Missa Aurea
Missa Aurea
In many respects, Ember Wednesday (during the Ember Days that follow the Feast of St. Lucy on December 13th) is the very heart of the season of Advent. The stational church brings us once again to the basilica of the crib and under the guidance of Mary as the central figure--after Christ--of the Christmas cycle. The theme of the Mass is one of thanksgiving for the harvest, a day of praise and thankfulness for the benefits of the past season. These material gifts, and especially the harvest of oil, are mere shadows of the real Gift who is to come. Our eyes turn at once to the golden mystery, the Incarnation of the Son of God in the womb of Mary. Despite all the wonderful gifts, which God has bestowed upon us in the past, the joy of our hearts moves towards the perfect act of thanksgiving, Holy Mass, the continual Sacrifice of the Incarnate Saviour
The Mass of Ember Wednesday is known as the “Missa Aurea,” or Golden Mass, because on this day the Church celebrates the “golden mystery” of the Faith: Mary’s “fiat” at the Annunciation brought about the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity in her womb. Throughout the ages, this Mass has been celebrated with great solemnity. In the Middle Ages, the great St. Bernard of Clairvaux preached his homilies on the Gospel of the day which begins with the words “Missus est.” If it is at all possible, we should teach our children to observe this solemnity, first of all by participating as a family and parochial group at the solemn Mass of the day. Monsignor Hellriegel offers some very interesting material concerning the “golden Mass,” and suggests an offering for the poor as an appropriate act of thanksgiving:
“Here at Holy Cross we celebrate, after proper instructions, this day with great solemnity. The sanctuary is adorned with many candle lights so that we may be more forcefully reminded of the Light that shone into darkness. All the children receive Communion in this Golden Mass, and while approaching the holy table they chant the significant Communion anthem, ‘Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel.’ Part of the celebration is an offering for the poor, which the children, all of them, the first graders included, make at the offertory of the Mass. Near the altar we erect two large tables, covered with linen and burning candles, on which the gifts are deposited. Every child offers something: some bring fruit or preserves, others canned food, and the poorer ones perhaps a potato or two; but all gifts are wrapped in white tissue paper and neatly bound with a red ribbon. It is a grateful giving to Him who, by His Incarnation, gives Himself to us. After Holy Mass these offerings receive a special blessing and are then carried from the altar of Christ, the Head, to the poor, the ‘feet of Christ,’ as the early Church loved to call the indigent members of the community, in order to make their Christmas more joyful and blessed.”
This is indeed the day to collect all the “Christmas baskets” for the poor. It would seem that nobody was more fully imbued with “the Christmas spirit” than was Pope St. Leo the Great in the sermon which he gives us during the second nocturn of Matins of the Third Sunday of Advent.
“The season of the year with its customary devotions reminds us, dearly beloved, that it is our duty as shepherd of your souls to exhort you to the observance of the December fast. Now that all the fruits of the earth have been gathered in, it is most fitting that this sacrifice of abstinence should be offered to God, who has so bountifully bestowed them upon us. And what can be more useful to this end than fasting? For by its observance we draw near to God, we resist the devil, and overcome the temptations of sin. For fasting has always been food for the strong. Moreover, from abstinence proceed chaste thoughts, rational desires, and sound counsels; and by voluntary afflictions the flesh dies to its evil desires and the spirit is renewed in strength. But since fasting alone will not obtain health for our souls, let us add to our fasting, works of mercy to the poor. Let us spend in good works what we deny to indulgence. Let the abstinence of him who fasts become the banquet of the poor. Let us be zealous in the protection of widows, in the support of orphans, let us strive to comfort the afflicted, to reconcile those who are at variance. Let us receive the stranger, and help the oppressed, let us clothe the naked and care for the sick. And then may every one of us who shall have spent himself in offering this sacrifice of devotion to God the Author of all good, deserve to receive from Him the reward of the heavenly kingdom. On Wednesday and Friday, therefore, let us fast; on Saturday, however, let us celebrate the vigil at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, by whose merits may we be able to obtain what we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.”
Mother and father and teacher may easily explain the merits of “giving up” things for God and neighbor in thanksgiving; how to become courteous and thoughtful of others; how always to give good example; how to avoid “fights” and quarrels; how to share toys and gifts as well as self with the other children. These gifts for the poor become even more sacred by being offered before the altar of God. Another quality of sacredness is added if we acquaint the children with the simple and beautiful blessings of many of those objects in the “Roman Ritual.” Father Weller’s translation of the blessings ("Roman Ritual,” Vol. 3) makes them available in English to all the faithful. After the Offertory and the blessings, the children should indeed have their share in the distribution of the gifts. Priests, teachers and parents should help and guide them in discretion and charity.
The students at Grailville offer some interesting suggestions for a re-enactment of the Gospel story of the Annunciation:
“As at Christmas, the Nativity is simply re-enacted in many Christian homes, why not on Ember Wednesday in preparation for Christmas re-enact the Gospel of the angelic message of Redemption? No scripts are needed, no elaborate costume, no long rehearsals. The family or group could gather together and in a prayerful spirit simply relive the words of the Gospel. The play could be in two parts: (1) Prophecy and (2) Fulfillment.
“The first part is the reading of Isaias from the (Lesson and Epistle of Wednesday) morning’s Mass prophesying the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (Isaias, 2: 2-5 and 7: 10-15). This might be done to illustrate the foreshadowing of the advent of Christ in the Old Testament. The song ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ could be sung as an interim. In the next part of the presentation the fulfillment takes place. As a reader speaks the words of the Gospel (Luke 1: 26-38) Mary is seen praying in her chamber, and the angel appears to her. The play could be concluded with everyone singing ‘A Rose Sprang Up Unheeded’ or another Advent song.”
This little tableau could easily be performed either at school or at home in the evening.
As dinnertime approaches, it is often difficult to find an appropriate menu for a fast day. This need not be the case for this Ember Wednesday, for we recall that on the feast of the Annunciation the Swedish people serve excellent waffles. We could anticipate the Vaffeldagen by about three months and make a fitting fast day repast. It would be more than we could expect to be able to use the little heart-shaped irons which Swedish ladies have to make the waffles an even more enticing delight. After dinner, with the singing of the “Magnificat” and the “O antiphon,” we may teach the children the last great Advent psalm, number 18 since it fits in so perfectly with the Mass of the day. The Introit of Ember Wednesday and the fourth Sunday of Advent both employ this beautiful psalm:
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament
proclaims the work of His hands
There He has set up His tabernacle for the sun, which goes
forth like a bridegroom from his chamber and rejoices
like a giant, to run the course.
From one end of the heaven is its rising, and its course ends
at the other, nothing is hidden from its heat.”--Frey translation
No more appropriate day could be chosen, however, to explain to the children the beautiful custom of the recitation of the Angelus. All of this beautiful prayer is taken from the liturgy of Advent, and especially from the Golden Mass. The first two versicles and responses are taken directly from the Gospel of Ember Wednesday; the third versicle and response are taken from the Last Gospel of St. John. The oration at the end is the Post-communion prayer of the Mass “Rorate,” which is the Mass of Our Lady on Saturdays in Advent, and is really a simplification of the Ember Wednesday Mass. The evening Angelus, which is recited in honor of the Incarnation, is the most ancient of all. It began long, long ago with the recitation of three orations by the monks after Compline. Later on, the Hail Mary was introduced as an antiphon, and three “Aves” in honor of the Incarnation became popular at least by the thirteenth century. In a Franciscan decree (1263 or 1269), the faithful were encouraged to follow the monastic custom of reciting three Hail Marys after evening prayer in honor of the Incarnation of Our Lord; for it was currently believed that it was at this time that the Virgin Mary was greeted by the Angel Gabriel. There was a special ringing of bells during the recitation of the prayer. Our present method of having the bells rung during the Angelus proceeded from this custom.
The children should be told the history and meaning of this ancient custom of reciting the Angelus in honor of Christ and Our Lady in the hope that, once they have understood its meaning well, they will adopt this little custom for a lifetime. As they add on another “O antiphon” symbol to the tree at evening prayers tonight, they could string some golden tinsel around the tree in honor of the Golden Mass, and also add on a few little bells to remind them of the evening Angelus in honor of the Incarnation of their Saviour. It would be a splendid family tradition if the whole family could assemble each day for the recitation of the Angelus, especially at eveningtide. Each member could take turns at reciting the prayers and ringing the bell.
Together with this new knowledge about the Angelus, the children should be taught a little more about the beautiful Angelical Salutation, and how this greeting became our familiar prayer. We recall that the first part of this beautiful prayer is in memory of the Annunciation:
(Luke 1:28)
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.”
The next part is taken from the scene of the Visitation, the greeting of St. Elizabeth.
(Luke 1:42)
“Blessed is the fruit of thy womb”
The remainder was composed by the Church as a prayer for sinners. It is really remarkable how much our beloved Hail Mary is associated with the prayer life of the medieval Church. As devotion to Mary developed, the “Ave” began to be used frequently in the Divine Office as an antiphon, and in Holy Mass at the Offertory (cf. our present Offertory at the Mass of the Fourth Sunday in Advent).
Given this background of the Angelus and the Hail Mary, our children may be brought to understand that the most authentic sources of our prayers and devotions are always to be found inHoly Mass and in the Divine Office.