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The priest reads the Introit (verses from the Psalms).

He then begins the Kyrie Eleison (‘Lord have mercy upon us’), which is said alternately by him and the congregation.

Kyrie Eleison.
Kyrie Eleison.
Kyrie Eleison.

Christe Eleison.
Christe Eleison.
Christe Eleison.

Kyrie Eleison.
Kyrie Eleison.
Kyrie Eleison.

The Priest and congregation say the Gloria together. [This is not said during Advent and Lent]

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee. We give thanks to thee for thy great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesu Christ. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. That takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art Holy. Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Jesu Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art Most High in the glory of God the Father. Amen..

The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray,

The priest reads the Collects for the day .
He then introduces the Epistle, for which the congregation sits.
At the end of the Epistle the priest says Here endeth the Epistle.
The congregation responds Thanks be to God.

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The book is then carried to the other side of the altar, and the congregation stands for the Gospel.
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit

The continuation of the Holy Gospel according to ---------
Glory be to Thee, O Lord
At the end of the Gospel the congregation says Praise be to thee, O Christ
The Notices, bidding prayers and sermon follow

The Mass resumes with the Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God. Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very God. Begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father: by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven. (Here genuflect.) And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary: And was made man. And was crucified also for us: under Pontius Pilate he suffered, and was buried. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven: and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, 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 I believe one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.

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The Priest says the Offertory Sentences (verses from the Psalms)
He then begins the preparation of the offerings, saying the following prayers in a lower voice

At the offering of the Host: Receive, O holy Father, almighty everlasting God, this spotless host, which I, thine unworthy servant, offer unto thee, my living and true God, for my numberless sins, offences and negligence's; and for all who stand here around, as also for all faithful Christians, both living and departed, that to me and to them it may avail for salvation unto life everlasting. Amen.

At the blessing of the water and wine: O God, who didst wonderfully create, and yet more wonderfully renew the dignity of man's nature: grant that by the mystery of this water and wine we may be sharers of his divinity, who vouchsafed to be made partaker of our humanity, even Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord: Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God: world without end. Amen.

At the offering of the Chalice: We offer unto thee, O Lord, the cup of salvation, humbly beseeching thy mercy: that in the sight of thy divine majesty it may ascend as a sweet-smelling savour for our salvation, and for that of the whole world. Amen.

In a humble spirit, and with a contrite heart, may we be accepted of thee, O Lord: and so let our sacrifice be offered in thy sight this day, that it may be pleasing unto thee, O Lord God.
Come, O Sanctifier almighty, eternal God, and + bless this sacrifice prepared for thy holy name.

At the washing of the priest's hands: I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord: and so will I go to thine altar.
That I may show the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
O shut not up my soul with the sinners, nor my life with the blood-thirsty: In whose hands is wickedness: and their right hand is full of gifts. But as for me, I will walk innocently: O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.
My foot standeth right: I will praise the Lord in the congregations.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Receive, O holy Trinity, this oblation which we offer unto thee in memory of the passion, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ: and in honour of blessed Mary ever Virgin, of blessed John Baptist, of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of these and of all the Saints, that it may avail for their honour, and for our salvation: and may they vouchsafe to intercede for us in heaven, whose memory we keep on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The priest turns to the congregation and says:
Pray, brethren: that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Father almighty.

The Lord receive this sacrifice at thy hands, to the praise and glory of his name, to our benefit also, and that of all his holy Church.

The priest reads the Secret Prayers of the day silently, ending with
Throughout all ages, world without end

Amen

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord
Let us give thanks unto our Lord God
It is meet and right so to do

The priest reads the Preface, beginning:
It is very meet, right, just and for salvation………and ending with
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
 

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The priest begins the Canon of the Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer:

Therefore most merciful Father, through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, we humbly pray and beseech thee that thou accept and bless these + gifts, these + offerings, these + holy and unblemished sacrifices, which first we offer unto thee for thy holy catholic Church: that thou vouchsafe to keep it in peace, to guard, unite, and govern it throughout the whole world: together with thy servant -------- our chief bishop and ------------our bishop, and all the orthodox, and teachers of the catholic and apostolic faith.

Remember, O Lord, thy servants and handmaids (pause to pray for those who need his prayers); and all who here around us stand, whose faith is known unto thee and their devotion manifest; for whom we offer unto thee, or who themselves offer unto thee this sacrifice of praise, for themselves, and for all who are theirs; for the redemption of their souls, for hope of their salvation and safety; and who render their vows unto thee, the eternal God, living and the true.
[The prayer may vary at this point according to the season]

Uniting together and venerating the memory, first, of the glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ: as also of thy blessed Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Thaddeus: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian: and of all thy Saints. By whose merits and prayers grant that in all things we may be be defended with the help of thy protection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

This oblation, therefore, of our service, as also thy whole family, we beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to accept; and order our days in thy peace, and deliver us from eternal damnation, and bid us to be numbered in the flock of thine elect. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Which oblation do thou, O God, we beseech thee, vouchsafe in all things to make + blessed, + approved, + ratified, reasonable and acceptable; that it may become for us the Body and Blood of thy most dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who the day before he suffered, took bread into his holy and venerable hands, and with eyes lifted up to heaven to thee, God, his almighty Father, giving thanks to thee, he + blessed, brake and gave to his disciples, saying:

 Take, and eat ye all of this. For this is my Body.

Likewise after supper, taking also this excellent chalice into His holy and venerable hands, again giving thanks to thee, He blessed, and gave to His disciples, saying saying: Take and drink ye all of it.

For this is the Chalice of my Blood, of the new and eternal testament: the mystery of faith: which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.

Wherefore, O Lord, we thy servants, and thy holy people also, mindful of the blessed passion of the same Christ thy Son our Lord, as also his resurrection from hell, and glorious ascension into heaven: offer unto thine excellent majesty of thine own gifts and bounty; a + pure victim, a + holy victim, a + spotless victim; the holy + Bread of eternal life, and the + Chalice of everlasting salvation.

Upon which vouchsafe to look with a favorable and gracious countenance: and to accept them, even as thou didst vouchsafe to accept the gifts of thy just servant Abel, and the sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham, and the holy sacrifice, the spotless victim, which thy high priest Melchisedech offered unto thee.

We humbly beseech thee, almighty God: command these to be brought by the hands of thy holy Angel to thine altar on high, in sight of thy divine majesty: that as many as by this partaking of the altar shall receive the most sacred + Body and + Blood of thy Son, may be fulfilled with all heavenly benediction and grace. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Remember also, O Lord, thy servants and handmaids who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace [pause to pray for the souls of the departed] To them, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, we beseech thee to grant a place of refreshing, light, and peace. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

To us sinners also, thy servants, hoping in the multitude of thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some part and fellowship with thy holy Apostles and Martyrs: with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and with all thy Saints: within whose fellowship,. we beseech Thee, to admit us, not weighing our merit, but granting us forgiveness. Through Christ our Lord.

Through whom, O Lord, all these good things thou dost ever create; dost + sanctify, + quicken, + bless, and bestow upon us.

Through him, and with him, and in him, is unto thee God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory, throughout all ages, world without end.

The congregation replies: Amen.

Let us pray:
Commanded by saving precepts, and taught by divine institution, we are bold to say:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil.

The priest says silently: Amen. Then, silently:
Deliver us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all evils, past, present, and to come: and at the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and with Andrew, and all the Saints, favorably grant peace in our days: that by the help of thine availing mercy we may ever both be free from sin and safe from all distress. Through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God.

He ends aloud:
Throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen

The peace of the Lord be alway with you.
And with thy spirit.

O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us;
O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us;
O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

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The following prayers in preparation for Communion are said silently by the priest.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst to thine Apostles, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: regard not my sins, but the faith of thy Church: and vouchsafe to her peace and unity according to thy will: Who livest and reignest God, throughout all ages; world without end. Amen.

O Lord Jesu Christ, Son of the living God, who by the will of the Father, and the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, hast through thy death given life unto the world: deliver me by this thy most sacred Body and Blood from all mine iniquities and from every evil: and make me ever to cleave unto thy commandments, and suffer me never to be separated from thee: Who with the same God the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.

Let the partaking of thy Body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, unworthy presume to receive, turn not to my judgment and condemnation: but of thy goodness let it avail unto me for protection of mind and body, that I may receive thy healing: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost God, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I will receive the bread of heaven, and call upon the name of the Lord.

The priest begins his own Communion. Towards the end of this the server leads the congregation in their Confession:

I confess to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to Blessed Michael the Archangel, to Blessed John Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to thee Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, deed: through my fault, through my fault, through my own most grievous fault; wherefore I ask Blessed Mary ever Virgin, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Saints Angels and thee Father, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

The priest gives the Absolution:
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins and bring you to everlasting life. Amen

May the Almighty and merciful God grant you pardon, absolution and remission of our sins. Amen.

The priest holds up the Host and says:
Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the world .

The congregation responds by saying three times:
Lord, I am not worthy, that thou shouldest enter under my roof: but speak the word only, and my soul shall be healed.

Those who are to receive Communion come to the altar rail. The Priest administers the Sacrament saying to each person:
The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul unto everlasting life. Amen.

and

The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul unto everlasting life. Amen.

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After the Communion the priest cleanses the sacred vessels
He says the Communion verse and the final Collects. Then he says:
The Lord be with you
And with thy spirit
Go, the Mass is ended. Depart in peace [or Let us bless the Lord]
Thanks be to God

The priest then gives the Blessing:
God almighty bless you: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The priest moves to the Gospel corner of the altar and begins the final Gospel:
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.

The Beginning of the holy Gospel according to John.
Glory be to thee, O Lord.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him: and without Him was made nothing that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men: and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [genuflect here]: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us: and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Thanks be to God.

The final prayers are said outside the sanctuary.

Prayer for the Church
O Mary, most exalted among God’s creatures, who by the power of the Holy Spirit and by they freely-given consent, didst conceive in they womb the eternal Son of the everlasting Father: we place the Holy Catholic Church – Western Rite under thy maternal protection. Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, may many come to recognize our Church as a manifestation of the Ever-living, One, True, Undivided Catholic Church. May many be brought to the fullness of redemption and new life in Christ through the witness of our Church. May we be shielded from the attacks of Satan, and, following the example of thine obedience to the Father, may we ever remain true to our vocation and calling. Amen.

Prayer to St Michael
Holy Michael Archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke Him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust down to Hell, Satan and all wicked spirits, who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

The Angelus
The Angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.
And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it unto me according to thy word.

Hail Mary, etc.

And the Word was made Flesh
And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, etc.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts, that, as we have known the Incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message
of an Angel, so by his Cross and Passion we may be brought to the glory of His Resurrection.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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As We Pray, So We Believe

A Commentary on the Gregorian Canon
by
©Bishop Lawrence Garner

...that thou vouchsafe to keep it in peace, to guard, unite and govern it throughout the whole world: together with (name) our chief Bishop, and (name) our own Bishop, and all the orthodox, and teachers of the catholic and apostolic faith.

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The Canon now reminds us  of our own part of the Church  - the Church here on earth. This is a prayer of the Undivided Church, when it was possible to pray for the one Church throughout the whole world. Now, in our minds, we unite ourselves with all the  ‘orthodox’  who hold the true Catholic Faith.

The specific references to our Chief Bishop and our own Bishop prompt us to think about what a bishop is. We have to abandon the modern idea of the bishop as a remote figure, a manager, running his large diocese from an office and appearing only very occasionally in any one parish. In our Church we have returned to the original function of the bishop as a chief pastor surrounded by his people -the shepherd of a small flock. In the words of the parable of the Good Shepherd, we know him and are known by him.

A diocese is a self-sufficient branch of the Church family with the bishop as its spiritual father. As family members we submit ourselves to his authority and to his teaching, and he has obligations in return. He must protect us spiritually, casting out unorthodox teaching and anything else that may harm us as members of the Church. Our spiritual welfare is his direct responsibility.

Perhaps the most important point about the bishop is that he contains the whole Church within himself. He has complete authority under God to carry out every spiritual function that the Church requires. There may appear to be different 'grades' of bishop - Archbishop, Diocesan Bishop, Suffragan, Assistant Bishop - but those terms are purely for administrative purposes. The fact is that  an Archbishop has no greater spiritual authority than any other bishop. This is how it was in the undivided Church, and the main cause of the split between East and West in 1054 was the Pope's claim to have greater spiritual powers than an ordinary bishop. The independent authority of each bishop was the reason why, if an important matter of doctrine had to be settled in the Undivided Church, it could not be left to one man or a committee. Every bishop had to attend a Council and confer his own authority on the decision.

The first duty and loyalty of each member of our Church is to the bishop and the diocese, not to the priest and the parish. In the early years of the Church only the bishop celebrated the Eucharist.  It was only when numbers grew too large that it became necessary for the bishop to delegate some of his powers to deputies. Through the priests that he licences he still celebrates every Mass in his diocese. That is one reason why the priest cannot make even the slightest change in the liturgy; he must celebrate the Mass as the Bishop himself would celebrate it. In fact, as the Bishop's deputy, he cannot do anything as a priest that the bishop himself would not do.

In addition to being the father of his flock the bishop is also our direct link with the founders of the Church because he is in what we call the Apostolic Succession. The Church was founded when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles at the first Pentecost. It was the Holy Spirit that gave them their authority and their power to be the spiritual leaders of the Church. But as the Church expanded they had to find others to help them, so the Apostles laid hands on elders of the Church and passed on the power of the Holy Spirit. These consecrated men eventually became known as bishops, and they in turn laid hands on others. So the process continued. No-one could be a bishop unless he had been consecrated by an existing bishop. And in the Catholic Churches this has remained true to the present day. So our bishop is a direct descendant of the Apostles through the laying on of hands. In fact he is himself an Apostle.

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Remember, O Lord, thy servants and handmaids...

Our attention is now focussed on the tiny portion of the Church gathered for the Mass on this occasion. First the priest prays silently for those who need his intercessions. This moment of silence is an opportunity for all members of the congregation to offer prayers for those  known to them. 

...and all who here around us stand, whose faith is known unto thee and their devotion manifest: for whom we offer unto thee, or who offer unto thee, this sacrifice of praise for themselves and for all who are theirs: for the redemption of their souls, for the hope of their salvation and safety:  and who render their vows unto thee, the eternal God, living and true. 

The priest now commends to God the 'family' gathered in the church for this Mass. Originally the catechumens - those who had not yet been baptised and therefore had not been formally received into the Church - would have been dismissed before the Offertory, so those remaining would be the fully-committed people who, by their presence, show their devotion.

They are here for two reasons: first, for the private purpose of offering sacrifice for themselves and their families so that they may be saved through the redeeming power of Christ; and secondly for a public reason - to 'render their vows' as an act of corporate witness to their faith in God, and to 'show forth the Lord's death until his return. 

Uniting together, and venerating the memory, first of the glorious Ever-Virgin Mary,  Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ...

‘Uniting together’ means placing ourselves  'in communion with'. If we are the Church Militant the Saints are the Church Triumphant. They are in the presence of Christ, and at every Mass throughout the Church, no matter how small the congregation or how primitive the building in which the Mass is held, the Saints participate with us. We are in communion with them. They are with us in our worship, and with us as we partake of the body and blood of Christ, so our feeble worship and praise is intensified and strengthened by them as they worship directly with Christ himself, the Great High Priest. It is an awe-inspiring thought that as we, in our humble way, offer on the altar of an earthly church our sacrifice of Christ's body and blood, we join Christ and the Saints at the heavenly altar.

First, of course, in the list of Saints is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Note how she is described. She is glorious, which is not simply a vague word of praise; it has a specific meaning, which was formally adopted at the fifth Ecumenical Council (553AD) at Constantinople. It means that Mary has been glorified in heaven. Having been assumed body and soul directly into the presence of her Son she has achieved complete salvation - the only human being to have done so. The same Council confirmed the universal tradition that Mary is Ever-Virgin. The third Ecumenical Council (431AD), at Ephesus, declared Mary to be 'Theotokos' - the Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. So these titles are not just conventional phrases. They are ancient beliefs, confirmed as truths by Councils of unquestioned authority and taken into the liturgy. 

... as also of thy blessed Apostles and Martyrs... 

The list of Saints that now follows (and this applies also to the second list later in the Canon) contains names that may not be familiar. These are the Saints revered in the 6th century AD, and it is sometimes suggested that the lists are now irrelevant and should be omitted as an unnecessary obstruction to the flow of the Canon. But there are good reasons for having a list of actual names. The general phrase 'the Saints' has little impact, and gives us no mental picture of real people. Specific names remind us that all the Saints were once living human beings walking this earth.

It has been said of this first list that 'As we study the lives of the saints mentioned here they seem to embrace all types of sanctity and all kinds of men. Fisherman and tax-collector, mystic and organiser, priest and layman, Jew and Gentile, descendant of the proudest aristocracy of Rome and a humble, unknown Greek, lawyer and civil servant and doctor, Pope and zealot - all are here with others of different temperaments and skills and gifts, joining in communion with us, who are so like and so unlike them on earth.'  Each list ends with '...and all thy Saints', so a Saint of personal importance to us can be added mentally. [See the Appendix for notes on the Saints commemorated.]

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 This oblation, therefore of our service, as also thy whole family, we beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to accept….

At this point the priest stretches out his hands over the bread and wine just as the Jewish priest laid his hands on the sacrificial offering to indicate that it was a substitute for himself and those who offered it. A bell is rung here to remind the congregation that they, represented by the bread and wine, are being offered. We offer 'ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy and lively sacrifice'. But we do not offer ourselves alone - we could never be a worthy sacrifice. Christ is also being offered here as the one perfect sacrifice. In the words of a Roman Catholic theologian 'The priest, acting for himself and for the people whom he represents, lays his hands upon the chalice and the host as though upon the head of Jesus Christ, who invites us to load him with our faults and to recognise that he alone can merit for us pardon for our sins’.

We ask that God will accept the sacrifice we offer as members of his 'family'. It seems a modest and homely word, but it is the right one, because it reminds us that, in becoming members of the Church, we have found a secure home, where we share in the all-embracing love of God, the head of the household, who knows every single member of the family. The Saints and the faithful departed are part of the family. Through Jesus Christ, who has visited every part of the household himself, we can talk to the Father whenever we like. We can chat to any of the Saints if we wish. And these are not one-sided conversations - we can get replies if we are prepared to listen. 

...and order our days in thy peace, and deliver us from eternal damnation, and bid us to be numbered in the flock of thine elect... 

The word 'flock' reflects the previous word 'household'. Both imply that the faithful in Christ, committed to leading his new life, form an 'elect' -a chosen group that is in the world but not of it. (Jesus said: 'You have not chosen me; I have chosen you'.) We hope that we shall also be part of the elect who are saved, but the sharp reference to eternal damnation is a warning that we can take nothing for granted. 'The flock of thine elect' is intended to bring to mind Jesus' warning about judgement. 'When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory....and he shall separate one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats....' 

Which oblation do thou O God,  we beseech thee, vouchsafe in all things to make blessed, approved, ratified, reasonable and acceptable;  that it may become for us the Body and Blood of thy most dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Before the most solemn moment of the Mass the priest prays that what we have done so far may be sufficient to make our sacrifice acceptable to God. Our small congregation has linked itself with the Church, the whole Body of Christ. We have 'tuned in', as it were, to the Saints in heaven and to Christ, the Great High Priest. We have offered ourselves to be united with Christ in the sacrifice on the altar. We ask that God will 'ratify' - put his seal of approval on - these preparations, so that the bread and wine may become to us the Body and Blood of His Son. We have no doubt that the transformation will take place - We have Christ's promise for that - and it will happen regardless of the intensity of our faith. The Sacrament does not become 'real' to some and not to others. But partaking of the Sacrament will not be greatly profitable to us unless it becomes for us his Body and Blood - unless we make it our own, with the firm wish and intention to receive it and the benefits it bestows. If we receive it carelessly, thoughtlessly or absent-mindedly we fail, in St Paul's words, to 'discern the Lord's Body'. And what are the benefits? An Orthodox Liturgy sums them up in the prayer 'that this Eucharist now offered may be to us for the pardon of offences, and for the remission of sins and for the great hope of resurrection from the dead and new life in the kingdom of heaven. 

Who, the day before he suffered, took bread into his holy and venerable hands, and, with eyes lifted up to heaven to thee, God, his  Almighty Father, giving thanks to thee, he blessed,  brake, and gave to his disciples, saying: Take and eat ye all of this; For this is my Body. 

Likewise after supper,  taking also this excellent Chalice into his holy and venerable hands, again giving thanks to thee, he  blessed, and gave to his disciples, saying: Take and drink ye all of it.  For this is the Chalice of my Blood of the new and eternal testament: the mystery of faith:  which  shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. 

The vivid words of the Institution Narrative take us back, in our minds, to be with the disciples in the Upper Room as the priest repeats the words and actions of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. When he has finished we know that the bread and wine on the altar have become the Body and Blood of Christ, but the priest has not brought this about by any power of his own. He has merely been the voice and hands of Christ the great High Priest, who is both the celebrant of the Mass and the sacrifice offered. In an act which is a renewal of his once-for-all sacrifice on the Cross Christ offers himself, his Body and Blood, to God his Father for the remission of our sins.

 Maundy Thursday is one of the most important commemorations in our Kalendar because it brings home the great truth that, before offering himself to God on the Cross for our redemption, Jesus Christ ensured that his priesthood should not die with him. He gave us the means of re-presenting perpetually, through him as Priest, the sacrifice he would make on the following day. In the Upper Room he offered himself spiritually for sacrifice; on Calvary the sacrifice was completed physically.

It is worth repeating that the Greek word translated here as 'remembrance' actually has the meaning of 're-calling' or 'summoning back'. The sacrifice on the Cross was an historical event that cannot be repeated, but at each Mass we re-call it to the present and re-present it to God, knowing that its benefits are as powerful here and now as they were at Calvary.

Note the phrase 'New and Everlasting Testament'. It means that the old Testament (or Covenant) with Israel has been replaced with a new Covenant that will remain until Christ's second coming. (In effect it is a warning that this is mankind's last chance for reconciliation with God.) It also means that the effect of this new Covenant will not diminish; we 'tap into' its never-failing power each time we participate in the Holy Eucharist and partake of Christ's Body and Blood.

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Wherefore, O Lord, we, thy servants, and thy holy people also, mindful  of the blessed passion of the same Christ thy Son our Lord, as also his resurrection from hell and glorious ascension into heaven: offer unto thine excellent majesty of thine own  gifts and bounty, a pure victim, a holy victim, a spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life, and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.

In the first part of the Canon we have offered the imperfect sacrifice of ourselves, knowing it to be insufficient. To make the sacrifice perfect the priest, in the previous prayer, has 'called back' Christ to renew for us here and now the same spiritual sacrifice of himself which he made for his disciples at the Last Supper. Now we can offer a perfect sacrifice; the bread and wine have become Christ's Body and Blood, the means of our salvation.

The Prayer also reminds us of two other truths. First, we are 'holy people'. We may not consider ourselves holy in the common sense of the word, but the fact that we have been baptised into the Body of Christ and are now participating in the Holy Eucharist in true faith makes us members of God's chosen people. Secondly we are reminded that God's plan for our salvation was not completed at the Crucifixion; it was fulfilled by Christ's victory over death at his Resurrection and his Ascension into heaven, when he took his place as our King, our High Priest, our Advocate before God and  our eventual Judge.

It has been said that this prayer  reveals to us simultaneously the three Bodies of Christ - his sacramental Body on the altar, his mystical Body the Church and his incarnate Body which is resurrected and glorified in heaven. 

Upon which vouchsafe to look with a favourable and gracious countenance: and to accept them, even as thou didst  vouchsafe to accept the gifts of thy just servant Abel, and the sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham, and the holy sacrifice, the spotless victim, which thy high priest Melchisedek  offered unto thee. 

No sacrifice is complete or of any value unless it is accepted. But why should we need to pray for this when we know that the sacrifice of Christ himself is bound to be acceptable to God? The answer is that we have dared to associate and unite our imperfect selves with that sacrifice. In so doing we have followed the example of the traditional Jewish sacrifices (though with an infinitely greater hope of success).

As if to drive home the truth that Christ's sacrifice for our sins was not a sudden or isolated event but part of God's plan for mankind from all eternity the Canon draws attention to three famous examples of righteous sacrifice, all from the Book of Genesis. The first two are well known, but Melchisadek is a mysterious figure who makes a fleeting appearance in Genesis 14.18: 'After Abraham's return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh...And Melchisadek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God most High. And he blessed him....Melchisadek's name occurs again in Psalm 110: 'The Lord sware [to David] and will not repent; thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisadech'. As both king and priest Melchisadek was seen as particularly relevant to our beliefs about Christ. In the Epistle to the Hebrews Jesus is described as being 'made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisadek'. 

We humbly beseech thee,  Almighty God, command  these to be brought by the hand of thy holy Angel to thine altar on high, in sight of thy divine majesty, that as many as, by this partaking of the Altar shall receive the most sacred Body and Blood of thy son, may be fulfilled with all heavenly benediction and grace. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Everything has been done to make our sacrifice complete and acceptable. It must now be taken up to God in spiritual form and be laid on the heavenly Altar, where Christ celebrates as High Priest. At this moment our own altar and the heavenly altar become one, so the priest bows low and kisses the altar at the words 'by this partaking of the Altar'. At the reference to 'the most sacred Body and Blood' he makes the sign of the cross over the Host and the Chalice and then signs himself with the cross on behalf of the congregation to signify the passing of 'heavenly benediction and grace' from the heavenly Altar to the people.

This will not happen finally until the Communion. In every Jewish sacrifice there were four acts: the choosing of a victim without blemish, the slaying of the victim and the shedding of blood, the offering of the life to God and the partaking of the victim by the worshipper. We have completed the first three.  By partaking of the Body and Blood at the Communion we shall take to ourselves the 'heavenly benediction and grace' that results from our sacrifice and enables us to renew our reconciliation, fellowship and communion with God. 

Remember also, O Lord,  thy servants and handmaidens,  who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace.  To them, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, we beseech thee to grant a place of refreshing, light, and peace. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

At the beginning of the Canon we linked ourselves with our fellow Church members alive here on earth (the Church Militant) and with the Saints in heaven (the Church Triumphant). Now we pause to remember the third and most numerous part of the Church - the faithful departed (the Church Expectant). Here the celebrant pauses to remember particular individuals, eg the recently departed or those whose commemoration is due. During the moment of silence members of the congregation may add the names of their own loved ones.

From earliest times the Undivided Church taught that the souls of the baptised (those with the 'sign of faith') were not lost after death but occupied a place of security within the embrace of God, where they would await the final judgement at the Second Coming. Since very little has been revealed to us about this, our Church wisely declines to speculate in detail on the nature of this place.. To those who say that there is no scriptural authority for the belief we can point to the promise made by Jesus Christ to the repentant thief on the cross beside him: 'Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise'. When we say in the Apostles' Creed that Jesus descended into Hell we mean this same place - Paradise or the place of souls.

The Roman Catholic Church later developed a doctrine of Purgatory as a place where souls undergo continuing preparation for heaven by having their earthly sins purged. In the middle ages Purgatory was often depicted as being almost as terrifying as hell. The Canon, however, makes no reference to frightening punishments; Paradise is a place of refreshing because the weariness of the world is lifted; it is a place of light because it enjoys some of the distant radiance of heaven; it is a place of peace because sin can have no further effect. We may perhaps see it as described in the Book of Wisdom 3.3: 'But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction. But they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself.'

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We certainly hope that our life immediately after death will be a continuing progress towards heaven; that must of necessity involve a refining process. There may well be pain, not only in the full revelation of our failures on earth and the consequences of our sins, but also in the knowledge of how far we have to go before we can join the saints in the presence of Christ. Our consolation will be that we are saved and that we are in the hands of a loving God who knows each of his human creatures and who will not impose on them more than they can bear 

To us sinners also, thy servants, hoping in the multitude of thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some part and fellowship with thy holy Apostles and Martyrs; with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and with all thy Saints: within whose fellowship we beseech thee to admit us, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences. Through Christ our Lord. 

It is thus with our own hope of immortality in mind that we approach the end of the Canon. Although this prayer is now taken to apply to all those present, it was originally said for the clergy and ministers in the sanctuary. The celebrant would raise his voice on 'Unto us sinners also...' so that his colleagues could associate themselves with his plea to God to forgive their unworthiness.

The priest and those assisting in the Mass must be especially conscious of unworthiness when they consider the awe-inspiring nature of what they are privileged to do. In a private prayer before his own communion the celebrant asks that God will 'regard not my sins but the faith of thy Church', and God does indeed ensure that the benefits of the Mass do not depend on the personal character of the priest. It is of no importance whether a priest is regarded by his people as spiritual and sensitive, or worldly and rude; he has been chosen and given divine authority to consecrate the bread and wine. But this is not a matter for pride. In his Mass vestments the celebrant is shrouded and shapeless; facing eastwards, his face is invisible to the congregation. So his character and personality are erased as he becomes nothing more than a voice and a pair of hands - the human instrument of the real celebrant, Christ the High Priest.

If we are troubled by thoughts of unworthiness in our Christian service we should remember the words of St Paul to the Corinthians: 'For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen...'(1Cor 1.26) And so, weak and foolish as we are, we can ask God for 'some portion and fellowship' with the Saints.

The list which follows provides several examples of Saints who were content to be self-effacing, anonymous and sometimes apparently weak. [See Appendix for notes on the Saints commemorated.] 

Through whom, O Lord, all these good things thou dost ever create; dost sanctify, quicken, bless and bestow upon us. Through him, and with him, and in him, is unto thee, God the Father Almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory. Throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

Nowadays the 'good things' are taken to refer to the Body and Blood on the altar. In the early years of the Church, however, it was the custom to bring to the altar at this point anything that needed blessing. (The custom still survives in the practice on Maundy Thursday of blessing the oil of the sick at this point.) This no doubt explains the words 'all these good things'. The passage reminds us that we can offer nothing of our own to God; we can only offer back what he has already provided.

The Canon comes to a majestic conclusion as we honour God through Christ (because he is the mediator between ourselves and the Father), with Christ (because Christ, too, offers praise to the Father in heaven) and in Christ (because Christ is God). As the priest says the words he takes the Host and makes the sign of the cross three times over the chalice, thus emphasising the unity of the Body and Blood. Then, still holding the Host, he makes the sign of the cross twice between himself and the chalice, symbolising the unity between us and the Blessed Sacrament. It is a final reminder that we have placed ourselves on the altar  with Christ's Body and Blood so that we can be 'a reasonable, holy and lively sacrifice'. The priest's last action in the Canon is to raise the Host and Chalice as a final act of offering. 

With the 'Amen' the congregation associates itself with everything the priest has done and prayed for.

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Appendix 

The Saints commemorated in the Canon 

The first group. 

First in the list are the twelve Apostles , together with the Apostle Paul.. Thaddeus is Jude, brother of James the Less. Linus was Peter's successor as Bishop of Rome. Cletus (or Anacletus) succeeded Linus and is traditionally thought to have introduced the rule that consecrations should be conducted by at least three bishops. Clement was the fourth Bishop of Rome, and was the author of an Epistle to the Corinthians which contains the first surviving account of how the Holy Eucharist was celebrated.

The next four Saints all died during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian. Sixtus became Pope in about 260AD and was slain at his altar only months later when he refused an order to worship the Emperor. Laurence was his principal deacon and was martyred three days later. When the Roman authorities demanded that he hand over all the Church's valuables he sold them and gave the proceeds to the poor. Cyprian was Bishop of Carthage, the leading Christian of his time in Africa, and was beheaded for refusing to acknowledge the divinity of the Emperor. Cornelius was an aristocratic Roman Pope who rallied the Church after the first wave of persecutions. During the second wave he was sent into a harsh exile which killed him.

 Little is known about Chrysogonus except that he was a Greek and suffered during persecution at the end of the third century. Cosmas and Damian were martyred during the same persecution. The tradition is that they were born in Arabia and became famous doctors, working for Christ and refusing payment. John and Paul were officials of the Roman imperial court who refused to abandon their Christian beliefs when the Emperor Julian reintroduced heathen worship. They were executed in about 363AD. 

The second group 

At their head is John the Baptist, whose vivid portrayal in the Gospels can make us forget his extreme humility. When asked who he is he answers 'a voice'. He claims to be nothing more than an instrument for the glorification of Christ, 'the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.' Stephen, although he now has the status of the First Martyr, occupied a lowly place in the Church as one of the first deacons. Matthias, so anonymous that we know nothing about him, was elected to the company of the Apostles in place of Judas Iscariot. The self-effacing Barnabas played an important part in the history of the early Church. It was he who persuaded his colleagues to overcome their distrust of Saul, thus making possible the great ministry of the Apostle Paul. It was at his suggestion that Paul was sent to preach at Antioch; he accompanied Paul there and also on the first missionary journey. When Paul rejected the services of Barnabas' nephew Mark as a missionary, Barnabas took the young man under his wing, arguably making possible Mark's Gospel.

Ignatius was consecrated as Bishop of Antioch by Peter. Condemned for refusing to worship pagan gods, he was dispatched on a long and painful journey to Rome. On the way he wrote several letters which are key historical documents, containing the first written mention of the 'Eucharist' and 'the Catholic Church', and also set out in classic form the role of the bishop. He was thrown to the lions in Rome in 107AD. The identity of Alexander has never been firmly established, but Marcellinus and Peter are known to have been two lowly Roman priests who died for their faith in about 304AD during the fierce persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, shaming the many senior clergy who evaded death by compromising with the authorities.

Felicitas, a slave, and Perpetua, an aristocrat were martyred in the arena at Carthage in 203AD. Very few facts survive about the remaining five women in the list, although they have all given rise to powerful legends. Agatha was a victim of persecution in Sicily in about 250AD, and her martyrdom made such an impression that a large church was built to commemorate her in Rome. Lucia, or Lucy also died in Sicily, in 303AD during the Diocletian persecution. Having taken a vow of poverty she decided to give all her money to the poor. Her mother at first refused to allow it, but after a pilgrimage to the tomb of St Agatha, where she was cured of a haemorrhage, she consented. However the young man who was due to marry Lucia resented being deprived of a dowry and denounced her as a Christian. Agnes was another victim of the Diocletian persecution. One version of her story tells that, as the 13-year-old daughter of wealthy parents, she rejected a fortune-hunting suitor, the son of the Prefect of Rome, on the grounds that she was already married to Christ. The young man reported her to his father and she was executed. Her anniversary is still elaborately observed at her memorial church in Rome. Cecilia is an even more shadowy figure; accounts of her life and death are for the most part legendary. It is known that a lady named Cecilia founded a church in Rome and was buried with great honour. She later became venerated as a saint of such status that the Pope himself used to celebrate Mass at her tomb during Lent. Nothing is known about Anastasia except that she was martyred during the Diocletian persecution at what is now the town of Mitrowitz in Yugoslavia. However, she has a unique memorial; having died on Christmas Day she is traditionally commemorated at the second Mass of the Nativity.

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