RITUALE ROMANUM continued 2...

CHAPTER IV: BLESSINGS OF ANIMALS

1. BLESSING OF CATTLE, HERDS, FLOCKS

(cattle, oxen, sheep, goats, swine, etc.)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God, King of heaven and earth, Word of the Father by whom were made all creatures destined for our sustenance; we beg you to look with favor on our lowly condition; and as you have given us assistance in our work and in our needs, so may you bless, shield, and watch over these animals (this animal) with your mercy and heavenly care. And to us, your servants, be pleased to give everlasting grace together with creature needs, thus enabling us to praise and glorify and offer thanks to your holy name; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water:

2. BLESSING OF HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, our refuge and our strength and source of all goodness, heed the holy prayers of your Church, and grant that we fully obtain whatever we ask for in faith; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who helped the illustrious St. Antony to emerge unscathed from the many temptations that beset him in this world; help also your servants to grow in virtue by his noble example, and to be delivered from the ever-present dangers of this life by his merits and intercession; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord, let these animals have your blessing to the benefit of their being, and by the intercession of St. Antony deliver them from all evil; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

3. BLESSING OF SICK ANIMALS

The priest, vested in surplice and purple stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Deal not with us, Lord, as our sins deserve.

All: Nor take vengeance on us for our transgressions.

P: You, O Lord, will save both men and beasts.

All: Just as you, O God, show mercy again and again.

P: You open your hand.

All: And fill every living creature with your blessing.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who supplied even dumb animals to lighten man's toil, we humbly entreat you to preserve these creatures for our use, since without them mankind cannot subsist; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

We humbly entreat your mercy, O Lord, praying that in your name and by the power of your blessing these animals may be cured of the dire sickness that afflicts them. Let the devil's power over them be utterly abolished, and do you, Lord, protect their life and health against recurrent sickness; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Have pity on us, Lord, we beg you, and turn away every scourge from your faithful. Rid our beasts of the dread sickness that is destroying them, so that we who are justly punished when we go astray may feel your gracious mercy when we repent; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

4. BLESSING OF FOWL OR ANY KIND OF BIRD

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, author of all nature, who, among the many created species, also brought forth winged creatures from the primeval waters for the use of mankind; from which Noe, on coming out of the Ark, offered you a pleasing holocaust; who commanded your people, delivered from Egypt through Moses, your servant, to eat these winged creatures, separating the clean from the unclean; we humbly entreat you to bless and to sanctify this flesh of clean birds, so that all who eat thereof may be filled with your bounteous blessing, and may deserve to come to the feast of everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

5. BLESSING OF BEES

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who made the heavens and the earth, and all living things in the air and on land for the use of mankind; who ordered, through the ministers of holy Church, that candles made from the industry of bees should be lighted during the solemn mystery in which the most sacred body and blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, is confected and consumed; send your holy blessing upon these bees and these beehives, causing them to multiply and to produce and to be kept from harm, so that their yield of wax can be turned to your honor, to that of the Son and Holy Spirit, and to the veneration of the blessed Virgin Mary; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

6. BLESSING OF SILKWORMS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, Creator and King of the universe, who in creating living things endowed each with the power of propagating its kind; we pray that in your kindness you bless these silkworms, thus fostering them and increasing their numbers. Let your holy altars be adorned with the fruit of their industry. And let your faithful people, resplendent in silken apparel, acknowledge you with heartfelt praise as the donor of every good. We ask this of you who, with your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

7. DEPRECATORY BLESSING AGAINST PESTS

(mice and rats, locusts, worms, etc.)

The priest vests in surplice and purple stole, and coming to the field or place infested with these creatures, says:

Antiphon: Arise, Lord, help us; and deliver us for your kindness' sake.

Ps 43.1: O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have declared to us.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

All Ant.: Arise, Lord, help us; and deliver us for your kindness' sake.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

We entreat you, Lord, be pleased to hear our prayers; and even though we rightly deserve, on account of our sins, this plague of mice (or locusts, worms, etc.), yet mercifully deliver us for your kindness' sake. Let this plague be expelled by your power, and our land and fields be left fertile, so that all it produces redound to your glory and serve our necessities; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, the donor of all good things, and the most merciful pardoner of our sins; before whom all creatures bow down in adoration, those in heaven, on earth, and below the earth; preserve us sinners by your might, that whatever we undertake with trust in your protection may meet with success by your grace. And now as we utter a curse on these noxious pests, may they be cursed by you; as we seek to destroy them, may they be destroyed by you; as we seek to exterminate them, may they be exterminated by you; so that delivered from this plague by your goodness, we may freely offer thanks to your majesty; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Exorcism

I cast out you noxious vermin, by God the Father almighty, by Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, and by the Holy Spirit. May you speedily be banished from our land and fields, lingering here no longer, but passing on to places where you can do no harm. In the name of the almighty God and the entire heavenly court, as well as in the name of the holy Church of God, we pronounce a curse on you, that wherever you go you may be cursed, decreasing from day to day until you are obliterated. Let no remnant of you remain anywhere, except what might be necessary for the welfare and use of mankind. Be pleased to grant our request, you who are coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.

All: Amen.

The places infested are sprinkled with holy water.

CHAPTER V: BLESSINGS OF HOMES, BUILDINGS, OR PLACES

not designated for sacred functions

1. BLESSING OF A CORNERSTONE

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, from whom every good thing takes its start and receives its steady and full growth; grant, we beg of you, that what we commence for the glory of your name may be carried to completion by the ever-present aid of your fatherly wisdom; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

2. BLESSING OF A PRIVATE OR DOMESTIC ORATORY

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who sanctify the places dedicated to your name, pour out your grace on this house of prayer, that all who here call on your name may experience your kind assistance; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

3. BLESSING OF AN APARTMENT OR A HOME

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, bless this apartment (or home), that it be the shelter of health, purity, and self-control; that there prevail here a spirit of humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the commandments, and gratitude to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May this blessing remain on this place and on those who live here now and always.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

4. BLESSING OF HOMES

Outside of Eastertime

A pastor or another priest may wish to sprinkle with holy water a particular home or the homes of the faithful in general. On entering the home he says:

P: God's peace be in this home.

All: And in all who live here.

As he sprinkles the principal room he says:

Antiphon: Purify me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Ps. 50.1) Have mercy on me, God, in your great kindness.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

All: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

P: Ant. Purify me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

P: Lord, heed my prayer. All: And let my cry be heard by you. P: The Lord be with you. All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and protect all who live in this home, to be with them and give them comfort and encouragement; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

5. ANOTHER BLESSING OF A HOME

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God the Father almighty, we fervently implore you for the sake of this home and its occupants and possessions, that you may bless and sanctify them, enriching them by your kindness in every way possible. Pour out on them, Lord, heavenly dew in good measure, as well as an abundance of earthly needs. Mercifully listen to their prayers, and grant that their desires be fulfilled. At our lowly coming be pleased to bless and sanctify this home, as you once were pleased to bless the home of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Within these walls let your angels of light preside and stand watch over those who live here; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

6. BLESSING OF A BRIDAL CHAMBER

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this bridal chamber, that those who share it may abide in your peace and conform themselves to your will. And as they grow older may they know many happy years together, and come finally to your heavenly kingdom; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

7. BLESSING OF A SCHOOL

On entering the school the priest sprinkles the rooms with holy water saying:

P: God's peace be in this school.

A]l: And in all who assemble here.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who bade your apostles to pray that peace might come on any house they entered, we entreat you to bless by our ministry this building destined for the education of the young. Bestow your peace and blessing on it in full measure, so that its teachers and pupils may experience your saving grace, as did Zaccheus when you came into his home. Bid your angels to keep guard here and to drive away all power of the enemy. Inspire the teachers with knowledge, wisdom, and holy fear. Foster their pupils with grace from on high, so that they may grasp, retain, and put into practice the lessons they are taught. May teachers and pupils alike so please you by a truly virtuous life that they may finally deserve to be received into your everlasting home in heaven; through you, Jesus Christ, our Savior and our God, who live and reign forever and ever. All: Amen.

8. SOLEMN BLESSING OF A SCHOOL

On a Sunday or feastday chosen by the pastor and the patron and duly announced, the celebrant and the clergy and other assistants assemble in the rectory or other suitable place, where they vest in white vestments. At the appointed time--everything being in order--they march in solemn procession to the church, singing the Litany of the Saints or other sacred hymns; and the church bells are rung. The procession proceeds in the following order: schoolchildren (with one of them carrying their banner), the choir, the subdeacon with the processional cross, the patron or his representative, the rest of the faithful, and lastly the clergy and the ministrants. Having come into church the celebrant kneels on the lowest step of the main altar and intones the "Veni Creator" in the usual way (for the music see the music supplement). If there is no church at the place, the first part of the service is held in the room of assembly and vesting.

Hymn: Veni Creator (for the text of this hymn see Veni Creator)

At the end of the hymn the celebrant chants:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, guide us by your Spirit to desire only what is good and so always to find joy in His comfort.

God, who know the secrets of man's heart and will, from whom nothing is hidden; chasten our innermost thoughts by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that we may perform this blessing in a worthy manner, and thus obtain for your faithful the welfare they seek.

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least prayer and work may ever begin in you and end in you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

P: Let the little children come to me.

All: The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, we humbly beg you to look with favor on your children. Pour out on their hearts the grace of the Holy Spirit, that through Him they may ever be enlightened and instructed in whatever is pleasing to you, and so make progress in wisdom, age, and grace; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Deacon: Let us go forth in peace.

All: In Christ's name. Amen.

Now the celebrant goes in solemn procession to bless the school. Arriving there he stands outside before the door and chants:

P: May God's peace be in this school.

All: And in all who assemble here.

He intones the following antiphon. The choir continues with it and the psalm verse and repeats the antiphon at the end. For the music see the music supplement.

Purify me with hyssop, * Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Ps. 50.1) Have mercy on me, God, * in your great kindness. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. * As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Purify me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

While this is being sung he sprinkles the outer walls with holy water at least the front. After this he chants:

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, who conferred on your priests above all others so great a grace, that whatever they do worthily and exactly in your name is regarded as being done by you; we pray that in your kindness you may be present wherever we are present and may bless whatever we bless. And at our lowly coming, through the merits of your saints, may demons flee and the angel of peace be at hand.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, through the intercession of St. Ignatius and St. Aloysius, bless this building, bless our coming, bless our entering here, as you were pleased to bless the home of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Now all enter the school. The celebrant goes into the main room and there chants:

P: May God's peace be in this school.

All: And in all who assemble here.

Accompanied by the choir and clergy the celebrant goes up to the table which is covered with a linen cloth and on which is placed a crucifix and two lighted candles. There he chants the following:

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and protect all who assemble in this school, teachers and pupils, to be with them and give them comfort and encouragement; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your disciples: "In whatever home you enter, greet it, saying, 'Peace be in this home'"; let this same peace, we pray, abide in this school and in all who assemble here, teachers and pupils. Shield them, Lord, from all sickness. Inspire the teachers with knowledge, wisdom, and holy fear. Foster their pupils with your grace, so that they may grasp, retain, and put into practice the many salutary and useful lessons they are taught. May it please you, through our lowly ministry, to bless and to sanctify this school. Let your angels of light dwell within its walls and stand guard over the teachers and pupils; you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then the celebrant again intones the antiphon of the "Asperges" as above; and while the choir sings the rest of it he walks around the room and sprinkles it with holy water. Coming back to the table he puts incense in the thurible and blesses it with the words:

Through the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel, who stands at the right of the altar of incense, and that of all the angels, be pleased, Lord, to bless this incense and to accept it as a fragrant offering; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After this he takes the thurible and incenses the room. During the incensation the choir sings the following antiphon and psalm verses (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: May this incense blessed by you ascend to you, O Lord, and may your kindness descend upon us.

Psalm 140.2-4

Let my prayer come like incense before you; * the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice. Lord, set a watch before my mouth, * a guard at the door of my lips. Let not my heart incline to the evil * of engaging in deeds of violence. Glory be to the Father. As it was in the beginning.

After the incensation the celebrant stands before the crucifix and chants:

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

We beg you, O Lord, to visit this school and to drive out all wiles of the enemy. Let your holy angels dwell here and keep a peaceful watch over all who assemble here, teachers and pupils, and let your blessing be with them at all times.

Lord, bless this school, and let there be found here health and holiness, virtue and glory. Let there prevail here a spirit of humility, goodness, mildness, gentleness, docility, fidelity and obedience to your law, and gratitude to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let this blessing remain here for all time, and let the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit come upon the teachers and pupils; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The celebrant hangs the cross in a prominent place in the room saying as he does so:

Lord, let the sign of our salvation dominate this building, and forbid entrance here to the avenging angel; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Then standing before the cross he says:

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who are in full command of all places under your dominion, and without whose leave nothing occurs; shield this school from all harm, and let no evil power work havoc here. By the power of the holy cross and by the operation of the Holy Spirit may a worthy service be rendered to you in this place, and may a holy freedom abound; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Abide with us, O Lord our God, and be a constant help to those who take refuge in your holy cross; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Making the sign of the cross with his right hand, the celebrant blesses I the room and all who are present, saying:

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come on this school, on all who assemble here, teachers and pupils, and on us all, and remain forever.

All: Amen.

After this all go in solemn procession to the church, where the Mass proper to the day's office is celebrated. During the procession the children sing hymns and the church bells are rung.

9. BLESSING OF A LIBRARY (Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, July 23, 1924)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, Lord of all wisdom, pour out your blessing on this library. Let it safely withstand fire and every peril, and let it increase its volumes day by day. May all who come here for work or for study grow in knowledge of things human and divine, and grow likewise in their love of you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

10. BLESSING OF AN ARCHIVE (Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, July 23, 1924)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who love truth and justice, pour out your blessing on this archive constructed to preserve the records of past events and legal documents from destruction by man or time. Let it safely withstand fire and every peril. And let all who come here for research be intent on truth and justice, and grow in their love of you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water

11. BLESSING OF A SEMINARY

{This blessing is not to be found in the latest edition of the Roman Ritual of 1952, for its composition is of later origin, and was approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites on May 12, 1953 (see AAS 46 [1954] pp. 105-107).}

The rector of the seminary, or another priest appointed by the Ordinary to bless new seminary buildings (unless the Ordinary himself wishes to perform the rite), goes at the appointed time to the chapel of the seminary and vests there in surplice and white stole. He is assisted by two clerics, both wearing surplices, one of whom carries the aspersory, the other the Ritual. Kneeling at the altar he intones the "Veni Creator," which is then sung by the seminarians (for the music of this hymn see the music supplement). At the conclusion of the hymn the priest says:

P: Send forth your Spirit and all things shall be recreated.

All: And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

God, who instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, guide us by your Spirit to desire only what is good and so always to find joy in His comfort.

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least prayer and work may ever begin in you and end in you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then he receives the aspersory from the assistant and intones the Asperges (see The Sunday Blessing with Holy Water). The antiphon is continued by the seminarians (for the music see the music supplement), and is followed by psalm 50; and if time allows by part of psalm 118.

Meanwhile the priest, assisted by the cleric who carries the holy water stoup, goes around to all the rooms and other places of the seminary, sprinkling them with holy water in the usual way.

He then returns to the chapel and stands before the altar. Glory be to the Father is sung now, even though the psalm may not be finished. After this the priest says:

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and protect all who live in this seminary, to be with them and give them comfort and encouragement; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, who for the glory of your majesty and the salvation of mankind appointed your only-begotten Son as the eternal High Priest; grant that those whom you are pleased to select as the ministers and dispensers of your mysteries may be filled with the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and holy fear. Help them to put on Christ and to accept their sacred ministry with a pure heart and blameless conduct, and to persevere in it faithful until death.

God, who gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles while they were at prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus; grant that, while we are preparing for our future ministry in this holy cenacle, we may render a faithful service to your majesty under the protection of our Mother, Queen of the apostles, and thus be made ready to extend the glory of your name by word and by example.

God, who made your Church illustrious by the renowned learning of blessed Thomas, your confessor, and extended her kingdom by his holy life; help us, we pray, to gain a higher understanding of his teaching and a fuller imitation of his integrity; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then the priest takes a crucifix and hangs it in a suitable place, the seminary, one previously selected for this purpose. If the place is some distance from the chapel, the participants may go there in procession, singing the hymn, "Vexilla Regis".

As the priest hangs the crucifix in its place he says:

Lord, let the sign of our salvation dominate this building, and forbid entrance here to the avenging angel; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Then standing before the cross he says:

Almighty everlasting God, who are in full command of all places under your dominion, and without whose leave nothing occurs; shield this seminary from all harm, and let no evil power work havoc here. By the power of the holy cross and by the operation of the Holy Spirit may a worthy service be rendered to you in this place, and may a holy freedom abound; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Abide with us, O Lord our God, and be a constant help to those who take refuge in your holy cross; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Making the sign of the cross with his right hand, the priest blesses the building and all who are present, saying:

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come on this seminary, on all who live here, teachers and students, and on us all, and remain forever. All: Amen.

12. BLESSING OF A PRINTING-OFFICE AND PRINTING-PRESS

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, May 12, 1909)

Standing at the entrance the priest says:

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least prayer and work may ever begin in you and end in you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

As he goes into the building he says:

P: God's peace be in this establishment.

All: And in all who are employed here.

Then he says the antiphon "Purify me with hyssop," etc. (see The Sunday Blessing with Holy Water) as he sprinkles with holy water the various rooms of the printing-office, until he comes to the main part. He stops here and says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles: "In whatever home you enter, greet it, saying, 'Peace be in this home'"; let this same peace, we pray, abide in this printing establishment and in all who transact business here. Be pleased, O Lord, to shield and to free all those who work here from every injury of body and soul. Fill the writers, managers, and employees with the spirit of wisdom, prudence, and strength, and instill in them a holy fear, so that they may faithfully observe the precepts of the Church, and thus use their vocation for your glory and for the benefit of their fellowmen. Good Jesus, who are the way, the truth, and the life, bless this place, and grant, through the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, your Mother, that all who are employed here may happily attain the imperishable crown of glory. We ask this of you who are God, living and reigning forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then he blesses the machines and instruments, saying: Let us pray.

Lord God, the only source of knowledge, who were pleased so to enlighten men's resourcefulness that they have succeeded in inventing new kinds of printing-presses; put your blessing, we beg you, on these presses (this press). By your gracious help may we learn from the books here produced only such wisdom that comes from you and leads to you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water; after which the priest adds:

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and protect all who are employed here, to be with them and give them comfort and encouragement; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

If only the printing-office is to be blessed, one omits the second prayer along with the sprinkling of the machines and instruments. But if only the latter are to be blessed, one begins at the versicle "Our help," etc., says the second prayer, and sprinkles the instruments with holy water.

13. BLESSING OF A HOSPITAL OR SANATORIUM

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, July 18, 1939)

The priest, vested in surplice and white stole, recites the following antiphon and psalm alternately with the bystanders:

P: Ant.: Christ cured all the sick. He took on Himself our infirmities and lightened the burden of our illnesses.

Psalm 6

After the psalm the above antiphon is repeated. Then the priest says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who in a wonderful way created man and still more wonderfully renewed him; who were pleased to aid with many healing remedies the various infirmities that beset the human condition; mercifully pour out your holy blessing on this hospital, so that the sick who come here may find in you a physician of body and soul, a kind and fatherly helper, and may be taken by you, after the course of this life, to the unending joys of the life to come; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, Savior and consoler of our weakness, who delivered Peter's mother-in-law and the ruler's son from a high fever; who restored strength to the paralytic, cleansed the lepers, healed the centurion's servant; who saved the woman suffering from hemorrhage, raised up the man lying helpless on his pallet at the pool of Bethsaida, went about the towns and villages healing all kinds of ailments; we entreat you to bless and sanctify this hospital, so that the sick confined here may be freed from their illness and restored in body and mind, and may rightly see fit to praise your power until the end of their days; you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The priest sprinkles with holy water the main parts of the hospital after which he continues:

P: Lord, show us your mercy.

All: And grant us your salvation.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who drive out all sickness of body and soul, manifest your mighty help to the sick, that by the work of your mercy they may be restored to their duty of serving you.

We entreat you, Lord God, grant us, your servants, the enjoyment of lasting health of body and mind; and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever a virgin, free us from present sorrow and give us everlasting joy.

God, who by the wondrous ministry of angels guard and govern us, appoint your angel to stand watch over this hospital and to drive afar all the powers of evil. Let the sick confined here be shielded from fear and anxiety, and let them recover their former good health.

God, who in your wondrous providence chose blessed Joseph as the spouse of your holy Mother; grant, we pray, that we may deserve to have him for our advocate in heaven whom we venerate as our defender here on earth.

God, most merciful Father, who raised up St. Camillus and St. John of God, men imbued with deep compassion, to be comforters and nurses of the sick; by their merits and prayers be pleased to be present with your healing power to the sick confined here. Free them of bodily ailments and relieve them of mental distress, so that, once restored to their former good health, they may always show you due gratitude for your loving mercy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

14. BLESSING OF A RADIO STATION

{This blessing is not to be found in the latest edition of the Roman Ritual of 1952, for its composition is of later origin, and was approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites on October 24, 1957 (see AAS 49 [1957] 1043-45).}

From the nearest church or from another place designated for the purpose the priest proceeds to the radio-station, chanting or reciting the Canticle of Zachary or the Canticle of the Three Youths. On arriving at the radio-station he intones the following antiphon and then says psalm 18:

P: Ant.: Through all the earth their voice resounds, * and to the ends of the world their message.

Psalm 18

P: The heavens declare the glory of God, * and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.

All: Day pours out the word to day, * and night to night imparts knowledge;

P: Not a word nor a discourse * whose voice is not heard;

All: Through all the earth their voice resounds, * and to the ends of the world, their message.

P: He has pitched a tent there for the sun, which comes forth like the groom from his bridal chamber * and, like a giant, joyfully runs its course.

All: At one end of the heavens it comes forth, and its course is to their other end; * nothing escapes its heat.

P: The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; * the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.

All: The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; * the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye;

P: The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; * the ordinances of the Lord are true, all of them just;

All: They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; * sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.

P: Though your servant is careful of them, * very diligent in keeping them.

All: Yet who can detect failings? * Cleanse me from my unknown faults!

P: From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant; * Let it not rule over me.

All: Then shall I be blameless and innocent * of serious sin.

P: Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor * before you, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

All: Ant.: Through all the earth their voice resounds, * and to the ends of the world their message.

Then the priest says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who ordered all things in creation in a marvelous way, determining even their measure, number, and weight; and who gave man a share in your knowledge, thus enabling him to detect and control the latent forces with which you endowed the things of the universe; be pleased, we pray, to bless these instruments made for transmitting wavelengths of sound through the air, spreading out in all directions as instantaneously as lightning. Let them carry messages of aid in times of crises, of solace in times of distress, of advice in times of doubt, of light in times of darkness, and thus make known the glory of your name more widely throughout the world that all its peoples may be gathered into the fellowship of your love; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who created the world by your Word, and decreed that all things be brought to a head in Him who was made flesh and who suffered for us; graciously grant that His Gospel may be preached to every creature on the wavelengths of sound, so that, aided by the prayers of the blessed Mary, Mother of God and ever a Virgin, and of St. Gabriel the Archangel, messenger of the heavenly mysteries, all peoples may be united in the body of Christ and be gladdened with the gift of His peace; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The radio-station is sprinkled with holy water. And after the blessing the "Te Deum" is sung or recited, together with its versicles and oration (see Renewal of the Marriage Vows).

15. BLESSING OF THE SEA

{This blessing is not to be found in the latest edition of the Roman Ritual of 1952, for its composition is of later origin, and was approved by the Congregation of Rites on April 27, 1955 (see AAS 47 [1955] 414-15). In the city of Chioggia-Venezia, in Italy, it has been the custom for many years to bless the Adriatic Sea, in accord with a very ancient custom prevailing for centuries in the onetime flourishing Republic of Venice. In composing this blessing the Holy See has acceded to a request that has come in from many quarters of the globe. After the splendid psalm 28, which tells of God's glory manifested in the mighty seas, there follow three prayers, the first of which asks that, in view of the magnitude of the waters, we may become enraptured with contemplating the "secrets" of God; the second, which is directed to Christ, begs that all ocean-voyagers may be saved from the dangers of the tempestuous waters; the third asks God's blessing and success on fishermen who earn their daily sustenance from the sea.}

The priest intones the following antiphon, which is then followed by psalm 28:

P: Ant.: The voice of the Lord is over the waters, * the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over vast waters.

Psalm 28

After the psalm the above antiphon is repeated. Then the priest continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: All you fountains of waters, bless the Lord.

All: All you seas and waves, bless the Lord.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, Father of incomprehensible majesty, whose invisible power can be glimpsed from your visible creation; O God, whose Spirit hovered over the waters in the beginning of the world, grant to us, your servants, that as often as we behold with our bodily eyes the mighty waters swelling out in billows on the heavenly horizon, we may be enraptured in contemplation of your hidden mysteries. Let such a sight and the thoughts it arouses prompt us to invoke and to glorify with due praise your holy name, and to render to you, to whose empire all creatures are subject, the homage of our minds in true humility and devotion; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who once walked upon the waters, who uttered a word of command to the raging tempest of wind and sea and there came a great calm; let your piteous glance fall on us, your servants, who find ourselves surrounded by the many perils of this life; and grant that by the power of your blessing poured out on these waters all wicked spirits may be repelled, the danger of the tempestuous winds may subside, and that all who are at voyage on the seas, through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin, your Mother, may safely reach their destination, and finally return unharmed to their homes. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord, who said: "In the sweat of your brow you shall eat your bread"; kindly heed our prayers and bestow your blessing on this sea, so that all who are obliged to earn their daily bread for themselves and their families by traversing these waters may be enriched with your bounty and offer you due gratitude for your goodness; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The sea is sprinkled with holy water.

16. BLESSING OF FIELDS, MOUNTAIN-MEADOWS OR PASTURES

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Dec. 1, 1886)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, from whom every good has its beginning and from whom it receives its increase, we beg you to hear our prayers, so that what we begin for your honor and glory may be brought to a happy ending by the gift of your eternal wisdom; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who conferred on your priests above all others so great a grace, that whatever they do worthily and exactly in your name, is regarded as being done by you; we pray that in your kindness you may be present wherever we are present and may bless whatever we bless. And at our lowly coming, through the merits and prayers of your saints, may demons flee and the angel of peace be at hand; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Now the Litany of the Saints is said; all kneel during the litany. After the following invocation has been said: That you deliver our souls and the souls of our brethren, relatives, and benefactors from everlasting damnation, etc., the priest rises and says:

P: That you bless these fields (or acres, or these mountain- meadows, or pastures, or meadows).

All: We beg you to hear us.

P: That you bless and consecrate these fields (or acres, or these mountain-meadows, or pastures, or meadows).

All: We beg you to hear us.

P: That you bless and consecrate and protect from diabolical destruction these fields (or acres, or these mountain-meadows, or pastures, or meadows).

All: We beg you to hear us.

P: That you mercifully ward off and dispel from this place all lightning, hail-storm, destructive tempests, and harmful floods.

All: We beg you to hear us.

Then the litany is resumed to the end; after which the priest says Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Send forth your Spirit and all things shall be recreated.

All: And you shall renew the face of the earth.

P: The Lord shall manifest His goodness.

All: And the earth shall yield her fruit.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we humbly appeal to your kindness, asking that you pour out the dew of your blessing on these fields (or acres, or mountain-meadows, or pastures, or meadows), which it has pleased you to nurture with favorable weather. Grant to your people a spirit of constant gratitude for your gifts. Wipe out any infertility from this land, thus filling the hungry with an abundance of good things, so that the poor and the needy may praise your wondrous name forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The fields are sprinkled with holy water.

17. BLESSING OF ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we appeal to your kindness, asking that you pour out the dew of your blessing on these budding creatures of yours, which it has pleased you to nurture with rain and mild breezes, and that you bring the fruits of your earth to a ripe harvest. Grant to your people a spirit of constant gratitude for your gifts. And from a fertile earth all the hungry with an abundance of good things, so that the poor and needy may praise your wondrous name forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

18. BLESSING OF A GRANARY OR THE HARVEST

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who never fail to bestow on men an abundance of heavenly gifts, as well as the rich fruits of the earth; we give thanks to you in your glory for this harvest of grain, and beg you again to bless the harvest which we have received from your bounty, to preserve it and to shield it from harm. Grant also that, having had our desire for earthly needs filled, we may bask under your protection, praise your kindness and mercy without ceasing, and make use of temporal goods in such a way as not to lose everlasting goods; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

19. BLESSING OF A MILL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who in punishment for sin declared to man: "In the sweat of your brow you shall eat your bread"; bestow your blessing on this mill which has been built to produce flour, and thus supply bread for our nourishment. May it please you to appoint your angel of light to stand watch over it; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

20. BLESSING OF A STABLE for horses, cattle, etc.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who willed that your only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, be born in a stable, and lie in a manger between two beasts of burden; we beg you to bless this stable and to defend it from all spite and wickedness of the devil. Let it be a healthful shelter for horses, cattle, and other animals, safe from every kind of assault. And as the ox knows his master and the ass the manger of his lord, so grant that your servants, made in your image and only a little lower than the angels, to whom you have subjected all sheep and oxen and cattle of the fields, may not be like senseless beasts, like the horse or the mule who are without understanding. But let them acknowledge you alone as God and the source of all good. Let them faithfully persevere in your service, show you gratitude for favors received, and thus merit greater benefits in future; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then if the animals are kept in the stable the priest may add some of the prayers from the blessings for animals given above (see pp. 452-53). The stable and animals are sprinkled with holy water.

21. BLESSING OF A FOUNTAIN

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, we humbly appeal to your kindness, asking that you sanctify this fountain of water with a blessing from on high, thus making it a wholesome water for our daily use. May it please you to keep it pure and free of every diabolical defilement, so that all who draw water from it or drink of it may delight in its strengthening and health-giving quality, and give thanks to you, the Lord and Savior of all; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

22. BLESSING OF A WELL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who so disposed matters that water comes forth from the depths of this well by means of its pipes; grant, we pray, that with your help and by this blessing imparted through our ministry all diabolical wiles and cunning may be dispelled, and the water of this well may always remain pure and wholesome; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

23. BLESSING OF A BRIDGE

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, heed our prayers, and be pleased to bless this bridge and all who pass over it, that they may ever find in you a safeguard amidst the joys and sorrows of this fickle world; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over, protect, and support this bridge and all who pass over it; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

24. BLESSING OF A LIME-KILN

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, to whom all creatures owe their origin and are made subject to man's use by an admirable arrangement of your kindness; who in times past prescribed that your altar be made of stones and smoothly joined together with lime, so that the words of Deuteronomy could be inscribed thereon as a reminder of your commandments; we humbly beg you to bless this lime- kiln, and to dispel from it all harmful tricks of the devil. Let it be productive and serve its purpose well, with its fires exerting their full force, so that the workmen may receive by your bounty a good quality of lime. And let them in turn likewise receive an increase of your saving grace; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

25. BLESSING OF A BLAST-FURNACE

or of a Brick-Kiln

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, to whom all creatures owe their origin and are made subject to man's use by an admirable arrangement of your kindness; who in one moment shielded the three youths in the fiery furnace by mitigating the heat of its flames, and in another moment again enkindled them to destroy those evil men who had cast the saintly youths therein; we humbly beg you to bless this furnace, and to dispel from it all harmful tricks of the devil. Let it be productive and serve its purpose well, with its fires exerting their full force, so that the workmen may receive a good quality of metal (or a goodly number of brick). And let them in turn likewise receive an increase of your saving grace; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

26. BLESSING OF STONE-QUARRIES

{This blessing and the following one are not to be found in the latest edition of the Roman Ritual of 1952, for their composition is of later origin, and they were approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites on October 31, 1956 (see AAS 48 [1956] 844-45).}

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, the Creator and dispenser of all good things, who for our use planted innumerable riches in the bowels of the earth, to be dug out by the industry of man; be pleased, we pray, to pour out your blessing on these stone-quarries, so that they may not be ruined, and that all who work in them may be safeguarded from accidents; through Christ our Lord.

The place is sprinkled with holy water.

27. BLESSING OF A MARBLE-FACTORY

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who by the coming of your only begotten Son sanctified all things for your faithful, we beg you to bless And prosper this marble-factory, and to protect your servants who work here from every kind of adversity. Grant also that they may so pursue their work as to have it be a means of their salvation, meriting to be living and chosen stones in the everlasting dwelling of your majesty; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

28. BLESSING TO WARD OFF FLOODS

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Dec. 1, 1886

The priest, vested in surplice and stole, accompanied by the people, carries a relic of the True Cross to the river or stream, and there devoutly reads at each of four different spots one of the introductions to the four Gospels. After each Gospel he adds the following verses and prayers:

P: Help us, O God, our Savior.

All: And deliver us for your name's sake.

P: Save your servants.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: Deal not with us, Lord, as our sins deserve.

All: Nor take vengeance on us for our transgressions.

P: Lord, send us aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over us from Sion.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who give saving grace even to the wicked land who do not will the death of the sinner, we humbly appeal to you in glory, asking that you protect with your heavenly aid your trusting servants from all perils of flood. Let them find in you a constant safeguard, so that they may always serve you and never be separated from you through any temptation; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come upon these waters and keep them always under control.

All: Amen.

CHAPTER VI: BLESSINGS OF PLACES DESIGNATED FOR SACRED PURPOSES

1. BLESSING AND LAYING THE CORNER-STONE OF A CHURCH*

*This blessing is reserved to the Ordinary or to a priest delegated by him. The rite given here is revised in accordance with the new Pontifical of 1962.

1. The blessing and laying of the corner-stone of a church may take place on any day and at any hour.

2. The foundations of the church should be evident or at least delineated.

3. A wooden cross of convenient size should be fixed on the spot where the main altar is to be.

4. The following things are prepared for the sacred action:

(a) the corner-stone which should be quadrangular, and mortar and tools for fixing it in the foundations; a mason should be at hand to set the stone in the foundations;

(b) a vessel of ordinary holy water and an aspersory made of hyssop if available

(c) two torches for the acolytes and the processional cross;

(d) amice, alb, cincture, and a white stole and cope; a gold- embroidered mitre and crozier (if a bishop is to preside); an amice, alb and cincture for the deacon and subdeacon, as well as a white stole for the deacon;

(e) an ornamented faldstool set on a carpet before the wooden cross;

(f) provision should be made that the foundations of the church are so ordered that the ministrants can easily walk around them.

5. The pastor or others concerned should see to it that the faithful, for whose use the church will be erected, are imbued with proper devotion for their church, and they should not only be given a timely announcement of the blessing and laying of the corner-stone, but should also be properly instructed on the rites and their signification. Lastly the faithful should be encouraged to lend their free and spontaneous support to the building of the church and to its ornamentation.

Part I

Blessing the Site for the Church

6. At the proper time the bishop (or the delegated priest) goes to the place where the church is to be built and vests with the assistance of the deacon and subdeacon in the aforementioned vestments.

7. Preceded by the acolytes with lighted torches, the cross- bearer, and the clergy, he goes with his ministers to the cross erected on the spot where the altar is to be (a bishop wears the mitre and carries the crozier but removes them when he comes to the place for the blessing). He then sings the following with all present making the responses (for the music see the music supplement):

Celebrant: God, come to my rescue.

All: Lord, make haste to help me.

C: Glory be to the Father, etc.

All: As it was in the beginning, etc.

8. He then sprinkles the spot where the cross stands without saying anything (a bishop wears the mitre); after which, preceded by crossbearer, acolytes, and clergy, he walks around the foundations sprinkling them with holy water without saying anything. He starts behind the cross and then encircles the foundations clockwise. During this time the choir sings the following (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant. Lord Jesus Christ, * raise up the sign of salvation in this place; and forbid entry here to the avenging angel.

Psalm 47

During this psalm the choir, if necessary (i.e., depending on the time element), repeats the antiphon after every two verses:

C: Great is the Lord and wholly to be praised * in the city of our God.

All: His holy mountain, fairest of heights, * is the joy of all the earth;

C: Mount Sion, "the recesses of the North," * is the city of the great King.

All: God is with her castles; renowned is He as a stronghold.

C: For lo! the kings assemble, * they come on together;

All: They also see, and at once are stunned, * terrified, routed;

C: Quaking seizes them there; * anguish, like a woman's in labor,

All: As though a wind from the east * were shattering ships of Tharsis.

C: As we had heard, so have we seen * in the city of the Lord of hosts,

All: In the city of our God; * God makes it firm forever.

C: O God, we ponder your kindness * within your temple.

All: As your name, O God, so also your praise * reaches to the ends of the earth.

C: Of justice your right hand is full; * let Mount Sion be glad,

All: Let the cities of Juda rejoice, * because of your judgments.

C: Go about Sion, make the round; * count her towers.

All: Consider her ramparts, * examine her castles,

C: That you may tell a future generation * that such is God,

All: Our God forever and ever; * He will guide us.

The usual doxology is omitted, but the above antiphon is repeated. If necessary the verses of the psalm may be repeated until the sprinkling of the foundations is finished; but if it is finished earlier the psalm is broken off and the antiphon repeated as a conclusion.

9. After this the celebrant, standing before the cross and facing the site for the church that is to be built, hands over the aspersory and with hands folded sings the following in the ferial tone (a bishop removes the mitre):

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, who conferred on your priests above all others so great a grace, that whatever they do worthily and exactly in your name, is regarded as being done by you; we pray that in your kindness you may be present wherever we are present and may bless whatever we bless. And at our lowly coming, through the merits of your saints, may demons flee and the angel of peace be at hand; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Part II

Blessing of the Corner-stone

10. The celebrant goes to the place where the corner-stone is located. and standing there with hands joined blesses the stone, singing the following in the ferial tone. A bishop uses the mitre and crozier as he walks to the place, but gives them up before he begins the blessing.

C: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who are the corner- stone hewn from the mountain-side not by the hand of man, and the foundation which cannot be moved; make firm this stone which is to be laid in your name. You who are the beginning and the end, be likewise, we pray, the beginning, the increase, and the end of this work, which is fittingly begun for your praise and glory. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

He sprinkles the stone with holy water without saying anything.

11. According to local custom the document concerning the blessing of the corner-stone and the beginning of the church may be read; after which the bishop as well as the others, clergy and laity (who should also be invited), may add their signatures. The document is then sealed within the stone which is later to be laid in the foundations. After the reading of the document a popular hymn may be sung.

Part III

Laying of the Corner-stone

12. The celebrant places his hand on the corner-stone as it is lowered into place, saying (a bishop wears the mitre and holds the crozier):

In the faith of Jesus Christ, we lay this corner-stone on this foundation; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the true faith flourish here, along with fear of God and brotherly love. May this place finally be devoted to prayer, to the adoration and praise of the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

13. The assisting mason fixes the stone in place with mortar; after which the celebrant sprinkles it with holy water without saying anything, and then returns to the place where the cross is (a bishop takes the faldstool). In the meantime the choir sings the following (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant.: May the Lord build us a dwelling, * and keep a watch over the city.

Psalm 126

C: Unless the Lord build the house, * they labor in vain who build it.

All: Unless the Lord guard the city, * in vain does the guard keep vigil.

C: It is vain for you to rise early, * or put off your rest.

All: You that eat hard-earned bread, * for He gives to His beloved in sleep.

C: See, sons are a gift from the Lord; * the fruit of the womb is a reward.

All: Like arrows in the hand of a warrior * are the sons of one's youth.

C: Happy the man whose quiver is filled with them; * they shall not be put to shame when they contend with enemies at the gate.

The usual doxology is not said, but the above antiphon is repeated.

14. When the psalm and antiphon are finished, the celebrant, standing before the cross with hands joined and facing the site where the church is to be built, sings the following in the ferial tone (a bishop removes the mitre):

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

In this oration the name of the saint in whose name and honor the church is founded is mentioned at the letter N. However, the words "by the prayers and merits of blessed N." are omitted if the church is erected in honor of some mystery.

Let us pray.

Lord God, whom the heavens and the earth cannot contain, but who condescended to have a dwelling-place here on earth where your name may constantly be invoked; we entreat you, by the prayers and merits of blessed N., to be present in this place, to cleanse it from all stains by an outpouring of your grace, and to preserve it in its purified state. And as you let the vow of David, your beloved, be fulfilled in the work of Solomon, his son, so may you graciously fulfill our desires in this work; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

C: The Lord be with you. All: May He also be with you. Deacon: Let us bless the Lord. All: Thanks be to God.

If a bishop presides he gives the solemn blessing, grants the indulgences, and having removed his vestments departs in peace.

2. BLESSING OF A NEW CHURCH OR A PUBLIC ORATORY*

* This blessing is reserved to the Ordinary or to a priest delegated by him. The rite given here is revised in accordance with the new Pontifical of 1962.

1. Every church that is to be solemnly blessed must have a title. It may be named in honor of the Holy Trinity; or our Lord Jesus Christ with mention of a mystery of His life or an appellation already introduced into the sacred liturgy; of the Holy Spirit; or the blessed Virgin Mary and also with mention of a mystery or an appellation already used in the sacred liturgy; or the holy angels; or after a saint inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, but not a blessed. The local Ordinary should never allow unusual titles, those savoring of novelty, or in general those foreign to the approved tradition of the Church. In case of doubt one should have recourse to the Congregation of Sacred Rites.

2. The blessing of churches, although it may lawfully take place on almost any day, is more fittingly done on Sundays or feast days. But it is prohibited on the vigil and feast of Christmas, on the feasts of Epiphany, Ascension, and Corpus Christi, on the days beginning with Palm Sunday until Easter inclusive, on Pentecost, and on All Souls. The blessing of a church should ordinarily take place in the morning, unless the good of a notable part of the faithful urges that it be done in the afternoon.

3. The water for the sprinkling of the church, as well as the altar linens and other appurtenances for the altar and church, may be blessed before this sacred rite, by the bishop or by another priest delegated by him, using the forms given in their proper place. The following things are to be prepared for the blessing of a church:

(a) a vessel of ordinary holy water and an aspersory made of hyssop if available; the fonts for holy water should be empty and well cleaned;

(b) two torches for the acolytes and the processional cross;

(c) altar-linens and vessels and ornaments for the altar and church;

(d) amice, alb, cincture, and a white stole and cope; a gold- embroidered mitre and crozier (if a bishop is to preside); an amice, alb, and cincture for the deacon and subdeacon, as well as a white stole for the deacon;

(e) an ornamented faldstool set on a carpet, one in front of the main door of the church, another in the sanctuary; if two are not available the one is carried to the sanctuary at the proper time; all this, of course, only if a bishop is presiding;

(f) the interior of the church should be empty and the altars bare;

(g) provision should be made that the ministrants can easily walk around the exterior of the church;

(h) it should also be provided that the celebrant and his ministers, after they have entered the church, have ready access from the altar to the main door; also that they can walk around the side aisles, in order to carry out the prescribed rites properly.

4. The pastor or others concerned should see to it that the faithful for whom the church was built, should not only be given a timely announcement of the solemn blessing, but should also be properly instructed on the rites and their signification. Lastly the faithful should be imbued with proper devotion for their church, so that also in future they will lend, as far as they can, their free and spontaneous support to its proper ornamentation and upkeep.

5. The doors of the church should be closed, and no one should remain inside. At the proper time the bishop (or the delegated priest) goes to the sacristy, where he vests with the assistance of the deacon and subdeacon in the aforementioned vestments. If a bishop presides he wears the gold-embroidered mitre and carries the crozier in his left hand.

6. Then, preceded by the acolytes with lighted torches, the crossbearer, and the clergy, he goes with his ministers to the doors of the church to be blessed. Arriving there (a bishop removes the mitre and the crozier) he sings the following with all present making the responses (for the music see the music supplement):

Celebrant: God, come to my rescue.

All: Lord, make haste to help me.

C: Glory be to the Father, etc.

All: As it was in the beginning, etc.

7. After this the celebrant (a bishop wears the mitre), preceded by cross-bearer, acolytes, clergy, and the people, walks around the outside of the church sprinkling the walls with holy water. He starts at the right of the church. During this time the choir sings the following (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant.: The Lord's dwelling is well founded on a firm rock.

Psalm 86

During this psalm the choir, if the time element requires it, repeats the antiphon after every two verses:

C: The Lord loves His foundation * upon the holy mountain;

All: The gates of Sion * more than any dwelling of Jacob.

C: Glorious things are said of you, * O city of God.

All: I tell of Egypt and Babylon * among those that know the Lord;

C: Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia: * "This man was born there."

All: And of Sion they shall say: * "One and all were born in her;

C: And He who has established her * is the Most High Lord."

All: They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled: * "This man was born there."

C: And all shall sing in their festive dance: * "My home is within you."

The usual doxology is omitted but the above antiphon is repeated. If necessary the verses of the psalm may be repeated until the sprinkling of the walls is finished; but if it is finished earlier the psalm is broken off and the antiphon repeated as a conclusion.

8. After this the celebrant, standing before and facing the door of the church, hands over the aspersory and with hands folded sings the following in the ferial tone (a bishop removes the mitre):

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who are wholly present and wholly active in every place under your dominion; hearken to our humble prayers, and be the protector of this dwelling as you are its founder. Let no vileness of hostile powers prevail here, but by the working of the Holy Spirit may a faultless service always be rendered to you in this place, and a holy liberty abound; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

9. Led by the cross-bearer the celebrant, along with the clergy and people, go in procession into the church; a bishop wears the mitre and carries the crozier. The chanters begin the Litany of the Saints, the invocations of which are not doubled. In the litany there is a threefold invocation of the saint in whose honor the church is blessed. When the celebrant arrives at the altar (a bishop kneels at the faldstool), all kneel in their place and make the responses. When the invocation "That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed R. We beg you to hear us" has been said, the celebrant rises (a bishop takes the crozier in his left hand), and facing the nave of the church sings in the same tone:

C: That you graciously visit this place.

All: We beg you to hear us.

C: That you appoint your angels to guard it.

All: We beg you to hear us.

Then raising up his right hand he makes the sign of the cross over the church, saying:

C: That you bless this church for the honor of your name and that of St. N.

All: We beg you to hear us.

After this he kneels again (a bishop kneels at the faldstool), and the chanters resume the litany to the end.

10. At the end of the litany the celebrant rises (a bishop removes the mitre), and standing with hands joined and facing the altar sings the following in the ferial tone:

Let us pray.

O Lord our God, manifest your glory to your saints, and show yourself present in this sanctuary built in your honor; and as you work great marvels in the children you have adopted, may your praises ever resound among the people who belong to you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

11. Then the celebrant walks around the interior of the church sprinkling its walls with holy water, using an aspersory made of hyssop. Leaving the main altar he begins at the gospel side and completes the circuit. In the meantime the choir sings the following antiphon and psalm (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant.: This is the house of the Lord built with a compact unity; * it is well founded upon a firm rock.

Psalm 121

During this psalm the choir, if the time element requires it, repeats the antiphon after every two verses:

C: I rejoiced because they said to me, * "We will go up to the house of the Lord." And now we have set foot * within our gates, O Jerusalem;

C: Jerusalem, built as a city * with compact unity.

All: To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, * according to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

C: In it are set up judgment seats, * seats for the house of David.

All: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. * May those who love you prosper;

C: May peace be within your walls, * prosperity in your buildings.

All: Because of my relatives and friends * I will pray for your good.

The usual doxology is omitted, but the antiphon is repeated. If necessary the verses of the psalm may be repeated until the sprinkling of the walls is finished; but if it is finished earlier the psalm is broken off and the above antiphon repeated as a conclusion.

12. Next the celebrant (a bishop retains the mitre) sprinkles with holy water the floor of the church, first in the middle from the altar to the main door, and then in the transept, from one wall to the other, starting on the gospel side. In the meantime the choir sings the following antiphon and psalm (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant.: This is none other * than the house of God and the gate of heaven.

Psalm 83

During this psalm the choir, if the time element requires it, repeats the antiphon after every two verses:

C: How lovely is your dwelling place, * O Lord of hosts!

All: My soul yearns and pines * for the courts of the Lord.

C: My heart and my flesh * cry out for the living God.

All: Even the sparrow finds a home, * and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young.

All: Your altars, O Lord of hosts, * my King and my God.

C: Happy they who dwell in your house. * Continually they praise you.

All: Happy the men whose strength you are; * their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage;

C: When they pass through the arid valley, * they make a spring of it; the early rain clothes it with generous growth.

All: They go from strength to strength; * they shall see the God of gods in Sion.

C: O Lord of hosts, hear my prayer; * hearken, O God of Jacob.

All: O God, behold our shield, * and look upon the face of your anointed.

C: I had rather one day in your courts * than a thousand elsewhere;

All: I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God * than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

C: For a sun and a shield is the Lord God; * grace and glory He bestows;

All: The Lord withholds no good thing * from those who walk in sincerity.

C: O Lord of hosts, * happy the men who trust in you.

The usual doxology is omitted, but the antiphon is repeated. If necessary the verses of the psalm may be repeated until the sprinkling of the floor is finished: but if it is finished earlier the psalm is broken off and the above antiphon is repeated as a conclusion.

13. After the sprinkling of the floor the celebrant returns to the altar and facing the nave of the church and with hands joined sings the following in the ferial tone (a bishop removes the mitre):

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who sanctify the places dedicated to your name, pour out your grace on this house of prayer, so that all who here invoke you may experience the help of your mercy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Deacon: Let us bless the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

14. Then the celebrant (a bishop wears the mitre and carries the crozier) goes with his ministers to the sacristy, where, having removed the cope, he vests for the celebration of Mass. A bishop, however, may depute another priest to offer the Mass. In the meantime the clergy or ministers prepare the altar for the celebration of Mass. While this is happening the choir and the people sing the following (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant.: Confirm, O God, * the work you have begun in us from your heavenly sanctuary, the new Jerusalem, alleluia, alleluia (omit the alleluias after Sept.).

Psalm 95

During the singing of this psalm the above antiphon is repeated after every two verses:

C: Sing to the Lord a new song; * sing to the Lord, all you lands.

All: Sing to the Lord; bless His name; * announce His salvation, day after day.

C: Tell His glory among the nations; * among all peoples, His wondrous deeds.

All: For great is the Lord and highly to be praised; * awesome is He, beyond all gods.

C: For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, * but the Lord made the heavens.

All: Splendor and majesty go before Him; * praise and grandeur are in His sanctuary.

C: Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and praise; * give to the Lord the glory due His name.

All: Bring gifts, and enter His courts; * worship the Lord in holy attire.

C: Tremble before Him, all the earth; * say among the nations: the Lord is King.

All: He has made the world firm, not to be moved; * He governs the peoples with equity.

C: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; * let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.

All: Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the Lord, for He comes; * for He comes to rule the earth.

C: He shall rule the world with justice * and the peoples with His constancy.

The usual doxology is omitted, but the above antiphon is repeated.

15. Mass is said as a votive of the II class, of the mystery or saint in whose honor the church was dedicated.

16. As the celebrant approaches the altar the introit antiphon is sung with its psalm as the length of time requires.

17. When the celebrant comes to the altar and has made the reverence, he omits the psalm and confiteor and at once ascends the altar saying the usual prayers and then kissing the altar at the middle.

18. At the end of Mass the bishop gives the solemn blessing and announces the indulgences. The last Gospel is omitted, and all return to the sacristy.

3. RITE FOR RECONCILING A PROFANED CHURCH

which previously was only blessed

1. If a church is profaned, a cemetery which is contiguous is not thereby to be considered profaned, or vice versa. But if both are profaned their reconciliation is performed together.

If a church that was blessed is profaned, it may be reconciled by the pastor or by any priest who has his permission, expressed or presumed. The altar should be entirely bare. It should be prearranged that the officiants can conveniently go around the building, both outside and inside. At hand there should be a vessel of holy water and an aspersory made of hyssop. The priest, vested in amice, alb, cincture, white stole and cope, goes with his assistants to the main entrance of the church, and standing outside facing the door, he intones the following antiphon which is continued by the clergy:

Purify me with hyssop, * Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Then the entire psalm 50 is said with the doxology, and the above antiphon is repeated. Meanwhile the priest goes around the exterior of the church, alternately sprinkling the walls of the church and the cemetery grounds. But the cemetery is not sprinkled if it has not been desecrated. On coming back to the entrance the priest says:

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, who conferred on your priests above all others this great grace, that whatever they do worthily and exactly in your name, is regarded as being done by you; we pray that in your kindness you may be present wherever we are present and may bless whatever we bless. And at our lowly coming, through the merits of your saints, may demons flee and the angel of peace be at hand; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

2. After this prayer all go into church, two by two, and the ministrants proceed to the altar. During this procession the Litany of the Saints is chanted. The priest kneels at the altar until the following versicle has been chanted: "That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed," etc.; after which he rises and sings in a clear voice:

That you purify and reconcile this church and this altar (and cemetery). R. We beg you to hear us.

3. However, if the cemetery has not been profaned, omit the words "and cemetery."

Then he kneels again until the litany is concluded. After this he stands, and facing the altar he says:

P: Let us pray.

Ministers: Let us kneel. R. Arise.

The priest:

We beseech you, Lord, let your mercy precede the execution of our plans, and by the intercession of all your saints, let your forgiveness and kindness anticipate our requests; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

4. Then the priest kneels at the altar, and signing himself with the cross, says:

P: God, come to my rescue.

All: Lord, make haste to help me.

P (standing): Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

All: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

5. Then the priest intones the following antiphon, which is continued by the clergy or choir. Psalm 67 follows, with the chanters singing the verses of the psalm; after each verse the antiphon is repeated by all (for the music of the antiphon and psalm see the music supplement).

Psalm 67

P: God arises; * His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: In your churches bless God; * bless the Lord, you of Israel's well-spring.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: There is Benjamin, the youngest, * leading them.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: The princes of Juda in a body, * the princes of Zabulon, the princes of Nephthali.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: Show forth, O God, your power, * the power, O God, with which you took our part.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: Let the kings bring you gifts * for your temple in Jerusalem.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, * the herd of strong bulls and the bullocks, the nations.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: Let them fall prostrate with bars of silver; * scatter the peoples who delight in war.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: Let nobles come from Egypt; * let Ethiopia extend its hands to God.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, chant praise to the Lord, * who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: See, His voice resounds, the voice of power: * "Confess the power of God."

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: Over Israel is His majesty; * His power is in the skies.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

C: Awesome in His sanctuary is God, the God of Israel; * He gives power and strength to His people. Blessed be God.

All: God arises; His enemies are scattered; * and those who hate Him flee before Him.

The usual doxology is omitted at the end of the above psalm.

6. While the foregoing antiphon and psalm are sung, the priest goes around the interior of the church sprinkling it, especially the place where the desecration took place. Then he returns to the middle of the sanctuary, faces the altar, and says:

God, who lovingly and benignly defend the purity of every place which is under your dominion, hear us, we pray, and grant that in future this place be preserved inviolably hallowed, and that the whole Christian community who here invoke you may be the recipients of your bounty; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

7. Lastly the Mass of the day is celebrated, adding to the collect of the day under one conclusion the "ritual collect," which is No. 10 among the "Missae Votivae ad diversa" in the new Missal.

8. In the case of a church which was consecrated, a priest may reconcile it only if he has the permission of the Ordinary, and then he uses the rite given in the Roman Pontifical. He vests in the manner noted above and is assisted by a number of clerics vested in surplices.

If, in a real and urgent emergency, the Ordinary cannot be reached the pastor of a church which previously had been consecrated may reconcile it without delay, and later inform his superior of the fact.

4. RITE FOR BLESSING A NEW CEMETERY*

* This blessing is reserved to the Ordinary or to a priest delegated by him. The rite given here is revised in accordance with the new Pontifical of 1962.

1. The blessing of a cemetery may take place on any day and at any hour, excepting only those days on which the consecration of a church is prohibited. It is permitted, however, on November 2, All Souls Day.

2. A wooden cross of convenient height is erected at the end of the cemetery opposite the entrance, unless there happens to be one there already.

3. The following things are prepared for the sacred action:

(a) a vessel of ordinary holy water and an aspersory made of hyssop if available;

(b) two torches for the acolytes and the processional cross;

(c) amice, alb, cincture, and a purple stole and cope; a gold- embroidered mitre and crozier (if a bishop is to preside); an amice, alb, and cincture for the deacon and subdeacon, as well as a purple stole for the deacon;

(d) an ornamented faldstool set on a carpet before the wooden cross;

(e) provision should be made so that the celebrant and his ministers have an open path to perform easily the ceremony of sprinkling.

4. The pastor or others concerned should see to it that the faithful not only are given a timely announcement of the blessing of the cemetery, but are also to be properly instructed on the rites and their signification. Moreover, they should be instructed that a cemetery is a sacred place, and be admonished to give it the respect due it.

5. At the proper time the bishop (or the delegated priest) goes to the cemetery which is to be blessed, and in a suitable place vests in the aforementioned vestments, being assisted by the deacon and subdeacon who are already vested.

6. Then, preceded by the acolytes with lighted torches, the crossbearer, and the clergy, he goes with his ministers to the place where the cross is erected. A bishop wears the mitre and carries the crozier, but gives them up when he comes to the cross. Next he says the following with all present making the responses:

Celebrant: God, come to my rescue.

All: Lord, make haste to help me.

C: Glory be to the Father, etc.

All: As it was in the beginning, etc.

7. After this, preceded by cross-bearer, acolytes, and the clergy, he walks around the cemetery grounds sprinkling them with holy water without saying anything. He starts behind the cross and goes around counterclockwise. During this time the choir sings (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant.: Purify me with hyssop, * Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalm 50

During this psalm the choir, if necessary, repeats the antiphon after every two verses. At the end of the psalm the usual doxology is omitted but the above antiphon is repeated. If the sprinkling is finished earlier the psalm is broken off and the antiphon repeated as a conclusion.

8. After this the celebrant, having handed over the aspersory and mitre, and standing before the cross and looking out over the cemetery sings with hands folded the following in the ferial tone:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God, Father of everlasting glory, solace of the sorrowing, life of the just, glory of the lowly, we humbly importune you to keep this cemetery free from any vileness of unclean spirits, to cleanse and to bless it, and finally to give lasting wholeness to the bodies brought here for burial. And at the end of time, when the angels sound their trumpets, let all who have received the sacrament of baptism, who have persevered in the Catholic faith until death, and who have had their remains laid to rest in this cemetery, be rewarded in body and in soul with the unending joys of heaven; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

9. Then again, preceded by cross-bearer, acolytes, and clergy, the celebrant (a bishop wears the mitre) sprinkles the cemetery without saying anything. In doing so he walks down the middle from the cross to the entrance, and then transversely in front of the cross, from the left side to the right. During this time the choir sings the following antiphon and psalm:

C: Ant. For your name's sake, O Lord, * preserve me in your justice.

Psalm 142

During this psalm the choir, if necessary, repeats the antiphon after every two verses. At the end of the psalm the usual doxology is omitted, but the above antiphon is repeated. If the sprinkling is finished earlier the psalm is broken off and the antiphon repeated as a conclusion.

10. After this the celebrant, having handed over the aspersory and mitre, and standing before the cross and looking out over the cemetery, sings with hands folded the following in the ferial tone:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, Creator of the world and Redeemer of mankind, who wondrously dispose the destinies of all creatures, visible and invisible; we humbly and sincerely beseech you to hallow, purify, and bless this cemetery, where the bodies of your servants are duly laid to rest, after the labor and fatigue of this life come to an end. Pardon, in your great mercy, the sins of those who put their trust in you, and graciously grant unending consolation to their bodies that will lie at rest in this cemetery, awaiting the trumpet-call of the Archangel Michael. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,

C: Forever and ever.

All: Amen.

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

C: Lift up your hearts.

All: We have lifted them up to the Lord.

C: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is fitting and right to do so.

It is indeed fitting and right, worthy and salutary that we should always and everywhere give thanks to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty everlasting God, through Christ our Lord. For He is eternal day, unfailing light, and everlasting splendor, who commanded His followers to so walk in the light as to escape the darkness of never ending night, and happily come to the abode of light. He is the One who in His humanity wept over Lazarus, and in His divine power raised up the dead, restoring life to that man four days consigned to the tomb. Through Him, then, we humbly entreat you, O Lord, that on the last day, at the angels' trumpet-call, you would loose from the fetters of sin those who are buried in this cemetery, granting them everlasting happiness and numbering them in the ranks of the blessed. Thus may they come to know that you, our everlasting life, are merciful and benign, and may have cause to exalt you as the author of life and to sing your praises with the saints forevermore. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Deacon: Let us bless the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

11. After the blessing of the cemetery, if circumstances allow, the bishop or another priest celebrates Mass, which will conform to the day's office; and in this Mass there is added under one conclusion the proper ritual collect (see no. 447 f of the new rubrics in the Missal), excluding all other non-privileged commemorations.

12. As the celebrant approaches the altar the introit antiphon is sung with its psalm as the length of time requires.

13. When the celebrant comes to the altar and has made the reverence, he omits the psalm and confiteor and at once ascends the altar, saying the usual prayers and then kissing the altar at the middle.

14. At the end of Mass the bishop gives the solemn blessing and announces the indulgences. The last Gospel is omitted, and all depart in peace.

5. RITE FOR RECONCILING A PROFANED CEMETERY

1. If a cemetery contiguous to a profaned church has likewise been profaned, it is reconciled along with the church (see above, Rite for Reconciling a Profaned Church). Otherwise, the reconciling of a cemetery takes place as follows:

In the morning the rector of the cemetery, or another priest who has at least the presumed permission of the former, vested as described above, comes with his assistants to the middle of the cemetery. Here he and the other ministrants kneel on a carpet; and all others present kneel in their places. The Litany of the Saints is chanted in the usual way. At the words "That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed," etc., the priest rises, and making the sign of the cross over the cemetery, says:

That you reconcile and hallow this cemetery. R:. We beg you to hear us.

2. He kneels again and the litany is concluded.

3. Then all rise, and the celebrant, taking the aspersory, intones the following antiphon, which is continued by the clergy:

Purify me with hyssop, * Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The entire psalm 50 is said, but without the doxology (see p. 325), and the above antiphon is repeated.

4. During the psalmody the celebrant, beginning at the right, goes around the entire cemetery, sprinkling it with holy water, above all the place where the profanation occurred. On returning to his place he stands and says:

P: Let us pray.

Ministers: Let us kneel. R. Arise.

The priest:

Merciful Lord, who willed that the potter's field priced with your blood should be bought as a burial place for strangers, be pleased to remember this mystery of your goodness. For you, Lord, are also our potter, the field of our rest, the price of this field. You gave it even as you accepted it. At the cost of your life-giving blood you gave us peaceful rest. Therefore, Lord, you who are the most merciful pardoner of our guilt, the most considerate judge, the most lavish dispenser of clement judgment, hear our entreaties and be to us an advocate and reconciler, forgetting the harsh judgment that we rightly deserve, and remembering only the mercy of your loving redemption. Deign to purify and to reconcile this resting place of your pilgrims, who look for a haven in your heavenly kingdom. And may you finally awaken the bodies of those who are or who will be buried here, by the power and the glory of your resurrection, to incorruptible glory, calling them forth not to condemnation but to unending happiness. We ask this of you who are coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.

All: Amen.

{The new code of rubrics for the Missal, no. 447 h, seems to take for granted that Mass will be offered after the reconciliation of a cemetery.}

6. RITE OR SHORTER FORM FOR CONSECRATING A FIXED ALTAR

which has lost its consecration if the table or mensa was separated from its support, even if only for a moment. See the Code of Canon Law, 1200.[1]

After the altar has been repaired the bishop, vested in rochet and white stole (or a delegated priest vested in surplice and white stole) goes to the altar and anoints with chrism in the form of a cross the four points of contact of the table with the base. At each anointing he says:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Then he says the following prayers:

Let us pray.

Lord, we humbly appeal to your sovereignty, asking that it please you to effectually bless and to sanctify this altar anointed with a libation of holy oil to receive the offerings of your people; that having been anointed by us, your unworthy servants, with holy chrism and in the power of your name, to the honor of the blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, and in memory of your servant, N., this altar may be well-pleasing to you, and may remain a permanent altar. May you regard as a worthy holocaust whatever henceforth is offered or consecrated thereon. May you graciously accept, merciful Lord, the sacrifices offered here by all your servants. May the bonds of our sins be thereby loosed, our stains blotted out, pardon obtained, and graces acquired, so that together with your saints and your elect we may merit the joys of everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, we humbly implore you, through your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to hallow with a blessing from on high this altar devoted to holy purposes. And as you once accepted with wondrous favor the offering of your High Priest Melchisedech, so also be pleased ever to accept the gifts laid on this new altar. May the people who assemble in this holy dwelling of your Church be ransomed and sanctified by these offerings, and their souls be rewarded with everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Without delay the officiant should declare and testify in writing that this altar has been duly consecrated by him, with ordinary or delegated authority as the case may be, and that it is to be regarded as such, and under the same title it enjoyed before it was desecrated.

7. ANOTHER RITE OR SHORTER FORM FOR CONSECRATING A FIXED ALTAR

which has lost consecration by serious breakage or by the reliquary tomb having been broken or opened: Code of Canon Law, 1200.[1]-2

The bishop, vested in rochet and white stole (or a delegated priest vested in surplice and white stole), goes to the altar, and at some distance from it blesses water, salt, ashes, and wine, beginning with the exorcism of salt:

God's creature, salt, I cast out the demon from you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said to His apostles: "You are the salt of the earth"; and through the Apostle says: "Let your speech be at all times pleasing, seasoned with salt." May you become a sacred thing for the consecration of this altar, to drive away all temptations of the devil. May you be a shield for body and soul, health, protection, and a safeguard for all who use you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God, almighty Father, who from on high bestowed on salt the gift of seasoning all food created for man, bless this creature, salt, to banish the foe, and endow it with healing properties for the welfare of both body and soul of those who use it; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Next he exorcizes the water:

God's creature, water, I cast out the demon from you in the name of God the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May you drive out Satan from the borders of the just, lest he lurk within the shadows of this church and this altar. And you, Lord Jesus Christ, pour out your Holy Spirit on this your church and altar, that those who worship you here may be rewarded in body and soul, that your name may be glorified among all nations, and the hearts of unbelievers be converted to you, and have no other God but you, the only true Lord, who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.

All: Amen.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God, almighty Father, Creator of all the elements, who by Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, willed that this element, water, should serve in the salvation of mankind; we humbly beg you to hearken to our prayers, and to hallow this water by your benign glance. Let it be freed from the power of all unclean spirits, so that wherever it is sprinkled in your name the gift of your blessing may descend, and by your mercy all evils may be driven away; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Next he blesses the ashes:

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, spare those who repent, show mercy to those who call upon you, and be pleased to send your holy angel from on high to bless and hallow these ashes. Let them be a wholesome remedy to all who invoke your holy name, and who, conscious of their transgressions, accuse themselves; to all who mourn over their offenses before your divine mercy, or humbly and earnestly ask your loving pardon. Grant that in calling on your holy name those who sprinkle these ashes on themselves to redeem their sins may receive health in body and protection for soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then he takes salt and sprinkles it on the ashes in the form of a cross, saying:

May this salt and ashes be mingled together; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Then taking a handful of the mixed salt and ashes, he drops it into the water in the form of a cross, saying:

May this salt, ashes, and water be mingled together; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Then he blesses the wine:

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who are the true vine, who in Cana of Galilee changed water into wine, show us your mercy again and again, and be pleased to bless and to hallow this creature, wine. Wherever it is poured out or sprinkled, may that place be filled and hallowed with the bounty of your heavenly blessing. We ask this of you who are God, living and reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then he pours the wine into the water in the form of a cross, saying:

May this wine, salt, ashes, and water be mingled together; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, maker and preserver of mankind, the giver of spiritual gifts and the lavish dispenser of everlasting salvation, send forth your Holy Spirit upon this wine mixed with water, salt, and ashes. Endow it with power from above that it may serve for the consecration of this your altar; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then using this blessed water he makes a plaster or cement. which he blesses, saying:

Let us pray.

Most High God, who guard all things from the highest to the lowest, whose solicitude embraces every creature; hallow and bless these creatures of lime and cement; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

This mortar thus blessed is kept, but what remains of the blessed water is poured into the sacrarium.

Then the consecrator goes to the altar and anoints with chrism the sepulchre of the altar from which the relics have been removed. He anoints each of the four corners, making at each the sign of the cross and saying:

May this sepulchre be consecrated and hallowed +; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be to this house.

Then he reverently places the case containing the relics and other things therein; and taking the stone or cover, he anoints the bottom side in the middle with chrism, saying:

May this cover (or this stone) be consecrated and hallowed by this anointing and God's blessing; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be to you.

Using the blessed cement, he fits the cover to the sepulchre (being assisted if required by a mason); after which he says:

Let us pray.

God, who are preparing from the community of the saints an everlasting dwelling for your glory, let this dwelling for you on earth also prosper, so that what has been started with your approval may be brought to completion by your grace; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then with the help of a mason he seals the cover with cement, and signs the top with chrism, saying:

May this altar be sealed and hallowed +; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be to you.

8. RITE FOR CONSECRATING A PORTABLE ALTAR

(From the new Roman Pontifical of 1962)

{The new Pontifical contains the very elaborate form for consecrating an altar when this is done simultaneously with the dedication of a church; another elaborate form when done apart from the dedication of a church; and two more forms for the consecration of a "portable altar" (altare portatile), one a solemn form and the other a simple form. This simple form, according to "Ephemerides Liturgicae" 77 (1963), fasc. V-VI, 409, is to be used, among other instances, instead of the shorter form for consecrating a portable altar granted to bishops only a few years ago; in other words, the last-mentioned is now abrogated. The first two elaborate forms are to be used, except by special indult, only when a bishop consecrates an altar. The new faculties conceded to bishops by Pope Paul VI permit them to delegate priests to consecrate portable altars (see Ephem. Lit. 78 [1964], fasc. II, 154-55). It must be clearly noted, however, as is evident in the rubrics below, that the term "portable altar" does not have its usual restricted meaning in the new Pontifical, but can mean either the entire table of an altar which is already erected in a church, or else an altar-stone which is to be inserted later in another altar. If all this seems hopelessly confusing, one had better consult the SCR for clarification.}

1. The consecration of a portable altar can be done with the solemn or simple form as indicated below. The solemn form is used when the table of an altar already erected in a church is to be solemnly consecrated: "altar portatile"; the simple form when one (or more) altarstone later to be inserted in an altar is to be consecrated "tabula." The letters printed in italics in the rubrics below refer to the simple form.

2. The solemn consecration of a portable altar is prohibited on the same days that the consecration of a fixed altar is prohibited. But the consecration with the simple form of one or several altarstones can be done on any convenient day and at any hour.

3. The following things are prepared at the place where the consecration takes place: (a) the relics of holy martyrs and the three grains of incense that are to be sealed into the altar should be resting on a white-linen-covered table, between two lighted candles;

(b) holy chrism

(c) a vessel of blessed "gregorian" water and an aspersory; this particular water may be blessed at a more convenient time before this sacred action, by the bishop or by another priest delegated by him, using the form given in the Pontifical:

(d) a thurible with lighted charcoal and the incense-boat and spoon,

(e) towels for wiping the altar or altar-stone;

(f) mortar for sealing the sepulchre for the relics; there should also be at hand a mason, who at the proper time will assist the celebrant in sealing the sepulchre;

(g) a vessel of water for washing the celebrant's hands, as well as particles of bread and towels;

(h) amice, alb, cincture, and a white stole and cope; a gold- embroidered mitre for a bishop; an amice, alb, and cincture for the deacon and subdeacon, as well as a white stole for the deacon, if the consecration takes place with the solemn form; if the consecration takes place with the simple form, the bishop wears the rochet, white stole, and gold-embroidered mitre; the ministers wear surplices;

(i) morever, if the consecration of a portable altar is done with the solemn form, the following are prepared: five small crosses made of fine candle-wax and grains of incense (these may be blessed before the sacred action) which are to be burned with them; several wooden spatulas for removing this burnt matter from the altar;

(j) when the consecration takes place with the simple form, the altar-stone or altar-stones should be resting on a white-linen- cover. table.

Part I

Blessing of the Altar

4. At the proper time the bishop (or the delegated priest) goes to the sacristy, where he vests with the assistance of the deacon and subdeacon in the aforementioned vestments. If a bishop presides he wears the gold-embroidered mitre and carries the crozier in his left hand.

5. Then, preceded by the acolytes with lighted torches, the cross-bearer, and the clergy, he goes with his ministers to the altar which is to be consecrated. Arriving there (a bishop removes the mitre and the crozier) he sings the following with all present making the responses (for the music see the music supplement):

6. The bishop, wearing the rochet and white stole, stands (without mitre) before the altar-stone to be consecrated, which is resting on table, and says:

Celebrant: God, come to my rescue.

All: Lord, make haste to help me.

C: Glory be to the Father, etc.

All: As it was in the beginning, etc.

{Then the bishop blesses "gregorian" water, unless it was already blessed before the sacred action by the bishop or another priest delegated by him, with the form given in the Pontifical.}

6. The bishop, having put on the mitre, walks around the altar, sprinkling it with "gregorian" water, using an aspersory made of hyssop, and without saying anything. Then, having returned the aspersory, he ascends the altar, and standing on the predella, dips his right thumb in the blessed "gregorian" water and traces five crosses on the altar-table in the manner given in the graph below. While tracing the crosses he says in each instance:

6a. The bishop, standing with the mitre on, dips his right thumb in the blessed "gregorian" water and traces five crosses on the altar-stone, in the manner given in the graph below. While tracing the crosses he says in each instance:

May this stone be hallowed; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Ministers: Amen.

7. If several altars, or several altar-stones, are being consecrated at the same time, the bishop carries out the same actions and words at each of the altars, or altar-stones, successively, the same as he did at the first.

8. In the meantime the choir sings, or the ministers recite, the following antiphon and psalm (for the music see the music supplement):

C: Ant.: I will go to the altar of God, * the God of my gladness and joy.

Psalm 42

During this psalm the choir, if necessary, repeats the antiphon after every two verses:

C: Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight against a faithless people; * from the deceitful and impious man rescue me.

All: For you, O God, are my strength. Why do you keep me so far away? * Why must I go about in mourning, with the enemy oppressing me?

C: Send forth your light and your fidelity; * they shall lead me on and bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place.

All: Then will I go in to the altar of God, * the God of my gladness and joy.

C: Then will I give you thanks upon the harp, O God, my God! * Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why do you sigh within me?

All: Hope in God, for I shall again be thanking Him, * in the presence of my Savior and my God.

The usual doxology is omitted, but the above antiphon is repeated.

The psalm is broken off as soon as the celebrant finishes the sprinkling and the above antiphon is repeated as a conclusion.

9. After this the celebrant, standing before the altar, or the altar stone (without mitre), sings the following in the ferial tone:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, the Creator of all things visible and invisible, and the consecrator of all that is holy, be pleased to assist at the dedication of this altar of the Lord, and to pour out on it your consecratory and sanctifying power, as we, all unworthy, anoint it with holy chrism. Grant that all who approach this altar in order to pay homage to you may experience your merciful aid; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Part II

Burial of the Relics

10. Then the bishop or celebrant (without mitre) reverently places the relics along with the three grains of incense in the sepulchre of the altar or altar-stone. While this is done the choir, as time allows, sings the following antiphons (for the music see the music supplement), or the ministers recite them:

Antiphon 1: You have been favored with places at God's altar, O saints of God, intercede for us to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Antiphon 2: I saw under the altar of God the souls of those who had been slain, and they cried out: "Why do you not avenge our blood?" And they received the reply from God: "Wait patiently a little longer until the number of your fellow servants is complete."

Antiphon 3: The bodies of the saints are buried in peace, and their names shall live forevermore.

These antiphons may be repeated if necessary.

11. Meanwhile the mason makes a mortar with the "gregorian" water, which the bishop blesses, saying in a low voice:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Most High God, the keeper of all things from the highest to the lowest, who encompass all creatures in their inmost being, bless this mortar; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

12. With the help of the mason the bishop smears the lid with mortar, puts it in place, and seals it on the sepulchre.

13. Then with hands joined the bishop sings the following in the ferial tone:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who fashion an everlasting dwelling-place for yourself out of the chosen saints, bestow heavenly increase on this work done in your name; and grant that we may always be aided by the merits of the saints whose relics we reverently enclose in this altar; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Part III

Consecration of the Altar

14. Having put on the mitre the bishop stands on the altar- predella, or before the altar-stone, and dipping his right thumb in holy chrism traces the sign of the cross on the surface of the altar, or on the altar-stone, in the manner indicated in the graph given above. He says in tracing each cross:

May this stone be sealed, hallowed, and consecrated; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Ministers: Amen.

15. While this is being done the choir sings (see the music supplement), or the ministers recite:

C: Ant.: God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings.

During this psalm the choir, if necessary, repeats the antiphon after every two verses:

Psalm 44

C: My heart overflows with a goodly theme; * as I sing my ode to the king, my tongue is nimble as the pen of a skillful scribe.

All: Fairer in beauty are you than the sons of men; grace is poured out upon your lips; * thus God has blessed you forever.

C: Gird your sword upon your thigh, * O mighty one!

All: In your splendor and your majesty * ride on triumphant;

C: In the cause of truth and for the sake of justice; * and may your right hand show you wondrous deeds.

All: Your arrows are sharp; peoples are subject to you; * the king's enemies lose heart.

C: Your throne, O God, stands forever and ever; * a tempered rod is your royal scepter.

All: You love justice and hate wickedness; * therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings.

C: With myrrh and aloes and cassia your robes are fragrant; from ivory palaces string music brings you joy.* The daughters of kings come to meet you;

All: The queen takes her place at your right hand * in gold of Ophir.

C: Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, * forget your people and your father's house.

All: So shall the king desire your beauty; * for he is your lord, and you must worship him.

C: And the city of Tyre is here with gifts; * the rich among the people seek your favor.

All: All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters; * her raiment is threaded with spun gold.

C: In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king; * behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.

All: They are borne in with gladness and joy; * they enter the palace of the king.

C: The place of your fathers your sons shall have; * you shall make them princes through all the land.

All: I will make your name memorable * through all generations.

C: Therefore shall nations praise you * forever and ever.

The usual doxology is omitted, but the above antiphon is repeated. If the consecration is finished first the psalm is broken off and the antiphon repeated as a conclusion.

16. The bishop puts incense into the thurible and blesses it: then he incenses the altar, or the altar-stone, while the choir sings (see the music supplement), or the ministers recite, one or several of the following antiphons:

Antiphon 1: The angel came and stood at the altar of the temple, carrying a golden censer.

Antiphon 2: A great quantity of incense was given to him that he might offer it on the golden altar before the throne of the Lord.

Antiphon 3: The smoke of the incense ascended from the angel's hand to the presence of God.

17. When the antiphons are finished the bishop (without mitre) with hands joined sings the following:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

{The following (i.e., all contained within the brackets) are omitted if the consecration of the altar is done with the simple form.}

We beg you, Lord, let our prayer rise like incense in your sight, and let your Christian people be the recipients of copious favors. Let all who will devoutly offer to you bread and wine for hallowing on this altar or receive the hallowed elements in return experience your help in this life, along with remission of all sins, and finally the grace of everlasting salvation; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Here the bishop blesses the incense that is to be burned on the altar, unless it was already blessed before the sacred action by the bishop or another priest delegated by him. with the form in the Pontifical.

18. The bishop, having put on the mitre, forms five crosses out of grains of incense on the same five spots where earlier he traced the crosses with the blessed water and the holy chrism. On each one of these he puts one of the crosses made of fine candle- was. The latter are then lighted so that they burn the incense. After this all kneel and the bishop, who is also kneeling (without mitre), intones the following antiphon which is taken up by the choir (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

19. After the singing all rise, and the bishop (with mitre), facing the people with hands joined, says in a loud voice:

My dear brethren, let us appeal to the mercy of God, the Father almighty, that in the solemn prayer we are about to utter during the present rite, He would sanctify this altar, which is to be dedicated to spiritual sacrifices. May He be pleased ever to bless and to hallow the offerings that will be placed on it by His servants in pledge of their devotion. May He find favor in the incense of the spirit and be ready to hear the petitions of His people.

Then turning back toward the altar and removing the mitre he adds at once:

Let us pray.

Deacon: Let us kneel.

And all, including the bishop, kneel and spend a little time in silent prayer, until the deacon says:

Arise.

Hereupon all rise, and the bishop with hands joined sings the following oration in the ferial tone:

Lord our God, we pray that your Holy Spirit may descend upon this altar, that He may sanctify thereon our and your people's gifts, and that it may please Him to cleanse the hearts of all who partake of them. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,

C: Forever and ever.

All: Amen.

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

C: Lift up your hearts.

All: We have lifted them up to the Lord.

C: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is fitting and right to do so.

It is indeed fitting and right, worthy and salutary that we should always and everywhere give thanks to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty everlasting God. For after the offenses that came in the wake of the first fallen man, you instituted figurative sacrifices to be offered in propitiation to you, so that the fault engendered by pride might be expiated by the gifts of a future time, for which purpose altars are consecrated and a temple is dedicated. Hence be present in your inexpressible kindness and mercy, and pour out your precious blessing on this stone, so that by your bounty all who offer sacrifice on it may receive your reward. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

20. And the bishop immediately adds:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Deacon: Let us bless the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

21. After the altar or altar-stone has been thoroughly cleansed by the clergy or the ministers, the bishop celebrates Mass on it or he commissions another priest to do so, as convenience dictates.

But if the consecration takes place with the simple form, the bishop gives the blessing and departs.

CHAPTER VII: BLESSINGS OF THINGS DESIGNATED FOR SACRED FUNCTIONS OR OTHER SACRED PURPOSES

1. BLESSING OF AN ANTIMENSION*

which by a special Apostolic indult may be used in the celebration of Mass in mission territories, in place of an altar- stone or portable altar

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, March 12, 1947)

*Reserved to a bishop but may be delegated to a priest.

The bishop (or a priest delegated for this), having ascertained the authenticity of the relics of holy martyrs to be used here, encloses them in a tiny sack which is sewn in the right corner of the antimension. Then he blesses the antimension, saying:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, we humbly appeal to your sovereignty, asking that it please you to bless this antimension, made ready by our lowly ministry to receive the offerings of your people. For on it we are to offer the holy Sacrifice to you, to the honor of the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, and in particular to the honor of Saints N. and N., whose relics we have enclosed therein. Grant that by these sacred mysteries the bonds of our sins be loosed, our stains blotted out, pardon obtained and graces acquired, so that together with your holy elect we may merit the joys of everlasting life through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

He sprinkles it with holy water.

2. CONSECRATION OF A PATEN AND A CHALICE

(From the new Roman Pontifical of 1962)

{The consecration of a paten and of a chalice may be delegated to a priest, who follows the same rite given here for a bishop, omitting, however, the directions that do not pertain to a priest.

The consecration of a paten and chalice may take place on any day and at any convenient place.

The following are prepared: holy chrism and whatever materials are necessary for cleansing and wiping the chalice and paten as well as the bishop's hands. The chalice and paten should be placed on a table covered with a white-linen cloth or on the altar.

If several chalices and patens are to be consecrated the bishop performs the anointings successively on each of them, but he says the orations only once and in the plural form.

The bishop, standing and wearing the rochet, white stole, and gold-embroidered mitre, says:

Celebrant: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

C: Let us pray, my dear brethren, that by the help of God's grace this paten (these patens) may be consecrated and hallowed for the purpose of breaking over it (them) the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered death on the cross for the salvation of us all.

Then, removing the mitre, he says:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who instituted the laws of sacrifice, and ordered among other things that the sprinkled wheaten flour should be carried to the altar on plates of gold and silver; be pleased to bless, hallow, and consecrate this paten (these patens), destined for the administration of the Eucharist of Jesus Christ, your Son, who for our salvation and that of all mankind chose to immolate Himself on the gibbet of the cross to you, God the Father, with whom He lives and reigns, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Having put on the mitre, he dips the thumb of his right hand into the holy chrism, anoints the paten from rim to rim in the form of a cross, and then rubs the holy chrism all over the upper side of the paten, while saying the following formula:

Lord God, may you deign to consecrate and to hallow this paten by this anointing and our blessing, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then (still standing and wearing the mitre) he proceeds to the blessing of the chalice, saying:

Let us pray, my dear brethren, that our Lord and God, by His heavenly grace and inspiration, may hallow this chalice (these chalices), about to be consecrated for use in His ministry, and that He may add the fulness of His divine favor to the consecration performed by us; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then, removing the mitre, he says:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

O Lord our God, be pleased to bless this chalice (these chalices), made by your devout people for your holy service. Bestow that same blessing which you bestowed on the hallowed chalice of your servant, Melchisedech. And what we cannot make worthy of your altars by our craft and metals, do you nonetheless make worthy by your blessing; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Having put on the mitre, he dips the thumb of his right hand into the holy chrism and anoints each chalice on the inside from rim to rim In the form of a cross, while saying the following formula: Lord God, may it please you to consecrate and to hallow this chalice by this anointing and our blessing, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then, removing the mitre, he says the following over the chalice and paten (chalices and patens):

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, we beg you to impart to our hands the virtue of your blessing, so that by our blessing this vessel and paten (these vessels and patens) may be hallowed and become, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, a new sepulchre for the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

When the consecration is over a priest cleans the chalice and paten with crumbs of bread and purifies them thoroughly. These cleansing materials are put into the sacrarium.

3. BLESSING OF A TABERNACLE, PYX, CIBORIUM

for reserving the holy Eucharist

{The blessings of the sacred appurtenances or furnishings (sacra supellex) required in sacred worship--vessels, utensils, vestments, linens, and the like--used to be reserved to cardinals, bishops, pastors, priests especially delegated thereto, and religious superiors. Now according to the new "Instruction" of September 26, 1964, any priest may confer them. In view of past interpretation of the Congregation of Sacred Rites, this would apply only to blessings in which no special anointing is required.}

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, we humbly entreat your sovereignty to consecrate with your blessing this tabernacle (or ciborium or pyx) made to contain the body of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

4. BLESSING OF A MONSTRANCE OR OSTENSORIUM

for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, be pleased to bless and to hallow this vessel made to expose, for the faithful's adoration, the body of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May all who in this life piously adore your only-begotten Word possess Him in the life to come as their everlasting recompense; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

5. BLESSING OF A RELIQUARY

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this reliquary made to contain the holy remains of your saints; and grant that by the prayers of your saints all who devoutly venerate their relics may obtain pardon for sin and protection from every adversity; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

6. BLESSING OF OIL-STOCKS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Most gracious Lord and Father, hear our prayers, and bless and hallow these vessels prepared for the sacred ministry of your Church; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, by whom all unclean things are made clean, and in whom all things made clean retain their lustre, we humbly implore your sovereign power that these vessels and ornaments offered to you by your servants may be freed from contamination of every unclean spirit, and that by your blessing they remain hallowed for the use and ministry of the holy altar and of your Church; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

7. BLESSING OF SACRED VESSELS

or ornaments in general

This blessing and the following ones, nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, are revised in accordance with the new Roman Missal of 1962. The blessing of a purificator is a new one, i.e. not heretofore contained in the liturgical books. And a corporal and a pall are each blessed separately, instead of together as happened formerly.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, by whom all unclean things are made clean, and in whom all things made clean retain their lustre, we humbly implore your sovereign power that these vessels and ornaments offered to you by your servants may be freed from contamination of every unclean spirit, and that by your blessing they remain hallowed for the use and service of the holy altar and of your Church; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

8. BLESSING OF ALTAR-LINENS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who for forty days instructed Moses, your servant, how to make linens and sacred appointments, which even Mary wove and made for the service of the Old Covenant; be pleased to bless these linens (this linen) made to cover and envelop the altar of your glorious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are (it is) sprinkled with holy water.

9. BLESSING OF A CORPORAL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Most gracious Lord, whose power is indescribable, and whose mysteries are celebrated with wondrous ceremonies; grant, we pray, that by your kindness this linen may be hallowed by your blessing, and serve for the consecration of the body and blood of your Son, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

10. BLESSING OF A PALL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, be pleased to bless this pall, which is to be used in covering the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

11. BLESSING OF A PURIFICATOR

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hearken to our prayers, O Lord, and be pleased to bless this linen prepared for use in purifying the sacred chalice; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water

12. BLESSING OF PRIESTLY VESTMENTS

in general

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who decreed through Moses, your servant, that the vesture of high-priest, priest, and levite, used in fulfilling their ministry in your sight, should be worn to dignify and beautify the worship rendered to your holy name; mercifully heed our prayers, and be pleased, through our lowly ministry, to bless ~ these priestly vestments (this priestly vestment), bedewing them (it) with your grace, so that they (it) become hallowed and suitable for divine worship and the sacred mysteries. Let every bishop, priest, or deacon clothed in these sacred vestments (this sacred vestment) be strengthened and defended from all assault or temptation of wicked spirits; let them perform and celebrate your mysteries reverently and well; and let them always carry out their ministry in a devout and pleasing manner; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are (it is) sprinkled with holy water.

13. BLESSING OF ANY PRIESTLY VESTMENT

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, giver of all good things and bountiful bestower of all graces, we humbly beg you to endow us with the power of your blessing. May it also please you to bless, by the work of the Holy Spirit, this amice (or alb, or cincture, or stole, or maniple, or tunic, or dalmatic, or chasuble, or cope, or humeral veil) made ready for divine worship. Kindly let the grace of your holy mysteries descend on all who are to use it, so that they may appear holy, pure, and blameless in your presence, and may be aided by your mercy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

14. SOLEMN BLESSING OF A CROSS

If a cross is to be exposed for public veneration, it should be solemnly blessed.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, be pleased to bless this cross, that it may be a saving help to mankind. Let it be the support of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of souls; and let it be consolation, protection, and a shield against the cruel darts of the enemy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, bless this cross by which you snatched the world from Satan's grasp, and on which you overcame by your suffering the tempter to sin, who rejoiced in the first man's fall in eating of the forbidden tree. Here it is sprinkled with holy water. May this cross be hallowed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and may all who kneel and pray before this cross in honor of our Lord find health in body and soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After this the priest, kneeling before the cross, devoutly venerates and kisses it, and others may do likewise.

15. MORE SOLEMN BLESSING OF A CROSS

At hand are a thurible and holy water. The priest, vested in surplice red stole and cope, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, bless this cross by which you snatched the world from Satan's grasp, and overcame by your suffering the tempter to sin, who rejoiced in the first man's fall in eating of the forbidden tree. We ask this of you who live and reign with God the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, be pleased, we beg you, to bless this cross, so that it may be a saving help to mankind. Let it be the support of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of souls; and let it be consolation, protection, and a shield against the cruel darts of the enemy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then with hands outstretched before his breast he says the following preface in a moderately loud voice:

P: Forever and ever.

All: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

P: Lift up your hearts.

All: We have lifted them up to the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is fitting and right to do so.

It is indeed fitting and right, worthy and salutary that we should always and everywhere give thanks to you, O holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God; for among your visible creatures even fruitful trees never cease to praise and bless your holy and awesome name. In figure of your only-begotten Wisdom you beautified in the beginning the Garden of Eden with the tree of life, and by its fruit, as by a holy sign, you admonished our first parents to beware of death and to seek everlasting life. Condemned as we were to a just death by the touch of the forbidden tree, you mercifully recalled us from death to life by the selfsame co-eternal Wisdom, Jesus Christ, our Lord and God. Therefore, we your suppliants pray that you may hallow with a blessing from on high this singular sign, wrought and raised up for the faithful's devotion in remembrance of that first holy standard on which you conquered by the precious blood of your Son. May all who kneel before it, imploring your sovereignty, experience true compunction and obtain forgiveness of their transgressions; and by the merits of the victorious suffering and death of your only-begotten Son may they seek only what pleases you, and speedily obtain what they request. Grant, we pray, O most loving Father in whom we live, and move, and have our being, that as often as we gaze upon and call to mind the triumphant sign of your divine humility, which crushed the pride of our foe, we may be filled with hope and be strengthened against the wiles of that same foe, and receive greater grace to live humbly and devoutly in your sight. And on that dreadful judgment day, when you will appear in majesty, when the elements shall quake and the powers of heaven be moved, and this glorified sign of our redemption shall appear in the heavens, may we pass from death to life, and deserve to see the everlasting joys of a blessed resurrection. What follows is said in a subdued tone, loud enough, however, to be heard by the bystanders: Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, who by the gibbet of the holy cross, a onetime instrument of punishment for criminals, restored life to the redeemed, grant that your faithful people may find in it a strong support, who see in it their standard of battle. Let the cross be for them a foundation of faith, a pillar of hope, a safeguard in adversity, an aid in prosperity; let it be victory amid enemies, a guard in cities, a shield in the country, a prop in their homes. By it may the Good Shepherd keep His flock unharmed, for on it did the Lamb who has conquered win our salvation; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then incense in a boat is brought before the priest, who blesses it saying:

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, before whom the host of angels stands in awe, and renders you a spiritual service glowing with love, be pleased to look with favor on this creature, incense, to bless and to hallow it. May all weakness, all infirmity, and all assaults of the enemy, sensing its fragrance, flee and be kept far from your creature, man, that he, whom you redeemed by the precious blood of your Son, may never again suffer from the sting of the ancient serpent; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After this the priest puts incense into the thurible, and then sprinkles the cross with holy water and incenses it.

If the cross is made of wood he adds the prayer indicated by 1; if of metal or stone, the prayer indicated by 2:

(1): May this wood be sanctified, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And may the blessing of this wood, on which were hung the sacred members of our Savior, remain ever in it, so that all who kneel in prayer before this cross in God's honor may have health in body and soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then the priest, kneeling before the cross, devoutly venerates it and kisses it, and others who wish may do likewise.

(2): God of glory, God of hosts, the mighty Emmanuel, God, Father of truth, Father of wisdom, Father of holiness. Father, you enlighten us and keep watch over us. You rule the world and reign over all kingdoms. You are the giver of all grace and the dispenser of all gifts. All nations, peoples, tribes, and tongues serve you. All legions of angels minister before you. You bestow on your servants the power to believe and to praise your name, enabling them to offer due worship to you. You desire first of all faith in those who offer sacrifice to you, even before the gift is sacrificed. We appeal, then, to your tender-hearted mercy, asking that you hallow and consecrate this cross made by your servants in a spirit of total faith and devotion, to serve as a reminder of your victory and our redemption, a victorious and glorious sign of Christ's love. Behold this unconquerable sign of the cross by which diabolical power was destroyed and human liberty restored, which once was a symbol of shame, but now by your grace has been turned into a symbol of honor; which once punished the guilty with death, but now absolves criminals from their debt. And how can it please you, except that by it you were pleased to redeem us? And now no gift can any longer give you due honor except that which onetime had the sacred body nailed to it; nor can any offering please you more than that which onetime was made holy by your arms outstretched on it. Therefore, accept this cross with those hands that once embraced the first cross, and by the holiness of that cross make holy this one. And as the world's guilt was expiated by that cross, so may your servants merit deliverance from sin by this one, as they honor it in praise of you. Under the protection of the true cross may they advance step by step as victors. Here on the cross may the splendor of your only-begotten Son, our Lord, sparkle in the gold of your glance; may the renown of His death on the wood shine out; may our redemption from death, the purification of our life, be reflected in the effulgent crystal of the cross. Let the cross be a safeguard and assurance to its followers; let it unite them in faith with the people of all nations, bringing them together in peace and in hope, advancing them in victories, increasing their good fortunes, helping them for all time to advance toward everlasting life, thus assuring their happiness in this life, and leading them by its mighty power to the glory of the heavenly kingdom. May you grant this by the appeasing blood of your Son, by Him who is the giver of all gifts, who gave Himself for the redemption of many, who offered Himself as a holocaust for sin, who in being exalted on the wood of the cross humbled the principalities and powers, who with you, in the undivided unity of the Holy Spirit, sits on the heavenly throne forevermore.

All: Amen.

Then the priest, kneeling before the cross, devoutly venerates and kisses it, and others who wish may do likewise.

16. SOLEMN BLESSING OF AN IMAGE

of our Lord Jesus Christ, the blessed Virgin Mary, or any saint

If such images are exposed for public veneration they should be solemnly blessed.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P. The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who do not forbid us to carve or paint likenesses of your saints, in order that whenever we look at them with our bodily eyes we may call to mind their holy lives, and resolve to follow in their footsteps; may it please you to bless and to hallow this statue (or picture), which has been made in memory and honor of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (or the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ), (or blessed N., your apostle, or martyr, or pontiff, or confessor, or virgin). And grant that all who in its presence pay devout homage to your only-begotten Son (or the blessed Virgin, or the glorious apostle, or martyr, or pontiff, or confessor, or virgin) may by His (or his or her) merits (and intercession) obtain your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the life to come; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The image is sprinkled with holy water.

17. BLESSING OF A CLERICAL CASSOCK

A candidate for holy orders, who has obtained permission to wear the clerical cassock, may wish to have this garment blessed. The clerical aspirant, holding the cassock folded over his outstretched arms, kneels before the priest.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who condescended to clothe yourself in our mortal nature, we beg you in your boundless goodness to bless this cassock which the holy fathers have sanctioned as the garb for clerics, in token of the innocence and humility which should be theirs. Laying aside the vanity of secular garb, may these servants (this servant) of yours, who are (is) to wear the cassock, likewise put on you, and be recognized as men (a man) dedicated to your service. We ask this of you who are God, living and reigning forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The cassock is sprinkled with holy water.

18. BLESSING OF A CINCTURE

to be worn in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who willed, in redeeming your servant, that your Son should be bound by impious hands, we beg you to bless this cincture; and grant that your servant, who is to wear it as a reminder of bodily mortification, may always venerate the bonds of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may acknowledge that he (she) is bound to your service; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

19. BLESSING OF A CINCTURE

to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary or a canonized saint

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, we beg you to bless this cincture; and grant that he (she) who is to wear it may, by the help and protection of the blessed Virgin Mary, your mother, (or of St. N.), be shielded from every danger and obtain health of body and soul. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

20. BLESSING OF A HABIT

to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this habit which is to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, and under her patronage; and grant that he (she) who is to wear it may obtain health in body and protection in soul; through Christ our Lord

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

21. BLESSING OF A HABIT

to be worn in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary or a canonized saint

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who in becoming man for our salvation deigned to assume our vesture of flesh, bless this habit with a holy benediction, for your servant is to wear it in thanksgiving to you and in veneration of the blessed Virgin Mary (or of St. N.). Pour out on him (her), we pray, your holy blessing, so that when he (she) first puts on this garb, which is like that of a religious, he (she) may obtain, through the prayers of the blessed Virgin Mary (or of St. N.), your grace to protect him (her) from every evil of mind or body. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

22. BLESSING OF A CINCTURE

to be worn in honor of St. Joseph, spouse of our Lady

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Sept. 19, 1859)

The priest, vested in surplice and white stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who inculcated the counsel and love of virginity, and gave the precept of chastity, we appeal to your kindness, asking that you bless and hallow this cincture as a token of purity. Let all who gird themselves with it as a safeguard of chastity be enabled, by the prayers of St. Joseph, spouse of your holy Mother, to practice that continence which is so pleasing to you, and to live in obedience to your commandments. May they also obtain pardon of their sins, health in mind and body, and finally attain everlasting life. We ask this of you who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, grant, we pray, that those who revere the inviolate virginity of the most pure Virgin Mary and of Joseph, her spouse, may by their prayers be pure in mind and body; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God. who committed the boy Jesus and the most pure Mary, ever a Virgin, to the care of the chaste man Joseph, we humbly entreat you that those who are girded with this cincture in honor of St. Joseph and under his patronage may, by your help and his prayers, persevere in holy chastity for all time; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, the lover and restorer of innocence, we pray that your faithful who are to wear this cincture may, by the prayers of St. Joseph, spouse of your holy Mother, have their loins girded and hold burning lamps in their hands, and thus be likened to men who wait for their Lord when He shall return for a wedding, that when He comes and knocks they may open to Him, and be found worthy of being taken into everlasting joys; through you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then the priest puts incense into the censer, sprinkles the cincture with holy water, saying:

Sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

After this he incenses the cincture, and then continues:

P: Save your servants.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: Lord, send them aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over them from Sion.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

O God of mercy, God of goodness, who are pleased with all good things, and without whom no good work is begun, no good work is finished; kindly hear our prayers, and defend your faithful, who are to wear this blessed cincture in honor of St. Joseph and under his protection, from the pit-falls of this world and all its lusts. Help them to persist in their holy resolution and to obtain pardon of their sins, and thus merit to be numbered among your elect; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

23. BLESSING OF LILIES

on the feast of St. Anthony of Padua

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Feb. 26, 1901)

The priest vests in surplice and white stole, and says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, the Creator and preserver of the human race, the lover of holy purity, the giver of supernatural grace, and the dispenser of everlasting salvation; bless these lilies which we, your humble servants, present to you today as an act of thanksgiving and in honor of St. Anthony, your confessor, and with a request for your blessing. Pour out on them, by the saving sign of the holy cross, your dew from on high. You in your great kindness have given them to man, and endowed them with a sweet fragrance to lighten the burden of the sick. Therefore, let them be filled with such power that, whether they are used by the sick, or kept in homes or other places, or devoutly carried on one's person, they may serve to drive out evil spirits, safeguard holy chastity, and turn away illness--all this through the prayers of St. Anthony--and finally impart to your servants grace and peace; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then he sprinkles the lilies with holy water, saying:

Sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

P: Pray for us, St. Anthony.

All: That we may be worthy of Christ's promise.

Let us pray.

We beg you, O Lord, that your people may be helped by the constant and devout intercession of Blessed Anthony, your illustrious confessor. May he assist us to be worthy of your grace in this life, and to attain everlasting joys in the life to come; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After this the lilies are distributed to the people.

24. BLESSING OF A PROCESSIONAL BANNER

of any society

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, whose Church is like a well ordered battle- array, bless this banner; and grant that all who fight under this standard for your sake, O Lord God, may by the prayers of St. N. overcome their visible and invisible enemies in this life, and after this victory come as conquerors to the kingdom of heaven. We ask this through you, Jesus Christ, who live and reign with God the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

25. BLESSING OF CANDLES

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, bless these candles at our lowly request. Endow them, Lord, by the power of the holy cross, with a blessing from on high, you who gave them to mankind in order to dispel darkness. Let the blessing that they receive from the sign of the holy cross be so effectual that, wherever they are lighted or placed, the princes of darkness may depart in trembling from all these places, and flee in fear, along with all their legions, and never more dare to disturb or molest those who serve you, the almighty God, who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

26. BLESSING OF A CHURCH ORGAN

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 150

P: Praise the Lord in His sanctuary, * praise Him in the firmament of His strength.

All: Praise Him for His mighty deeds, * praise Him for His sovereign majesty.

P: Praise Him with the blast of the trumpet, * praise Him with lyre and harp,

All: Praise Him with timbrel and dance, * praise Him with strings and pipe.

P: Praise Him with sounding cymbals, praise Him with clanging cymbals. * Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

P: Praise Him with timbrel and dance.

All: Praise Him with strings and pipes.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who by Moses, your servant, ordered the sound of trumpets to accompany the sacrifices offered to your name, and willed that the children of Israel sing praise to your name with trumpets and timbrels; we beg you to bless this organ which we dedicate to your service. And grant that your faithful who are gladdened with holy songs here on earth may attain everlasting gladness in heaven; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

27. BLESSING OF A CHURCH BELL

designated for a church that is merely blessed or for an oratory*

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Jan. 22, 1908)

* Reserved to the Ordinary or to a priest delegated by him. There is a consecration of bells destined for a consecrated church in the Roman Pontifical.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 50

(for this psalm see p. 325)

Psalm 53

P: God, by your name save me, * and by your might defend my cause.

All: God, hear my prayer; * hearken to the words of my mouth.

P: For haughty men have risen up against me, and fierce men seek my life; * they set not God before their eyes.

All: See, God is my helper; * the Lord sustains my life.

P: Turn back the evil upon my foes; * in your faithfulness destroy them.

All: Freely will I offer you sacrifice; * I will praise your name, Lord, for its goodness,

P: Because from all distress you have rescued me, * and my eyes look down upon my enemies.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 56

P: Have pity on me, O God; have pity on me, * for in you I take refuge.

All: In the shadow of your wings I take refuge, * till harm pass by.

P: I call to God the Most High, * to God, my benefactor.

All: May He send from heaven and save me; may He make those a reproach who trample upon me; * may God send His kindness and His faithfulness.

P: I lie prostrate in the midst of lions * which devour men;

All: Their teeth are spears and arrows, * their tongue is a sharp sword.

P: Be exalted above the heavens, O God; * above all the earth be your glory!

All: They have prepared a net for my feet; * they have bowed me down;

P: They have dug a pit before me; * may they fall into it.

All: My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast; * I will sing and chant praise.

P: Awake, my soul; awake, lyre and harp! * I will wake the dawn.

All: I will give thanks to you among the peoples, Lord, * I will chant your praise among the nations.

P: For your kindness towers to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the skies.

All: Be exalted above the heavens, O God; * above all the earth be your glory!

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 66

(for this psalm see p. 428)

Psalm 69

(for this psalm see p. 333)

Psalm 85

(for this psalm see p. 224)

Psalm 129

(for this psalm see p. 328)

P: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All: Both now and forevermore.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who decreed through blessed Moses, your servant and lawgiver, that silver trumpets should be made and be sounded at the time of sacrifice, in order to remind the people by their clear tones to prepare for your worship and to assemble for its celebration. Grant, we pray, that this bell, destined for your holy Church, may be hallowed by the Holy Spirit through our lowly ministry, so that when it is tolled and rung the faithful may be invited to the house of God and to the everlasting recompense. Let the people's faith and piety wax stronger whenever they hear its melodious peals. At its sound let all evil spirits be driven afar; let thunder and lightning, hail and storm be banished; let the power of your hand put down the evil powers of the air, causing them to tremble at the sound of this bell, and to flee at the sight of the holy cross engraved thereon. May our Lord Himself grant this, who overcame death on the gibbet of the cross, and who now reigns in the glory of God the Father, in the unity of the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The priest puts incense into the thurible, and sprinkles the bell with holy water while walking around it. While he does so the choir sings the Asperges (see p. 398). Then he incenses it, again walking around it, as the choir sings the following antiphon (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: Lord, let my prayer come like incense before you.

Then the celebrant continues:

Let us pray.

O Christ, the almighty ruler, as you once calmed the storm at sea when awakened in the boat from the sleep of your human nature, so now come with your benign help to the needs of your people, and pour out on this bell the dew of the Holy Spirit. Whenever it rings may the enemy of the good take flight, the Christian people hear the call to faith, the empire of Satan be terrified, your people be strengthened as they are called together in the Lord, and may the Holy Spirit be with them as He delighted to be with David when he played his harp. And as onetime thunder in the air frightened away a throng of enemies, while Samuel slew an unweaned lamb as a holocaust to the eternal King, so when the peal of this bell resounds in the clouds may a legion of angels stand watch over the assembly of your Church, the first-fruits of the faithful, and afford your ever-abiding protection to them in body and spirit. We ask this through you, Jesus Christ, who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

P: To the honor of St. N.

All: Amen.

Lastly the priest signs the blessed bell with the sign of the cross, and departs with his assistants.

If this blessing of a bell has to do with consecrated churches, due care must be taken that it is bestowed by a bishop or by a priest having the apostolic indult, and the rite used is that given in the Roman Pontifical.

28. RITE FOR ERECTING STATIONS OF THE CROSS

{This rite was formerly reserved to the Order of Friars Minor, but for some time bishops have been empowered to delegate it to their own priests. Now, by the "Motu Proprio" of Paul VI, dated November 30, 1963 (see "Ephemerides Liturgicae" 78 [1964] 2), the privilege has been extended, and bishops may give priests the faculty to erect the stations of the cross, with all indulgences. And more recently, by virtue of the "Instruction" of September 26, 1964, it is no longer reserved to the Friars Minor but only to bishops.}

The priest who has this faculty vests in surplice and purple stole. He should be assisted by at least one cleric, who at the times designated hands him the aspersory and the thurible. First the priest goes up to the altar predella and addresses the people briefly on the excellence and value of the devotion of the Way of the Cross. After this he kneels on the lowest step of the altar and intones the "Veni Creator," which is continued by the choir (see p. 316). When the hymn is finished he says:

P: Send forth your Spirit and all things shall be recreated.

All: And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

God, who instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, guide us by your Spirit to desire only what is good and so always to find joy in His comfort.

Lord, we beg you to protect this people from every adversity, by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin; and as they bow down fervently before you shield them by your benevolence from all wiles of the enemy.

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least prayer and work may begin in you and end in you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then if the paintings or images of the stations are right at hand (and not already hung in their place) the priest blesses them as follows:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who do not forbid us to carve or paint likenesses of your saints, in order that whenever we look at them with our bodily eyes we may call to mind their holy lives, and resolve to follow in their footsteps; may it please you to bless and to hallow these images, which have been made in memory and honor of your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And grant that all who in their presence pay devout homage to your only begotten Son may by His merits and primacy obtain your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the life to come; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

The priest sprinkles them with holy water and incenses them. In a private oratory the incensation may be omitted.

Next the priest blesses the fourteen crosses which must be made of wood.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, we beg that it may please you to bless these crosses, so that they may be saving helps to mankind. Let them be the support of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of souls; and let them be consolation, protection, and shields against the cruel darts of the enemy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, bless these crosses, for by your holy cross you snatched the world from Satan's grasp, and overcame by your suffering the tempter to sin, who rejoiced in the first man's fall in eating of the forbidden tree.

Then the priest sprinkles them with holy water, saying:

May these crosses be hallowed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; so that all who kneel in prayer before these crosses in our Lord's honor may have health in body and soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

If there is a procession the following hymns are sung (for the music of these two hymns see the music supplement):

Hymn: Vexilla Regis

Abroad the regal banners fly,

Now shines the cross's mystery;

Upon it Life did death endure,

And yet by death did life procure.

Who, wounded with a direful spear,

Did, purposely to wash us clear

From stain of sin, pour out a flood

Of precious water mixed with blood.

That which the prophet-king of old

Has in mysterious verse foretold,

Is now accomplished, while we see

God ruling nations from a tree.

O lovely and refulgent tree,

Adorned with purpled majesty;

Culled from a worthy stock to bear

Those limbs which sanctified were.

Blest tree, whose happy branches bore

The wealth that did the world restore;

The beam that did that body weigh

Which raised up hell's expected prey.

Hail, cross, of hopes the most sublime!

Now in this mournful passion time, *

Improve religious souls in grace.

The sins of criminals efface.

Blest Trinity, salvation's spring,

May every soul your praises sing;

To those you grant a conquest by

The holy cross, rewards apply. Amen.

* Outside of passiontime this line reads: "Now in your glorious

reign in time." In paschaltime it reads: "Which bears the joys of

paschaltime."

Hymn: Stabat Mater

At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrows sharing,

All His bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed

Was that Mother highly blest

Of the sole-begotten One.

Christ above in torment hangs;

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,

Whelmed in miseries so deep

Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain

From partaking in her pain,

In that Mother's pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,

She beheld her tender child

All with bloody scourges rent.

For the sins of His own nation,

Saw Him hang in desolation,

Till his spirit forth He sent.

O you Mother, fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above,

Make my heart with yours accord.

Make me feel as you have felt,

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ my Lord. Amen.

P: We adore you, Christ, and we bless you.

All: For by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Let us pray.

God, who by the illustrious suffering of your Son taught us to arrive at everlasting glory by the way of the cross, grant that we, who devoutly unite ourselves with Him on Calvary, may reign triumphantly with Him in glory. We ask this of Him who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The priest goes to the place of the first station, where he kisses the cross and then hangs it in place, either himself or with the help of a layman who is properly clothed for this service. He then reads the meditation and prayers proper to this station; and the same is done at the other stations. After this the Te Deum is sung along with its versicles and oration.

Lastly the priest blesses the people with a crucifix.

The fastening of the stations to the walls may be done privately by anyone and without ceremony, either before or after the blessing by the priest.

Following is an example of the formal testimonial that the stations of the cross were erected in a given place:

By virtue of the faculty granted me, I, N. N. erected the Way of the Cross with its annexed indulgences in the place named above in the delegation, in accord with the rules prescribed by the Congregation of Sacred Indulgences on May 10, 1742. In testimony of which I have affixed my signature on this day, etc.

(Signed):

CHAPTER VIII: BLESSINGS OF THINGS DESIGNATED FOR ORDINARY USE

1. BLESSING OF BREAD AND PASTRIES

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, bread of angels, living bread for everlasting life, bless this bread as you once blessed the five loaves in the wilderness; so that all who eat it reverently may thereby obtain the health they desire for body and soul. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

There is another blessing of bread among the special blessings for Eastertime; in which section there are also other blessings of food.

2. BLESSING OF GRAPES

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this new fruit of the vineyard, which in your benevolence you have ripened by heavenly dew, an abundance of rainfall, gentle breezes, and fair weather; and have given us to use with gratitude in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

3. BLESSING OF WINE FOR THE SICK

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who in Cana of Galilee changed water into wine, be pleased to bless and to hallow this creature, wine, which you have given as refreshment for your servants. And grant that whenever it is taken as drink or poured into wounds it will be accompanied by an outpouring of grace from on high.

Let us pray.

Almighty eternal God, everlasting salvation to those who believe in you; graciously hear us on behalf of your sick servant, for whom we beg your merciful aid, so that having recovered from his (her) illness he (she) may give thanks to you in your Church; through Christ our Lord

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

4. BLESSING OF ANY KIND OF MEDICINE

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who in a wonderful way created man and still more wondrously renewed him; who were pleased to aid with many healing remedies the various infirmities that beset the human condition; mercifully pour out your holy blessing on this medicine, so that he (she) who takes it may have health in mind and body; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

5. BLESSING OF BEER

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this creature, beer, which by your kindness and power has been produced from kernels of grain, and let it be a healthful drink for mankind. Grant that whoever drinks it with thanksgiving to your holy name may find it a help in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

6. BLESSING OF CHEESE OR BUTTER

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, if it please you, bless and sanctify this creature, cheese (or butter), which by your power has been made from the fat of animals. Grant that those of your faithful who eat it may be sated with a blessing from on high, with your grace and all good things; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

7. BLESSING OF LARD

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this creature, lard, and let it be a healthful food for mankind. Grant that everyone who eats it with thanksgiving to your holy name may find it a help in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

8. BLESSING OF OIL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Exorcism

God's creature, oil, I cast out the demon from you by God the Father almighty, who made heaven and earth and sea, and all that they contain. Let the adversary's power, the devil's legions, and all Satan's attacks and machinations be dispelled and driven afar from this creature, oil. Let it bring health in body and mind to all who use it, in the name of God the Father almighty, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, as well as in the love of the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.

All: Amen.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, before whom the hosts of angels stand in awe, and whose heavenly service we acknowledge; may it please you to regard favorably and to bless and hallow this creature, oil, which by your power has been pressed from the juice of olives. You have ordained it for anointing the sick, so that, when they are made well, they may give thanks to you, the living and true God. Grant, we pray, that those who will use this oil, which we are blessing in your name, may be delivered from all suffering, all infirmity, and all wiles of the enemy. Let it be a means of averting any kind of adversity from man, made in your image and redeemed by the precious blood of your Son, so that he may never again suffer the sting of the ancient serpent; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

9. BLESSING OF SALT OR OATS FOR ANIMALS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God, Creator and preserver of all things, in whose hand is the life and breath of every creature; we beg you to listen to the prayers of your faithful, and to pour out on this creature, salt (or oats), your blessing and the unseen working of your might. May the animals, which you have kindly given for the service of man, be spared every kind of sickness when they eat this salt (or oats), and under your protection escape every affliction of hateful evil spirits; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

10. BLESSING OF SEED

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, we earnestly beg you to bless these seeds, to protect and preserve them with gentle breezes, to make them fertile with heavenly dew, and to bring them, in your benevolence, to the fullest harvest for our bodily and spiritual welfare; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

11. BLESSING OF ANY VICTUAL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, bless this creature, N., and let it be a healthful food for mankind. Grant that everyone who eats it with thanksgiving to your holy name may find it a help in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

12. BLESSING OF FIRE

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God, almighty Father, maker of all light, and the light that never fails; hallow this new fire, and grant that after the darkness of this world we may come with pure hearts to you, our perpetual light; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

13. BLESSING OF LINENS FOR THE SICK

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who, at a touch of the hem of your garment, healed the woman suffering from hemorrhage; who throughout your life on earth healed many other sick; who by your Apostle Paul cast out infirmities and evil spirits from the sick when they touched his handkerchief and leather apron; grant, we beseech you, that all who will be clothed or be covered with these various linens for the sick which we bless in your name, may obtain health of mind and body. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

14. BLESSING OF A STRETCHER, AMBULANCE, WHEELCHAIR

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who during your earthly sojourn went about doing good, alleviating the people's suffering and infirmities, and restoring bodily and spiritual vigor to the paralytic lying on his pallet; look with favor, we pray, on the faith and compassion of your servants who, animated with true charity by your example as well as by your command, have constructed this stretcher (or ambulance or wheelchair) to bear the wounded and the sick to the place of healing. By the blessing we impart to it in the power of your name, O gentle Jesus, let it become for the sick who will be carried on it a comfort on the way, a safeguard in perils, a relief from suffering. Grant that in the company of your angels they may be borne in comfort to the place of healing, and there recover their former good health. Thus made aware of how they have been favored by your mercy and by the prayers of Mary, your blessed Mother, may they return to their homes praising and glorifying you, the true God, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

15. BLESSING OF AN AUTOMOBILE OR OTHER VEHICLE

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God, be well disposed to our prayers, and bless this vehicle with your holy hand. Appoint your holy angels as an escort over it, who will always shield its passengers and keep them safe from accidents. And as once by your deacon, Philip, you bestowed faith and grace upon the Ethiopian seated in his carriage and reading Holy Writ, so also now show the way of salvation to your servants, in order that, strengthened by your grace and ever intent upon good works, they may attain, after all the successes and failures of this life, the certain happiness of everlasting life; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

16. BLESSING OF AN AIRPLANE

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, March 24, 1920)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who made all things for your glory, yet destined every lower being in this world for man's service, we beg you to bless this airplane (these airplanes). Let it (them) serve to carry far and wide the fame and glory of your name, and in expediting more speedily the affairs of mankind without loss and accident. And let it (them) foster in the souls of all the faithful who travel in it (them) a longing for the things above; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, who by the mystery of the incarnation mercifully consecrated the dwelling-place of the blessed Virgin Mary, and wondrously transferred it to the heart of your Church; we beg you to pour out your blessing on this airplane (these airplanes), so that all who fly in it (them) may, under the protection of the Blessed Virgin, happily reach their destination and then safely return home; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, the salvation of those who trust in you, kindly appoint a good angel from on high as an escort for your servants who make an airplane voyage and who call on you for help. Let him shield the passengers throughout the flight and conduct them safely to their destination; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water

17. BLESSING OF A RAILWAY AND ITS CARS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who made all creatures for your glory and for man's use, be pleased, we pray, to bless this railway and its equipment, and to watch over it at all times with your kindly solicitude; so that your servants, as they speed along its course, may likewise advance in your law and your commandments, and thus happily arrive in your heavenly kingdom; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord God, be well disposed to our prayers, and bless these cars with your holy hand. Appoint your holy angels as an escort over them, who will always shield their passengers and keep them safe from accidents. And as once by your deacon, Philip, you bestowed faith and grace upon the Ethiopian seated in his carriage and reading Holy Writ, so also now show the way of salvation to your servants, in order that, strengthened by your grace and ever intent upon good works, they may attain, after all the successes and failures of this life, the certain happiness of everlasting life; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

The tracks and cars are sprinkled with holy water.

18. A MORE SOLEMN BLESSING OF A RAILWAY AND ITS CARS

From the nearest church or another place designated for the purpose the clergy go in solemn procession to the railroad station, singing or reciting the following (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: May the almighty and merciful Lord lead you in the way of peace and prosperity. May the Angel Raphael be your companion on the journey and bring you back to your homes in peace, health, and happiness.

Then the Canticle of Zachary is said (see p. 407); and after the canticle the above antiphon is repeated. Then the priest continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Save your servants.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: Lord, send them aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over them from Sion.

P: Let them find in you, Lord, a fortified tower.

All: In the face of the enemy.

P: Let the enemy have no power over them.

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm them.

P: May the Lord be praised at all times.

All: May God, our helper, grant us a happy journey.

P: Lord, show us your ways.

All: And lead us along your paths.

P: Oh, that our life be bent.

All: On keeping your precepts.

P: For the crooked ways will be made straight.

All: And the rough places plain.

P: God has given His angels charge over you.

All: To guard you in all your undertakings.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who made all creatures for your glory and for man's use, be pleased, we pray, to bless this railway and its equipment, and to watch over it at all times with your kindly solicitude; so that your servants, as they speed along its course, may likewise advance in your law and your commandments, and thus happily arrive in your heavenly kingdom; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord God, be well disposed to our prayers, and bless these cars with your holy hand. Appoint your holy angels as an escort over them, who will always shield their passengers and keep them safe from accidents. And as once by your deacon, Philip, you bestowed faith and grace upon the Ethiopian seated in his carriage and reading Holy Writ, so also now show the way of salvation to your servants, in order that, strengthened by your grace and ever intent upon good works, they may attain, after all the successes and failures of this life, the certain happiness of everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then he sprinkles the tracks and cars with holy water.

After the blessing (and the previous one too) the Te Deum is said along with its versicles and oration.

19. BLESSING OF A SHIP OR BOAT

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, be well disposed to our prayers, and by your holy hand bless this ship (boat) and its passengers, as you were pleased to let your blessing hover over Noah's ark in the Deluge. Reach out your hand to them, Lord, as you did to blessed Peter as he walked upon the sea. Send your holy angel from on high to watch over it and all on board, to ward off any threat of disaster, and to guide its course through calm waters to the desired port. Then after a time, when they have successfully transacted their business, may you in your loving providence bring them back with glad hearts to their own country and home. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

20. SOLEMN BLESSING OF A FISHING-BOAT

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, April 10. 1912)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Then the priest intones the antiphon, which is continued by the chanters; and the first verse of psalm 8 is directly attached to the antiphon (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: O Lord, * our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth; * you have exalted your majesty above the heavens.

Psalm 8

After the psalm the antiphon is repeated thus:

All: Ant.: O Lord, our Lord, * how glorious is your name over all the earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, be well disposed to our prayers, and by your holy hand bless this fishing-boat and the fishermen, as you were pleased to let your blessing hover over Noah's ark in the Deluge. Reach out your hand to them, Lord, as you did to blessed Peter as he walked upon the sea. Send your holy angel from on high to watch over it and all on board, to ward off any threat of disaster, and to guide its course through calm waters to the desired port. Then after a time, when they have had good success in their labors, may you in your loving providence bring them back with glad hearts to their own shores and homes. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

P: A lesson from the holy Gospel according to St. John.

All: Glory be to you, O Lord.

John 21:1-24

On a later occasion Jesus showed himself again to the disciples, this time by the Lake of Tiberias. He did so under the following circumstances: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples, happened to be together. Simon Peter said to them: "I am going fishing." "We will go along with you," they replied. So they set out and got into the boat, and during that entire night they caught nothing. But just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach. The disciples did not know, however, that it was Jesus. "Well, lads," Jesus said to them, "you have no fish there, have you?" "No," they replied. "Cast your net to the right of the boat," He said to them, "and you will find something." So they cast it, and now they were not strong enough to haul it up into the boat because of the great number of fish in it. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: "It is the Master!" No sooner did Simon Peter learn that it was the Master than he girt his upper garment about him--for he was wearing little--and plunged into the lake. Meanwhile the other disciples came on in the boat--for they were not far from the shore, only about two hundred yards--dragging along the net full of fish.

When they had come ashore, they noticed hot embers on the ground, with fish lying on the fire and bread. Jesus said to them: "Bring some of the fish you caught just now." So Simon Peter boarded the boat and hauled the net upon the beach. It was full of fish, one hundred and fifty-three in all, and in spite of the great number the net did not break. "Come, now," Jesus said to them, "and have breakfast." Not one of His disciples could find it in his heart to ask Him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Master. Then Jesus approached, took the bread in His hands, and gave them of it. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus showed Himself to the disciples after He had risen from the dead.

After they had breakfasted, Jesus said to Simon Peter: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do?" "Yes, my Master," he replied; "you know that I really love you." "Then," Jesus said to him, "feed my lambs." He asked him a second time: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Master," he replied, "you know that I really love you." "Then," He said to him, "be a shepherd to my sheep." For the third time He put the question to him: "Simon, son of John, do you really love me?" It grieved Peter that He had asked him the third time: "Do you really love me?" and he replied: "Master, you know everything; you know that I really love you!" "Then," Jesus said to him, "feed my sheep. I tell you the plain truth: when you were young, you used to put on your own belt and go where you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your arms for someone else to gird you and carry you where you have no wish to go." He said this to signify the kind of death by which He was to glorify God. And having said this, He said to him: "Follow me."

Turning round, Peter saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the same who at the supper had been resting against his bosom and had asked: "Master, who is it that is going to betray you?" So, at sight of him, Peter said to Jesus: "And what about him, Master?" Jesus replied: "If I want him to stay till I return, what difference does this make to you? Your duty is to follow me." Accordingly, the report became current among the brethren that that disciple was not going to die. But Jesus had not said to him that he was not to die, but simply: "If I want him to stay till I return, what difference does this make to you?"

This is the disciple who is both the witness of these facts and the recorder of these facts; and we know that his testimony is true.

All: Praise be to you, O Christ.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who divided the waters from the dry land and created every living thing they contain; who willed that man should have dominion over the fishes of the sea; who walked on the crest of the waves and stilled the winds and the sea; who miraculously filled the nets of the apostles with fishes; grant, we pray, that your servants may have you as their captain, and so be delivered from all perils, haul into their boats a good catch of fish, and come finally to the port of everlasting blessedness laden with the merits of good works; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

We beg you, Lord and Savior, be pleased to bless the labors of your servants, as you once blessed your apostles when you said: "Cast your net to the right of the boat, and you will find something." Thus gladdened by your bountiful blessing, may we praise you, our Redeemer, now and forevermore.

All: Amen.

Have regard, O Lord, for the prayers of the blessed Virgin Mary, St. Peter and the other apostles, and St. N. (the patron of the boat), and do not disdain the work of our hands. Rather, give us your holy blessing, keep us from all sin, avert all dangers, and be prodigal with your gifts; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The priest sprinkles the boat with holy water, saying:

May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come upon this boat and on all who are to sail in it, and remain forever.

All: Amen.

21. BLESSING OF TOOLS FOR SCALING MOUNTAINS

(Approved by Pope Pius XI on October 14, 1931)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, we beg you to bless these ropes, staves, mattocks, and these other tools, so that all who will use them in scaling the mountains' heights and precipices, in ice and snow and raging storms, may be preserved from all accidents and catastrophe, safely reach the summits, and return unharmed to their homes; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Protect these servants of yours, O Lord, by the prayers of St. Bernard, whom you have made patron of mountain dwellers and travelers; and grant that along with scaling these heights they may also reach that mountain which is Christ; through the same Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

22. BLESSING OF A SEISMOGRAPH

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Feb. 13, 1924)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, whose very gaze causes the earth to tremble, pour out your blessing on this seismograph; and grant that the signs of the earth's tremors may be precisely recorded by it, and then rightly interpreted by man, both for the benefit of your people and for the greater glory of your name; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

O Virgin Mary, in view of your own sorrows take pity on us and pray for us.

St. Emidius, pray for us, and in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, protect us and also this seismograph from the terror of earthquakes.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

23. BLESSING OF A TELEGRAPH

From the nearest church or from another place designated for this purpose the clergy go to the telegraph station, chanting or reciting the following (for the music see the music supplement):

Canticle of Zachary

On arriving at the station the priest intones the antiphon, which is continued by the choir and followed by psalm 103 (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: Blessed are you, O Lord, * who make the clouds your chariot, who travel on the wings of the wind; * who make the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers.

Psalm 103

P: Bless the Lord, my soul! * Lord, my God, you are great indeed!

All: You are clothed with majesty and glory, * robed in light as with a cloak.

P: You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth; * you have constructed your palace upon the waters.

All: You make the clouds your chariot; * you travel on the wings of the wind.

P: You make the winds your messengers, * and flaming fire your ministers.

All: You fixed the earth upon its foundation, * not to be moved forever;

P: With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it; * above the mountains the waters stood.

All: At your rebuke they fled, * at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

P: As the mountains rose, they went down the valleys * to the place you had fixed for them.

All: You set a limit they may not pass, * nor shall they cover the earth again.

P: You send forth springs into the watercourses * that wind among the mountains,

All: And give drink to every beast of the field, * till the wild asses quench their thirst.

P: Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; * from among the branches they send forth their song.

All: You water the mountains from your palace; * the earth is replete with the fruit of your works.

P: You raise grass for the cattle, * and vegetation for men's use,

All: Producing bread from the earth, * and wine to gladden men's hearts,

P: So that their faces gleam with oil, * and bread fortifies the hearts of men.

All: Well watered are the trees of the Lord, * the cedars of Lebanon, which He planted;

P: In them the birds build their nests; * fir trees are the home of the stork.

All: The high mountains are for wild goats; * the cliffs are a refuge for rock-badgers.

P: You made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows the hour of its setting.

All: You bring darkness, and it is night; * then all the beasts of the forest roam about;

P: Young lions roar for the prey * and seek their food from God.

All: When the sun rises, they withdraw * and couch in their dens.

P: Man goes forth to his work * and to his tillage till the evening.

All: How manifold are your works, O Lord! * In wisdom you have wrought them all--the earth is full of your creatures;

P: The sea also, great and wide, in which are schools without number * of living things both small and great,

All: And where ships move about * with Leviathan, which you formed to play there.

P: They all look to you * to give them food in due time.

All: When you give it to them, they gather it; * when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

P: If you hide your face, they are dismayed; if you take away their breath, they perish * and return to their dust.

All: When you send forth your spirit, they are created, * and you renew the face of the earth.

P: May the glory of the Lord endure forever; * may the Lord be glad in His works!

All: He who looks upon the earth, and it trembles; * who touches the mountains and they smoke!

P: I will sing to the Lord all my life; * I will sing praise to my God while I live.

All: Pleasing to Him be my theme; * I will be glad in the Lord.

P: May sinners cease from the earth, and may the wicked be no more. * Bless the Lord, my soul!

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

All: Ant.: Blessed are you, O Lord, who make the clouds your chariot, who travel on the wings of the wind; * who make the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

We entreat you, Lord God, grant us, your servants, the enjoyment of lasting health of body and mind; and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, free us from present sorrow and give us everlasting joy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, who ride on the wings of the wind, and who alone work wonders; just as you have empowered this metal to carry messages to-and-fro more quickly than a lightning flash; so also grant that we, inspired by these new inventions and aided by your bounteous grace, may in a similar way come more swiftly and easily to you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The priest sprinkles the telegraph with holy water.

24. BLESSING OF AN ELECTRIC DYNAMO

From the nearest church or from another place designated for the purpose the clergy go in solemn manner to the electric plant, chanting or reciting the following (for the music see the music supplement):

Canticle of Zachary

On arriving at the plant the priest intones the antiphon, which is continued by the choir and followed by psalm 96:

Antiphon: Light dawns for the just, * and gladness for the upright of heart.

Psalm 96

P: The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice; * let the many isles be glad.

All: Clouds and darkness are round about Him, * justice and judgment are the foundation of His throne.

P: Fire goes before Him * and consumes His foes round about.

All: His lightnings illumine the world; * the earth sees and trembles.

P: The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, * before the Lord of all the earth.

All: The heavens proclaim His justice, * and all peoples see His glory.

P: All who worship graven things are put to shame, who glory in the things of nought; * all gods are prostrate before him.

All: Sion hears and is glad, and the cities of Juda rejoice * because of your judgments, O Lord.

P: Because you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth, * exalted far above all gods.

All: The Lord loves those that hate evil; He guards the lives of His faithful ones; * He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

P: Light dawns for the just; * and gladness for the upright of heart.

All: Be glad in the Lord, you just, * and give thanks to His holy name.

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

All: Ant.: Light dawns for the just, * and gladness for the upright of heart.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

We entreat you, Lord God, grant us, your servants, the enjoyment of lasting health of body and mind; and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, free us from present sorrow and give us everlasting joy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, Creator of all light, bless this generator built to create light anew; and grant that after the darkness of this world we may come to you who are never ending light; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

He sprinkles the dynamo with holy water.

25. BLESSING OF A FIRE-ENGINE

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, April 10, 1912)

From the nearest church or another place designated for the purpose the clergy go to the fire-station, chanting or reciting the following antiphon and psalm. The priest intones the antiphon, which is then continued by the choir (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: The fire's fury was tamed, and its overpowering heat quenched, * as your beloved youths, Lord, were preserved unharmed.

Psalm 65

P: Shout joyfully to God, all you on earth, sing praise to the glory of His name; * proclaim His glorious praise.

All: Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds! * for your great strength your enemies fawn upon you.

P: Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, * sing praise to your name!"

All: Come and see the works of God, * His tremendous deeds among men.

P: He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; * therefore let us rejoice in Him.

All: He rules by His might forever; His eyes watch the nations; * rebels may not exalt themselves.

P: Bless our God, you peoples, * loudly sound His praise;

All: He has given life to our souls, * and has not let our feet slip.

P: For you have tested us, God! * You have tried us as silver is tried by fire;

All: You have brought us into a snare; * you have laid a heavy burden on our backs.

P: You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, * but you have led us out to refreshment.

All: I will bring holocausts to your house; * to you I will fulfill the vows

P: Which my lips uttered and my words promised * in my distress.

All: Holocausts of fatlings I will offer you, with burnt offerings of rams; * I will sacrifice oxen and goats.

P: Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare * what He has done for me!

All: When I appealed to Him in words, * praise was on the tip of my tongue.

P: Were I to cherish wickedness in my heart, * the Lord would not hear;

All: But God has heard; * He has hearkened to the sound of my prayer.

P: Blessed be God who refused me not * my prayer or His kindness!

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

All: Ant.: The fire's fury was tamed, and its overpowering heat quenched, * as your beloved youths, Lord, were preserved unharmed.

P: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Save your servants.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: Lord, send them aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over them from Sion.

P: Let the enemy have no power over them.

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm them.

P: Fire and heat, bless the Lord.

All: Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

P: You sons of men, bless the Lord.

All: Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

P: Who delivers us from the devouring flames.

All: And leads us out of the encircling fires.

P: Let us praise the Lord, for He is good.

All: And His mercy endures forever.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who by your angel assuaged the flames of fire for the sake of the three youths cast into the furnace in Babylon; we implore you to extinguish by your hand the evil lusts that burn in our hearts, and to deliver us from all fires, both in this world and in the world to come through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, in whose hands we are, dependent on you in our every thought, word, and deed; stand by your servants with your most generous aid, so that whenever we are threatened by dreaded fire we may have the protection of these technical devices; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
Let us pray.

God, the just and loving ruler of mankind, to whom as its Creator your creature, fire, is so readily subject that on the one hand it blazes out to torment the impious, and on the other it burns lightly to serve the needs of the devout; kindly hear our prayers, and pour out your blessing on this fire-engine. Whenever this efficient tool is used with lively faith and fervent prayers against the ravages of fire, may the stream of water gushing forth from it extinguish the roaring flames, completely wiping out their destructive force, so that no injury befalls the faithful who trust in you, and no damage is done to their possessions. Thus may it come about that all who experience your protection against the fright and dangers of fire will turn away from sin with all their heart, and, mindful of your benefits, sincerely acknowledge that such visitations are a consequence of their sinful ways, and cease only when you deign to show your mercy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.

26. BLESSING OF MOLTEN METAL FOR A BELL

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord God almighty, who honored even inanimate creatures in designating them for your worship, we beg you to pour out your blessing on this metal; and as it now issues forth a molten stream, let your hand guide it and your grace protect it, so that it will be cast into a good and artistic bell (or bells) for summoning the faithful to church, there to praise and to glorify your name; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The metal is sprinkled with holy water. And after the casting is successfully completed the priest adds:

Psalm 116

P: Praise the Lord, all you nations, * glorify Him, all you peoples.

All: For steadfast is His kindness toward us, * and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Let us pray.

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least prayer and work may ever begin in you and end in you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

27. BLESSING OF A BELL

not designated for a church or oratory

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Then the seven penitential psalms are said.

After the psalms the priest continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All: Both now and forevermore.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who arranged the purpose of all creatures with indescribable wisdom; be pleased, we pray, to pour out the dew of your blessing on this bell, destined to ring out the order of the day's activities and have them proceed in orderly fashion, thus forestalling any disturbance from the spiteful demon; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The celebrant puts incense into the thurible and blesses it. Then he walks around the bell, sprinkling it with holy water, during which the choir sings (for the music see the music supplement):

Purify me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Then he again walks around the bell, incensing it, while the choir sings the following antiphon (for the music see the music supplement):

Lord, let my prayer come like incense before you.

Lastly the priest signs the bell with the sign of the cross, and departs with his assistants.

28. BLESSING OF MOBILE FILM

UNITS FOR ROAD

SAFETY

{On August 9, 1961, Good Pope John blessed forty mobile film units, designed by the Italian government to inform the people, both pedestrians and motorists, about safety rules in the streets and on the highways. Anyone who knows Italy will appreciate how opportune this business was. In a little talk explaining this new liturgical blessing, Pope John admonished the people to bear in mind the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill."}

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who willed that the works of man be ordered both to the glory of your name and the welfare of mankind, pour out the grace of your blessing on these machines, destined to disseminate the rules for road safety. May your servants, both pedestrians and drivers, learn by means of them to be prudent and vigilant and possessed by a fear of you, and so always be sure to have regard for their own safety and the safety of others. Lord, let no harm befall them, whether it be from the difficulty of the journey, or from weariness, or from rash speeding. May they show no lack of consideration, no lack of alertness. And as you onetime assigned the Archangel Raphael as a companion to your son, Tobias, on his travels, so may you now assign the angels as guardians of your faithful, helping them to walk before you in holiness while on earth, and to reach the goal of everlasting salvation; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

29. BLESSING OF ANYTHING

This form may be used by any priest for the blessing of anything that does not have its own special blessing in the Roman Ritual.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, whose word suffices to make all things holy, pour out your blessing on this object (these objects); and grant that anyone who uses it (them) with grateful heart and in keeping with your law and will, may receive from you, its (their) Maker, health in body and protection of soul by calling on your holy name; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

It (they) is (are) sprinkled with holy water.

PART XII. PROCESSIONS

CHAPTER I: GENERAL RULES CONCERNING PROCESSIONS

1. The sacred public processions and solemn rites of petition used in the Catholic Church were instituted in very early times by the holy fathers. Their purpose is to arouse the faithful's devotion, to commemorate God's benefits to man and to thank Him for them, and to call upon Him for further assistance; hence they ought to be celebrated in a truly religious manner. For they are the bearers of sublime and godly mysteries, and all who devoutly take part in them receive from God the salutary fruits of Christian piety. It is the pastors' duty to explain them to the faithful at the proper time.

2. Priests especially, but others in holy orders as well, should see to it that during these processions such decorum and reverence prevail as befits these devout exercises, both on the part of themselves and the rest who participate.

3. All members of the clergy who are to take part will be properly clothed, in surplices or in other sacred vestments (no hats should be worn unless rain threatens). They will walk two by two, bearing themselves with gravity, reserve, and piety. Talking, laughing, and gazing about should be conspicuously absent; rather they should be so intent on prayer that they will invite the people to join in fervent petitions.

4. All who march in the procession should be praying. The men should be separate from the women, and the laity separate from the clergy.

5. A cross is carried at the head of the procession, and where it is the custom also a banner with sacred images, but not one that has a military character or a triangular form.

6. Let pastors be sedulous in abolishing the abuse of eating and drinking, as well as carrying along food and drink during any of the sacred processions or on the occasions when the fields are blessed or when a pilgrimage is made to a church lying outside the city. And the faithful should repeatedly be admonished, especially on the Sunday prior to the Rogation days, how unseemly this abuse is.

7. The processions should take place before the solemn celebration of Mass, unless occasionally the Ordinary or the clergy decide otherwise for a good reason.

8. Certain processions are of regular occurrence, that is, specified for particular days of the year, as those of Candlemas, Palm Sunday, the Greater Litany on the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, the Lesser Litanies on the three Rogation days before Ascension, and Corpus Christi, or on other days according to the usage of local churches.

9. But some processions are of all extraordinary nature--those which are ordered for other public causes at special times.

CHAPTER II: CANDLEMAS PROCESSION

1. Following the blessing and distribution of candles, as prescribed in the Roman Missal, the procession takes place. First the celebrant puts incense into the thurible; and then the deacon turns to the people and sings (the music for this and all other parts is given in the music supplement):

Deacon: Let us go forth in peace.

All: In Christ's name. Amen.

2. The order of the procession is: first the thurifer carrying the thurible with burning incense; the subdeacon vested in tunic and carrying the processional cross, and on either side of him the acolytes with lighted candles; the clergy in order of their rank; the celebrant accompanied by the deacon at his left. All carry lighted candles. During the procession the following antiphons are sung:

Antiphon I

Sion, adorn your nuptial bower For the mystic marriage with Christ the King. Greet in loving embrace, the Virgin Mary, heaven's portal, Who bears in her arms the King of glory, Christ, the new Light of the world. The Virgin's footsteps halt as she presents her Son, Begotten before the morning-star. Simeon takes the Child into his cradled arms, And proclaims to the people that He is the Lord, Lord over life and death, Savior of the world.

Antiphon II
Luke 2:26-29

It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he was not to see death before seeing the Lord's Anointed. And when the parents had brought the Child into the temple he took Him into his arms and spoke this hymn to God: "Now you may release your bondsman in peace, O Master!"

As the procession reenters the church the following responsory is sung:

Responsory
Luke 2:22-24

They offered for Him to the Lord a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons, * according to the regulation in the Law of the Lord. V. When the prescribed days had elapsed, it was time for Mary to be purified according to the Law of Moses. So they took Jesus to Jerusalem in order to present Him to the Lord. * According to the regulation in the Law of the Lord. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. * According to the regulation in the Law of the Lord.

3. At the end of the procession the celebrant and the ministers remove the purple vestments and vest in white for Mass. Lighted candles are held during the chanting of the Gospel, and again from the beginning of the Canon until the end of the communion of the priest.

PROCESSION ON PALM SUNDAY

1. On Palm Sunday, after the blessing and distribution of the palms or olive branches, the procession takes place. First the celebrant puts incense into the thurible; and then the deacon turns to the people and sings (the music for this and all other parts is given in the music supplement):

Deacon: Let us go forth in peace.

All: In Christ's name. Amen.

2. The order of the procession is: first the thurifer carrying the thurible with the burning incense; the subdeacon vested in tunic and carrying the processional cross, and on either side of him the acolytes with lighted candles; the clergy in order of their rank; the celebrant accompanied by the deacon at his left. All carry palms. During the procession the following antiphons are sung, either some or all of them:

Antiphon 1: The multitude, carrying flowers and palms, goes out to meet the Redeemer, paying Him homage worthy of a triumphant conqueror. The people proclaim the Son of God, praising Christ with voices echoing to the skies: "Hosanna in high heaven."

Antiphon 2: Let us prove our faith with the angels and children, singing to the conqueror of death: "Hosanna in high heaven."

Antiphon 3: The great multitude that had gathered for the festival cried out to the Lord: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in high heaven."

Antiphon 4: The great crowds came down the way rejoicing, and they praised God for all the miracles they had seen, crying aloud: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace on earth and glory in high heaven."

In the course of the procession the following hymn is sung, with the choir and people alternating as indicated below:

Choir: All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made glad hosannas ring.

People: All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made glad hosannas ring.

Choir: You are the King of Israel, you David's royal Son, who in the Lord's name comes, the King and blessed One.

People: All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made glad hosannas ring.

Choir: The company of angels are praising you on high; and mortal men and all things created make reply.

People: All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made glad hosannas ring.

Choir: The people of the Hebrews with palms before you went; our praise and prayers and anthems before you we present.

People: All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made glad hosannas ring.

Choir: To you before your passion they sang their hymns of praise; to you, now high exalted, our melody we raise.

People: All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made glad hosannas ring.

Choir: You did accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring, who take delight in good things, O gracious, clement King.

People: All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made glad hosannas ring.

Antiphon and Psalm 147

All: Ant.: Let all voices join in praising your name and saying: * "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in high heaven."

Psalm 147

The choir or priest sings or recites the parts marked P, and the people the parts marked All. After the psalm the antiphon given above is repeated by all.

Antiphon 6: Let us strew our graceful palms in the way of our Lord. Let us go to meet Him with hymns and songs, praising Him and saying: "Blessed be the Lord."

Antiphon 7: Hail, our King, David's Son, the world's Redeemer, the house of Israel's Savior, whose coming the prophets foretold. The Father sent you into the world to be its saving victim, whom all holy men longed for from the beginning. Therefore, let us sing: "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in high heaven."

It would also be fitting for the people to sing the hymn "Christ Conquers," or any other hymn in honor of Christ the King.

When the procession has reentered the church, the choir begins the last antiphon, just as the priest is entering the door:

Antiphon 8: As our Lord entered the Holy City the Hebrew children announced beforehand the resurrection of Life; and waving their palms they cried out: "Hosanna in high heaven." When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they went forth to meet Him; and waving their palms they cried out: "Hosanna in high heaven."

When the celebrant comes to the altar he makes the proper reverence, and ascends the altar with his ministers. Standing between them with his hands folded (a cleric holds the book), and facing the people, he sings the concluding prayer in the ferial tone:

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, King and Redeemer, in whose honor we have sung our solemn praises, holding these palm branches in our hands; be pleased to send the grace of your blessing on every place where these branches are to be taken. Grant, too, that all wickedness and deceit of evil spirits may be overthrown; and reach out your hand to shield those whom you have redeemed. We ask this of you who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

PROCESSION ON THE FEAST OF ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST AND ON THE THREE ROGATION DAYS BEFORE ASCENSION*

* The local Ordinary may transfer the celebration of the Rogation days to three consecutive days that are more convenient.

1. The clergy and people assemble in church at the appointed hour of the morning, where they kneel and devote a few moments to humble and contrite prayer. The celebrant and his ministers are vested in amice, alb, and cincture. The celebrant wears also a stole and cope; or at least a surplice and purple stole. This same color is always used in the other processions, except on Corpus Christi, on solemn feast days, or for the procession of thanksgiving, on which days the color proper to the occurring solemnity is used. The rest of the priests and clerics wear a surplice. All stand as the following antiphon is sung (the music for this is given in the music supplement):

All: Ant. Rise up, O Lord, and help us, * and deliver us for your name's sake.

P: We have heard, O God, with our own ears * the things which our fathers told us.

All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

P: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

All: Ant.: Rise up, O Lord, and help us, * and deliver us for your name's sake.

2. Then all kneel again, and two clerics who are kneeling at the altar begin the chant of the Litany of the Saints.

3. As soon as the invocation Holy Mary has been sung, all rise, and continuing the litany march out in the proper order. The cross is carried at the head of the procession; then come the faithful followed by the clergy, and last of all the priest, vested as described above. He is accompanied by his ministers who are clothed in sacred vestments, as circumstances dictate.

4. If the procession takes a long time the litany can be repeated, or else after the last Kyrie of the litany (excluding the orations), some of the penitential or gradual psalms can be added. However, hymns or sacred songs of a joyous character should not be sung during the Rogation processions or any procession which has a penitential purpose.

5. If one or several churches are visited along the way, then, having entered the church, the litany or the psalms are interrupted, and the antiphon of the patron of that church is sung, along with the versicle and oration. On leaving the church the chanting of the litany or psalms is resumed, and the procession continues in the same order as before until it has reentered the church from which it started. Here the service ends with the final prayers and orations prescribed for the conclusion of the Litany of the Saints.

6. Should it happen that the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist is transferred to another day, the procession is held nevertheless, unless the feast falls on Easter Sunday or Monday, in which case the procession is transferred to Easter Tuesday.

CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION

1. The church as well as the streets through which the procession will pass should be fittingly decorated with tapestry, drapery, and sacred images; not, however, with profane or meaningless images or any unworthy ornamentation.

2. The priest first celebrates Mass, during which he consecrates two hosts. After he has consumed one at his communion he exposes the other in the monstrance to be used in the procession. The part of the monstrance which holds the host should be enclosed with glass so that the host is visible to the worshippers. When Mass is over and the procession has begun (in the same order as mentioned above in the Rogation procession), the priest, vested in white cope, kneels and incenses the Blessed Sacrament with a threefold incensation.

3. Then one of the clerics places a humeral veil over the priest's shoulders. Having covered both hands with the ends of the veil, the priest reverently receives the monstrance from the deacon. Holding the Blessed Sacrament before his face he turns toward the people and joins the procession, walking beneath the canopy accompanied by his ministers Two acolytes or clerics carrying thuribles with burning incense walk in front of him.

4. All march with bared heads, holding lighted candles, and devoutly singing the following hymns, or as many as time allows.

Hymn I: Pange lingua

Hymn II: Sacris sollemniis

At this our solemn feast,

Let holy joys abound,

And from the inmost breast

Let songs of praise resound;

Let ancient rites depart,

And all be new around,

In ev'ry act and voice and heart.

Remember we that eve,

When, the Last Supper spread,

Christ, as we all believe,

The lamb, with leavenless bread,

Among His brethren shared,

And thus the Law obeyed,

Of old unto their sires declared.

The lamb as type consumed,

The legal feast complete,

The Lord unto the twelve

His body gave to eat;

The whole to all, no less

The whole to each, did mete

With His own hands, as we confess.

He gave them, weak and frail,

His flesh, their food to be;

On them, downcast and sad,

His blood bestowed He;

And thus to them He spake,

"Receive this cup from me,

And all of you of this partake."

So He this Sacrifice

To institute did will,

And charged His priests alone

That office to fulfill;

In them He did confide,

To whom it pertains still

To take and to the rest divide.

Thus angels' bread is made

The bread of man today;

The living bread from heaven

With figures does away.

A wondrous gift indeed!

The poor and lowly may

Upon their Lord and Master feed.

O Triune Deity,

To you we meekly pray,

So may you visit us,

As we our homage pay;

And in your footsteps bright

Conduct us on our way

To where you dwell in cloudless light. Amen.

Hymn III: Verbum supernum

The heav'nly Word proceeding forth,

Yet leaving not the Father's side,

And going to His work on earth

Had reached at length life's eventide.

By false disciple to be given

To foemen for His blood athirst,

Himself, the living bread from heaven,

He gave to His disciples first.

To them He gave in twofold kind

His very flesh, His very blood;

In love's own fulness thus designed

Of the whole man to be the food.

By birth our fellowman was He;

Our meat, while sitting at the board;

He died, our ransomer to be;

He ever reigns, our great reward.

O saving Victim, opening wide

The gate of heaven to man below,

Our foes press on from every side,

Your aid supply, your strength bestow.

To your great name be endless praise,

Immortal Godhead, One in Three;

O grant us endless length of days

In our true native land to see. Amen.

Hymn IV: Salutis humanae

Redeemer, come to take man's part,

Jesu, the joy of every heart;

Great Maker of the world's wide frame,

And purest love's delight and flame.

What nameless mercy you o'ercame,

To bear our load of sin and shame?

For guiltless, you your life did give,

That sinful erring man might live.

The realms of woe are forced to see

Its captives from their chains set free;

And you, amid your ransomed train,

At God's right hand do victor reign.

Let mercy sweet with you prevail,

To cure the wounds we now bewail;

Oh, bless us with your holy sight,

And fill us with eternal light.

Our guide, our way to heavenly rest,

Be you the aim of every breast;

Be you the soother of our tears,

Our sweet reward above the spheres. Amen.

Hymn V: Aeterne Rex

Eternal Monarch, King most High,

Whose blood has brought redemption nigh,

By whom the death of death was wrought

And conquering grace's battle fought.

Ascending to your starry height,

Were lifted in a cloud of light,

By heaven to power unending called,

And by no human hand installed.

That so, in nature's triple frame,

Each heavenly and each earthly name,

And things in hell's abyss abhorred,

May bend the knee and own Him Lord.

Yes, angels tremble when they see

How changed is our humanity;

That flesh has purged what flesh had stained,

And God, the flesh of God, has reigned.

Be you our joy, O mighty Lord,

As you will be our great reward;

Earth's joys to you are nothing worth,

You joy and crown of heaven and earth.

To you we therefore humbly pray

That you would purge our sins away,

And draw our hearts by cords of grace

To your celestial dwelling-place.

So when the judgment day shall come,

And all must rise to meet their doom,

You will remit the debts we owe,

And our lost crowns again bestow.

All glory, Lord, to you we pay,

Ascending o'er the stars today;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To Father, and to Paraclete. Amen.

In addition to the hymns given above the following may be sung or recited: Te Deum; Canticle of Zachary; the Magnificat.

5. At the end of the procession when the Blessed Sacrament has been brought back to the church and placed on the altar, all kneel in reverent adoration and sing the last stanzas of the Tantum ergo, followed by the versicles and oration.

6. Having made a genuflection the priest blesses the people with the monstrance, making a single sign of the cross and not saying anything. After this the Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the tabernacle.

7. The manner of blessing described above is observed in every procession with the Blessed Sacrament.

PROCESSION FOR IMPLORING RAIN

The same procedure is followed as that given above in the Rogation procession, until the invocation in the litany That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, etc. After this invocation the following is sung twice:

V. That you grant to your faithful the much needed rainfalls.

R. We beg you to hear us.

At the end of the litany the following is added:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 146

At the end of the psalm the following prayers are said:

P: Lord, cover the heavens with clouds.

All: And prepare rain for the earth.

P: That grass may spring up in the hills.

All: And vegetation for men's use.

P: Sprinkle the hills from the clouds up above.

All: And the earth will be saturated from the work of your hands.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, in whom we live and move and have our being, grant us rain in plenty, so that as we amply experience your gifts of the present time we may all the more confidently desire those of eternity.

Grant, we beg you, almighty God, that we who put our trust in you in this affliction may ever be shielded from all adversities.

Lord, give us, we pray, a plentiful rainfall, and graciously pour out on the parched earth moisture from the heavenly vaults; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

P: Let us bless the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

P: May the almighty and merciful Lord be pleased to hear us.

All: Amen.

P: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

All: Amen.

PROCESSION FOR IMPLORING FAIR WEATHER

The same procedure is followed as that given above in the Rogation procession, until the invocation in the litany That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, etc. After this invocation the following is sung twice:

V. That you grant to your faithful fair weather.

R. We beg you to hear us.

At the end of the litany the following is added:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 66

At the end of the psalm the following prayers are said:

P: Lord, you sent a wind over the earth.

All: And the rain from the heavens was withheld.

P. When I bring clouds over the earth.

All: My bow will appear, and I will remember my covenant.

P: Lord, let your countenance shine upon your servants

All: And bless those who trust in you.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who are offended by our sins but appeased by our penances, may it please you to hear the entreaties of your people and to turn away the stripes that our transgressions rightly deserve.

Graciously hear us, O Lord, as we cry out to you, and grant fair weather to us, your suppliants; and although we are justly afflicted for our sins, may we nonetheless know your mercy and so appreciate your clemency.

Almighty God, we appeal to your kindness, asking that you hold back the inundation of rainfall, and be pleased to show us the cheerfulness of your countenance; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

PROCESSION FOR AVERTING TEMPEST

The church bells are rung, and all who can assemble in church. Then the Litany of the Saints is said, in which the following invocation is said twice:

From lightning and tempest, Lord, deliver us.

At the end of the litany the following is added:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 147

P: Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem; * praise your God, O Sion.

All: For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; * He has blessed your children within you.

P: He has granted peace in your borders; * with the best of wheat He fills you.

All: He sends forth His command to the earth; * swiftly runs His word!

P: He spreads snow like wool; * He strews frost like ashes.

All: He scatters His hail like crumbs; * the waters freeze before His cold.

P: He sends His word and melts them; * He lets His breeze blow and the waters run.

All: He has proclaimed His word to Jacob, * His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.

P: He has not done thus for any other nation; * He has not made known His ordinances to them.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Lord, show us your mercy.

All: And grant us your salvation.

P: Help us, O God, our Savior.

All: And deliver us, O Lord, for your name's sake.

P: Let the enemy have no power over us.

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm us.

P: May your mercy, Lord, remain with us always.

All: For we put our whole trust in you.

P: Save your faithful people, Lord.

All: Bless all who belong to you.

P: You withhold no good thing from those who walk in sincerity.

All: Lord of hosts, happy the men who trust in you.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who are offended by our sins but appeased by our penances, may it please you to hear the entreaties of your people and to turn away the stripes that our transgressions rightly deserve.

We beg you, Lord, to repel the wicked spirits from your family, and to ward off the destructive tempestuous winds.

Almighty everlasting God, spare us in our anxiety and take pity on us in our abasement, so that after the lightning in the skies and the force of the storm have calmed, even the very threat of tempest may be an occasion for us to offer you praise.

Lord Jesus, who uttered a word of command to the raging tempest of wind and sea and there came a great calm; hear the prayers of your family, and grant that by this sign of the holy cross all ferocity of the elements may abate.

Almighty and merciful God, who heal us by your chastisement and save us by your forgiveness; grant that we, your suppliants, may be heartened and consoled by the tranquil weather we desire, and so may ever profit from your gracious favors; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

He sprinkles the surroundings with holy water.

PROCESSION IN TIME OF FAMINE

The same order is followed as on the feast of St. Mark until the last part of the Litany of the Saints, in which the following invocation is sung twice:

That you give and preserve the fruits of the earth.

R. We beg you to hear us.

After the litany the priest says:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 22

After the psalm the priest continues:

P: Deal not with us, Lord, as our sins deserve.

All: Nor take vengeance on us for our transgressions.

P: The eyes of all look to you, O Lord.

All: To give them food in due time.

P: Remember your people.

All: Who have been yours from the beginning.

P: The Lord will be gracious.

All: And our land will bring forth fruit.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Show us, O Lord, your inexpressible mercy, blot out our transgressions, and graciously deliver us from the condemnation they deserve.

We beg you, Lord, to hear our sincere pleas, and graciously to avert this famine which afflicts us; so that mortal hearts may acknowledge that such scourges come from your wrath and cease only when you are moved to pity.

Lord, kindly help your people, now suffering this famine in punishment for their sins, to turn back as loyal subjects to you. For you promised that those who seek first your kingdom shall have all other things besides. We ask this of you who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

PROCESSION IN TIME OF EPIDEMIC AND PLAGUE

The same order is followed as on the feast of St. Mark until the last part of the Litany of the Saints, in which the following invocation is sung twice:

From plague, famine, and war.

R. Lord, deliver us.

And after the invocation "That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed," etc. the following invocation is said twice:

That you deliver us from the scourge of pestilence.

R. We beg you to hear us.

After the litany the priest says:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 6

P: Deal not with us, Lord, as our sins deserve.

All: Nor take vengeance on us for our transgressions.

P: Help us, O God, our Savior.

All: And deliver us, O Lord, for your name's sake.

P: Lord, do not keep in mind our former sins.

All: Let us soon know your compassion, for we are exceedingly poor.

P: St. Sebastian, pray for us.

All: That we may be worthy of Christ's promise.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hear us, O God, our Savior, and by the prayers of glorious Mary, Mother of God, and ever a Virgin, of St. Sebastian, your martyr, and of all the saints, deliver your people from your wrath, and in your bounty let them feel certain of your mercy.

Lord, mercifully heed our supplications, and heal our infirmities of body and soul; so that knowing your forgiveness we may ever rejoice in your blessing.

We beg you, Lord, to hear our sincere pleas, and graciously to avert this plague which afflicts us; so that mortal hearts may acknowledge that such scourges come from your wrath and cease only when you are moved to pity; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

PROCESSION IN TIME OF WAR

Having observed the same order as given for the feast of St. Mark, the following is added at the end of the litany:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 45

After the psalm the priest continues:

P: Rise up, O Lord, and help us.

All: And deliver us for your name's sake.

P: Lord, save your people.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: Let peace reign in your dominion.

All: And prosperity in your fortress.

P: Let us find in you, Lord, a fortified tower.

All: In the face of the enemy.

P: He breaks the bow and cuts spears in two.

All: And hurls armor into the fire.

P: Lord, send us aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over us from Sion.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, who put down wars and overthrow by your mighty defense those who assail your trustful followers, stand by your servants as they appeal to your mercy; and once the savagery of our enemies has been suppressed, may we praise you in a spirit of constant gratitude.

God, from whom come holy desires, right counsels, and good works, give to your servants that peace which the world cannot give; so that our hearts may be dedicated to the observance of your law, freed from fear of our enemies, and tranquil in the knowledge of your protection.

We beg you, O Lord, to confound the haughtiness of our foe, and to crush with your mighty arm their insolence; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

2. If, however, the war is being waged against the enemies of his Church, then the following petition is said twice in the proper place in the litany:

That you humble the enemies of holy Church.

R. We beg you to hear us.

And after the litany the following is added:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 78

P: O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, * they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

All: They have given the corpses of your servants as food to the birds of heaven, * the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.

P: They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, * and there is no one to bury them.

All: We have become the reproach of our neighbors, * the scorn and derision of those around us.

P: O Lord, how long? Will you be angry forever? * Will your jealousy burn like fire?

All: Pour out your wrath upon the nations that do not acknowledge you, * upon the kingdoms that do not call on your name;

P: For they have devoured Jacob * and laid waste his dwelling.

All: Do not hold the iniquities of the past against us; may your compassion quickly come to us, * for we are brought very low.

P: Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; * deliver us and pardon our sins for your name's sake.

All: Why should the nations say, * "Where is their God?"

P: Let it be known among the nations in our sight * that you avenge the shedding of your servants' blood.

All: Let the prisoners' sighing come before you; * with your great power free those doomed to death.

P: And repay our neighbors seven-fold into their bosoms * the disgrace they have inflicted on you, O Lord.

All: Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; * through all generations we will declare your praise.

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

After the psalm the priest continues:

P: Save your servants.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: Let us find in you, Lord, a fortified tower.

All: In the face of the enemy.

P: Let the enemy have no power over us.

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm us.

P: Lord, confound the haughtiness of those opposed to your name.

All: And crush with your mighty arm their insolence.

P: Let them be like dust before the wind.

All: And may the Lord's messenger pursue them.

P: Pour out your wrath on the nations that deny you.

All: And on kingdoms that refuse to call on your name.

P: Lord, send us aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over us from Sion.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God of mercy, we pray that your Church, made one body in the Holy Spirit, may in nowise be perturbed by the assaults of her foes.

God, who are offended by our sins but appeased by our penances, may it please you to hear the entreaties of your people and to turn away the stripes of your wrath that Our transgressions rightly deserve.

Almighty everlasting God, in whose hand are all authority and all rights of empire, come to the aid of your Christian people; so that our enemies, trusting in their savagery, may be crushed by your mighty arm; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

P: May the Lord graciously hear us.

All: Amen.

PROCESSION IN TIME OF ANY TRIBULATION

the same order is observed as on the feast of St. Mark; at the end of the litany the following is added:

P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

Then psalm 19 is said; or in place of it psalm 90. After the psalm the priest continues:

P: God is our refuge and our strength.

All: A helper in all tribulations.

P: Lord, save your servants.

All: Who trust in you, my God.

P: O holy God! O holy strong One! O holy immortal

All: Have mercy on us.

P: Help us, O God, our Savior.

All: And deliver us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, do not disdain your people who cry to you in their affliction, but for the glory of your name be pleased to help us who are so sorely troubled. Show us, O Lord, your inexpressible mercy, blot out our transgressions, and graciously deliver us from the condemnation they deserve.

We entreat you, Lord God, grant us, your servants, the enjoyment of lasting health of body and mind; and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, free us from present sorrow and give us everlasting joy.

Graciously hear us, O Lord, in our tribulation, and turn away the stripes of your wrath which we justly deserve. God, our refuge and our strength and source of all goodness, heed the holy prayers of your Church, and grant that we fully obtain whatever we ask for in faith; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

PROCESSION OF THANKSGIVING

1. At the beginning of the procession the Te Deum is sung.

2. After the hymn the following psalms may be said:

Psalm 65
Psalm 80

P: Sing joyfully to God our strength; * acclaim the God of Jacob.

All: Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel, * the pleasant harp and the lyre.

P: Blow the trumpet at the new moon, * at the full-moon, on our solemn feast;

All: For it is a statute in Israel, * an ordinance of the God of Jacob,

P: Who made it a decree for Joseph * when he came forth from the land of Egypt.

All: An unfamiliar speech I hear: "I relieved his shoulder of the burden; * his hands were freed from the basket.

P: In distress you called, and I rescued you; unseen, I answered you in thunder; * I tested you at the waters of Meriba.

All: Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; * O Israel, will you not hear me?

P: There shall be no strange god among you * nor shall you worship any alien god.

All: I, the Lord, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt; * open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

P: But my people heard not my voice, * and Israel obeyed me not;

All: So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts; * let them walk according to their own counsels.

P: If only my people would hear me, * and Israel walk in my ways,

All: Quickly would I humble their enemies; * I would turn my hand against their foes.

P: Those who hated the Lord would seek to flatter him, * but their fate would endure forever,

All: While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, * and with honey from the rock I would fill them."

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 95
Psalm 99

P: Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; * serve the Lord with gladness;

All: Come before Him * with joyful song.

P: Know that the Lord is God; He made us, His we are; * His people, the flock He tends.

All: Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; * give thanks to Him; bless His name.

P: For He is good: the Lord, whose kindness endures forever, * and His faithfulness to all generations.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 102

P: Bless the Lord, O my soul; * and all my being, bless His holy name.

All: Bless the Lord, O my soul, * and forget not all His benefits;

P: He pardons all your iniquities, * He heals all your ills.

All: He redeems your life from destruction, * He crowns you with goodness and compassion,

P: He fills your lifetime with good; * your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

All: The Lord performs just deeds * and secures the rights of all the oppressed.

P: He has made known His ways to Moses, * and His deeds to the children of Israel.

All: Merciful and gracious is the Lord, * slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

P: He will not always chide, * nor does He keep His wrath forever.

All: He does not deal with us according to our sins, * nor does He requite us according to our crimes.

P: For as the heavens are high above the earth, * so surpassing is His kindness toward those who fear Him.

All: As far as the east is from the west, * so far has He put our transgressions from us.

P: As a father has compassion on his children, * so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him,

All: For He knows how we are formed; * He remembers that we are dust.

P: Man's days are like those of grass; * like a flower of the field he blooms;

All: The wind sweeps over him and He is gone, * and his place knows him no more.

P: But the kindness of the Lord is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear Him, * and His justice toward children's children.

All: Among those who keep His covenant * and remember to fulfill His precepts.

P: The Lord has established His throne in heaven, * and His kingdom rules over all.

All: Bless the Lord, all you His angels, you mighty in strength, who do His bidding, * obeying His spoken word.

P: Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, * His ministers, who do His will.

All: Bless the Lord, all His works, everywhere in His domain. * Bless the Lord, O my soul!

All: Bless the Lord, all His works, everywhere in His domain. * Bless the Lord, O my soul!

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 116

P: Praise the Lord, all you nations; * glorify Him, all you peoples!

All: For steadfast is His kindness toward us, * and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 148
Psalm 149

P: Sing to the Lord a new song * of praise in the assembly of the faithful.

All: Let Israel be glad in their maker, * let the children of Sion rejoice in their king.

P: Let them praise His name in the festive dance, * let them sing praise to Him with timbrel and harp.

All: For the Lord loves His people, * and He adorns the lowly with victory.

P: Let the faithful exult in glory; * let them sing for joy upon their couches.

All: Let the high praises of God be in their throats * and let two-edged swords be in their hands:

P: To execute vengeance on the nations, * punishments on the peoples;

All: To bind their kings with chains, * their nobles with fetters of iron;

P: To execute on them the written sentence. * This is the glory of all His faithful.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

Psalm 150

Canticle of the Three Youths

Daniel 3:57-88 and 56

P: Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, * praise and exalt Him above all forever.

All: Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, * you heavens, bless the Lord.

P: All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord; * all you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.

All: Sun and moon, bless the Lord; * stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

P: Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; * all you winds. bless the Lord.

All: Fire and heat, bless the Lord; * cold and chill, bless the Lord.

P: Dew and rain, bless the Lord; * frost and cold, bless the Lord.

All: Ice and snow, bless the Lord; * nights and days, bless the Lord.

P: Light and darkness, bless the Lord; * lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

All: Let the earth bless the Lord, * praise and exalt Him above all forever.

P: Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; * everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.

All: You springs, bless the Lord; * seas and rivers, bless the Lord.

P: You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord; * all you birds of the air, bless the Lord.

All: All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; * praise and exalt Him above all forever.

P: You sons of men, bless the Lord; * O Israel, bless the Lord.

All: Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; * servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.

P: Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord; * holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.

All: Ananias, Azarias, Misael, bless the Lord; * praise and exalt Him above all forever.

P: Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, * let us praise and exalt God above all forever.

All: Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven, * praiseworthy and glorious forever!

After the above canticle the Canticle of Zachary may be said.

3. The foregoing psalms and canticles may be sung in whole or in part, depending on the duration of the procession. Having come into the stational church the following versicles and prayers are said in front of the altar:

P: Blessed are you, Lord God of our fathers.

All: And praiseworthy and glorious forever.

P: Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

All: Let us praise and exalt Him above all forever.

P: Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.

All: Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.

P: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

All: And never forget His many benefactions.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May he also be with you.

Let us pray.

For the three orations that follow here see the end of the Te Deum.

PROCESSION FOR TRANSFERRING SACRED RELICS

The church and the streets in the path of the procession ought to be decorated as fittingly as possible. The priests and other ministers should be clothed in sacred vestments, either white or red, depending on the saints whose relics are being transferred. All who accompany the sacred relics are to carry lighted candles. During the procession the Litany of the Saints is sung, in which will be inserted the names of the saints to whom honor is being paid. In addition to the litany the following hymns and psalms may be sung: the "Te Deum"; psalm 148; psalm 149; and psalm 150; or any other psalms and hymns from the Proper or Common of the saints concerned.

　

PART XIV. LITANIES

LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, hear us.

Jesus, graciously hear us.

God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.* (After each invocation: "Have mercy on us."

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,

God, the Holy Spirit,

Holy Trinity, one God,

Jesus, Son of the living God,

Jesus, splendor of the Father,

Jesus, brightness of eternal light,

Jesus, king of glory,

Jesus, sun of justice,

Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,

Jesus, most amiable,

Jesus, most admirable,

Jesus, God of power,

Jesus, father of the world to come,

Jesus, angel of great counsel,

Jesus, most powerful,

Jesus, most patient,

Jesus, most obedient,

Jesus, meek and humble of heart,

Jesus, lover of chastity,

Jesus, lover of us,

Jesus, God of peace,

Jesus, author of life,

Jesus, model of virtue,

Jesus, zealous for souls,

Jesus, our God,

Jesus, our refuge,

Jesus, father of the poor,

Jesus, treasure of the faithful,

Jesus, good shepherd,

Jesus, true light,

Jesus, eternal wisdom,

Jesus, infinite goodness

Jesus, our way and our life,

Jesus, joy of angels,

Jesus, king of patriarchs,

Jesus, master of the apostles,

Jesus, teacher of the evangelists,

Jesus, strength of martyrs,

Jesus, light of confessors,

Jesus, purity of virgins,

Jesus, crown of all saints,

Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus.

Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus.

From all evil, Jesus, deliver us.* (After each invocation: "Jesus, deliver us.")

From all sin,

From your wrath,

From the snares of the devil,

From all lewdness,

From eternal death,

From the neglect of your inspirations,

By the mystery of your holy incarnation,

By your birth,

By your infancy,

By your truly divine life,

By your labors,

By your agony and passion,

By your cross and dereliction,

By your sufferings,

By your death and burial,

By your resurrection,

By your ascension,

By your joys,
By your glory,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Jesus.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus.

P: Jesus, hear us.

All: Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said: "Ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you"; we beg you to heed our prayers, and grant us the gift of your divine charity, that we may ever love you with all our heart, word, and deed, and never cease to praise you.

Help us, O Lord, always to love and revere your holy name, for you never cease to guide those whom you have firmly established in your love; who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.* (After each invocation: "Have mercy on us.")

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,

God, the Holy Spirit,

Holy Trinity, one God,

Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father,

Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,

Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God,

Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty,

Heart of Jesus, sacred temple of God,

Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High,

Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven,

Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for men,

Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love,

Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,

Heart of Jesus, endless source of all virtues,

Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise,

Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts,

Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,

Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fulness of divinity,

Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased,

Heart of Jesus, of whose fulness we have all received,

Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,

Heart of Jesus, patient and merciful,

Heart of Jesus, enriching all who call upon you,

Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,

Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins,

Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium,

Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offences,

Heart of Jesus, obedient unto death,

Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,

Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,

Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,

Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,

Heart of Jesus, victim for sin,

Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in you,

Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in you,

Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

P: Jesus, meek and humble of heart.

All: Let our hearts resemble yours.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, look upon the heart of your dearly beloved Son, and upon the praise and satisfaction He offers you in the name of sinners and for those who seek your mercy. Be appeased, and grant us pardon in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

LITANY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD

{This litany was approved by Pope John XXIII, and on his recommendation included in the Roman Ritual on February 24, 1960. See AAS 52 (1960) 412-13.}

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.*(After each invocation: "Have mercy on us.")

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,

God, the Holy Spirit,

Holy Trinity, one God,

Blood of Christ, the only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us.** (After each invocation: "Save us.")

Blood of Christ, Word of God made flesh,

Blood of Christ, of the New and everlasting Covenant,

Blood of Christ, trickling to the earth in the agony in the garden,

Blood of Christ, pouring from your body in the scourging,

Blood of Christ, flowing from your head in the crowning with thorns,

Blood of Christ, shed on the cross,

Blood of Christ, the price of our salvation,

Blood of Christ, without which there is no remission of sins,

Blood of Christ, drink and cleansing of souls in the Eucharist,

Blood of Christ, flood of mercy,

Blood of Christ, triumphant over demons,

Blood of Christ, strength of martyrs,

Blood of Christ, inspiration of confessors,

Blood of Christ, seed of virgins,

Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,

Blood of Christ, support in our trials,

Blood of Christ, solace in our sorrows,

Blood of Christ, hope of the repentant,

Blood of Christ, comfort the dying,

Blood of Christ, peace and delight of our hearts,

Blood of Christ, pledge everlasting life,

Blood of Christ, deliverance of the souls in purgatory,

Blood of Christ, worthy of all honor and glory,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

P: You have redeemed us, Lord, by your blood.

All: You have made us to reign with our God.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who appointed your only-begotten Son as Redeemer of the world, and chose to be appeased by His blood; help us, we beg you, so to reverence this price of our salvation, that we may be protected by its power from the evils of this life, and enjoy its lasting rewards in the life to come; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.* (After each invocation: "Pray for us.")

Holy Mother of God,

Holiest of all virgins,

Mother of Christ,

Mother of God's gift to men,

Mother, all pure,

Mother, all chaste,

Mother inviolate,

Mother undefiled,

Mother, worthy of our love,

Mother, worthy of our admiration,

Mother of good counsel,

Mother of our Creator,

Mother of our Savior,

Virgin, all prudent,

Virgin, all venerable,

Virgin, all renowned,

Virgin, all powerful,

Virgin, all mild,

Virgin, all faithful,

Mirror of justice,

Seat of wisdom,

Means of our joy,

Vessel of the Holy Spirit,

Exalted vessel,

Glorious vessel of holiness,

Mystical rose,

Tower of David,

Tower of ivory,

House of gold,

Ark of the covenant,

Gate of heaven,

Morning star,

Health of the sick,

Refuge of sinners,

Comforter of the afflicted

Help of Christians,

Queen of angels,

Queen of patriarchs,

Queen of prophets,

Queen of apostles,

Queen of martyrs,

Queen of confessors,

Queen of virgins,

Queen of all saints,

Queen conceived without original sin,

Queen taken into heaven,

Queen of the holy rosary,

Queen of peace,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the , world, have mercy on us.

The following prayers are added, in accord with the season of the church year:

From the first Sunday in Advent until Christmas:

P: The angel of the Lord brought the tidings to Mary.

All: And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray.

God, who willed that your Word take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary at the angel's message; grant that we, your petitioners, who believe she is truly the Mother of God, may be aided by her intercession, through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

From Christmas until Candlemas:

P: After childbirth you remained ever an inviolate Virgin.

All: Mother of God, intercede for us.

Let us pray.

God, who brought to mankind the gift of eternal salvation through the virginal motherhood of blessed Mary; let us be helped by her prayers, since through her we have been favored with the source of life, our Lord Jesus Christ your Son.

All: Amen.

From Candlemas until Easter, and from Trinity Sunday until Advent:

P: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

All: That we may be worthy of Christ's promise.

Let us pray.

We entreat you, Lord God, grant us the enjoyment of lasting health of body and mind; and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, free us from present sorrow and give us everlasting joy; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

During Eastertime:

P: Be joyful, be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.

All: For the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray.

God, who mercifully brought joy into the world by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; grant that we may come to the joy of everlasting life through the prayers of His Mother, the Virgin Mary; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on

God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.*(After each invocation: "Pray for us.)

St. Joseph,

Illustrious son of David,

Splendor of patriarchs,

Spouse of God's Mother,

Chaste guardian of the Virgin,

Foster-father of the Son of God,

Watchful defender of Christ,

Head of the Holy Family,

Joseph, all just,

Joseph, all pure,

Joseph, all prudent,

Joseph, all courageous,

Joseph, all obedient,

Joseph, all faithful,

Model of patience,

Lover of poverty,

Model of laborers,

Glory of family life,

Protector of virgins,

Mainstay of families,

Solace of the afflicted,

Hope of the sick,

Patron of the dying,

Terror of demons,

Protector of holy Church,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

P: God made him master of His household.

All: And ruler of all His possessions.

Let us pray.

God, who in your indescribable providence singled out St. Joseph as the spouse of your holy Mother, grant we pray, that we may merit to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we venerate as our defender here on earth. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever. All: Amen.

PART XV. BLESSINGS FORMERLY RESERVED TO RELIGIOUS ORDERS

Only hours before going to press we learned from the new "Instruction" of September 26, 1964 that the following blessings, except for the first, are no longer reserved. That explains why they are listed separately here.

1. BLESSING AND ERECTING STATIONS OF THE CROSS

(Reserved to the Bishops of the World)

(This is given under Rite for Erecting Stations of the Cross)

2. BLESSING AND ERECTING STATIONS OF THE SORROWFUL MOTHER IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF THE SEVEN DOLORS

(Formerly reserved to the Order of Servites)

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, March 10, 1883)

The priest vests in surplice and purple stole. He should be assisted by clerics or other ministrants, who hold the aspersory, thurible, and incense boat. First the priest goes up to the altar predella and addresses the people briefly on the excellence and value of this devotion of the Stations of the Sorrowful Mother. After this he kneels on the lowest step of the altar and intones the Veni Creator, which is continued by the choir. When the hymn is finished he says:

P: Send forth your Spirit and all things shall be recreated.

All: And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

God, who instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, guide us by your Spirit to desire only what is good and so always to find joy in His comfort.

Lord, we beg you to protect this people from every adversity, by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin; and as they fervently bow down before you shield them by your benevolence from all wiles of the enemy.

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least prayer and work may ever begin in you and end in you; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then the priest blesses the paintings or images of the stations:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who do not forbid us to carve or paint likenesses of your saints, in order that whenever we look at them with our bodily eyes we may call to mind their holy lives, and resolve to follow in their footsteps; may it please you to bless and to hallow these images, which have been made in memory and honor of the Sorrowful Virgin and Mother of God. And grant that all who in their presence pay devout homage to the sorrows which the blessed Virgin Mary endured throughout the life, suffering, and death of her only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, may by her merits and pleading obtain your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the life to come; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The priest puts incense into the thurible and blesses it. And taking the aspersory he sprinkles the images with holy water, saying:

Purify me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Then taking the thurible he incenses them without saying anything. In a private oratory the incensation may be omitted.

After the blessing of the images the priest, accompanied by the clergy, goes in procession to the place where the first station is to be erected. The procession is led by the cross-bearer (who walks between two acolytes carrying lighted candles). The priest kisses the first image and then hangs it in place, either himself or with the help of another cleric. He then reads the meditation and prayers proper to this station; and the same is done at the other stations. After this he proceeds to the shrine or the image of the Sorrowful Mother, during which time the Stabat Mater is sung. At the shrine the priest says:

P: Pray for us, O Virgin of many sorrows.

All: That we may be worthy of Christ's promise.

Let us pray.

O God, during whose passion, as Simeon had foretold, a sword of sorrow pierced the tender heart of the glorious Virgin and Mother Mary; mercifully grant that we who meditate on her sufferings may attain the blessed effect of your passion. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Next the Te Deum is sung, along with its versicles and oration.

Then the priest kneels and invokes the help of the Sorrowful Mother, saying the following words three times:

P: Virgin, most sorrowful.

All: Pray for us.

Lastly the priest goes up to the altar predella, and turning toward the people blesses them with the words:

Together with her beloved Son, may Mary, Virgin most sorrowful, bless us.

3. BLESSING AND INVESTITURE WITH SCAPULAR OF BLESSED TRINITY

(Formerly reserved to the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Ransoming of Captives)

The one who is to receive the scapular is kneeling. The priest, vested in surplice and white stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who condescended to clothe yourself in our mortal nature, we beg you in your boundless goodness to bless this garment which our holy fathers have sanctioned for those who renounce the world, in token of the innocence and humility which should be theirs. May this servant of yours, who is to wear it, likewise put on you. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

He sprinkles the scapular with holy water; then continues:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Hear, Lord, our humble entreaties, and be pleased to bless this servant of yours, whom we invest in your name with the religious garb of the Most Holy Trinity. May he (she), by your bounty, persevere in piety and deserve to attain everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then he invests the person with the scapular, saying:

Take this garb of the Most Holy Trinity. May it help you to grow in faith, hope, and charity; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who enable us, your servants, in our profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the three Persons in the eternal Godhead, and to adore their oneness of nature, their co-equal majesty; grant, we pray, that by steadfastness in that faith we may ever be guarded against all adversity.

God, whom it has pleased to found, through your saints John and Felix, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for ransoming captives from the power of the Saracens; grant, we pray, that by their merits and intercession, and by your aid, this servant of yours may be delivered from the slavery of both body and soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

May the Blessed Trinity add you to the number of the brothers and sisters of our confraternity. And although we are unworthy of admitting you, yet we fervently pray that the Most Holy Trinity may help you to lead a good life, and to persevere in your resolution. And as today brotherly love joins us in a spiritual bond here on earth, so may the divine goodness, in whom all love has its origin and its growth, be pleased to unite us with His faithful in heaven; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then he gives the blessing:

May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever.

All: Amen.

4. BLESSING OF THE ROSARY OR TRISAGION OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, whom it pleased to reveal the mystery of the Blessed Trinity through your only-begotten Son, and through the prophets and the apostles, so that we on earth, imitating the choirs of holy angels might offer devout and worthy praise to you; we appeal to your goodness, asking that you bless and hallow these rosaries (this rosary), which the Church has sanctioned for the honor and praise of the Most Holy Trinity. Let them (it) be endowed with such power of the Holy Spirit, that whoever carries one on his person or reverently keeps it in his home, or devoutly recites it may be protected by you from every danger to body and soul. Let him (her) share in all the graces, privileges and indulgences granted by the Holy See; and in the hour of death let him (her) deserve to be presented by your holy angels at the throne of your divine majesty; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They (it) are (is) sprinkled with holy water.

5. BLESSING AND INVESTITURE WITH THE BLACK SCAPULAR OF OUR LORD'S SACRED CROSS AND PASSION

(Formerly reserved to the Congregation of Passionists)

The one who is to receive the scapular is kneeling. The priest, vested in surplice and red stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who, in order to redeem the world, willed to be born of a woman, submit to circumcision, to be rejected by the Jews and betrayed by the traitor, Judas, with a kiss; to be bound in chains and led as an innocent Lamb to the slaughter; wantonly made a spectacle of in the presence of Annas and Caiphas, Pilate and Herod; accused by false witnesses; tormented with scourges and indignities; spat upon, crowned with thorns, struck with a reed, blindfolded, stripped of your garments, nailed to the cross, and pierced with a lance. O Lord, by these your sacred sufferings and by your holy cross and death, enlighten your servant's mind and inflame his (her) heart, so that, imbued with your tender charity, he (she) may ever shed tears of compunction, love you with all his (her) heart, and devote himself (herself) wholly to whatever pleases you. We ask this of you who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

The foregoing prayers may be omitted at will. Then the priest says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All: Both now and forevermore.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, who condescended to clothe yourself in our mortal nature, we humbly beg you to bless and to hallow this garment, designed as a reminder of you sacred passion and death. May this servant of yours, who is to wear it, have a part in your suffering, and so deserve to attain the glory of heaven. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Next the priest sprinkles the scapular with holy water and then clothes the person with it, saying:

May the Lord clothe you as a new man, so that, wearing this insignia of a sorrowing penitent, you may keep your eyes fixed on Jesus who was crucified at the hands of wicked men, and mourn over Him with a grief befitting the death of God's firstborn Son. All: Amen.

The priest continues:

By the faculty granted me I make you a partaker of all the spiritual benefits which the Congregation of Passionists enjoys by privilege of the Holy See; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

In conclusion he adds:

May the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be ever in our hearts. Amen.