For the purposes of this blog, I will be focusing on the Traditional Latin Mass, or Extraordinary Form. The reason being is that the Latin Mass is what converts think of when it comes to Catholicism, I know I did. The mystery, the smells and bells, the reverent liturgy and music. This isn't to say that the new Mass, called the Novus Ordo, or Ordinary Form, doesn't have what I had mentioned, and if you are able to find a Mass that coincides with the letter of the Second Vatican Council, you will still have the smells and bells, some of the mystery, and a reverently done liturgy and music. One of the main goals of this blog is to better inform people about the Mass that the Church has celebrated for centuries, and to help people grow in knowledge and love for the Mass that has led many of the Saints to God, and has helped the Church speak with one voice around the world adoring the same God, in the same voice, in the same manner.
As a prelude I wanted to explain the three "types" of the Latin Mass, all of which used all of the vessels listed below, except for the Monstrance which is used in Benediction and Adoration, as far as I am aware anyways. The types are Low, High, and Solemn High Mass. The Masses change either for the amount of clergy and altar servers available for the mass, the time of the day, or whether or not it is a special feast day in the liturgical calendar. The image below is taken from the Treasure and Tradition book listed below.
I recommend that you right-click on the image to read the content much easier as the image explains it all in good detail, and does so succinctly.
Below, I will present various images, with the source as a footnote on the page, the various things you will see at the Mass. Things such as the altar, the tabernacle, and more. Their uses will be explained in better detail in the next few pages. In the next few pages I will go more in depth with the Mass. Certain portions of it will be best explained in the third module, where I go into a more philosophical and theological explanation.
To the left you see a great representation of the Altar, this is something like what you will see at the TLM. You will have the Altar stone, and in the stone itself are the relics of a saint, or saints. There are the various candles, which a certain number will be lit whether or not it is a Low, High, or Solemn High Mass. In the center you see the Tabernacle which is where consecrated Eucharists are kept, and there is a candle near by, in the picture is is on the left, called a Sanctuary Lamp. This lamp is a candle that is always lit whenever there are consecrated Eucharists in the tabernacle to let people know that Jesus is in there. This is a similar thing to the OT temple worship where a sanctuary lamp was lit and maintained to show that God is in the tabernacle upon the Mercy Seat.
There is a Gospel side and an Epistle side, the left and right as you are looking at the altar, respectively. And since Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, and in the tabernacle, therefore the Gospel is to His right and the Epistle is to His left, respectively. The chairs are for the Priest and any clergy, such as the deacon and sub-deacon as there are parts of the Mass where they are not actively at the altar, when the congregation is praying or singing other parts of the mass. The pulpit is where the Priest gives his homily, or sermon. And the credence table is where other vessels and items used in the mass are located, such as the lavabo and the cruets of water and wine. Both of which I will get into on the page The Mass of the Faithful.
Here we can see some sacred vessels used in the Mass. The cup that you see there is called a Chalice, it is used to hold the wine which is transubstantiated into the Blood of Christ during the consecration, just as Jesus Christ said "This is my Blood" we take him at His word, and acknowledge that it is His Precious Blood. The cloth on top of the Chalice is called a Purificator, and it is used to wipe the mouth of the Priest, and the rim of the Chalice, after the Priest consumes the Precious Blood. Next we have the same Chalice with a Paten and Host laid atop. A Pall, which is a stiff piece of linen, is then place on top of the Paten to prevent dust or debris from falling onto the Host. The next three are the Chalice Veil, which covers the previous mentioned vessels and linens. And last, but not least, is the Corporal which is the most important of sacred linen as it catches any particles of the Consecrated Host, this is folded and placed in the Burse, which is like a square folder or envelope.
As mentioned above, you see the sacred vessels on the image to the right. The other vessels and linens you see are the Altar Cards, which are prayers said at every mass, and sometimes look like works of art in their own right. You have the towels used in the ablutions where the Priest washes his fingers and hands. The Ciborium which is similar to the Chalice in that it hold the Consecrated Eucharist, it hold the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have a holy water container and sprinkler, officially called Aspersorium and Aspergillum respectively, are used in the Asperges which happens at the beginning of the Mass. Next is the Censor and boat. Both of which is used for incensing the Offerings, Altar, Priest, other clergy, Altar Servers, and the Congregation. The censor is officially called a Thurible, and the boat is called an Incense Boat, as it hold the unburned incense that is to be used. Finally in the middle you see a Monstrance, a smaller version of this may be seen on the altar and that is called a Reliquary. The Monstrance is used to hold the Consecrated Eucharist for Eucharistic Adoration. A time of prayer where, being in front of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, we pray and meditate on His life, the Gospel, His Sacrifice, and just a time to be with Him in general. The reliquary is, as I mentioned before a smaller and less fancy looking monstrance, holds a first class relic of a Saint. I will discuss more on relics later on in this module.
All of the images are from the Google Images. However, you can find great explanations for all of them in the "My Catholic Faith: a Catechism in Pictures" as well as the Baltimore Catechisms, and the "Treasure and Tradition: the Ultimate guide to the Latin Mass".
Comments
Post a Comment