liturgical question

[Sarah_Martin]

Our parish priest always omits the following words after the sign of peace at Mass:
“May this mingling of the Body & Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” By this omission is the Mass illicit or invalid?

 

[japhy]

Our parish priest always omits the following words after the sign of peace at Mass: “May this mingling of the Body & Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” By this omission is the Mass illicit or invalid?

How do you know he is omitting those words? They are dicens secreto (that is, “spoken in private”). The priest says this silently or in a low voice. Not everything the priest says during the Mass is spoken aloud; most of what the priest says at Mass is not even said to us.

If the priest did omit the prayer, it would be an illicit omission, but it does not invalidate the Mass.

 

[Aramis]

Further, in masses with a deacon, the deacon says them.

 

[Phemie]

Further, in masses with a deacon, the deacon says them.

No he doesn’t. You’re thinking about putting water in the wine, she’s talking about putting a piece of the Host in the Precious Blood.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

I’ve never been to a mass when the priest didn’t break the host and put a small portion in the chalice. So if you see him doing that you can safely assume that he is saying the prayer that goes with it.

 

[FrDavid96]

Our parish priest always omits the following words after the sign of peace at Mass:
“May this mingling of the Body & Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” By this omission is the Mass illicit or invalid?

Sarah,

The priest alone says those words and says them quietly. The priest alone performs this “fraction” although he may be assisted by the deacon if necessary. *

Ironically, it is illicit for the priest to say words out loud that are supposed to be said quietly.

It is likewise illicit to omit saying them, but as others have pointed out, the fact that one does not hear them does not mean they aren’t being said quietly. (how’s that for a triple-negative )

Having said that, the fact that they must be said quietly does not necessarily mean that it must be so quiet that no one may hear him (in contrast in the Traditional Mass of 1962 there are times when it is certainly illicit for anyone at all to hear him). But to say them aloud in such a way that they are intended to be heard by everyone, or especially to have everyone else join-in in saying them aloud is illicit.

To answer your question, no it does not render the Mass invalid or illicit.

I would caution some restraint lest we say that “the Mass is illicit” that seems too sweeping a phrase. Perhaps it is better that we say “the act is illicit” when discussing something like this.

• Redemptionis Sacramentum 73

 

[Sarah_Martin]

Fr. David,
Thank you for responding to my question. However, he does not speak the words, nor does he put a piece of host in the Precious Blood.
Sarah

 

[FrDavid96]

Fr. David,
Thank you for responding to my question. However, he does not speak the words, nor does he put a piece of host in the Precious Blood.
Sarah

OK.

1. It does not render the Mass invalid.
2. What you described (and I want to be very careful to repeat “what you described here”) is certainly illicit. The act of omission itself is illicit, but I would not go so far as to say “the Mass is illicit”. I believe that would be something different. I’ll explain if you like.

 

[bpbasilphx]

Omitting this or that ceremony, while it may be illicit, especially if done deliberately, does not make a mass invalid.

Keep in mind there are only four things that make a Mass invalid.

1. Lack of intention to consecrate (or as we say in the East, accomplish the mystery). This is very difficult to prove.
2. Improper matter: to give a silly example, using doritos and lemonade instead of wheat bread and wine.
3. Not being validly ordained a priest. This would exclude deacons, lay people, and so-called woman-priests attempting to confect the Eucharist.
4. Altering the received words of Consecration in such a way as to clearly change their meaning.