E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE OFFERING OF THE CHALICE. 73
reform asti : da nobis per hujus more wonderfully renewed it ;
aquae et vini mysterium, grant that, by the mystery of
ejus divinitatis esse consortes, this Water and Wine, we
qui humanitatis nostrae fieri may be made partakers of His
dignatus est particeps, Jesus Divinity, who vouchsafed to
Christus Films tuus Dominus become partaker of our humanoster
: qui tecum vivit et nity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
regnat in unitate Spiritus our Lord who liveth and
;
sanctiDeus:peromniasaecula reigneth with Thee in the
saeculorum. Amen. unity of, &c.
EXPLANATION OF THE PRAYER IN MINGLING THE
WATER AND THE WINE.
The drift of the prayer is that we may be sharers
in the divine nature, according to these words of
by whom He hath given us
St. Peter (2
*. : 4)
"
most great and precious
may
promises that by them you
be made partakers of the divine nature." By
sanctifying grace we become the adopted children of
God, and are most closely united to Him. We ask
the grace
"
by the mystery of the water and wine,"
that is, by the Passion and Death of our Saviour, when
blood and water flowed from His side, and He as Man
satisfied for us, began and perfected the work of our
redemption.
The priest then, having moved to the middle of the
altar, takes the Chalice by the knob in one hand and
with the other supporting the foot, holds it about the
height of his eyes, and fixing them on the crucifix, says :
Offerimus tibi Domine cali- We offer unto Thee,O Lord,
cem salutaris tuam depre- the Chalice of salvation, becantes
clementiam ; ut in con- seeching Thy clemency, that,
spectu divinae Majestatis tuae, in the sight of Thy divine
ascend with
pro nostra, et totius mundi Majesty, it may
salute cum odore suavitatis the odour of sweetness, for
ascendat. Amen. our salvation, and for that of
the whole world. Amen.