Transcript Document

THE MASS:
The
Early Church
Part IIIc:
The Mass
of the ApostlesOther Testimony
30 AD
250 AD
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Developments during this Era (c. 112)
Eucharist is celebrated on Sunday, the “fixed day”.
Part of the Eucharist is responsorial singing of psalms.
Christ’s divinity is affirmed.
A form of contrition was recited rejecting sins.
The perception of Eucharist was its appearance of bread and wine.
Non-Christian Testimony
Pliny the Younger (c. 62-c.113), a pagan, was the Roman Governor of
Bithynia (present-day northwestern Turkey). He wrote the following letter
to Emperor Trajan of Rome asking for advice on how to deal with
Christians.
Letters to the Emperor Trajan (c 112)
“It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I
am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform
my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore
do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and
to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there
should be any distinction on account of age or no difference between the
very young and the more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for
repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it does him no good to
have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even without offenses, or
only the offenses associated with the name are to be punished.”
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“Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as
Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these
as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a
second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who
persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature
of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be
punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because
they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to
Rome.
Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings
going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was
published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that
they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words
dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which
I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the
gods, and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really
Christians, it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be
discharged.”
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“Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then
denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three
years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years.
They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed
Christ.
They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error
had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before
dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind
themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or
adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called
upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to
assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food.
Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in
accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations.
Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth
was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I
discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.
I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you.”
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“For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially
because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every
rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion
of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages
and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite
clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be
frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being
resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for
which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to
imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for
repentance is afforded.”
Emperor Trajan of Rome,
98-117 AD
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Developments during this Era (c. 215)
Newly baptized, after the Body of the Lord is given them, they are to
receive besides the consecrated chalice, also two others, one filled with
milk and honey and the other with water. [Jungmann, S.J., p. 8]
The double exclamation Sursum corda and Gratias agamus appear.
“The Lord be with you [all]. [and all say:] And with thy spirit.
Let us lift up our hearts. They are turned to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord. It is worthy and just.”
St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr (c.160-c. 244)
Apostolic Tradition (215)
“Let the deacons present the offering to him (the Bishop).
When he lays his hands on it, with the whole college of
presbyters, let him say the words of thanksgiving:
Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you [all].
[and all say:] And with thy spirit (Et cum spiritu tuo).
Let us lift up our hearts.
They are turned to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord.
It is worthy and just (Vere dignum et justum est).
We give thee thanks, O God, through thy beloved Child,
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent to us in the last times as
Savior, Redeemer and Messenger of thy will. He is thine
inseparable Word through whom thou hast created all things
and in whom thou art well pleased.”
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“Thou didst send him from heaven into the womb of a Virgin. He was
conceived and became incarnate, he manifested himself as thy Son, born
of the Spirit and the Virgin. He accomplished thy will and, to acquire a holy
people for thee, he stretched out his hands while he suffered to deliver
from suffering those who believe in thee.”
Account of the Institution
“When he gave himself up willingly to suffering to destroy death, to break
the fetters of the devil, to trample hell under his feet, to spread his light
abroad over the just, to establish the Covenant and manifest his
Resurrection;
He took bread, he gave thee thanks and said:
‘Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you.’
Likewise for the chalice, he said:
‘This is my blood which is poured out for you. When you do this,
do (it) in memory of me.’”
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Anamnesis
“We then, remembering thy death and thy Resurrection, offer thee
bread and wine, we give thee thanks for having judged us worthy to stand
before thee and serve thee.”
Anamnesis (“remembrance”) has sacrificial overtones. It occurs only eight times in the
NT and the Greek OT. All but once (Wisdom 16:6) it is in a sacrificial context (Hebrews
10:3, Leviticus 24:7, Numbers 10:10 and Psalm 38 [39] and 70). In these cases the term
anamnesis can be translated as “memorial portion,” “memorial offering,” or “memorial
sacrifice.”
Thus in the remaining two occurrences of anamnesis (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24),
Christ’s words “Do this in remembrance of Me, can be translated as “Offer this for my
memorial sacrifice.”
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Epiclesis
“And we beg thee to send thy Holy Spirit upon the offering of thy holy
Church, to gather and unite all those who receive it. May they be filled
with the Holy Spirit who strengthens their faith in the truth. So may we be
able to praise and glorify thee through thy Child Jesus Christ.”
After the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy…), the Eucharistic prayer continues with the
Epiclesis. Etymologically speaking, the word means, “call upon,” “invoke upon,” and
refers to the priest invoking the Holy Spirit to descend upon the gifts.
Doxology
“Through him, glory to thee, and honor, to the Father and to the Son,
with the Holy Spirit, in thy holy Church, now and for ever. Amen.”
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Developments during this Era (c. 250)
Modesty is the requirement for attending Eucharist.
Affirms the continued use of the House Churches.
The separation of ministers and laity during Eucharist.
Standing position is the prayer posture.
Deacons, priests and bishops have their defined role during Eucharist.
Didascalia (c. 250), Rome
A treatise which claims to have been written by the Apostles at the time of
the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), but is really a composition of the 3rd
century. It was first published in 1854 in Syriac. In 1900 a Latin translation,
perhaps of the 4th century, was discovered, more than half of which has
perished. The original was in Greek, and this can be to some extent
restored by a comparison with the Apostolic Constitutions, the first eight
books of which are simply a revised and enlarged edition of the Didascalia.
The full title given in the Syriac is “Didascalia, that is, The Catholic doctrine
of the twelve Apostles and the holy disciples of our Lord”.
The contents are the same as those of the corresponding books of the
Apostolic Constitutions. Aostolic Constitutions are treatises on Christian
discipline, worship, and doctyrine, intended to serve as a manual of
guidance for the clergy, and to some extent for the laity. This manuscript
dates from Pope Cornelius in 251 A.D.; the date of the work is placed in the
first half of the 3rd century.
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“Now, in your gatherings, in the holy Church, convene yourselves
modestly in places of the brethren, as you will, in a manner pleasing and
ordered with care. Let the place of the priests be separated in a part of
the house that faces east In the midst of them is placed the bishop’s
chair, and with him let the priests be seated. Likewise, and in another
section let the lay men be seated facing east.
For thus it is proper: that the priests sit with the bishop in a part of the
house to the east and after them the lay men and the lay women,
and when you stand to pray, the ecclesial leaders rise first, and after them
the lay men, and again, then the women. Now, you ought to face to east to
pray for, as you know, scripture has it, give praise to God who ascends
above the highest heavens to the east.
Now, of the deacons, one always stands by the Eucharistic oblations and
the others stand outside the door watching those who enter and afterwards,
when you offer let them together minister in the church . And if there is one
to be found who is not sitting in his place let the deacon who is within,
rebuke him, and make him to rise and sit in his fitting place…also, in the
church the young ones ought to sit separately, if there is a place, if not let
them stand.”
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“Those of more advanced age should sit separately; the boys should sit
separately or their fathers and mothers should take them and stand; and let
the young girls sit separately, if there is really not a place, let them stand
behind the women; let the young who are married and have little children
stand separately, the older women and widows should sit separately.
And a deacon should see that each one who enters gets to his place, and
that none of these sits in an inappropriate place. Likewise, the deacon
ought to see that there are none who whisper or sleep or laugh or nod off.
For in the Church it is necessary to have discipline, sober vigilance, and
attentive ear to the Word of the Lord.”
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The End of Apostolic Times
The End of
History of the Mass: The Mass of the Apostles, Part IIIc
Go to
History of the Mass: The Mass of the Catacombs,
Part IVa