Page:Low Mass Ceremonial (Burnett).djvu/38

 priest genuflects and goes to the Epistle-side to say the post-communion prayer. If there be no server, the priest moves, for himself, the book and its desk. If, in addition to the Collect of the day, one or more Collects were said, so many (as the Collects) should be the post-communion prayers. The prayer or prayers ended, the priest goes to the midst, genuflects, rises, kisses the altar, stands erect, joins his hands, and turns by his right towards the people, in such a manner that his back will be towards the Gospel-side of the altar and not towards the sacrament, and says the words "The peace," etc., and at the words "blessing of God" etc., he blesses the people with his right hand. In this act, the left hand is held palm up, near and a little below the breast, and the right hand is to be kept straight, the fingers extended and joined, the little finger towards the people, and the hand moved in a perpendicular line from the height of the forehead to a point opposite the breast, and then on a horizontal line extending from the left shoulder to the right.

After he has pronounced the blessing, the priest turns, by his left, to the altar, genuflects, rises, and then removes the veil, laying it on the altar at the Gospel-side. Then, taking hold of the right hand anterior corner of the corporal, with his right hand, the priest lifts it up carefully and draws it to his right, and lets it lie upon the altar. Then he takes up the pall from the chalice and lays it down upon the corporal, genuflects, and rises again. Standing erect, the priest takes up the paten with his left hand, and consumes all the hosts which remain upon it. Then holding with his left hand the paten over the chalice he rubs the paten with thumb and forefinger of his right hand, so as to cause the sacred fragments (if any) to fall into the chalice. Then resting the left hand, in which is the paten, upon the corporal, he rubs together the thumb and forefinger of his right hand over the chalice, so as to detach any particles that may have adhered to them. Then taking, with his right hand, the chalice by the knop, and holding the paten beneath his chin, he reverently drinks the Precious Blood with every particle, receiving it from the same part of the cup from which he made his communion and from which he administered to the people. If the priest has a server, he now holds out the chalice to receive wine for the purification. If he has Rh