Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/311

 CANON

263

CANON

on four occasions only, on .Maundy Thursday, Easter, Whitsunday, and in "the Mass at a bishop's consecra- tion. The "additions will he found on the feasts in the Missal, and in the Consecration service in the I *< > t > — tifical. On Maundy Thursday an allusion is made to "the day on which our Lord Jesus Christ gave the mysteries of his Body and Blood to his disciples to be consecrated"; Easter and Whitsunday have an iden- tical form (a prayer for the newly baptized), and the Consecration Mass has a clause "which we offer to Thee also for this Thy servant [the new bishop says: "for me Thy servant] whom Thou hast deigned to promote to the order of Episcopacy". The Gelasian Saeramentary has as many as thirty-eight special forms to be intercalated at this place, in which allu- sions are made to all kinds of special intentions. For instance, in a requiem Mass, "which we offer to Thee for the repose of the soul of thy servant N." (Wilson, 307); for a wedding, "This oblation of thy servants X. and X., which they offer to Thee for thy handmaid X.. we beg Thee mercifully to accept, that as Thou hast allowed her to come to the fitting age for mar- riage, so Thou mayest allow her, being joined to her husband by thy grace, to rejoice in the offspring she desires and mayest mercifully bring her with her spouse to the desired length of years; and dispose our days in thy peace", etc. (ib.,205). During the "Hane igitur" the priest, who has joined his hands at the preceding " Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen", spreads them over the offerings. This is a late cere- mony. It occurs first in the fifteenth century. For- merly the celebrant lifted up his hands as before, but made a profound inclination (Durandus, VI, 39). This older rite is still used by the Dominicans and [elites. The imposition of hands seems to have been introduced merely as a way of practically touch- ing the sacrifice at this point, at which it is so defi- nitely named in the prayer. At the "Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen" following, the priest. again (as always at these words) folds his hands. The "Hanc igitur", with the two following prayers, may be considered as forming a second member of the Canon, threefold like the first.

Quam oblationem. — This prayer has been noticed, as well as its echo of "Hanc oblationem". The offering is accompanied by five epithets. The "De Sacramentis" has only three, "adscriptam, rationa- bilem, acceptabilemque" (IV, v). The word "ra- tionabilis" occurs in Rom., xii, 1. "In omnibus" means "thoroughly". There follows naturally a petition that the offering may "become to us the Body and Blood of thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ ". "De Sacramentis" has: "which is a figure Body and Blood", as in Serapion's Prayer and in Tertullian, "Adv. Marc", III, xix and IV. xl. During this prayer the sign of the cross is made five times over the offering — a further blessing of the bread and wine about to be consecrated.

Qui pridie. — Such a form is in all liturgies the con- necting link between an allusion to Chi-ist that has gone before and the words of Institution that follow immediately (Brightman. Antioch, 51, Alexandria. 132). The short form, "Who, the day before he died, took bread", is in other rites sometimes expanded into a longer account of the Passion (ib., 20. 87, 176, etc). Gratias agens. — The word Thanksgiving (Eucharist) always occurs here. Benedict XIV no- tices that we do not read in the Gospels that Christ lifted up his eyes at the Last Supper, and he says it is a tradition that Christ did so. as He did at the miracle of the loaves and fishes (De SS. Missse sacr., 160). The words of Institution for the bread are the same in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt., xxvi. 20. Mark, xiv. 22. Luke, xxii. 19) and in I Cor., xi. 23. The Church has added to this form (Hoc esi corpus tneum)

the word mini, and she leaves out the continuation "which is given for you", that occurs in St. Luke

and I Cor. The "enim" seems to have found its way here through analogy with the consecration of the chalice, where it occurs in St. Matthew. This prayer admits of one addition in the year; on Maundy Thurs- day the form is used: "Who the day before He suf- fered for our salvation and for that of all men, that is to-day. He took bread", etc. At the beginning of the "Qui pridie" the celebrant takes the bread (only the host that he himself will receive in Communion) between the forefingers and thumbs of both hands. These fingers are then not separated again, unless wiien he touches the Blessed Sacrament, till they have been washed at the last ablutions (Rit. eel., VIII, 5). The reason of this is, of course, lest any crumb may have remained between them. He lifts up his eyes at the words "elevatis oculis", and makes a sign of the cross over the host at the word "benedixit". If other hosts are to be consecrated they stay on the corporal. The ciborium (if there is one) is opened before the words: " Qui pridie ". The words of Insti- tution are said "secretly, plainly, and attentively" over the host and over all, if several are to be conse- crated. The Catholic Church has always believed that the words of Institution are those that consecrate. Immediately therefore follows the ceremony of the Elevation. The priest genuflects on one knee, still holding the Blessed Sacrament, rises, lifts it up above Ids head to show it to the people, replaces it on the corporal and genuflects again. An adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at this point is an old rite. The first Roman Ordo, which does not give the words of Consecration, saysthat during the Canon " the bishops, deacons, subdeacons. and priests stay in the presby- tery bowing down" (" inclinati", ed. Atchley, 138). On account of the heresy of Berengarius (d. 1088), the Elevation was introduced in France in the twelfth, and then throughout the West in the thirteenth, cen- tury. Gregory X (1271-76) ordered it to be used throughout the West in his Ceremonial (Ordo Rom. XIII). At first only the Host, not the Chalice, was elevated. The priest's genuflexions were not intro- duced till later. In the fourteenth century he still only bowed his head (Ordo Rom. XIV, 53). Mean- while the assistants kneel and bow low. Durandus says "they prostrate themselves reverently on the ground", so also the XIII Roman Ordo. However, since the only object of the Elevation is to show the Blessed Sacrament to the people, this does not mean that they should not look up at it. At each genu- flexion, and between them at the elevation, the bell is rung. This ceremony also begins in the fourteenth century. Durandus notices it (IV, 41). The bell should be sounded three times at each elevation, or continuously from the first to the second genuflexion (Rit. eel., VIII, 6). This is the first sounding of the bell ordered by the rubrics after the Sanctus. The common practice of ringing at the " Hanc igitur" has no authority. The server also lifts up the chasuble with his left hand at the elevation, not at the genu- flexion (Rubr. gen., VIII, 6). This is to keep back the vestment (which the rubrics always suppose to cover the arms) while the priest elevates. With a modern Roman -shaped chasuble it is a mere form, and a memory of better days. As soon as the cele- brant rises from the second genuflexion he continues the Consecration prayer.

Simili morh. —So all liturgies (ixmi/rus at Antioch, Brightman, 52, and at Alexandria, ib., 133). " Post- quam ccenatum est"; the Canon supposes that the cup our Lord consecrated was the last of the Ilillel- eups. "Hunc prseclarum calicem", a dramatic iden- tification of the Mass with the Last Supper. The Consecration-form for the chalice is put together from the four accounts of the Last Supper quoted above. It is mainly from St. Matthew (xxvi. 26); "Calix Sanguinis mei" is adapted from St. Luke and St. Paul, "pro vobis" from St. Luke, "pro multis" from