Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/179

* MASQUERADE. 153 MASS. of the masquerade. During the carnival, public masquerades are held in all the theatres and dancing saloons of Paris, and processions of maskers pass through the streets playing mad pranks. See Caknival; Greek Festivals. MASS. The name given among Catholics to the Eucharist or Lord's Supper (q.v. ), considered as the highest form of Christian worship, as a sacrifice, and the oft'cring of the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the forms of bread and wine. The proofs adduced to show its institution under this aspect at the Last Supper are the words employed on that occasion; the teaching of Saint Paul and of the Fathers of the Churcli ; the practice of the Apostles; the unbroken tradi- tion of all Christendom for sixteen centuries; and its retention as a sacrificei in the Eastern churches which separated from Catholic unity. The prophecy of Malachi (i. 11) is likewise re- garded as foretelling it. The teaching of Roman Catholic theologians is that in the Eucharist Christ is 'as it were slain.' It is a quasi-anni- liilation. He is not merely present, but is in a state which is a kind of death. He is there with all the perfections of His Godhead, and all the complete nature, functions, and glory of His manhood ; all, in fact, that He is in heaven ; but He does not manifest it; nor does He exercise His powers in the Sacrament as He does in heaven. How much or how little His human .senses are exerted is still a matter of discussion among theologians. This quasi-annihilation of Christ is evidently the greatest conceivable way of ex- pressing subjection to God's dominion, of im- petrating, atoning, and rendering thanks, the four objects which are considered to be the purposes of the Sacrifice of the ^Fass. Necessarily it sup- poses transubstantiation (q.v.) and the priestly power. Accordingly it can only be offered by one who is in priest's orders. By the la« of the Church he must be fasting, absolutely, from the midnight previous to the celebration of the mass. It is offered in the morning, though this time may be extended, for reasons legislated upon, to a limited time after midday. Each priest is per- mitted to offer it once a day; though on Christ- mas Day he may offer three masses, and in some countries two on All Souls' Day. In some countries where there is a lack of priests it is permitted to celebrate mass twice on Sundays; otiierwise the people would not be able to fulfill the obligation which is incumbent upon them of assisting at mass on Sundays and certain great festivals. (See CoMirAXDMENT.'f of the Church.) Absence from this public worship without suffi- cient reason is held to be a grievous sin. The priest who celebrates always communi- cates. This is for the integrity of the sacrifice; but the essence of the sacrifice is commonly taught to be in the consecration. Whether some or none of the congregation communicate does not affect the sacrifice ; the rule is. however, that some one nuist be present to make the responses. (For the teaching and details as to communion, see Sacrament; Communion in Both Kind.s). The bread must be wheaten bread : the wine, wine of the grape. In the Eastern Church leavened, in the Western unleavened bread is used. The time of the introduction of unleavened bread in the West is not certain. Private masses are said in a low tone, and hence called low masses. Those which are sung are called high masses, and if the celebrant is assistedby other ministers, the mass is said to be solenui; if the celebrant is a bishop it is pon- tifical. Those celebrated for the dead arc called from the first word of the introit, requiems; and the mass at the celebration of marriage is called a nuptial mass. As saints are honored on almost every day of the liturgical year, prayers in which their intercession is invoked are introduced at the beginning and at the end of the service, and also in the part which the priest recites in a tone audible only to himself, and hence called the Secret. There are certain days not devoted to the commeinoration of any mystery or saint, and the piiest is permitted to choose one in whose honor he may celebrate according to his devotion ; these are termed votive masses. There is no such thing as dry mass; the expression is used to de- note the going through, by one who is preparing for the priesthood, of the various prayers and ceremonies in order to familiarize himself with them. The "mass of the presanctified,' used on CJood Friday (see Holy Week), is not a complete mass, lacking the consecration. The use of an unchanging language like Latin and some Oriental languages is intended to be a safeguard against new meanings that grow into words in the use of living tongues. It is not necessary, on the theory here explained, that the words should be understood or even heard in de- tail by the congregation any more than it was necessary for the Jews to enter the sanctuary where the sacrifice was being offered. They un- derstand that they are taking part in the supreme act of worship though even the assistant at the priest's side may not be able to hear the words of consecration. For the vestments used in the mass, see Cos- tume, Ecclesiastical; and for the early devel- opment of liturgical structure, see Lituroy. The mass is divided into two main parts, known from ancient analogy as missa catcchumen'orum and viissa fidelium. the latter or more sacred part having been originally that from which the un- baptized were excluded. ( See Disciplina Arcani. ) A similar distinction, though not identical, is made between the Pro-Anaphora and Anaphora of the Greek liturgies. The first consists of the celebrant's preparation at the foot of the altar, introit, Kyrie eleison. Gloria, collect, epistle and gospel, and creed. The second begins with the ofl'ertory or oblation of the elements; the preface leads up to the Sanctiis. and then follow the canon or practically unvarying central portion of the mass (including the consecration) and its accompanying prayers, the communion, and the post-communion ; the congregation is dismissed with the ancient formula Itc missa est, from which the mass derives its name (Lat. missa). See the articles on all the more important parts of the service named above. The musical history connected with the mass is of consideralile importance, as the early devel- opment of polyphonic music was almost exclusive- !.v along the lines of sacred use. Originally the whole service, when simg, was set to plain chant (q.v.) ; but later the Ki/rie. Oloria. Credo, Sane- Ins, and Agviis Dei were detached and .set to new music, these numbers constituting what is called a mass in the musical sense. The masses of the composers of the Gallo-Bclgic school of the fifteenth century had become so complicated and overloaded with contrapuntal tricks that a