The mass is now in general denominated according to the solemnity of the accompanying ceremonial — a "low mass," a "chanted mass," or a "high mass." In the first, a single priest simply i-eads the service, at- tended by one or more acolytes or clerks. The second form differs only in this, that the service is chanted in- stead of being i-ead by the priest. In the high mass the service is chanted in part by the priest, in part by the deacon and subdeacon, by whom, as well as by sev- eral ministers of inferior rank, the priest is assisted. In all these, however, the service, as regards the form of prayer, is the same. It consists of (1) an introductory prayer composed of the 41st Psalm, together -^vith the " general confession ;" (2) the introit, which is followed by the thrice -repeated petition, "Lord, have mercy," "Christ, have mercy," and the hymn "(ilnry to God on high ;" (3) the collect, or public and joint prayers of priest and people, followed by a lesson either from tlie Epistles or some book of the Old Testament, and by the Gradual (q. v.) ; (4) the Gospel, which is commonly fol- lowed by the Nicene Creed ; (5) the Offertory (q. v.), after the reading of which comes the preparatory offer- ing of the bread and wine, and the washing of the priest's hands in token of purity of heart, and tlie " se- cret," a prayer read in a low voice by the priest ; (6) the preface, concluding with the trisagion, or " thrice holy," at which point, by the primitive use, the cate- chumens and penitents retired from the church; (7)
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the '•' canon," which is always the same, and which contains all the prayers connected with the consecra- tion, the elevation, the hreaking, and the commnnion of the host and of the chalice, as also the commemorations hoth of the living and of the dead; (8) the "commun- ion," which is a short scriptural prayer, usually appro- priate to the particular festival ; (9) the " post-commun- ion," which, like the collect, was a joint prayer of priest and people, and is read or sung aloud ; (10) the dismissal with the hcnediction; and, finally, the first chapter of John's Gospel. A great part of the above prayers are fixed, and form what is called the " ordo" or " ordinary" of the mass. The rest, which is called the " proper of the mass," differs for different occasions, many masses having nothing pecidiar but the name: such are the masses of the saints — that of St. IMary of the Snow, celebrated on the 5th of August ; that of St. Margaret, patroness of lying-in women; that at the feast of St. John the Baptist, at which are said three masses ; that of the Innocents, at which the Glui-ia in Excelsis and HuUelujah are omitted, and, it being a day of mourning, the altar is of a violet color. As to ordi- nary masses, some are for the dead, and, as is supposed, contribute to release the soul from jnirgatory. At these masses the altar is put in mourning, and the onl}^ deco- rations are a cross in the middle of six yellow wax lights ; the dress of the celebrant, and the very Mass- book, are black ; many parts of the office are omitted, and the pco])le are dismissed ^vithout the benediction. If the mass be said for a person distinguished by his rank or virtues, it is followed with a funeral oration : they erect a chapelle ardenie, that is, a representation of the deceased, with branches and tapers of yellow wax, either in the middle of the church or near the deceased's tomb, where the priest pronounces a solemn absolution of the deceased. There are hkewise private masses said for stolen or strayed goods or cattle, for health, for travellers, etc., which go under the name of votive ynasses. There is stiU a farther distinction of masses, denomina- ted from the countries in which they were used : thus the Gothic mass, or missa Mosarabum, is that used among the Goths when they were masters of Spain, and is still kept up at Toledo and Salamanca ; the Ambrosian mass is that composed by St. Ambrose, and used only at Milan, of which city he was bishop ; the Gallic mass, used by the ancient Gauls; and the IJo- man mass, used by almost all the churches in the Ilomish communion. The mass of the presanctified {missa prwsanctijicdtorum) is a mass peculiar not only to the lioman, but also to the Greek Church. In the latter there is no consecration of the elements; but, after singing some hymns, the bread and wine, which were consecrated on the preceding day, are partaken of. This mass is performed in the Greek Church not only on (iood Friday, but on every day during all Lent, except on Saturdays, Sundays, and the Annunciation. The priest counts upon his fingers the days of the ensuing week on which it is to be celebrated, and cuts off as many pieces of bread at the altar as he is to say masses, and, after having consecrated them, steeps them in wine and ])uts them in a box, out of Avhich, upon every occa- sion, he takes some of it with a spoon, and, putting it on a disli, sets it on the altar.