Explanation of the Prayers and Ceremonies of Holy Mass, Dom Prosper Guéranger - Nobis quoque peccatoribus

Now having shown how the precious Blood of Christ has flowed plentifully in Purgatory, let us turn our thoughts upon our selves.  The Priest is going to speak in his own and our interest.  He declares himself a sinner, as we ourselves are.  Nobis quoque peccatoribus famulis tuis, de multitudine miserationum tuarum sperantibus partem aliquam et societatem donare digneris cum tuis sanctis. ... We also, although sinners, claim our share of happiness; we would not be excluded from it.  This is the only occasion on which the Priest speaks aloud during the Canon; and whilst thus speaking, he strikes his breast, and the Faithful should do in like manner.  Our fraternal charity has urged us to pray for such of our Brethren as are dead, and have not, as yet, been admitted into a participation of the bliss of heaven.  But, we beseech our Lord, that He would give us to partake of the like happiness; it is in his Goodness and Mercy, that we put our trust.

And with whom is it that we desire to have a share and fellowship?  Cum tuis sanctis Apostolis et Martyribus: with thy holy Apostles and Martyrs.  It seems to Holy Church, that she has not as yet named a sufficient number of Saints; but still not deeming it fitting to add other names to her first list, she found this moment a favourable one, for speaking of those that had rendered themselves especially dear to her.  As it is a most marked glory for the Saints that their Names should thus be registered in what is the Great Act of the Church, - therefore has God chosen his Elect that are thus to be commemorated in the very presence of Jesus Christ Himself.  Here, again, we meet afresh with Apostles and Martyrs: Cum tuis sanctis Apostolis et Martyribus.  Neither must we forget, that, in the early ages, the Cultus of mere Confessors was not, as yet, established; holy honours were only given to Apostles and Martyrs: it is for this reason that these are the only two classes mentioned.  Therefore we desire to be with them; and then also cum Johanne: with John.  Who is the John that is mentioned here?  It is John the Baptist, our Lord’s Precursor. - Stephano, with Stephen, the Proto martyr.  Why has not this model, this first of Martyrs, been named until now?  Because, in the first diptych, after having mentioned Saint Peter and the Apostles, Holy Church passed on at once to the first Popes: Linus, Cletus, and Clement.  By thus naming St. Peter and his three successors, the Church is straightway established, as is the power of Peter, by this glorious trinity of holy Popes.  St. Stephen’s name would have deranged this order of ideas, had he taken his place in the first list.  The same must be said of St. John the Baptist, who is looked upon neither as an Apostle nor a Martyr, although he preached penance and the Coming of Christ, and although he was put to death because of the earnestness wherewith he took up the cause of Chastity: the Church, however, desirous of mentioning these two great Saints, assigned them this place.  Matthia, with Mathias: here we have an Apostle.  The reason of his name being put here, is, because, as Holy Church enumerated Twelve Apostles on her first diptych, adding St. Paul to the Twelve, - Mathias, who was chosen to complete the Apostolic College, after Judas’s apostasy, was not to forfeit the right to his position, and it was but fair to put his name at the head of the second diptych.  Barnaba, with Barnabas, the companion of St. Paul in many of his evangelical travels. Ignatio, with Ignatius, the great Martyr, who after Evodius, had succeeded Peter in the See of Antioch.  He it is, who wrote that magnificent Letter to the Romans, wherein he speaks of the happiness that awaits a Christian, when he may have the happiness of dying for Christ.  He came to Rome under Trajan, as it were, to mingle his ashes with those of Peter and Paul; for it was in that City that he suffered Martyrdom. - Alexandro, with Alexander: here comes the name of a great Pope.  He was the fifth or sixth successor of St. Peter.  It was a happy thought to insert his name here; for, it was he that prescribed that these few words should be put in the Canon: Qui pridie quam pateretur, (who the day before he suffered,) and this in order to recall to our minds, at this solemn moment, the memory of the Passion. -  Marcellino, Petro, with Marcellinus and with Peter.  These are two of those who suffered in the persecution of Diocletian.  Marcellinus was Priest, and Peter Exorcist.  Their names are never separated.  So far there has been no mention made of any holy woman, in the Canon.  Holy Church could never omit them.  Who, then, is the first she speaks of?  Felicitate, - With that great Felicitas, the Mother of the Seven Martyred Children, who thus renewed under the persecution of Marcus Aurelius, the generous sacrifice of the Mother of the Macha bees.  So illustrious was she, together with her children, that the Catacombs being already opened at the period of their martyrdom, the Christians divided amongst them the bodies of her children, in order to place them in the various cemeteries.  Felicitas was martyred on the 29th of November; whereas her children had been thus honoured in the preceding July.  She was buried in the Cemetery of Priscilla, together with two of her sons. - Perpetua, this is that noble lady of Carthage.  As her name is put after that of St. Felicitas, this affords us an additional proof that this Felicitas is certainly the one of Rome, and not she who suffered at Carthage together with Perpetua.  In this place Perpetua represents her companion as well as the rest who suffered with her; she is emphasised as being the foremost among them all, and as having written certain portions descriptive of her martyrdom.  Agatha, Lucia, with Agatha, Lucy: Until the time of St. Gregory the Great, they used to say: Perpetua, Agnes, Cecilia but this holy Pontiff, loving Sicily, where he had himself founded six monasteries, inserted in the Canon the names of the two Sicilian Virgins, Agatha of Catania, and Lucy of Syracuse.  Out of courtesy, due to strangers, he gave them the precedence of the two Roman Virgins, Agnes and Caecilia.  Why then does Agnes come in here before Caecilia?  She did not suffer until under Diocletian, whereas Caecilia is to he found under Marcus Aurelius.  Perhaps, harmony of phrase is the sole real reason for this. - Anastasia, she is the noble Roman widow who suffered martyrdom under Diocletian, and who is so illustrious at Rome, that formerly the Sovereign Pontiff used to celebrate the Second Mass of Christmas Day in her Church.  Although this practice is now discontinued, a commemoration of this great Saint is still made in that same Mass. - Intra quorum nos consortium, non aestimator meriti, sed veniae  quaesumus, largitor admitte.  After having mentioned the Saints anew, the Priest begs that God would deign to admit us amongst them; not assuredly because of any merit of ours giving us any right thereunto, but because God’s Goodness, Mercy, and Pardon are able to do so: (but of thine own gratuitous pardon.)  The Priest terminates by the ordinary conclusion: Per Christum Dominum nostrum.