| Solemn Mass |
Article Index for Solemn |
Website Links For Mass |
Information AboutSolemn Mass |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SOLEMN MASS | |
| catholic mass | |
| tridentine mass | |
| anglican eucharistic theology | |
|
The book ''Ceremonial for the Use of the Catholic Churches in the United States of America'' (commonly called the Baltimore Ceremonial), published upon the request of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, used the term ''High Mass'' of a sung Mass, even without deacon and subdeacon. The general usage agrees instead with the definition given in the article "Liturgy of the Mass" of the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'': "the essence of high Mass is not the music but the deacon and subdeacon." ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (Fourth Edition, 2000) also defines "High Mass" as "A Mass in which the celebrant is assisted by a deacon and a subdeacon and accompanied by acolytes, a thurifer, and a choir."[http://www.bartleby.com/61/74/H0197400.html The site Liturgical Terms in Music likewise describes High Mass and Missa Solemnis as "The full ceremonial form of the Choral Mass", distinguishing it from Missa Cantata, which it defines as "A choral Mass minus the Deacon and Subdeacon who participate in the High Mass" Other sites give similar definitions: "High Mass is sung, with a Priest, a Deacon and a sub-Deacon participating"; "A Mass in which the celebrant is assisted by a deacon and a subdeacon and accompanied by acolytes, a thurifer, and a choir";[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/High+Mass "Mass with incense, music, the assistance of a deacon, subdeacon, etc."[http://dict.die.net/high%20mass/] IMPORTANCE WITHIN THE TRIDENTINE MASS The article on the Liturgy of the Mass in the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' has this to say about Solemn or High Mass: :This high Mass is the norm; it is only in the complete rite with deacon and subdeacon that the ceremonies can be understood. Thus, the rubrics of the Ordinary of the Mass always suppose that the Mass is high. Low Mass, said by a priest alone with one server, is a shortened and simplified form of the same thing. Its ritual can be explained only by a reference to high Mass. For instance, the celebrant goes over to the north side of the altar to read the Gospel, because that is the side to which the deacon goes in procession at high Mass; he turns round always by the right, because at high Mass he should not turn his back to the deacon and so on. {Link without Title} With the reform of the Mass liturgy after the Second Vatican Council the rigid gradations of Mass into High and Low and other variations was abolished, allowing flexibility with regard to the amount of music and the number of priests participating (see Post-Tridentine Mass ). Naturally, the old distinctions continue to be observed where Mass is still celebrated in the Tridentine form of the Roman Rite , whether with or without canonical approval. VESTMENTS See also Vestment . In the Sacristy , before vesting, all three sacred ministers (priest Celebrant , deacon, and subdeacon) wash their hands. The subdeacon and deacon arrive a bit earlier than the celebrant so that they may be vested and ready to help the celebrant when he arrives in the Sacristy . While the deacon and sub-deacon vest, the first and second Acolytes , respectively, help them. The sacred ministers recite certain prayers while they place on each new piece of clothing. First, the amice (a rectangular cloth of linen with long strings for tying) is kissed (if it is embroidered with a cross) and then placed on top of the head briefly while reciting one of the prayers during vesting. Then it is tied around the shoulders on top of the cassock (or on top of the habit, if the sacred ministers belongs to a Religious Order with one). Next the alb (a long linen tunic with sleeves) is put on. The cincture (in Latin , ''cinctura''), a long cloth cord also called a girdle, is then tied around the waist. The subdeacon then completes his vesting by placing the maniple (an embroidered piece of fabric, folded in half, with a cross in the middle) on his left arm (provided there is no Asperges or other liturgical ceremony before Mass begins), securing it either with pins or with the elastic inside, and then the tunicle (an embroidered tunic with short sleeves) over all. The deacon places his stole (a long narrow embroidered piece of cloth, similar to the maniple but of greater length) over his left shoulder and binds it in place, at his right hip, with the cincture or girdle. He then puts on the maniple and his dalmatic (similar to the tunicle). The priest celebrant does the same except that he crosses his stole in front of him at the waist, binding it with the girdle or cincture. After the maniple he puts on the chasuble (similar to the tunicle, but without sleeves and usually with an embroidered cross or image on the back) or, if there is to be some additional liturgical function before Mass, a cope (a long, heavy embroidered cape). The servers of the Mass (Master of Ceremonies, acolytes, Thurifer , torch-bearers) and the clergy sitting in the liturgical choir stalls are vested in cassock (the ankle-length black robe with buttons, usually seen on priests and altar servers) and surplice (a flowing white tunic with sleeves) or cotta (a shorter version of the surplice). The higher clergy (anyone ordained to the subdiaconate or above) also wear the biretta (a four-cornered hat with a pom-pom on top in the center and three fins on top around the edges) while sitting. Members of religious orders in habit have on a surplice over the habit. If it is part of their "choir dress", they also use the biretta. If not, then they use their hood in the same fashion as one uses a biretta. MUSIC The typical music of Solemn High Mass is Gregorian Chant . However, a wide variety of musical settings of the Ordinary Of The Mass have been composed over the centuries, and may be used instead. There are also several musical settings for the propers of Masses on seasons and feast days and for certain votive Masses. An example is William Byrd 's setting of the proper for the Lady Mass in Advent . Despite the ban imposed by Pope St. Pius X on almost all sacred music composed after the Renaissance, nowadays there seems to be widespread toleration for a variety of musical settings for the Ordinary Of The Mass . It is now not so rare to see a choir and chamber orchestra performing a Mozart Mass setting. The music of the Mass is typically performed by a choir made up of lay men and women (though in churches run by religious orders it is often made up of their members.) The choir, at least if monastic, was traditionally placed close to the altar. However, with the appearance of elaborate musical settings of the Ordinary Of The Mass it became necessary to employ lay singers, and with this innovation, the choir moved first from the front of the church up to galleries on the sides of the church and then finally to a loft in the back. This in turn allowed musical instruments, besides the organ, to be employed in the music. The entirety of High or Solemn Mass is sung. It is considered by Catholics to be a continuous song in praise of God for sending His own son to redeem us. Mass is also a "re-presentation" (making present again) of the Holy Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for mankind. Someone without the religious sensibilities of Catholics might rather describe High Mass as, "an opera of praise to God, with God as the sole member of the audience." STRUCTURE The ceremonies begin when the Master of Ceremonies rings the bell. The porter opens the sacristy door and the servers and ministers leave the sacristy and enter the church in the following manner: first the thurifer carrying his thurible and boat (or the aspersorium is the Asperges is to be had); next come the acolytes carrying their candles (the custom in Northern European and English-speaking countries is to have a crucifer holding a processional cross walking between the acolytes); the Master of Ceremonies comes next, finally the three sacred ministers single file in order of precedence (or on either side of the celebrant if he is wearing the cope for some exrta-liturgical ceremony before the Mass, such as the Asperges. The deacon and sub-deacon should be holding the ends of the cope.)
SEE ALSO |
|
|