Preface

Preface

Having suggested the translation of Father Martin Cochem’s excellent book on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, it seems fitting that I should comply with the Publishers’ request and introduce it to the American public

This is a very old-fashioned book; a book written with that sturdy faith and solid devotional feeling which knows no doubt, and acknowledges God’s best work with a thankful heart It will be refreshing reading to our nineteenth-century public, the majority of which lives and acts as if God were not nigh unto us and His saving Sacrifice were not the real immolation of His body and the actual spilling of His blood. In these days oJ material wonders, we believe in the supernatural life of the Church just as a spoiled child believes in the love of its parents, viz., we take it for granted, and do not bother about it. Some men believe only in a general, abstract way, and go to Mass as a man without appetite goes to the table at the dinner hour—because it is customary.

To bring home to all the divine reality of the incomprehensible Eucharistic act which the Lord Jesus Christ daily reproduces through the ministry of His priests, let us recall, in the words of the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the doctrine which all believing Catholics have to accept as of faith, relying on our pious author to stir up all the more successfully the generous belief of the heart

“Of all the sacred mysteries bequeathed to us by Our Lord as unfailing sources of grace, there is none that can be compared to the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.”*

The circumstances of its institution by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself are recorded in the gospels and in the inspired writings of St Paul.

“The Eucharist was instituted by Our Lord for two great purposes: to be the celestial food of our soul, preserving and supporting spiritual life; and to give to the Church a perpetual sacrifice, by which sin may be expiated and our heavenly Father, Whom our crimes have often grievously offended, may be turned from wrath to mercy, from the severity of just vengeance to the exercise of benignest clemency.”

“The Sacrifice of the Mass is one and the same sacrifice with that of the cross: the Victim is one and the same, Christ Jesus, Who offered Himself, once only, a bloody sacrifice on the altar of the cross. The bloody and unbloody Victim is still one and the same, and the oblation of the cross is daily renewed in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, in obedience to the command of the Lord: 4 This do for a commemoration of Me.’ \ The priest is also the same—Christ our Lord; the ministers who offer this sacrifice consecrate the holy mysteries not in their own but in the person of Christ. This the words of consecration declare; the priest does not say: This is the body of Christ, but, * This is My body’; and thus invested with the character of Christ, he changes the substance of the bread and wine into the substance of I^is real body and blood. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, therefore, is not only a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, or a commemoration of the Sacrifice of the Cross; but also a sacrifice of propitiation, by which God is appeased and rendered propitious.” *

This is a mysterious and awe-inspiring teaching, even to the pious believer. Nor does the Catholic wonder at the hesitating surprise of our non-Catholic Christian brethren who, having been ruthlessly deprived of the life-giving mysteries of Christ, ignorantly believe that the Mass is a mediaeval innovation.

For their instruction, as well as for the information 6t our own people, we here reproduce from the Apostolical Constitutions the ceremonies attending the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as prescribed by the apostles themselves on the occasion of the consecration of a bishop. When we have called attention to the fact that these writings are acknowledged to be, at the very latest, of the third century of the Christian era; f that the translation here given is the work of a Protestant clergyman who, with the most learned Protestant authorities, acknowledges the genuineness of the original documents —we have given, even to our non-Catholic friends, the most evident proofs which the most exacting and fastidious critics could demand, for the existence of a Christian priesthood ordained for the purpose of offering sacrifice, and of the divine origin of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The conclusion is rigorous and self-evident. A ministry which does not offer to Almighty God the Sacrifice of the Mass is not a genuine ministry, is not the priesthood of Christ. A Christian Church which does not recognize the laying on of hands on men set apart to offer sacrifice, and which does not practise that essential act of Christian worship, the Sacrifice of the Mass, is not the true Church of Jesus Christ

We shall copy only the main features, textually, however, of this apostolical rite, requesting our readers to compare it with the prayers and ceremonies of the Mass to be found in any modern Catholic prayer-book. Those who wish to read it in its entirety will find it in the Ante- Nicene Christian Libraryy vol. xvii., page 212.* For the facility of reference and comparison we shall divide the text into paragraphs corresponding to the usual way of printing the various parts of the Mass in the missals of the laity.

“After the prayer [of consecration of the new bishop] /// one af the bishops elevate the Sacrifice upon the hands of him that is ordained.

Introit, Collects, Epistle, and Gospel.

And after the reading of the Law, the Prophets, and our Epistles, and Acts and the Gospels, let him that is ordained salute the Church, saying; The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Anu let them answer: And with thy spirit

Sermon.

And after these words let him speak to the people the words of exhortation. [Then follows the dismissal, so well known in the early Church, of unbelievers, the instruction and dismissal of the catechumens, energumeas, they that are to be illuminated, and penitents. The bishop then prays and salutes the congregation, saying:] The peace of God be with you alL And let the people answer: And with thy spirit

Offertory.

Let us stand upright before the Lord with fear and trembling to offer. When this is done let the deacons bring the gifts to the bishop at the altar; and let the presbyters stand at his right hand, and on his left, as disciples stand before their master.

Let the high priest, therefore, together with the priests, pray over the oblation, that the Holy Spirit may descend upon it, making the bread the body of Christ and the cup the blood of Christ; * and prayers being ended, let him put on his shining garment, and stand at the altar, and make the sign of the cross upon his forehead with his hand, and say:

The grace of Almighty God and the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.

And let all with one voice say: And with thy spirit.

The Preface.

The high priest: Lift up your mind.

All the people: We lift it up unto the Lord.

The high priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord.

All the people: It is meet and right to do so.

Then let the high priest say: It is very meet and right before all things to sing a hymn to Thee, Who art the true God, Who art before all things, “from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,” f Who only art unbegotten, and without beginning, and without a ruler;... Who didst bring all things out of nothing into being by Thy only-begotten Son, God the Word, the living Wisdom, “the first-born of every creature, the Angel of Thy great counsel,” * and Thy High Priest, but the King and Lord of every intellectual and sensible nature, Who was before all things, by Whom were all things.... For all these things, glory be to Thee, O Lord Almighty. Thee do the innumerable hosts of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, and powers, Thine everlasting armies, adore. The cherubim and the six-winged seraphim,... together with thousand thousands of archangels, and ten thousand times ten thousand of angels \ incessantly, and with constant and loud voices, and let all the people say it with them:

Sanctus.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts, heaven and earth are full of His glory: Be Thou blessed for ever. Amen.

And afterwards let the high priest say: For Thou art truly holy, and most holy, the highest and most highly exalted forever. Holy also is Thy only begotten Son, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. •.

Canon

He [Jesus Christ] was pleased by Thy good will to become man, Who was man’s Creator; to be under the laws, Who was Legislator; to be a sacrifice, Who was an High Priest; to be a sheep, Who was a Shepherd. And He appeased Thee, His God and Father, and reconciled Thee to the world, and freed all men from the wrath to come, and was made of a Virgin, Who was in flesh, being God the Word, the beloved Son, the first-born of the whole creation; •.. and He was made in the womb of a Virgin, Who formed all mankind that are born into the world; He took flesh, Who was without flesh , He Who was begotten before time, was born in time; He lived holily and taught according to the law;... He finished the work which Thou gavest Him to do;. •. He was delivered to Pilate the governor, and He that was the Judge was judged; and He that was the Saviour was condemned; He that was impassible was nailed to the cross; and He Who was by nature immortal died; and He that is the giver of life was buried;... He arose from the dead the third day;... He was taken up into the heavens, and is sat down on the right hand of Thee, Who art His God and Father,

Being mindful, therefore, of those things that He endured for our sakes, we give Thee thanks, O God Almighty, not in such manner as we ought, but as we are able, and fulfil His constitution.

Consecration

“For in the same night that He was betrayed, He took bread” * in His holy and undefiled hands, and looking up to Thee, His God and Father,u He broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: This is the mystery of the New Covenant; take of it and eat.

This is My Body, which is broken for many for the remission of sins.“f

In like manner also “He took the cup” and mixed it of wine and water, and sanctified it, and delivered it to them, saying: “Drink ye all of this, for

This is My Blood

which is shed for many, for the remission of sins: Da this in remembrance of Me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show forth My death until I come.“

After the Elevation. Being mindful, therefore, of His passion, and death, and resurrection from the dead and return into the heavens, and His future second appearing, wherein He is to come with glory and power to judge the quick and the dead, and to recompense every one according to his works, we offer to Thee, our King and God, according to His constitution,* this bread and this cup, giving Thee thanks, through Him, that Thou hast thought us worthy to stand before Thee, and to sacrifice to Thee; and we beseech Thee that Thou wilt mercifully look down upon these gifts which are here set before Thee, Thou God, Who standest in need of none of our offerings. And do Thou accept them, to the honor of Thy Christ, and send down upon this sacrifice Thine Holy Spirit, the witness of the Lord Jesus’ sufferings, that He may show this bread to be the body of Thy Christ, and the cup to be the blood of Thy Christ, that those who are partakers thereof may be strengthened for piety, may obtain the remission of their sins, may be delivered from the devil and his deceits, may be filled with the Holy Ghost, may be made worthy of Thy Christ, and may obtain eternal life upon Thy reconciliation to Them, O Lord Almighty. We further pray unto Thee, O Lord, for Thy Holy Church spread from one end of the world to another, which Thou hast purchased with the precious blood of Thy Christ, that Thou wilt preserve it unshaken and free from disturbance until the end of the world, for every episcopate who rightly divides the word of truth •..; and let all the people say: Amen.

Lord, I am not worthy.

Sanctify our body and soul, and grant us the favor to be “made pure from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,” * and may obtain the good things laid up for us; and do not account any of us unworthy, but be Thou our comforter, helper, and protector, through Thy Christ, with Whom glory, praise, and thanksgiving be to Thee and to the Holy Ghost forever. Amen.

And after all have said: Amen, let the deacon say: Let us attend*

Before Communion.

And let the bishop speak thus to the people: Holy things for holy persons. And let the people answer: There is one that is holy; there is one Lord, one Jesus Christ, blessed forever, to the glory of God the Father. Amen,

“Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace, good-will among men. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord,” being the Lord God Who appeared to us. “Hosanna in the highest!” *

Communion.

And after that let the bishop partake, then the presbyters and deacons, .. • and all the people in order\ with reverence and godly fear. ... And let the bishop give the oblation, saying: The body of Christ. And let him that receiveth say: Amen. And let the deacon take the cup, and when he gives it say: The blood of Christ, the cup of life; and let him that drinketh, say: Amen.

Post Communion.

And when all have partaken ... let the deacon say: Now we have received the precious body and the precious blood of Christ, let us give thanks to Him Who has thought us worthy to partake of these His holy mysteries, and let us beseech Him that it may not be to us for condemnation, but for salvation, to the advantage of * Luke ii. 14; Matt. xxi. 9.

soul and body, to the preservation of piety, to the remission of sins, and to the life of the world to come....

The Blessing.

Let the deacon say: Bow down to God through His Christ, and receive the blessing. And let the bishop add this prayer, and say: O God Almighty, the true God,... be gracious to me and hear me for Thy name’s sake, and bless those that bow down their necks unto Thee, and grant them the petitions of their hearts, etc. For to Thee belongs the glory, praise, majesty, worship, and adoration, and to Thy Son Jesus, Thy Christ, our Lord and God and King, and to the Holy Ghost, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.

Ite, Missa Est.

And the deacon shall say: Depart in peace.

These constitutions concerning this mystical worship, we, the Apostles, so ordain for you, the bishops, presbyters, and deacons.

In this fashion the Apostles Peter and John, James and Andrew, and Paul celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and expressed, in the most forcible and solemn language that man can utter, their belief in the real presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Gentle reader, say with Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou alone hast the words of eternal life!”

Believe! And that your prayer and mine, “O Lord! strengthen Thou my faith!” be heard, read the book now thrust into thy hand with a request for a memento at the Holy Sacrifice.

Bishop of Covington*

Covington, Ky., Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmcl, 1896.

Notes

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