Jamcarl catering

Every catholic should know,

Articles of the Mass

“God’s people have always taken special care with the vessels used in their worship… The vessels and cloths are to serve, after all, as thrones of Christ the King, who is truly present in the Eucharist.”[1]

Each item (or what the Church terms as ‘articles’) used during the Liturgy of the Eucharist has meaning and function, and ultimately carries and protects the bread and wine, which become the Body and Blood of Christ. Ever wondered what the names of these articles are?

The paten is a plate made of precious metal, and holds the bread which becomes the Body of Christ.
The ciborium usually has a lid for storage of the hosts in the tabernacle.[2]
The chalice is a cup, again made of precious metal, to hold the wine which becomes the Blood of Christ.
Two cruets hold wine and water for mixture in the chalice.[3]
The corporal is comparable to a place mat in a table setting… (and) any particles of the host that fall can be collected at the end of Mass. The paten, chalice and ciborium are placed upon it.[4]
The pall, a stiff, square, white cover is placed over the chalice to protect the Blood of Christ from external elements.[5]
The purificator is used to clean the inside of a chalice after Communion. It is also used to wipe the brim of the chalice after someone has received from it.[6]
The lavabo is the small bowl that the priests washes his hand over at the preparation of the gifts.
The finger towel is what the priest dries his hands on. A red cross is sewn at the corner of finger towels rather than in the centre, as on the purificator.[7]
May we also take special care of the gift of ourselves as vessels containing the body of Christ, to be shared with others.

-Shaun

[1] Cardinal Donald Wuerl, The Mass: The Glory, The Mystery, The Tradition (Doubleday Religion, 2011), at p.79

[2] Ibid, at pp.79, 82. See also Deacon James F. Papillo, “Items used at Mass”, retrieved from http://www.catholicdeacon.org/mass_objects.htm on 5 Oct 2015.

[3] Wuerl, supra note 1, at pp.79, 83.

[4] Ibid, at p.83.

[5] Papillo, supra note 2.

[6] Wuerl, supra note 1, at p.83.

[7] CatholicCulture.org, “Purificator”, retrieved from

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=35918 on 5 Oct 2015.

Riverstone
7th Birthday
DEC.28.2016