Heb. viii. 5.

Having determined the sense of "heav

enly altar," we must investig

ate the liturgical meaning of the "Supplices Te."

This prayer found only in

the Roman and Ambrosian liturgies.

It differs from the corres

ponding

heavenly order (viii. 5). Here 'heavenly order' is equivalent to the scene of the spiritual life, with the realities which belong to it." *

It is, however, superfluous to quote in detail the various passages which we have indicated in which Enovρavios is applied to things belonging to the Kingdom of heaven on earth, and not to heaven locally.

Having sufficiently investigated the sense in which the Fathers and liturgical writers use the term "heavenly altar," we must now investigate the liturgical significance of the prayer Supplices Te rogamus, which both Thalhofer and Mr. Brightman cite in support of their theory. Its words are as follows: "We humbly beseech Thee, Almighty GOD, command these [gifts] to be carried by the hands of Thy Holy Angel on to Thine Altar on high, in the sight of Thy Divine Majesty, that all we, who by this participation of the altar shall receive the most holy Body and Blood of Thy SON, may be fulfilled with all grace and heavenly benediction." †

This prayer is found only in the Roman and Ambrosian liturgies. It is not infrequently referred by liturgical writers to the Clementine liturgy found in the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions, and to But while we must obviously interpret it in the same sense as the corresponding

a passage in S. Irenæus.

prayer in East- prayers in the Eastern liturgies, yet it differs from them to a very marked extent.

ern liturgies.

* Westcott, in loco.

+"Supplices Te rogamus, Omnipotens Deus, jube hæc præferri per manus sancti Angeli Tui in sublime altare Tuum, in conspectu divinæ Majestatis Tuæ, ut quotquot ex hac altaris participatione, sacrosanctum Filii Tui corpus et sanguinem sumpserimus, omni benedictione cœlesti et gratia repleamur.” ‡ S. Irenæus, Adv. Hær., 1. iv., c. xviii. 6.

ine liturgy.

In the Clementine liturgy we find in the same posi- This prayer in tion (that is, immediately after the Consecration and the ClementGreat Oblation) in the Invocation the following words: "We beseech Thee that Thou wouldest look graciously upon these gifts now lying before Thee, O Thou selfsufficient GOD (où å åvevdens Dɛós), and accept them to the honour of Thy CHRIST; and send down Thy HOLY SPIRIT, the witness of the sufferings of the LORD JESUS, that He may make this bread the Body of Thy CHRIST, and this cup the Blood of Thy CHRIST; that all who shall partake of It may be confirmed in godliness, may receive remission of their sins, may be delivered from the devil and his wiles, may be filled with the HOLY GHOST, may be made worthy of Thy CHRIST, and may obtain everlasting life; Thou, O LORD Almighty, being reconciled to them."*

of S. James.

In the liturgy of S. James the corresponding prayer In the liturgy of the Invocation is: Have mercy upon us, O GOD, according to Thy great goodness, and send upon us, and upon these gifts now lying before Thee, Thy Most HOLY GHOST, the LORD and Life-Giver, . . that coming upon them with His holy and good and glorious Presence, He may hallow and make this bread the Holy Body of Thy CHRIST."† And later in the Litany we Another find this prayer: "That the LORD our GOD, having prayer in the received these [gifts] to His holy, heavenly, intellectual, and spiritual altar for the odour of a sweet-smelling sacrifice, would send down in their stead to us Divine grace and the Gift of the Most HOLY GHOST." ‡

We observe that in the Eastern liturgies there is no reference to the "gifts" being carried by the hands of

Clementine liturgy, Invocation; Hammond, p. 18.

† Liturgy of S. James, Invocation; Hammond, p. 42. Liturgy of S. James, Litany; Hammond, pp. 46, 47.

same.

Eastern liturg

ies have no

the gifts.

The Roman

mention of the an angel to the heavenly altar. The prayer is simply angel carrying that GOD would accept them, in the Clementine liturgy, "to the honour of Thy CHRIST," and in S. James' liturgy," for the odour of a sweet-smelling sacrifice." While the Roman liturgy employs different imagery, we must certainly interpret this imagery by the more simple statement of the Eastern liturgies. That is, we must not infer from the Roman prayer the existence of ideas or doctrines which cannot be traced in any of the Eastern liturgies.

must be interpreted in accordance with the Eastern.

Liturgical writers differ

on three points

If we turn now to the principal liturgical writers of the Church, we find that there has always been great in this prayer. diversity of interpretation in regard to the first two of the three questions raised by the prayer Supplices Te : (1) To what does "hac" refer? (2) Who is the

(1.) Some refer "hæc" to the prayers, others to the sacra

mental gifts.

angel" mentioned? (3) For what purpose do we ask that the "gifts" may be carried to the altar on high? Indeed, in the ninth century, when liturgical study may be said almost to have had its beginning in the works of Florus and Amalarius, we find Florus saying: "Who can understand words so profound, so wonderful, so marvellous, and who can worthily treat of them? In explaining their meaning, reverential awe is better than discussion."* And later, Innocent III. † re-echoes the sentiments of Florus when he writes: "So great is the depth of these words that the human mind is scarcely able to grasp them."

The great majority of liturgical writers take "hac" simply of the prayers which are offered, while some, like Le Brun, refer it to the sacramental gifts.‡ * Florus, De Expositione Missæ.

† Innocent III., De Mysteriis, 1. v., c. vi.

Grancolas, Ancienne Liturgie, tom. II., p. 795; L'Antiquité des Ceremonies, p. 414; Romsée, Opera Liturgica, tom. III., p. 263.

(2.) Some take the "angel" of angels gener

There is the same diversity of opinion with regard to the "angel" spoken of in the prayer, some seeing here a reference only to the ministry of angels, which ally; has ever been so closely associated with the Holy Eucharist; e. g., "with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious Name." This is well expressed by Odo of Cambrai as follows: "CHRIST needed not the help of angels when by His own power He ascended into heaven. Why, then, do we ask that this sacrifice may be carried by the hands of an angel into the presence of GOD, since the offices of angels are unnecessary to this translation? But what is said is this: that by the translation of the Body and Blood of CHRIST We ask that our prayers may be carried [to the throne of grace]. There are, however, angels appointed for us, who daily offer our prayers to GOD, whence it is written that 'their angels do always behold the Face of my FATHER.' So in mentioning CHRIST we ask that our prayers may be carried by the hands of an angel, that under the plea of so great a Sacrifice, good angels may bear our prayers to the throne of grace." †

Other writers, among whom is Le Brun,‡ see in the others of our "angel" mentioned in the prayer none other than LORD. our LORD Himself; and Le Brun points out that in the Clementine liturgy our LORD is called "the Angel of Great Counsel." The passage is: "Thou createdst all things out of nothing by Thine Only Begotten Son, GOD the Word, .. the Living Wisdom, the Firstborn of every creature, the Angel of Thy *S. Matt. xviii. 10.

† Odo Cam., Expos. in Can. Miss., Diss. III.; Migne, P. L., tom. 160, col. 1066.

Le Brun, Explicaçion de la Messe, vol. i., p. 518.

(3.) The purpose of the prayer as expressed in

the Roman

and in the Eastern

liturgies.

Great Counsel, Thy High Priest." It must, however, be observed that this passage in the Clementine liturgy has nothing whatever to do with the question before us, since it occurs in the Eucharistic Preface before the Consecration, and is simply one of the titles given to our LORD, and, as we have already shown, there is no mention in any Eastern liturgy of an angel in connection with the carrying of the sacramental gifts to the heavenly altar.

The prayer in the Roman canon clearly specifies the purpose for which the gifts are to be carried to the heavenly altar; not that they may be offered as a sacrifice, or may become part of a sacrifice which is there offered, but" that all we, who by this participation of the altar shall receive the most holy Body and Blood of Thy SON, may be fulfilled with all grace and heavenly benediction." The Sacrifice is offered upon the altar of the Church, and we pray that those who offer it may enjoy its fruits, that is, may be fulfilled with all grace and heavenly benediction.

In the Greek liturgies, as we have seen, the object of the corresponding prayer is that GOD would accept the gifts to the honour of His CHRIST, or for the odour of a sweet-smelling sacrifice. This last expression in the liturgy of S. James evidently refers to the effects of the Eucharistic Sacrifice as fulfilling the type of the burnt offering among the Jews. In this the smoke ascended to heaven, typifying the sweet-smelling savour with which GOD was pleased; and, as we are told by S. Paul § that CHRIST gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to GOD for an odour of a sweet smell," so we pray, what we know is accord* Clementine liturgy, Eucharistic Preface; Hammond, p. 12. † Clementine liturgy. Liturgy of S. James.

Eph. v. 2.