‘ STAND FAST IN THE FAITH ’

New Zealand Tablet, 5 June 1913, Page 3

‘ STAND FAST IN THE FAITH ’

(■A. Weekly Instruction specially written for the N.Z, Tablet by Ghimel.’)

THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS EXPLAINED; IX. THE CREED AND OFFERTORY AC T The Creed. —The Creed now hides the transition from the Mass of the Catechumens to that of the Faithful. It is said after the Gospel— last’ instruction that the aspirants to Baptism heard— a solemn act of faith in the glad tidings of salvation and the doctrines of Divine revelation it is said before the Offertory— first act of the Sacrifice proper a confession of faith in our Redeemer, Who is both Priest and Victim. The Creed is a symbol of faith, that is to say, a gathering together, a summary of the principal truths to be believed. Such creeds were originally drawn up as professions of faith to be made before Baptism ; but from the sixth century on they were fittingly inserted in the public celebration of the Eucharist as a declaration of faith by way of protest against rising heresies. The Creed used in the Mass since the eleventh century is the one ‘ made by the Council of Nicsea (325), afterwards modified and extended by the Council of Constantinople (381), and then again extended in the West by the addition of the clause “and of the Son,” to show how the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and Son equally.’ The Creed is sung for two reasons:’ either the presence of a large number of people at Mass, or a special connection between the symbol of faith and the feast of the day. The Credo is sung, for -the first of these reasons, on all Sundays of the year, as. well' as on all solemn feasts, on the feast of the dedication of a church, and on patronal feasts; also in churches which possess a notable relic of the saint whose feast is being celebrated. It is fitting that, at an hour when’ the people are thus gathered together and united in body, they should be more closely -united still in soul by their common belief; this is why they repeat the Creed. The Credo is sung, for the second reason, on feasts of our Lady, for she is spoken of in the Creed; in feasts of the angels, who are brought to our minds by the word “invisibilium on feasts of the Apostles, who first taught us the faith ; of doctors, who expounded and defended itand, finally, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalen, since -she was the first to believe in the Resurrection of Christ. It is omitted in Masses for the dead, for though the holy souls do not yet enjoy the Beatific Vision,, they have no longer to undergo trials and temptations in the matter of the faith.’ Now that the preparation is over, the service hastens to the central act — repetition of what our Lord did at the Last Supper. But before the elements of bread and wine are consecrated, it is fitting that they should be offered to God. 4 This is only one case of the universal practice of blessing, dedicating to God anything that is to be used for his service. We dedicate churches, altars, chalices, so in the same way we bless the water to be used in Baptism, and offer to God the bread and wine to be consecrated.’ This is known as the Oblation or Offertory act, and includes everything from the antiphon after the Creed to the Preface. The Offertory is now merely an antiphon. It was once an antiphon, psalm, or responsory which used to be sung as the faithful made their offerings. For down to the eleventh century those assisting at Mass were accustomed to present their gifts at this moment. * A procession was formed. First the men, then the women, made their offerings of bread and wine on white cloths ; after them came the clergy, priests, bishops, or the Pope himself: their offerings were only of bread. From the bread were selected some loaves, which were shortly to be consecrated, and a portion of the wine offered was poured into the celebrant’s chalice. The bread destined for consecration was taken from the offering of the clergy ; ;the win'e, from that of the people. The bread not used for the Consecration was blessed and

distributed to the people immediately after the Communion by the priest or deacon.’ • _ The offerings are wheaten bread and grape wine. These are prescribed as essential, not because of their intrinsic value, but because Christ used them. With the wine at least a drop of water is mixed, and that for two reasons; first, our Lord, we have good ground for believing, mingled water with wine at the Last Supper, and secondly, the mixture represents the blood and water that flowed from Christ’s side, and in which the Church was born. The wine and water may also be taken to represent Jesus Christ and His people. The wine will in a moment be changed into the Blood of Christ, and hence it requires no blessing; the water on the contrary is blessed because the people for whom it stands require to be blessed before being united with Christ. Suitable prayers are said as the* elements of the Sacrifice are offered to God the Father, and the blessing of the Holy Ghost, the God of Holiness and Love, is invoked. The priest now proceeds to wash the tips of the fingers, the thumb and forefinger, which at his ordination were consecrated for the offering of the Adorable Sacrifice, and as he does so he recites a portion of the twenty-fifth Psalm. This action symbolises the purity of soul, the removal of even the slightest stains of sin, required of the celebrant; ‘for,’ says St. Cyril, ‘we should stand at the altar with spotless hands and purest hearts.’ The prayer ‘ Receive, O Holy Trinity ’ follows. The celebrant begs God to accept the offering just made not on account of his own merits or virtues, but for the sake of Jesus Christ, and in honor of Christ’s Blessed Mother, the Apostles, and all the saints. ‘ Sacrifice is (1) the supreme act of worship to God alone. The offering is in memory of the Passion ... (2) in memory of the Resurrection, for the immortal body of Jesus Christ is consecrated; (3) in memory of the Ascension, for Christ Who died for us and rose again in the same Body which lies in the Eucharist, has ascended into heaven to intercede for us. The Sacrifice is offered in honor of our Lady and the saints; not to them, and the motive is that our Lady and the saints may intercede for us in heaven. In honoring His Mother and the saints we honor our Lord in His best friends.’ After kissing the altar as a sign of affection for Him Whom it represents and for the relics of the saints therein contained, the priest turns towards the people and invites them to pray that the Sacrifice, theirs as well as his, may be acceptable in God’s eyes. The Offertory act closes with ‘ Secrets,’ that is, secret prayers corresponding to the Collects, in which God is asked to accept the gifts and to make the offerers worthy.