On the Meaning of Some Rites of Holy Mass(1)(2024-01-14)

Introduction

During my last visit I spoke about the symbolic meaning of the liturgical objects which we use at Holy Mass. The altar, the relics of the Martyrs, the luminaries, the flowers and the incense. Today, I would like to explain the meaning of some rites of the Mass, about which the faithful ask questions the most often. 

The double Confiteor

The first part of the Mass goes from the beginning to the Creed. Through prayers and readings, the priest and the faithful prepare themselves to offer the sacrifice of the Mass. About this part, I shall speak about two things: the double Confiteor and the move of the Missal from the right side of the altar to the left side. 

The altar is normally raised on one or three steps to recall the hill of Calvary. Before ascending to the altar, the priest humbles himself and prays for being purified of his sins by praying the Confiteor. In Psalm 31, the just man says: "I said: I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord: and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin." (Ps 31 ;5). This is what the priest does when he says the Confiteor: he acknowledges he is a sinner, and before praying for the others, he prays for himself. He confesses his sins to the Blessed Virgin, because she suffered much because of them; to St. Michael the Archangel, because he is the one to lead us to our judgment after death; to St. John the Baptist, because he helped men to do penance for their sins and to reconcile with God; to St. Peter and St. Paul, because they are the princes of the Church to whom Jesus gave the power to forgive sins; to all the saints, because they can intercede efficaciously for us; to all the faithful present, because St. James said: "Confess your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much. " (Jac 5 ;16). The faithful then say the Confiteor, for the same reasons.

Here is the question: why do the priest and faithful say the Confiteor separately, rather than say it once, all together? It is to emphasize the difference between the priest and the faithful. The priest is the consecrated minister of Jesus Christ, he alone offers the sacrifice to God. The faithful offer the sacrifice to God only through the priest. So, it is logical that the priest first purifies himself of his sins, then the faithful who join the priest.

The moves of the Missal during Mass

Let us speak now about the moves of the Missal during the Mass. For the Epistle reading, the priest is on the right side of the altar; for the Gospel reading, he is on the left. Why this change of orientation? To understand this, we first need to remember that a church is supposed to face the East, i.e. the rising sun. The rising sun symbolizes Our Lord Jesus Christ, as Zechariah said in his canticle: "The Orient from on high hath visited us: to enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace." (Lk 1;78-79). So, in a well-built church, the priest celebrates Mass facing East. When he reads the Epistle, he is on the South side and facing East. When he says the Gospel, he faces North. What does all this mean? North symbolizes the kingdom of Satan and all the sinners. Indeed, according to the prophet Isaiah, Lucifer rebelled against God, in these words: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the North. I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High. " (Is 14; 13-14). The Gospel is read facing North: Jesus' words are said against Satan, Jesus' word are said to call all the sinners to convert to God. "I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance. " (Lk 5 ;32).

If the North symbolizes the kingdom of Satan and all the sinners, the South represents the kingdom of Christ and all the faithful. The priest says the Epistle on the South side, because the Epistles are primarily intended for the faithful; the priest says the Epistle facing the rising sun, because the Epistles speak of Our Lord Jesus Christ to make him better known to the faithful.

Maybe you are wondering why the Missal is not brought back to the South side after the Gospel? Because this side of the altar must be cleared for the wine and water to be brought in. The Missal is therefore left on the priest's left side. But as soon as the purifications after Communion are done, and therefore as soon as the South side of the altar is free again, the Missal is brought back to this side. As the Missal is the prayer book of the Church and the faithful, the most suitable place for it is on the South side.

The drop of water mixed with wine

The second part of the Mass is the Offertory, from the Credo to the Preface. The priest prepares the bread and wine that will become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; he also expresses the propitiatory intention for which the sacrifice is offered. Of this part, I shall speak of two things: the drop of water mixed with the wine, and the incensing of the bread and wine.

Into the chalice the priest pours some grape wine and a drop of water. The wine is the matter of the sacrament: it will become the Blood of Jesus Christ. But why add a drop of water? First, there is a historical reason. Tradition tells us that, at the Last Supper, according to the Jewish custom, Jesus mingled a bit of water with the wine He consecrated. In addition to this historical reason, the Fathers of the Church have indicated two reasons for adding a drop of water to the wine. The first one is to signify the union of the faithful with Our Lord Jesus. Here is what St. Cyprian said (letter to Cecilius): "The water poured into the chalice represents the Christian people, and the wine the blood of Jesus Christ. When the wine is mixed with the water in the chalice, it means then the redeemed people who are identified with Jesus Christ. In the chalice, water and wine are mixed in such a way that their separation is impossible. In the same way, nothing can separate the Church, that is the faithful, from Jesus Christ, as long as they persevere in the faith." The second reason why the priest adds a drop of water to the wine is to represent the water and blood that flowed from the pierced heart of Our Lord Jesus (Cf Jn 19:34).

Before pouring this drop of water into the chalice, the priest blesses the water, except at Requiem Mass. Why this difference? The drop of water represents the Christian people; the priest blesses them before uniting them to Our Lord. But at Requiem Mass, the drop of water primarily represents the souls in Purgatory for whom the Mass is offered. The priest does not bless them because they can no longer benefit from his blessings.

Incensing the bread and wine at Offertory

At sung Mass, during the Offertory, the priest incenses the bread and wine that are to become the Body and Blood of Our Lord. He does this incensing in an intriguing way. With the smoking thurible, the priest first incenses the chalice and host three times in the shape of a cross. What does this mean? The incensing in the shape of a cross signifies the sacrifice of the Cross which Jesus renews under the appearances of bread and wine; the fragrance of the incense rising up signifies that this sacrifice is most pleasing to God; the incensing is made three times to signify the perfection of this sacrifice. 

Then, above the bread and wine, the priest makes three more incensing in the shape of a circle: two circles counter-clockwise, and one circle clockwise. What does this mean? The circle is the symbol of eternity, for it has no beginning and no end. As God alone is eternal, the circle symbolizes God. The three circles represent the 3 Divine Persons to whom the sacrifice is offered. The two counter-clockwise circles signify the raising of the sacrifice to God, and the clockwise circle indicates the descent of God's mercy upon us, in response to the sacrifice offered.

Conclusion:

Dear Faithful, may these explanations help you to appreciate a bit more the traditional Liturgy of the Roman Rite of the Mass; may they help you to pray the Mass more easily. The traditional Catholic liturgy is very rich in meaning, and proper to nourish efficaciously the faith and piety of the faithful. The new liturgy of the Mass, on the other hand, is hopelessly dull, just good at making people become tepid in their Faith and piety, contemptuous for the Most holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

fr. E. Demornex