E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
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46<br />
<strong>THE</strong> COLLECT.<br />
arms on the Cross. Certain Religious Orders in<br />
portions of the Mass extend their arms almost to their<br />
full length. It should be remembered, however, that<br />
the Church adopts customs already existing, makes<br />
them her own, and consecrates them to the service<br />
of God. Her vestments are taken from the ordinary<br />
garments in use during the earliest existence, her Basilicas<br />
stage of her<br />
are the Roman Courts of<br />
Justice, and the method of praying with outstretched<br />
arms was and is still prevalent in the East, and<br />
to this day is seen amongst the poor in Ireland. The<br />
frescoes in the Catacombs represent saints of both<br />
sexes praying with arms outstretched. In the i4oth<br />
Psalm we read, "The lifting up of my hands as an<br />
evening sacrifice," while St. Paul bids Timothy<br />
(i Tim. ii. 8) to pray, lifting up holy hands.<br />
The word Collect has been explained in various<br />
ways. One simple explanation<br />
is that the Collect<br />
gathers, collects together in the mouth of the priest<br />
the wants and wishes of the faithful, for whom the<br />
priest at Mass pleads.<br />
Many of the Collects now said were composed by<br />
St. Gelasius (492) or St. Gregory (590), while many are<br />
of a later date, and are continually added for new<br />
feasts.<br />
Almost all the Collects are addressed to the Father<br />
and end with the words,<br />
"<br />
through our Lord Jesus<br />
Christ," &c. ; only a few, and these of recent date, are<br />
addressed to the Son, and none to the Holy Ghost.<br />
Why are the Collects chiefly addressed to the Father ?<br />
Because the Mass represents the Sacrifice by which<br />
Christ offered Himself to the Father, and therefore<br />
the prayers of the Liturgy are directed to the Father<br />
Himself.