~The Holy Mass~ Communion

~ Latin Mass ~

Communion

The Pater Noster (The Our Father)

The priest now speaks to God in our Lord’s own words saying the “Our Father”:

“Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come, etc… and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

The Priest Purifies the Paten

The Priest Purifies the Paten

Up to this moment, the Consecrated Host has rested upon the Corporal. Now the celebrant cleanses the Paten in preparation for the breaking of the Host. He says the following prayer:

“Deliver us, O Lord, from all evils past, present, and to come; and by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the saints, grant that we may be always free from sin through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The Priest Kisses the Paten

The Priest Kisses the Paten

After the priest has cleansed the Paten, he signs himself, kissing the Paten saying the words,

“Graciously grant peace in our days, through the help of Thy bountiful mercies.”

The cause of our trouble in the world is sin. Peace of soul and a perfect resignation to the goodness of God present in the Most Blessed Sacrament destroys hatred and the possibility for sin.

The Priest Places the Host On the Paten

The Priest Places the Host On the Paten

“O Jesus, God of infinite love and mercy, how was it possible that Thou shouldst come to us and become present here on this altar? The angels of heaven cannot receive Thee and Thou hast given Thy adorable flesh and blood to me. How can I ever again offend Thee, dear Savior?”

The Breaking of the Host

The Breaking of the Host

After the Consecration, you will observe that the priest makes several genuflections in reference to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. You have noticed that the priest has also made several crosses over the Consecrated particles or species, all commemorating the acts of our Lord at the Last Supper. He now breaks the bread as our Lord did placing one-half on the little dish called the Paten and he holds the other portion in his left hand.

A Small Particle of the Host is Commingled with the Wine

A Small Particle of the Host is Commingled with the Wine

After placing one-half of the Host on the Paten the celebrant next takes the portion he still holds in his left hand and breaks off a small fragment saying,

“May this commingling and Consecration of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ obtain for all who receive It eternal life.”

(As we mentioned before, it was a custom in the early Church to use a small particle broken from the large Consecrated Host for the Communion of the Faithful.)

Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God)

Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God)

God is glorious in Heaven, powerful on Earth and terrible in Hell. But now Jesus comes gentle and mild as a lamb, full of sweetness and willing to bear the sins of the whole world. Strike your breast now and say (interiorly):

“Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on me.”

In Masses for the Dead, the faithful say (interiorly):

“Give them rest.”

The Priest Removes the Host from the Paten

The Priest Removes the Host from the Paten

Having completed the Communion prayers, the priest genuflects in adoration of the sacred species and rising, takes the sacred Host into his hands saying:

“I will take the bread of Heaven and call upon the name of the Lord.”

“O Lord, I Am Not Worthy”

“O Lord, I Am Not Worthy”

After taking the Host into his left hand and holding the Paten under it with the same hand, the celebrant bows reverently and strikes his breast with his right hand symbolical of his humility, he repeats three times the words of the centurian found in Holy Writ:

“Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof, only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

After each recitation of this prayer, the server rings the bell (three times).

The Communion of the Body of Our Lord by Priest

The Communion of the Body of Our Lord by Priest

The priest bends over reverently holding the Paten in his left hand, he receives the Host after making the sign of the cross with the Host saying,

“May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep my soul unto life everlasting.”

Having received the Host, the priest with eyes cast down, pauses to pray silently for a few moments.

Preparation for Communion of Chalice

Preparation for Communion of Chalice

After his quiet meditation and reception of the Host the priest removes the Pall which he places to the back of the altar (mensa) and takes the Paten to pick up the little particles of the Host which may still be on the Corporal. You will notice that the priest again genuflects after uncovering of the Chalice to adore the precious Blood. After purifying the Paten over the Chalice he says,

“What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered unto me?”

The Communion of the Chalice

The Communion of the Chalice

The priest then takes the Chalice in his right hand and the Paten in his left hand and says the prayer,

“I will take the Chalice of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Praising, I will call upon the Lord, and I will be saved from my enemies.”

The priest then makes the sign of the cross before himself with the Chalice saying:

“May the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life everlasting. Amen.”

At this point in the Mass the Faithful who are to receive Communion proceed to the Communion rail and those who cannot receive offer up their hearts and souls in spiritual Communion. Spiritual Communion is nothing more than a real and sincere desire and wish to receive our Lord in Holy Communion if you could.

The First Ablution

The First Ablution

While the Faithful are saying the beautiful prayer of the Spiritual Communion,

“O my Jesus, I firmly believe that Thou art present in the most adorable Sacrament; I love Thee above all things. I desire to receive Thee into my heart. Come, my Jesus, I give Thee my heart and my soul; let me be united to Thee forever. Amen.”

The servers proceed to the Epistle side or right hand side of the altar with the cruets containing the unconsecrated wine and water. The celebrant, standing at the altar, received wine only for the first ablution saying:

“Grant, O Lord, what we have taken into our mouths may be received with a pure mind: as a temporal gift, may it become unto us an eternal remedy."

The Second Ablution

The Second Ablution

The priest proceeds to the right hand side of the altar where he receives both water and wine. You will notice that the wine and water are poured over his fingers to remove the particles which may still remain on his fingers since the Consecration saying,

"May Thy Body, O Lord, which I have received, and Thy Blood which I have drunk cleave to my heart...”

The Priest Reassembles the Articles Used at the Holy Sacrifice

The Priest Reassembles the Articles Used at the Holy Sacrifice

After drying his fingers on the Purificator, the priest consumes the second ablution as you have noted and wipes his lips and the inside of the Chalice with the Purificator. He then reassembles the articles on the altar.

“Thou art the Good Shepherd Who hast given Thy life for Thy sheep. Have mercy on the Church. Guard and guide our Holy Father, the Pope, bless our bishops and protect and guide our pastors.”

Preparation for After the Communion

Preparation for After the Communion

The servers carry the veil and the book and place them as follows: the veil on the Gospel side and the book on the Epistle side where the Communion prayer is read. It consists usually of a single verse of scripture of a joyful nature and also varies with the feasts and seasons of the year. This prayer was called the Communion because it was said by the Faithful in the early days of Christianity and chanted by the choir during the distribution of Holy Communion.

The Dominus Vobiscum

The Dominus Vobiscum

When the priest has finished the Communion prayer at the Epistle side of the altar he returns to the center of the altar, bows reverently and kisses it, turns to the congregation and again says,

“The Lord be with you.” (“Dominus Vobiscum”)

The servers answer,

“And with Thy Spirit.” (“Et cum spiritu tuo”)

The priest then returns to the right side of the altar again.

The Last Oration

The Last Oration

With his hands extended, the priest says the last prayer (Post-communion),

“Thou, O God, has kindly allowed us to have a part in this Holy Sacrifice; for this we give Thee thanks. Accept it now to Thy glory and be ever mindful of our weakness. Amen.”

These prayers are called Post-communion since they follow as a thanksgiving after Communion. Mention is always made of the Body and Blood of Christ which has been received. At the conclusion of these prayers, the priest closes the Missal and returns to the center of the altar.