hand. The second acolyte receives the water cruet back again from the Celebrant, with his left hand, after which both acolytes bow to the Celebrant and go again to the credence upon which they put down the breadbox and cruets, put the stoppers in the cruets, return to their places before the lowest step, and stand facing the altar, as before.

2. The Censing of the Oblations and the Altar.

When the acolytes go to the Epistle end of the altar, the censer-bearer, attended by the boat-bearer, and carrying his censer replenished with burning coals, comes from the sacristy, and after the due act of reverence as he passes before the midst of the altar, he goes to the floor at the Epistle end of the altar and stands facing towards the Gospel side.

When the Celebrant has said the prayer, "Come, O thou the Sanctifier," etc., the censer-bearer and boatbearer ascend the altar steps, make the due act of reverence on the foot-pace and stand before the Celebrant. The two servers, after making the due act of reverence in the midst, ascend the altar steps, and assist at the blessing of the incense, during which all is done as directed above (in chapter ii, section 2). When the Celebrant has taken the censer, and the two servers stand supporting his chasuble, he proceeds to cense the oblations and afterwards the altar, observing, in so doing, the directions given in the Ceremonies of High Mass. The servers, while thus assisting the Celebrant as he censes the altar, make simultaneously with him. the prescribed acts of reverence.*

When the Celebrant has censed the altar cross and

* See Ceremonial of High Mass, in loc.

passes to the Epistle side of the altar, an acolyte comes before the midst of the altar, makes the due act of reverence towards it, then going up the steps on the Gospel side, he advances to the book, takes up with both hands the desk with book thereon, and returns to the floor, where, facing the altar on the Gospel side and holding the desk before him near and a little below his breast, he awaits the end of the censing of the Gospel side of the altar; then he goes up again to the altar, puts down the desk as he found it, turns by his right, and goes back to the floor, makes there in the midst the due reverence towards the altar, and then returns to his place*

3. The Censing of the Clergy and People.

When the Celebrant has finished censing the altar, the two servers turn and go down to their places on the floor, as they did at the first censing of the altar; and the censer-bearer takes the censer, and censes the Celebrant in the usual manner. The Celebrant then returns to the midst of the altar, where he waits until the choir and people have been censed. The boatbearer remains standing near the credence.

After the Celebrant has been censed, the censerbearer, having made the due act of reverence before the lowest step of the altar, proceeds to cense the clergy; and then the servers, the torch-bearers, and the choristers; afterwards he censes the people. The censer-bearer will observe all the directions given in the Ceremonies of High Mass as to the mode of carrying the censer, and of censing persons. Having censed the people and made due reverence with the boat*Cp., Le Vavasseur, Cérémonial, pt. xii., ch., ii,, art. viii.

bearer, before the altar, he returns to the sacristy, accompanied by the boat-bearer, where he prepares for the censing at the elevation.

4. The Offerings of the People.

After the people have been censed, the second acolyte takes the alms basin in both hands, and then goes to his place before the altar. The Celebrant bows and then goes down below the lowest step of the altar; having the servers on either side of him, he makes with them the due act of reverence; they then precede him to the entrance of the presbytery. Those who have gathered the offerings of the people place them in the basin held by the second acolyte. Then the Celebrant, preceded by the acolytes, returns to the altar; they make together the due act of reverence, and then go up to the altar, the acolytes stopping on the step below the foot-pace. The second acolyte bows to the Celebrant, (who has moved to the Epistle corner of the altar), and then gives him the alms basin. The Celebrant having presented and placed it upon the altar, at the Epistle side, immediately returns it to the acolyte, who carries it directly to the credence or other convenient place.

5. The Washing of the Hands.

The first acolyte immediately after he has accompanied the Celebrant to the altar, goes back to the floor, makes the due act of reverence before the midst, and then goes to the credence table and takes with both hands the towel; the second acolyte takes the basin for washing the Priest's fingers with his

left hand, and the water cruet in his right hand. Then both standing at the Epistle corner on the step below the foot-pace, the first acolyte being at the right of the second, they bow to the Celebrant. The second acolyte pours water over the Priest's fingers, and the first acolyte presents the towel. They then bow again to the Celebrant, and return to the credence, where they put down the basin, towel, and cruet. Afterward they go down to below the lowest step of the altar, make together the due act of reverence, and then go to their respective places at the Epistle and Gospel corners of the altar, where they remain standing until the Confession.

6. Until the Canon.

The Celebrant proceeds with the Mass, observing the ceremonies directed at Low Mass.

The torch-bearers, or if they be lacking, the two candle-bearers,† when the Celebrant has finished saying the Comfortable Words, after due reverence before the altar, go to the sacristy; and towards the end of the Preface they come again into the sanctuary, carrying lighted torches, and preceded by the censer-bearer and boat-bearer. Both censer-bearer and torch-bearers will observe the directions given in the Ceremonies of High Mass.*

When there are no other acolytes besides the two servers and the censer-bearer, the servers may light torches at the credence, when the censer-bearer comes from the sacristy, and then kneel with them before the altar. (See Le Vavasseur, pt. vi., sec. ii., ch. ii., art. ii.)

* See Cerem. of High Mass, ch. iv., sections 10 and 13, and ch. vii.,

sec. I.

CHAPTER IV.

THE CANON OF THE MASS, AND THE COMMUNION. 1. The Consecration.

At the beginning of the "Prayer of Consecration," the censer-bearer puts incense into the censer.

At the elevation, the censer-bearer censes the Blessed Sacrament as usual, the torch-bearers uplift their torches, and an acolyte rings the sacring bell.

A little before the act of Consecration, the two servers if they are not holding torches, rise, go before the midst of the altar, make due act of reverence towards the altar, and then go up the steps to the foot-pace, the first to the right of the Celebrant, the second to the left, and here upon the footpace on either side of, and a little behind, the Celebrant, they kneel and support (the first acolyte with his left hand, the second with his right) the back part of the Celebrant's chasuble, at the elevation. Each acolyte extends the hand not employed, near and a little below his breast. The acolyte who kneels at the right of the Celebrant rings the bell.* After the elevation they return to their places before the altar, and stand as before, after genuflecting together on the floor, before the midst.

After the elevation of the chalice all the acolytes (except the torch-bearers) stand erect, and the censerbearer, attended by the boat-bearer, goes to the sacristy (both making due reverence as they pass before the

When the servers act as torch-bearers, another acolyte may kneel at the right of the Celebrant, lift his chasuble and ring the bell. If there be no one else to ring the bell, the first server may do so, holding his torch in his left hand and the bell in his right hand.