Explanation of the Prayers and Ceremonies of Holy Mass, Dom Prosper Guéranger - Prayers before the Communion

Now comes the Prayer of Peace: Domine Jesu Christe, qui dixisti Apostolis tuis, pacem relinquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis, ne respicias peccata mea, sed fidem Ecclesiae tuae, eamque secundum voluntatem tuam sanctificare et coadunare digneris. Qui vivis et regnas Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Such is the Formula whereby the Priest petitions for peace and union amongst the faithful, at the very moment when they are about to partake of the Holy Mysteries. This Prayer is not said in Masses of the Dead. - When it is ended, the Priest who is celebrating the Mass, gives the Peace to the Deacon, who gives it to the Sub-Deacon, by whom it is passed, in like manner to the Choir. If the celebrant is a Bishop, he gives the Peace to the Assistant Priest, who, in his turn, passes it to the Choir, whilst the Deacon and Sub-Deacon approach to receive it directly from the Prelate himself.

As to the Celebrant, he takes the Peace, by kissing the Altar, in front of the Sacred Host. Thus, it is our Lord Himself who gives it to him. A plate of precious metal (called for that reason instrumentum pacis), may be used for the giving of the Peace; in which case, the Celebrant kisses this plate, after having kissed the Altar. Should there be present any Princes, Princesses, or other personages of high rank whom it is fitting thus to honour, the instrumentum pacis is taken to them, to kiss in their turn.

We have already remarked that the Peace is not given in Masses of the Dead; the same omission is observed on Maundy Thursday, as a protest against the kiss of Judas, whereby he betrayed Our Saviour, delivering him up into the hands of His enemies. On Holy Saturday, likewise, the kiss of peace is not given, thus keeping up the ancient custom peculiar to that day, when its celebrations took place during the night hours; and this because the great number of Neophytes might have then occasioned confusion. Another reason, too, for its omission on Holy Saturday, is that it was not until the Evening of Easter-day, that Our Risen Lord addressed the disciples assembled together, with the words: Pax vobis. Out of respect for the least details in the Life of her Divine Spouse, the Church omits, for one and the same reason, in the Mass of Holy Saturday, both the Agnus Dei, wherein occur the words: dona nobis pacem, and the ceremony of the kiss of peace, for the resuming of which she waits until the Mass of Easter-Day.

The Priest has yet two other Prayers to recite before the Communion. Those now found in the Missal are not very ancient; nevertheless, they are at least a thousand years old. Formerly, what was said at this moment was traditionary, just as were the prayers of the Offertory; so that these Prayers are not to be found in the Sacramentary of St. Gregory, which contains only the Prefaces, the Canon, and the Collects, Secrets, and Postcommunions. All the rest was transmitted by Tradition, and varied in the several Churches. The two now fixed in this Missal were chosen from out of the variety of Prayers thus handed down. These two Prayers are always said, even when the Prayer of Peace is omitted.

The first of these begins thus: Domine Jesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi, qui ex voluntate Patris, cooperante Spiritu Sancto, per mortem tuam mundum vivificasti. ... Lo! in the death of Our Lord, the whole Blessed Trinity acts; the Father wills it, the Holy Ghost co-operates and assists the Sacred humanity of Our Lord in the voluntary Offering that He makes of Himself. But let us continue the Prayer: libera me per hoc Sacrosanctum Corpus et sanguinem tuum, ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis, et universis malis. The first thing we ought to desire, when approaching Holy Communion, is that our sins may disappear; and as we have not the present moment alone in view, we moreover beg to be freed from all evils, adding this petition regarding the future: et fac me tuis semper inhaerere mandatis et a Te numquam separari permittas. Qui cum eodem Deo Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivis et regnas Deus in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Here three things are begged by us, of the God who is coming unto us in the holy Communion: first, that we may he delivered from our sins; then, that we may ever adhere closely to his commandments; and finally, that He would never allow us to be separated from Him.

Let us now pass on to the third Prayer: Perceptio Corporis tui, Domine Jesu Christe, quod ego indignus sumere praesumo, non mihi proveniat in judicium et condemnationem. This is in allusion to the words of St. Paul about the Holy Communion, when he says, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians: qui enim manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit (1 Corinth. xi. 29). The Prayer terminates with these words: sed pro tuae pietate prosit mihi ad tutamentum mentis et corporis, et ad medelam percipiendam. Qui vivis et regnas. There is here an evident oversight on the part of the Liturgists who composed this Prayer. In all the others, care has been taken to mention both the Body and the Blood of Our Lord, whereas, in this place, the Body alone is named. This Prayer might almost appear little needed, were it not for its striking use in the Good Friday’s Function. On that day, the Priest really does receive under the species of Bread alone, but he is not then offering the holy Sacrifice. For the Immolation of the Victim, the two species of both Bread and Wine would be necessary, But on Good Friday, the memory of the Great Sacrifice effected on Calvary, so completely occupies the thought of holy Church that she recoils from renewing it on the Altar. She confines herself merely to partaking of the sacred mystery, by Communion; and in so doing, she makes use of this third Prayer, to the exclusion of the preceding, in which mention is made of the Sacrifice. This Prayer can very appropriately be used by the faithful when about to communicate.

These Prayers being ended, the Priest says the following words, which are a free rendering of Psalm cxv: Panem coelestem accipiam, et nomen Domini, invocabo. Holy Church never loses an opportunity of drawing from the Psalms; because she there finds the true source, model, and type of Prayer.

Having pronounced these words, the Priest takes up in his left hand, the two portions of the host, beneath which he holds the Paten; and, striking his breast three times, he says: Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum; sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea. These were the words addressed by the Centurion to our Lord, who was coming to heal his servant. Once again let us repeat, Holy Church is ever showing how she possesses the happy secret of choosing the loveliest passages of Sacred Scripture, to place in the Holy Mass; as it were enchasing them there, like priceless diamonds! We likewise say Domine non sum dignus. ... In our case, it is not for our servant that we beg a cure; it is our own poor soul craving help for herself, and making use of these words as a last appeal to God. We sorely need to be cured; and the nearer we approach the Lord who alone can cure us, the greater should be our confidence in asking. Assuredly nothing can be so certain and manifest, as our unworthiness; but, on the other hand, who is so powerful as the Lord. There is nothing for us, but to appeal to Him, and crave with true humility: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea. Yea, say but one word, and my soul shall be healed!