Things a Catholic Priest Uses for Mass
- The chalice is used during the communion ceremony during Catholic mass. According to Catholic law, at least the bowl of the chalice must be made from gold or silver. Exceptions are made in poor communities. In such cases, pewter is the suggested metal. Considered one of the "sacred vessels," it represents the cup that Jesus invited the apostles to drink from at the last supper. The priest recites a prayer during the communion portion of the mass while holding up the chalice.
- The eucharist is also part of the communion ceremony. A circular wafer, the eucharist represents the body of Christ. It symbolizes the bread that Jesus broke with the apostles during the last supper. During a Catholic mass, the priest also holds up one eucharist and recites from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 22.
During communion process, each parishioner receives a eucharist. There is some debate as to whether the eucharist should be placed directly on the tongue by the priest or eucharistic minister, or whether it should be placed in the palm of the hand. If you attend a Catholic mass, both may occur. - Incense is used at the beginning and end of mass and is either carried by the priest or by an altar boy. The use of incense in a Catholic mass is first mentioned in the liturgies of Ss. James and the apostle Mark. Though they lived during an earlier time, the writings mentioning incense are from the 5th century. Incense is meant to keep demons and negative spirits away. The spreading of the scent is also meant to provide a purification to the church. The type of incense used during the mass varies by church. Some choose to use Frankincense or Myrrh, which were two of the original gifts bestowed to the baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men. Other parishes use a combination of resinous gums blended with spices and perfumes.
- The apersory refers to a bucket of Holy water that is carried by the priest at the beginning of mass. The apergillum is the rod that is dipped into the water and then sprinkled upon the parishioners as the priest passes by at the beginning of mass. The sprinkling of the water is meant to purify the people attending mass. Additionally, at the front of Catholic churches there is also a stoup that contains a small amount of Holy water. Parishioners are invited to dip their hand in the water and bless themselves.