The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-25
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! QUESTIONS AND Answers !
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Boise, Ida, Nov. 16, 1899.

]. mIich you extend in your columns t.
4 , alter truth, [ take the liberty
= " aSAi IN you to explain in your col
1 G 9lilns Inc Liturgy of the Eucharisit(
5 Sacrifice. Sincerely.
j. w. WELDON.
lis: 1Aiis.-One of the best articles on The
liturgy Of the Eucharistic Sacrifice
thdt mas come under our notice was
one written by Rev. j. Milan of Pough-
keepsie, N. T., which we take the pleas
ure OIL publishing for the benefit of the
ieauers or 1he Intermountain Catholic:
al, IN early times, says Father Milan
tHe term Liturgy was used to signify
the public office or service of the church
as 9fadlhed by law and custom for the
IdlthIul. 1t was sometimes applied to
me dctual worship itself, as we find in
Acts, KILL, which Erasmus translates
Sacrlhcantibus lilies. and the Vulgate
slVeS hllhlstrantibuys ills, with more
aptness. Ihis will appear evident as
the word is used in Phil. ii, 80, and 3
Cor. tx, II, as DESIGNATING ordinary acts
OIL the administration of charity or
gooa works. 1t was also applied to in
uicate civil as We'll as sacred functions,
out IN wider sense, and not 50 COM
monty.
with US the word has given place to
the term mass by which is understood
the whole order or course of prayer,
| ~ N'Nl lPIule anu TIE OlIeE re-
lSlous actions which accompany the
celebration of the sacrifice of the Eu-
cHdrlst altar. On this account we call
Such DOCKS containing this order of ce-
TeInonlaI missals rather than liturgies
or rltua-S, for these latter embrace cere-
MONIES TO be used on various other oc-
caSiohss such as. in the administration
! oI pap tlsn, extreme unctiOns, etc.
Inc word melissa is of ancient use in
| re. SNY.irr
very clearly defined. BarOniuos and
others would have it derived from the
Hebrew 'Missah'' an Obla alton. This.
however, is opposed by Guarantees Ode
rltlb lib. 2, c. i. n. i) BelIaurine and
Bona, who shows that if it had been
OF the Hebrew it would have been
adopted by the Greeks, as they pre-
served some other expressions from
that language. 1t is most likely that
the word had the origin given to it by
card. Bona, who shows that its use
arose from the dismissal of the congre-
cation at the end of divine service.
vi ITS early use, however, there is no
doubt. 1t is found in the writings of
the Roman bishops Of the second CEN
fury, as in the letter of Plus to Justin,
Bishop of Vienna. in the year 166, where
he says: Our Sister Exaperia, if YOU
rightly remember, assigned the title of
her house to the poor, where now dwell
ing, we offer daily masses" Pope Cor
menus, likewise, in a letter to bishop
OF the same place, in 254 A. D., says:
1 1t was not permitted to the Christians,
pm account of the very severe persecu- |
zion. to offer masses (missas agere) !
publicly, in the more noted crypts"
The authenticity of these letters. as !
S tell as that of others of an earlier
ate, is indeed denied by some learned !
1tlcs, but their genuineness is admit
by the best authorities. In the days |
st. Ambrose the word was in COM
aon use. He writes to his sister. let. |
L remained in my office and under
3ok to offer masses (facere missas)."
gain, in his thirty fourth sermon: Il
wise you when near church. and
8hen you can do so without serious in
3 nvenfence, to hear mass daily Quo
siie)."
An attempt to prove its apostolic orr
"a was made by the learned ViscOnti.
d his chief argument consisted in the
ct that the word was found in the
lrgy of st. James. But strong doubts
entertained as to the genuineness
h this liturgy. Many writings, such as
4spels and evaHgelists and epistles,
lch more. lituTgies, composed by
7lers than the apostles, were in the
st three centuries passed under their
mes. Moreover this particular Ii
'gy was originally written in Greek
Sl20 Chaldaic, as is fully proved by
erudite Leo Allatius. I'm the Greek
Il we find only the word liturgy. and
- one pretends that this liturgy was
ant in Latin in the ages of the apos- {
Dts early use being admitted we find.
wever, that the word was applied to
Signate other religious services than {
De liturgies ceremonies of the Eucha- J
ist. This will appear more readily by i
the etyniologic significa-
ion of the term. s
According to Gavantus. it simply I
means ''the sending up of the prayers {
f the priests and the people to God. /
through the ministration of an indi- g
ldual appointed for that office" Thus i
meant missa est CRATIC, missa est '
blatio, or even sometimes, missa est 6
estivitas. This announcement, in the d
oily sacrifice, was made by the deacon a
t the end, as he turned towards the t
eople for this purpose, saying: tie mis- a
est, depart, the oblation is offered
completed. In the mass of the cate n
humens this announcement was made d
t the end of the gospel, for at this h
ONT all who had not been baptised fl
ere dismissed. This part of the cere- ii
lon1es was called the Catechumen's e
lass, because they were allowed to d
lin in the prayers. readings and in a
of the minister up to this fl
pint. Even Pagans were generally adj p
lifted to be present as we find a canon a
in the fourth council of Carthage or it
ring That the bishop shall not pro OF
bit any one from entering the church b.
1d hear the word of God whether he
etGentlle, Jew or hereto, till the sery- fiji
e of the Catechumens was ended" A di
le decree was made in a council of pl
alentia, in Spain (Can. u, by which tie
1retics and heathens, as well as Cate A
umens might be present at that part We
the divine office which preceded the 81,
lation. St. Chrysostern recommends ey
is custom (Hom. AID, and Sozomen w
-rrates that the great orator by this tx
cans led many eminent men into the err
urch. az
But at this point in the sacred cere- Pe
onies the deacon, turning to the peo- in,
2, cried out: IF there is present any mo
techumen, let him go hence, excat- ON
ras; or, ''if anyone is not to com If;
lnlcate, let him go away. and make No
ON for Others TO this custom St. a.
referred in his sermon, 237: ra,
nd now, after the sermon or instruc- he
~, let there be the mass (diSmiSSaD -
the catechumens: let the faithful re- ~,
Tin. 1t is also likely that there was iiiI
dismissal of the faithful who were A.,
10 communicate. as we read Of q -
1bebIv arose IL faina ,lii,ioLl .iils us
nned in tbe C,,,,,lciI of 49, III ate
Itch maintained that no mass could th'
celebrated without the communion tht
the congregation; or, at least, of rec
ne of them. pa
n course of time the word came to wa
applied not alons to portion of Gel
: holy ceremonies, but to the entire or
ion from beginning to end. and is
ice. too il came 10 designata tbe EN-
I, coc,ific ;+robr i,..;41..S.A MOI