Why does the priest wear the chasuble during only part of the service?
August 2, 2008
Q: I noticed that Father Chip has one of his vestments hanging over the altar rail at the beginning of the service. He puts it on later in the service, then removes it before the end and hangs it back on the altar rail. Why?
A: As with nearly all of our ancient Faith practice, we’re formed by the things we see. Those visual clues—the silent sermons—in the liturgy, the altar, its adornments, the sacred vessels, and the vestments assist us in growing our Faith and relationship to our Lord. Not surprisingly, then, there is a silent sermon with donning the chasuble, as well.
The most conspicuous garment worn by the priest during Mass is the chasuble, or outer vestment, from the Latin casuala, meaning “small house.” The beauty and dignity of this most visible Eucharistic vestment is essential in a properly ordered liturgy. When a new priest receives the chasuble at his ordination, the bishop exclaims to him, “Receive the sacerdotal (sacred and priestly) garment, for the Lord is powerful to increase in you charity (love) and perfection (holiness, completion).” The chasuble literally and symbolically overlays all the other vestments—as all other virtues begin with and rely on the supreme virtue of charity—God’s unchanging love that can make us all complete in Him.
Father Chip dons this last and most comprehensive vestment to signal the holiest work at the altar is about to begin. In ancient times, it heralded the end of the Mass of the Catechumens—also called the ante-communion—that part of the service those being trained for confirmation (catechumens) were allowed to worship in. When the chasuble was donned, it silently instructed the catechumens to depart while calling those who had been confirmed—the faithful—to prepare for the Canon (standard) of the Mass—the consecration of the Body and Blood of our Lord to be distributed to His people.
The silent sermon here reminds us all we are allowed to the Holy Table only by God’s Grace and partake of it unworthily at great peril. It tasks us to examen, confession, and submission to our Lord before celebrating His one sacrifice and taking His nature for ours. It also reminds us of our baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire—and our immersion by that inward and spiritual grace in the Lord Himself.
Once the Canon of the Mass ends and we have taken upon us Christ’s nature through the Sacraments, Father Chip removes the chasuble as the signal that we are now ready to be sent into the World to carry God’s Grace and to demonstrate our lives in Him to the World.
Removing the outer garment preaches to us that we are open to the world’s inspection and are ready to work in the fields for the Kingdom. The ancient Church underscored this in the dismissal when they used the Latin “Ite, missa est,” meaning “Go, you are sent,” referring to our work continuing the work of the Apostles—carrying the Good News to the World around us!
Thanks for asking!
You can learn more about the clergy and altar vestments in the Altar Guild Manual (in the Members area) and in Chapter IV of Plain Suggestions for a Reverent Celebration of the Holy Communion.
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[...] Today’s liturgy lesson is taken from Anglican Answers: Why does the priest wear the chasuble during only part of the service? [...]