The Canon: Communion and Dismissal

Here he shall elevate the chalice as high as his chest, or above his head, saying:

As oft as ye shall do these things, ye shall do them in remembrance of me.

Here he shall replace the chalice, and rub his fingers over it, in case of any crumbs, and cover the chalice. Then he shall raise his arms in the form of a cross, with his fingers joined until the words “of thy gifts and bounties.”

Wherefore also, O Lord, we thy servants, together with thy holy people, calling to mind both the blessed passion of the same Christ, thy Son, our Lord God, and also his resurrection from the dead, together with his glorious ascension into heaven, offer to thy most excellent majesty of thy gifts and bounties.

Here five crosses shall be made, the first three crosses over the host and chalice, at the words

a pure offering, a holy offering, a spotless offering,

The fourth cross over the bread, at the words

the holy bread of eternal life,

The fifth cross over the chalice, at the words

and the chalice of everlasting salvation. Upon which do thou vouchsafe to look with a favourable and gracious countenance, and to accept them as thou didst vouchsafe to accept the gifts of thy righteous servant Abel, the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham, and the holy sacrifice, the pure oblation, which thy high priest Melchisedech offered unto thee.

¹ Warren's note discusses the phrase “in my memorial”; ² Hostia may be translated “host” or “sacrifice”; ³ Justi refers to a class of saints commemorated in Western liturgies and litanies.

Here shall the priest incline his body and cross his hands, while he says, “We humbly beseech thee” as far as the words, “by partaking at this Altar.” And then he shall raise himself, kissing the Altar on the right of the sacrifice, and shall make the sign of the cross over the host, and over the chalice, and on his face, while he says the words “all heavenly benediction.”

We humbly beseech thee, almighty God, command these gifts to be borne by the hands of thy holy angel to thy altar on high, in the presence of thy divine majesty, that as many of us

Here he shall raise himself, and kiss the altar on the right of the sacrifice, saying:

as shall by partaking at this Altar receive the most sacred

Here he shall make the sign of the cross over the host, saying,

body

and over the chalice,

and blood of thy Son, may be fulfilled

Here he shall sign himself on his face, saying:

with all heavenly benediction and grace, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here shall he pray for the dead.

Remember also, O Lord, the souls of thy servants and handmaidens N. and N., who have gone before us with the sign of faith, and sleep the sleep of peace; to them, O Lord, and to all who

rest in Christ, we pray thee that thou wouldest grant a place of refreshment, light and peace. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here shall he strike his breast once, saying:

To us, also, thy sinful servants, who hope in the multitude of thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some part and fellowship with thy holy apostles and martyrs, with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cæcilia, Anastasia, and with all thy saints, into whose company do thou admit us, we beseech thee, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences. Through Christ our Lord.

“Amen” is not said here.

By whom, O Lord, thou ever createst.

Here the priest shall make the sign of the cross over the chalice thrice, saying:

sanctifiest, quickenest, blessest, and bestowest upon us all these good things.

Here let the priest uncover the chalice, and make the sign of the cross over it five times with the host: firstly, beyond the chalice, on either side; secondly, level with the chalice; thirdly, below the chalice; fourthly, as firstly; fifthly, before the chalice.

Through him, and with him, and in him, all honour and glory are unto thee, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost.

Here the priest shall cover the chalice, and keep his hands upon the Altar until “Our Father” etc. is said, saying thus:

For ever and ever. Amen.

Let us pray.

Admonished by saving precepts, and directed by divine institution, we are bold to say.

Here shall the deacon receive the paten, and hold it up uncovered, with his arm extended on high, on the right-hand side of the priest; until the words “Graciously give peace in our days” etc. Then shall the priest raise his hands, and say:

Deliver us, we beseech thee, O Lord, from all evils, past, present, and future, and at the intercession of the blessed, and glorious, and ever-virgin Mary, mother of God, and of thy blessed apostles, Peter, and Paul, and Andrew, with all saints.

Here the deacon shall give the paten to the priest, kissing his hand; and the priest shall kiss the paten; afterwards he shall place it before his left eye, and then before his right eye; after which he shall make the sign of the cross with the paten over his head, and then he shall replace it in position, saying:

Graciously give peace in our days, that aided by the help of thy lovingkindness, we may both be ever free from sin, and secure from all disquietude.

¹ Warren identifies this expansion of the last petition in the Pater Noster as the Embolismus.

Here he shall uncover the chalice, and take the body with an inclination, placing it over the bowl of the chalice, holding it between his thumbs and forefingers, and breaking it into three portions, saying at the first fraction:

Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son,

At the second fraction,

Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God,

Here he shall hold the two broken portions in his left hand, and the third broken portion in his right hand on the top of the chalice, and shall say in a loud voice:

For ever and ever.

The quire answering:

Amen.

Here he shall make three crosses inside the chalice with the third portion of the host, saying:

At the saying of “Agnus Dei,” the deacon and the subdeacon shall approach the priest, both of them on his right side, the deacon being the nearer, and the subdeacon the more remote, and shall say privately:

¹ Warren notes that the episcopal form of blessing, with its ritual, is not referred to here.

In masses for the dead it is said thus:

With the addition of “eternal” before “rest” in the third repetition thereof.

Here, making the sign of the cross, he shall place the aforesaid third portion of the host in the sacrament of the blood, saying thus:

Let this most holy commixture of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be to me and to all who receive it health of mind and body, and a salutary preparation for worthily attaining unto eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Before the pax is given, the priest shall say:

O Lord, holy Father, almighty everlasting God, grant me so worthily to receive this most holy body and blood of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, that I may thereby be found fit to obtain remission of all my sins, and to be filled with thy Holy Spirit, and to have thy peace; because thou art God alone, and there is none other beside thee, whose kingdom and glorious dominion abideth for ever, world without end. Amen.

Here the priest shall kiss the corporals on the right side, and the top of the chalice, and afterwards the deacon, saying:

¹ Warren observes that this prayer seems to be Mozarabic.

The deacon on the right side of the priest shall receive the pax from him, and shall hand it to the subdeacon. Then the deacon himself shall carry the pax to the rulers of the quire at the step of the quire, and they shall carry the pax to the quire, each to his own side, beginning with the seniors. But on feasts and weekdays, when the quire is not ruled, the pax shall be carried from the deacon to the quire, by the two end members of the second rank; the rest as before.

After the pax has been given, the priest shall say the following prayers privately, before he communicates himself, holding the host in both hands:

¹ Salvator mundi, “Saviour of the world,” is identified by Warren as a Hispano-Gallican phrase which has been dropped in R.

Let not the sacrament of thy body and blood, O Lord Jesu Christ, which I although unworthy receive, be unto me for judgment and condemnation, but may it through thy goodness be profitable to my salvation both in body and soul. Amen.

Then shall he humbly say to the body before he receives it:

Here he shall receive the body, having first made a cross with the body before his mouth.

Then let him look at the blood with great devotion, saying:

Here he shall receive the blood, and after receiving it the priest shall incline, and say with devotion the following prayer.

¹ Warren notes that the first salutation is Mozarabic and that the rubric may imply an act of prostration.

I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty everlasting God, who hast refreshed me with the most holy body and blood of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ; and I pray that this sacrament of our salvation, which I, an unworthy sinner, have received, may not turn to my judgment or condemnation, according to my deserts; but to the preservation of my body and soul unto eternal life. Amen.

After this has been said, the priest shall go to the right side of the altar with the chalice between his hands, and his fingers still joined as before; and the subdeacon shall approach and pour wine and water into the chalice; and the priest shall rinse his hands, lest any relics of the body or blood remain on his fingers, or in the chalice.

When, however, any priest has to celebrate twice on one day, then at the first mass he ought not to take any ablution, but to place it in the aumbry, or in a clean vessel until the end of the second mass, when both ablutions should be taken together.

After the first ablution this prayer is said:

What we have partaken of with our mouth, O Lord, may we receive with a pure heart, and from a temporal gift may it be made to us an everlasting remedy.

Here he shall wash his fingers in the bowl of the chalice with wine poured in by the subdeacon, and after it has been drunk this prayer shall follow.

Let this communion, O Lord, cleanse us from sin, and make us to be partakers of heavenly healing.

After receiving the ablution, the priest shall place the chalice on the paten, so that if anything remain in the former it may drain off on to the latter. And afterwards, inclining himself, he shall say:

Let us adore the sign of the cross: whereby we have received the sacrament of salvation.

Then the priest shall wash his hands, the deacon in the meanwhile folding the corporals. After the priest has washed his hands, and returned to the right side of the Altar, the deacon shall hold the chalice to the mouth of the priest, for him to drink, if there remain anything therein to be consumed. Afterwards the priest shall say the Communion with his ministers; then making the sign of the cross on his face, he shall turn to the people, and slightly raising his arms, and joining his hands, he shall say:

And again returning to the altar, he shall say:

Then he shall say the Postcommunion, after the same number and order as the Collects said before the Epistle. When he has finished the last Postcommunion, and has made the sign of the cross upon his forehead, the priest shall turn himself again to the people, and shall say:

Then shall the deacon say:

But at other times the words used are:

Whenever “Depart, the mass is finished” is said, it is always said turning to the people, and whenever “Let us bless the Lord” or “May they rest in peace” is to be said, it is said turning to the altar. When these have been said, the priest, inclining his body and joining his hands, standing in the midst before the altar, shall say this Collect, silently.

¹ Warren notes that Ite, missa est has an uncertain exact translation; it may be “Depart, the congregation is dismissed.”