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Father. And he is to come again with glory, to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son. Who, together with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. And One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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The Priest and the people should now have their hearts ready: it is time to prepare the offering itself. And here we come to the second part of the Holy Mass; it is called the Oblation, and immediately follows that which was named the Mass of the Catechumens, on account of its being, formerly, the only part at which the candidates for Baptism had permission to be present.

See then, dear Christians! Bread and Wine are about to be offered unto God, as being the noblest of inanimate creatures, since they are intended to serve as the nourishment of man; and yet that is but a poor material image of what they are destined to become in our Christian Sacrifice. Their substances will soon be changed into the very flesh and blood of Christ our Lord and our God; and of themselves nothing will remain but the appearances. Happy creatures! thus to yield up their own being, that God may take its place. We, too, are to undergo a like transformation, when, as the Apostle expresses it, that which is mortal, will be swallowed up by life. Until

1 2 Cor. v. 4.

that happy change shall be realised, let us offer ourselves to God, as often as we see the Bread and Wine presented to him in the Holy Sacrifice; and let us glorify Him, who, by assuming our human nature, has made us partakers of the divine nature.1

The Priest again turns to the people, greeting them with the usual salutation, as though he would warn them to redouble their attention. Let us read the Offertory with him; and when he offers the Host to God, let us unite with him, and say:

Suscipe, sancte Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus, hanc immaculatam hostiam, quam ego indignus famulus tuus offero tibi Deo meo vivo et vero, pro innumerabilibus peccatis et offensionibus et negligentiis meis, et pro omnibus circumstantibus, sed et pro omnibus fidelibus christianis vivis atque defunctis: ut mihi et illis proficiat ad salutem in vitam æternam. Amen.

All that we have, O Lord, comes from thee, and belongs to thee; it is just, therefore, that we return it unto thee, But, how wonderful art thou in the inventions of thy immense love! This Bread which we are offering to thee, is to give place, in a few moments, to the sacred Body of Jesus. We beseech thee, receive, together with this oblation, our hearts, which long to live by thee, and to cease to live their own life of self.

When the Priest puts the Wine into the Chalice, and then mingles with it a drop of water, let your thoughts turn to the divine mystery of the Incarnation, which is the source of our hope and salvation; and say:

Deus, qui humanæ substantiæ dignitatem mirabiliter condidisti, et mirabilius reformasti da nobis per hujus aquæ et vini mysterium, ejus divinitatis esse consortes, qui humanitatis nostræ fieri dignatus est

O Lord Jesus, who art the true Vine, and whose Blood, like a generous wine, has been poured forth under the pressure of the Cross! thou hast deigned to unite thy divine nature to our weak humanity, which is signified by this drop

12 St. Pet. i. 4.

of water. O come, and make us partakers of thy divinity, by showing thyself to us in thy sweet and wondrous visit.

particeps, Jesus Christus; Filius tuus Dominus noster; Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

The Priest then offers the mixture of Wine and Water, beseeching God to graciously accept this oblation, which is so soon to be changed into the reality, of which it is now but the figure. Meanwhile, say, in union with the Priest:

Graciously accept these gifts, O Sovereign Creator of all things. Let them be fitted for the divine transformation, which will make them, from being mere offerings of created things, the instrument of the world's salvation.

Offerimus, tibi, Domine, calicem salutaris, tuam deprecantes clementiam: ut in conspectu divinæ Majestatis tuæ, pro nostra et totius mundi salute, cum odore suavitatis ascendat. Amen.

After having thus held up the sacred gifts towards heaven, the Priest bows down: let us, also, humble ourselves, and say:

Though daring, as we do, to approach thy altar, O Lord, we cannot forget that we are sinners. Have mercy on us: and delay not to send us thy Son, who is our saving Host.

In spiritu humilitatis, et in animo contrito suscipiamur a te, Domine: et sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie, ut placeat tibi, Domine Deus.

Let us next invoke the Holy Ghost, whose operation is about to produce on the altar the presence of the Son of God, as it did in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the divine mystery of the Incarnation:

Come, O Divine Spirit, make fruitful the offering which is upon the altar, and produce in our hearts Him whom they desire.

Veni, Sanctificator omnipotens, æterne Deus, et benedic hoc sacrificium tuo sancto nomini præparatum.

If it be a High Mass, the Priest, before proceeding further with the Sacrifice, takes the thurible a second time. He first censes the Bread and Wine, which have been just offered, and then the altar itself; hereby inviting the Faithful to make their prayer, which is signified by the fragrant incense, more and more fervent, the nearer the solemn moment approaches. St. John tells us, that the incense he beheld burning on the Altar in heaven is made up of the prayers of the Saints; let us take a share in those prayers, and with all the ardour of holy desires.

But the thought of his own unworthiness becomes more intense than ever in the heart of the Priest. The public confession made, by him, at the foot of the altar, does not satisfy the earnestness of his compunction. He would now, at the altar itself, express before the people, in the language of a solemn rite, how far he knows himself to be from that spotless sanctity, wherewith he should approach unto God. He washes his hands. Our hands signify our works; and the Priest, though, by his priesthood, he bear the office of Jesus Christ, is, by his works, but man. Seeing your Father thus humble himself, do you, also, make an act of humility, and say with him these verses of the Psalm:

PSALM 25.

Lavabo inter innocentes manus meas: et circumdabo altare tuum, Domine.

Ut audiam vocem laudis ; et enarrem universa mirabilia tua.

Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuæ, et locum habitationis gloriæ tuæ.

Ne perdas cum impiis, Deus, animam meam, et cum viris sanguinum vitam

meam.

I, too, would wash my hands, O Lord, and become like unto them that are innocent; that so I may be worthy to approach thine altar, and hear thy sacred Canticles; and then go and proclaim to the world the wonders of thy goodness. I love the beauty of thy House, which thou art about to make the dwelling-place of thy glory. Leave me not, O God, in the midst of them that are ene

mies both to thee and me. Thy mercy having separated me from them, I entered once more on the path of innocence, because restored to thy grace; but have pity on my weakness still; redeem me yet more, O thou who hast so mercifully brought me back to the right path. In the midst of these thy faithful people, I give thee thanks. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt: dextera eorum repleta est muneribus.

Ego autem in innocentia mea ingressus sum: redime me, et miserere mei.

Pes meus stetit in directo: in ecclesiis benedicam te, Domine.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

The Priest, taking encouragement, from the act of humility he has just made, returns to the middle of the altar, and, full of respectful awe, bows down, begging God to receive graciously the Sacrifice which is about to be offered to him, and expresses the intentions for which it is offered.

O Holy Trinity, graciously accept the Sacrifice we have begun. We offer it in remembrance of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Permit thy Church to join, with this intention, that of honouring the ever glorious Virgin Mary, the blessed Baptist John, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the Martyrs whose relics lie here under our altar awaiting their resurrection, and the Saints whose memory we this day celebrate. Increase the glory they are enjoying; and receive the prayers they address to thee for us.

Let us do the same.

Suscipe, sancta Trinitas, hanc oblationem, quam tibi offerimus ob memoriam Passionis, Resurrectionis, et Ascensionis Jesu Christi Domini nostri, et in honorem beatæ Mariæ semper Virginis, et beati Joannis Baptistæ, et sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, et istorum, et omnium Sanctorum: ut illis proficiat ad honorem, nobis autem ad salutem : ut illi pro nobis intercedere dignentur in cœlis, quorum memoriam agimus in terris. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

The Priest again turns to the people; it is for the

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