The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-06-06

ILLS GACSllGul luIO HIS uOly anu
venerable hands" he takes the chal-
ice and holds it couple of inches
above the altar, and at the word
blessed" makes the sign of the cross /
over it, and bowling low recites the {
words of conservation. The genufiec- ;
tions, elevations and ringing of the
little bell need not be remarked on. I
While the priest genufects the altar
boys hold the back part of the chas-
uble up little, so that it will not be
in his way This is hardly necessary
now, owing to the way the vestments
are cut, but it was necessary in earlier .
times, when the vestments were
longer.
Up to about. the middle of the elev-
enth century The elevation did not
take place till Immediately before the
'Pater noster," as we shall see; but
about that time priest by the name
of Berengarius denied the real pres
ence of our Lord in the holy Euchar-
! list, and tried to lead others into the |
same error. He was condemned by
the church in several councils; and,
in order that Catholics might have an
opportunity of protesting their faith in
this holy mystery, the elevation was
adopted so that Immediately after our
Lord had descended on the altar in
obedience to the words of consecra-
ton, his devout. children might offer
him their homage and alteration. This
is the origin and reason of the eleva-
ton, as we have it today. Says DR..
Rock: 1.-The elevation and alteration OF
nd h1nnd of TncnC Christ in
the holy sacrifice of the mass are to
be found in all the Oriental liturgies,
whether Greek, Syriac, Egyptian, or
: Ethiopic; and are distinctly pointed
out in the liturgies of st. James, st.
Chrysostom and St. Basil. But 1t
does not take place until just before
the communion" But" says Father
Gasqeut, high authority on such mat
: tiers, nowadays the whole meaning
: of the elevation of the Blessed Sacra-
! ment is lost by the general custom OF
burying heads in hands during the
= whole time. The priest is directed to
= raise the Blessed Sacrament that 1t
: may be seen by the people, and this
= elevation was introduced into the
i sacred liturgy that the people might
look upon the sacred Host and then
bow down with the priest in alteration,
: as testimony to their pellet in the
real presence of our Lord in the most
Blessed Sacrament. Every pictured
representation and every written &C
count of the ceremony would testify &c
= the practice of our Catholic torefatn
ers, even if there were not whole lit
>, erature to speak to the point with Ger
tainty." There is an idea in the mind:
of many persons that they should no
:, look upon the Blessed Sacrament; bu
, if the angels in heaven love to lool
upon the face of God, and find in i
e their supreme happiness, it cannot d.
wrong for his children on earth t.
contemplate him with the eye OF faltl
in the sacrament of his love. But
must be done in faith, and no
thoughtlessly or out of mere cur1os
itv. Just as many persons imagin
,t that they should not use the name
God or of our Savior. They should us
them often, but with due reverence
the commandment does not forbid u
to use the name of God, but only nc
to take it lin vain" The Cathoh
should look reverently upon IN
Blessed Sacrament when it is elevate
in the mass, and then bow down b,
fore it in humble alteration; that
r: the precise purpose of the elevation.
The words new and eternal test
ment'' need little explanation. Vine
Moses proclaimed the law to the Jew
he offered sacrifices of calves; and
we read in Exodus (xxiv., $50, The
los Moses took half of the blood and p'
it into bowls :. and taking the Doc
of the covenant, he read 1t IN u
is hearing of the people And he tot
the blood and sprinkled it upon II
ay. people. and said: This is the blood
rty the covenant which the Lord na
made with you concerning all the
words" And st. Paul refers TO IN
sprinkling in his Epistle to the q
brews (ix, 1920, in these wordsi r
, every commandment of the law ma
ing been read to all the people
Moses. taking the blood of calves al
goats with water and scarlet WOOL al
you hyssop. he sprinkled the book 1tse
also. and all the people saying rms
the blood of the covenant, which q
hath enioined unto you" COMMENT
on these words st. John Chrysostc
- says: "Why are the books OF the COY
nant and the people sprinkled, unie
because that blood and the other ri
were. of old, types of the Preclo
yer, Blood?" AS the Old Law was seal
by the sprinkling of blood, so was
of New Law to be sealed in the sal
re- manner: not indeed by the blood
ing animals, but by the blood OF Jes
lest Christ. shed on the altar of the Gro
he It is also called the blood of the "et
ing nal testament" because, while
son rites of the Old Law were only tyI
ay: of the better things to come, and W.
his temporary, the priesthood establish
J is by our Lord was to last forever, in
cd" cordance with the prophecy of Dav
that 'aThou art priest forever accord1
IAN, TO the order of Melchisedech."
are The priest now holds the thumb
lain finger of each hand joined. exc
the when he has occasion to touch
Blessed Sacrament. But it will be
lese ticed that he frequently makes
de- sign of the cross over the Host
turn Chalice; and this gives rise to an
ERE portant inquiry. 1t is easy to UNI