Dedicated to the Saints who, by the means of this Missal brought the Light of Christ to the world, and dedicated to those who would continue His mission.
Note: Rubrics that existed in the original text are marked in bold italics. Rubrics or commentary from a later Stowe Missal are marked in bold. Rubrics or comments from the editor according to authorities on Celtic usage and rubrics from the many Irish-influenced missions are marked in italics. The only exception is in the section marked Notes, which is all commentary from the editor. Titles are indented or centered. Text used only on certain feast days is indented a few spaces. The Celebrant says all text that doesn't say "R" (Response) or have another clergy named. Sometimes the Celebrant's text is marked "V" (Verse). There are a few places where words the Celebrant or congregation say are assumed; these are surrounded by square [brackets].
INTRODUCTORY COLLECTO God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the one and only Lord of Lords and King of Kings and glory of all to come, we faithfully implore Thee, by the famous triumphs of the Patriarchs, by the glorious prophecies of the Prophets, through the holy examples of the Apostles, by the witness of the martyrs, by the fidelity of the Confessors, by the sanctity of Virgins, by the contemplative lives of the Anchorites, by the spiritual silence of the monks, by the dependable continuous orations of the Bishops, Abbots and Catholic Princes, and especially by the suffrage of the Saints (or Holy Virgins) whose solemnity is celebrated by us; that this offering of Thy servants which we offer unto the Holy Trinity in honor of -N- may be acceptable to God and also be profitable unto Salvation; through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.
COLLECT BEFORE THE EPISTLEWe give Thee thanks O our Lord and God Jesus Christ, splendor of the Father's glory, and day of eternal clarity, for being pleased to illumine Thy twelve Apostles by the Fire of the Holy Spirit as the twelve hours of the day are illuminated by the light of the Sun; unto whom Thou didst say "ye are the light of the world" and again, "Are there not twelve hours of the daylight? If one walks in the light of day, he shall not stumble." Descend on us, O our Lord and God Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness; in Whose wings is well-being for those that fear Thee, that we may walk in the Light. Therefore we have the Light, that we may be sons of the Light. O Thou Who didst illumine the Apostles as Thy proxies and the other Saints as their proxies like lamps unto this world: endowed with the Grace of the Holy Spirit and the Doctrines, dispel the darkness of ignorance and send forth the light of Thy righteousness through the patronage of those -N- whose festivities we honor today. That we may remain always in Thee and through Thee, Who reignest with Thine unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages,
COLLECT OF THE PREFACEO God, Who dost surround and protect us by the intercessions of the most blessed Spirits of Angels, and Archangels, the Principalities, and Powers, Dominations, Virtues, Cherubim and Seraphim, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors and Virgins, Anchorites, Cenobites, and of all the Saints and citizens of Heaven, grant we beseech Thee that Thou make use of them and our imitation of them, to guard us by setting them between us and dangers, and by the assembly of the interceding Saints, defend us from dangers; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.
TO BE PLACED BEFORE THE MOST DANGEROUS PRAYER:Truly Holy, Truly Blessed, Truly Wonderous in His Saints, is our God Jesus Christ, Who Himself bestowed virtue and fortitude to His servants. Blessed be to God Whom we bless in the Apostles, and in all His Saints who have striven to appease Him from the Beginning of the age, through the Same our Lord Jesus Christ Who the day before He suffered...
POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER:We have consumed, O Lord, the Heavenly Sacrifice celebrated at the solemnity of Thy Saints. We beseech Thee grant that we may earn eternal joy by that which we do but briefly in life, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit throughout all ages of ages.
INTRODUCTORY COLLECTBeing faithful to Thine Exalted Divine Fatherhood, and in trembling supplication before Thy great majesty, we beseech Thee on behalf of Thy servants, to give them a pure mind, perfect charity, sincerity in acts, purity of heart, virtue in work, discipline in habit, and to restore them in the fear of Thy Justice. For these, -NN-, we offer the intention of our devotion unto Thee that they may come to know Thy fidelity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit throughout all ages of ages.
COLLECT BEFORE THE EPISTLEO Lord, pardon us Thy penitents, Thy pretentious servants, that with untroubled mind we may be able to offer this Sacrifice for -NN-, that by the dictates of Faith, they may obtain forgiveness and health, through Thee O Holy Father. May Thy followers be able to make the offering and attain to the Salvation of eternal grace by Thine aid. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.
COLLECT OF THE PREFACEAlmighty God, again we make our entreaties in the presence of Thy majesty, especially for Thy servants -NN-. We offer these Oblations for their sins in honor of Thy Saints: Mary, Peter, Paul, John and all of Thy Saints. Perfect these offerings so that their petitions may arise to Thy compassionate ears, and that a pious blessing may descend upon them, that they may be protected in all things beneath Thy wings. May our prayers of propitiation unto Thee for them be not rejected from the Presence of Thy Faith, but be pleased to help and defend them in all things, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.
POSTCOMMUNIONO God, Who purifies the hearts which confide in Thee and absolves those who reproach their consciences from all their iniquities: grant forgiveness to the sinners, and bestow healing to the injured, that having received remission in Thy Sacraments of all sins, they may remain sincere and devoted, and sustain nothing detrimental to eternal salvation.
INTRODUCTORY COLLECTGrant, we beseech Thee, Almighty and Merciful God, that the souls of Thy servants -NN- may obtain forgiveness of sins and perpetual joy of Light, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.
COLLECT BEFORE THE EPISTLEWe beg Thee, O Lord, grant us Thy mercy, that the souls of Thy servants -NN- may await the future Resurrection, forgiven of all faults and freed of all cares under Thy protection, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.
COLLECT OF THE PREFACEAttend, O Lord, the gifts which we bring to Thine Altar in commemoration for (Thy Saints)
POSTCOMMUNION PRAYERLet us pray, most beloved brethren, for our beloved -NN- who have already proceeded into the Lords peace; whose ending was destined and course of crossing concluded; that God, the Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, command their flesh and their soul and their spirit to be received in a place of light, in a place of refreshment, in the bosom of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. May He also dismiss whatsoever incorrectness by which they sinned through ignorance, or because of the hidden enemy and may He be pleased to refresh them by the spirit of His mouth, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who reigneth with Thee, the unoriginate Father, and the Holy Spirit unto ages of ages.
Periods of fasting:
Absolute fasting was practiced on Wednesdays and Fridays (no food at
all). Two meals per day were allowed during non-fasting periods.
Monks were allowed to eat: vegetables, sea-weed, bread, water,
whey, wine, beer. Fish, either scale or shell-fish, was allowed on
feasts. Other monastic disciplines included continuous prayer,
work, sleeping without heat, etc., depending on the monastery; each
had their own rule. St. Finian, Abbot and teacher of many other
monastic missionaries, was noted for extreme discipline.
40 days before Christmas (earlier than from St. Andrew's Feast).
40 days before Pascha.
40 days after Pentecost (not variable).
One meal per day at Ninth hour was allowed during fasting periods.
No wine, beer or milk. In fast seasons, flour for bread was made
with the entire wheat plant, including the stalks: very high in
fiber. Fasting rules were suspended or relaxed when non-monastic
guests were present. Milk was allowed to travellers, sick and aged
at Bangor.
The sources for the illustrations in published edition are illuminations and stone carvings of Celtic sources. The notes on the Lorrha Missal tell us that the Confraction must be in the form of a Cross, but it only specifies the pattern of the 65 Particles. There is more than one possible shape for some of the numbers: illuminations and carvings of differing arrangements of Particles were found for the number 8, for example. The illustration in this text was found in the Lindisfarne Gospel, the Book of Kells, and the Book of Durrow. The upper-center Particle would be used for the Celebrant. Another arrangement on a stone carving showed a Roman-style Cross with a long bottom section. Larger Crossess would need a large Paten of 14 inches (as found in the Paten from Beth Misona, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, exhibit number 50.381, sixth-century Greek Orthodox Syrian inscribed with a Cross and Greek dedication -- this Paten and matching Chalice are illustrated at the beginning of the Missal). Another variant in the 8 Particles in the Book of Durrow showed six Particles similar to the 7 Particle Confraction, and the other two Particles in the upper corners. Even on a smaller Paten the general shape of the larger Crosses may be indicated using very small Particles, if great care is taken. A Celebrant who does not have a large Paten may use a smaller number of Particles if necessity dictates, but he should at least use the 9 for Sundays and the 13 for the Ascension and on Low Sunday. It is suggested that he practice breaking a piece of unconsecrated bread and arrange 65 pieces of it within a small circle the same diameter as his Paten. The Host may be 3 to 6 inches in diameter, but must be small enough to fit into the Chalice before the Fracture. It is made with leavening.
Before entering the Church, or outside of the Chapel of Baptism, the following is said and done:
Priest or Bishop:
O God, Who made Adam from the clay of the Earth: Although Adam
sinned in Paradise, Thou didst not count that sin unto death, but
through the Blood of Thine Only-Begotten Son, Thou wast pleased to
redeem and lead back into Holy Glorious Jerusalem. For this reason,
consider thy sentence O accursed one, and give honor to the living
God, and depart from this servant of God, because my God and Lord
was pleased to call this person to His Holy Grace and Mercy by
Baptism through this Sign of the + Cross which thou, devil, dare
never cross out. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with His
unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit throughout ages of ages.
R. Amen.
The Celebrant, Clergy, Congregation, and person being Baptized say all "Amens" together during the Rite of Baptism.O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and eternal God, expel the devil and his kin from this person: from the head, from the hair, from the crown of the head, from the brain, from the brow, from the eyes, from the ears, from the nostrils, from the mouth, from the tongue, from beneath the tongue, from the throat, from the passages of the throat, from the neck, from the chest, from the heart, from the entire interior of the body, from the ribs, from the hands, from the feet, from all the members, from the joints of the members, from the thoughts, from the words, from the deeds, and from all developments now and in the future, through Thee, O Jesus Christ, Who reignest with Thy Father and the Holy Spirit throughout ages of ages.
O God, Who for the Salvation of the human race didst institute the
greatest Sacrament in the substance of the waters, be responsive to
our invocation; and unto this element pour forth Thy Blessings,
through many modes of purification, that this creature of water
shall serve the Mystery unto the casting out of demons and expelling
of diseases. May it put on Thy Divine Grace, so that whoever this
stream shall splash both in this place, and in the houses of the
faithful, may be without stain and be freed from fault. Do not let
the destructive spirit remain, nor an air of corruption. Let all the
hidden snares of the enemy be cut away, and if there is anything
which has malice against the safety of those who dwell here or
against those at peace, let it flee from the sprinkling of this
water which is unto healing, through the invocation of Thy Name. Let
it be a defense against every assault, through our Lord Jesus Christ
Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.
O God, Who unto the salvation of men didst make a medicine through this health-giving salt, grant that this spirit be converted from the error of its kind and be redeemed, and that the Triune God act upon it, and it repel the devil by the renunciations and by the Sign of the + Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit unto ages of ages.
Note that this is the only place in which the scribes have written this ending in full. It is from this model that all the other endings are derived.R. Amen.
I exorcise thee, O creature of salt in the Name of God the Father
Almighty and in the charity of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the
power of the Holy Spirit. I exorcise thee by the Living God, by the
True God, Who didst produce thee for the protection of mankind, and
to be consecrated by His servants for the people coming unto the
beginning of the Faith. Therefore we pray Thee, O Lord and our God,
that this creature of salt + In the Name of the Trinity may be made
effective unto salvation, a Sacrament to put the enemy to flight
which Thou, O Lord, let be + sanctified unto sanctifying and
+ blessed unto blessing, that it may be unto all that receive it a
perfect medicine, remaining in their viscera in the Name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who is coming to judge the living and the dead and the
world by fire.
R. Amen.
Dost thou renounce Satan?
R. I renounce him.
And all of his works?
R. I renounce them.
And all of his pageantries?
R. I renounce them.
Dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty?
Catechumen or SponsorR. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
Dost thou also believe in Jesus Christ?
R. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of
God. Born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of
true God. Born, not made, of one Substance with the Father: through
Whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our Salvation
descended from heaven. And was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the
Virgin Mary: And was born man. And was crucified also for us: under
Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. And He rose on the third
day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven: and
sitteth at the right hand of God the Father. And He shall come again
with glory to judge both the living and the dead: Whose Kingdom
shall have no end.
Dost thou also believe in the Holy Spirit?
R. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life: Who
proceedeth from the Father. Who with the Father and the Son together
is worshipped and glorified: Who spake by the Prophets. And in one,
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, one Baptism for the remission
of sins, and the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world
to come.
The Priest breathes and touches him upon the head,
then touches the breast and the back between the shoulder blades
with the oil of Catechumens, and thus anointing, says:
I anoint thee with the Oil of Sanctification in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dost thou renounce Satan? I renounce him.
And all of his works? I renounce them.
And all of his pageantry? I renounce them.
We pray Thee O Lord Holy Father almighty and eternal God to have
mercy on Thy servant -N- whom Thou wast pleased to call to the
beginning of Faith, expelling all blindness of the heart. Burst the
snares of Satan by which he (she) was bound. Open unto him (her) the
door of Thy Truth, that he (she) put on the + Sign of Thy Wisdom,
that he (she) be free of all the stenches of lust, and delight in
the sweet odor of Thy precepts. May he (she) rejoice to serve Thee
in the Church, and may he (she) progress day by day that he (she)
may become sufficient unto the promise of Thy Grace, in the Name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.
This is to be used only if one of those who is to be Baptized is in immediate danger of Death.
I beg Thy intervention, O Lord, Holy Father Almighty and eternal
God, Who came to the aid of those in danger and Who tempers the
lashes, we humbly entreat Thee O Lord, by Thy holy visitation, raise
Thy servant -N- from this illness, a temptation of the soul. As Thou
didst for Job, set a limit and do not let the enemy triumph over
this soul which is without the redemption of Baptism. Delay, O Lord
departure unto death and extend this life. Make manifest that which
Thou hast led unto the Sacrament of Baptism and do not bring harm by
Thy redeeming act. Take away any opportunity of the triumph of the
devil and preserve him (her) whom Thou hast willed to be joined to
the Triumphant ones of Christ, that he (she) be reborn in Thy Church
by the grace of Baptism and be made whole. This we ask through our
Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit unto
ages of ages.
R. Amen.
Nor let it escape thy notice O Satan, that punishment threatens
thee, hell-fire threatens thee, on that day of judgment, on the day
of eternal torture which is coming like a flaming hot fire, which
hath been eternally prepared for thee and thine angels; and
therefore for thy worthless damnation and damning: Pay homage to the
Living God; Pay homage to Jesus Christ; Pay homage to the Holy
Spirit, the Paraclete, by Whose power I admonish thee that in every
way thou art a foul spirit, that thou shalt depart and move away
from these servants of God, and that thou give back to God Himself
those whom our Lord and God Jesus Christ is pleased to call to His
own grace and blessing, that they be made His Temple by the water of
regeneration unto the remission of all sins in the Name of our Lord
Jesus Christ Who is coming to judge the living and the dead and the
world by fire.
R. Amen.
Salt is placed in the catechumen's mouth.
Effeta: that is 'be opened' Effeta.
It is an offering in honor of sweetness in the Name of God the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.
CATECHUMEN BOWS
O Lord, Holy Father Almighty and eternal God, Who is, and Who
was, and Who will come, and Who shall remain even unto the end,
Whose origin is unknown and ending inconceivable: we supplicants
invoke Thee, O Lord, upon this Thy servant -N-, whom Thou hast
freed from the delusion of the Gentiles and from the most debased
associations. Be pleased to hear him (her) who bows his (her) neck
unto Thee. He (she) has approached the font of Baptism, that he (she)
may be renewed by water and the Holy Spirit: polished and cleansed
of the old man, putting on the new. Let him (her) who is fashioned
in Thy likeness assume the incorrupt and spotless vestment. Let
him (her) merit to serve Thee, our Lord, in the Name of our Lord
Jesus Christ Who is coming to judge the living and the dead and
the world by fire.
R. Amen.
O God, Who for the Salvation of the human race didst institute the
greatest Sacrament in the substance of water, be responsive to our
invocation, and by this element through various purifications, pour
forth Thy Blessings: that this creature, in service unto Thy
Mysteries, may put on Thy grace unto the casting out of demons and
expelling of diseases. Let it be that whomsoever this stream shall
splash both in this place, and in the houses of the faithful, may be
without stain and be freed of fault. Do not let the destructive
spirit remain nor any air of corruption. Let all the hidden snares
of the enemy, if there are any, be cut away, because he has a grudge
against the safety of those who dwell here and against those at
peace. Let him flee from the sprinkling of this water which is unto
healing through the invocation of Thy Name. Let this be unto defense
against every assault, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth
with Thee and the Holy Spirit unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.
Hear us, O Lord, Holy Father Almighty, eternal God, and be pleased
to send Thy Holy angel from Heaven, who preserves, assists, shields,
and attends to all those who dwell in the habitation of this Thy
servant.
R. Amen.
Up to now he or she is a catechumen.
Here the catechumen is anointed with oil on the front and also
between the shoulder blades on the back before being Baptized;
At this time, the Church or the Chapel of Baptism is entered by
the clergy, the Catechumen, and the entire congregaton.
Then the Clergy, Catechuman and Sponsors process moving
around the font counterclockwise,
while the Priest or other clergy says:
Again, the oil of Catechumens is used.
KNEEL
Priest or Deacon: + O God come to my assistance.
R. O Lord make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.
Deacon (or Celebrant): We have sinned, O Lord, we have sinned: remit our sins and save us. Hear us, O Thou Who didst guide Noah upon the waves of the Flood, and didst recall Jonah from the abyss by Thy Word; free us. O Thou Who didst offer a hand to Peter as he was sinking; bear us up, O Christ, Son of God. Thou didst perform wonders among our fathers, O Lord: stretch forth Thy hand from on high to answer our necessities.
Free us, O Christ:
R. Hear us, O Christ.
Hear us, O Christ:
R. Hear us.
Kyrie eleison.
Saint Mary: R. Pray for us.
Saint Peter: R. Pray for us.
Saint Paul: R. Pray for us.
Saint Andrew: R. Pray for us.
Saint James: R. Pray for us.
Saint John: R. Pray for us.
Saint Bartholomew:R. Pray for us.
Saint Thomas: R. Pray for us.
Saint Matthew: R. Pray for us.
Saint James: R. Pray for us.
Saint Thaddeus:R. Pray for us.
Saint Matthias:R. Pray for us.
Saint Philip: R. Pray for us.
Saint Simon: R. Pray for us.
Saint Mark: R. Pray for us.
Saint Luke: R. Pray for us.
Saint Stephen: R. Pray for us.
Saint Martin: R. Pray for us. [of Tours]
Saint Jerome: R. Pray for us. [homilist and translator]
Saint Augustine:R. Pray for us.
Saint Gregory: R. Pray for us. [the Great]
Saint Hilary: R. Pray for us. [of Poitiers]
Saint Patrick: R. Pray for us. [of Ireland]
Saint Ailbe: R. Pray for us. [of Emly]
Saint Finian: R. Pray for us. [of Clonard]
Saint Finian: R. Pray for us. [of Movilla]
Saint Keiran: R. Pray for us. [of Saigher]
Saint Keiran: R. Pray for us. [of Clonmacnoise]
Saint Brendan: R. Pray for us. [of Clonfert]
Saint Brendan: R. Pray for us. [of Birr]
Saint Columba: R. Pray for us. [of Iona]
Saint Columba: R. Pray for us. [of Terryglas]
Saint Comgall: R. Pray for us. [of Bangor]
Saint Cainnech:R. Pray for us. [of Kilkenny and Aghaboe]
Saint Finbarr: R. Pray for us. [of Gougane Barra in Cork]
Saint Nessan: R. Pray for us. [of Mungret]
Saint Fachtna: R. Pray for us. [of Rosscarberry in Cork]
Saint Lua: R. Pray for us. [of Lismore: 100 monasteries]
Saint Lacten: R. Pray for us. [of Friar's Island]
Saint Ruadhan: R. Pray for us. [of Lorrha]
Saint Carthage:R. Pray for us. [of Rahan and Lismore]
Saint Comghan: R. Pray for us. [of Glendalough]
Saint Mochon: R. Pray for us. [of Glendalough]
Saint Brigid: R. Pray for us. [of Kildare, Abbess]
Saint Ita: R. Pray for us. [of Killeedy, Abbess]
Saint Scetha: R. Pray for us. [virgin]
Saint Sinecha: R. Pray for us. [virgin]
Saint Samthann:R. Pray for us. [of Clonbroney, Abbess]
All you Saints:R. Pray for us.
Be Gracious: R. Spare us, O Lord.
Be Gracious: R. Free us, O Lord.
From all evil: R. Free us, O Lord.
Through Thy Cross: R. Free us, O Lord.
We sinners entreat Thee: R. Hear us, O Son of God.
We entreat Thee: R. Hear us, and grant us peace.
We entreat Thee: R. Hear us.
O Lamb of God Who takest away the sins of the world:
R. have mercy on us.
Christ hear us: R. Christ hear us:
Christ hear us.
The Litany of the Saints is completed.
Then read the Psalm verses:
As the Hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after Thee O God. My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God. [Ps. 41:2-3]
Bring to the Lord, O ye Children of God:
bring to the Lord the offspring of rams.
Bring to the Lord glory and honor:
Bring to the Lord glory to his Name:
adore ye the Lord in His holy court.
The Voice of the Lord is over the vast waters.
[Ps. 28 1-4]
Then the Blessing of the Font:
I exorcise thee, O creature of water, through the Living + God, through the Holy + God: through Him Who in the beginning by the Word separated thee from the dry land; through Him Whose Spirit moved upon thee; through Him Who commanded thee to flow out of paradise and to water the whole earth in four rivers; through Him Who produced thee from a rock that He might water the exhausted people He freed from Egypt; through Him Who sweetened thy bitterness by wood.
I exorcise thee through Jesus + Christ His Son, Who at Cana of Galilee as an admirable sign, by His power changed thee into wine; through Him Who walked with his feet upon thee and Who was Baptized by John in the Jordan, in thee; through Him Who shed thee with blood from His side; through Him Who commanded His disciples, saying: "Go forth and teach; teach all people, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
I command therefore, all impurity, all phantasm, all deception of
the spirit to be rooted out and to flee from this creature of water,
that for those who descend into it, may it be unto him (her) a
well-spring effective unto eternal life. Therefore let it be made
holy water, water blessed unto the regeneration of the sons of God
the Father Almighty, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is
coming in the Holy Spirit to judge the world by fire.
R. Amen.
I exorcise thee, O creature of water in the Name of God the Father
+ Almighty and in the Name of our Lord Jesus + Christ, His Son, and
Almighty and eternal God, of Thy great affection, attend to Thy
Mysteries: the Sacraments, and send forth a spirit of adoption to
those becoming new people, those who this font of Baptism labors
to bring forth unto Thee, that what is carried out through our
humility may be filled with the effect of the power of Thy service,
through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy
Spirit, unto ages of ages.
O God Who works marvelously by the unseen power of Thy Sacraments,
let it be profitable and permissible for us to attain to the most
cherished Mysteries. We are unworthy. Thou however dost not leave
us bereft of the gift of Thy grace. Hear our prayer, through our
Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, unto
ages of ages. Amen.
O God Whose Spirit moved upon the waters in the midst of the
primordial world, so that watery nature might take on the power of
Sanctification; O God, Who prefigured the washing away of the
reproach of those who are innocent of the world by cleansing waters
of regeneration in the form of the surging of the Flood, so that by
the service of that one and the same element there may be an end of
pollution and beginning of virtues; look upon the face of Thy Church
and multiply in her Thy generations which of grace flow from Thee.
Gladden Thy besieged city and open the font of Baptism to the entire
world. Yeah, open the font of renewal to the nations, that by the
authority of Thy Majesty, he (she) may receive the grace of Thine
Only-Begotten: by the Holy Spirit,
Therefore I bless thee, creature of water, by the Living + God, by
the Holy + God; Who in the beginning by the Word separated thee from
the dry land and commanded thee to water the earth in four rivers,
These are the commands to us Thy servants. O Thou, God almighty and
clement, be present. Thou, Benign One, breath forth, Thyself, a
blessing unto these simple waters by Thine own mouth, that they may
have more that the purity of their nature which makes them suitable
for the washing of bodies.
The benediction having been completed, the Priest pours Chrism in
the form of a Cross into the Font and who ever wishes, fills a
flask with the Water of Benediction for the blessing of the house.
All the people present are sprinkled with the blessed water.
Then, all are asked by a Deacon:
Dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty?
Dost thou also believe in Jesus Christ His Only-Begotten Son,
our Lord, Who was born and died?
Dost thou also believe in the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church,
Remission of sins, and the Resurrection of the flesh?
Each one that is to be Baptized goes down into the Water and is
immersed or sprinkled three times.
The Priest immerses him (her) in this manner
Afterwards the one who was Baptized is anointed with the Holy
Chrism after the following prayer:
God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has
regenerated thee by water and the Holy Spirit [John 3:5], has given
thee remission of all thy sins. He Himself Marks thee with the
Chrism of Salvation in Christ.
Here the Chrismation is done upon the forehead, pouring it over
the brow as in a kingly anointing according to Bobbio Missal:
I anoint thee with the oil and the Chrism of Salvation and of
Sanctification in the Name of the + Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.
Work, O creature of oil; work in the Name of God the Father
Almighty, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and do not let an impure
spirit remain here, nor in the members, nor in the interior, nor in
the bones of the members, but may the Power of Christ, the Son of
the living God most High, and the Power of the Holy Spirit, work in
thee throughout all ages of ages.
The Deacon gives him a white vestment over his head and covering
the forehead. Meanwhile the Priest says:
Receive this holy and spotless white vestment which thou shalt wear
before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let him respond:
And the Priest says:
Let him respond:
A Towel is taken and the feet of him (her) that has just been
Baptized are washed using plain water: this is a blessing of
the water, not a further cleansing; see notes.
Alleluia - Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, O Lord. [Ps 118:105]
If I then being your Lord and Master have washed your feet; you also
ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example
that as I have done to you so you do also for others. [Jn 13:14-15]
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on the day before He suffered took
the splendid, Holy and spotless towel, girded his limbs, and poured
water into a bowl, and washed the feet of His disciples. Thou shalt
do this in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ to thy pilgrims and
travelers.
It was customary that the parents retain the "Feet Water" of their
child as a safeguard from undesirable visitor or influences. The
Command carries with it the responsibilities of membership in the
Church.
The newly Baptized receives the Eucharist from Pre-Sanctified
Species retained for this purpose on the Altar of the Church
or Baptism Chapel:
The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be to thee unto
life eternal.
Refreshed with spiritual nourishment and renewed with the food
of heaven: by the Body and Blood of the Lord; let us return proper
praise and thanks to our God and Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray for
His inexhaustible mercy, so that we may have the divine gifts of the
Sacraments unto the increase of Faith and perfection of eternal
Salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with His
unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
Let us pray, dear brethren, for our brother (sister) - N - who has
won the Grace of the Lord, that he (she) may bear the Baptism which
he (she) has received, spotless and in its entirety before the
tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who reigneth with His unoriginate
Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
O God, we give Thee thanks, O Thou through Whom we have celebrated
this Holy Mystery: and we beg of Thee a gift of Thy Sanctification,
through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy
Spirit, unto ages of ages.
Alleluia - Remember us, O Lord, in the favor of Thy people: visit us
with Thy salvation. [Ps. 105:4]
Save us, O Jesus Who art mighty to save, O Thou Who gavest the soul
and giveth salvation, through Thee our Lord, Who reigneth with Thine
unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
The Rites of Baptism and Chrismation are now completed.
Bless, O Lord, this creature of water, that it may be a remedy unto
the salvation of the human race. Grant, through the invocation of
Thy Name through this creature of water, health of the body,
protection of the soul, and a good defense, through our Lord Jesus
Christ Who reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages
of ages.
I exorcise thee, impure spirit, by God the Father Almighty, Who made
heaven, earth, and the seas, and all that are in them; that all
power of the adversary, all the works of the devil, every assault,
every phantasm of the enemy, may be eradicated, and be set to flight
from this creature of water; that it may be Holy and Salvific; and
a burning fire turned upon the snares of the enemy through the
invocation of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will come to
judge the world by fire in the Holy Spirit.
Bretheren, Let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ for our brother
(sister) -N- who has been beset by the cruel and pressing evil of
languor, that the Charity of the Lord of the Heavens may be pleased
to treat by these Medicines. May He be pleased, Who gave the soul
and gives salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who reigneth
with His unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
Most beloved Brethren, let us pray in supplication for our sick
brother (sister) unto the Loving and Almighty God, Who is quick to
restore and strengthen, so that the creature may experience the Hand
of the Creator: that either in the restoration or in the recovery,
in His Name; the Affectionate Father may be pleased to restore His
handiwork, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who reigneth with the Same
Father, and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
Lord, Holy Father of the Universe, Almighty Founder, the Eternal God
in Whom all live, Who vivifies the dead and brings those who are
not, to become like unto those who are Thy original workmanship;
O Thou Who art the great Builder, affectionately restore this Thy
handiwork, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and
the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
Dearest Brethren, let us beseech God, in Whose hand is truly the
breath of the living; Who is the life of the dying; that He might
heal the ills of the body of this one, and grant Salvation to the
soul; that since we do not deserve it by our merits, the grace of
mercy may be attained. May He grant our petitions through our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto
ages of ages.
O Lord, Holy Father Almighty and eternal God, Thou Who art the Way
and the Truth and the Life, hear and preserve Thy servant, -N- whom
Thou hast enlivened and Redeemed by the precious great and Holy
Blood of Thy Son, Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, unto
ages of ages.
O God Who dost not desire the death of a sinner, but that he be
converted and live, release this one unto Thyself, from a heart
turned to sins, and grant the gift of continuing life through our
Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, unto
ages of ages.
O God Who, because of Thy love, dost ever offer Thyself for Thy
creation, lovingly incline Thine ears to our supplications which we
make unto Thee for Thy servant -N-, who labors under adverse health
of body. Gently regard and visit him (her). In Thy Salvation and
heavenly grace, grant relief, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who
reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
At that time, there came to Him the Sadducees who say there is no
resurrection, and asked Him: And Jesus answering, said to them, "You
err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the
resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be
as the angels of God in Heaven. And concerning the resurrection of
the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by the Lord,
saying to you: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac and the
God of Jacob? He is not therefore the God of the dead but the God of
the Living," and the multitudes hearing it, were in admiration at
His doctrine. On that day Jesus said "Immediately after the
tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and
the powers of heaven shall be moved: and then shall appear the sign
of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth
mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with much power and majesty. And He shall send His angels
with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds, from the highest parts of the heavens
to the utmost bounds of them."
I anoint thee with the sanctified oil, that thou recover thy health:
in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
unto ages of ages.
O Lord, regard us Thy servants, that praying with confidence, we may
be worthy to say:
ALL PRESENT MAY SAY:
Our Father, Who art in the Heavens, hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Celebrant:
We pray Thee, O Lord, for our brother (sister) -N- who is weighed
down by his (her) infirmity. Let him (her) participate in the Act
of Communion, that whenever the blots of this era attack him (her),
or worldlyness taint him (her), he (she) may be forgiven and
cleansed by the Gift of Thy Faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
O Lord Holy Father, We faithfully beseech Thee, that by the
reception of this Sacrosanct Eucharist of the Body and Blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that as much as possible of the flesh and
as much as possible of the soul may be made well, through our
Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit,
unto ages of ages.
O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, hear us who pray for our sick
brother (sister) that Thy Holy Eucharist may be his (her)
protection, through Thee our Lord Jesus Christ, Who reigneth with
Thine unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
The Peace and Charity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Communion
of His Saints be always with us.
The Eucharist offered from reserved Pre-Sanctified Sacrament:
May the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the
living and most high God, be to thee unto life eternal.
Having received our Saving food of the Divine Body, let us give
thanks to Jesus Christ: because by the Sacrament of His Body and
Blood He freed us from death, and is pleased to give a remedy to
many of the bodies as well as the souls of the human race; Who
reigneth with His unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, unto
ages of ages.
Let us give thanks to God the Father Almighty, Who, by the gift of
His Sacrament, has quickened a change in us from our earthly origin
and nature into heavenly nature, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who
reigneth with the same Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages.
Convert us, O God our Salvation, and grant health to our sick ones.
For He hath satisfied the empty soul and hath filled the hungry soul
with good things - Alleluia, Alleluia. [Ps 104:9]
The Priest extends both hands, palms outwards, fingers forming
the Sign ICXC over his head:
May the Lord bless thee and protect thee. May the Lord reveal His
Face unto thee and have mercy. May the Lord turn His Face to thee
and give thee peace.
And he responds:
The Priest Then signing him with the right hand,
saying:
Thou art marked with the + Sign of the Cross of Christ.
And he responds:
Dost thou believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?
Dost thou believe that these same three Persons, as we say,
the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, are three and is
one God?
Dost thou believe that thou shalt arise in this very same flesh in
which thou art now on the day of Judgment and receive the good
or ill which thou hast given?
Dost thou desire to forgive those who have commited all manner
of sin against thee, as has been said by the Lord: If ye will not
forgive men their sins, neither will your Father in Heaven forgive
your sins?
Inquire after the person's sins and ask if they are willing to stop
their persistence in them. Make them confess all of their sins
and at the end they are to say:
Many are my sins in deeds, in words, and in thoughts.
Then give them a penance and say this prayer over them:
Let us pray:
Let us pray:
And the like. If one has time, do as in the Sacramentary (if one does
not have sufficient time this is sufficient) and if this is for an intelligent
person, give them counseling that they come at the appointed time
unto you or another Priest at the Lords Supper as set forth in the
Sacramentary. [This service is done in two parts: 1) The Confession
of sins and assigment of Penance and 2) the Prayer of Reconcilliation
before the Liturgy at the appointed time].
Whoever does not receive reconciliation while they remain in the body
cannot do so after parting from the flesh.
If they were truly without intellect, for they did not understand, one can
reconcile them in one session.
Holding the hand over, but not touching their head, say the Prayer for
person about to begin penance:
If they are seriously ill, one ought to reconcile them [to the Body and
Blood of the Lord] immediately. [Perform the Service of Unction, if
possible]
[The Prayers of Reconciliation are said before the Liturgy of the appointed
day. None except those who have met the conditions for reconcilliation
should approach a Priest for this office. Those who require further counselling
and time to resolve their difficultites should discuss this in private before the
day of the Liturgy.
Priest: O Lord, regard us Thy servants, that praying with confidence, we may
be worthy to say:
Priest and all penitents: Our Father, Who art in the Heavens, hallowed be Thy
Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive
our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver
us from the evil one.
Deliver us O Lord from every evil and preserve us in all good, O Jesus Christ,
the Author of all that is good, Who reigneth unto ages of ages.
The following is repeated for each penitent received:
The following Absolution prayers from folio 291 of the Bobbio Missal is repeated for each penitent received:
With the right hand on the head of the penitent, [the Priest should] say:
Priest: O our Savior and Redeemer, Thou dost grant the gift of Thy Favor and Mercy not only to sinners but to all that desire to come before [Thee]. We Thy suppliants beseech Thee that Thou bring this Thy servant -N- unto the dispensation of Communion of Thy Body and Blood by Thy pardoning Heavenly blessing. We ask this through Thee Who reignest with Thine unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit throughout all ages of ages.
Not part of the Lorrha-Stowe Missal, but appended here as the most
well known Celtic prayer. Largely from the Thesaurus Paleohibernicus.
St. Patrick composed this hymn in the time of Loegaire son of
Niall. The cause of its composition, however, was to protect St.
Patrick and his monks against deadly enemies that lay in wait for
the clerics. This is a breast-plate of faith for the protection of
body and soul against devils and men and vices. When anyone shall
repeat it every day with diligent intentness on God, devils shall
not dare to face him; it shall be a protection to him against every
poison and envy; it shall be a defence to him against sudden death;
it shall be a breast-plate to his soul after his death. St. Patrick
sang this hymn when ambushes were laid against his coming by
Loegaire, that he might not go to Tara to sow the Faith. Those who
were lying in ambush saw wild deer (St. Patrick and the monks),
with a fawn (St. Benen) following them carrying the books, and let
them pass. St. Patrick arrived at Tara; his Easter fire was the
first spring light, conquering darkness forever.
I arise today through a mighty strength,
I arise today through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim
I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:
I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me:
I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
Christ to protect me today
I arise today through a mighty strength,
Salvation is of the Lord.
The Altar is the image of the inflicted persecution. The Chalice is
the image of the Church which has been set and built upon the
persecution of the Prophets and of others.
Water is first put into the Chalice while this is chanted: "I pray
Thee, O Father; I ask intercession of Thee, O Son; I appeal to Thee,
O Holy Spirit." This is an image of the People which are "poured
into" the Church.
The setting of the Host upon the Altar is the His Conception. As
this is done "Jesus Christ, Alpha and Omega. This is the First and
the Last" is chanted. This is an image of Christ's Body which has
been set in the linen sheet of Mary's womb.
Wine is then added to the water in the Chalice. This is Christ's
Godhead with His humanity comes upon the People at the time of His
Conception. While the Wine is poured "May the Father remit, may the
Son pardon, may the Holy Spirit have mercy." is chanted.
All the text of the Mass which follows the preparation, the
Introductory Collect, the fixed prayers and the additional Collects
up to the Epistle and the Gradual is an image of the establishment
of the Knowledge of Christ in the law of Nature through the Members
of His Body and by His own deeds.
However, the portion of the Mass from the Epistle and Gradual to the
half-uncovering of the Chalice is a recounting of the law Letter
which prophesies Christ.
The Gospel, Alleluia and prayers chanted from the half-uncovering of
the Host and the Chalice until the prayer "May these gifts" is a
recounting of the Law of the Prophets which specifically foretold
Christ, but the significance of the Prophecy is unknown until His
Incarnation.
The elevation of the Chalice, after the full uncovering during the
prayer "May these gifts" is the commemoration of Christ's Birth and
of His Glory through the signs and miracles.
When the prayer "Who, the day before He suffered, took Bread...."
begins the Celebrant bows three time in repentance of his sins.
He offers the Oblations to God and while this is done, the people
kneel or prostate, and there must be no other voice lest is disturb
the priest for his mind must not separate from God while he chants
this lesson. For this reason, its name is the Most Dangerous Prayer.
Later when the Celebrant and ministers step three steps backwards
and three steps forward is the three ways in which everyone sins:
in word, in thought, in deed. These are also the three means by
which one is renovated and by which one is moved to Christs Body.
The examination of the Chalice and Host and the effort with which
the Celebrant attempts to break it is an image of the rejection and
punches and lashings and the Arrest of Christ.
The Host on the Paten is Christ's Flesh upon the tree of the Cross.
The Fraction of the Host upon the Paten is the breaking of Christ's
Body with nails on the Cross.
The reunion of the two halves after the Fraction is the affirmation
of the wholeness of Christ's Body after His Resurrection.
The submersion of the two halves in the Blood are an affirmation
that at His Crucifixion, Christ's Body was covered in His Blood.
The Particle that is cut from the Bottom of the half which is on the
priest's left hand is the wounding with the Lance in the Armpit of
the right side; for Christ was facing Westward as He hung upon the
Cross: Facing the City, and Longinus faced Eastward so what was left
to Christ was right to him.
There are seven kind of Confraction, that is five Particles of the
Daily Host as the image of the five senses of the soul; seven
Particles of the Host of Saints and Virgins except the most
important ones as the image of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit;
eight Particles of the Host of the Holy Martyrs as an image of the
octonary New Testament; nine Particles of the Host of a Sunday
[and also of the Proper Ferias of Lent] is an image of the nine
Households of Heaven and the nine Grades of the Church; eleven
Particles of the Host of the Apostles is an image of the incomplete
number of the Apostles due to the Sin of Judas; twelve Particles of
the Host of the Circumcision and of Holy Thursday are in memory of
the complete number of the Apostles; thirteen Particles of the Host
of Low Sunday and the Feast of the Ascension, is an image of Christ
with His twelve Apostles, it is not usual to distribute from all
thirteen Particles.
Added together, five, seven, eight, nine, eleven, twelve and
thirteen come to sixty-five which is the number of Particles of the
Host of Easter, Christmas and Pentecost. For all of them are
comprised in Christ. All of the Confraction is set upon the Paten
in the form of the Cross, and the upper Particle is moved down to
the left side as reminder us that "Bowing His head, He gave up the
ghost".
The arrangement of the Confraction at Easter and Christmas is:
14 Particles in the upright of the Cross, 14 Particles in the
crosspiece, twenty Particles in its circlet: five pieces to each
quarter; 16 pieces to the Crosses: 4 to each one. One Particle,
for the Celebrant of the Mass is in the middle as the image of the
Secrets kept in the heart. The upper part of the shaft of the Cross
is for the Bishops, the left portion of the crosspiece is for
Priests; the right portion of the crosspiece is to the grades lower
than Priest; the lower portion of the stem is to monastics and
penitents; the upper left quadrant is for young clerics; the upper
right quadrant is to children; the lower left is for those who are
truly repentant; the lower right is for those who are married and
those who have never before received Communion.
This is what God has declared worthy, that the mind be upon the
Symbols of the Mass, and that this be your mind: that portion of the
Host which you receive is a portion of Christ from His Cross, and
that there may be a Cross in the labor of each in his own life since
it is that Cross which unites each one of us to the Crucified Body
of Christ. It is not proper to swallow the Particle without having
tasted it, just as it is improper to not bring savor into God's
Mysteries. It is improper for it to be chewed by the back teeth for
such an act symbolizes rumination over God's Mysteries, for it is
by such rumination that heresy is increased. It is ended. Amen.
Thanks be to God.
Liturgy is a direct experience of the Presence of God. The Sacrifice
or Offering of the Mass is identical to the Offering our Lord made
for us in His Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection. Human
understanding of this Reality has been muddled in the years since
our Lord walked the earth. The reasons for this muddling are many,
but it leaves us with the difficulty that we no longer feel
comfortable stating these truths.
In the past thousand years, there has been a desire to change the
understanding of Salvation to only obtaining Salvation, and not
escaping damnation. Christians felt they could no longer could face
the opening prayer of Saint Ambrose in the Lorrha-Stowe Missal
quoting Isaiah, that "Yeah, in Thy sight not even those in Heaven
are much more cleansed than we earthly humans, of whom, as the
Prophet said of all our righteous acts: we are in comparison as
unworthy as a menstrual rag (Isaiah 64:6)." The prayer of Saint
Ambrose lived on in the Sequence of the Requiem, Dies Irae, which
says "who will answer for me if the just are barely saved". This
does not deny that we should ask the Saints to pray for us, but
states how unworthy we are of Salvation. Curiously, this prayer
has also proved unpopular since the 19th century, and is often
dropped from funerals together with the black vesture of penitence
and petition. The squeamishness of the East with the phrase
"unworthy as a menstrual rag" has also caused trouble, as if
avoiding this reality would allow us to escape the Just Judge.
Growing factionalism within the Church has made Church leaders
uncomfortable with any statement like: "With all those in the whole
world who offer the Sacrifices in spirit unto God the Father, and
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, our senior, the Priest, -N-[Celebrant]
with the holy and venerable Priests, offers for himself, for his
own, and for all the rest of the Catholic Church assembly..." This
discomfort has diminished us as Christians and reduced all of our
Eucharistic beliefs. What is needed is an understanding that the
Eucharist is the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in all of
His actions in the world. We must confess our absolute faith that,
just as He is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we of the
True Church are One, and our Sacrament is One and the same; we are
one Body of Christ. It is the same Eucharist that was and ever will
be celebrated. It is necessary to state this in clear,
uncompromising language; that language is found in the Lorrha
Missal. It makes no compromise, no apologies for the Christian Faith
in relationship with God. It is clear and to the point. It states
that without God's grace to enliven, to bless our actions, none of
our actions, not even our righteous acts, would be of any value; it
opposes Pelagianism, opposes Nominalism, and proclaims Theosis, the
obtaining of the Holy Spirit: "They have known the Lord - Alleluia -
in the Fraction of the Bread - Alleluia... that which we now hold in
hope, we may enjoy in truth by Heavenly fruition..." Furthermore,
since it still requires the offerings and voluntary participation
of the congregation, it is not radically Augustinian in its view of
the voluntary nature of the Offering.
This Missal is a translation from the Latin and Gaelic Missal
transcribed at Lorrha Monastery in the Ninth Century. The Lorrha
Missal is also known as the 'Stowe' Missal due to its acquisition by
one of the Dukes of Buckingham for his Stowe Library.
The form of the Liturgy and Services of Baptism and Unction
found here reflect a true Celtic usage dating before 600 AD.
It is uncertain how much of this form represents the usage
brought to Ireland by St. Patrick in the early Fifth Century.
A definite post-Patrician addition to the Fourth Century Canon
is the late Fifth Century Communicantes of St. Gelasius. This
addition is the reason the Canon is attributed to him in the
Lorrha Missal (N.B.: the Communicantes here is an earlier
form than the modern Tridentine form which includes Leonine
comments at the Ascension, and omits a few Feasts).
Therefore the earliest possible date of the finalization of the
form of the Lorrha Liturgy is the late Fifth Century. The
presence of text in the Lorrha Liturgy which was specificaly
removed by St. Gregory the Great sets the latest date at 600.
The absence of the Agnus Dei added to the Roman Canon by
St. Sergius in 690 proves there were no further changes to the
structure. The Mass explains in graphic detail the redemptive
acts of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, His Birth, Death and
Resurrection. The writer(s) assumes that those participating
in the Mystery of the Eucharist seek to contemplate every detail.
It may be remarked that the text is too severe at times. This is
because the cults of idols were still a threat to the spiritual
health of every member of the Church. All sorts of false faiths
still existed at that time, as well as counterfeit forms of
Christianity: much like the condition we find ourselves in today.
This is a Liturgical form that was successfully used to missionize
people to the True Christian Faith.
In the latter half of the Tenth Century, the Roman Missal became the
predominant form of Western European worship, and Irish Missals in
that style began to appear. In 1171 Anglo-Norman invaders, acting
with Papal consent, abolished the Celtic usage in Ireland.
Non-Celtic Church leaders of that time did not feel the need for
such a powerful, often overwhelming, form of the Liturgy as the
earlier Celtic Rites. They felt that they had triumphed over all
opposition and that more pageantry and less didacticism were
required. They held up and praised their own success while softening
or removing statements that reflected adversely upon changes in
Theology, the isolationism of national churches and the
squeamishness of rulers. They forgot that the Faithful must be
watchful since the enemy is seeking an opportunity to devour them.
What has their complacency caused? Society reduces the value of
human life to productivity. Various churches preach a view of
redemption rooted in worldly material success. This is contrary to
true Christian values. The hundreds of different faiths which call
themselves 'Christian' cannot even agree upon the basic tenets of
the Faith. Many of these later "churches" were not born of the line
of the Apostles, but of rational philosophy and its new
interpretations of Holy Scripture.
The time has come return to the methods of the past to assure that
the true Christian Faith is available to the future. It is hoped
that the texts of the Liturgy and other offices may provide an
example of the "right" attitude for Christian worship of Almighty
God, a Catechism of the Faith, regardless of the usage the reader
might actually be practicing. This Missal is not an effort in
"Liturgical Archeology," because the Church is one and continuous,
and this Missal is already approved by the Saints. If any new prayer
or hymn is considered acceptable for use, this Missal should be
given at least an equal consideration.
The Celebrant, clergy, servers, and people should study the rubrics
carefully before attempting to Celebrate and participate in this
Mass.
The Lorrha Missal states at the Collect of the Epistle, "The
Collects of the Roman Missal are used." These would have been
those corrected by Celts after the retirement of Alcuin, or Propers
brought to England by St. Augustine of Canterbury. These Propers,
including the readings from Holy Scriptures, may be found in a
fairly complete form in pre-1950s Roman Missals, with a few changes
in wording: in the original text of the Lorrha-Stowe Missal there
is no "Filioque," and therefore prayers concerning the Church would
say, "in the unity of the Holy Spirit" as He guides the Church, but
the endings of other prayers must be given the endings of most of
the prayers in the Lorrha-Stowe Missal, "with the Holy Spirit."
Direct references to the Holy Spirit must not suggest the Filioque.
The Holy Spirit must be said to proceed from the Father. The Saints
must be said to give us their "merits" (accomplishments) as
"examples", not as pre-paid reservations for seats closer to
Christ's right hand. This correct use of the term "merits" is found
in the original text of the Lorrha-Stowe Missal.
The detailed rubrics are also drawn from the Roman Missal when they
correspond with the directions in the Lorrha text, or when the
prayers of the Lorrha and Roman Missal match exactly, as these
rubrics were handed down from the earlier uses. For those with altar
tables fixed against a wall, the pattern of censing should be as in
Roman usage; the illustration in the appendix of the censing of an
altar away from the wall is from Byzantine sources. (Descriptions of
early Irish altars describe them away from the wall, but the Priest
faces the Cross and prays with the people, not facing the people.)
Reasons for gestures of the later Tridentine and Byzantine Rites are
clarified when this earlier setting is examined, such as the
gestures at the Fracture in the Byzantine Rite. The Roman manner of
censing the Oblations matches the arrangement of sixty-five
Particles on the Paten on special Feasts in this Mass: a Cross and
circle, but the censing occurs where the prayers of censing occur
in the Lorrha Missal, allowing for only one censing, saving time,
giving the censing the dignity of the one censing in temple worship,
and keeping the connection of the censing as an Offering to the
Holy Spirit. Rubrics that were in the original text are surrounded
by single asterisks; commentaries from a later editor of the Lorrha
Missal and related documents are surrounded by double asterisks;
and rubrics from other sources are surrounded by brackets.
There are a number of penitential prayers led by the Celebrant, but
not repeated as a solo by the congregation. There are also
penitential gestures, such as the three steps backward and forward
of the clergy just after the commemoration of the dead, remembering
our sins of word, thought, and deed, and our restitution by these
same means. The Celebrant vests in the middle of the Church. The
Offertory begins the Mass, and does not precede the Mass. The bread
used is leavened bread, as was once universal at the time the Church
celebrated its unity and joy in the Resurrection of the dead and the
life in the age to come. Although the Host has been selected prior
to the Mass, and blessed bread not used for Communion is divided
into small pieces on a tray on the Credenza, the Host is not broken
until the Fracture, nor divided into Particles until the
Confraction. The actions concerning the Body and Blood of Christ
occur throughout the Mass, forming a unity in the Mass and allowing
no place where there appears to be a break: there is no separated
"Liturgy of the Word" and "Liturgy of the Faithful." The Eucharist;
the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the Body of Christ, the Church
are always affirmed as one. The procession at the beginning of the
Mass of the Celebrant to the Altar is the only "Entry," and is
immediately followed by the beginning of the Offertory. The Word of
God and the Sermon also do not break the Mass into parts: there is
a unity of the words of the Gospel with the prayers of the Mass in
the Confraction, and a unity of the Sermon with the intentions of
the Celebrant and the people throughout the Mass. The Sermon must be
given by the Celebrant or another Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, because
this is not a lesson only for moral instruction, but it also is a
lesson on the Word of God given in the presence of the Eucharist on
the Altar and is for all time. Therefore, the subject of the Sermon
must reflect on the words of the Gospel and Epistle, not on worldly
subjects apart from that, or a reflection on the personality of
the preacher.
The Preface of the Trinity is always said, and precedes any other
Preface for the season or Saint. This Preface, with its ending of
the praise of the angels and with the Sanctus, is the praise
recorded in Revelation 4:8, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come," called the Thrice-Holy
(Trisagion) prayer in the East. However, this Preface is a
masterpiece of catechism and contemplation on God and His Nature
heard by the entire congregation, "...Holy Lord Almighty and eternal
God. Thou Who with Thine Only-Begotten and the Holy Spirit, O God,
art One and Immortal God, Incorruptible and Immutable God, Unseen
and Faithful God, Marvelous and Praise-worthy God, Honorable and
Mighty God, the Highest and Magnificent God, Living and True God,
Wise and Powerful God, Holy and Exemplary God, Great and Good God,
Terrible and Peaceful God, Beautiful and Correct God, Pure and
Benign God, Blessed and Just God, Pious and Holy, not in one
singularity of person but One Trinity of One Substance. Thee we
believe; Thee we bless; Thee we adore; and we praise Thy Name unto
eternity and unto the ages of the ages: Thou through Whom in the
salvation of the world; through Whom is the life of men; through
Whom is the resurrection of the dead." This praise of God is the
sort of praise that the angels continually give, that is worthy and
just for us to say, but which has been removed from most modern
liturgics so as not to offend the lukewarm, or those who think it is
sufficient to give "glory and praise" without mention of God's
attributes. It is worthy and right for us to give God this praise
because, as Jesus Christ as God and man has ascended into heaven
higher than the angels, we too may sing the Sanctus in the presence
of the Holy Trinity in heaven. "Blessed is He Who cometh from heaven
that He might enter the world, and didst become man unto the
blotting out of the sins of the flesh, and became a Victim that
through suffering He might give eternal life to those that
believe..."
A quick note here: the term substantia in Latin (Substance), is not
an assignment of physical characteristics of matter, nor is it just
a name. It is the being and central reality: the 'substance' of a
reality. (The use of the term "substance" to mean physical form is
used by the Latins in other contexts.) The Latins did not happen to
use the term 'essence' (ousion) as the Greeks did, only because
ousion also signified 'odor' (its only meaning in modern Greek),
a tentative suggestion and not reality to the Latins. To the Greeks,
however, the term ousion also means the most essential and central,
while the Greek term for substance (physis) means only a physical
manifestation. Such are the difficulties of translations from any
one idiom to another. As this text is a translation from the Latin,
the term 'Substance' is used in several places, but it is meant in
the sense of the Latin use of the term substantia in context, which
is identical to the Greek use of the term ousion in context. Idioms
in this Missal were carefully checked and rechecked to avoid
assumptions that could lead to errors in doctrine.
The sudden appearance of the Paten on the Altar suggests a
Subdeacon. Hymns, Psalms, or other prayers may not be said, sung,
etc. during the Words of Institution until the end of the
Consecration; that is, possibly until the end of the Fraction. The
Mass also assumes that no musical instruments except a short
ringing of bells are used.
Although the early Epiklesis was not written down, it would have
been contained in a Mass. There is no one prayer which constitutes
the Epiklesis of this Mass since the Epiklesis is woven into the
rest of the text. It begins with the invocation: "Come O Sanctifier"
and concludes with essentially the same words as the Byzantine
Epiklesis in the Fracture: "...The Bread which we break is the Body
of our Lord Jesus Christ - Alleluia - The Chalice which we bless -
Alleluia - is the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ - Alleluia - in
remission of our sins - Alleluia. Let Thy mercy be upon us -
Alleluia - even as we have hoped on Thee..." The words in this Mass
at the Fraction are very powerful, a statement of IS, Christ the
Being. This Mass also contains the Western Rite "Ascending
Epiklesis" which is also a call for the Holy Trinity, to have the
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. "...brought by the hands of Thy Holy
Angel to Thy Altar on high, in the presence of Thy Divine majesty:
that, as many of us as shall receive from the Altar of
Sanctification the most sacred Body and Blood of Thy Son, may be
fulfilled with all heavenly benediction and grace." The thrice
repeated invocation of the Holy Spirit at the end of the Offertory,
"Come, O Lord, the Almighty Sanctifier and bless this Sacrifice
prepared unto Thee." is completed by three prayers: the Words of
Institution, called "The Most Dangerous Prayer" in the Lorrha
Missal, the Ascending Epiklesis and the Fraction. These three
prayers form the Epiklesis which Consecrates the Lord's Body and
Blood. The Lorrha Missal tends to use triple repetitions and
groupings of three prayers in its affirmation of the Three Persons
in the unity of One Substance. (If another fourth Consecration, the
Byzantine "Descending Epiklesis" were to be added by a Bishop, it
should be placed just before the Western Rite Ascending Epiklesis,
not removing any part of this Mass in doing so. In the Roman Mass,
the Byzantine Epiklesis may be used in place of the missing words of
the Lorrha Fraction, but it would not make sense to add it to the
Lorrha Missal since there are more words of Consecration and not
less here.) The words of the Lorrha Fraction are missing from both
the Roman and Byzantine Liturgies; their absence is felt by all
acquainted with the prayers of the Lorrha Fraction.
There is both an element of eternity and also of the here and now:
the eternal and the present WAS, AND IS, AND EVER SHALL BE ought to
be unified. As the rubrics from Lorrha-Stowe Missal explain, the
Mass tells the entire Life of Christ. There are no directions to
exclude Catechumens after a certain point, but a comment by St. Bede
that an un-Baptized king was refused Holy Communion suggests that
after the Confraction, the doorwardens separated those who would
receive from those who would not, as practiced in most Orthodox
Churches today. The opening Litany of the Saints is not for early
arrivals at Church, but is for the entire congregation's
participation; which was once true also of the later Roman and
Sarum usages. We ask the Saints to pray for us at the beginning of
the Mass, then in the Commemoration for the Departed we pray for
them as well as the souls of friends and family, in an
acknowledgment that the entire Church prays for eachother; even
praying for the Saints. (Places associated with these Saints are
listed next to them in the Litany of the Saints in Baptism.) There
is a unity in the use of one Host, and in the breaking into many
Particles, the Confraction points to the reason the term "Mass" is
used: not only as a gathering of the people, but of the gathering of
the Particles of the Lords Sacrifice, "the Sacrifice of the Mass."
This terminology makes little sense unless the Lorrha Confraction
is visualized, literally a MASS of Particles of the Lord's Body
and Blood on the Paten in the form of a Cross; a different number
of Particles for different observances. This is the Cross of
victory, "By this Sign conquer," one Body and one Salvation. There
may be evidence that the Byzantine Rite once followed the Lorrha
practice in the Confraction and the Fraction (the fourteen inch
sixth-century Syrian Greek Orthodox Paten with inscribed Cross and
Greek dedication from Beth Misona, exhibit 50.381 in the Cleveland
Museum of Art, would indicate this). During the thirty-eight
Alleluias (forty in Eastertide) that occur before the Dismissal, and
during the Psalms, the Celebrant has time to carefully remove
Particles of the Lord's Body and place them on the Paten in the
pattern required for the day, acknowledging the unity of the Body of
Christ. The complete Psalms are from the Douay-Rheims Bible; an
excellent translation of the Septuigint Greek Old Testament.
In the later Protestant Anglican service book, the Scriptural quotes
Cranmer placed before Communion suggest the time of the Confraction,
but point only to a belief in Christ before the miracle of His death
and Resurrection, not belief in the Sacrament: "Come unto me all
that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you... So God
loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, to the end that
all that believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life... This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be
received, that Christ Jesus came into the world, to save
sinners... If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for
our sins." These are lovely statements, but are from a time in the
Gospels before the time that Christ offers Himself for us in the
Last Supper and the Cross, and sadly avoids His words of Offering
and teaching about His Offering. Compare the quotes chosen by
Cranmer with some of the powerful statements about Holy Communion
found in this Mass at the Confraction: "Whosoever eateth my Body
and drinketh my Blood; such a one abideth in me and I in him...
This is the Bread of Life which cometh down from heaven; whosoever
eateth of it shall live unto eternity... The Lord gave the Bread
of Heaven to them; man ate the Bread of the Angels... This sacred
Body and Blood of the Lord and Savior; take you unto yourselves
unto life eternal... Taste and see how sweet the Lord is..."
The Anglican Mass should never have been rewritten by Cranmer,
especially in these words immediately before Holy Communion.
The Litany of the Saints opening the Mass has had the Saints
removed in the Cranmer version. The Lorrha Missal represents
an older and truer form of Anglicanism which is very Orthodox,
and would be a more proper restored Rite.
The unity of the Sacrament at the Elevation and Fraction is
expressed by dipping the sacred Body of Christ into the sacred
Chalice. In this way, the Body of our Lord is not dissolved in
His Blood, but is received as a distinct Particle infused with
both Species. Perhaps the later habit of giving only the Body
to the congregation as practiced in the post-schism Roman Church
is a remnant of this dipping; that they still gave a Particle of
the Body but no longer infused with the Blood. No Christian before
the schism would consider themselves fully communicated without
both Species. In the receiving of Holy Communion, there is a
corporate grouping of the people; receiving the Body and Blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ is not an individual act apart from the Church.
The Dismissal prayers, including Thanksgiving and Benediction, are
a necessary traditional close, considered to be after the Mass is
ended, for the benefit of the entire congregation. The editors of
the Lorrha Missal wrote these out following the Sacraments of
Baptism and Holy Unction. (Holy Communion in the form of
Pre-Sanctified reserved Species was given at the end of both of
these Sacraments.) The Thanksgiving and Benediction after Unction
is the most appropriate to use in a Mass, and has a final note in
the original text after Unction saying "thus ends the Order of
Communion" so these have been inserted after the Mass. No
mention of a Final Gospel is made in the Lorrha text, but later
sources mention the Final Gospel of St. John read by a Deacon,
immediately before the Celebrant unvests in the middle of the
Church and before the congregation leaves, so this Gospel has
been placed in the traditional place after the Dismissal prayers
in the Roman Mass, in this edition of the Lorrha Missal.
Like the Liturgy, the Rite of Baptism of the Lorrha Missal is a
teaching service. It teaches that the Church is our mother, giving
birth to us into a life in Christ by the activity of the Holy
Spirit, just as Jesus Christ was born into our humanity. Many of
the prayers of this service can be found in the later Roman Ritual,
but based on other prayers in this text, it is clear that some of
the acts of Baptism were understood differently at the time this
Missal was last copied.
Many of the prayers of Baptism seem to repeat; but each has its
purpose. The opening exorcism prayers (note that demons are
exorcised, not people) until after the salt is placed in the mouth
of the Catechumen suggest that these may be done outside the
Church, and then the procession "around the font" (or to the font
in the Church and then around it) takes place. Most Churches
probably did not have the luxury of a separate building to house
the Baptistry; the font was probably inside the entrance of the
Church itself. Therefore, the Litany of the Saints opens the
portion taking place in the Church, just as it does in the Mass,
and the repeated Creed would include the entire congregation. If
the opening prayers before the procession are said in the Church
building, these prayers form a distinct portion of the Baptismal
Rite; so these, including the Creed, should be said as indicated
in the text, the Creed being said twice.
The long exorcisms of the water have the solemnity required of a
Holy Sacrament, changing the water into Baptismal Water. The
Priest breathes on the water in the form of a Cross and also the
letter Psi, which stands for spirit. The formula of the immersion
was not written down in the Lorrha text, so the wording from the
Bobbio Missal has been inserted.
Chrismation is according to a kingly anointing, and seals the body
with the prayer just after the Anointing, just as the prayer to
exorcise each part of the body cleanses it at the beginning of the
Baptism. Not until both the Baptism and the Chrismation have been
completed is the "holy and spotless white vestment which thou shalt
wear before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ" given to the
newly Baptized person who has put on Christ.
After this, but before First Communion, the Foot-Washing, called
the Mandatum (Command) occurs. The feet are washed (using plain
water, not the Baptismal water), and Command given to the
newly-Baptized to keep the Commandments, remain faithful to God,
and to have mercy on their neighbor. This is not a further
cleansing; the person has already been cleansed in Baptism; but
it is another blessing of water, as Christ blessed the water when
He entered the Jordan River (the newly-Baptized having just put on
Christ). The Command is that the person not take Baptism and their
Salvation for any selfish purpose, but immediately must be
responsible for the Salvation of others as part of their Baptismal
vows. "Thou shalt do this in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ
to thy pilgrims and travelers." In this way, Baptism leads a
person into the corporate Church, with the responsibilities of
membership in the Body of Christ, the responsibility to continue
to learn and grow in Christ, and the responsibility to bring others
to Christ. The foot water is kept by the family to protect the
child from undesirable visitors or influences, as recorded in
Celtic folk tales. (The Foot-Washing is missing in both the
Byzantine and Roman Baptismal Rites. The Mandatum was replaced by
the Tonsure of the Byzantine Rite. In the Mandatum, the action of
the Priest and the responsibilities of the new member of the Body
of Christ are clearly explained in terms of Scripture.) Then,
having been Baptized, Confirmed, vested in the white garment, and
the Command given in the Foot-Washing, the new member of the Body
of Christ is given the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prior to the change in Roman usage which set First Communion at
age seven and Confirmation at puberty, it was generally understood
that Baptism and Confirmation were prerequisites for participation
in the Eucharist. Since the Rite of Baptism in this Missal
contains First Communion, as does the Eastern usage, it is to be
understood that Bishops of pre-tenth century Ireland considered the
simple administration of Holy Chrism within the context of the many
invocations of this Rite of Baptism sufficient as a Rite of
Confirmation or Chrismation. Unlike the Mass, which mentions the
Senior as Celebrant (Senior meaning the Bishop or Priest of highest
rank), the Rite of Baptism specifically states in a few places that
a Priest administers the entire Rite, using oil and Holy Chrism
supplied by the Bishop. Furthermore, since the rubrics for the
Confraction of the Eucharist of the Liturgy state that some portions
were for children (as opposed to unmarried adults, i.e.
postpubescents) it is clear that the ancient church of Ireland
Baptized, Confirmed and Communicated children.
Together with the Rite of Holy Unction (Anointing of the Sick) this
Missal contains four of the Sacraments as practiced by the Church of
Ireland and its many missions scattered throughout the known world.
This is the missionary Missal which converted skeptical pagans,
brought Arians back to the faith, kept alive a tradition of
incredible discipline and vitality. These Sacraments are quoted
in Celtic literature, and are a vital part of the Celtic people,
and also many other peoples on the continent of Europe in France,
Italy, Switzerland, and Germany who were turned from Arianism and
paganism. This Mass is bound together in a "chain of charity" and
can revitalize our faith. English is used in this translation
because it is the common language most in use today, and most
useful as a missionary tool; at the time this Mass was written,
Latin united the languages of the Pict, Briton, Irish, English, and
many other languages on the continent.
May this Missal be a revelation to us all, and unite us to our
Lord Jesus Christ, our hope and our Salvation.
Although the translator has experience with spoken Ecclesiastical
Medieval Latin, and has been very careful in this translation, he
requests that anyone noting an error inform him of same. Note that
some past translations of this Liturgy and accompanying Offices of
the Sacraments did not correctly interpret Ecclesiastical idiom,
whether of Latin with Medieval Gaelic sentence structures or Greek
idiom of the Scriptures, which was familiar to the Celtic monks.
Some translations have also "bowlderized", that is to say censored
and tamed the Missal. Therefore, discrepancies between these and
the present text are to be expected. Fr. Kristopher Dowling, S.S.B. An imprimatur is being sought for this edition.
Typeset edition printed by:
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
Here the Priest divides the water in the form of a Cross
and his hand is immediately dried with a towel.
Who quickens this water of regeneration for humanity, which is
prepared mysteriously by the admixture of His Illumination. By the
Sanctification conceived of the immaculate womb of the divine font,
let an offspring of Heaven emerge in this newly-regenerated creature.
Although discerned by gender of the body or by age in time, the
mother bears all into one childhood by grace.
N.B.: The mother is the Church.
Therefore, far away, O Lord command every unclean spirit to flee far
away; that all worthless and diabolical delusion flee. Let nothing
pervade this place contrary to virtue, nor lying in wait, nor
hovering about, nor skulking to steal, nor corrupting to mar.
The Priest touches the water with his hand
Let this holy and innocent creature (the font) be free of all
intrusion of assault, and be entirely purged and separated from all
that is worthless. Let it be a font of life-regenerating water, a
purifying stream, that all, by this cleansing, salvation-bearing
bath through the Holy Spirit present in it, may attain the Pardon of
perfect purification, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth
with Thee and the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.
R. Amen.
The Priest divides the water in the form of a Cross and
spinkles the water to the four quarters
Who sweetened thy bitterness in the desert to make thee drinkable,
and for a thirsting people did produce thee from a rock. I bless
thee through Jesus + Christ, His Son, our only Lord, Who in Channa
of Galilee as a wonderous sign did convert thee to wine by His
power, Who trod with His feet over thee, and was Baptized by John in
the Jordan in thee, Who shed thee with blood from His side, and Who
commanded His disciples that those who believe are to be Baptized in
thee, saying, "Go forth and teach all nations, Baptizing them in the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
The Priest breathes on the water three times in the form
of a Cross.
Let them also be effective unto the purification of mind.
If the Paschal candle is present, the lower end is immersed
in the Water
Let the entire power of the Holy Spirit descend into the entire
substance of the font,
The Priest breathes on the water three times in the
form of the Greek letter Psi (for the Holy Spirit)
and the entire substance of this water may be fertile unto
Regeneration. May all of this be effective unto the washing away
of the stains of sin. May this nature fashioned in Thine own image
be reshaped to its proper original honor, and be cleansed of the
squalor of the Old Man, that all men who enter into this Sacrament
of Regeneration may be reborn into the true innocence of a new
infancy through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and
the Holy Spirit throughout all ages of ages.
R. Amen.
entire congregation
R. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and
earth and of all things visible and invisible.
R. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of
God. Born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of
true God. Born, not made, of one Substance with the Father: through
Whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our Salvation
descended from heaven. And was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the
Virgin Mary: And was born man. And was crucified also for us: under
Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. And He rose on the third
day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven: and
sitteth at the right hand of God the Father. And He shall come again
with glory to judge both the living and the dead: Whose Kingdom
shall have no end.
R. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life: Who
proceedeth from the Father. Who with the Father and the Son
together is worshipped and glorified: Who spake by the Prophets.
And in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, one Baptism for
the remission of sins, and the resurrection of the dead, and the
life of the world to come.
Immersion is preferred; if sprinkled, pour an abundance of water;
literally to toss water on them as if to revive them.
wording from Bobbio Missal:
[I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father (immerse),
and of the Son (immerse),
and of the Holy Spirit (immerse),
Who have one Substance, that thou mayest have
a part with the Saints unto life everlasting.] Chrismation
R. Amen.
R. I accept it and I shall wear it.
Let the hand of the servant be opened.
Receive the Sign of the Cross of Christ + in thy right hand and may
it preserve thee unto eternal life.
R. Amen.Mandatum: The Foot Washing (The Command)
Alleluia - Help me O Lord, and I shall be saved. [Ps. 118:117]
Alleluia - Visit us with Thy Salvation, O Lord. [Ps.105:4]
Alleluia - Thou hast commanded Thy commandments to be kept most
diligently. [Ps. 118:4]
Command Thy mercy, O Lord, O despise not the works of Thy hands.
[Ps. 137:8] First Communion
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen. See Warren; this prayer also in the Book of Deer.
Alleluia - O Lord, save me: O Lord, give good success. [Ps. 117:25]
Alleluia - Shew us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy Salvation.
[Ps. 84:8]
R. Amen.
The Blessing of Water the minor blessing
R. Amen.The Exorcism of Water the minor exorcism
R. Amen. HOLY UNCTION (Anointing of the Sick) AND COMMUNON
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.The Gospel [Matthew 22:23, 29-33]
The Anointing and Holy Communion
R. Amen.
Deliver us O Lord from every evil and preserve us in all good,
O Jesus Christ, the Author of all that is good, Who reigneth
unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
Let him (her) say:
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
Visit us, O God, in Thy Salvation - Alleluia. [Ps 105:4]
The Lord is my strength and my praise, and He is become my Salvation
- Alleluia. [Ps 117:14]
I will take the Chalice of Salvation, and I will call upon the Name
of the Lord - Alleluia. [Ps 115:13]
Refreshed by the Body and Blood of Christ, may we ever say unto
Thee, O Lord - Alleluia.
O Praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise him all ye people. For
His mercy is confirmed upon us and the truth of the Lord remaineth
for ever. [Ps 116]
Offer up the Sacrifice of justice and trust in the Lord. [Ps 4:6]
O God, we give Thee thanks, O Thou through Whom we have celebrated
the Holy Mysteries, and we claim the gift of Holiness from Thee Who
reignth unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.The Benediction
R. Amen.
Peace be with thee unto life eternal.
R. Amen.Thus ends the Order of Communion.
(CONFESSION)
(St. Gallen Manuscript F.F. iii)
R. I believe.
R. I believe.
R. I believe.
R. I forgive them.
Protect this Thy servant -N- O Lord through Thy mercy and quickly
blot out all of his (her) iniquities by Thy pardon, through our Lord
Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit throughout
all ages of ages.
R. Amen.
Harken unto our prayers O Lord and spare from sins those who
confess unto Thee, and may the clemency of Thy Fidelity absolve
those whose guilt of conscience accuses them, through our Lord
Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit throughout
all ages of ages.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
Beloved Brethren, let us beseech God, the Almighty and Merciful, Who doth not desire the death of a sinner, but that he be converted and live. May God be appeased and grant His servant -N- the dispensation of mercy unto the right way of Life. In that this person incurred the wounds of his (her) guilt after the sacred washing in the Waters, it is appropriate that he (she) be cleansed in the esteemed [act of] public confession, so that no scars remain to condemn him (her), through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with the same unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit throughout all ages of ages.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
THE DEER'S CRY
(THE BREASTPLATE OF ST. PATRICK)
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness
towards the Creator of Creation.
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.
in obedience of Angels,
in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs,
in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles,
in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins,
in deeds of righteous men.
light of Sun,
brilliance of Moon,
splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning,
swiftness of Wind,
depth of Sea,
stability of Earth,
firmness of Rock.
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me:
against snares of devils, against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature, against everyone who shall
wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and
my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics,
against craft of idolatry,
against spells of women [any witch] and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers mans body and soul.
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness
towards the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
Healing prayers from the Lorrha Missal
For a injured or diseased
eye.
I venerate Bishop Ibar who heals [injuries] and illnesses of the
eyes. May the blessing of God and [the intercession of] Christ's
[servant, Ibar,] heal thine eye [and restore the] whole of
thine eye.For a thorn.
A splendid salve which binds a thorn: let it not be spot nor
blemish, let it not be swelling nor illness, nor clotted gore, nor
lamentable hole, nor enchantment. The sun's brightness heals the
swelling, it smites the disease.For disease of the urine.
May [Almighty God cleanse] thy urine and put [His healing into
thy soul] and into thy system and sustain thy body and restore
thy health. May a cure of health heal thee!
A Discussion of the Symbolism of the Mass
From the Lorrha Missal but of later date.
The "octonary New Testament" has two meanings: 1) The Eighth Day
of Creation; 2) The Eight Fold New Testament according to St.
Athanasius: 4 Gospels; Acts and Epistles; Revelations; The Apostles'
Creed; Pastor of Hermas. Since the time of this Missal, the last two
have been deleted from the Bible.
Warren notes that MacCarthy says that "the sum of the Particles
as given does not amount, as it should, to 65. Reading, however,
'.iiii. parsa deac' for '.iii parsa deac' and 'xiiii' for 'uiiii,'
we obtain the required total, 14 + 14+ 20 + 16 + 1, the unit being
the middle Particle, or the centre of the shaft of the Cross, the
position of the celebrant."
Notes on the Lorrha-Stowe Missal (by the Editors):
Some specifics on the Mass:
Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1995
Ascension Western Rite Orthodox Church
P.O. Box 72102
Akron, Ohio 44372