Page:Low Mass Ceremonial (Burnett).djvu/34

 hands upon the corporal, he genuflects reverently, rises at once, and stands erect, having his hands joined.

In immediate preparation for his sacramental communion, which, without exception, he must make every time he consecrates the Eucharist, and before all other persons, the priest should use some brief devotions, and for this purpose may now say (privately) the suitable forms of prayer which are set forth elsewhere in this book. During the recitation of the prayer, "Deliver us," etc., the priest, having first signed himself with the sign of the cross, removes the pall, genuflects, rises, takes up his host, and holding it upright, with both hands over the chalice, breaks isit [sic] carefully into two equal parts. The half held in his right hand he places on the paten, and then from the lower end of the other half he breaks away a small particle, places the greater part on the paten, and with the particle makes the sign of the cross thrice over the chalice while he says (privately) "The Lord be with you," and then drops the said particle into the cup (at the side nearest to himself so that he may readily receive it when he communicates himself) and says the words, "Let this commixture" etc. Then after rubbing together (over the paten) the thumb and forefinger of each hand, he covers the chalice with the pall, genuflects, rises again, and says the words, "O Lamb of God," etc. At the words, "have mercy upon us," and "grant us thy peace" the priest strikes his breast with the extremities of the last three fingers of his right hand. Then joining his hands and placing them so that the tips of his little fingers touch the front edge of the mensa, and the extremities of his ring and middle fingers rest upon the corporal, his eyes fixed upon the Sacrament, he says the prayers, "O Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst," etc., "O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God," and "Let not the partaking," etc. Then, having disjoined his hands, he places them upon the corporal, stands erect, genuflects, rises again, and says the words, "What reward" etc. Then taking up both parts of the host and holding them with his left hand in such a manner that the broken edges may touch or slightly overlap each other and the host be raised Rh