Mass.

You see him advance from the sacristy and stand at the foot of the altar,
where he makes an humble confession of his sins to God and His saints. He
then ascends the altar, and nine times the Divine clemency is invoked in
the _Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison_. He intones the sublime doxology,
_Gloria in Excelsis Deo_, sings the collects of the day, reads the Lesson
or Epistle and chants the Gospel, after which the sermon is usually
preached. Next he recites the Nicene Creed, which for upwards of fifteen
centuries has been resounding in the churches of Christendom. Then you
perceive him making the oblation of the bread and wine. He washes the tips
of his fingers, reciting the words of the Psalmist: "I will wash my hands
among the innocent and will encompass Thy altar, O Lord." He is
admonished, by this ceremony, to be free from the least stain, in view of
the sacred act he is going to perform. The Preface and Canon follow,
including the solemn words of consecration, during which the bread and
wine are changed by the power of Jesus Christ into His body and blood. He
proceeds with other prayers, including the best of all, the _Our Father_,
as far as the Communion, when he partakes of the consecrated Bread and
chalice, giving the Holy Communion afterward to such as are prepared to
receive it. He continues the Mass, gives his blessing to the kneeling
congregation, and concludes with the opening words of the sublime Gospel
of St. John.

Here you have not merely a number of prayers strung together, but you
witness a scene which rivets pious attention and warms the heart into
fervent devotion. You participate in an act of worship worthy of God, to
whom it is offered.

But you are anxious that I should explain to you the reason why the Mass
is said in Latin. When Christianity was first established the Roman Empire
ruled the destinies of the world. Pagan Rome had dominion over nearly all
Europe and large portions of Asia and Africa. The Latin was the language
of the Empire. Wherever the Roman standard was planted, there also was
spread the Latin tongue; just as at the present time the English language
is spoken wherever the authority of Great Britain or of the United States
is established.

The Church naturally adopted in her Liturgy, or public worship, the
language which she then found prevailing among the people. The Fathers of
the early Church generally wrote in the Latin tongue, which thus became
the depository of t