thiness, say thrice with him these words, and in the same disposition as the Centurion of the Gospel, who first used them: Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea. Lord, I am not worthy thou shouldst enter under my roof; say it only with one word of thine, and my soul will be healed. Whilst the Priest receives the sacred Host, if you also are to communicate, adore profoundly your God, who is ready to take up his abode within you, and again say to him with the spouse: Come, Lord Jesus, come! But should you not be going to receive sacramentally, make a Spiritual Communion. Adore Jesus Christ who thus visits your soul by his grace, and say to him: Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi, custodiat animam meam in vitam æternam. Amen. I give thee, O Jesus, this heart of mine, that thou mayest dwell in it, and do with me what thou wilt. Then the Priest takes the Chalice, in thanksgiving, and says: Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus, quæ retribuit inihi? Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo. Laudans invocabo Dominum, et ab inimicis meis salvus ero. What return shall I make to the Lord for all he hath given to me? I will take the Chalice of salvation, and will call upon the name of the Lord. Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from mine enemies. But if you are to make a Sacramental Communion, you should, at this moment of the Priest's receiving the precious Blood, again adore the God who is com ing to you, and keep to your prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, come! If, on the contrary, you are going to communicate only spiritually, again adore your divine Master, and say to him: I unite myself to thee, my beloved Jesus! do thou unite thyself to me! and never let us be separated. Sanguis Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam meam in vitam æternam. Amen. It is here that you must approach to the altar, if you are going to Communion. The dispositions suitable for Holy Communion, during this season of Paschal Time, are given in the next Chapter. The Communion being finished, and whilst the Priest is purifying the Chalice the first time, say: Thou hast visited me, Ọ God, in these days of my pilgrimage; give me grace to treasure up the fruits of this visit for my future eternity. Quod ore sumpsimus, Domine, pura mente capiamus: et de munere temporali fiat nobis remedium sempiter num. Whilst the Priest is purifying the Chalice the second time, say: Be thou for ever blessed, O my Saviour, for having admitted me to the sacred mystery of thy Body and Blood. May my heart and senses preserve, by thy grace, the purity which thou hast imparted to them; and I thus be rendered less unworthy of thy divine visit. Corpus tuum, Domine, quod sumpsi, et Sanguis quem potavi, adhæreat visceribus meis: et præsta ut in me non remaneat scelerum macula, quem pura et sancta refecerunt Sacramenta. Qui vivis et regnas in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. The Priest having read the Antiphon called the Communion, which is the first part of his Thanks giving for the favour just received from God, whereby he has renewed his divine presence among us,— turns to the people with the usual salutation; after which he recites the Prayers, called the Postcommunion, which are the completion of the Thanksgiving. You will join him here also, thanking God for the unspeakable gift he has just lavished on you, and asking him, with most earnest entreaty, that he will bestow upon you perseverance in the Paschal joy, and vigilance over yourself, during the whole course of this day, that so you keep up within you the love of that new life which gives you a right to the company of our Risen Jesus. These Prayers having been recited, the Priest again turns to the people, and full of joy for the immense favour he and they have been receiving, he says: Dominus vobiscum. The Lord be with you. Answer him: Et cum spiritu tuo. And with thy spirit. The Deacon, or, (if it be not a High Mass,) the Priest himself, then says: Ite, Missa est. R. Deo gratias. Go, the Mass is finished. R. Thanks be to God. The Priest makes a last Prayer, before giving you his blessing; pray with him: Placeat tibi, sancta Trinitas, obsequium servitutis meæ, quod oculis tuæ majestatis indignus obtuli, tibi sit acceptabile, mihique, et Eternal thanks be to thee, O adorable Trinity, for the mercy thou hast showed to me, in permitting me to assist at this divine Sacrifice. Pardon me the negligence and coldness wherewith I have received so great a favour, and deign to confirm the Blessing, which thy Minister is about to give me in thy Name. omnibus, pro quibus illud obtuli, sit, te miserante, propitiabile. Per Christuni Dominum nostrum. Amen. The Priest raises his hand, and thus blesses you: May the Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless you! R. Amen. Benedicat vos omnipotens He then concludes the Mass, by reading the first fourteen verses of the Gospel according to St. John, which tell us of the eternity of the Word, and of the mercy which led him to take upon himself our flesh, and to dwell among us. The Evangelist tells us, that this divine Word, the creator of Light, is himself the True Light. This Light suddenly shone forth from the darkness of the Tomb. The Jew refused to see it; the Christian hails it with joy, for it is the Life of men. erat lux hominum: et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebræ eam non comprehenderunt. Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Joannes. Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, ut omnes crederent per illum. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. Erat lux vera, quæ illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non cognovit. In propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his, qui credunt in nomine ejus: qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex-voluntate viri, sed ex Doo nati sunt. ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, et habitavit in nobis et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiæ et veritatis. R. Deo gratias. life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them he gave power to be made the sons of God; to them that believe in his name, who are bern, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, as it were the glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. R. Thanks be to God. |