E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE BEGINNING TO THE OFFERTORY. 175
whom the Israelites mourned thirty days (Numbers
xx. 30) ; and finally, at the end of a year, or on the
anniversary.
Special Masses for the Dead (said in black vest
ments) are provided by the Church in her Missal.
The rubrics of Mass for the Dead differ from the
rubrics for the Mass of the living chiefly by way of
omission which we proceed to show.
I. THE BEGINNING TO THE
OFFERTORY.
The Psalm Judica is omitted. Writers on the Mass
often assign the reason of the omission of the Psalm to
its joyful character, out of place in a Mass where the
Church mourns for the Dead. It may perhaps be more
correctly stated that here as in other portions of the
Mass we see a vestige of ancient usage for during the
first seven hundred years, if not more, the Judica was not
said at Mass. And the Church saw no reason for its
insertion in a Mass for the Faithful Departed. She left
things as they were.
At the Introit the celebrant makes the sign of the
Cross over the Missal, which is thought by some to
extend to the Holy Souls, expressive of the Church s
desire that the fulness of the Sacrifice of the Cross
should, as far as possible, be applied to them.
The Introit for the Holy Souls is Eternal rest give
unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine
upon them. A Hymn, O God, becometh Thee in