The Roman Catholic Mass (1570) Part Ii

Although the Roman Mass, standardized by directives of the Council of Trent (1570), is technically a post-Reformation document, it is not an innovation but rather the summation of the medieval development of western Catholic worship. Consequently the mass below is presented as part of the pre-Reformation liturgies as an example of ancient Catholic worship. OFFERTORY The second part of the Mass, called the Offertory, reflected the eucharistic theology so prevalent since the Middle Ages. The priest turns to the people and says: Celebrant:The Lord be with you. Server:And with you. Celebrant:Let us pray. He then recites the Offertory, which is to be found in the Mass proper to the day. Commentary: The priest first recites an offertory verse, based upon a text from Scripture, usually from the Psalms. These prayers, called the "super oblata," underscore the sacrificial notion of the Mass, signified by the word oblation, and they are found in the Mass Propers which change accord…