The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-13
s4cRED SCRIPTURE IN TIE MASS.

1t has, perhaps, seldom struck persons
| other creeds than our owp that Csthol
prayers, especially those pu blicly used by Il
Church, and even many belonging to IL
domain of private devotion, are mainl
scrtptural. To begin with the Maps-tw'
| thirds of it are made of ScIi pture passage
while the remainder contains mauy allusior
to the sayings of Holy Writ or TO cnstoms.
| The Mass opens viii the forty stcon
P,I, PPsaim, Judge me. God" which M
| Oakley, in his Order and Ceremonial of tn
| Mass says was used under the old dspepss
| ton as psalm of preparation for the altar
| After the Conhteor 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 fourt
Psalm
3 The Introt consists of short passa &c
nearly always chosen from II ,ly Writ, witt
the addition of Verse of some chosen psalm
3 The opening sentence of the Gloria
consists of the words that angels sang on tn,
night of our Lords birth. duke ii. ii
This led to the Gloria being called the Ao
ge!ical Hymn.
Then follows the salutation, Dominu
robiscum The Lord be with you," Mhict
(J"dges vi. 14l by Boaz in addressing hi.
reapers (Ruth ii ~, and by Gabriel in salu t.
ing the Blessed Virgin duke i. 2s). This i,
repeated severa, times during the Mass
5. Tie Epistle or lesson. Every one knows
that this is a portion OF Scripture, sometimes
from the Old Testament, bat more often 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 il
preceded by portion of the Prophecies, and
this custom is referred by tradition to the rule
epjoining those who receive Hol, Orders to be
Instructed both in the Old and New Testa.
ments.
6 The Gradual is kind of response to the
Epistle, an echo of it's meaning, and is com.
monty interspersed with one or more yersss
ia al I,
circumstance OF it's being sung from the steps
of the altar, when the Mass is sung with ali
the proper formalities.
T. the Tract" which is used at peniten-
tial eeasons, is always a short portion Of the
Psalms"
8. With the Gospel" every one is familiar.
In Holy Week the whole Passion is inserted
in the Mass-namely. on Sunday, Wednesday =
9 TIE "Of .rtory" is composed of vsrees
almost invariably chosen from some psalm or
psalms, and varies according to the feast
like the Introir, the Gradual, the Tract and
the Communion and Post Communion.
~ The Ldrabo consists of seven verses of
the Iwenty-tfth Psalm, Judge me, o Lord" )"
my hands among the innocent" etc.
IL. The Sanctus consists of the Seraphims'
words Us. vi. -, and the words of the
Hebrew children on Christ's entrance into
Matt xxi. 81.
IL. The Substance of the "Communionv is
Scriptural, though the form is made mp of
words taken from the first three or synopti-
cal Gospels. In the cousecratien of the
chalioe the words land eternap and "the
Writ. 1'
13. The Patr. or Lords Prayer, is perhaps
the best known portion of all Scripture among
Christians of all denominations (Matt. vi.
and Luke ri. y
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
or servant, is the same addressed by the
'enturion to Christ. Matt viii. 81
IS. The Communio is q short sentence
Vhioh takes the place of a psalm, which, in |
ONE ancient liturgies, was sung Immediate
y after the Communion of the people In |
rooeas of time this, like the Introit and the |
)fertory, seemed to have been curtailed into |
ipgle verse.
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, flesh"
nd the mission of Christ on earth.
Besides these directly spiritual portions of |
ne Mass, there are other parts alluding to
sssages in the Holy Books for instance,
he Allelulias which occnr at the Gradual,
nj are doubled at East-r-tile. and which
re used in commemorat.on of the Apostolic
junction, "Rejoice in tue Lord always
gain say rejolos" (Pnil. iv. A
The prayer, "In the spirit of humility, and
oonttlte heart' grant Us o Lord, to be
soelSed by Thee etc which is said be-
on the prayer in Daniel ii. %.
The phrase, "chalice of salvation" which
used in the preceding prayer, is found in
salm CIV.
The prayer, Dirigatur Domino, which is
sed only at High Mass, Is q psrsphrase or
Ather abridgement, of several psalms, aud
specially mentions the "lfCing of the hands
} an evening sacrifice. .'-Psslms oxi. g. and
xiii. l;
Tue Preface most commonly in use con.
!ins allusIons to Scripture in four or five
aces. The words that We shonld always
Id everywhere give thanks TO Thee" are
9nded on Psalms cii 22, and xxxii 2;
Holy Lord, Almighty Fsther. Eternal God,
rough Christ onr Lord" refer to JJhn ii.
and TO Rom v. 2; and by whom the
gels praise Thy majesty, the Nominations
ore" to Psalm cxvi. z, aud Esq tx. G.
'ookiyn Catholic Reuie,0