MA88
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IftAfiS
the Secret comes the dialo^e, "Sursum Corda", etc.,
used with sliffht variations in all rites, and so the begin-
ning of the Eucharistic prayer which we c^ the Jnef-
ace, no longer counted as part of the Canon. The
choir sings and the celebrant says the Sanctus. Then
follows the Canon, beginning "Te igitur and ending
with an ekphonesis before the Lora s Prayer. All its
parts are described in the article Canon of the Mass.
The Lord's Prayer follows, introduced by a little
clause (Prseceptis salutaribus moniti) and followed by
an embolism (see Libeba nos), said silently and enci-
VDf with the third ekphonesis. The Fraction follows
with the versicle ** Pax domini sit semper vobiscum,
meant to introduce the kiss of peace. The choir sings
the Agnus Dei, which is said by the celebrant together
.with the first Communion prayer, before he gives the
kiss to the deacon. He then says the two other Com-
' munion prayers, and receives Communion under both
kinds. The Communion of the people (now rare at
high Mass) follows. Meanwhile the choir sings the
Communion (see Communion-Antiphon). The chaUoe
is purified and the post-Communions are sung, corre-
sponding to the collects and secrets. Like the collects,
tney are introduced by the greeting '* Dominus vobi»-
cum and its answer, and said at the south side.
After another greeting by the celebrant the deacon
sings the dismissal (see Ite Missa E^r). There still
follow, however, three later additions, a blessing by
the celebrant, a short prayer that God may be pleased
¥rith the sacrifice (Plaiceat tibi), and the Last Gospel,
normally the beginning of St. John (see Gospel in
THE Liturgy). The procession goes back to the
sacristy.
This high Mass is the norm; it is only in the com- plete rite with deacon and subdeacon that the cere- monies can be understood. Thus, the rubrics of the Ordinarv of the Mass always suppose that the Mass is high. Low Blass, said by a priest alone with one server, is a shortened and simphfied form of the same thing. Its ritual can be explained only by a reference to h^h Mass. For instance, the celebrant goes over to the north side of the altar to read the Gospel, because that is the side to which the deacon goes in procession at high Mass; he turns round always by the right, because at high Mass he should not turn his back to the deacon, and so on. A sung Mass (missa Cantata) is a modern compromise. It is really a low Mass, since the essence of high Mass is not the music but the dea- oon and subdeacon. Only in churches which have no ordained person except one priest, and in which high liass is thus impossible, is it allowed to celebrate the Mass (on Sundays and feasts) with most of the adorn- ment borrowed from high Mass, with singing and generally) with incense. The Sacred Congregation of lutes has on several occasions (9 June, 1884; 7 Decem- ber, 1888) forbidden the use of incense at a Missa Cantata; nevertheless, exceptions have been made for several dioceses, and the custom of using it is generally tolerated (Le Vavasseur, op. cit., I, 514-5). In thiis case, too, the celebrant takes the part of deacon and subdeacon; there is no kiss of peace.
The ritual of the Mass is further affected by the dignity of the celebrant, whether bishop or only priest. There is something to be said for taking the pontifical Mass as the standard, and explaining that of the sim- ple priest as a modified form, just as low Mass is a modified form of high Mass. On the other hand his- torically the case is not parallel throughout; some of the more elaborate pontifical ceremony is an after- thought, an adornment added later. Here it need only DC said that the main difference of the pontifical Mass (apart from some special vestments) is that the bishop remains at his throne (except for the prepara- tory prayers at the altar steps and the incensing of the altar) till the Offertory; so in this case the change from the Mass of the Catechumens to that of the Faithful is still clearly marked. He also does not put
on the maniple till after the preparatory prayers,
a^n an archaic touch that marks tnem as being out-
side the original service. At low Mass the bishop's
rank is marked only by a few unimportant details and
by the later assumption of the maniple. Certain
prelates, not bishops, use some pontifical ceremonies
at Mass. The pope again has certain special cere-
monies in his Mass, of which some represent remnants
of older customs. Of these we note especially that he
makes his Communion seated on the throne and drinks
the consecrated wine through a little tube called
fistula.
Durandus (Rationale, IV, i) and all the symbolic authors distinguish various parts of the Mass according to mystic principles. Thus it has four parts, corre- sponding to tnc four kinds of prayer named in I Tim., ii, 1. It is an Obsecratio from the Introit to the Offer- tory, an Oraiio from the Offertory to the Pater Noster, a PostuUUio to the Communion, a Gratiarum actio from then to the end (Durandus, ibid.; see Mass, Sacbifice OF the: Vol. X). The Canon especially has been divided according to all manner of sj'stems, some very ingenious. But the distinctions that arc really impor- tant to the student of liturgy are, first the historic division between the Mass of the Catechumens and Mass of the Faithful, already explained, and then the great practical distinction between the changeable and imchangeable parts. The Mass consists of an un- changed framework into which at certain fixed points the variable prayers, lessons, and chants are fitted. The two elements are the Common and the Proper of the day (which, however, may again be taken from a common Mass provided for a number of similar occa- sions, as are the Commons of various classes of saints). The Common is the Ordinary of the Mass (Ordinarium Misses) y now printed and inserted in the Missal be- tween Holy Saturday and Easter Day. Every Mass is fitted into that scheme; to follow Mass one must first find that. In it occur rubrics directing that something is to be said or sung, which is not printed at this place. The first rubric of this kind occurs after the incensing at the beginning: "Then the Celebrant signing himself with the sign of the Cross begins the Introit." But no Introit follows. He must know what Mass he is to say and find the Introit, and all the other proper parts, under their heading among the large collection of masses that fill the oook. These proper or variable parts are first the four chants of the choir, the Introit, Gradual (or tract. Alleluia, and perhaps after it a Sequence), Offertory, and Communion; then the les- sons (Epistle, Gospel, sometimes Old Testament les- sons too), then the prayers said by the celebrant (Collect, Secret, post-Communion; often several of each to commemorate other feasts or days). By fit- ting these into their places in the Ordinary the whole Mass is put together. There are, however, two other elements that occupy an intermediate place between the Ordinary and the Proper. These are the Preface and a part of tJie Canon. We have now only eleven pqrefaces, ten special ones and a common preface. They do not then change sufficiently to be printed over and over again among the proper Masses, so all are inserted ^Ji the Ordinary; from them naturally the jight one must be chosen according to the ruorics. In the same way, five great feasts have a special clause in the Communicantes prayer in the Canon, two (Eas- ter and Whitsunday) nave a special **Hanc Igitur" prayer, one day (Maundy Thursday) affects the "Qu^ pridie" form. These exceptions are printed after the corresponding prefaces; but Maundy Thursday, as it occurs only once, is to be found in the Proper of the day (see Canon op the Mass).
It is these parts of the Mass that vary, and, because of them, we speak of the Mass of such a day or of such a feast. To be able to find the Mass for any given day requires knowledge of a complicated set of rules. These rules are given in the rubrics at the beginning of th^
