The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-10-15

at the Offertory," is the subject OF
the eighteenth sermon of the series.
1t was prepared by the Rev. T. r.
Landy. pastor of the immaculate
Conception parish, Deer Lodge,
Mont.n
The Second lncensing.
1t. was previously explained that
the altar represents our Lord and
the faithful gathering before it are
the members of His mystic body,
That is why so much honor is given
to- it, and why it is incensed sew
eral times during a solemn high Mass
as mark of homage to the Deity.
The use and religious significance of
incensations were explained in the in
struction on the incensing at the be-.
ginning of solemn high Mass. The
second incensing takes place after the
offertory, and is the principal and
most solemn one. The celebrant sol
EMMY invokes the assistance of the
heavenly court, saying: by the inter
cessiOn of blessed Michael, the Arch
\Vangel, standing at the right hand of
the altar of incense, and of all His
elect, may the Lord deign to bless
this incense and receive it as an odor
Of sweetness. Through Christ, our
Lord. Amen" The priest first in
censes the bread and wine by making
three crosses over them to signify the
intimate relationship that the sacrifice
bears to the Most Blessed Trinity. He
then incenses the offerings from the
right side to the left, and from the
left to the right, to indicate that
they are now separated from every
thing unsanctified, and that these sac
rificial gifts now become the center
towards which all the ceremonial is
directed.
A Mystical Calvary.
the priest says: MAY this incense,
blessed by Thee, o Lord, ascend to
Thee and Thy mercy come down upon
u.s." The altar and holy relics are
then incensed to indicate that the al
tar becomes a mystical calvary, the
mountain of myrrh and hill of frank
incense" spoken of in the canticle of
shall rise the sweetest odor of sacri-
flee and the delightful prayer. We see
also in this incensation the figure of
Gods inscrutable sanctity hidden from
the eyes of men, and before Whom
Seraphim and Cherubim bow down in
awe and alteration. When incensing
the altar the priest recites part of
Psalm 40: Let my prayer be direct
ed, 0 Lord, as incense in Thy sight,
and the lifting up of my hands as
the evening sacrifice. Set a watch,
0 Lord before my mouth and a door
around my lips. Incline not my heart
to evil words to make excuses in SINS"
The royal psalmist seems to have pic.
tnred to his prophetic vision the even.
ing sacrifice of Calvary, when the
dying Savior with outstretched hands,
with supplicating lips and forgiving
heart, made excuses to His heavenly
Father for the sins of mankind and
begged to have couls purified in His
atoning blood. The words may also
be applied to the unbloody sacrifice
which Jesus Christ offered on the
evening of His passion when He insti-
tutedi:the holy sacrifice of the Mass
and. when He prayed for those who
should offer this sacrifice after Him:
II pray not that Thou shouldst take
them out of the world but keep them
from evil" In returning the GEN.
ser to the deacon, the celebrant
says: May the Lord enkindle
in us the fire of His love and
the flame of everlasting charity
This wish, though directed to the
deacon, is meant to include all assist
ing at the holy sacrifice. AS a re-
spouse to and an Interpretation of
this wish, the deacon incenses the
celebrant, the officers of the Mass, the
choir and, through the thurifer, the
people, thus reminding them that they
are kingly priesthood, holy nation,
purchased people; that you may
declare His virtues who hath called
you out of darkness into His marvel
lous light q st. Peter, ii, 81; and
that as members of Christ's mystical
body and as temples of the Holy
Ghost, they should have their CONVEX
sation good among the gentiles that
they may by the good words which
they shall behold in you glorify God
in the day of visitation I'll, 12.)
The Washing of Hands.
The whole burden of these prayers
at the incensation is for greater piety
and goodness through Divine love and
publication from even the lesser blem-
ishes of sin. This desire for sinless-
ness in heart and tongue is now sup
plemented by prayer for complete
innocence of the entire being in the
ceremony of the washing of hands
which follows. st. Thomas, speaking
of this rite, says that it signifies a
perfect publication internally as well
as externally, because to the hands,
as the instruments of the other mem.
bers, are ascribed all our works. This
washing of the hands is prescribed
for two reasons, the one natural, the
other moral. For the former reason,
because there is close at hand the
solemn moment of the consecrarlon
when the priest will hold in his hands
the most precious body of Christ, and
it would not be fitting that even the
least physical defilement come in. con-
tact with the Most Holy. The moral
and SymbOlical reason is that in this