upon each other.On Wednesday Judas concludeshis bargain with the chief prieststo betray Him. Jesus, Who knewall that was being done ; knowingtoo that His hour was come,wished to leave to His Apostles,and to all those disciples whowould follow them, a supremeproof of His love.

"

Having lovedHis own who were in the world,He loved them unto the end ".(St. John XIII, 1.) And thusHe showed His love. The Passover was approaching. Jesus wasaccustomed to celebrate the feastwith His Apostles, according to theMosaic rite. He sends Peter andJohn to prepare a room in Jerusalem where this last meal shalltake place. For Him it was asthe last meal of one condemned todie. This feast of the Passoverwas always a solemn one ; remind

ing the Jews of their last mealbefore their going out from Egypt,which they ate standing, theirloins girt and staff in hand, readyfor a hasty departure. For Jesusit had now another meaning,far more sublime. Therefore Hewishes that the room in the house

THIERRY BOUTS : THE LAST SUPPER. Ahic/h Gothic room. The faces of Christand His Apostles arc profoundly expressive.I.ouvain. (Photo Bulloz.)

of a friend should be large, andwell prepared : it is the Cenacle,or dining-room : Cosnaculum magnum stratum (St. Luke XXII, 12),which with Calvary is to be thescene of the most important eventin sacred history in the world.

The story is given to us by thethree synoptic gospels, St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, and

by St. Paul. St. John, thougha witness of the scene, passes overthe story of the Consecration in

silence, as he does over many otherfacts related in the Synoptic Gos

pels ; but he gives us, as we shallsoon see, important details which

complete its history.This, then, is what was done.

At that time the Paas^ygr was no

longer what it had been for cen

turies, a meal eaten standing,loins girt, staff in hand, to recon

stitute as far as possible the circum-

11

TUP: MASS

JEAN FOUQUET : THE LAST SUPPER. Anumber of people, doubtless Jewish priests, arepresent in astonishment at the Last Supper,which marks the close of their ministry, andthe institution of the Christian priesthood.

(Chantilly Museum. Photo Giraudon.)

stances of the flight from Egypt.The old ritual had been a littlemodified ; and the Apostles withtheir Master lay on couches round

a table, as was the custom at solemn feasts. But the habit stillsurvived of eating a lamb withbitter herbs ; and of blessing with

special prayers the cups of wine

mingled with water which passedfrom guest to guest. It is evident

that in the Synoptic Gospels wehave merely an outline of whatnow occurred. St. John, who, asis his custom, completes the three

Synoptic Gospels, adds some otherdetails to their facts. In the sixth

chapter of his Gospel he has relat

ed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, where the Eucharist is announced and prefigured. In the thirteenth and fol

lowing chapters he will tell us

how Our Lord, before supper,

washed the feet of His disciples,and will quote the very wordswhich He spoke to them, and theprayers which accompanied the ]/Eucharist, which are the Divine

commentary on that Sacrament.The blessing of the cup, of which

St. Luke speaks (XXII, 17, 18.),doubtless took place after Christ

had washed His disciples feet, andbefore the meal began. Towardsthe end of this, Jesus took one ofthe loaves on the table ; prayed,

giving thanks ; broke it, and gaveto each one a piece, saying :" This is My Body, Which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.

"

Then taking the

chalice, which was probably thethird cup - - that which was called the chalice of blessing, whichwas drunk before the final hymnHe blessed it, saying : " This isthe chalice, the New Testament inMy Blood, which shall be shed foryou.

"

(St. Luke XXII, 19, 20.)We can imagine nothing moresimple, less prearranged than this

Divine Thing which is the Eucharist. But in these short accounts

given by the Evangelists everything must be noted and meditated upon ; for this is the veryangle of incidence between the

ancient covenant and the new.The New Testament succeeds theOld, the

" New Testament in MyBlood;

"

words which recall those

of Moses founding the old cove

nant between God and His peoplein the blood of sacrificed victims.

But here the Blood of Jesus re

places that of the sacrifices of old

time. The Mosaic Passover isabolished by the new PaschalFeast ; the Lamb who to-morrowwill !be sacrificed on the Cross

12

THE 0/?/G/AT OF THE MASS

is the Lamb whose Blood takesaway the sins of the world. Thisconnection between the Last Supper and the Cross is so close thatin a certain sense the two are one.

Jesus said : " Do this in memoryof Me.

" Now we know thatthis command has been obeyed.St. Paul describes (I Cor. XI. 23,

seq.) the Eucharistic Feast as it

was celebrated a few years afterthe death of Christ, among Christians. The Acts of the Apostlestell us again and again that the

disciples met in houses for prayerand the Breaking oj Bread. Inthe following chapter we shall seethis evidence accumulate duringthe first and second centuries.The Mass is thus for Christians

a memento of the last Passover ofChrist on earth ; of His last meal

amongst men." / will not drink

of the fruit of the vine till the Kingdom of God come". (St. Luke,//XXII, 18.) It is more than thecommemoration of that event ; itis its renewal, and the miraclewhich was wrought for the Apostles is reproduced for ourselves.While still a repast, it is also a sju>rific, for at the Last SupperChrist spoke of His Blood beingshed for man. It is the sacrificeof Christ on the cross recalled, re

newed, continued.This origin of the Mass has for

Christians the advantage of being

recalled yearly during Holy Weekby rites of sublime symbolism.On Palm Sunday we celebratethe entry of Our Lord JesusChrist into Jerusalem ; on MaundyThursday, the Institution of theEucharist ; and on that afternoonthe ceremony called Mandatumreproduces the scene when Christwashed the Apostles feet. OnGood Friday every stage of thePassion and Crucifixion is livedover again. Finally, Holy Satur

day and Easter Sunday consecratethe memory of the descent intohell and of the resurrection. Forwe are too apt to forget that theGlorious Mysteries of the Resur

rection, the Ascension, and eventhat of Pentecost form part ofthe Mass as much as the Sorrowful Mysteries of Christ s Passionand death.The following chapters will show

how the ceremonies of our Mass,which at first sight seem to havebut little resemblance with thoseof the Cenacle and of Calvary, yetonly recall, reconstitute, and renew them. Henceforth we knowthe essential fact : Jesus in Hislast Passover instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.He has left us this incomparablepledge of His love, which allowsus to assist at this banquet as didthe Apostles at the Last Supper ;and, like them, to be partakers of it.

13

IN THE CATACOMBS. INTERIOR VIEW OF A PLACE OF MEETING (ATRIUM). This is SI. Priscilla s,one of the most venerable of the Roman catacombs. Here, during the persecutions, the Christiansmet for the celebration of the Holy Mysteries. (After Wilpcrt :

" Fractio Panis.")

II

THE MASS AMONGST CHRISTIANSTHROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES

I. THE EARLY CHURCH

The Last Supper, as we haveseen, was not simply a mere act offarewell. The Mass is an institution which may be considered asthe very centre of Christianity ;which will endure so long asChrist s followers exist on earth :

that is, to the end of the world.

The evidence which has been preserved from the first to the twentieth centuries will form milestonesfor this history. Naturally onlythe more important evidence canbe quoted.The Acts of the Apostles tell

us that the Christians were in the

habit of meeting in private houses

for prayer and the Breaking of

Bread. This may seem nothing,but these texts have a capital im

portance. The Apostles and first

disciples still went to the Templeat the hour of prayer : yet from

this moment Christian worshipis founded. It is there in germin these assemblies (synaxes) where

Christians pray together ; andwhere they accomplish the act

of Breaking of Bread.

St. Paul, about the same time,

14

THE MASS AMONGST CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIEStells us in a text already quotedthat the Christians met at a love-feast, the Agape ; he condemnsthe abuses which had arisen inconnection with this meal, andreminds the Corinthians that theBread is the Body of Christ, theWine His Blood, the Blood of theNew Testament (I. Cor. XL 23.)This Agape, which preceded orfollowed the Eucharist, probablyrecalled the Feast of the Passoverwhich preceded the Institution ;and it was separated from it atan early stage just because of

possible abuses. It survived pre-

ariously till the fourth or fifth

century ; but traces of it can stillbe found during the Middle Ages,or even later. However this maybe, it is distinct from the Mass.A document which was discov

ered about fifty years ago : TheDoctrine of the Apostles, which

may date from the end of thefirst or beginning of the second

century, throws a clear light onthe history of the Mass. It contains manv allusions to this meal

which the faithful took in common, and gives the actual text ofthe prayers which were said inthis assembly over the breadand wine.About the same time Pliny the

Younger, Governor of Bithynia,gives an account in a letter to the

Emperor Trajan of an enquiryas to the Christians, who were already being tracked down by the

imperial police. He has learnt thatthey meet on a certain day (veryprobably Sunday) ; that they singhymns to the Christ-God ; praytogether to Him, and take a mealin common. A little later St. Justin adds numerous details aboutthese Christian meetings. The

mystery with which the disciplesof Christ were surrounded ; eventhe hour of the assembly, whichwas held at night in secret places,had become the source of dis

agreeable rumours, and even ofabominable calumnies, spreadby evil-minded pagans about the

supposed nocturnal orgies of the

Christians. St. Justin very prop-

SCENE AT AN AGAPE. This very ancient pointing represents the Last Supi;cr. On the dishesin placed the symbolic Fish ; the baskets are filled with the bread to be consecrated. (AfterWilpert :

"

Paintings from the Roman Catacombs. ")

15

THE MASS

FlSH SUPPORTING A BASKKT OF LOAVES. -

The Fish represents Christ, in accordancewith the invariable symbol in the art ofthe catacombs. (After Wilpcrt : Paintingsfrom the Roman Catacombs. ")

erly wrote a defence, or "apology",for the Christians addressed to

the Emperor (about the middle ofthe second century) ; he desires to

clear them from this reproach,and completely to raise the veil

of mystery which covers them ;

loyally he describes that MysticFeast. There are prayers ; the

faithful give each other the kiss

of peace ; bread is brought, anda cup of wine mixed with water ;he who presides pronounces theEucharistic prayer, to which all

answer Amen ; then to each isdistributed the consecrated bread,and the wine mingled with water.The greater number of Christian

writers from the first to the thirdcenturies St. Clement of Rome,Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian andthe rest, make many more or lessdirect allusions to the Eucharist in

their writings . To St. Hippolytus,who wrote at Rome at the beginning of the third century, has latelybeen rightly attributed a document of the highest value, which

is nothing else but the Anaphora,or prayer over the Eucharist, as

he proposed it to the faithful of

his own day. Here there isfound a Preface, with the Domi-nus vobiscum and the SursumCorda ; the recital of the Institu

tion of the Eucharist and the various parts of the Canon ; lastly,the Communion. Without seeingin this, as does a learned liturgio-

logist" the apostolic anaphora

"

- that instituted by the Apostlesthemselves we recognise here allthe features of the most ancientEastern anaphora ; and eventhose of the Canon of the RomanMass. Another text, also discovered at the end of the last century,the Anaphora of Serapion, Bishopof Egypt at the beginning of thefourth century, gives us the Massas it was celebrated at that epochin another form, more developedthan that of St. Hippolytus. It

can thus be said that the arche-

ological discoveries of the last fifty

years, without mentioning those

made in the Catacombs, havethrown new light upon the ancient Mass which would havebeen of inestimable value to the

Catholic controversialists of the

seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in their arguments with their

Protestant adversaries in favour

of the antiquity of the Mass.

Among important documentson the history of the Mass must bementioned the Apostolic Constitutions (particularly the eighth

book) which was indeed interpolated and retouched till the fourthand perhaps the fifth century, but

1 For all this evidence we must refer our readers to the authors mentioned in the Biblio

graphy (Ch. VII).

16

THE MASS AMONGST CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES

which, in the

opinion of emi

nent liturgiolo-

gists, has also

preserved a tra

dition which, if

not apostolic, is

at least extreme

ly ancient.

In any case we

have, from theend of the third

and beginning ofthe fourth centu

ry, the Mass withall its parts, and even with its principal form. In the following centu

ries we shall only have to notice afew additions and some new de

velopments. Thanks to these newdiscoveries and to a more methodical study of texts, we are a

long way removed from the thesisof the Protestant polemists of the

sixteenth to the eighteenth cen

tury who saw nothing in ourMass but a form of idolatry datingfrom the time of

Charlemagne !

Finally, to com

plete this sketch

of the history of

the Mass duringthe first three cen

turies, a few features must be added, borrowed fromChristian epigra

phy and archaeo

logy. The number of inscriptionsand frescoes whichallude to the Eucharist is consi

derable. Theyhave been collected in import-

AXCHOIJ AND FISHES from the sarcophagus of Livia Primativa.. The littlefishes, representing Christians, are swimming towards the anchor of Hope.

THE CONSECRATION OF THE BREAD AND WINE.On the left the priest lays his hands on the

elements placed on a tripod. On the righta woman with outstretched hands is prayiny.(After Wilpert :

"

Paintings from theRoman Catacombs. "

ant works which are quotedin the bibliography. We willonly mention here two in

scriptions which deserve a

special rank, and which in amost simple formand with refined

symbolism, showus the faith of

Christians of those

generations. Thatof Pectorius, dis

covered at Autun,is probably of the

third century." Celestial race of the Divine

Fish, fortify thy heart, since in the

midst of mortals thou hast received

the immortal spring of Divine

water."

Friend, make glad thy soulwith the ever-flowing water of

that Wisdom which bestows treasures. Receive this food, sweet

as honey, of the Saviour of the

saints ; eat it with delight, holdingthe Fish in thy hands.

"

At the otherend of the world,at Hierapolis in

Phrygia, aBishop,Abercius, echoes

these words in his

epitaph :" Citizen of a dis

tinguished town,I have erectedthis monument in

my lifetime, sothat one day I

may have a placeto lay my body.My name is Abercius ; I am thedisciple of a Shepherd Who feedsHis flocks of sheep

17

THE MASS

on the mountains and in the plains,whose great eyes see everything.It is He Who has taught me thetrue scriptures. It is He Who sentme to Rome to contemplate sovereign majesty, and to see a queenclad with gold and shod with gold.There I saw a people marked witha shining seal. There too I sawthe plain of Syria and all the

towns, Nisibis beyond Euphrates.Everywhere I found brethren.

Everywhere did the Faith leadme. Everywhere she served meas food a Fish from a spring,very large, very pure, captured

by a holy Virgin. She ceasednot from giving it to eat toher friends. She possesses a deli

cious wine which she gives withthe bread...

"

Beneath the veil of this symbolism the Christians of those days

deciphered with little trouble the

hidden meaning of these enigmas :the Divine Fish is Christ, for in

Greek the word fish formed thesacred anagram : Jesus Christ,Son of God, and Saviour. Thisfood as sweet as honey, this Fish

from a very large, very purespring, is the Eucharist presentedto the faithful by a holy virgin,that is, the Church, whom another

figure in the catacomb of St. Cal-listus shows us standing, as an

Orante, beside a tripod on whichare bread and wine, upon whicha priest lays his hand. How manyother frescoes in the catacombswhich picture meals of bread andwine or fish, or the multiplicationof the loaves, or the sacrifice of

Abraham, or the mysterious dol

phin are also allusions to the Eucharist or the Mass ! There existsalso a rich collection of glasses,or cups whose bottom is of gold,of which a large number was foundin the catacombs, with inscriptions or symbols indicating thatsome of them have doubtless servedas chalices. The sacrifice ofAbraham, the miracle of Cana,the multiplication of the loaves,

upon the cups of Podgoritza or ofTreves ; other symbols even more

significant, such as the two fishesand the two loaves, with the exclamations : " Drink and rejoice.Drink in the good things ", are, for

Secchi, Garrucci, Martigny, DomLeclerq, Wilpert, and even Go-

guel, allusions to the Eucharist.

If then the documents were silent,these stones and walls would speak,and confess the faith of ourfathers in the Eucharist .

1 See bibliographical notes (Ch. vn).

18

THE MASS AMONGST CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES

II. THE MASS FROM THE FOURTH CENTURY ONWARDS :LITURGICAL VARIATIONS

The Mass, of which the origin, aswe have seen, is found in Christ, isnot said in the same way everywhere. At the Eucharistic Con

gress of Westminster (1908j theGreek Mass was celebrated on one

day ; and the faithful of the Latinrite had some difficulty in followingand understanding the ceremonies. In Paris, during the commemoration (1925) of the sixteenth

centenary of the Council of Nicea,the liturgical week in Decemberincluded the celebration of Mass

according to the different Orien

tal rites one, on Dec. 21, in the

Byzantine-Slavonic rite which differed in manypoints from ourown liturgical usages. And that isnot all : the same

diversity of rites is

apparent even inthe West, wherewe had the Gal-lican, the Ambro-sian, the Celtic,and the Mozarabic

liturgies ; now supplanted almost

everywhere bytheRoman liturgy.This extension of

the Roman rite,and its adoptionin the ninth

,elev

enth and twelfthcenturies up toour own day, inFrance

, Spain ,

England, Germany, Poland, the

WITH THE GREEK-MALCHITES, AT SAINT-JULIEN-LE-PAUVRE (the church reservedin Paris for the Uniat Greeks). Theciborium is on the altar, and beneath it issuspended the Eucharistic Dove. (PhotoHarlingue.)

United States, South America, andmost ofthe colonies, is another proof,if proof be needed, in the historyof the Mass, of the fact of the

Roman Primacy. And I thinkthat the most prejudiced controversialists would be obliged to conclude with Newman, after an im

partial study of the texts, thatthe Roman liturgy is by far themost excellent of all, at least at thetime of its golden age in the fifth

to the seventh century. But the

variety of the rites just mentioned

proves also the liberty allowed bythe Church to different manifestations of Catholic piety, up to the

point in whichdoctrine is preserved pure andundefiled.

It must also be

agreed that all

these divergencesbetween East and

West, and between the different churches of

the West exist

only as regardsdetails. If Orien

tals especiallymanifest in their

liturgy such sen

timents of reli

gious fear andadoration as are

inspired by theawful Mysteriesthat they with

draw, in conse

quence, behind

the walls and veils

19

THE MASS

THE ARMENIAN MASS. - A photograph takensome years ago in an Armenian Catholicchurch at the beginning of a PontificalHigh Mass.

of the Iconostasis, in the West, on

the contrary, especially since the

beginning of the Middle Ages, the

altar occupies the centre of the

church. No wall, no veil hidesthe secret of the Mysteries fromthe eyes of the faithful. At onetime all the prayers, including

probably the Canon, were recited

aloud. To day they are utteredin a low voice. The kiss of peaceand the Memento of the living andthe dead are not everywhere foundin the same place. The Greeksconsecrate leavened bread ; the

Latins, unleavened. The prayersof the Mozarabic, Celtic, or Galli-

can liturgies have a warmer, moreornate character ; those of the Roman liturgy aim at precision andtheological exactitude. Thus each

epoch, each country betrays, under the exterior form of its Mass,its religious temperament, its trendof thought. But faith in the Sacrament does not change.

Interesting as it is, we cannotdevote more time to this study,which is but a digression. Butbefore beginning to explain the

Roman Mass, which may be saidto have become the Mass of the

West, and even that of the greaterpart of the Catholic world, we havea remark to make upon this litur-

giological unity which is of such

great importance from the theo-

ICONOSTASIS OF THE MONASTERY OF ARNOTA,1706. In the Eastern churches the Iconostasis is the screen which separates the choirand the nave. It is adorned with sacredpictures. Before the Consecration thisscreen is closed and the drawn veils concealthe sight of the] Sacred Mysteries from the

faithful.

THE MASS AMONGST CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE CEXTURIES

logical standpoint, and which isone of the characteristics of the

Unity and the Catholicity of theChurch. Heretics themselves,while contesting the authority andthe teaching of the Church on suchand such a point, have sometimesnevertheless faithfully guardedthe liturgic tradition. Thus, for

example, we find among the Nes-torians who still live, amongst theJacobites and other heretical sects,the tradition of the Mass such as itexisted in the fifth century, scarce

ly altered. This is another ar

gument in favour of the unity ofChristian rites. On the otherhand, other heretics, understand

ing what arms the liturgy of theMass would furnish against their

errors, have had no scruples in

making such modifications in itthat the Catholic Mass can no

longer be recognised. This is the

case, for instance, with nearly allthe Protestant sects. Long agoin the first centuries certain here

tics called Aquarians or Hydro-parasles, consecrated water only,because being intensely literal Pro

hibitionists, they made a pretenceof condemning the use of wine.Others again consecrated milk ;while on the other hand some refused to place in the chalice the ^water which symbolises the two natures in Christ. The moment hehas withdrawn himself from theone lawful authority, the hereticis led into every sort of follv.

IN THE SYRIAN CHAPEL, RUE DBS CARMESPARIS. - - The Rector, M. Vabbe Khayatc,presents the Sacred Species to the adorationof the faithful. (Photo Harlingue.)

21

MASS AT THE FRONT. AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR. Often during the Great War soldier-priests celebrated Mass in the trenches, or in the midst of forests hacked by shells.Nothing is more poignantly moving than a Mass said under such conditions for thoserecently slain, in the presence of their comrades who cannot but think upon the death whichthreatens themselves.

Ill

If we except the churches of Milan and of Toledo, the Greek andOriental rites celebrated in Russia, in Syria, in Egypt, in Asia Minor and a few other places, wecan say on the whole that the Roman Mass is celebrated throughoutthe West, in both Americas, in

Australia, Oceania, the Far Eastin a word wherever the CatholicChurch is established. Thus itis the Roman Mass which we muststudy more closely. Besides, ashas just been said, even the Mo-zarabic Mass celebrated at Toledo,

the Ambrosian at Milan, and theMasses of the Eastern rites, contain the same elements, and revert without much difficulty tothe Roman type. One might saythat all these liturgical forms seemto be derived from one primitivetype of fairly liberal outlines whichexisted throughout Christendom upto the fourth and fifth centuries.From that time the various liturgical families came into existence.

Why this was so will soon be explained.The existing Roman rite, then,

_ 99 _

THE EXPLANATION OF THE ROMAN MASS

represents a liturgic type which

goes back almost to the fourth cen

tury ; but which, between thefourth and the sixteenth century,by which time it is definitely fixed,has undergone many modifications and additions as to detail.

Let us first establish a main division :

(1) The Mass of the Catechumens (the first part of the Mass)from the beginning to the Offer

tory.

(2) The Mass of the Faithful, orreal Mass, from the Offertory tothe end.

This division dates from themost ancient times

; going back,it may safely be said, to the firstcenturies. The writers whom wehave quoted make the distinctionbetween the first part of the Mass,to which could be admitted peni-

THE GLORIA AND CREDO. On Feast Daysthe priest intones the Gloria in cxcclsis Deoand the Credo, which are taken up in chorusby the whole congregation. These two partsof the liturgy are. very ancient, though for along time they formed no part of the Celebration of Mass. (Photo Biaud, Cosne,Nievre.)

THE PRAYERS. - - The priest, his armsoutstretched like those of the Oranti of olden

time, receives (colligit) the desires andpetitions of his brethren, and sends them upto God in a fervent prayer. (Photo Biaud,Cosne, Nievre.)

tents, catechumens, and even pagans, and the second part, reserved for the initiated (baptised

Christians). We may even suppose that in the beginning there

were two rites, at first in juxtaposition, but later united : a non-

liturgical synaxis which consisted of the singing of hymns andpsalms, of lessons from the Oldand New Testaments, and of asermon ; this service is formedon the model of that of the synagogues, and it has preserved its

original elements to the presenttime. After the homily, catechu

mens, penitents and Gentiles were

dismissed, and then began the

Mass, or liturgical synaxis. If

these two services have been sometimes separated, they were soonreunited in one solid whole as theyare to-day; and the two parts havebeen placed in liturgical relation

THE MASS

THE GOSPKL. The. priest makes the sign of the Cross on his forehead, lips, and breast to showthe belief of his intelligence, the faithfulness of his lips, and the love of his heart.

with each other. The Mass ofthe Catechumens can be found,almost in its ancient form, in our

present office for Good Friday :readings from the Old and NewTestaments, prayers, the singing

of psalms, and litanic prayers.This is the non-liturgical synaxis,which we also find in the Blessingof the Palms, in the Masses for

Vigils, for Ember-Days, and insome other circumstances.

I. THE MASS OF THE CATECHUMENS

i. Preparatory Prayers,n. Introit, Ktjrie Eleison.

in. Collect.

iv. Epistle, Gradual, Alleluia,Prose, Sequence, Tract,

v. Gospel, Creed, Sermon.

i. The Preparatory Prayers comprise Ps. XLII, the Confiteor, anda few versicles and responses saidat the foot of the altar. There is

nothing special to remark aboutthese different prayers, which areof relatively recent date, but which

are most suitable for the beginning of Mass.

ii. The Intro it is a psalm whichwas sung while the priest and hisministers came from the sacristyto the altar. The Kyrie is all thatexists of the Litanies (diaconal

prayer), which are also a processional chant, as we still see forinstance on Holy Saturday, whenthe whole Litany is sung whilethe clergy go from the baptismalfont to the altar. The first invo-

24

THE EXPLAXATIOX OF THE ROMAX MASS

people. This prayer is in anycase of the greatest importance ;it appears in all the day and nightOffices ; and it is in this that the

spirit of the Feast is expressed to

day. Other Collects sometimesfollow the first.

iv. The Epistle is the reading ofa passage from the Old or NewTestament. The name Epistle is

given to it because this reading is

most frequently taken from the

Epistles (EpistolsB) of St. Paul.

In certain Masses of Vigils there

are two or three readings of thiskind ; on the Saturday before Pentecost there are six ; on Holy Sa

turday, twelve. The Epistle isfollowed by one or several chants,

The Sub-Deacon sings the Epistle from theambo. This reading is frcquenly taken fromthe Epistles of St. Paul.

cations in Greek remind us of the

Oriental origin of this chant. TheGloria in Excelsis, which is only

sung on certain days, is one of

those hymns of the kind to which

Pliny the Younger alludes, whenhe speaks of the chants in honour

of the God-Christ in the first Christ

ian assemblies. It has also been

called the Great Doxologij, i.e., a

hymn to the glory of the ThreePersons of the Trinity ; to be dis

tinguished from the other doxo-

logies (Gloria Pairi et Filio, etc.).

in. The Colled (Colleda, Collec-

tio, meeting) is a prayer thus call

ed either because it was said on"

Station-Days"

at Rome in thechurch where the clergy and peopleof different parishes met eachother ; or because the Celebrant

here voices the prayers of all the

To sing the Gospel the Deacon is accompaniedbij acolytes bearing lighted candles, by the

thurifer holding the censer, and by theSub-Deacon, who presents him with thesacred book. The solemn manner in whichthe Gospel is sung emphasises the respectpaid to it by the Church.

THE MASS

x THE SEDILIA. While the faithful are singing the Gloria and the Credo the priest and hisassistants take their places in the sedilia (seats) at the side of the sanctuary. The singing formspart of the first part of the Mass. The Eucharislic liturgij has not yet begun. (Photo Biaud,Cosne, Nievre.)

called sometimes Gradual, becausethe psalm was sung on the steps ofthe choir ; sometimes Alleluia,because the chant begins with this

famous acclamation ; sometimes

Trad, which means a psalm sungwithout repetition or refrain (trac-

tim.) On five Feasts the Alleluiais"*followed by a rhythmic chantcalled the Prose, or Sequence.After this chant comes :

v. The reading of the Gospel.The priest explained and commented on it in the pulpit. This wasthe Homily, or Sermon. The Creed,sung on certain days, like the

Sequence, is a later addition.

However summary this explanation may be, the liturgical design of this non-liturgic synaxiswill be manifest. So admirablyarranged is it that its successive

steps are easily noted : the psalms,the prayers, the readings, and fi

nally the reading of the most Divine of books, the Gospel, whichis kissed by the priest with the

deepest respect, and which at

High Mass is surrounded withsolemn rites lights, incense, and

processions. The Epistle is readon the right side of the altar, the

Gospel on the left; because in the

ancient churches like that of

St. Clement of Rome, the Epistlewas read from the ambo on the

right ; the Gospel from that onthe left side.

Thus already, even in a LowMass, the ancient rites of the

solemn Masses of former daysare visible in the acts and themovements of the priest. Thischaracteristic will become even

stronger in the Mass of the Faithful.Henceforth he who follows theMass attentively will find theresurvivals of those archaic rites of

which the greater part can be re

traced to a more distant antiquitythan that of the fourth century.At the end of this first ceremonythe penitents, heretics, strangersand even catechumens were dis

missed; the faithful alone ass.-st-

ing at the Mass, and communicating.

26

THE EXPLANATION OF THE ROMAN MASS

II. THE MASS OF THE FAITHFUL

i. Offertory.ii. Preface and Sanclus.in. Canon.

iv. Agnus Dei.v. Final Prayers ; Dismissal.

i. The Offertory (oblation) is

to-day the name given to the verseof a psalm which is said or sungafter the Gospel or Creed. It wasat this moment that the faithfulbrought to the altar the bread andwine which were to be used for thesacrifice. But when the numbersof the faithful increased the quantity of bread and wine brought wasmore than enough for the communion of those present, so that it

became possible to set aside a

portion of the offerings presented ;and this was later distributed to

the widows, orphans, virgins, andto all the poor in the care of the

Church, as well as to the clergy.Some added gifts in kind or even

money to the bread and winebrought for the sacrifice. This isthe origin of stipends for Mass, aswe shall see elsewhere.

These preparations required acertain time, during which an appropriate psalm wras chanted :hence our Offertory, which is mere

ly a survival of this custom.The prayer called Secret is one

which was said in a low voice bythe priest to ask the blessing ofGod upon these gifts offered bythe faithful. It is easy to seefrom the text of these prayers that

they still preserve this character ;the greater part being of ancient

THE OFFERING OF THE CHALICE. After theDeacon and Sub-Deacon have poured into itthe wine and water which will be consecrated,the priest takes the chalice and offers it to.God, begging Him to accept his sacrificeand that of all the faithful. (Photo Biaurt,Cosnc, NiSvre.)

INCENSING THE ALTAR. After the offeringof the Host and the chalice the priest censesthe offerings of bread and wine which willbe changed into the Body and Blood ofChrist. He also incenses the altar, the stoneof which represents Christ symbolically.(Photo Biaud, Cosne, Nievre.)

27

THE MASS

origin. On the other hand the

prayers which follow the Offertory :

Suscipe, sande Pater; Offerimuslibi, Domine; In spirilu humilita-

tis; Veni, Sanctificator ; Suscipe,Sancta Trinitas; Orate, Fmires; areadditions of a later age.Another very ancient prayer,

and one of astonishing theologicaland literary perfection is that be

ginning : Dens qui humanie sub-

sianiise, pronounced by the priestwhile mixing with the wine of the

sacrifice a little water, remindingus of the mingled water and wineof the Last Supper. According to

this prayer, the mixture is the signof the union of the humanity ofthe faithful with the Divinity of

Christ. For certain Fathers of theChurch it is also the symbol of theunion of the Divine nature with

that of Our Lord s humanity.After the gifts had been placed

on the altar the priest incensedthem ; then he washed his hands,which had received all these offer

ings, and which it was necessaryto purify before proceeding withthe Sacrifice. It was also at the

Offertory that formerly were readthe Dipiijchs or tablets on whichwere written the names of the

Pope, the Bishops, and sometimesof the Emperor and other personages ; of those who had madethe offerings, and of the dead forwhom the sacrifice was to be offered. To-day in the Roman ritethe Memento of the living and thatof the dead are recited in the

Canon.

n. Preface. The Secret endslike all the prayers with a doxologyand the Amen. The end of this

doxology : Per omnia ssecula ssecu-

lorum, Amen, is said aloud, andthen begins the Preface. This has

different names in the liturgies :

Contestatio, Immolatio, Anaphora,Action, Prayer. The word Prefaceis properly the Roman name forthe prayer which precedes the

Sanctus. The exclamations whichform a prelude to it (Dominus vo-

biscnm, Sursum corda...) are, it maybe said, of Apostolic origin, as in

one sense is the Preface itself. In

the most ancient texts, which are

cited in Chapter II, the priest or

Bishop spoke in the name of allthe assembly, thanking God whohad given to man bread, wine, andwater ; who had placed all creation at his disposal ; who above allhad sent His Only Son to redeem

him ; who on the eve of His deathhad consecrated bread and wine

with the sacramental words : This

is My Body; This is My Blood.Such is the origin and the most

ancient form of this prayer of

prayers : that which renews the

sacrifice of Christ ; which conse

crates His Body and Blood. Ofthe prayer pronounced by Christat the Last Supper St. Paul and

the synoptic Gospels have only

preserved the formula of consecra

tion. But it is possible that the

Roman Preface and the most ancient anaphorss have saved for us

the general theme of the prayer of

Christ : // is meet and just, rightand salutary that we give thanks to

Thee, always and everywhere, Holy

Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal

God, on whom we depend, to whomwe owe all. The improvisation,which seems to have been the rule

for this prayer of Consecration in

the first centuries, is always a more

or less eloquent variation of this

28

THE EXPLANATION OF THE ROMAX MASS

theme. This primitive liberty as

to the Eucharistic prayer is attest

ed by the great number of Pre

faces, Contestations, and cmaphorx,which the liturgical books have

preserved for us, and on whichwere exercised with more or less

success, the celebrant s gifts of

improvisation and inspiration.The ancient Prefaces of the Ro

man liturgy may be considered asthe most finished masterpieces of

liturgical prayer. Rhythm, measure, ascensional movement, the

description in two or three phrasesof the Mystery of the day are of a

precision and dogmatic profundityquite unique. Until recent yearsthe number of the Roman Prefaceswas reduced to eleven. Othershave recently been added forSt. Joseph, for the Dead, and forthe Feast of the Kingship of Christ.

Apart from the Mass other Prefacesexist for the blessing of the palms,of fonts, &c.

It may be remarked that allthese prayers begin with the sameformula (initial protocol) ; and conclude in the same way (final protocol) to lead up to the Sanctus.This, the Angelic Hymn, goes back(in its first form at least) to the third,and even to the second century ; andis one of those chants to Christ, or

doxology, which are mentioned bythe writers of that epoch. Its in

sertion in this place cannot however be anterior to the third cen

tury; perhaps even to the fourth,for before that time the Eucharistic prayer, as we saw by St. Justin, and in the anaphora of St. Hip-polytus, formed one great whole ;

beginning with the Preface and

ending with a doxology and theAmen of the faithful.

in. Canon. The term Canon

of the Mass which in the existingMissal is placed before the Te igi-tur, formerly preceded the Pre-

THE ELEVATION OF THE HOST. The Host is Consecrated. Our Lord is truly /resent on thealtar. The priest raises the Host that the faithful may see and adore It. This ceremony onlydates from the twelfth century. (Photo Biaud, Cosne, Nievre.)

29

THE MASS

face, which thus in reality forms partof the Canon. This word means

Rule, and is here used in the senseof authentic, regular, official prayer.It is synonymous with the words

anaphora, oblation, with which weare already familiar. We have alsosaid that the Roman Canon in itsexisting form represents a composition of the fourth to the fifth cen

tury. Besides the addition of the

Sanclus we may imagine that theMemento of the Living and that ofthe Dead, of which the place is log

ically at the Offertory, have been

transposed into the Canon. However this may be, its actual composition may thus be analysed :The prayer Te igitur;The Memento of the living ;The Communicantes ;The Plane igitur, and Quam obla-

tionem (preparatory prayers);The Consecration, Qui pridie,

THE END OF THE PATER. Towards the endof the Pater the Sub-Deacon brings back tothe altar the paten which till then he had beenholding, hidden beneath the humeral veil.The priest receives it, and places on it thefragments of the Consecrated Host. (PhotoBiaud, Cosne, Nievre.)

which is the central point of theCanon ;

The Unde et memores, or anamnesis,that is, the recalling of the Great

Mysteries ;The Supra qux and the Supplices,which form the Prayer of Offer

ing to the Father;The Memento of the dead, with theNobis quoque;

The Per quern hsec omnia formerly,as its sense indicates, belongedto a prayer for the blessing of

first-fruits. On Holy Thursdayit is at this point that the HolyOils are blessed ; and grapes onthe Feast of the Transfiguration.

The Per Ipsum is the final doxol-

ogy of the Canon ; it is mentioned from the third and eventhe second century.

The Pater which follows is preceded by an introduction and closed by a final Libera nos which

emphasise its intention and give it

liturgic form. The Fraction of theHost which takes place after the

Libera nos recalls most solemn andancient rites which took place atRome during the Pope s Mass.These are now simplified. TheKiss of Peace which is given atsolemn Masses after the Pax Domini and the Agnus Dei is a riteof Apostolic origin : before communicating the first Christians emphasised the fact that they forgaveeach other s faults by this act oflove. From this moment the canonical prayers may be regarded asended. The famous prayer called

Epiclesis, which was an invocationof the Holy Spirit, and whichholds so large a place in the Orien

tal Masses, has left no trace of its

presence in the Roman Canon.

30

THE EXPLANATION OF THE ROMAN MASS

THE KISS OF PEACE. Before the Communion the priest embraces (gives the Pax, to) theDeacon, who in his turn gives it to the Sub-Deacon. The latter passes it on to all the clergypresent. This is a solemn moment, which manifests symbolically both Christian brotherhoodand the admirable unity of the Church. (Photo Biaud, Cosne, Nievrc.)

We will add but one reflectionto what we have already said aboutthis prayer. The Roman Canon,which early became that of theuniversal Church, save the exceptions already noted, has preservedunder the austerity and simplicityof its form the most ancient

Apostolic tradition. The litanic

Prayer, the Preface, the reading ofthe Diptychs, the recital of the

Institution, the final Doxology, the

Fraction, the Kiss of Peace, the

Communion, such indeed werefrom the beginning the elementsof the Eucharistic assembly. Theseare the august rites to which allusion is made in the Doctrine of theApostles, by the pagan Pliny the

Younger, St. Ignatius, St. Polycarp,St. Clement, in the first and second

centuries ; as well as in the mostancient inscriptions and in thefrescoes of the catacombs. " Lift

up your hearts !"

cries the cele

brant ;" Let us give thanks to the

Lord our God. Bend the knee ;let us adore Him in the fear andthe joy of our hearts, for this is theGreat Mystery, and of all the benefits we have received from God thegreatest is His Gift of His Divine

Son, Who, on the eve of His Passion, instituted the Sacrament ofHis Body and His Blood !

iv. The Agnus Dei with the foll

owing prayers is an addition of alater age to prepare for the Communion. The Communion of thefaithful who here unite themselveswith the priest in this last rite, as

31

777/i MASS

THE CONFITKOR BEFORE COMMUNION. Thepriest has communicated. Now it is the turnof the faithful to receive the Bread of Life.But first they recite, the Confiteor to askpardon for their faults. (This picture,represents choristers in a monastic church).(Photo Biaud, COSMO, Nievre.)

they should havebeen united withhim in the offer

ing of the ele

ments of the Sac

rifice, and in allthe prayers of the

Mass, is, as it

were, the natural

and logical conclusion of the

whole Mystery.Such was the custom of the firstcenturies of Christ -

ian worship: mayit inspire us with

at least the wrishto follow the prayers of the priestwith sustained

attention, and tobe united in heart

THE PRIEST S BLESSING. Mass is ended.Before leaving to take up once more their

daily occupations, the faithful kneel once

more, for the Blessing given by the priest.(Photo Biaud, Cosne, Nievre.)

with his action.

THE COMMUNION. Their souls wholly purified, their hearts filled with fervent desire,the choristers advance to the altar to receive

Holy Communion from the hand of the])ricst. When they return to their places,each will bear in his heart Our Lord Himself.(Photo Biaud, Cosne. Nievre.)

The Thanks

giving properly so

called consists of

the Post-Communion, which

corresponds to the

Collect and Se

cret, and varieswith them accord

ing to the Feast.

v. The Final

Prayers lie, Mis-sa est, or Dismis

sal, and the bless

ing of the priestare ancient rites ;while the Placeat

Ti M,the Last Gos

pel, and followingprayers have been

added later 1 .The preceding explanation mere-

1 We have not here printed the text of the Mass, which is easily accessible to all. Wemay mention to such as desire these references our Roman Missal, a (Complete Missal inLatin and English for every day in the year, where the Ordinary is given in the above setting.

32

THE EXPLANATION OF THE ROMAN MASS

SALUTING THE CHOIR. Accompanied by all his assistants and by the choristers, the priestreturns to the sacristy. Before doing so he bows riqht and left to the choir. Thus the close ofthe liturgy is marked by a sign of respect from the clergy to the faithful. (Photo Biaud, Cosne,Nievrc.)

ly gives us the outline of the

Mass of the day, or Ordinary.Each of the Latin liturgies, theGallican, the Mozarabic, the Am-brosian, as well as the Roman fillin this outline with the prayersinspired by their religious temperament, which vary according tothe nature of the Feasts or the season. The primitive system knewnot these varieties. It had onlyone the daily Mass, in which the

readings (Epistle and Gospel) alonevaried ; like that which still reignsin the Greek and other Easternchurches. The text of the other

prayers was not influenced by thecourse of the liturgical year.

In the fourth and fifth centuriesit would seem that the churches of

Milan, of Gaul and Spain began to

vary the form of the Anaphora,the Collect, Secret, and Postcom-munion upon the Feasts of Christmas, Easter, the Ascension, Pente

cost, and those of martyrs andconfessors, probably following the

example of Rome. The principleonce admitted, each of the Latin

churches seems to have interpretedand applied it after her own fashion, and according to her spirit;while the Greeks and Orientals remained faithful to the rule of the

invariability of the Anaphora andthe rest of the Mass, except the

readings. However this may be,in the West it is from this epochthat Spain, Gaul, North Italy andRome began to fix their own particular type of liturgy ; and thateach of these churches had her ownSacramentary, or Missal. Nowthat of the Roman Church whichis our own holds first and specialrank amongst all the others. Without wishing to decry the beautiesof the Mozarabic, Gallican andother liturgies, it may surely besaid that they often err on the sideof prolixity, and have other literarydefects. The Roman liturgy, especially during its Golden Age(from the end of the fourth to theseventh century), is distinguishedby qualities of the highest excellence. Its Latin is admirable for its

force, its precision, its firmness; the

33

THE MASS

liturgy itself for the elegance and

harmony of its expressions, as wellas by the profundity of its thought.On the whole the Roman liturgyleaves but little room for emotion ;and it has been established thatthe rites in which religious imagination and poetic feeling betraythemselves are usually derived

either from the Oriental or Gallican

liturgies. It was not the Geniusof Rome which discovered the. Dies//, the Vidimx Paschali laudes,the Gloria, laus et honor, the \7eni,

Sancle Spiritus, or the Lauda Sion,

any more than the Blessing ofCandles at the Purification ; that

of ashes and palms, or the Blessingof Fire on Holy Saturday. Rome

in a sense allowed her hand to beforced when she accepted these

things. In reading her most ancient anaphora, that of St. Hippo-lytus, we get the same impressionof serene austerity and religiousforce as we experience in visitingthe catacombs.

The Roman liturgy has thuspreserved the characteristics of

weight and sobriety which arethose of classic literature duringthe Augustan age. This is all themore remarkable because, at thetime of the formation of this litur

gical language at the beginningof the fifth century, classic litera

ture had reached the age of decadence.

JOTTVENET : iTE MissA EST. (Photo Giraudon.)

34

THE PARADISE OF THE WORSHIPPERS OK MITHRA. Fresco from a tomb in the AppianWai/. (After Wilpert :

"

Paintings from the Roman Catacombs.")

IV

THE MASS COMPAREDWITH OTHER RITES

I. COMPARISON WITH NON-CHRISTIAN RITES

It has become the fashion amongsome archaeologists and scholars to

compare the Mass with the paganmysteries of Eleusis, Athis, Mithra,and I know not how many more.Some have even seen in it a survival of Totemism. It is certainthat we find in many ancient religions, even among those of savages,the rites of sacrifice, of the religiousbanquet, even of union and communion with the victim which dopresent certain analogies with theMass. In some of these religions

in that of the Jews, for examplehe who performed and those

who offered the sacrifice partookof the remains of the victims, andsometimes consumed them together. It is natural enough that

this should remind us of theEucharistic Feast, and even ofCommunion. St. Paul himself reminded the Christians of his daythat they that ate of the sacrificewere partakers of the altar

(I. Cor. X. 18.) But as soon as westudy the facts a little more closely,and try to press the comparison,we see how different is the Christian Eucharist.

The Eucharist, like all the otherSacraments, and more than allthe others, has its profoundly human side : that is, it responds tothe most mysterious instincts anddemands of that human naturewhich is " naturally Christian.

"

This is not astonishing, since itwas created by God ; God Who

35

77/7: MASS

SACRIFICE UNDER THE OLD AND NEW LAW.(Taken from the " Rational des DivinsOffices.

"

(1374) (B. N.)

by His Only Son instituted the

Holy Eucharist. This aspect ofChristian harmony has often been

developed by Christian apologists,from Tertullian to Lammenais,Gerbet, Newman and Brunetiere.Is it not also in these considera

tions that the Romantic School of

Germany took such delight Gbr-res, Creuzer, Brentano, Arnim,Eichendorff, Count Zochen-- passionate lovers of mysticism and ofthe ancient religions, who soughtin India and in Egypt the prototype of the Gospel? Is not the newMaria-Laach school tending in thesame direction ; equipped with allthe arms of criticism, and protectedby its orthodoxy against the excesses into which those have fallenwho sought in the Eucharist merelya survival of the ancient myths?But those systems which claimed

to find in those myths the originand explanation of the Eucharistare old already. It is impossible

to prove historically that Christians

have borrowed from the paganmysteries yet a proof would be

necessary to establish this theory ;while theologically the differences

are startling. No religion offers arite in which, as in the Eucharist,the victim sacrificed is God Himself in the Second Person of the

Trinity, immolated in His own

Body, by His own hands ; whichmakes of Christ at once bothPriest and Victim. None existsin which the sacrifice, once accom

plished, is daily renewed under theforms of bread and wine ; or whereGod is present under either Speciesby Transubstantiation ; where Hemay be consumed by each of thefaithful, to whom He is united inuniting them amongst themselvesin this great Mystery of union andof love. It is needless to say that

not only are all these collective

characteristics absent from the

mysteries of ancient theophagy,but I think it may be added thatwhen we come to look closely intothose mysteries not one such char

acteristic will be found to exist,even separately.

There is then nothing in all these

suggestions but distant analogieswhich go to prove that the Mysteries of the Christian religion adaptthemselves readily, in the heart"

naturally Christian"

to inclina

tions implanted there by God, and

answering to the deepest needs

created in that soul by God Himself. But this theory of Obedien-lial Power, as theologians call it,shows that the supernatural, as weknow already, is not an edificebuilt on a trembling foundation of

sand, but that the natural and

supernatural adapt and complete

36

THE MASS COMPARED WITH OTHER RITES

each other, their author being GodHimself. We may well rememberhere the prayer of the Offertory :"

God, Who in creating humannature didst marvellously ennoble it ;

and hast still more marvellouslyrenewed it...

Amidst all the ancient mysteries, however, the Jewish Passover

must be distinguished ; for it was

truly a preparation for and symbolof the Eucharist. These analogiescome to light in the chant Exsultetof Holy Saturday, which opposesthe night in which the Israelites

before leaving Egypt immolatedthe Paschal lamb, and filed, guidedthrough the desert by the fierycolumn ; and the night the nightblessed above all others - - which

effaces crime, abolishes sin, makesthe guilty innocent and the sad

joyful : the night in which Christ,the true Paschal Lamb, breaking

THE JEWISH PASSOVER. A true preparation for and symbol of the Eucharist. (Paint

-

ed window in St. Etienne du Mont, Paris.)

the chains of death, descended into

hell to deliver the souls which lan

guished there and to open to themthe gates of Heaven.

II. COMPARISON WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN RITES

It would ill become us to opposethe Sacraments one to another,or to set up a sort of competitionas to which should take first place.Catholic worship presents an admirable collection of rites which mutually complete, recall, adapt themselves to, and illumine one another.Each Sacrament, and even the Sa-

cramentals, does its work in itsown sphere ; confers its own specialgrace ; is excellent in its own way.But all theologians recognise thatthe Eucharist is the most important of all the Sacraments, since it

contains Jesus Christ Himself, the

Author of grace ; and that of allrites the Mass is the holiest, themost august.

We must also clearly understandthat if the Eucharist is truly a

Sacrament; if it possesses the char

acteristics common to the restof the seven Sacraments, it is in

deed all this in a special sense. In

it there is both matter and form ;the outward sign and the inward

grace conferred ; but the matter,which is the bread and wine, is not

only blessed and sanctified, as is

the water in Baptism, the oil in

Confirmation, Extreme Unctionand Holy Orders. It is consecrat

ed, and transubstantiated : to use

the scholastic expression, the matter loses its substance while pre

serving its appearance, or acci

dents, and is transformed into the

37

THE MASS

J. BRETON : THE BLESSING OF THE WHEAT. (Luxembourg Museum.)

Body and Blood of Christ whichremain under the appearances ofbread and wine so long as theseare preserved integral. In the

same way the form, which consistsof the words of consecration, operates the transformation ; and theeffect of these words is not momentary but abiding.

This Real Presence of Christunder the Eucharistic Species hasbecome the starting-point of awonderful development of Catholic

piety, proceeding logically on certain lines. To preserve the Speciesworthily, Christian art, under the

aegis of authority, has created the

ciborium, the chalice, the Eucharistic tower, the hanging Pyxshaped like a dove, the tabernacle,which have taken a preponderating place in the history of art.

The visit to the Blessed Sacrament,Exposition, Benediction, processions, are only applications or devel

opments of a theological principle,made by the piety of the faithful.The Christian who has received hisLord in Holy Communion in the

morning, finds Him again in thetabernacle at all hours of the day ;he may tell Him his troubles ; askHim for counsel, for strength, forlight.

Lastly it must not be forgottenthat if the Eucharist is a Sacra

ment, it is, as the others are not,a sacrifice. This point will be

developed in Chapter V. We nowsee the eminent position which theEucharist merits in the economy ofsalvation. It is indeed " the generating dogma of Catholic pietyas Mgr Gerbet points out in a littlebook which has lost nothing of itsvalue at the present day .But we can arrive at the same

result as this in another way.Whoever studies Christian worshipwith a little care and intelligencewill soon see that the Mass holds

pre-eminent rank ; that it drawsto itself, as it were, all the other

rites, which converge towards it asto a common centre. DoubtlessBaptism has its independent existence and its own autonomy. Yet,at the time which we must consider

1It has been republished many times, especially in Paris in 1852 (4th edition), under this

title : Le dogme gencrateur de la piete catholique.

38

THE MASS COMPARED WITH OTHER RITES

VAX DER WEYDEN : THE EUCHARIST. On an immense cross erected in the midst of a Golhicchurch the Saviour gives His life for the salvation of the world. At the end of the church apriest celebrates Mass and elevates the Sacred Host. It is impossible to express more clearlytre identity of the Sacrifice of the Cross and that of the Mass; the latter reproducing and continuing the former. (Antwerp Museum. Photo Bulloz.)

as the Golden Age of the liturgy,Baptism was closely attached tothe Mass, as we may still see by theBlessing of the fonts on Holy Sat

urday and the Vigil of Pentecost.The same thing may be said aboutConfirmation, which moreover at

that time was not separated from

Baptism. Penitential exercises, or

those at least of public penitence,are also inserted in the Mass, or

are attached to it, as the Blessingof the Ashes on Ash Wednesday(a ceremony originally reserved for

39

THE MASS

penitents) ; above all, the reconciliation of penitents on Holy Thurs

day. It is hardly necessary to

show that the Sacrament of Ordershas a relation to the Mass :" Sacerdoiem oportel offerre

"

the

priest has to offer, says the Ponti

fical. Each ordination, from Minor Orders to the Consecration of

Bishops, as well as the Blessing of

an Abbot, an Abbess, and the Monastic Profession, takes place at a

certain moment in the Mass.

There is a special Mass for Marriages; and Extreme Unction itself

presupposes the Eucharist as oneof its elements. The dedication ofchurches, the anointing of Kingsand Queens, the burial of thedead all great and solemn Bless

ings presuppose and take for

granted the Sacrifice of the Mass.It is also the centre of the Sacrifice

of Praise, and all the canonicalhours of night and day are in closerelation with it.

III. EFFICACY

From this comparison with allthe other Christian or non-Christ

ian rites the excellence of the

Mass is obvious. It may be provedin another way.We must studythe efficacy of

this Sacrament inthe lives of the

Saints. We thenunderstand whatthat moment ofthe daymay be fora Christian whohas a lively faith

and who livesa Christian life,

when, like the

Apostles, he is in

vited by Christ totake part in this

Divine Banquet,when, like John,he is asked to layhis head on the

Heart of his Master ; when Jesus

gives Himself to

him under the form of food, sothat he may become one with Him.Who can describe the transports ofecstasy of a truly Christian soul

during these Di

vine moments?" Away withthe infidels, awaywith the heathen!

" we exclaimwith the Deacon,before we readonce more thefamous words inwhich Bossuet

compares humanlove and the

transports ofLoveDivine in the

Eucharist.

Thus we understand, since this

impression is so

deep, thatwe haveEUCHARTSTIC CONGRESS AT CHICAGO. This

Congress assumed immense proportions ;extending over a large area. The altar hereseen stood in the midst of a stadium capableof holding 200,000 people. It was about100 feel high.

arrived to-day at

the point shall

we say through amore penetrating

Meditations. 24th day.

40

THE MASS COMPARED WITH OTPIER RITES

intelligence of the

Eucharistic Mystery, or by a needwhich our sur

roundings render

more urgent?when we yearn toreceive Our Lordin the Blessed

Sacrament everyday.Without press

ing the point,we must also notice the influence

which this daily reception exerciseson a life. Beyond the Sacramental Grace, which is of illimitable

efficacy, the response of the soul

must also be taken into consideration. To quote from the samemeditation of Bossuet :

" The soul must be joined (to the

body) ; for what is bodily union if

spiritual union be absent? He whois united to God, who remainsattached to Him, is the same Spiritwith Him (I. Cor. VI. 15, 16.)He has the same will, the samedesire, the same felicity, the same

object, the same life. Let us thenunite ourselves to Jesus, body to

body, soul to soul ".The Eucharist is food and drink ; it

produces in the soul the same effectsas nourishment does in the body.It sustains, revives, strengthens,and brings about growth.

Moreover it is a great school inwhich Christ teaches us that humi-

THE OFFERING AT THE ALTAR. (FromRohault de Flcury : La Messe. ")

litywhichbroughtHim down to alowly station ;that obediencewhich made Himsubmit to thewill of men ; thatpatience whichmakes Him awaitour good pleasure.Above all it is agreat lesson in

that charitywhichunites us to our

brethren, withwhom we are but one body in HolyCommunion. This is the expression(already quoted) of St. Paul :

" Forwe, being many, are one Bread,one Body : all that partake of oneBread.

"

(I. Cor. X. 17.)Finally, it attaches us more

closely to the Church which offersChrist in the Mass, and which isassociated with His priesthood.The old Anaphora of the third century addressed the Father thus :" We beseech thee to send theHoly Spirit into the oblation of

Holy Church ". It glorifies Godthe Father through Christ in the

Holy Ghost and the Church. Itis like an echo of that fresco inthe catacombs of which we havealready spoken, which shows onone side a priest standing, and onthe other, a woman in prayer.

This excellence of the EucharisticSacrament will appear even more

clearly in the following chapter.

1 See bibliographical notes, Ch. vn.

42

H. AND J. VAN EYCK : THE MYSTIC LAMB. Altar piece of the church of SI. Bavon, Ghent.One of the most beautiful paintings of the Middle Ages. In the midst of a great plain the Lambstands on an altar surrounded b\) praying angels. In the background, the Church Triumphant ;in the foreground the Church Mililanl. grouped round a fountain to sijmbolise Baptism.

V

THEOLOGY OF THE MASS

The preceding chapters will have

sufficiently shown that the Eucharist occupies an important placein Catholic theology. Usually anentire and very considerable treatise is devoted to it, as to Grace,the Incarnation, the Trinity, andthe principal Christian dogmas.

In this treatise theologians studyby means of the texts of HolyScripture, of the Fathers, of the

liturgies, and by all the other evidence of antiquity the historic and

dogmatic relation which existsbetween the Mass, the EucharisticFeast, and the Sacrifice of theCross. They show how the Eucharist is at the same time a Sacrificeand a Sacrament ; they explain in

what Transubstantiation consiststhat is, the changing of bread andwine into the Body and Blood ofOur Saviour Jesus Christ ; theystudy the effects of Communion inthe body and soul of the communicant.

We cannot here go at lengthinto these questions upon which

theologians have bestowed so muchlearning and labour. The luminous treatises of St. Thomas Aquinas, Lugo, Suarez and those ofmodern theologians, notably Fran-zelin, Billot, La Taille and Lepin,are of a nature to satisfy the most

exacting. Those who cannot availthemselves of these works, whichare necessarily difficult of access,

43

THE MASS

MELCHISEDECH OFFERING BREAD TO AURA-HAM. Sculpture in the Cathedral ofRheims. This scene is belter known as " TheKnight s Communion." (Photo Ets. Levyft Neurdein.)

will find an easy explanation in

some of the books mentioned in

Chapter VII.But it is to St. Thomas and the

great theologians that we mustturn if we wish to study deeply thenature of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the questions of matterand form. It is in these writerstoo that we shall find fully treatedthe question of the Real Presence

of Christ in the Sacrament, and ofHis Permanence under the Species.We have alluded to the consequences which this article of theo

logy has had upon the developmentof Catholic piety and Christian art.This is one of the points uponwhich the Protestants of thesixteenth century separated themselves most violently from traditional teaching and Christian use.

Anglican theologians, of whomsome of the more conservative seemto wish to revive several Catholic

practices, find themselves involved

in lively discussions on the Reserv

ed Sacrament, on the Tabernacle,on all the consequences of the Real

Presence of Christ in our churches.

The question of sacrifice opensa new field to the researches of

theologians. In what does theessence of sacrifice in general con

sist? What are the nature, the conditions, and the fruits of the Sacrifice which Christ Himself offered

on the Cross? Where is the placeof reason in the explanation of this

Mystery?It is rather difficult to give a

notion of sacrifice which will sat

isfy at the same time the theolo

gians, the philosophers, and the

historians of religions. This is the

reason why we have so large anumber of definitions of sacrifice.

Generally speaking we may saythat sacrifice, which is distinct

from every other religious act, is

an offering made to God by man,in recognition of His sovereigndominion over every creature.

A point on which all are more generally agreed is that sacrifice, under

one form or another, finds a placein all religions, even the most rudi

mentary and barbarous. Thus if

the Mass is not a sacrifice, the

Christian religion, which claims to

be the most perfect of all, would on

that point be inferior to the others.

This is the argument upon which

theologians rely strongly in dealing

with Protestants who do not admitthat the Mass is a Sacrifice, nor

that it has any relation with the

Sacrifice of the Cross.

This principle once laid down, it

is not difficult for theologians to

prove, by the nature of the Sacri

fice of the Mass, by the study of its

44

THEOLOGY OF THE MASS

qualities and fruits, that of all

sacrifices it is the most excellent,It is the Blood of the Lamb, theBlood of the New Testament, asdistinguished from the old cove

nant of Moses, sealed in the blood

of the sacrifice of animals. It

follows that Christ, Who is theVictim and the immolated Host,is also the Priest of the New Law,since He oilers Himself. He is

prefigured by the priest Melchise-

dech, who offered the sacrifice ofbread and wine for Abraham.The Epistle tothe Hebrews mar

vellously describ

es all these ana

logies betweenthe Sacrifice of

Christ and thoseof the old law.

As the outcomeof these theses,

theologians estab

lish further that

the Sacrifice of

the Mass is worthyof adoration, is

Eucharistic, pro

pitiatory, and im-

petrative. Theseterms deserve an

explanation, for

they explain more

fully the nature

of the Mass.

Eucharist, as wehave said, means

thanksgiving.The Mass is the

Supreme Thanks

giving. The priestwho represents

THE MA.SS OF ST. GREGORY. Christ, risingfrom the tomb amidst all the instruments

of the Passion, appears to St. Gregory, f/ius

showing the reality of His Presence on thealtar after the Consecration. The Pope andhis assistants fall on their knees at the sight

of the miracle. (From the" Sforza Book

of Hours,"

British Museum. (Photo.Oxford University Press.)

the faithful, or rather, the Churchwhich contains them all, givesthanks to God the Father by the /Son, in the Holy Ghost, for allHis benefits : for His Providence,for the Incarnation, for Re

demption, as the ancient Anaphora says. Christ is there asPriest and Victim at the sametime. What thanksgiving canequal that?

The Mass is also a Sacrifice ofAdoration due to God alone. TheChurch offers Him this Sacrifice

through Christ,Who alone cangive to God a

worthy offering.This is why theMass is also preeminently the

Service of Praise ;and why it isthe centre of that

Divine Praisefrom which radiate the Canonical Hours of

day and night.It is also a Pro

pitiatory Sacrifice:

that is, it has the

power of expiating oursins, of par-

doningour crimes,and of causingGod to look on uswith favour.

Lastly, it is Im-

petratiue because

it obtains gracefor us. Of allthese character

istics Protestants

1 Latreuticus. The word cannot be expressed in English as a simple adjective.

45

THE MASS

solely recognise the Eucharistic

value ofthe Sacrament. This iswhythe Mass for them is no true Sacrifice ; and consequently their ordi

nations have been proclaimed invalid by the Holy See, since without Sacrifice there [can be no

i

true Priesthood.

THE SACRIFICE OF ABRAHAM is one of thetypes of Our Lord. The angel staijs thearm of Abraham li/led to strike Isaac,and points out in a bush the ram whichis to be sacrificed. (Les Joyaux de1 Arsenal. Photo Bcrthaud.)

- 46

PH. DE CHAMPAIGNE : THE LAST SUPPER (Louvre Museum Paris.)

VI

THE MASS IN ART :ARCHITECTURE. PAINTING. MUSIC

It would be merely an impertinent pretension to attempt to dealin a few pages with a subjectwhich needs volumes to do it justice. We can but trace the pathswhich lead into this vast forest,and give us some notion of its sizeand extent. Yet the examplesquoted will at least be sufficient to

prove the depth of the impressionwhich this Mystery has made uponthe hearts, the imagination, andthe intelligence of mankind ; in

spiring countless masterpieces ;

works of art so innumerable that a

complete catalogue of them will

probably remain for ever an impossible achievement.

This little Host, this Wine, elements of the Sacrifice of the NewCovenant, have become, as it were,a home in which, one by one, allthe Arts in turn have been renew

ed, inspired. The Host is hiddenin a ciborium of silver or gold ; Itis exposed in a monstrance onwhich the richest work of the

goldsmith has been lavished, and

See bibliographical notes, Ch. vn.

47

THE MASS

THE CIBORIUM FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE PRESENT DAY. In eadlj times theintended for the sick or reserved in the church were enclosed in cylindrical

boxes with a

with or without a