The Vesting of the Celebrant

After the priest has completed his preparation for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he takes the missal and marks the proper places. Then he washes his hands, saying:

Da, Domine, virtutem manibus meis, ad abstergendam omnem maculam; Ut sine pollutione mentis et corporis valeam tibi servire, Amen.

He now prepares the chalice. (The celebrant, not the sacristan, prepares the chalice for a Low Mass. In the Solemn Mass, it is the subdeacon.) Wiping it carefully with a clean purificator, he places the purificator over the mouth of the chalice; over this, he sets the paten with a host. Over the paten, he places the pall and veil, and upon the veil the burse containing the corporal. The opening or mouth of the burse should be toward the priest when he is carrying the chalice.

The veil is arranged in such a way that it completely conceals the chalice on one side; on the opposite side, the veil is folded back over the mouth of the burse.

The priest is now ready to vest. He first draws the cowl over his head. He then blesses himself saying:

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen.

Taking the amice by the two upper corners as it lays on the vesting table, he makes with his thumb a cross in the center of the amice and leaning over, kisses it, saying:

Impone Domine, capiti meo galeam salutis, ad expugnandos omnes diabolicos incursus. Amen.

The amice should cover the entire top of the head. He crosses the strings in front, passes them around his body under the arms and brings them again to the front where he ties them. He next puts on the alb, saying:

Dealba me, Domine, et munda cor meum, ut in Sanguine Agni dealbatus, gaudiis perfruar sempiternis. Amen.

While girding himself with the cincture, he recites the prayer:

Praecinge me, Domine, cingulo puritatis et exstingue in lumbis meis humorem libidinis, ut maneat in me virtus continentiae et castitatis. Amen.

He should take care that the alb hangs evenly all around, to the height of about one inch from the ground.

Picking up the maniple, the priest kisses it at the cross in the middle and puts it on his left forearm, saying:

Merear, Domine portare manipulum fletus et doloris, ut cum exsultatione recipiam mercedem laboris. Amen.

He takes the stole in both hands, kisses the cross in the center and puts it about his neck, crossing the right half of the stole over the left; he secures the ends on either side by looping the cincture over them, saying:

Redde mihi, Domine, obsecro stolam immortalitatis, quam perdidi in praevaricatione primi parentis: et quamvis indignus accedo ad tuum sacrum mysterium merear tamen gaudium sempiternum. Amen.

Finally he puts on the chasuble, saying:

Domine qui dixisti: Jugum meum suave est et onus meum leve: fac, ut istud portare sic valeam, quod consequar tuam gratiam. Amen.

The Procession to the Altar

The Priest now takes the chalice by the node with his left hand and lays his right hand on the burse so that his thumb touches the chalice. (He may carry the tabernacle key on top of the burse, but all else is forbidden – e.g., eye-glasses, handkerchief, etc.). With his head covered by cowl and amice, the priest makes a moderate bow to the cross in the sacristy and, following his server, proceeds with religious dignity to the altar, walking at a moderate pace, without gazing around the church but keeping his eyes cast down. (In fact, whenever the priest faces the people during the Mass – except while preaching, he keeps his eyes cast down.) He should use these moments on his way to the altar to ask God most earnestly to make him worthy of the great act he is about to perform.

If the sacristy is behind the altar, the priest comes out on the Gospel side and returns to the sacristy by the Epistle side.