Iterum signet se et vertat ad po- Dicto, post ultimam orationem, pulum et dicat: Dominus vobiscum. Antequam revertatur dicat, Ite: Dominus vobiscum. adversus insidias sive impetus inimicorum: quanto magis in procinctu? Quadragesimali tempore scit adversarius noster a sancta Ecclesia singulare certamen commissum esse contra se.- -Vult sacerdos noster ut nostris armis vestiti simus: propterea jubet per ministrum, ut humiliemus capita nostra Deo, et ita tandem infundit super milites protectionem benedictionis suæ." Lib. iii. cap. 37. Compare Micrologus. cap. 51. These prayers are still retained in the Roman Missal. 80 (Benedicamus Domino.) The reason why sometimes this form, and sometimes the “ Ite missa est :" was used, seems to be, that upon the lesser festivals, only the more religious and spiritually disposed would make a practice of being present, who were not to be so suddenly, as it were, dismissed, but rather were to give thanks to God. Upon the greater feasts, a large number of people of all occupations would probably attend, and to these the "Ite missa est" would be a license to depart. See Micrologus. cap. 46. Then when thou heris say ite, 81 Or benedicamus if hit be: Then is tho messe al done, Bot yit this prayere thou make right sone : Aftir hit wele thou may, In gods name wende thi way." Museum MS. PLACEAT 84 Sacerdos hic inclinato corpore junctisque manibus, tacita voce in medio altaris dicat hanc orationem. LACEAT tibi, sancta Trinitas, obsequium servitutis meæ, et præsta: ut hoc sacrificium quod oculis Majestatis tuæ (tuæ Majestatis, Ebor. et Bangor.) indignus obtuli, tibi sit (sit tibi, Ebor.) acceptabile: mihique et omnibus pro quibus illud obtuli, sit, te miserante, propitiabile. Qui vivis et regnas. (Deus. Per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen. Sar, et Bangor.) Qua finita erigat se sacerdos, signans se in facie sua, dicens : 82 This turning of the Deacon towards the people or towards the altar, if "Benedicamus "" was said, is noticed by many of the ancient ritualists: Micrologus. cap. 46. "Cum Ite, Missa est, dicimus, ad populum vertimur, quem discedere jubemus; cum autem, Benedicamus Domino, non ad populum sed ad altare, id est, ad Dominum vertimur, nosque ipsos non ad discedendum, sed ad benedicendum Domino adhortamur." So also, Durandus: lib. iv. cap. 57. Belethus. cap. 49. &c. In some Churches of France, Le Brun says, that the Deacon turned towards the North, but why, he knows not. 83 Micrologus gives us also, (and writing in the eleventh Century he is the first author who notices it) the rule which governed the saying either of the one form or the other. "Semper autem cum Gloria in excelsis, etiam, Te Deum, et, Ite Missa est, recitamus." Cap. 46. That is, upon the Lord's HERFORD. ROM. Tunc inclinet se cum junctis manibus ad altare, dicens: PLA Dicto Ite missa est, vel Benedicamus Domino, Sacerdos inclinat se ante medium altaris, et manibus junctis super illud, dicit: LACEAT tibi, sancta Trinitas, obsequium servitutis meæ, et præsta: ut (hoc, Herford) sacrificium, quod oculis tuæ Majestatis indignus obtuli, tibi sit acceptabile: mihique et omnibus pro quibus illud obtuli, sit, te miserante, propitiabile. (Qui vivis. Herford. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Amen. Rom.) "Ad Missas de Requiem quod attinet, Stephanus Augustodunensis ex 600. jam annis nos monuit loco Ite Missa est, dici Requiescant in pace.Non ergo populum per Ite Missa est dimitti congrueret, cum fere Missam sepultura, precesque consequantur, quæ sane persuadere adstantibus debent, ut ne recedant." Le Brun. i. 323. Vide. Belethus. cap. 49. 84 Although the Ordines Romani do not mention this prayer, it is nevertheless very ancient, and occurs in the MS. edited by Illyricus, in many others of equal date, and is noticed by Micrologus. The reason why the old Ordines omit it, possibly is, because in fact the Service is already over, having concluded with the "Ite, Missa est." So in many MSS. it is headed post Missam, and Micrologus says: "Finita Missa, dicit, Placeat tibi, Sancta Trinitas." Cap. 23. SARUM. BANGOR. tus sancti. A men. Et sic inclinatione facta, eo ordine, quo prius accesserunt ad altare in principio missæ, sic indu!i cum ceroferariis et cæteris ministris redeant. Sacerdos vero in redeundo dicat Evangelium: 85 In principio.86 EBOR. 85 This Lection was the first 14 verses of the 1st Chapter of the Gospel according to S. John. It is said that in the Use of the Church of Rome, it was not obligatory, until the last revision, after the Council of Trent: but the rubrics of the Bangor and Sarum Missals do not seem to leave a discretion. In some of the Churches of France, it is still said, not at the Altar, but as in England anciently in returning to the Sacristy: in others standing at the entrance to it: and again, in some, in the Sacristy. In many of the Monastic Uses the saying of this Gospel has not been at any time admitted at all. The directions when this Gospel is to be omitted according to the modern Roman Liturgy, and another read in its stead, are given in the Rubr. Gen. xiij. 2. 86 Cum vero sacerdos exuerit casulam et alia indumenta sacerdotalia, dicat psalmos subscriptos: cum antiph. Trium puerorum. ps. Benedicite sacerdotes: usque ad finem cantici. ps. Laudate Dominum in sanctis ejus: totus psalmus. Nunc dimittis servum: cum Gloria Patri. et sicut erat. Deinde dicitur tota antiph. Trium puerorum cantemus hymnum, quem cantabant in camino ignis benedicentes Dominum. Kyrie eleyson. Christe eleyson. Kyrie eleyson. Pater noster. Et ne nos. Sed libera nos. Benedicamus Patrem, et Filium, cum sancto Spiritu. Laudemus et superexaltemus eum sæcula. Benedictus es Domine in firmamento coeli. Et laudabilis et gloriosus in sæcula. Benedicat et custodiat nos sancta Trinitas. Amen. Non intres in judicium cum servo tuo, Domine. Quia non justificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens. Domine Deus virtutum converte nos. Et ostende faciem tuam et salvi erimus. Domine exaudi orationem meam. ad te veniat. Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo. Oratio. Et clamor meus Oremus. Deus, qui tribus pueris mitigasti flammas ignium, concede propitius, ut nos famulos tuos non exurat flamma vitiorum. Oratio. Ure igne sancti Spiritus renes nostros et cor nostrum, Domine: ut tibi casto corpore serviamus, et mundo corde placeamus. Oratio. Actiones nostras quæsumus, Domine, aspirando præveni et adjuvando prosequere: ut cuncta nostra operatio et a te semper incipiat, et per te cœpta finiatur. Et finiantur hæ tres orationes sic: Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen." Sar. Miss. Edit. 1492. 66 The With the above agrees in the main, the Bangor Use. The York, has also nearly the same verses and responses, with one collect only, viz. Deus, qui tribus:" and headed ¶ Orationes post missam communes. Hereford appoints similar verses and responses, and the prayer, "Deus, qui tribus," followed by "alia oratio." "Protector in te sperantium Deus, sine quo nihil est validum, nihil sanctum: multiplica super nos misericordiam tuam, ut te rectore, te duce, sic transeamus per bona temporalia, ut non amittamus æterna. Per." On the same page, immediately preceding the Canon, in the Salisbury Missal of 1492, upon which is the “oratio dicenda ante missam,” which I have already given, (Note 1. p. 1) is the following, "Oratio dicenda post Missam. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus Jesu Christe Domine, esto propitius peccatis meis, per assumptionem corporis et sanguinis tui. Tu enim loquens dixisti: qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem, in me manet et ego in eo, ideo te supplex deprecor: ut in me cor mundum crees, et spiritum rectum in visceribus meis innoves, et spiritu principali me confirmare digneris, atque ab omnibus insidiis diaboli ac vitiis emundes: ut gaudiorum cœlestium merear esse particeps. Qui vivas et regnas Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen." Many editions contain more prayers to be said at the Priest's choice both before and after the Service. These two only are so appointed in the first Edition. The Bangor and Hereford Missals do not give any: in my copy |