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the altar, and sign the Host and Chalice thrice with the sign of the cross?

A. He kisseth the altar, to show the kiss of peace which Christ gave us, by reconciling us to God in his own blood. He signeth the host and chalice thrice to signify that our redemption, made upon the cross, was done by the will of the Holy Trinity.

Q. What meaneth the Memento Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum, "Remember, O Lord, thy servants, men and women, &c. ?"

A. It is a commemoration of the living, in which the priest remembers by name such as he intends chiefly to say mass for, and then in general, all present and all the faithful, beseeching God by virtue of the sacrifice to bless them, and be mercifully mindful of them.

Q. What means the communicantes et memoriam vene rantes, &c. communicating and venerating the memory, &c.? A. It is an exercise of our communion with the Saints, in which having recounted the name of the blessed Virgin Mary, and many other glorious saints, we beg of God, by their merits and intercession, to grant us the assistance of his protection in all things.

Q. What signifies the hanc igitur oblationem, "this offering therefore of our servitude, &c." when the priest spreads his hands over the host and chalice?

A. It is an earnest begging of God to accept the sacrifice that is presented to be offered for the safety of the whole church, and salvation of all from eternal damnation.

Q. What meaneth qui pridie quam pateretur, "who the day before he suffered, &c. ?"

A. It is but a repetition and representation of what Christ did at his last supper, where he took bread, blessed it, &c. and immediately precedes the words of consecration spoken by the priest, by which he sacrificeth to God.

Q. What are the words of consecration?

A. HOC EST CORPUS MEUM, &c. THIS IS MY BODY: THIS IS THE CUP OF MY BLOOD, OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL TESTAMENT: A MYSTERY OF FAITH, WHICH SHALL BE SHED POR YOU, AND FOR MANY, 10 THE REMISSION OF SINS. Matt. 26, 27, 28.

-Q. What mean these words?

A. They signify, according to the letter, what they effect and cause, viz. a change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

Q. Why, after consecration of the host, doth the priest kneel and adore?

A. He kneels and adores, to give sovereign honour to Christ, and signify the real presence of his body and blood in the blessed sacrament which he then holds in his hand.

Q. Why, after consecration of the wine, doth the priest kneel and adore, saying, Hæc quoties cumque feceritis, &c. that is, "As often as you shall do these things, you shall do them in remembrance of me ?" 1 Cor. xi. 25.

A. He kneels and a lores, to give sovereign honour to Christ, and to signify the real presence of Christ's body and blood in the chalice, then on the Altar, and he speaks these words to signify, that as often as we say or hear mass, and offer up this sacrifice, we must do it as Christ hath commanded us, in memory of his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension; and therefore he goes on, beseeching God by all those mysteries to look propitiously upon our holy and immaculate host, as he did upon the sacrifices of Abraham, Abel and Melchisedech, and to replenish all that partake thereof with heavenly grace and benediction.

Q. Why, after consecration of each, doth the priest elevate, or lift up the consecrated host, and also the chalice?

A. That all the people may adore Christ present, as also to signify, that for our sins his body was lifted on the cross and his blood shed.

Q. For what other end doth he elevate the host and chalice? A. That he, with the whole multitude, may make oblations of Christ's body and blood unto God, which after consecration is one of the most essential parts of the whole service of the mass, and signifies that oblation, wherewith Christ offered himself unto God upon the altar of the cross.

Q. Why then doth he again sign the offerings five times with the sign of the cross?

A. To signify the five wounds of Christ, which he represents to the eternal Father for us.

Q. What means the memento?

A. It is a commemoration of the dead; in which the priest first nominates those for whom he intends especially to apply the sacrifice; and then prays in general for all the faithful departed, beseeching God, by virtue of that sacrifice, to give them rest, refreshment, and everlasting life.

Q. Why, after the momento for the dead, doth the priest elevate or raise his voice, saying, Nobis quoque peccatoribus, "and to us sinners also, &c. ?"

A. In memory of the supplication of the penitent thief, made to Christ on the cross; that so we also (though unworthy sinners) by the virtue of the sacrifice, may, with him and all the holy saints, be marle partakers of the heavenly kingdom.

Q. Why, uncovering the chalice, doth he sign it five times with the host?

A. His uncovering the chalice is to signify, that at the death of Christ the veil of the temple was rent asunder. The three crosses made over the chalice, signify the three hours which Christ hung dead on the cross; the other two made at the brim of the chalice, signifying the blood and water flowing from his side.

Q. Why is the host divided into three parts?

A. To signify the division of our Saviour's soul and body made on the cross.

Q. Why after this doth he sign the Chalice three times with a particle of the host, and raise his voice, saying, Pax Domini, &c. "The peace of our Lord be always with you?"

A. To signify the frequent voice of Christ to his disciples, Pax vobis," Peace be with you."

Q. Why then is the particle of the host put into the chalice?

A. To signify the reuniting of our Saviour's body, blood, and soul, made at his resurrection; as also to signify, that we cannot partake of the blood and merits of Christ, unless we partake of his cup of sufferings.

Q. Why is the Agnus Dei, or lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, said with a loud voice?

A. To commemorate the glory of our Saviour's ascension, and to signify that he was slain like an innocent lamb to take away our sins and give us peace.

Q. Why is the Pax, or kiss of peace, given before communion?

A. To signify, that peace and mutual charity, which ought to be among the faithful, who all eat of one bread of the Eucharist, and are all members of one mystical body.

Q. What means the three prayers said by the priest before the communion?

A. They are said in honour of the blessed Trinity. In the first he begs peace for the whole church, and perfect charity among all christians. In the second, he beseecheth God, by the body and blood of Christ, (which he is there about to receive) to free him from all evil. In the third,

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that it may not prove to his damnation and judgment by an unworthy receiving of it, but to the defence and safety of his soul and body. And this immediately precedes the communion of the host and chalice, which is another of the most essential parts of the whole service of the mass.

Q. What signifies the consummation or communion?

A It signifies Christ's burial, and the consummation of his passion.

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Q. What means the Domine non sum dignus, &c. ?

A. It signifies," O Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof; but only say the word, &c." And was the Centurion's prayer, by which he obtained health for the sick boy, Matt. viii. 8. And teacheth us not to approach this sacrifice, but with an humble and contrite heart. Q. What means the prayers said by the priest after communion?

A. They are thanksgiving to God for having made us partakers of his unbloody sacrifice of the Altar, and by it also of the bloody sacrifice of the Cross.

Q. What means the words, Ite Missa est?

A. They signify, that the Host is offered, Mass ended, and the people dismissed; representing the voice of the angel, dismissing the Apostles and Disciples when they stood looking up, after Christ ascended into Heaven, with, "O ye men of Galilee, why stand ye here looking up into Heaven ?" Acts i. 11.

Q. What means the priest lifting up his hands and blessing the people?

A. It signifies the blessing which Christ gave his Apostles and Disciples at his ascension, with his hands lifted up. Q. What signifies the Gospel of St. John?

A. It signifies the Apostles preaching the Gospel to all nations. Luke xxiv. 50.

Q. What is the missal ?

A. It is the Mass book, wherein this holy service is contained.

CHAP. XXIII.

The Solemnities of CHRIST our Lord (instituted for the most part by the Apostles) and the Sundays of the year expounded.

Q. WHAT meaneth the nativity of Christ, or Christ.

mas?

A. It is a solemn feast or mass yearly celebrated by the whole Catholic church from the Apostles' time to this day, in memory of the birth of Christ at Bethlehem; and therefore is called the feast of the Nativity, and Christmas from the mass of the birth of Christ.

Q. What meaneth the Circumcision or New-year's Day?

A. It is a feast in memory of the Circumcision of our Lord, which was made on the eighth day after his nativity, according to the prescript of the old law, Gen. vii. 12. when he was named JESUS, according to what the angel had foretold, St. Luke i. 14, and began to shed his infant blood by the stony knife of Circumcision, for the redemption of the world, presenting it to his Father in our behalf. And it is called New-year's-day from the old Roman account, who began their computation of the year from the first of January.

Q. What meaneth the Epiphany, or Twelfth-day?

A. It is a solemnity in memory and honour of Christ's manifestation or apparition made to the Gentiles, by a miraculous blazing star, by virtue whereof he drew and conducted three kings out of the East to adore him in the Manger, where they presented him as on this day with gold, myrrh, and frankincense, in testimony of his royalty, humanity, and divinity. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek, and signifies a manifestation, and is called Twelfthday, because it is celebrated the twelfth day after his nativity exclusively

Q. What meaneth Purification, or Candlemas-day?

A. It is a feast in memory and honour both of the presentation of our blessed Lord, and of the purification of the blessed Virgin, made in the temple of Jerusalem the fortieth day after her happy child-birth, according to the law of Moses, Levit. xii. 6. And is called the Purification from the latin word Purifico, to purify; not that our blessed Lady had

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