The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-12-27
A Converts First Impression of the
Mass.

When 1 recall my first impressions
of the mass-if in my beWinderment L
can be said to have received any i'm
pressions whatever-I assure myselt
that the majority of protestants ana
unbelievers, who look coldly or Curl
ously upon the altar, are as little mind
full of the sacred significance of the
sacrifice and as unworthy spectators as
| was Oh, the loss of these! do
we not see in the gravity of the cele-
brant as he bears the chalice of the
altar, our Lord entering the garden
of Gethsemane? 1t is the first scene
in the mystical drama and every breath
is hushed. The Divine One is bur-
dened with a foreknowledge of His
doom. He kneels in the garden; we
kneel with him, and are to follow him,
step by step to the end.
At the Confiteor He has fallen upon
His face, bathed in the sweat of blood;
He is betrayed with a kiss, led away
captive grievously smitted and denied.
The celebrant turns to us at the DOM
mus vobiscum, and in his glance we
see the conversion of Peter. Our Lord
Is led before Pontius PLATE. He is
spoiled of His garments-at the unveil-
Ing of the chalice-scourged and
crowned with thorns. PLATE washes
his hands of the crime, and at the mo-
IlEiL liG GGltDIdlll lllOlSlNllS AlS ms
Behold the mani" cries plate; and
the voice from the altar pleads, "0rate
fratres.'
At the preface we hear the warning
bell The awful progress of the trag-
ady is watched in breathless silence;
only from the organ loft comes the wall
OF the singers. The bell rings; He is
condemned to death and made to bear
the cross, while His brow is wiped
with the handkerchief of Veronica, and |
the effigy Of the sorrowful face is re- |
tained forever. He is nailed to the |
cross, and at the elevation of the host, |
while the Ginning bells mark every |
posture Of the ceiebrant at the altar; |
while the torch bearers gather about, /
the smoking cenSers are swung aloft, |
the flowers are scattered upon the air, !
and, if it be a military mass, the whole |
body silently presents arms; while the |
devout kneelers bow their heads and |
beat their breasts in contrition, loi the |
cry is raised on high. A moment later 1
the elevated chalice seems to catch the
water and the blood that seems to gush
from the riven heart of Him who died
for us.
In the Memento which fololws, He is
praying for the world; He is merciful
TO the patient thief. He thirsts and
He utters the seven words upon the
cross. tHere the Pater Noster is loud
" chanted) He dies. He descends
INTO hell; and at the Angus Del. while
The bells chime again, there is the con-
version Of many at the cross. In
we commemorate His buri-
al His resurrection follows, and He
appears. 10 His disciples at the Dominus
Vobiscum. The last collect is a MEM
ny Of HIS forty days with the disciples;
he last Dominus Nobiscum, OF His
glorious ascension; and with the bene-
LECTION descends the Holy Ghost
. marvellous sacrament mysterious
O never failing source of
oy, What a privation is theirs, who
having Once known Thee, are parted
rom Thee, How do they survive who
rust not in Thee. and who seek Thee
ma know Thee not?-Charles Warren !
stoddard.