E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE INCENSING AT THE OFFERTORY. 165
the water. The deacon now presents the priest with
the chalice as before with the paten kisses the foot of
the chalice and the celebrant s hand holds the cele
brant s arm and repeats with him the words of oblation
on that account in the plural. The plural is retained in
Low Mass as if to show that the presence of the
deacon is more after the Church s heart ; she retains
the plural form as if he was present.
The oblation over, the deacon, after wiping the
paten with the purificator, next gives
it to the sub-
deacon, covering it with the end of the long veil still
worn by the latter, who bearing the paten so covered,
proceeds with it to his proper place at the foot of the
altar, where he holds it until the end of the Pater noster.
This custom is said to date from the time when the
faithful offered bread and wine on the paten. As the
offerings were large, the size of the paten was in pro
portion, and for convenience sake it was removed and
held by the subdeacon until wanted again by the priest.
The Church loves to maintain practices in symbol after
she has dropped them in their official use.
THE INCENSING AT THE OFFERTORY.
The incensing at the Offertory differs from the
incensing before the Introit, because at the Offertory it
is more solemn, more comprehensive, as not merely the
celebrant, deacon, and subdeacon are incensed, but the
people also ;
the incensing also at the Offertory is in an
especial way meant for the bread and wine, and thus is
much more clearly connected with the Sacrifice than
the first incensing, which is chiefly concerned with the
altar or the place of sacrifice.