The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-13
SACRED SCRIPTURE IN TaE MASS.

1
1t has, perhaps, seldom struck persons
other creeds than our owD that Csthol
prayers, especially those pu blicly used by tt
Church, and even many belonging to tt
domain of private devotion, are mainl
| scriptural. To begin with the Mass-twt
thirds of it are made of Scripture passagel
while the remainder contains many allusion
to the sayings of Holy Writ 70 customs.
The Mass opens viii the forty stcon
Psalm, Judge me. o God" which NJ
Oakley, in his Order and Ceremonial of tn
Aass.' says was used under the old dispense
ton as psalm of preparation for the altar
After the Ccnhteor comes an aptiphonal pas
sage, in which the priest and the server, wn
| represents the people. answer each other il
sentences taken from the eighty. fonrtl
Psalm.
, The Introit consists of short passage
nearly always chosen from H'ly Writ, with
the addition of q verse of some chosen psalm
The opening sentence Of the Gloria
consists of the words that angels sang on fh.
night Of our Lords birth. duke ii. II
This led to the Gloria being called the Au
ge!ical Hymn.
Then follows the salutation, Dominu
coliseum Tho Lord be with you," whict
was used by the angels in saluting Gideon
(J.dges vi. 14) by Bosz in addressing his
reapers Ruth il ~. and 10y Gabriel in salu t.
ing the Blessed Virgin Luke i. 2s). This is
repeated several times during the Mass
g. The Epistle or lesson. Every one knows
that this is portion OF Scripture, sometimes
from
the New. The Epistle is generally taken
from st. Paul, and the Lesson, if from the Old
Testament, from the Prophets. Ga Wednes
days of the Ember weeks the Epistle is
preceded by q portion of the Prophecies and
this custom is referred by tradition to the rule
epjoining those who receive Hol, Orders to be
instru cted both in the Old and New Testa-
mente.
e The Gradual is g kind of response to the
Epistle, an echo of its meaning, and is com.
monty interpreted with one or more verses
of the Psalms. 1t is called Gradual from the
circumstance of it's being sung from the steps
OF OF the altar. when the Mass is sung with all
the proper formalities.
7. the Tract" which is used at peniten.
tiai eeasons, is always short portion Of the
Psalms"
8. With the "Gospep every one is familiar.
ln Holy Week the whole Passion is inserted
in the Mass-namely, on Sunday, Wednesday
and FrldayIjnst before the Gospel.
y The "Of ,rtory" is composed of verees
psalms, and varies according to the feast
like the Introir, the Gradual, the Tract and
the Communion and Post Communion.
10 The Ldra6o consists of seven verses of
the Twenty nth Psalm, Judge me, o Lord !"
and begins with the sixth verse; ~ will was b
my hands among the innocent" etc.
IL: The Sanctus consists of the Seraphims'
words (Is. vi. 81, and the words of the
Jerusalem, the Sunday before his Passion
( Matt. xxi. 81.
12, The Substance of the .'Communionp is
Soriptural, though the form is made up Of
words taken from the fret three or synopti-
cal Gospels. In the conservation of the
chelioe the words land eternap and "the
mystery of faith are not taken from Holy
Writ.
13. The Pater, or Lords Prayer, is perhaps
the best known portion of all Scripture among
Christians of all denominations (Matt. vi.
and Luke XII p
IA The "Domine non sum dignus" is a
prayer used before the Communion of the
priest, and repeated before that of the peo-
pie and, with the single substitution of soul
to Christ. (Matt. viii. 81
Is. The Communio is q short sentence
which takes the place of psalm, which, in
ome can an oient llturgies, was sung Immediate
process of time this, like the Introit and the
lHsrtory. seemed to have been curtailed into
ingle verso.
16. The Gospel of st. John is the end of
he Mass. 1t is from the first chapter, verses
to 4. and treats of the "Word made heshD
md the mission of Christ on earth.
Besides these directly spiritual portions of
he Mass, there are other parts alluding to
passages in the Holy Books; for instance,
he Alelulias which occnr at the Gradual,
nd are doubled at East-r-tide. and which
re used In commemorat. on off the Apostolic
pjanction, "Rejoce in Inc Lord always
gain say rejo,oe" (Pnil. iv.4)
The prayer, I'm the spirit of humility, and |
oontEte heart, heart, grant us Lord, to be
ween the Ofertory and the Preface, is found |
d on the prayer in Daniel ii. 80.
The phrase, "chalice of salvation" which |
; used in the preceding prayer, is found in !
salm cxv.1 |
The prayer, Dirigatsr Domino, which is
sed only at High Mass, IL q paraphrase or |
ather abridgement, of several psalms, and |
specially men tions the "liftng of the hands |
8 an evening saorifice.-Psslms cxi. 2, and |
xiii 1;
Tne Preface most commonly in use con.
aims allusIous to Scripture in four or five |
laces. The words THAT we shonld always |
nd everywhere give thanks TO Thee" are |
,1nded on Psalms cii 22, and xxxiii. 2 F.; |
Holy Lord, Almighty Fsther, Eternal God,
trough Christ our Lord" refer to JJhn ii.
3gels praise Thy majesty. the nominations
lore" to Psalm cxvi. 2, and 2 Esq ix. G.
rookIyn Catholic ReUie10. -f