More About The Preparation Rites

After the celebrant prayed over the gifts of bread and wine, an Incensation followed.  However, this was more the practice in northern Europe than in Rome.  In 831A.D. Bishop Amalar, a close friend of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne (ruling from Aachen, Germany) and a renowned liturgist, traveled to Rome to meet with Pope Gregory IV to arrange a new liturgy for northern Europe.  While there, he was surprised that the Roman Liturgy had no Incensation.  Instead, in Rome, incense was burned in stationary pots; and also carried in the entrance procession, Gospel procession, and at the conclusion of Mass.  But there was no Incensation of sacred images, the priest, or the people as such.  Following Amalar’s visit, Incensation became a regular part of the Roman Mass.  The gifts on the altar, the altar, the clergy, and the people were now incensed.  This Incensation drew everyone into the Eucharistic offering of Christ.

The Incensation was described in many ways.  The burning coal with the smoke rising heavenward drew our minds to God petitioning him to fill us with the fire of divine love.  Just as the incense ascended upwards to God, God’s mercy might descend upon us.  The smoke filtering heavenward illustrated our prayer rising up to God.  In the new Roman Missal, the altar and the cross are incensed at the beginning of Man; on special feasts, the Gospel book; the bread and wine at the preparation of the gifts along with the priest and people.    

Following the Incensation, the celebrant washed his hands as he prepared to handle the precious gifts of bread and wine which would become the Body and Blood of Christ.  This practice is very similar to the usual way we prepare ourselves before attending an important event – we clean ourselves of the workday’s grime and wear our most festive clothing.  There was also a custom in the early Church when a Christian would wash his or her hands before praying since one was now entering the presence of God.  The washing of hands by the presider seems to have come from Jerusalem in the 4th century where the mass of the faithful began with a washing of hands by the celebrant.  

The Eastern Church also observed a washing of the hands by the priest whose hands were washed immediately after the gifts were placed upon the altar.  According to Father Josef Jungmann, the faithful also washed their hands in the baptismal fonts located at the front doors of churches, replaced eventually by the small holy water fonts.  During the Easter Season and on other feasts, the faithful were sprinkled with water as a reminder of their baptism which cleansed them of their sins by uniting them to Christ.  

Following the hand washing, the presider turned to the other priests asking for their prayers according to liturgical books from France and Germany in the 8th century.  Gradually, the faithful were also invited to pray for him. All prayed silently for him without any particular prescribed response.  This prayer was also a recognition of the priest’s right to preside at the Eucharist in the name of the people thanks to his ordination.  

The preparation rites were concluded by a prayer over the gifts.  Just as the Entrance Rites concluded with the “Collect” and the Communion Rite with a “Post-communion prayer”, so the preparation rites were now concluded with a prayer.

Father Sauer continues his look at the Mass in the April 21 issue of The Message.