Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 156 (2/2)

Nevertheless the ma.s.s can be postponed, especially when Holy orders have to be conferred, and still more on Holy Sat.u.r.day; both on account of the length of the office, and also because orders belong to the Sunday, as is set forth in the Decretals (dist. 75).

Ma.s.ses, however, can be celebrated ”in the first part of the day,”

owing to any necessity; as is stated De Consecr., dist. 1.

Reply Obj. 4: As a rule ma.s.s ought to be said in the day and not in the night, because Christ is present in this sacrament, Who says (John 9:4, 5): ”I must work the works of Him that sent Me, whilst it is day: because the night cometh when no man can work; as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Yet this should be done in such a manner that the beginning of the day is not to be taken from midnight; nor from sunrise, that is, when the substance of the sun appears above the earth; but when the dawn begins to show: because then the sun is said to be risen when the brightness of his beams appears. Accordingly it is written (Mk. 16:1) that ”the women came to the tomb, the sun being now risen”; though, as John relates (John 20:1), ”while it was yet dark they came to the tomb.” It is in this way that Augustine explains this difference (De Consens. Evang.

iii).

Exception is made on the night of Christmas eve, when ma.s.s is celebrated, because our Lord was born in the night (De Consecr., dist. 1). And in like manner it is celebrated on Holy Sat.u.r.day towards the beginning of the night, since our Lord rose in the night, that is, ”when it was yet dark, before the sun's rising was manifest.”

Reply Obj. 5: As is set down in the decree (De Consecr., dist. 1), in virtue of a decree of Pope Alexander II, ”it is enough for a priest to celebrate one ma.s.s each day, because Christ suffered once and redeemed the whole world; and very happy is he who can worthily celebrate one ma.s.s. But there are some who say one ma.s.s for the dead, and another of the day, if need be. But I do not deem that those escape condemnation who presume to celebrate several ma.s.ses daily, either for the sake of money, or to gain flattery from the laity.”

And Pope Innocent III says (Extra, De Celebr. Miss., chap.

Consuluisti) that ”except on the day of our Lord's birth, unless necessity urges, it suffices for a priest to celebrate only one ma.s.s each day.”

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THIRD ARTICLE [III, Q. 83, Art. 3]

Whether This Sacrament Ought to Be Celebrated in a House and with Sacred Vessels?

Objection 1: It seems that this sacrament ought not to be celebrated in a house and with sacred vessels. For this sacrament is a representation of our Lord's Pa.s.sion. But Christ did not suffer in a house, but outside the city gate, according to Heb. 1:12: ”Jesus, that He might sanctify the people by His own blood, suffered without the gate.” Therefore, it seems that this sacrament ought not to be celebrated in a house, but rather in the open air.

Obj. 2: Further, in the celebration of this sacrament the Church ought to imitate the custom of Christ and the apostles. But the house wherein Christ first wrought this sacrament was not consecrated, but merely an ordinary supper-room prepared by the master of the house, as related in Luke 22:11, 12. Moreover, we read (Acts 2:46) that ”the apostles were continuing daily with one accord in the temple; and, breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness.” Consequently, there is no need for houses, in which this sacrament is celebrated, to be consecrated.

Obj. 3: Further, nothing that is to no purpose ought to be done in the Church, which is governed by the Holy Ghost. But it seems useless to consecrate a church, or an altar, or such like inanimate things, since they are not capable of receiving grace or spiritual virtue.

Therefore it is unbecoming for such consecrations to be performed in the Church.

Obj. 4: Further, only Divine works ought to be recalled with solemnity, according to Ps. 91:5: ”I shall rejoice in the works of Thy hands.” Now the consecration of a church or altar, is the work of a man; as is also the consecration of the chalice, and of the ministers, and of other such things. But these latter consecrations are not commemorated in the Church. Therefore neither ought the consecration of a church or of an altar to be commemorated with solemnity.

Obj. 5: Further, the truth ought to correspond with the figure. But in the Old Testament, which was a figure of the New, the altar was not made of hewn stones: for, it is written (Ex. 20:24): ”You shall make an altar of earth unto Me ... and if thou make an altar of stone unto Me, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones.” Again, the altar is commanded to be made of ”setim-wood,” covered ”with bra.s.s”

(Ex. 27:1, 2), or ”with gold” (Ex. 25). Consequently, it seems unfitting for the Church to make exclusive use of altars made of stone.

Obj. 6: Further, the chalice with the paten represents Christ's tomb, which was ”hewn in a rock,” as is narrated in the Gospels.

Consequently, the chalice ought to be of stone, and not of gold or of silver or tin.

Obj. 7: Further, just as gold is the most precious among the materials of the altar vessels, so are cloths of silk the most precious among other cloths. Consequently, since the chalice is of gold, the altar cloths ought to be made of silk and not of linen.

Obj. 8: Further, the dispensing and ordering of the sacraments belong to the Church's ministers, just as the ordering of temporal affairs is subject to the ruling of secular princes; hence the Apostle says (1 Cor. 4:1): ”Let a man so esteem us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of G.o.d.” But if anything be done against the ordinances of princes it is deemed void. Therefore, if the various items mentioned above are suitably commanded by the Church's prelates, it seems that the body of Christ could not be consecrated unless they be observed; and so it appears to follow that Christ's words are not sufficient of themselves for consecrating this sacrament: which is contrary to the fact. Consequently, it does not seem fitting for such ordinances to be made touching the celebration of this sacrament.

_On the contrary,_ The Church's ordinances are Christ's own ordinances; since He said (Matt. 18:20): ”Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”

_I answer that,_ There are two things to be considered regarding the equipment of this sacrament: one of these belongs to the representation of the events connected with our Lord's Pa.s.sion; while the other is connected with the reverence due to the sacrament, in which Christ is contained verily, and not in figure only.

Hence we consecrate those things which we make use of in this sacrament; both that we may show our reverence for the sacrament, and in order to represent the holiness which is the effect of the Pa.s.sion of Christ, according to Heb. 13:12: ”Jesus, that He might sanctify the people by His own blood,” etc.

Reply Obj. 1: This sacrament ought as a rule to be celebrated in a house, whereby the Church is signified, according to 1 Tim. 3:15: ”That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of G.o.d, which is the Church of the living G.o.d.” Because ”outside the Church there is no place for the true sacrifice,” as Augustine says (Liber Sentent. Prosp. xv). And because the Church was not to be confined within the territories of the Jewish people, but was to be established throughout the whole world, therefore Christ's Pa.s.sion was not celebrated within the city of the Jews, but in the open country, that so the whole world might serve as a house for Christ's Pa.s.sion. Nevertheless, as is said in De Consecr., dist. 1, ”if a church be not to hand, we permit travelers to celebrate ma.s.s in the open air, or in a tent, if there be a consecrated altar-table to hand, and the other requisites belonging to the sacred function.”

Reply Obj. 2: The house in which this sacrament is celebrated denotes the Church, and is termed a church; and so it is fittingly consecrated, both to represent the holiness which the Church acquired from the Pa.s.sion, as well as to denote the holiness required of them who have to receive this sacrament. By the altar Christ Himself is signified, of Whom the Apostle says (Heb. 13:15): ”Through Him we offer a sacrifice of praise to G.o.d.” Hence the consecration of the altar signifies Christ's holiness, of which it was said (Luke 1:35): ”The Holy one born of thee shall be called the Son of G.o.d.” Hence we read in De Consecr., dist. 1: ”It has seemed pleasing for the altars to be consecrated not merely with the anointing of chrism, but likewise with the priestly blessing.”

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