Position of the subdeacon

[eelpis]

During the canon the subdeacon holds the paten with the humeral veil before his eyes. Why this position-what’s the meaning and the symbolism ?

 

[AJV]

From the ceremony at the old Papal Masses as can be read at a blog of one of our poster’s (link).

When the Pope began the Canon, an Acolyte came near, having a linen cloth thrown around his neck, and held the Paten before his breast on the right side until the middle of the Canon. The Subdeacon-Attendant then holds it with his hands covered by the planeta*, comes before the Altar, and waits there with it until the District-Subdeacon takes it from him. At the end of the Canon, the District-Subdeacon stands behind the Archdeacon with the paten.*

From here, it passed into the bishop’s Mass and with a little decorous pruning into the High Mass.

As for mystical explanations, it really depends on which exposition you take. The veiling (and unveiling) of the paten can represent:
-the mysteries hidden fromthe sight of the unbelieving and later revealed.

• the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt where they stayed hidden
• Jesus and his disciples withdrawing into a lonely place, or into the Garden of Gethsemane or celebrating the Last Supper in an upper room
• the divinity of Christ hidden and shrouded by humanityeither during the Passion (when the explanation is wholly Passion based) or for most of his life (when it is a Vita Christi, Life of Christ)
• the disciples hiding until after the resurrection

and so forth