Posted on 07/29/2015 6:27:44 AM PDT by Salvation
In tomorrow’s blog I will be looking at a few of the “prefaces” we use at Mass (these occur just before the Holy, Holy, Holy (Sanctus)). As a preface to speaking about those prefaces tomorrow, today I would like to consider the purpose of the preface and the dialogue that precedes it.
For, indeed, a short dialogue happens in the Mass just after the prayer over the gifts and before the singing of the Sanctus. It is called the “preface dialogue” and it is really quite remarkable in its sweeping vision and its heavenly call. Here is the dialogue, along with a rather literal translation. Pay particular attention to the second dialogue.
This is a fairly familiar dialogue to be sure. But to some extent, it fails to take wing because of the rather earthbound notion that most moderns have of the Mass. Very few attending Mass today think much of the heavenly liturgy. Rather, they are focused on their parish Church, the priest in front of them, and the people around them.
But this is NOT an adequate vision for the Mass. In the end, there is only one liturgy: the one in Heaven. There is only one altar: the one in Heaven. There is only one High Priest: Jesus in Heaven. In the Mass, we are swept up into the heavenly liturgy. There, with myriad angels and saints we worship the Father through Jesus, with Jesus, and in Jesus.
So, what is the celebrant really inviting us to do when he says, “Lift up your hearts”? He invites us to go to Heaven! But remember, the priest is in persona Christi. Hence when he speaks it is really the Lord Jesus who speaks, making use of the voice of the priest. And what does the Lord really say to us in the magnificent dialogue and preface that follow? Allow me to elaborate on the fuller meaning of this text.
“Let your hearts be taken up! Come and go with me to the altar that is in Heaven where I, Jesus the great High Priest, with all the members of my body, render perfect thanks to God the Father! You are no longer on earth; your hearts have been swept aloft into the great liturgy of Heaven! Come up higher. By the power of my words you are able to come up higher! Since you have been raised to new life in Christ, seek the things that are above where I am at my Father’s right hand. Come up now and enter the heavenly liturgy. Hearts aloft!”
The congregation’s response is meant to be a joyful acknowledgment and acceptance of the Lord’s action in summoning us to the heavenly liturgy. Here, too, allow me to elaborate:
“We have our hearts lifted to the Lord. We have entered the heavenly Liturgy by the power of your grace, for you, our head, have taken us, the members of your body, there. We are in the heavenly realms with you, worshipping the Father and giving him perfect thanks and praise. It is right and just that we should do this through you, with you, and in you!
Then the celebrant sings (or says) the preface, wherein some specific things for which we are thankful are enumerated. The text of the preface changes based on the season, or the saint, or the feast of the day.
The prefaces are remarkable summaries of salvation history, of what God has done for us. They announce beautifully some aspect of God’s grace for which we are grateful and thus entering into this great act of thanksgiving (Eucharistia).
Linguistically, the prefaces are minor masterpieces, especially in the Latin, where they make use of creative word order and subordinate clauses. They are succinct and they masterfully sum up certain aspects of salvation history.
The preface always ends in this or a similar manner: and so with angels and archangels, with thrones and dominions, and with all the hosts and powers of Heaven we sing the hymn of your glory as without end we acclaim, Holy, Holy, Holy … And by this, we are reminded that our worship is caught up into the heavenly liturgy where our voices join innumerable angels and saints in the glorious act of praise. We are in Heaven! Our hearts (our very selves) are aloft!
In tomorrow’s post I will present and examine a few examples of the Sunday prefaces we use at this time of the year.
Monsignor Pope Ping!
We do this at least every Sunday. Chanted. Lutheran Church. It is true that the Office places Christ Jesus before His people. TV is no substitute for being present in the local parish.
Prefaces??!!
No. Twenty minutes of sermon - on a weekday, and a, ‘this is the Lamb of God’ for consecration. Same on Sunday followed by ten minutes of prepping the extraordinary ministers then ten minutes of announcements with applause. Jokes
I go for Eucharist. The consecration is nothing in the contemporary mass
So, what is the celebrant really inviting us to do when he says, “Lift up your hearts”? He invites us to go to Heaven
***
Such a wonderful explanation!
I had never thought of this in this way, but I will henceforth.
Likewise, after a Msgr. Pope piece that you pinged me to not too long ago, I have been paying closer attention to the Collect as he recommended.
Thanks, FRiend.
This is after the sermon and before the consecration. It is all leading up to the consecration of the Eucharist.
Holy, Holy, Holy
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
follow the preface.
**The consecration is nothing in the contemporary mass**
Why do you say this.
It’s a priest, acting in persona Christi, consecrating the bread and wine. It happens in a traditional Mass too.
**The congregation’s response is meant to be a joyful acknowledgment and acceptance of the Lord’s action in summoning us to the heavenly liturgy.**
I’ve always thought of the angels being all around us during the Mass. We just can’t see them!
I truly believe they are there.
Pretty in Latin...sublime in Greek (whence you folks got it)!
"Priest: Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος εἴη μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.
People: Καὶ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου.
Priest: Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας.
People: Ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον.
Priest: Εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ.
People: Ἄξιον καὶ δίκαιον."
The preface starts after hosanna in the highest. Follow. They skip it
I’m saying that they skip the preface taking away from the reverence of the consecration devoting more time to silliness. Th e consecration is everything. They try to downplay it is what I meant
Not always chanted, but said at every weekday Mass too.
The Novus Ordo does not skip the preface at all.
Are you saying that the Tridentine does skip it?
No. I’m saying the priests choose to skip it
Then do you experience an illicit Mass because things are left out?
No I do not. I go for Eucharist and mass. The rest are distractions. The state of the church here is likely a reflection of that. And I refuse to applaud for anything at mass.
Prayers and best wishes for you. May God guide you on your journey!
No, but if a person cannot leave home, or wherever they may be, at least they are exposed to it. In our case, when such a situation arises, a person can watch on TV, and, ideally, an extra-ordinary minister can bring them Communion.
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