The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-07-09

Barry, Immaculate Conception Church,
Butte, Montana.
THE cHALIcE AND ITS APPuR-
TENANcES.
Continuing our instructions OF the
most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we
shall treat of the sacred vessels used
in its celebration.
The chalice and the paten hold the
prime place: in the chalice flows
the Precious Blood of Christ, and on
the paten rests His glorious Body.
We have no reliable tradition stat
ing what was the material and what
was the form of the chalice which
Christ used at the Last Supper. But
whatever it's material and form it is
known in legendary lore as the Holy
Grail, and it has been immortalized
by Tennyson in his "Idyls of the King"
and by Richard Wagner in his famous
opera "Parsifal."
Early chalices
AS far as can be CLEANED from the
little information we have on this
point it would seem that chalices OF
glass and clay and wood and ivory
were prevalent in use among the ear
ly Christians. However, the high pur-
pose of the Sacrifice soon led to the
general adoption of the precious met
ais. Saints Augustine and Chrysostom
speak of gold and silver chalices, and
later on there were chalices enamen-
ed and set with gems and pearls.
Some of these early chalices were
fitted with handles presumably to in
sure against accident when the faith
full received Communion under the
species of wine Those chalices were
practically stemless; the cup being
attached to the base by knob. The
chalice of Ardagh, magnificent relic
of Irish art of the ninth or tenth cent
ury, is a remarkable example of this
style. 1t is seven inches IN height
with a diameter of nine and one half
inches. This chalice would be called
q ministerial" chalice, being primar-
lily intended for the communion of
the people.
It is probable that the chalices In
general use for the Sacrifice were of
a simpler character without handles,
and the cup joined to the base by a
becoming stem development and knob.
One of the finest examples Of this de-
sign is the chalice Of st. Remi, made
in the twelfth century, and now found
I'm the Treasury of the Cathedral at
Rheims.
The Paten.
The paten, on which reposes the
Sacred Host, is an open shallow YES
Sci or circular plate slightly concave.
II is always of the same material as
the cup of the chalice.
According to the present legislation
Of the Church, the cup of the chalice
must be of either gold or silver, and
If of silver the bowl must be gilt on
the inside. Both the chalice and paten
must be consecrated for Sacrifice,
which act sets them apart from pro-
fame use. And once they have been
used for Mass they may not be touch
ed except by cleric or by those that
have been given charge of them. This
is also true of the corporal, pail and
purificator. These latter, once used
for Mass, may not be washed even by
a religious, until they have been first
washed by cleric in major, or sacred
orders. After this washing any one
may touch them until they are again
used for Mass.
Symbolic Meanings.
Apart from their immediate purpose
these vessels have mystical mean
ing. The chalice which holds the
Precious Blood of Christ reminds us
of the sanctified chalice of Melchise-
dech which was filled with the grace
the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was
the cup of our ransom.
The paten takes us back to the
rites of the Old Testament when
plates of gold and silver were used
to serve the gifts OF wheater meal at
the altar. In the paten, on which lies
the Eucharistic Victim, we can pic
ture the Wood of Calvary with its sa-
cred burden-the Body of the Crucified
Christ. Finally, we might look into
the chalice and see the grave of Christ
and make the paten the stone that
encloses it.
Adjuncts of Sacred Vessels
There are certain adjuncts or be-
! 1ongings that go with these vessels of
sacrifice, and which are the garments,
80 to speak, of the sacrificial Victim.
They are the corporal, the pail, the
purificator, the burse and the chalice
veil
Originally the corporal and the
pail were one and the same piece of
linen cloth, on which rested the chal-
ice and Host and served at the same
time to cover the chalice. Since the
twelfth century it has been the Gus
tom to use two Independent linens;
but they are still blessed with the
same formula. On the corporal are
set the Host and chalice, and the pail
is employed to cover the chalice.
The corporal must be Of pure white
linen. The pail is small square of
stiffened linen which may or may not
be ornamented, and must not be in
black.
These too, like the sacred vessels,
have their symbolic meaning. The