Dear Friends,
Having discussed the Liturgy of the Word at Holy Mass, we now enter into the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I discussed that the Liturgy of the Word can be traced back to Ezra and the return to Jerusalem after exile in Babylon, along with the synagogue services at the time of Jesus. Entering into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, it is worth repeating that this was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper: “Do this in memory of Me.” We also remember how St. Justin Martyr outlined the celebration of Mass (even if they didn’t call it Mass) in the year 155AD.
As we enter into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, let’s discuss briefly (possibly) the various altar linens and vessels used at Mass. If you watched the Masses I celebrated during the lockdown, you may have noticed that I used a burse containing the corporal and a chalice veil over the chalice; these are still used in some parishes. Often the first thing placed on the altar is the Roman Missal, the big red book that contains all of the prayers and rubrics for Mass; using red ink, it instructs the priest on what to do, and using black ink, it instructs the priest on what to say. The next item placed on the altar is a corporal. It is a large square linen that is unfolded. The name “corporal” comes from the Latin word corpus, meaning “body.” The corporal is designed to collect any fragments and tiny particles of the Eucharist—the Body of Christ—that may fall; in the old Mass, the Host was placed on the corporal during a part of the Mass. From there, you may see the pall removed from the top of the chalice; the pall is a square, often made from thick plastic and covered with linen. Its purpose is very practical: keep stuff, especially bugs, out of the chalice—that’s why it is placed over the chalice throughout Mass.
The hosts are placed on either a paten, which is a plate-like vessel, or in a ciborium (ciboria is the plural), which is either bowl-like or even chalice-like. There is a white linen often placed over the chalice. That white linen is called the purificator, and it used to purify—wiping up—the vessels after Communion. The water and wine are brought to the altar in cruets. The bowl used to collect the water for washing of the priest’s hands is sometimes called a lavabo, which is a Latin word, translated meaning, “wash me”; when the priest washes his hands, he prays, “Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” As we’re thinking about liturgical linens and vessels, I’ll give you two more items: the censor used for incense is called a thurible, and the container with the incense is called a boat.
In an upcoming video, I detail the vestments a priest wears at Mass. Priests and deacons wear vestments because we are entering into a sacred rite, and therefore, we should not dress as though we are doing any regular thing or event. Remembering that the word “sacred” means “set apart,” we wear clothes, vestments set apart from everything else. The first thing he puts on is an amice. This is worn around the neck and practically serves the purpose of keeping sweat off of the finer vestments. It is symbolic of the “helmet of salvation,” and in a time when churches did not have heating and cooling, it served the purpose of keeping a priest’s head covered during Mass in the winter. Next, the priest dons an alb. This is a full body white garment, symbolic of the white garment given at baptism—a symbol of being washed clean from original and actual sin; it is a reminder to enter cleanly and purely into Mass. After this, the priest puts on a cincture, a rope-like belt—a symbol of purity and something helping keep the alb in place. Next, the priest places on a stole, which is draped around the neck and hangs down the front. This is signifies his office of priest; a deacon also wears a stole, which hangs from the left shoulder, going across his body. Lastly, the priest puts on a chasuble. It signifies charity, and therefore, it covers everything because charity is the highest virtue and is greater than all else.
We are saints under construction, seeking to live out holiness, nourished at Mass. Have a great week!
In Christ,
Fr. Matt