Page:Low Mass Ceremonial (Burnett).djvu/13

 according to St. John, lifted up his eyes; and that in ancient Liturgies, both Eastern and Western, the mind of the Church has expressed itself in words manifesting the belief that our Lord when blessing the bread at the Institution of the holy Eucharist, lifted up his eyes heavenward, it should appear fitting that in celebrating the holy mysteries wherein the life as well as the final sufferings and the death of Christ are set forth, similar actions should be performed by the priest. Therefore, upon this principle and in accordance with traditional usage, the priest should lift up his eyes at certain points in the mass, viz., immediately before the prayers, (1) "Cleanse my heart," etc., and (2) "Receive, Holy Father," etc.; during the prayer (3) "We offer unto thee," etc.; on beginning the prayer (4) "Come, O Holy Ghost," etc., immediately before the prayer (5) "Receive, O Holy Trinity," etc.; at the commencement of the Prayer (6) of Consecration; immediately before (7) the consecration of the bread; and before (8) the blessing. The eyes are to be raised without movement of the head, and so that the priest looks at the altar-cross. Having been raised they are at once cast down except at the offering of the wine, where they remain uplifted throughout the prayer.

It is a general rule that when the priest, officiating at the altar, is not performing any action with his hands, he should keep them joined before his breast. The hands are thus joined by placing the palms nearly or quite close together, and the fingers stretched out close together, all the fingers of one hand being applied to those of the other, and the thumb of the right hand crossed over the thumb of the left hand. When the hands are held joined before the breast, the fingers are turned a little upwards. After the consecration the thumbs can not be crossed nor all the fingers stretched out and applied to each other, but the position in general is the same as directed above.

When the hands are joined and placed upon the altar, the little fingers do not rest upon the altar, but the tips thereof touch the front of the mensa (or altar-table), the extremities of the six longer fingers rest upon the corporal, and the thumbs are crossed. When the hands are extended, Rh