1. The custom of placing a vessel containing blessed or HOLY WATERat the entrance of the Church has been handed down to us from the Apostolic age. Into this vessel the faithful dip the fingers of the right hand, and make upon themselves the Sign of the Cross, repeating at the same time the invocation of the Everblessed Trinity. As water denotes purity and innocence, by using it on entering a place of worship we are admonished with what purity of heart and mind we should appear in the presence of our Maker. 2. The SIGN OF THE CROSS, which we make upon ourselves in taking holy water, as well as on many other occasions, is a sign or ceremony in which, with St. Paul (Gal. vi. 14), we should place our greatest happiness and glory, as being a striking memorial of the sufferings and death of our Redeemer-that mystery whence are derived all our hopes for mercy, grace, and salvation. By the words that accompany this ceremony we are no less forcibly reminded that God whom we serve, although One in nature, exists in Three Persons really distinct from each other. 3. The first object that arrests the Christian's notice on entering a Church is the ALTAR, with its TABERNACLE and CRUCIFIX. The Altar is the place of Sacrifice -another Calvary, as it werewhereon is celebrated, as Christ ordained, the memorial of His Passion and Death by the pure and unbloody Sacrifice of His Body and Blood. Upon the Altar we always see a Crucifix, or image of our Saviour upon the Cross; that as the Mass is said in remembrance of Christ's Passion and Death, both Priest and people may have before their eyes during this Sacrifice the image which puts them in mind of those Mysteries. The Tabernacle contains the Blessed Sacrament. It is to JESUS CHRIST, therefore, truly present within the Tabernacle, that we bend the knee in homage and adoration when we enter or depart from the Church. 4. As the Mass represents the Passion of Christ, and the Priest officiates in His person, so the VESTMENTS in which he officiates represent those in which Christ was ignominiously clothed at the time of His Passion. Thus, the Amice represents the cloth with which the Jews muffled our Saviour's Face when at every blow they bade Him prophesy who it was that struck Him. The Alb represents the white garment with which He was vested by Herod. The Girdle, Maniple, and Stole represent the cords and bands with which He was bound in the different stages of His Passion. The Chasuble, or outward Vestment, represents the purple garment with which He was clothed as a mock King; upon this is embroidered a Cross, to represent that which Christ bore upon His sacred shoulders. Lastly, the Priest's Tonsure, which is worn in all Catholic countries, is to represent the crown of thorns which our Saviour wore. Moreover, as in the old law the Priests who were wont to officiate in the sacred functions had, by the appointment of God, Vestments assigned for that purpose-as well for the greater decency and solemnity of the Divine worship as to signify the virtues which God required of His ministers-so it was proper that in the Church of the New Testament Christ's ministers should in their sacred functions be distinguished in like manner from the laity by their sacred Vestments; which might also represent the virtues which God requires in them. Thus, the Amice represents divine Hope, which St. Paul calls the helmet of salvation; the Alb, Innocence of life; the Girdle, Purity and Chastity; the Maniple, Patience in enduring the labors of this mortal life; the Stole, the sweet Yoke of Christ, to be borne in this life in order to attain a happy immortality; the Chasuble, which covers all the rest, the virtue of Charity, which, as St. Peter tells us, covereth a multitude of sins. In these Vestments the Church uses five colors, viz., White, on the Feasts of our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin, of the Angels, and of the Saints who were not martyrs, and on the Sundays in Eastertide; Red, on the Feasts of Pentecost, of the Finding and Exaltation of the Cross, and of the Apostles and Martyrs; Violet, in the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent, and upon Vigils and Ember-days; Green, on most other Sundays and ordinary days throughout the year; and Black, on Good Friday, and in Masses for the Dead. 5. There are always LIGHTED CANDLES upon the Altar during Mass, as well to honor the victory and triumph of our great King by these lights, which are tokens of our joy and of His Glory, as to denote the light of Faith, without which it is impossible to please Him. 6. A small BELL is occasionally rung. This is done to give notice of certain more solemn parts of the Sacrifice; to recall the wandering mind from distraction; and to excite all to greater fervor and devotion. 7. INCENSE is used at Solemn Mass. It is symbolical of Prayer, according to the saying of the Psalmist : Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight (Ps. cxl. 2). ON T THE MANNER OF HEARING MASS. HERE are various methods of profitably hearing Mass. One method is, to follow the Priest in the Ordinary of the Mass as contained in the Missal; joining with him, as far as the laity may, in the very words of the service, and uniting our intention with him in what he does as Priest for the people. To enable all persons, even those who do not understand Latin, to follow the service, translations of the Ordinary and Canon of the Mass have been made into almost all languages, and circulated by authority. Another method is to accompany the Priest through the different parts of the service with appropriate devotions, similar to those he is using and directed to the same general ends, uniting our intention with his, but not using or not confining ourselves to the words of the Ordinary. A third method is to apply the service to the purpose of meditation on the Life or Passion of our Lord, or on any other appropriate subject. Whatever be the method followed, our first care should be to recollect ourselves, by calling home our wandering thoughts, and taking them off from all other concerns. We should humble ourselves profoundly in the presence of God, in whose Temple we are; and represent to ourselves, by a lively Faith, the dread majesty of God, and humbly beg His mercy and grace, that we may participate in this Holy Sacrifice in a worthy and becoming manner. C PRAYERS BEFORE MASS. OME, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created. Let us pray. GOD, who by the light of Thy Holy Spirit didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and valle. Eia ergo, Advocata and weeping in this val V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix. R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi. Oremus. thine eyes of mercy to- V. Pray for us, O holy R. That we may be made Let us pray. MNIPOTENS, sempi HLMIGHTY, Ever lasting God, who, by the co operation of the Holy Ghost, didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mother, Mary, to become the fit habitation of Thy Son; grant that we who now rejoice in her commemoration may, by her gracious intercession, be delivered terne Deus, qui gloriosæ Virginis Matris Mariæ corpus et animam, ut dignum Filii tui habitaculum effici mereretur, Spiritu Sancto cooperante, præparasti; da ut cujus commemoratione lætamur, ejus pia intercessione ab instantibus malis et a morte perpetua liberemur. Per eumdem Christum Domi- from all the evils that h num nostrum. R. Amen. threaten us, and from ever- Th of e a me ANOTHER FORM OF EVENING PRAYERS. IN the name of the Father, ✈ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. MY God, I present myself before Thee at the end of another day, to offer Thee anew the homage of my heart. I humbly adore Thee, my Creator, my Redeemer, and my Judge! I believe in Thee, because Thou art Truth itself; I hope in Thee, because Thou art faithful to Thy promises; I love Thee with my whole heart, because Thou art infinitely worthy of being loved; and for Thy sake I love my neighbor as myself. NABLE me, O my God, to return Thee thanks as Iought for all Thine inestimable blessings and favors. Thou hast thought of me, and loved me from all eternity; Thou hast formed me out of nothing; Thou hast delivered up Thy beloved Son to the ignominious death of the Cross for my redemption; Thou hast made me a member of Thy holy Church; Thou bast preserved me from falling into the abyss of eternal |