Omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput.
Italiano: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Roma.
Photo: September 2005.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Station is at Saint John Lateran, the Mother Church of the Christian world, and it is here that The Church Celebrated The First Mass of Easter and that, formerly, she received into her bosom the many Catechumens, who were Baptised on this day. First Dedicated to Our Blessed Saviour, this Basilica was subsequently Consecrated to Saint John the Baptist, with the Baptistry attached.
In former times, the Church held no special Service on this morning. Apart from any gathering for The Lenten Station, a Meeting was held in the course of the afternoon for The Seventh, and last, Scrutiny, which almost immediately preceded the Baptism. [It was at this gathering that The Rite of Exorcism took place, and The Rite of Ephpheta, which recalls the Miracles worked by Jesus, when He cured the deaf and dumb, and the Renunciation of Satan, pronounced by The Catechumen after being Anointed with The Oil of Catechumens. He then recited the Symbol, a proceeding known as "the Rendering of The Symbol". We discover these Rites, again, in the present Ceremonies of Baptism, following those that took place at The Third Scrutiny.]
At night, was held the Watch, or Solemn Vigil of Easter, towards the end of which, before daybreak, The Catechumens plunged in the Water of The Baptistry and were, so to speak, buried with Jesus; and, at the very hour at which Christ rose Triumphantly from The Sepulchre, they were born to The Life of Grace.
Later, The Great Ceremonies were Anticipated, being held first in the evening, and, subsequently, in the morning of Holy Saturday. They reveal a sudden change from sorrow to joy, and disclose certain anomalies which this notice helps to explain.
English: The Lateran Palace (on the Left) beside the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
Deutsch: Das Bild zeigt den Lateranspalast und das Seitenportal der Lateransbasilika
von der Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano aus.
Photo: September 2004.
Source: Own work.
THE BLESSING OF THE NEW FIRE.
The Church, Blessing, as she does, all elements of which she makes use for Divine Worship, made a practice of Blessing, every evening, The New Fire that was to provide the Light for The Office of Vespers. The Liturgy of Holy Saturday maintains this custom. She also Blesses The Five Grains of Incense, which are to be fixed in The Paschal Candle, the Offering of which to God will thenceforward be accepted as a sweet savour.
At a convenient hour, the Altars are covered with Linen Cloths, but the Candles are not lighted until the beginning of Mass. Meanwhile, fire is struck from a flint, outside the Church, and the coals are kindled. At the end of None, the Priest, Vested in Amice, Alb, Girdle, and Stole, to which he adds, if possible, a Violet Cope, accompanied by his Ministers, with Processional Cross, Holy Water and Incense, goes outside the Church Door, and Blesses The New Fire.
THE BLESSING OF THE PASCHAL CANDLE.
The Celebrant goes up to the Epistle side of the Altar, and the Deacon, giving the Reed to an Acolyte, takes the Book and asks a Blessing of the Priest.
The Deacon then goes to the Lectern, puts down the Book and incenses it. At his Right-Hand, stand the Sub-Deacon, with The Cross, and the Thurifer; at his Left, the two Acolytes, one holding the Reed and the other the vessel containing The Five Blessed Grains of Incense, to be set in The Paschal Candle.
The Cloisters
of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran,
Rome, Italy.
Photo: May 2005.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)
All rise and stand, as at the Gospel, and the Deacon sings the
Exsultet, in which The Church expounds the beautiful symbolic meaning of The Paschal Candle. He sings of the night of happy memory, which witnessed the escape of The Children of Israel from Egypt, conducted by a Pillar of Fire illumined with The Splendour of Christ. When the
Exsultet has been sung, the Deacon fixes The Five Blessed Grains of Incense in The Paschal Candle, in the form of a Cross.
THE PROPHECIES.
After the Blessing of The Paschal Candle, the Deacon lays aside his White Dalmatic and puts on a Violet Stole and Violet Maniple. He then goes to the Celebrant, who, after laying aside his Cope, puts on a Violet Maniple and Violet Chasuble. The Prophecies are then chanted, by the Cantors, without any introduction, while the Priest, standing on the Epistle side of the Altar, reads them in a low voice.
The Reading of The Twelve Prophecies served the object, formerly, of a final Initiation of The Catechumens.
English: Cloisters of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome.
Italiano: Chiostro della Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Roma, Italy.
Photo: October 2005.
(Wikimedia Commons)
THE BLESSING OF THE FONT.
In earlier times, the Clergy, at this point, went to The Baptistry of The Lateran, where The Sovereign Pontiff Blessed, by virtue of The Cross, the water that was to be used for the Baptism. The Paschal Candle, which he dipped three times into it, recalled to mind the incident of The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, whereby He Sanctified the Water and imparted to it the Power of Regeneration.
The Catechumens were then questioned, for the last time, on the Creed, were Baptised and then Confirmed, and the White Garments, in which they were then clothed, became The Mystical Robe which entitled them to sit at The Holy Table and make their First Communion.
At the end of The Reading of The Prophecies, if there is a Baptismal Font in the Church, the Priest, who is about to Bless it, puts on a Violet Cope and, preceded by The Processional Cross, the Candelabra and The Lighted Blessed Candle, goes to The Font with his Ministers and the Clergy, while The Tract is sung.
THE LITANY OF THE SAINTS.
As the Priest and his Ministers return to the Altar, after The Blessing of The Font, two Cantors begin to sing The Litany of The Saints.
At the Invocation, Peccatores, te rogamus, audi nos, the Priest and his Ministers go into The Sacristy, where they Vest in White Vestments for The Solemn Celebration of Mass. Meanwhile, the Candles are lighted on the Altar.
English: Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome.
With its length of 400 feet, this Basilica ranks fifteenth among the largest Churches in the world.
Français: Basilique Saint-Jean-de-Latran, Vatican, située à Rome, Latium, Italie. Avec sa longueur de 121,84 mètres, cette Basilique se classe au 15è rang parmi les plus grandes églises au monde.
Photo: September 2010.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)
During the singing of The Litany of The Saints, the Neophytes re-entered the Church, and The Mass was begun, which inaugurated The Solemn Services of Easter (Secret). This Celebrates The Glory of The Risen Christ (Gospel), and that of the Souls who, through Baptism, have entered on a New Life, a pledge of their future resurrection (Epistle, Collect, Hanc igitur). Hence, the joyful Alleluia that is sung, the pealing of the Organ and the ringing of the Bells.
The Vespers, which follow The Communion, remind us of The Holy Women, who were the first to realise The Great Mystery of The Resurrection.
Let us show our gratitude to God for The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and The Holy Eucharist, which have made it possible for us to pass, with Jesus, from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace.
Photo: October 2005.
(Wikimedia Commons)
At the end of The Litany of The Saints, the Cantors sing the Solemn
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison, each Invocation being repeated thrice. Meanwhile, the Priest, attended by his Ministers, all in White Vestments, goes to the Altar, recites the
Judica me, adding the
Gloria Patri, and makes the Confession in the usual way. Then, ascending the steps, he kisses the Altar, incenses it, and, as soon as the Choir have finished the
Kyrie eleison, he intones the
Gloria in Excelsis Deo; the Organ is played and the Bells are rung.
During The Mass, the Agnus Dei is omitted and, instead of a Communion Antiphon, the Choir sings Vespers.
During Vespers, the Chapter, Hymn and Verse are omitted.
During the Magnificat, the Altar is incensed, as at Solemn Vespers.
Česky: Socha Sv. Jana Menšího z dílny Angela de' Rossiho z
Photo: April 2011.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)
At The Dismissal, at the end of Mass, the Deacon, turning towards the people, says: "Ite Missa est, alleluia, alleluia". This double alleluia is added to the Ite Missa est until Easter Saturday, inclusive.
The Mass ends, as usual, with the "Placeat", The Blessing, and The Last Gospel.
