The Irish standard., 1906-02-03
CEREMONIES
Reference to the Liturgy Of the
Mass, Which
All Catholics Should Be Able to
Explain.

Catholics, after attending the
celebration of the sacrifice of the
Mass, will say: There is so much
ceremony in the service. We do not
see the use of so many ceremonies.
These mummeries and superstitious
usases ought to be done away with"
What have Catholics to say to all
this? They certainly should be able
the Church and for the faith that is
in them" says the Catholic Universe.
There must be a ritual, a ceremo-
NAL of some Sort because men can
not meet together for the public wor-
ship of God without some ceremonial.
Men can not meet together even for
civil. and social purposes without
some ceremonial. The very nature
of man seems to require it. The cere-
monial might be changed into one
less elaborate, but it can not be en-
tirely eliminated.
those who condemn Catholic ceremo-
MES. and you will find ceremonies
there some established form of con-
Quoting divine services; and you would
find them attached to their own par
ticular usages.
They might, when forced, acknowl-
edge the fact, but seeking to justify
themselves they will say: But our
forms are so much simpler" Simplic-
ity sometimes means poverty-that
everything is poor, meaningless and
commonplace. Why should Gods
service be commonplace? When, by
the very law of our nature we must
have a ritual, why not give to God
and to the expression Of our religious
feeling that which is most choice
beautiful and elaborate?
Did not God Himself in the Old
Law establish the most elaborate and
magnificent ceremonial the world ever
witnessed? The decorations of the
temple, the sacrifices to be offered
and the vestments to be worn by the
priests, We're all regulated and insist
ed on by divine command.
Why, then, should we insist that
there is any particular merit in great
simplicity, much less that religious
ceremonies should be discarded as
superstitious?
We might refer the critics to the
account st. John gives Of the cere-
monial in heaven as described in the
fourth chapter of the Apocalypse. We
might refer them to our courts of
justice, to the badges of officers, to the
bowling and salutations in Legislative
halls, and also during the carrying out
of social functions. Our Lord Him
in the case of the man born blind
and when He commissioned His apos-
ties to forgive sins.
What Is the use of ceremonies? They
promote uniformity and decorum in
the exterior duties of religion; they
recall truths not falling under the
senses and excite thought and affec-
tions in the mind and heart. Then
they compel the body to pay tribute
Of respect to God. its Creator.
When all these things are duly con-
sidered, Is it to be wondered at that
the Church in the General Council of
Trent condemns and pronounces an
anathema on all those who shall pre-
sumo to say that it is lawful to de-
spise or ridicule or by private author
ity to alter or change any of the re-
ceived and approved ceremonies of the
Church?
The Mass is the central act of all
the public worship offered to God in
His Church. Around the essentials of
the Holy Mass rich and sacred rit-
ual has grown up as a means of ex-
pressing the. different feelings with
which the men approach the Holy Sac
rifice.
The lturgies differed in different
parts Of the world, though they were
substantially the same, since each
sought to express in it's own ceremo-
MES, forms and prayers the meaning
of the sacrifice Of the Mass.
The ritual adopted in Antioch and
in the Eastern Church was called the
ritual of st. John, who was the first
Bishop of Jerusalem. The liturgy
used in. Egypt was called the liturgy
of st. Mark, who was disciple Of
ST. Peter. The Roman and the Wes:-
ern Churc!. adopted the ritual of st.
Peter and that is frequently called
the Roman ritual.
During the Octave of the Epiphany
the Mass used to be celebrated in
Rome in all the different rites and Ian
suages adopted and used iE different
parts Of the Church. In most parts;
of Europe and in America we assist
at the Roman Mass. Yet if you enter
church served by the Dominicans,
you will find that the Mass differ s
greatly from the Roman rite.
The ceremonial of the Catholic
Church has for its one great Object
to remind you of the special presence
IT.