Before Mass Begins: A meditation on silence…

Liturgical silence is something much more grand: it is a symbol of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit who animates the entire action of the celebration. For this reason it constitutes a point of arrival within a liturgical sequence. Precisely because it is a symbol of the Spirit, it has the power to express the Spirit’s multifaceted action. In this way, going over again the moments I just mentioned, silence moves to sorrow for sin and the desire for conversion. It awakens a readiness to hear the Word and awakens prayer. It disposes us to adore the Body and Blood of Christ. It suggests to each one, in the intimacy of communion, what the Spirit would effect in our lives to conform us to the Bread broken. For all these reasons we are called to enact with extreme care the symbolic gesture of silence. Through it the Spirit gives us shape, gives us form.  (Pope Francis, Desidero Desideravi, 52)

What is my intention at Mass today?

Whenever a priest celebrates Mass, he has at least two specific intentions.  The first intention is to celebrate the Mass according to the rubrics the Church provided for how to say the Mass.  The second is to apply the grace of that Mass toward a specific need or intention. This second intention, commonly called “the intention of the Mass,” are special intentions offered to God as prayers of intercession and thanksgiving in and through the Eucharist.  Since the graces of the Mass being infinite, many intentions can be offered up at a single Mass. While a priest may only accept one intention at a single Mass, he may have many other intentions not attached to an offering. In addition, the faithful may bring their own intentions to the Mass, which they each carry privately and place upon the altar spiritually in prayer.
 

Preparation Prayers Before Mass From The Roman Missal said at the entry to the sanctuary before ascending the altar.

Prayer to Our Lady:

O Mater pietatis et misericordiae, beatissima Virgo Maria, ego miser et indignus peccator
ad te confugio toto corde et afféctu,
et precor pietatem tuam,
ut, sicut dulcissimo Filio tuo in Cruce pendénti astitisti, ita et mihi, misero peccatori, et sacerdotibus omnibus, hic et in tota sancta Ecclésia hodie offeréntibus, cleménter assistere dignéris,
ut, tua gratia adiuti,
dignam et acceptabilem hostiam
in conspéctu summere et individual Trinitatis offérre valeamus. Amen .

O most blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of tenderness and mercy,
I, a miserable and unworthy sinner,
fly to you with all the affection of my heart
and I beseech your motherly love,
that, as you stood by your most dear Son,
while he hung on the Cross,
so, in your kindness,
you may be pleased to stand by me, a poor sinner,
and all Priests who today are offering the Sacrificehere and throughout the entire holy Church, so that with your gracious help
we may offer a worthy and acceptable oblation
in the sight of the most high and undivided Trinity.

Amen.

 

Formula of Intention
(Said by the priest, worthy of reflection by the faithful)

 

Ego volo celebrare Missam,
et conficere Corpus et Sanguinem Domini nostri Iesu Christi, iuxta ritum Sanctae Romanae Ecclésiae,
ad laudem omnipoténtis Dei totiusque Curiae triumphantis, ad utilitatem meam totiusque Curiae militantis,
pro omnibus qui se commendavérunt orationibus meis in génere et in spécie,
et pro felici statu sanctae Romanae Ecclésiae.
Amen.
Gaudium cum pace,
emendationem vitae, spatium verae preniténtiae, gratiam et consolationem Sancti Spiritus, perseverantiam in bonis opéribus,
tribuat nobis omnipotens et miséricors Dominus. Amen.

 

My intention is to celebrate Mass
and to consecrate the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to the Rite of Holy Roman Church,
to the praise of almighty God
and all the Church triumphant,
for my good
and that of all the Church militant,
for all who have commended themselves to my prayers
in general and in particular,
and for the welfare of Holy Roman Church.
Amen.
May the almighty and merciful Lord
grant us joy with peace,
amendment of life,
room for true repentance,
the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit
and perseverance in good works.
Amen.

 

From here please refer to the glossy pages in the middle of the blue Isaac Jogues Missal to understand the actions taking place during the Mass.  

The Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross

Prelude 
At the Name of Jesus

1 At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, every tongue confess him King of glory now; 'tis the Father's pleasure we should call him Lord, who from the beginning
was the mighty Word.

2 Brothers, sisters, name him with love strong as death, but with awe and wonder and with bated breath! He is God the Saviour, he is Christ the Lord, ever to be worshiped, trusted, and adored.

3 In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue all that is not holy, all that is not true: let us grace support you in temptation's hour; and his will enfold you in its light and power.

4 In his Father's glory Christ shall come again, angel hosts proclaiming his return to reign. For all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow, and our hearts confess him
King of Glory now.

Vexilla Regis 

The Royal Banner forward goes,
The mystic Cross refulgent glows:
Where He, in Flesh, flesh who made,
Upon the Tree of pain is laid.

Behold! The nails with anguish fierce,
His outstretched arms and vitals pierce:
Here our redemption to obtain,
The Mighty Sacrifice is slain.

Here the fell spear his wounded side
With ruthless onset opened wide:
To wash us in that cleansing flood,
Thence mingled Water flowed, and Blood.

Fulfilled is all that David told
In true prophetic song, of old:
Unto the nations, lo! saith he,
Our God hath reignèd from the Tree.

O Tree! In radiant beauty bright!
With regal purple meetly dight!
Thou chosen stem! divinely graced,
Which hath those Holy Limbs embraced!

How blest thine arms, beyond compare,
Which Earth's Eternal Ransom bare!
That Balance where His Body laid,
The spoil of vanquished Hell outweighed.

Hail wondrous Altar! Victim hail!
Thy Glorious Passion shall avail!
Where death Life's very Self endured,
Yet life by that same Death secured.

O Cross! all hail! sole hope, abide
With us now in this Passion-tide:
New grace in pious hearts implant,
And pardon to the guilty grant!

Thee, mighty Trinity! One God!
Let every living creature laud;
Whom by the Cross Thou dost deliver,

O guide and govern now and ever! Amen.

Opening Hymn

Liturgy of the Word

Introit
Galatians 6:14; Ps 66

Let our glory be in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; in him we have salvation, life and resurrection; through him we are rescued and set free. V. May God have mercy on us and bless us; may he cause his face to shine upuon us and may he have mercy on us. 

Collect

O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth, may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ...
 

First Reading
Numbers 21: 4-9

Gradual

Philippians 2: 8-9

Christ became obedient for us unto death, even death on a Cross. V. Therefore God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.

Second Reading

Philippians 2: 6-11

Alleluia

Alleluia. O precious wood, O precious nails, gently bearing so precious a burdern; you alone were worthy to carry the King of heaven, the Lord. 

Gospel 
John 3: 13-17

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Offertory 
 

Protect your people, O Lord, by the sign of the holy cross, from the attacks of all enemies; so that our service may be agreeable unto you and our sacrifice acceptable, alleluia.

Prayer over the Offerings 

May this oblation, O Lord, which on the altar of the Cross cancelled the offence of the whole world, cleanse us, we pray, of all our sins. Through Christ our Lord. 

Preface 
V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. 
V. Lift up your hearts. R. We lift them up to the Lord. 
V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. R. It is right and just. 
V. It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God. For you placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered, through Christ our Lord. 
Through him the Angels praise your majesty, Dominions adore and Powers tremble before you. Heaven and the Virtues of heaven and the blessed Seraphim worship together with exultation. May our voices, we pray, join with theirs in humble praise, as we acclaim:

Sanctus

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Agnus Dei 

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Communion will be distributed at the altar rail.  Please kneel at the red cushions and wait for the priest to come to you.

Communion Antiphon
 

By the sign of the cross, deliver us from our enemies, O Lord our God.

Chant Hymn
Crux fidelis

Faithful cross, above all other, One and only noble tree: None in foliage, none in blossom, None in fruit thy peer may be. Sweetest wood and sweetest iron, Sweetest weight is hung on thee! 

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle; Sing the ending of the fray. Now above the cross, the trophy, Sound the loud triumphant lay: Tell how Christ, the world's redeemer, As a victim won the day.
 
Tell how, when at length the fullness Of the appointed time was come, He, the Word, was born of woman, Left for us His Father's home,  Blazed the path of true obedience, Shone as light amidst the gloom.

Thus, with thirty years accomplished, He went forth from Nazareth, Destined, dedicated, willing, Did His work, and met His death; Like a lamb He humbly yielded On the cross His dying breath.

Faithful cross, true sign of triumph, Be for all the noblest tree; None in foliage, none in blossom, None in fruit thine equal be; Symbol of the world's redemption,
For the weight that hung on thee!

Unto God be praise and glory: To the Father and the Son, To the eternal Spirit honor now and evermore be done; Praise and glory in the highest, While the timeless ages run.

Prayer after Communion

HAving been nourished by your holy banquet, we beseech you, Lord JEsus Christ, to bring those you have redeemed by the wood of your life-giving Cross to the glory of the resurrection. Who live and reign for ever and ever. 

 

Closing Hymn