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All the Scriptural parts which in the Original Latin are taken from the Vulgate, have, in this Edition been faith fully compared with, and made literally conformable to the received and approved Version of the Holy Scrip tures, as revised and edited by the Right Rev. and Ven Dr. Richard Challoner, of learned and pious memory.

THE Prayers and portions of Holy Scripture, of which the Mass, or Liturgy of the Catholic Church, is composed, are in part unalterably the same, and partly dif ferent every day: those that are fixed and invariable, are contained in what is called the ORDINARY OF THE MASS, fron pages xv. to xlviii. inclusively; and the changeable or proper parts, (viz. the INTROITS, COLLECTS, EPISTLES and LESSONS, GRADUALS and TRACTS, GosPELS, OFFERTORIES, SECRETS, COMMUNIONS and PosTCOMMUNIONS) form the subsequent contents of the book. But as the PREFACES are not so frequently subject to change, they follow each other in regular succession in the Ordinary.

The Ecclesiastical Year, with respect to the Sundays and Moveable Feasts, commences with the FIRST SUNDAY of ADVENT, and closes on the LAST SUNDAY after PENTECOST; and with regard to the Festivals of the Saints, from the Feast of St. ANDREW, the 30th of November, to the Eve of the same Festival the year follow. ing, inclusively.

In order therefore to find out the PROPER MASS of the day, look for that day of the month in the Calendar, opposite to which may be seen a reference to the page wherein it is contained; and if a Double should fall on a Sunday, then the Mass of the Double is said instead of the Mass of the Sunday, except it be a Sunday of the FIRST CLASS, viz. the first Sunday of ADVENT or LENT, PASSION, PALM, EASTER, WHIT, and TRINITY SUNDAY: and the Sundays of the SECOND CLASS, which cannot be superseded, except by Doubles of the FIRST CLASS, are the ii. iii. and iv. of ADVENT, SEPTUAGESIMA, SEXAGESIMA, and QUINQUAGESIMA, as also the ii. iii. and !V. of LENT It mus' however be remarked that the

Gospels for Sundays thus superseded by Doubles are never omitted, but always recited (instead of St. JOHN'S GOSPEL) at the END OF MASS; and also that a Cominemoration of the Sunday, by its proper COLLECT, SECRET, and POSTCOMMUNION, is always made immediately after the Collect, &c. of the Festival.

But as it sometimes happens that a Double is transferred to a future vacant day, on account of the Octave of some festival of higher rank intervening, then the difficulty of finding out such transferred festival, may be easily removed by consulting the Laity's Directory, published as a guide to the morning, as well as the evening service of the church.

As references are frequently made to the Common of Saints, commencing at p. 459, to the Proper of Saints, beginning with p. 521, and continuing in regular progression to the end of the Ecclesiastical Year; the reader will find the Masses thus referred to, designated by numerical letters, from No. I. to XXI. inclusively: Be it therefore observed, that on whatever day of the month these numerical references appear in the Calendar, or General Index, it denotes that the Mass thereof (having no proper parts assigned to it) is taken entirely from the Common Mass referred to: but should any exceptions occur, they are stated in a parenthesis.

Commemorations are made by the addition of a COLLECT, SECRET and POSTCOMMUNION, to those that are proper to the feast of the day. When therefore the word COLLECT, with an &c. annexed thereto, appears in the Rubrics, the &c. denotes that its proper Secret and Postcommunion are also comprehended.

ABBREVIATIONS EXPLAINED.

ap. Apostle, m. Martyr, mm. Martyrs, p. Pope, abp. Archbishop, bp. Bishop, pr. Priest, c. Confessor, D. Doctor, ab. Abbot, v. Virgin, w Widow, B. Blessed, d. Double, sd. Semidouble, d I. cl. Double of the first class. d. II. cl. Double of the second class. gr. d. Greater Double. The Holy-days of obligation are in CAPITALS, and the days of particular devotion in Italics.

SUMMARY OF THE RUBRICS.

I. The Mass consists of several portions, some of which are always the same, and some of which vary on several occasions.

II. That part which does not vary is called "the ordinary of the mass," and may be found in its proper place, after the office of holy Saturday, that is the Saturday next before Easter Sunday.

III. That part which varies, consists of the Introit, Collects, Epistle, with its accompaniments, Gospel, Offertory, Secrets, Preface, Communion and Post Communion, and they may be found in their proper place as described below.

1. The prefaces are all found together between that part of the Ordinary of the Mass which immediately precedes the Secrets, and the Canon, and each preface has its proper title, by which it may be easily known.

IV. The Church celebrates her offices either according to the time of the year, or for the festival of some Saint; or for some particular occasion.

V. The year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, after Advent is the festival of Christmas, on the eighth day after which is the Circumcision, next is the Epiphany, after which the Sundays are numbered, first, second, &c., to Septuagesima Sunday; then the Sundays of Sexagesi ma, and Quinquagesima, the Wednesday next after which is Ash Wednesday the first day in Lent, in which there are proper masses for every day; the fifth Sunday of Lent, is called Passion Sunday, the next Palm Sunday

the week of which is called the greater week; this is followed by Easter Sunday and the Easter week; the next Sunday is called Low Sunday, which is the first after Easter. Between Easter and the Ascension are five Sundays, which after Low Sunday are numbered the second, third, &c., after Easter. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesafter the fifth of these are called Rogation days. Thursday is the feast of the Ascension; ten days after which is Pentecost or Whit Sunday, with its week; the next Sunday is Trinity Sunday, which is of course the first after Pentecost; the Thursday following, which is the festival of the most holy Eucharist, commonly called Corpus Christi. From this the Sundays are numbered, Second, third, &c., after Pentecost to advent, which commences the next year.

VI. The festivals of the saints begin with the vigil or eve of St. Andrew the Apostle, which is the 29th of November, and proceed regularly through the days of the month, until the round of the entire year is made, unto the 28th of the same month.

VII. The offices for particular occasions are celebrated, for the dedication of a church, for choosing a Pope, on the anniversary of the bishop's consecration, for the dead, &c. VIII. On every day in the year, except Good Friday, Mass can be celebrated.

IX. The particular portions of the liturgy are to be found by knowing what office is celebrated on that particular day.

X. Sometimes the festival of a saint occurs on the same day when some office according to the time of the year should be celebrated.

XI. To regulate this, the offices of the time and of the festivals have been classified.

XII. The classes are doubles of the 1st and of the 2d class: greater doubles, plain doubles, semi-doubles, and simples; and their precedence when they concur, is regulated by the class to which each belongs.

XIII. The Mass is generally celebrated of that which holds the highest rank.

XIV. The Missal is regulated according to the order of paragraphs, V. VI. and VII. II. and III.

The variable parts of the Masses according to the time of the year, from Advent to Easter are found placed first; then the ordinary of the Mass, with the prefaces, as marked in clause I.; then the variable parts of the Mass, from Easter to Advent. After this the variable parts of

the Mass on the several festivals of the saints which have proper variable parts, in their order from the vigil of St. Andrew, uninterruptedly throughout the year, with the exception of those days from the 25th of December to the 1st of January, which variable parts for festivals are found in their proper places between Christmas and Epiphany, in the part of the Mass of the time; then the proper Masses for particular occasions, are placed after the common of saints.

XV. The variable parts of the Mass for the festivals of the saints, are either proper or common.

XVI. The proper for saints, is that variable part which has been specially compiled, and appointed for the parti. cular Masses, on the festivals of those individuals, and is said only on their special festivals, and is always found under the day of the month when that feast is celebrated.

XVII. The common of saints, is that variable part which is said on the different festivals of various saints of the same description, or class.

XVIII. The saints whose festivals are celebrated, are divided into classes, according to their various situations, or works or sufferings. Apostles, martyrs, confessors who were bishops, confessors who were not bishops, virgins, holy women, &c.

XIX. After the proper Masses of the saints, and before the Masses for particular occasions are placed the variable parts of Masses for the common of saints, under the following several heads for their proper classes, viz.: 1. For the vigil of an apostle. 2. Of a martyr bishop, another of the same. 3. Of a martyr not bishop, another of the same. 4. Of martyrs within the Paschal time. 5. Of many martyrs in the Paschal time. 6. Of many martyrs without the Paschal time, two others of the same. 7. Of a confessor bishop, another of the same. 8. Of doctors. 9. Of a confessor not bishop, another of the same. 10. Of abbots. 11. Of virgins martyrs, another of the same. 12. Of many virgins martyrs. 13. Of a virgin only, another of the same. 14. Of holy women, not virgins but martyrs. 15. Of a holy woman, neither martyr nor virgin.

XX. After the Masses for particular occasions are seve ral Collects, Secrets and Post-communions, for special pur poses, which will be known by looking to their titles.

2. When the office is known, if it be of the time, look tor it in its proper place, according to the time of the yea as in paragraph V. and you will find its variable parts,

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