Worshiping - and Believing - Like the Early Church
It's amazing how much you can learn about the doctrine of the Early Church by simply examining the liturgies of the Early Church. That the liturgy is a teacher, preserver, and witness of the Church's doctrines has been part of the Catholic perspective for centuries.
In his treatise On the Holy Spirit, St. Basil says that the Church accepts unwritten customs because "were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in its very vitals." He goes on to explain how their liturgical practices point to doctrinal realities: thus, "we all look to the East at our prayers," because "we are seeking our own old country, Paradise, which God planted in Eden in the East"; on Sundays "we pray standing," because "we remind ourselves ... [that] we rose with Christ, and are bound to 'seek those things which are above'"; later he appeals to the Trinitarian language used in the prayers as a proof of the Church's beliefs.
In our own age, Pope Pius XII said, "In the sacred liturgy we profess the Catholic faith explicitly and openly ... by saying or singing the credo or Symbol of the faith ... The entire liturgy, therefore, has the Catholic faith for its content, inasmuch as it bears public witness to the faith of the Church." (Mediator Dei, 47) When Pope Pius XI wanted to remind the Christian faithful of the doctrine of Christ's Kingship, he instituted a liturgical celebration, stating "that the kingship of our Savior should be as widely as possible recognized and understood ... nothing would serve better than the institution of a special feast in honor of the Kingship of Christ. For people are instructed in the truths of faith ... far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year - in fact, forever." (Quas Primas, 21)
So what do the early liturgies teach us?
The Liturgy of St. James (pre-200 AD)
At the beginning of the liturgy, the deacon sings these words: "Thou who art the only-begotten Son and Word of God, immortal" who didst submit for our salvation to become flesh of the holy God-mother, and ever-virgin Mary; who didst immutably become man and wast crucified, O Christ our God and didst by Thy death tread death underfoot; who art one of the Holy Trinity glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us."
In this brief prayer, we have a full confession of the Divinity of Christ, the "only-begotten Son," who "for our salvation ... [became] flesh," and was born of the "ever-virgin Mary." Thus we see testimony being given to the perpetual virginity of Mary, and the identification of Jesus Christ with God, for the prayer also identifies Him as "one of the Holy Trinity," who is "glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit." Compare this with the Gloria and the Credo, which are still used in the Mass today: Tu solus altissimus ... Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patri, and qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur.
That the Mass was considered a propitiatory sacrifice is shown by the prayer of the priest which follows the deacon's prayer: "we supplicate and invoke Thy goodness, since we are fearful and trembling when about to stand at Thy holy altar ... sanctify our souls, and bodies, and spirits, and turn our thoughts to piety, in order that with a pure conscience we may bring unto Thee gifts, offerings, and fruits for the remission of our transgressions, and for the propitiation of all Thy people."
The mention of an "altar," "offerings," and "the remission of our transgressions" is significant indeed, and can hardly be misunderstood.
After readings from the Old and New Testaments follows the prayer of the congregation, led by the deacon. Among other things, the congregation would pray "that we may pass the whole day, perfect, holy, peaceful, and without sin," that the Lord would send "a messenger of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies," for "forgiveness and remission of our sins and transgressions," and "that the close of our lives may be Christian, without pain and without shame, and a good plea at the dread and awful judgment-seat of Christ."
At this point in the liturgy, non-members of the church were dismissed with the words of the deacon: "Let none remain of the catechumens, none of the unbaptized, none of those who are unable to join with us in prayer."
The readers followed this with the Cherubic Hymn: "Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and meditate nothing earthly within itself," because "the King of kings and Lord of lords, Christ our God, comes forward to be sacrificed, and to be given for food to the faithful." Again we see the explicit testimony to the Mass as a Sacrifice. The presence of the angels at the Mass is acknowledged in this same hymn with the words "the bands of angels go before Him with every power and dominion, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, covering their faces, and crying aloud the hymn, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia."
It is interesting that, after the congregation is alerted by this prayer to prepare for the entrance of "the King of kings and Lord of lords," the priest would then bring in the unconsecrated bread and wine. Over these "gifts" (so-called by the text), the priest links this sacrifice on earth with the altar of God in heaven: "O God, our God, who didst send forth the heavenly bread, the food of the whole world, our Lord Jesus Christ ... do Thou Thyself bless this offering, and graciously receive it to Thy altar above the skies."
This prayer is very much like the one used in the Traditional Mass of the Latin church after the Consecration: "Most humbly we implore Thee, Almighty God, bid these offerings to be brought by the hands of Thy Holy Angel to Thine altar on high, before the face of Thy Divine Majesty; that as many of us as shall receive the most Sacred Body and Blood of Thy Son by partaking thereof from this altar, may be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace."
After this, the Creed was recited, but it appears from the text as though the priest alone pronounced the words.
After a few more prayers, the deacon invites the congregation: "Let us salute one another with an holy kiss." It should be noted, however, that the men and women in the congregation did not sit together, and the non-members of the church had already been dismissed - thus, this "kiss of peace" was only offered by the faithful and to the faithful, and only to members of the same sex.
Then followed the deacon's prayers for "the peace that is from above," "the peace of the whole world, and the unity of all the holy churches of God," "those who are in old age and infirmity," "the sick and suffering," and "those who are troubled by unclean spirits."
Witness is given to the practice, even at this early date, of consecrated virginity and celibacy, as well as the existence of monks, as the deacon prays "for those who are passing their days in virginity, and celibacy, and discipline," and "for the holy fathers and brethren agonizing in mountains, and dens, and caves of the earth."
Prayers continue for those "sailing, traveling, living among strangers ... in captivity, in exile, in prison, and in bitter slavery," for "the remission of our sins, and forgiveness of our transgressions, and for our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger, and constraint, and uprising against us of enemies," for the "fathers and brethren present," and for "every Christian soul in tribulation and distress ... the return of the erring, the health of the sick," and "the deliverance of the captives."
That the early Church prayed for the dead is evidenced by the petition for "the rest of the fathers and brethren that have fallen asleep aforetime."
The rubrics call for the priest to make "the sign of the cross on the gifts." Once more the reality of the propitiatory sacrifice is acknowledged, as the priest prays, "O Sovereign Lord, who ... hast freely given to us, Thy humble and sinful and unworthy servants, boldness to stand at Thy holy altar, and to offer to Thee this dread and bloodless sacrifice for our sins, and for the errors of the people ... blot out my transgressions for Thy compassion's sake ... fit me by the power of Thy all-holy Spirit for this service; and receive me graciously by Thy goodness as I draw nigh to Thy altar."
Of special note here is that the priest calls this offering both a "bloodless sacrifice" as well as a "sacrifice for our sins." The Council of Trent would later codify this teaching in the Decree on the Sacrifice of the Mass: "forasmuch as, in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, that same Christ is contained and immolated in an unbloody manner, who once offered Himself in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross; the holy Synod teaches, that this sacrifice is truly propitiatory and that by means thereof this is effected, that we obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid." (Session 22, chapt. 2)
This coupling of the two concepts, that is, a bloodless-yet-propitiatory sacrifice, is found again in the prayer following the one quoted above: "O God ... turn not away us sinners, laying hold of Thee by this dread and bloodless sacrifice; for we trust not in our own righteousness, but in Thy good mercy ... may [it] not be for condemnation to Thy people that this mystery for salvation has been administered by us, but for remission of sins, for renewal of souls and bodies, for the well-pleasing of Thee, God and Father ... now and always, and for ever."
Again, for the third time he prays, "grant, O Sovereign, that we may become servants of Thy new testament, ministers of Thy pure mysteries, and receive us as we draw near to Thy holy altar ... that we may become worthy of offering to Thee gifts and sacrifices for our transgressions and for those of the people; and grant to us, O Lord, with all fear and a pure conscience to offer to Thee this spiritual and bloodless sacrifice, and graciously receiving it unto Thy holy and spiritual altar above the skies for an odour of a sweet spiritual smell."
Especially interesting is the fact that the priest clearly believes this to be a physical and propitiatory sacrifice (though bloodless), yet he also calls it a "spiritual" sacrifice. This goes a long way towards demonstrating that when the other Fathers speak of the Eucharist as a "spiritual" or "symbolic" reality, they do not necessarily mean this in a way that excludes the literal and physical aspect of the sacrifice. Even the Council of Trent, in defining the dogma of the Sacrifice of the Mass, used the word "symbol": "He offered up to God the Father His own body and blood under the species of bread and wine; and, under the symbols of those same things, He delivered His own body and blood to be received by His apostles, whom He then ... commanded ... to offer (them)." (ibid., chpt. 1)
Even more explicit is the priest's association of this sacrifice with the ministry of the apostles themselves: "As Thou didst accept from the hand of Thy apostles this true service, so accept also in Thy goodness from the hands of us sinners these offered gifts; and grant that our offering may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, as a propitiation for our transgressions and the errors of the people; and for the rest of the souls that have fallen asleep aforetime."
Some have said that when the Fathers speak of the "sacrifice" of the Church and of the New Covenant, they mean only a "sacrifice of praise." The next prayer, however, shows that the "sacrifice of praise" is synonymous with the bloodless, propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass: "Lord, have mercy on us: since we are full of fear and trembling, when about to stand at Thy holy altar, and to offer this dread and bloodless sacrifice for our own sins and for the errors of the people: send forth, O God, Thy good grace, and sanctify our souls, and bodies, and spirits; and turn our thoughts to holiness, that with a pure conscience we may bring to Thee a peace-offering, the sacrifice of praise."
The same association is made in the congregational response: the deacon invites, "let us attend to the holy communion service, to offer peace to God," and the congregation responds, "The offering of peace, the sacrifice of praise."
Then follows the Preface ("it is becoming and right, proper and due to praise Thee, to sing of Thee, to bless Thee, to worship Thee, to glorify Thee, to give Thee thanks ... angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, and authorities, and dread powers; and the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, which cover their faces with two wings, their feet with two, and with two they fly, crying one to another with unresting lips, with unceasing praises") and the congregational Trisagion ("Holy, holy, holy, O Lord of Sabaoth"), which leads to the Consecration.
The Consecration itself is interesting for the minor interruptions of the deacon which take place. The priest prays, using the Pauline formula, "in the night in which He was betrayed, nay, rather delivered Himself up for the life and salvation of the world, having taken the bread in His holy and pure and blameless and immortal hands, lifting up His eyes to heaven, and showing it to Thee, His God and Father, He gave thanks, and hallowed, and brake, and gave it to us, His disciples and apostles, saying" - but here he is interrupted by the deacon's interjection: "For the remission of sins and life everlasting." Then follows the familiar words, "Take, eat: this is my body, broken for you, and given for remission of sins," to which the congregation responds "Amen."
After a similar consecration of the cup, the priest offers the "Oblation" prayer, giving us some insight into the Church's understanding of the Mass as both present reality and also memorial: "Remembering, therefore, His life-giving sufferings, His saving cross, His death and His burial, and resurrection from the dead on the third day, and His ascension into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of Thee, our God and Father, and His second glorious and awful appearing, when He shall come with glory to judge the quick and the dead, and render to every one according to His works; even we, sinful men, offer unto Thee, O Lord, this dread and bloodless sacrifice, praying that Thou wilt not deal with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities." Thus, the Church did not understand the "remembrance" or "memorial" of the Passion as something which excluded the literal, propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass.
The priest then prays that the Lord would send down the Holy Ghost, that "by His holy and good and glorious appearing, He may sanctify this bread, and make it the holy body of Thy Christ," as well as "this cup the precious blood of Thy Christ." This descent of the Holy Ghost upon the elements is so that "they may be to all that partake of them for remission of sins, and for life everlasting, for the sanctification of souls and of bodies." Thus he clearly associates the consecrated elements with the propitiatory Sacrifice.
Following this are many more prayers for bishops and Christians all over the world, that wars, heresies, scandals, and uprisings may all cease, etc.
The Blessed Virgin is acknowledged again with a prayer that should be familiar to all Catholics: "Hail, Mary, full of grace: the Lord is with Thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb, for thou didst bear the Saviour of our souls."
The priest and people then praise the Virgin, the priest saying, "Hail in the highest, our all-holy, pure, most blessed, glorious lady, the God-mother and ever-virgin Mary," and the singers responding, "Verily it is becoming to bless Thee, the God-bearing, the ever-blessed, and all-blameless, and mother of our God, more honourable than the cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the seraphim: thee, who didst bear with purity God the Word." In these two short prayers we find not only the perpetual virginity of Mary (again, "ever-virgin"), but also a witness to the early Church's belief in her sinlessness: the "all-holy, pure," and "all-blameless" one.
After still more prayers for all people in all places, the Our Father is said, including the appended "For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever."
The priest again prays that God would accept the "holy and bloodless sacrifices," and prays that he and the people "may become worthy communicants and partakers of Thy holy mysteries, to the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting."
The rubrics then call for the priest to break the bread in two, dip the right half into the cup, and say, "The union of the all-holy body and precious blood of our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." After making the sign of the cross over the bread, he says, "Behold the Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, that taketh away the sin of the world, sacrificed for the life and salvation of the world."
Immediately before communion, the priest prays, "O Lord our God, the heavenly bread, the life of the universe, I have sinned against Heaven, and before Thee, and am not worthy to partake of Thy pure mysteries; but as a merciful God, make me worthy by Thy grace, without condemnation to partake of Thy holy body and precious blood, for the remission of sins, and life everlasting." The clergy receive communion, and then they distribute it to the faithful.
This is followed by a similar prayer in thanksgiving after communion, prayed by the deacon: "Glory to Thee, glory to Thee, glory to Thee, O Christ the King, only-begotten Word of the Father, that Thou hast counted us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, worthy to enjoy thy pure mysteries for the remission of sins, and for life everlasting: glory to Thee."
The priest prays after communion, again extolling the Blessed Virgin: "Commemorating our all-holy, pure, most glorious, blessed Lady, the God-Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary, and all the saints that have been well-pleasing to Thee since the world began, let us devote ourselves, and one another, and our whole life, to Christ our God."
The people beg a blessing, which is given, but the text has not been preserved. The priest then goes to the sacristy and prays, "Thou hast given unto us, O Lord, sanctification in the communion of the all-holy body and precious blood of Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; give unto us also the grace of Thy good Spirit, and keep us blameless in the faith, lead us unto perfect adoption and redemption, and to the coming joys of eternity; for Thou art our sanctification and light, O God, and Thy only-begotten Son, and Thy all-holy Spirit, now and ever, and to all eternity. Amen."
This, finally, is followed by the priest's "Prayer of Propitiation," which reads, in part, "O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Lamb and Shepherd, who takest away the sin of the world ... forgive, remit, pardon, O God, our offences, voluntary and involuntary, in knowledge and in ignorance, by transgression and by disobedience ... hear my supplication on behalf of Thy servants, and do Thou pass by all their errors, remembering them no more; forgive them every transgression, voluntary and involuntary; deliver them from everlasting punishment: for Thou art He that hast commanded us, saying, Whatsoever things ye bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever things ye loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven: for, thou art our God, a God able to pity, and to save and to forgive sins; and glory is due unto Thee, with the eternal Father, and the quickening Spirit, now and ever, and to all eternity. Amen."
This marks the end of the Liturgy of St. James.
In his treatise On the Holy Spirit, St. Basil says that the Church accepts unwritten customs because "were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in its very vitals." He goes on to explain how their liturgical practices point to doctrinal realities: thus, "we all look to the East at our prayers," because "we are seeking our own old country, Paradise, which God planted in Eden in the East"; on Sundays "we pray standing," because "we remind ourselves ... [that] we rose with Christ, and are bound to 'seek those things which are above'"; later he appeals to the Trinitarian language used in the prayers as a proof of the Church's beliefs.
In our own age, Pope Pius XII said, "In the sacred liturgy we profess the Catholic faith explicitly and openly ... by saying or singing the credo or Symbol of the faith ... The entire liturgy, therefore, has the Catholic faith for its content, inasmuch as it bears public witness to the faith of the Church." (Mediator Dei, 47) When Pope Pius XI wanted to remind the Christian faithful of the doctrine of Christ's Kingship, he instituted a liturgical celebration, stating "that the kingship of our Savior should be as widely as possible recognized and understood ... nothing would serve better than the institution of a special feast in honor of the Kingship of Christ. For people are instructed in the truths of faith ... far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year - in fact, forever." (Quas Primas, 21)
So what do the early liturgies teach us?
The Liturgy of St. James (pre-200 AD)
At the beginning of the liturgy, the deacon sings these words: "Thou who art the only-begotten Son and Word of God, immortal" who didst submit for our salvation to become flesh of the holy God-mother, and ever-virgin Mary; who didst immutably become man and wast crucified, O Christ our God and didst by Thy death tread death underfoot; who art one of the Holy Trinity glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us."
In this brief prayer, we have a full confession of the Divinity of Christ, the "only-begotten Son," who "for our salvation ... [became] flesh," and was born of the "ever-virgin Mary." Thus we see testimony being given to the perpetual virginity of Mary, and the identification of Jesus Christ with God, for the prayer also identifies Him as "one of the Holy Trinity," who is "glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit." Compare this with the Gloria and the Credo, which are still used in the Mass today: Tu solus altissimus ... Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patri, and qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur.
That the Mass was considered a propitiatory sacrifice is shown by the prayer of the priest which follows the deacon's prayer: "we supplicate and invoke Thy goodness, since we are fearful and trembling when about to stand at Thy holy altar ... sanctify our souls, and bodies, and spirits, and turn our thoughts to piety, in order that with a pure conscience we may bring unto Thee gifts, offerings, and fruits for the remission of our transgressions, and for the propitiation of all Thy people."
The mention of an "altar," "offerings," and "the remission of our transgressions" is significant indeed, and can hardly be misunderstood.
After readings from the Old and New Testaments follows the prayer of the congregation, led by the deacon. Among other things, the congregation would pray "that we may pass the whole day, perfect, holy, peaceful, and without sin," that the Lord would send "a messenger of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies," for "forgiveness and remission of our sins and transgressions," and "that the close of our lives may be Christian, without pain and without shame, and a good plea at the dread and awful judgment-seat of Christ."
At this point in the liturgy, non-members of the church were dismissed with the words of the deacon: "Let none remain of the catechumens, none of the unbaptized, none of those who are unable to join with us in prayer."
The readers followed this with the Cherubic Hymn: "Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and meditate nothing earthly within itself," because "the King of kings and Lord of lords, Christ our God, comes forward to be sacrificed, and to be given for food to the faithful." Again we see the explicit testimony to the Mass as a Sacrifice. The presence of the angels at the Mass is acknowledged in this same hymn with the words "the bands of angels go before Him with every power and dominion, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, covering their faces, and crying aloud the hymn, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia."
It is interesting that, after the congregation is alerted by this prayer to prepare for the entrance of "the King of kings and Lord of lords," the priest would then bring in the unconsecrated bread and wine. Over these "gifts" (so-called by the text), the priest links this sacrifice on earth with the altar of God in heaven: "O God, our God, who didst send forth the heavenly bread, the food of the whole world, our Lord Jesus Christ ... do Thou Thyself bless this offering, and graciously receive it to Thy altar above the skies."
This prayer is very much like the one used in the Traditional Mass of the Latin church after the Consecration: "Most humbly we implore Thee, Almighty God, bid these offerings to be brought by the hands of Thy Holy Angel to Thine altar on high, before the face of Thy Divine Majesty; that as many of us as shall receive the most Sacred Body and Blood of Thy Son by partaking thereof from this altar, may be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace."
After this, the Creed was recited, but it appears from the text as though the priest alone pronounced the words.
After a few more prayers, the deacon invites the congregation: "Let us salute one another with an holy kiss." It should be noted, however, that the men and women in the congregation did not sit together, and the non-members of the church had already been dismissed - thus, this "kiss of peace" was only offered by the faithful and to the faithful, and only to members of the same sex.
Then followed the deacon's prayers for "the peace that is from above," "the peace of the whole world, and the unity of all the holy churches of God," "those who are in old age and infirmity," "the sick and suffering," and "those who are troubled by unclean spirits."
Witness is given to the practice, even at this early date, of consecrated virginity and celibacy, as well as the existence of monks, as the deacon prays "for those who are passing their days in virginity, and celibacy, and discipline," and "for the holy fathers and brethren agonizing in mountains, and dens, and caves of the earth."
Prayers continue for those "sailing, traveling, living among strangers ... in captivity, in exile, in prison, and in bitter slavery," for "the remission of our sins, and forgiveness of our transgressions, and for our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger, and constraint, and uprising against us of enemies," for the "fathers and brethren present," and for "every Christian soul in tribulation and distress ... the return of the erring, the health of the sick," and "the deliverance of the captives."
That the early Church prayed for the dead is evidenced by the petition for "the rest of the fathers and brethren that have fallen asleep aforetime."
The rubrics call for the priest to make "the sign of the cross on the gifts." Once more the reality of the propitiatory sacrifice is acknowledged, as the priest prays, "O Sovereign Lord, who ... hast freely given to us, Thy humble and sinful and unworthy servants, boldness to stand at Thy holy altar, and to offer to Thee this dread and bloodless sacrifice for our sins, and for the errors of the people ... blot out my transgressions for Thy compassion's sake ... fit me by the power of Thy all-holy Spirit for this service; and receive me graciously by Thy goodness as I draw nigh to Thy altar."
Of special note here is that the priest calls this offering both a "bloodless sacrifice" as well as a "sacrifice for our sins." The Council of Trent would later codify this teaching in the Decree on the Sacrifice of the Mass: "forasmuch as, in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, that same Christ is contained and immolated in an unbloody manner, who once offered Himself in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross; the holy Synod teaches, that this sacrifice is truly propitiatory and that by means thereof this is effected, that we obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid." (Session 22, chapt. 2)
This coupling of the two concepts, that is, a bloodless-yet-propitiatory sacrifice, is found again in the prayer following the one quoted above: "O God ... turn not away us sinners, laying hold of Thee by this dread and bloodless sacrifice; for we trust not in our own righteousness, but in Thy good mercy ... may [it] not be for condemnation to Thy people that this mystery for salvation has been administered by us, but for remission of sins, for renewal of souls and bodies, for the well-pleasing of Thee, God and Father ... now and always, and for ever."
Again, for the third time he prays, "grant, O Sovereign, that we may become servants of Thy new testament, ministers of Thy pure mysteries, and receive us as we draw near to Thy holy altar ... that we may become worthy of offering to Thee gifts and sacrifices for our transgressions and for those of the people; and grant to us, O Lord, with all fear and a pure conscience to offer to Thee this spiritual and bloodless sacrifice, and graciously receiving it unto Thy holy and spiritual altar above the skies for an odour of a sweet spiritual smell."
Especially interesting is the fact that the priest clearly believes this to be a physical and propitiatory sacrifice (though bloodless), yet he also calls it a "spiritual" sacrifice. This goes a long way towards demonstrating that when the other Fathers speak of the Eucharist as a "spiritual" or "symbolic" reality, they do not necessarily mean this in a way that excludes the literal and physical aspect of the sacrifice. Even the Council of Trent, in defining the dogma of the Sacrifice of the Mass, used the word "symbol": "He offered up to God the Father His own body and blood under the species of bread and wine; and, under the symbols of those same things, He delivered His own body and blood to be received by His apostles, whom He then ... commanded ... to offer (them)." (ibid., chpt. 1)
Even more explicit is the priest's association of this sacrifice with the ministry of the apostles themselves: "As Thou didst accept from the hand of Thy apostles this true service, so accept also in Thy goodness from the hands of us sinners these offered gifts; and grant that our offering may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, as a propitiation for our transgressions and the errors of the people; and for the rest of the souls that have fallen asleep aforetime."
Some have said that when the Fathers speak of the "sacrifice" of the Church and of the New Covenant, they mean only a "sacrifice of praise." The next prayer, however, shows that the "sacrifice of praise" is synonymous with the bloodless, propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass: "Lord, have mercy on us: since we are full of fear and trembling, when about to stand at Thy holy altar, and to offer this dread and bloodless sacrifice for our own sins and for the errors of the people: send forth, O God, Thy good grace, and sanctify our souls, and bodies, and spirits; and turn our thoughts to holiness, that with a pure conscience we may bring to Thee a peace-offering, the sacrifice of praise."
The same association is made in the congregational response: the deacon invites, "let us attend to the holy communion service, to offer peace to God," and the congregation responds, "The offering of peace, the sacrifice of praise."
Then follows the Preface ("it is becoming and right, proper and due to praise Thee, to sing of Thee, to bless Thee, to worship Thee, to glorify Thee, to give Thee thanks ... angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, and authorities, and dread powers; and the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, which cover their faces with two wings, their feet with two, and with two they fly, crying one to another with unresting lips, with unceasing praises") and the congregational Trisagion ("Holy, holy, holy, O Lord of Sabaoth"), which leads to the Consecration.
The Consecration itself is interesting for the minor interruptions of the deacon which take place. The priest prays, using the Pauline formula, "in the night in which He was betrayed, nay, rather delivered Himself up for the life and salvation of the world, having taken the bread in His holy and pure and blameless and immortal hands, lifting up His eyes to heaven, and showing it to Thee, His God and Father, He gave thanks, and hallowed, and brake, and gave it to us, His disciples and apostles, saying" - but here he is interrupted by the deacon's interjection: "For the remission of sins and life everlasting." Then follows the familiar words, "Take, eat: this is my body, broken for you, and given for remission of sins," to which the congregation responds "Amen."
After a similar consecration of the cup, the priest offers the "Oblation" prayer, giving us some insight into the Church's understanding of the Mass as both present reality and also memorial: "Remembering, therefore, His life-giving sufferings, His saving cross, His death and His burial, and resurrection from the dead on the third day, and His ascension into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of Thee, our God and Father, and His second glorious and awful appearing, when He shall come with glory to judge the quick and the dead, and render to every one according to His works; even we, sinful men, offer unto Thee, O Lord, this dread and bloodless sacrifice, praying that Thou wilt not deal with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities." Thus, the Church did not understand the "remembrance" or "memorial" of the Passion as something which excluded the literal, propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass.
The priest then prays that the Lord would send down the Holy Ghost, that "by His holy and good and glorious appearing, He may sanctify this bread, and make it the holy body of Thy Christ," as well as "this cup the precious blood of Thy Christ." This descent of the Holy Ghost upon the elements is so that "they may be to all that partake of them for remission of sins, and for life everlasting, for the sanctification of souls and of bodies." Thus he clearly associates the consecrated elements with the propitiatory Sacrifice.
Following this are many more prayers for bishops and Christians all over the world, that wars, heresies, scandals, and uprisings may all cease, etc.
The Blessed Virgin is acknowledged again with a prayer that should be familiar to all Catholics: "Hail, Mary, full of grace: the Lord is with Thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb, for thou didst bear the Saviour of our souls."
The priest and people then praise the Virgin, the priest saying, "Hail in the highest, our all-holy, pure, most blessed, glorious lady, the God-mother and ever-virgin Mary," and the singers responding, "Verily it is becoming to bless Thee, the God-bearing, the ever-blessed, and all-blameless, and mother of our God, more honourable than the cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the seraphim: thee, who didst bear with purity God the Word." In these two short prayers we find not only the perpetual virginity of Mary (again, "ever-virgin"), but also a witness to the early Church's belief in her sinlessness: the "all-holy, pure," and "all-blameless" one.
After still more prayers for all people in all places, the Our Father is said, including the appended "For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever."
The priest again prays that God would accept the "holy and bloodless sacrifices," and prays that he and the people "may become worthy communicants and partakers of Thy holy mysteries, to the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting."
The rubrics then call for the priest to break the bread in two, dip the right half into the cup, and say, "The union of the all-holy body and precious blood of our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." After making the sign of the cross over the bread, he says, "Behold the Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, that taketh away the sin of the world, sacrificed for the life and salvation of the world."
Immediately before communion, the priest prays, "O Lord our God, the heavenly bread, the life of the universe, I have sinned against Heaven, and before Thee, and am not worthy to partake of Thy pure mysteries; but as a merciful God, make me worthy by Thy grace, without condemnation to partake of Thy holy body and precious blood, for the remission of sins, and life everlasting." The clergy receive communion, and then they distribute it to the faithful.
This is followed by a similar prayer in thanksgiving after communion, prayed by the deacon: "Glory to Thee, glory to Thee, glory to Thee, O Christ the King, only-begotten Word of the Father, that Thou hast counted us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, worthy to enjoy thy pure mysteries for the remission of sins, and for life everlasting: glory to Thee."
The priest prays after communion, again extolling the Blessed Virgin: "Commemorating our all-holy, pure, most glorious, blessed Lady, the God-Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary, and all the saints that have been well-pleasing to Thee since the world began, let us devote ourselves, and one another, and our whole life, to Christ our God."
The people beg a blessing, which is given, but the text has not been preserved. The priest then goes to the sacristy and prays, "Thou hast given unto us, O Lord, sanctification in the communion of the all-holy body and precious blood of Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; give unto us also the grace of Thy good Spirit, and keep us blameless in the faith, lead us unto perfect adoption and redemption, and to the coming joys of eternity; for Thou art our sanctification and light, O God, and Thy only-begotten Son, and Thy all-holy Spirit, now and ever, and to all eternity. Amen."
This, finally, is followed by the priest's "Prayer of Propitiation," which reads, in part, "O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Lamb and Shepherd, who takest away the sin of the world ... forgive, remit, pardon, O God, our offences, voluntary and involuntary, in knowledge and in ignorance, by transgression and by disobedience ... hear my supplication on behalf of Thy servants, and do Thou pass by all their errors, remembering them no more; forgive them every transgression, voluntary and involuntary; deliver them from everlasting punishment: for Thou art He that hast commanded us, saying, Whatsoever things ye bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever things ye loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven: for, thou art our God, a God able to pity, and to save and to forgive sins; and glory is due unto Thee, with the eternal Father, and the quickening Spirit, now and ever, and to all eternity. Amen."
This marks the end of the Liturgy of St. James.
<< Home