E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS. 29
paration for the altar, ever since the ninth century has
been used by the priest in the Mass. The priest applies
to his own necessities the words of David : Judge
me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the
nation that is not : holy deliver me from the
unjust and deceitful man.
The priest s confidence is in the fact that God alone
is to be His Judge. From men he might have no hope.
at the foot of the altar he asks deliverance
Standing
from his spiritual enemies. The server, whose duty
is always to speak for the congregation, answers in
Thou, O God, art my
hast Thou cast me off? and why
afflicteth me ?
a tone of hope and joy : For
strength : why
do I go sorrowful whilst the enemy
as if to encourage the priest that God will surely
succour him, and that sorrow need not depress him
in more
though surrounded by enemies. The priest
hopeful accents, continues: Send forth Thy light
and Thy truth : they have conducted me and
brought me unto Thy holy mount, to the altar, the
mystical Calvary where the Victim is slain, and unto
Thy tabernacles, which, as a priest, I ought to serve
and guard. The server again answers in the words
of the antiphon said before the Psalm : And I will go
unto the altar of God :
to God who giveth joy
to my youth. The priest encouraged more and
more by these words, exclaims : I will praise
Thee on the harp (see Apoc. ch. v., "having each
of them harps in their hands," and in ch. xv.,
"and the voice I heard was that of harpers playing
on their harps "), in joyous strains, O God, my
God, for I belong to Thee, and I am made not by
strange gods, but by Thee, the only true and living
God and then in a tone of sorrowful ; surprise, the