There is a wonder to the genius of the classic Litugists.
The Holy Mass – Dom Eugene Vandeur OSB, Maredsous Abbe, revised 1953.
ON every page of this small book, theology, history and symbolism point to one practical consideration. It is this: there is no more important work than Holy Mass ; that is why we must take part in it more fervently and more often.
There is no greater action than Holy .Mass. Every time it is celebrated it carries on the work of our redemption: opus nostrae redemptionis exercetur.
“Grant, we pray Thee, Lord, that we may worthily and often take part in these rites, for each and every offering of this memorial sacrifice carries on the work of our redemption”.‑ That is a wonderful prayer and a complete theological synthesis of the "mystery of faith."
Souls of such nobility have at all periods been honoured with the name of Christian. And if there are several ways of training up such characters, true Christian souls, for our part we know no more certain, more direct way than intelligent assistance at the holy sacrifice of the Mass with its complement of Eucharistic communion which effects by the power of God that one real union which is strength. ("Where there is no Mass there is no Christianity." - St. Vincent Ferrer?).
| Cardinal Bona CHAPTER IV The Celebration of Mass The Sacred Vestments | The Holy Mass – Notes on the Liturgy Eugene Vandeur OSB 1956 A few words more concerning the symbolism of the sacerdotal vestments. |
| The sacred vestments are intended to remind us of the different sufferings and insults endured by our blessed Saviour at the different stages of His passion. They are likewise intended mystically to signify the different virtues which should adorn the life of a priest. | The Church instructs us on this subject through the prayers which she bids priests to say while they are vesting. As we have said, the priest at the altar is the substitute of Jesus Christ. In order to appear worthily in the presence of God the Father and before the heavenly court, his soul ought to be adorned with the virtues of Him whom he represents. As a new Jacob, wearing the garments of Esau the first-born, he will appear before the heavenly Father; and God will be pleased again by the sweet-smelling savour that rises up from the heart of His only Son hidden in this priest. |
| The Amice, which covers the head of the priest, represents the humanity which conceals the divinity of our Lord. For our eyes could not look upon the splendour of the Sun of Justice unless concealed by the veil of His humanity. Therefore, when the priest receives it he kisses it and puts it upon his head, and is reminded of the most sacred humanity of Christ. The Amice also signifies that the priest should have his mind occupied with the consideration of eternity and the things of heaven, and should keep it disengaged from all transitory cares and fortified with hope and confidence in God, as with the helmet of salvation against the attacks of the enemy. | While the celebrant is putting on these vestments he begs from the Lord the virtues which they call to mind. As he puts on the amice : Put on my head, Lord, the helmet of salvation, so that I may withstand the onslaughts of the devil. This helmet is the symbol of Christian hope, so necessary to the priest as he approaches the holy Mysteries; never more than at this moment does the devil try to deprive him of his peace of soul, peace of understanding and of heart. |
| The Alb, which covers the whole body, indicates innocence, simplicity, purity, and the brightness and purity of soul which ought to cover the priest entirely both within and without, and which should shine in all his actions, that he l11ay be holy and immaculate in the sight of God, and prepared to celebrate the divine mysteries, | As he puts on the alb: Cleanse me, Lord, and purify my heart so that washed in the Blood of the Lamb I may come to everlasting joy. The alb is the emblem of innocence. It symbolizes the man who has conquered his unruly passions, and is now worthy, in his innocence, to appear before infinite Purity. For the Lord has said: "He that shall overcome, shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his .name before My Father, and before His angels" (Apoc. iii. 5). |
| The Girdle designates the chastity which ought to shine so resplendent in a priest. As a figure of this, God formerly ordered those who ate the lamb to gird their reins; and Christ Himself says, "Let your loins be girt" (Luke xii. 25) . Christ, moreover, appeared to | As he puts on the girdle: Gird me, Lord, with the girdle of purity and quench in my loins all lustful desires, so that the virtue of chastity and continence may abide in me. The girdle is the emblem of mortification. It is mortification which ensures innocence of life. Without it a priest is not a minister of Jesus Crucified, for "they that are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with the vices and the concupiscences " (Gal. iv. 24). |
| The Maniple, with a cross upon it, which the priest kisses and puts on his left arm, shows the grief and penitence wit h which he ought ever to bewail his sins. It signifies also the mortification of the flesh and of the spirit, and the humility requisite worthily to approach the altar. Moreover it typifies the future reward of goo d works, as the psalmist sings: "Going they wept, casting their seeds, but returning they shall come with joy, carrying their sheaves." (Ps, cxxv. 6, 7). | As he puts on the maniple : May I be worthy, Lord, to bear the sheaf of tears and sorrow so that I may with great joy receive the reward of my toil. Whenever the priest goes up to the altar he ought to renew the resolution he took on his ordination day to exert himself, to sacrifice himself for souls. The sacrifice of |
| The Stole, which is put upon the neck and crossed over the middle of the breast, shows that the priest must live united with God, and in some measure bound to Him ; moreover that he must bear his cross patiently for God's sake, that he must subject himself in all obedience to the divine law, and bear God's yoke with cheerfulness, always keeping in mind those precepts of God by which these things are commanded. | As he puts on the stole: Give back to me, Lord, the stole of immortality which I lost through the sin of our first parent; and although I am 'unfit to approach. thy holy mysteries grant that I may yet win everlasting joy. The stole is the emblem of immortality. The priest who puts it on should be mindful of the glorious ministry that he is about to carry out. His holy office transports him, so to say, into glory before the Majesty of God, to the eternal Priest, Jesus Christ our Lord. If he would be united to the eternal sacrifice of the Only and Immortal Priest according to the order of Melchisedech, the priest, in celebrating, must rise to this great height. |
| The Chasuble, which is more splendid and costly than any of the other vestments, is put on over all the rest as a symbol of charity; for charity excels all other virtues, and gives to them their perfection, and is the fulfilment of the divine law. As charity is twofold, regarding both God and our neighbour, so the Chasuble is divided into two parts. As charity produces various emotions in the heart - joy at the thought of God's infinite perfections, gratitude at the thought of His benefits, and sorrow at the thought of our sins and the sins of others - so the Chasuble is of different colours, according to the various seasons of the year and the different festivals. | As he puts on the. chasuble : Lord, who hast said: My yoke is sweet and My burden is light; grant that I may bear it in such a manner as to obtain Thy grace. The chasuble is the symbol of charity, emblem of the love of God and of our neighbour. In sacrificing the Divine Victim the priest resolves to become holy himself, to make others holy. Holiness is the fruit of charity. Now charity is carrying out the laws of God. We must love this yoke, this burden of God. |
| Such arc the chief virtues which are signified by the sacerdotal vestments, and which the priest should bear in mind whilst he puts them on and recites the appointed prayers. Cardinal Bona, The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, B O & w, | |
Vesting Prayers in Latin and English
Cassock
Dominus, pars hereditatis meae et calicis mei, tu es qui restitues hereditatem meam.
O Lord, the portion of my inheritance and my chalice, You are He who will restore my inheritance.
Fascia
Praecinge me, Domine, cingulo puritatis, et exstingue in lumbis meis humorem libidinis; ut maneat in me virtus continentia et castitatis.
Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me.
Washing Hands
Da, Domine, virtutem manibus meis ad abstergendum omnem maculam ut sine pollutione mentis et corporis valeam tibi servire.
Give strength to my hands, Lord, to wipe away all stain, so that I may be able to serve Thee in purity of mind and body.
Amice
Impone, Domine, capiti meo galeam salutis, ad expugnandos diabolicos incursus.
Lord, set the helmet of salvation on my head to fend off all the assaults of the devil.
Alb
Dealba me, Domine, et munda cor meum; ut, in sanguine Agni dealbatus, gaudiis perfruaresempiternis.
Make me white, O Lord, and cleanse my heart; that being made white in the Blood of the Lamb I may deserve an eternal reward.
Cincture
Praecinge me, Domine, cingulo puritatis, et exstingue in lumbis meis humorem libidinis; ut maneat in me virtus continentia et castitatis.
Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me.
Maniple
Merear, Domine, portare manipulum fletus et doloris; ut cum exsultatione recipiam mercedem laboris.
May I deserve, O Lord, to bear the maniple of weeping and sorrow in order that I may joyfully reap the reward of my labors.
Stole
Redde mihi, Domine, stolam immortalitatis, quam perdidi in praevaricatione primi parentis: et, quamvis indignus accedo ad tuum sacrum mysterium, merear tamen gaudium sempiternum.
Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the collusion of our first parents, and, unworthy as I am to approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I yet gain eternal joy.
Dalmatic (Deacons and Bishops)
Lord, endow me with the garment of salvation, the vestment of joy, and with the dalmatic of justice ever encompass me.
Chasuble
Domine, qui dixisti: Iugum meam suave est et onus meum leve: fac, ut istud portare sic valeam, quod consequar tuam gratiam. Amen.
O Lord, who has said, ‘My yoke is sweet and My burden light,’ grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace.
http://www.sanctamissa.org/en/resources/prayers/vesting-prayers-in-latin-and-english.pdf
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Dom Donald, I am most grateful to you for reproducing these excerpts from Cardinal Bona's and Dom Vandeur's works on the vesting prayers.
ReplyDeleteWhere does Cardinal Bona's commentary on the vestments come from? Was it from the SanctaMissa web site, was it included in Dom Vandeur's text, or does it come from somewhere else entirely?
I ask because I am writing a book on the priest's prayers in the new English translation of the Roman Missal (Ordinary Form), and I am including a chapter on the vestments and vesting prayers (despite their absence from the Missal since the 1960's). The text you have posted has provided me with a wealth of spiritual insights into the vestments, and I'm looking for whatever more these two clerics may have written on the matter.
Perhaps you could clarify something for me. Cardinal Bona writes: "As charity is twofold, regarding both God and our neighbour, so the Chasuble is divided into two parts."
1. Is he speaking about the front and back faces ("parts") of the chasuble, such that (celebrating Mass ad orientem) the front face of the chasuble which faced the tabernacle and the altar represented "love of God", and the back face of the chasuble which the congregation saw represented "love of neighbor"?
2. Or was it the custom of the time that chasubles (most likely fiddleback) were two separate cloths bound over the shoulders with ribbon, and he was referring to the two separate pieces?
If you are at all interested in my project (which is the second volume of a two-volume work), you can visit my web site, PrayingTheMass.com.
Thank you for whatever assistance you can provide. Benedicaris!