The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-10-01

mon appearing below was prepared by
the Rev. James M. Nolan, pastor of
st. Mary's church. Helena, Mont.
At the Last Supper, Christ, Our
Blessed Lord, took bread, and blessed
and broke and gave to His disciples,
and said: Take We and eat. This is
My body" And taking the chalice, He
gave thanks, and gave to them saying:
Drink We all of this. For this is My
blood. This do We for the commemo~
ration of Me-" (S Math. 26, / Cor.
XII Such is the record from Holy
Scripture of the first offering of the
allembracing sacrifice of the new law.
The essential matter, therefore, of
the holy sacrifice of the Mass is bread
and wine. They are presented at the
offertory, changed into the body and
blood of Christ at the conservation,
and consumed at the communion. The
offertory follows Immediately after
the gospel, or, if said, after the creed.
The prayers and ceremonies up to and
including the creed form the prepare
tory part of the Mass, as those which
follow the communion form it's conclu-
sion.
The present instruction is to explain
the offertory, and, in particular, the
matter which is offered. ...
The offertory consists in the prep,
aration and offering of the sacrificial
elements by the ministers accom-
panied by the singing of psalms.
These elements are bread and wine.
Into the wine little water is poured
Service of the Church.
In past centuries, during the Gel
ebration of the divine mysteries, the
Christians offered not only the bread
and wine of the sacrifice, but also
whatever might be necessary for the
service of the church, the mainte-
nance of the clergy and the help of
the poor. Thus they offered corn,
fruit, grapes, milk, honey, wax, oil,
and later on, money also. Originally
it was assigned to the deacon of the
Mass to present the offerings of the
faithful at the altar and especially
the bread and wine for the sacrifice,
and to proclaim the names of those
who had contributed. From apos-
tolic times until about the eleventh
century, there was always a process
sion at the offertory. Until about
the twelfth century, when this ancient
custom at the offertory gradually dis
appeared, antiphons and verses from
the Psalms were sung alternately; but
since the offering of private gifts was
discontinued, the antiphens only.rhas
been retained and is called Offertori-
> um. Thus, while the rite of the offer
tory has differed in the course of the
centuries, yet as to it's essential ma
ture and the matter offered for the
Mass, it neither has nor can be
of our divine Lord at the Last Supper
is supreme.
Sacrifice and Sacrament.
At the first celebration of the eucha.
ristic sacrifice, Christ consecrated
bread and wine and prescribed the
use of these elements for the accom-.
plishment of the unbloody sacrifice in
His church for all future times. Is
Math. 26) The Eucharist is not only
a sacrifice, but also sacrament; un
der both of these aspects, bread and
wine are eminently proper for their
exalted purpose. That bread and wine
are elements most apt for the eucha
ristic sacrifice and sacrament is seen
sacrifice is effected through it's con
sumption by the celebrant. And again
as water is taken in baptism as the
matter of the sacrament by which we
are spiritually washed from sin, SC
fittingly are bread and wine, most com
mon articles of food, taken as the mat
ter from which is consecrated the
greatest possible spiritual nourishment
of our souls. Furthermore, even as in
the passion of Christ the blood was
separated from the body, so likewise
in the Mass, which is the unbloody re
newal of the sacrifice of Calvary, the
bread is consecrated and consumed as
the sacrament of the body, and the
wine as the sacrament of the blood
of Christ. Another reason adduceG
by st. Ambrose in commenting upor
this subject, has regard to those who
receive holy communion. This sacra
ment is for the benefit of both SOU
and body, and therefore, the body OF
Christ under the form of bread, is of
fered for the health of the body, anG
the blood under the form of wine /:
offered for the welfare of the soul
Finally, the eucharistic sacrifice is of
fered to effect blessing upon the en-
tire body of the faithful Throughout
the, world, and their membership ii
the church and union with Christ i!
symbolized in this, that, as bread j!
formed from many grains Of whea
and wine flows from many grapes, 81
we, being. many, ARE one bread, one
body, all that partake of one bread
Il Cor. 100 gff
Various Customs.
For the celebration Of Mass it il
necessary that bread made from
wheaton -four be used, but it is no
essentially required that the bread b
unleavened or leavened. In this re
gard, there are various customs in tn,
church According tn tha Roman ritz