E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE ASPERGES. 23
the day proceeds to the altar, and sprinkles the altar
three times with holy water. He makes the sign of
the Cross with holy water on his own person, and then
sprinkling the ministers, rises from his knees, intones
the AspergeSj which the choir takes up, proceeding to
sing the following words of the verse, and the first verse
of the Psalm Miserere in which they occur, after which
the first words (at least) of the antiphon are repeated.
The priest, reciting in a low voice the Miserere, walks
down the church and sprinkles the people, and returns
to the altar to recite the following verses, responses,
and prayer :
V. O Lord show us Thy mercy.
R. And grant us Thy salvation.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Hear us, holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God ; and
vouchsafe to send from Heaven Thy holy angel to guard,
cherish, protect, visit, and defend all who dwell in this
habitation ; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The versicle and response will be explained later in
the Mass. "
The appeal to Thy holy angel"
is to the
angel whose special duty is either to watch over the
Church where Jesus Christ is, to be on guard as soldiers
say, or to the angel referred to in the prayer in Mass
after the Elevation before the Memento for the Dead
" We most humbly beseech Thee, Almighty God, com
mand these things to be carried by the hands of Thy
holy Angel to Thy altar on high;" meaning by "Thy
holy Angel
"
that Blessed Spirit who assists at the
tremendous Sacrifice.
From Easter to Whitsuntide inclusively, instead of
the foregoing antiphon, the following is sung and