CHAPTER II. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE MASS UNTIL THE OFFERTORY: CHAPTER III. FROM THE OFFERTORY TO THE Canon: 1. The Offertory 127 2. The censing of the Oblations and the Altar. 129 3. The censing of the clergy and people.... 130 4. The Offerings of the people.... 131 5. The washing of the hands... 6. Until the Canon.. CHAPTER IV. THE CANON OF THE MASS AND THE COMMUNION. 131 132 THE ORDER OF THE CEREMONIES OF A SOLEMN MASS OF 1. The preparation in the Church 2. The preparation in the Sacristy The Order of the Ceremonies of High Mass. CHAPTER I. GENERAL PREPARATION FOR HIGH MASS. Upon a vestment chest, or upon an oblong table, should be laid out the vestments of the sacred ministers: In the midst, for the Celebrant, a chasuble, stole, maniple, girdle, alb, amice and biretta; at the right hand, for the Deacon, a dalmatic, stole, maniple, girdle, alb, amice and biretta; and at the left hand, for the Sub-Deacon, a tunicle,1 maniple, girdle, alb, amice and biretta. In arranging the vestments the following order will be found convenient: The lower half of the front of the chasuble should be folded up against the upper half and extended on the vesting table, and the back doubled in like manner. If the quality of the vestment, or of the ornamentation thereof, does not allow it to be folded, it may be extended at full length, the front side downward, upon the table. If the vestment is 1 On the Sundays in Advent (except the third), and on the Sundays in Lent (except the fourth), and on fast days (except Maundy Thurs day); also at the blessing of candles and the procession on the Feast of the Purification, and at the blessing of palms and the procession on Palm Sunday, the dalmatic and tunicle are not worn. On these days, in cathedral churches the Deacon and Sub-deacon will wear chasubles folded up before the breast; in ordinary churches, the Deacon may wear only amice, alb, girdle, maniple and stole; the Sub-deacon, amice, alb, girdle and maniple. (See Rubrics in Sarum missal, in Ordinary of the Mass; and the Roman missal, General Rubrics, ch. xix.) ornamented with jewels, it will be well to spread a covering of some soft material upon the vesting table before laying out the vestments thereon. Upon the chasuble the stole may be folded so that the ends are parallel with the sides of the vestment, and the middle part is laid across it. The maniple is laid upon the middle of the stole, at right angles with it, so as to form a cross. The girdle is doubled and then laid upon the maniple and stole in the shape of the letter S or the letter M. The sleeves of the alb may be folded underneath the front, and the body folded up so as to make the opening at the bottom lie at the edge of the table. Upon the alb, the amice should be spread at full length, the right (or outer) side uppermost, with the strings festooned on it. The vestments for the Deacon and the Sub-Deacon should be laid upon the table in the order in which they are mentioned above. The chasuble, dalmatic, tunicle, stoles and maniples, and also the apparels (if any) of the albs and amices ought to be of the colour2 of the season, or of the day which is being celebrated. An exception to the general rule is commonly made in favour of vestments made of cloth of gold, which are considered suitable for all festal occasions. In some convenient place in the sacristy there ought to be in readiness the censer, the incense boat filled with incense, and the charcoal and tongs; also the torches for the acolytes. 2 "That the Salisbury sequence (of colours) was the one in use throughout England was certainly not the case at any time." In all probability the colour sequence of the Catholic Church was followed more or less closely throughout the diocese, according as a church was well or ill provided with the necessary ornaments. of colours most generally enjoined A general sequence corresponds very closely not only with the Salisbury sequence as far as that goes, but with the modern Roman rule as well.' (W. H. St. John Hope, English Liturg. Colours, Lond., 1889.) 2. At the Altar. The altar should be prepared as directed at Low Mass, except that the six large candles shall be lighted, and the book shall be open and not closed. 3. At the Credence. The credence shall be arranged as directed at Low Mass. But in addition to the articles there mentioned, there shall be set upon the credence the chalice duly prepared and veiled, and the book or books from which the Epistle and Gospel are to be sung. 4. General Ceremonial Directions. (a) Of Genuflections.-At High Mass, if the Sacrament be not reserved upon the altar, the Celebrant and all others only bow profoundly when first approaching the altar, when passing before the midst before consecration and after the ablutions, and when about to depart from it. But if the Sacrament be reserved, a genuflection is made before the lowest step each time an approach to the altar is made, and in the same place, each time a departure from the altar is made. At other times, the Celebrant and the sacred ministers only bow profoundly when, before the consecration and after the ablutions, they pass the midst of the altar where the Sacrament is reserved; but the inferior ministers genuflect each time they pass the reserved Sacrament in the course of the Mass. After consecration and before the ablutions while the Sacrament is exposed upon the altar, every one |