The Mass: a truly wonderful celebration part I

“I will go unto the Altar of God, to God who giveth joy to my youth.”

--Prayers at the foot of the altar, 1962 missal

What is the Mass? The first Mass was of course the Last Supper, when Our Lord said the immortal words of consecration for the first time. The Mass as we know it today was formulated by Pope Gregory the Great, and with a few minor changes (such as St. Joseph in the Canon) until the implementation of Vatican II. "From roughly the time of [Pope] St. Gregory [the Great, d. 604] we have the text of the Mass, its order and arrangement, as a sacred tradition that no one has ventured to touch except in unimportant details." (Fortescue, 1912 A.D.) The Mass is filled with wonderful prayers, symbolisms and reverences that are a refreshing reminder of what the Mass is: the unbloody offering of Christ’s sacrifice upon the Cross. I hope this gives the reader incentive to explore the wonder of the Mass, in all of its richness and holy tradition.

When the altar is set up for Mass, it is done in a particular manner. The tabernacle, which usually is the centerpiece of the high altar, is veiled on the outside in preparation for the Mass. This tradition dates back to the Hebrews of old and to the Jewish temple. We read in the Old Testament that the tabernacle was divided up into three sections: the outer court which anyone could approach, the “sanctuary” or the holy place which only the Jews were allowed, and the third and final section called the Holy of Holies, which God Himself dwelt. As in the Old Testament Temple, there are three parts of the Catholic sanctuary. There is the “outer court” if you will, where the people gather. There is the sanctuary, which is the place beyond the altar rail (in the Latin mass only the servers and the priest can pass this point), and then there is the Holy of Holies which is the high altar and the tabernacle, in which Christ dwells Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Thus the tabernacle is veiled because of this Old Testament practice. This threefold sanctuary can also be applied to those attending Catholic Mass: there are those who attend but are not worthy of communion (they stay in the common place), the faithful who are in a state of grace and receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist (they approach the sanctuary and receive Christ), and finally the priest who consecrates and offers the sacrifice upon the Altar (the Holy of Holies).

Also dating back to the Old Testament is the sanctuary lamp, usually red, which is always burning when Christ is present in the tabernacle. In Exodus 27:20-21 we read that a lamp is to burn always in front of the tabernacle, “to give light before the Lord until morning”. Thus it is the practice of the Catholic Church to always have the sanctuary lamp burning when Our Lord is present.

An ancient tradition still practiced within the church is that the candles lit for Mass are supposed to be lit from right to left (2 candles for a low Mass, 6 for a sung mass). The Church, the priest and the people always face ad orientum (to the east) looking forward to the coming Christ. The lighting of the candles from right to left symbolizes the Church expanding from the Holy Land north to Rome, and then spreading the light of the Gospel to the barbarian tribes of the North. If you are facing east, the right is south and the left is north. Right to left. South to north. Thus when the candles are being lit we can reflect upon the wonderful past of the Church, her zeal in spreading the love of Jesus Christ, and we should pray for the grace of saving souls for Christ. You see, the smallest facets of the Holy Mass have wonderful tradition tied to them.  

The priest, when celebrating Mass, wears special vestments, and although I am going over it very briefly you can read in more detail on the Vatican site: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/details/ns_lit_doc_20100216_vestizione_en.html

The first thing the priest puts on is the amice: the amice goes over the priest’s shoulders and is intended to cover up any common garb the priest is wearing. This vestment is understood as the “helmet of salvation”, and is there to aid the priest from temptations or distractions during the mass. While putting it on, the priest prays, “Place upon me, O Lord, the helmet of salvation, that I may overcome the assaults of the devil.”

The second vestment the priest puts on is the alb, which is a symbol of the purity of sanctifying grace needed to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice worthily. While donning this vestment he prays, “Make me white, O Lord, and cleanse my heart; that being made white in the Blood of the Lamb I may deserve an eternal reward.”

The third vestment the priest dons is the cincture, which is a symbol of the heroic chastity and self-mastery a priest must have over his passions and appetites in order to practice his duty properly. The cincture in religious orders is a reminder of the purity they need in their state in life. When putting on the cincture the priest prays, “Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me.”

The maniple is the fourth vestment put on the by the priest, it is shaped like a stole, but smaller, and draped over the left arm. The maniple in days of old was used like a handkerchief to wipe away tears or sweat from the priest’s eyes during the celebration. It is symbolic of the hard and sacrificial life the priest must live. He prays when putting on this vestment, “May I deserve, O Lord, to bear the maniple of weeping and sorrow in order that I may joyfully reap the reward of my labors.”

The fifth vestment put on by the priest is the stole. The stole has special significance because it is worn whenever a priest performs any sacrament of the Church. It represents the office of those who have been ordained to Holy Orders, and it also distinguishes a deacon from a priest. As he is putting on the stole the priest prays this prayer: “Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the collusion of our first parents, and, unworthy as I am to approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I yet gain eternal joy.”

Finally the Chasuble, the vestment proper to him who celebrates the Holy Mass, is put on. The priest prays, “O Lord, who has said, ‘My yoke is sweet and My burden light,’ grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace.”

Now adorned properly to fulfill his sacred function, the priest bows to the Cross in the sacristy, and says the following prayer, “Adutorium nostrum in nomine Domini,” and the servers respond, “qui fecit caelum et terram.” Translated, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” They make their way towards the sanctuary, and the signal is given to process out.

Thus is the preparation for this most holy and august sacrifice. Everything in the Mass, from its preparation to its conclusion, has a specific purpose, has a particular end, and is given to us to procure our salvation. It is so rich a hundred books written on the topic could not touch its beauty and history. Let us go to Mass as often as possible, and when we do attend, remember that this is the closest to heaven we can get upon this earth. For the glory of God and the salvation of souls, Amen.