After the Secret(s) have been said, except for the last termination, the priest rests his hands on the altar on either side of the corporal and begins in the clear voice:
He says: Dominus vobiscum, with his hands still resting on the altar;
but at Sursum corda, he raises and extends his hands.
At Gratias agamus...nostro, he joins his hands, makes a moderate bow to the cross and then extends them to their usual position.
At the fourth word from the end of the Preface (generally the word is either deprecamur or canimus), he joins his hands and begins the Sanctus, standing erect.
Five times does the priest turn round towards the people, to denote that our Lord manifested Himself five times on the day of His Resurrection, as stated above in the treatise on Christ's Resurrection (III, q. 55, a. 3, Obj. 3). But the priest greets the people seven times, namely, five times, by turning round to the people, and twice without turning round, namely, when he says, "Dominus vobiscum" before the "Preface," and again when he says, "May the peace of the Lord be ever with you": and this is to denote the sevenfold grace of the Holy Ghost. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 5, ad 6)
Then, regarding the consecration, performed by supernatural power, the people are first of all excited to devotion in the "Preface," hence they are admonished "to lift up their hearts to the Lord," (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
The Mass is the highest work of contemplation that can be. And so the priest raises his hands, as to fly, and he says, Sursum corda. And the people reply, “We are already holding them before our Lord.”(St. Vincent Ferrer, qtd. in The Mass and the Saints, p. 93)
Then, regarding the consecration, performed by supernatural power, the people are first of all excited to devotion in the "Preface," hence they are admonished "to lift up their hearts to the Lord," (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
The Mass is the highest work of contemplation that can be. And so the priest raises his hands, as to fly, and he says, Sursum corda. And the people reply, “We are already holding them before our Lord.”(St. Vincent Ferrer, qtd. in The Mass and the Saints, p. 93)
At Benedictus he blesses himself.
Therefore when the "Preface" is ended the people devoutly praise Christ's Godhead, saying with the angels: "Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus"; and His humanity, saying with the children: "Blessed is he that cometh." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
Therefore when the "Preface" is ended the people devoutly praise Christ's Godhead, saying with the angels: "Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus"; and His humanity, saying with the children: "Blessed is he that cometh." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
With his hands joined, the celebrant, profoundly inclined, begins in the low voice:
at uti accepta habeas, he stands erect at the first word;
at benedicas, he lays his left hand on the altar and with his right hand he makes over the host and chalice the three crosses as marked in the missal. These crosses are made with only the first three fingers of the right hand. These three fingers are joined and extended while the last two fingers are bent in toward the palm.
dona, múnera, sancta sacrifícia illibáta:Having made the third cross at Haec sancta sacrificia illibata, he joins his hands before his breast and continues:
The priest, in celebrating the mass, makes use of the sign of the cross to signify Christ's Passion which was ended upon the cross. Now, Christ's Passion was accomplished in certain stages. First of all there was Christ's betrayal, which was the work of God, of Judas, and of the Jews; and this is signified by the triple sign of the cross at the words, "Haec + dona, haec + munera, haec + sancta sacrificia illibata." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 5, ad 3.)
The priest, in celebrating the mass, makes use of the sign of the cross to signify Christ's Passion which was ended upon the cross. Now, Christ's Passion was accomplished in certain stages. First of all there was Christ's betrayal, which was the work of God, of Judas, and of the Jews; and this is signified by the triple sign of the cross at the words, "Haec + dona, haec + munera, haec + sancta sacrificia illibata." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 5, ad 3.)
After Papa nostro, he inserts the name of the reigning Pontiff; but if the Holy See is vacant, the foregoing words are omitted.
After Antistite nostro, he supplies the name of the bishop in whose diocese he is celebrating; he does not insert the name of any other superior. If the See is vacant, the words are omitted. The words Rege nostro are omitted in America.
In the Memento Domine, at the letters N. et N., the priest lowers his eyes (but not his head). Here he is allowed a brief pause in which re recalls (mentally not verbally), those whom he wishes specially to commend to God. Our Caeremoniale permits only “a brief pause,” not a prolonged one...
The priest makes a "commemoration," first of those for whom this sacrifice is offered, namely, for the whole Church, and "for those set in high places" (1 Timothy 2:2), and, in a special manner, of them "who offer, or for whom the mass is offered." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
The priest makes a "commemoration," first of those for whom this sacrifice is offered, namely, for the whole Church, and "for those set in high places" (1 Timothy 2:2), and, in a special manner, of them "who offer, or for whom the mass is offered." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
At Communicantes, the priest once more elevates and extends his hands. At the names of Mary and Jesus, he makes a moderate bow.
At Per eumdem Christum, he joins his hands and makes a moderate bow.
He once more opens his hands and begins:
He does not join his hands at the termination: Per Christum, etc., nor does he bow.
The priest commemorates the saints, invoking their patronage for those mentioned above, when he says: "Communicantes et memoriam venerantes," etc. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
Here the Canon comes to the third form of communion, which is more hidden than the other two. Therefore, it expressly states that we are in communion with the saints in heaven by the sacrament of the altar: for what they see in plain truth, we approach through the appearance of the sacrament.(St. Albert the Great, qtd. in The Mass and the Saints, p. 117)
The priest commemorates the saints, invoking their patronage for those mentioned above, when he says: "Communicantes et memoriam venerantes," etc. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
Here the Canon comes to the third form of communion, which is more hidden than the other two. Therefore, it expressly states that we are in communion with the saints in heaven by the sacrament of the altar: for what they see in plain truth, we approach through the appearance of the sacrament.(St. Albert the Great, qtd. in The Mass and the Saints, p. 117)
The priest concludes the petition when he says: "Hanc igitur oblationem," etc., in order that the oblation may be salutary to them for whom it is offered. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
The priest concludes the petition when he says: "Hanc igitur oblationem," etc., in order that the oblation may be salutary to them for whom it is offered. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
At Quam oblationem, he lays his left hand on the altar; with his right hand he makes three crosses in the customary way over the chalice and host.
Q
uam oblatiónem tu, Deus, in ómnibus,
bene díctam, adscríp tam, ra tam, rationábilem, acceptabilémque fácere dignéris: ut nobis (one cross over the host and one over the chalice) Cor pus et San guis fiat dilectíssimi Fílii tui Dómini nostri (moderate bow) Jesu Christi.
Christ was sold to the Priests, to the Scribes, and to the Pharisees: and to signify this the threefold sign of the cross is repeated, at the words, "benedictam, adscriptam, ratam." Or again, to signify the price for which He was sold, viz. thirty pieces of silver. And a double cross is added at the words—"ut nobis Corpus et Sanguis fiat," etc., to signify the person of Judas the seller, and of Christ Who was sold. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 5, ad 3)
Christ was sold to the Priests, to the Scribes, and to the Pharisees: and to signify this the threefold sign of the cross is repeated, at the words, "benedictam, adscriptam, ratam." Or again, to signify the price for which He was sold, viz. thirty pieces of silver. And a double cross is added at the words—"ut nobis Corpus et Sanguis fiat," etc., to signify the person of Judas the seller, and of Christ Who was sold. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 5, ad 3)
Then the priest comes to the consecration itself. Here he asks first of all for the effect of the consecration, when he says: "Quam oblationem tu Deus," etc. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
Then the priest comes to the consecration itself. Here he asks first of all for the effect of the consecration, when he says: "Quam oblationem tu Deus," etc. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, resp.)
It is not unfitting for us to ask God to do what we most certainly know he will do. Still, it seems that [at these words] the priest prays not that the consecration would occur, but that it would be fruitful for us, saying significantly "ut nobis Corpus et Sanguis fiat" ["that it would become for us the Body and Blood"]. This is the meaning of the words "Hanc oblationem . . . facere digneris benedictam" ["Vouchsafe to make this oblation blessed"]. According to Augustine (Paschasius, De Corp. et Sang. Dom. xii), this is so "that we may receive a blessing [benedictam]," namely, through grace; "adscriptam, i.e., that we may be enrolled in heaven; ratam, i.e., that we may be incorporated in Christ; rationabilem, i.e., that we may be stripped of our animal sense; acceptabilemque, i.e., that we who in ourselves are displeasing, may, by its means, be made acceptable to His only Son." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, ad 7)
Five things are said to distinguish this oblation from the ancient ones. The ancient oblations were empty of grace, and so no blessing flowed from them. They were not enrolled [adscriptam] for an everlasting memorial; they were invented by men, or ordained by God to keep men from idols. The old oblations were not established [ratam], but were proved on many accounts to be deficient. They were not rational [rationabilem], and so were overthrown, and they were never acceptable [acceptabilemque] to the heart of God.(St. Albert the Great, qtd. in The Mass and the Saints, p. 125)
It is not unfitting for us to ask God to do what we most certainly know he will do. Still, it seems that [at these words] the priest prays not that the consecration would occur, but that it would be fruitful for us, saying significantly "ut nobis Corpus et Sanguis fiat" ["that it would become for us the Body and Blood"]. This is the meaning of the words "Hanc oblationem . . . facere digneris benedictam" ["Vouchsafe to make this oblation blessed"]. According to Augustine (Paschasius, De Corp. et Sang. Dom. xii), this is so "that we may receive a blessing [benedictam]," namely, through grace; "adscriptam, i.e., that we may be enrolled in heaven; ratam, i.e., that we may be incorporated in Christ; rationabilem, i.e., that we may be stripped of our animal sense; acceptabilemque, i.e., that we who in ourselves are displeasing, may, by its means, be made acceptable to His only Son." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4, ad 7)
Five things are said to distinguish this oblation from the ancient ones. The ancient oblations were empty of grace, and so no blessing flowed from them. They were not enrolled [adscriptam] for an everlasting memorial; they were invented by men, or ordained by God to keep men from idols. The old oblations were not established [ratam], but were proved on many accounts to be deficient. They were not rational [rationabilem], and so were overthrown, and they were never acceptable [acceptabilemque] to the heart of God.(St. Albert the Great, qtd. in The Mass and the Saints, p. 125)
Five times does the priest turn round towards the people, to denote that our Lord manifested Himself five times on the day of His Resurrection, as stated above in the treatise on Christ's Resurrection (III, q. 55, a. 3, Obj. 3). But the priest greets the people seven times, namely, five times, by turning round to the people, and twice without turning round, namely, when he says, "Dominus vobiscum" before the "Preface," and again when he says, "May the peace of the Lord be ever with you": and this is to denote the sevenfold grace of the Holy Ghost. (St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 5, ad 6)