Monday, June 1, 2020 –
Brand new month, same old Mass! Also, we are eleven (11!!) weeks down. Whew! Let’s continue with the last part of the Mass of the Faithful. Fair warning: today’s post is going to be a looooong one!
The Mass of the Faithful
The Communion:
The third part of the Mass of the Faithful, the Communion, includes prayers that prepare us for receiving the Eucharist, the actual reception of Communion, and the prayers after Communion (AKA “the clean-up”).
The Pater Noster (The Lord’s Prayer) – it is right and fitting that we should begin Communion with the prayer Jesus Christ taught us. In fact, the Priest begins with, “admonished by Thy saving precepts and following Thy divine instruction…” He is reminding us, the faithful, that Christ commanded His disciples to pray this prayer (Luke 11:1-4).
The Libera Nos – We conclude the Our Father with the Priest by saying, “sed libera nos a malo” (but deliver us from evil). The Priest then prays the “Libera Nos” prayer where he asks that we be delivered from evil, free from sin, and safe.
The Breaking of the Host (the Fraction) – According to the Gospels, Christ broke the Consecrated (blessed) Bread. So too does the Priest! The breaking of the Host represents Christ’s death when humanity seemed to be “broken.”
The Mixture of the Body and Blood – BUT…then the Priest puts a small amount of the Host into the Chalice with the Precious Blood. This is because Christ’s Body is never without His Blood, or His Blood without His Body! Remember: any particle of the Host or any drop of the Chalice, no matter how small, is wholly and completely Christ. You do NOT receive “more Jesus” by partaking of both species. In either and in both you completely receive Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity! This mixture also calls to mind Christ’s union of humanity and divinity in the Incarnation.
The Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”) – this thrice (3 times) said prayer repeats the words of John the Baptist, “John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). We recall the Old Law (Jewish Law) where an unblemished lamb was slain in atonement for sin. The New Law (Christ’s Law), it is Christ who is the heavenly Lamb slain for our sins.
The Prayers for Holy Communion – the Priest now prays three short prayers as a final preparation for receiving Communion.
- The Prayer for Peace and Fidelity: Christ said to his Apostles, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” (John 14:27). Here the Priest prays for peace and fidelity (faithfulness, loyalty).
- The Prayer for Holiness: the Priest prays to the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—to deliver him from all his iniquities (shortcomings, wickedness) and from evil so that he may worthily receive the Blessed Sacrament. The Priest is preparing for his own reception of Communion in just a few moments.
- The Prayer for Grace: in one final prayer, the Priest admits his own unworthiness and asks that through God’s mercy the Eucharist be a “healing remedy” and a “safeguard.” The Priest is asking for God’s grace and mercy.
The Communion of the Priest – there are a series of five short “lines” the Priest says as he takes Communion, one of which is said three times here AND three times again before the Communion of the faithful.
- Side Note: the Priest saying Mass receives under both species (Host and Chalice) because he must consume the Sacrifice. Because the Sacrifice was offered under two species, he must consume both species. The faithful, not counting medical issues you should discuss with your Priest, will only receive under ONE species (the Host).
The Communion of the Faithful – as with his own Communion, here the Priest will recite three times the words of the Centurion, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.” (Matthew 8:8). The faithful then kneel (usually at an altar rail) and receive the Eucharist on the tongue.
- Side Note: only Baptized Catholics in a state of grace are invited to receive Holy Communion. It is customary at a TLM to receive the Blessed Sacrament kneeling and on the tongue. You will NOT say “Amen.” The Priest says it for you when he says, “Corpus Domini Nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam, Amen.” This means, “May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.”
The Ablutions – some people endearingly call this “doing the dishes.” After Communion, the Priest prays two prayers as he purifies (cleans) the Chalice and Paten. It is important to remember that no speck of the Blessed Sacrament may be left behind, so the Priest carefully cleans in order to make sure even the tiniest particle is reverently consumed.
The Communion Antiphon (Verse) – the Priest reads a short Scripture verse. It is called the “Communion Antiphon” because it used to be chanted by the choir while the Priest was distributing Communion. It is part of the “propers,” which means it varies from day to day.
The Postcommunion(s) – the Priest prays a final prayer or set of prayers after the Communion Antiphon. It is also part of the “propers,” which means it varies from day to day, and there can even be more than one.
The Dismissal – consists of the “Ite Missa Est,” the “Placeat Tibi” prayer, and the final blessing. “Ite Missa Est” is Latin for “Go! The Mass is [ended].” The Priest is sending the faithful out into the world to spread the Gospel. The “Placeat Tibi” is a prayer that petitions God to make the Sacrifice the Priest just offered useful and beneficial for us. The Priest concludes with a blessing for the faithful in the name of “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”
…but wait, there’s more! At this point in the Novus Ordo the Mass has ended. HOWEVER, there are two final pieces to a Traditional Latin Mass, so don’t leave…yet!
The Last Gospel – at the end of Mass, the Priest will read the first part of the Gospel of John, specifically John 1:1-14, which declares that Christ (the Word) was made flesh. In a few instances, a different Gospel will be read here.
The Prayers After Mass (at Low Mass) – led by the priest after a Low Mass, these prayers are properly called the “Leonine Prayers.” After Low Mass, the Priest will kneel at the stairs before the altar and lead us in the Leonine Prayers. They are typically said in the vernacular. They are called “Leonine” because it was Pope Leo XIII that prescribed (decreed) they should be said by everyone around the world after Mass. Here is a brief history of the prayers:
- 1859 – Pope Pius IX instituted various prayers to be said in Italy after Mass (3 Hail Marys and the Hail Holy Queen) for the protection of the Papal States.
- 1870 – The Papal States fall and Pope Pius IX is prisoner in the Vatican.
- 1884 – Pope Leo XIII decrees that these prayers are to be said by all for the protection of the Church in crisis.
- 1886 – Pope Leo XIII adds the St. Michael Prayer for the protection against demonic spirits gathering on Rome.
- 1904 – Pope Pius X adds the threefold invocation, “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.”
- 1929 – Pope Pius XI decrees the Leonine prayers should be prayed for the conversion of Russia.
- 1964 – the prayers after Mass are eliminated from the new liturgy.
And that was a long ending to the Traditional Latin Mass. Thanks for sticking with me in our super slow roll of the Extraordinary Form.
Saint Clement, pray for us!
