Latin Mass question?

[Maximilian75]

What is the significance of the lifting of the edge of the vestments of the priest at the Consecration?

 

[choose_to_love]

AFAIK, none. It is a holdover from when some vestments were ornately decorated and legitimately too heavy for the priest to easily lift his arms without assistance - - at least that is what I have heard. Open to correction.

 

[midori]

Some copypasta from a blog—

The Symbolic Purpose of Lifting the Rim of the Chasuble During the Elevations

There are two clues to the symbolic meaning of this ceremony. One comes from the ordination Mass wherein the chasuble is said to signify charity. The second comes from the vesting prayer the priest recites when he puts on the chasuble before Mass wherein the chasuble is referred to as the “yoke of Christ”.

In the ordination Mass, when the bishop bestows the chasuble upon the priest he says: “Receive the priestly vestment, which is signified by charity.” The chasuble, therefore, is a symbol of charity.

At the moment of the elevations, all are called to adore the God-Man, really present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. As those assisting at Mass adore the Blessed Sacrament, a minister at the altar lifts the rim of the chasuble, symbolically signifying that from which all charity flows, namely the God Who dwells among us, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Secondly, when putting on the chasuble before Mass the priest recites this vesting prayer: “O Lord, Who hast said, ‘My yoke is sweet and My burden light,’ grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace. Amen.” Thus, as well as being symbolic of charity, the chasuble is specifically referred to as the “yoke and burden of Christ” in the Church’s rites. When the deacon lifts the rim of the chasuble at the the elevations he symbolically signifies that the God-Man’s “yoke is easy and His burden light” (Matt 11:30) specifically because He dwells among His people in the Eucharist.

These more important symbolic reasons for the ceremony can bear much meditative fruit for those assisting at Mass. For this reason, even though the rubrics do not call for the altar boy to perform the ceremony at low Masses, it is a good and upright custom for the faithful. Because of the rarity of solemn Masses today, if it were not for the custom of the altar boy imitating the ceremony at low Masses the faithful would needlessly be denied the ceremony and the symbolic significance attached to it.

Some people have expressed opinions that they think only people who have undergone ordination-- ie, deacons, perhaps-- and are vested should be the ones to lift the edge of the chasuble. Not acolytes/altar servers. Sort of a unity-of-the-ordained visual going on. But I haven’t read the rubrics, so I don’t know exactly how things are restricted or permitted.

 

[Francis]

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[otjm]

People expressing those opinions obviously did not grow up before Vatican 2. We had no permanent deacons then, and there for sure were not 150 transitional deacons in our archdiocese; nor were most parishes staffed with 2 or more priests; and those which were had only one priest present for each Mass. We had one Solemn High Mass per year; and I seriously doubt that the vast majority of people in the pews had any clue as to any significance of it occurring during the one Solemn High Mass each year.

The altar boys lifted it at daily and weekly Mass.