The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

CEREMONIES, ETC.37Swhich the priest offersup to God for himself and thepeople. When the priest says Mass, he isspeakingnot to the people, but to God, to whom all languagesare equally intelligible.The congregation, indeed, could not be expectedto hear the priest, even if he spoke in English, sincehis face is turned from them, and the greater partof what he says ispronounced in an undertone.And this was the system of worship God ordainedin the ancient dispensation, as we learn from theOld Testament, and from the firstchapter of St.Luke. The priest offered sacrifice, and prayed forthe people in the sanctuary, while they prayed at adistance in the court.In all the schismatic churchesof the East, the priest,in the public services, praysnot in the vulgar, but in a dead language. Such,also, is the practice in the Jewish synagogues at thisday. The Rabbi reads the prayers in Hebrew, alanguage with which many of the congregation arenot familiar.But is it true that the people do not understandwhat the priest says at Mass ? Not at all. For, bythe aid of an English Missal, or any other Manual,they are able to follow the officiating clergymanfrom the beginning to the end of the service.You also observe lighted tapers on the altar, andyou desire to know for what purpose they areused.In the Old Law, the Almighty Himself ordainedthat lighted chandeliers should adorn the taber-