E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
words, then, are fittingly said after the Gloria. In
the other salutations at Mass the Bishop says the
Dominus vobiscum to show that he is counted in the
number of priests.
At High Mass, the deacon, before saying the
Munda cor meum, places the Missal on the altar. This
reminds us of the ancient times when the Gospels, as a
mark of honour and respect, lay on the altar upon
a stand during Mass. We have now only
one Missal
on the altar at Mass, in the earlier centuries two or
three books were used. Various customs still survive
during or after the Offertory, which link the present
with the past. Thus, the Oremus, as said immediately
before the Offertory, seems meaningless in its present
position unless it refers to a prayer formerly inserted
before the antiphon which we now call the Offertory.
For a thousand years the faithful at the Offertory, as
mentioned in this book, made their offering of bread
and wine for the altar, and wheat, oil, honey, and other
gifts for the support of the clergy. We are reminded
of this custom by two very striking Rubrics which occur
at the ordination of the priest and the consecration of
a Bishop. The Roman Pontifical directs that after the
Offertory has been read by the Bishop
newly-ordained priests is to offer a lighted
each of the
candle to
the Bishop, while the recently consecrated Bishop is
to present to the consecrating Bishop two lighted
torches, two loaves, and two barrels of wine. Some
of us may have wondered why the subdeacon at High