E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

I 4
THE CONSECRATION OF THE ALTAR.
On the altar fixed, as on the altar-stone, five crosses
are engraved, one at each corner and one in the
centre.
The altar is consecrated by a Bishop or by a priest
specially delegated by the Pope.
The most essential parts of the rite consist in the
anointing with chrism (to indicate according to Gavantus
the richness of grace) and the placing of relics in the
sepulchre or aperture made in the altar-stone and
afterwards filled up. (Catholic Dictionary, p. 23.)
The Bishop makes five crosses on the altar-stone
with his thumb, which he has dipped in a preparation
of water, ashes, salt, and wine specially blessed.
An essential part of the consecration is depositing
merita sanctorum
the relics of the martyrs in the altar : per
tiiorum quorum veliquia hie sunt "by the merits of Thy
saints whose relics are here" relics properly so called,
that is, portions of the bodies of martyrs, not merely
the clothes they wore, or things they possessed, must
be buried in the altar. Relics of martyrs, not con
fessors, are selected because there is a close connection
between the martyr who dies for the faith and the
Sacrifice of Calvary, where Christ, the King of Martyrs,
shed His Blood for the Gospel which He taught, the
faithful whom He redeemed, and the Church which He
founded.
During the Anglo-Saxon times, instead of the
relics of martyrs, the Sacred Host was buried and
enclosed in the sepulchre of the altar. The reason
of this practice was perhaps the great difficulty of
communicating with Rome in those days and in obtain
ing portions of the saints bodies. (See Father Bridgets
History of the Blessed Eucharist in Great Byitain.)