Customary of Grace Church

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THE RITE

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1. Rite II is used.

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2. The Opening Acclamation and Collect for Purity are omitted.

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3. The Gloria may be used on Major Feasts.

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4. A responsorial psalm follows the first lesson.

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5. There is usually no homily given on weekdays, though on a feast day the biography may be read from Lesser Feasts and Fasts or Holy Women, Holy Men.

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6. The Creed may be said on Major Feasts.

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7. Eucharistic Prayer B is used from Advent Sunday to the First Sunday after Epiphany.  Eucharistic Prayer A is used during Lent and Easter.  Eucharistic Prayers A and B are used interchangeably during ordinary time. Eucharistic Prayer C is not used.

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8. Proper postcommunion prayers from the post-Conciliar Missale Romanum, translated in the style of the Prayer Book's contemporary collects, are used in place of the Prayer Book's fixed postcommunion prayers.

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THE CEREMONIES OF THE RITE

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The Preparations

• The Altar Book is placed on its stand on the epistle side of the altar.

• On the ambo is placed a weekday leaflet, the weekday lectionary or the readings for feast days, and the diptychs.

• The following items are placed on the credence:

• The veiled chalice and paten toward the front-left of the credence

• The lavabo bowl and towel (to the right of the veiled chalice and paten)

• The wine and water cruets (to the right, behind the lavabo bowl and towel)

• Behind the veiled chalice and paten are a glass of water and hand sanitizer

 

The Entrance Rite

• The celebrant may say the Collect for Purity in preparation.

• The celebrant enters through the North Porch and on passing through the rail reverences the altar.

• The celebrant ascends the step and kisses the altar. [The Gloria may be said at the midst of the altar facing East on Major Feasts.]

• The celebrant, turning west and extending hands, says "The Lord be with you." 

• The celebrant moves to the epistle side of the altar, says “Let us pray,” and then says the Collect of the Day.

• The celebrant moves to the midst of the altar and bows.

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The Liturgy of the Word

• The celebrant [or server on Sundays] goes to the ambo and reads the first lesson.

• The celebrant [or server on Sundays] begins the psalm by first saying the antiphon, then leading the people in repeating the antiphon.  The antiphon is repeated as indicated. If there is a second reading [as on a Major Feast or Sundays], it is read at this time.

• The celebrant announces the Gospel, and signs the text and then signs his forehead, lips, and breast.

• At the conclusion of the Gospel, the celebrant kisses the text.

• A homily is normally not given, though a biography from Lesser Feasts and Fasts or Holy Women, Holy Men may be read in its place. These are included in the binder of feast day readings.

• [The Creed may be said on Major Feasts, at the midst of the altar, bowing the head at “Jesus Christ” and bowing profoundly at “by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was made man.”]

• The celebrant leads the Prayers of the People from the ambo, extending his hands to sing the concluding collect.

• [During Advent and Lent the celebrant may lead the Confession of Sin and pronounce the absolution.]

• The celebrant goes to the altar rail and says “The peace of the Lord be always with you,” and then may exchange the Peace with those nearby. The people exchange the Peace.

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The Liturgy of the Eucharist

• The celebrant may make brief announcements, then recites an offertory sentence.

• The celebrant ascends to the altar and bows.

• If there is not a server:

  • The celebrant moves the altar book from the epistle side to the gospel side of the altar, then goes to the credence table, takes the veiled chalice and paten to the altar, and places near the front edge of the altar just to the right of the cross.

  • The celebrant removes the corporal from the burse, spreads it on the altar, and places the burse upright on the altar.  

  • The celebrant removes the veil, folds it, and places it flat on the altar in front of the chalice and paten.

  • The celebrant places the pall aside, and removes the paten and purificator from the chalice.

  • The celebrant takes the paten and chalice to the credence, [may at this time use the hand sanitizer], places enough bread in the paten (4-6 people may commune from each host), and pours wine into the chalice; a small amount of water is poured into the chalice.  

  • The celebrant places the paten and chalice on the corporal. [There is no elevation at this time.]

  • The celebrant sets the altar book.

  • The celebrant goes to the credence, pours water into the lavabo, and administers the lavabo himself.

 

• If there is a server:​

  • The celebrant moves the altar book from the epistle side to the gospel side of the altar. The server goes to the credence table, takes the veiled chalice and paten to the altar, and places near the front edge of the altar just to the right of the cross

  • The celebrant removes the corporal from the burse, spreads it on the altar, and places the burse upright on the altar.  

  • The celebrant removes the veil, folds it, and places it flat on the altar in front of the chalice and paten.

  • The celebrant places the pall aside, and removes the paten and purificator from the chalice.

  • Meanwhile, the server brings the bread box to the celebrant, who places enough bread in the paten (4-6 people may commune from each host). The server then replaces the bread box and brings the wine and water to the celebrant, who pours wine into the chalice, and then a little water.  The celebrant places the paten and chalice on the corporal.  [There is no elevation at this time.]

  • Meanwhile, the server returns the wine to the credence, picks up the lavabo in the left hand (with the towel draped over the wrist) and the water cruet in the right.  The server pours water over the fingers of the celebrant, and then returns everything to the credence.

  • The celebrant turns east for a moment, while the server goes to his/her place.

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• The celebrant turns west for the Sursum Corda, then turns east for the preface.

• The celebrant recites the Eucharistic Prayer with hands extended, except as otherwise noted:

• He joins his hands for the Sanctus.

• As he begins the institution narrative, he joins his hands.

• At the words concerning the bread, he takes a large host (or the paten) into his hands and holds it slightly raised above the altar.

• He does not elevate the host or genuflect.

• At the words concerning the cup he takes the chalice with both hands and holds it slightly raised above the altar.

• He does not elevate the chalice or genuflect.

• At the epiclesis he stretches his hands over the gifts. He makes the sign of the cross over the gifts at the words "Body and Blood."

• He (and all) make the sign of the cross on themselves at "sanctify us also" (in Prayer A), "being sanctified by the Holy Spirit" (in Prayer B), and "your Holy Spirit may descend upon us" (in Prayer D).

• During the concluding doxology and "Amen" he elevates the bread and wine both high enough to make the gesture clearly visible to the congregation. [If there is a server, the bell is rung thrice.]

• After the "Amen" has been sung, the celebrant genuflects. 

• The celebrant says the introduction to the Lord's Prayer with hands joined. He extends his hands for the prayer itself.

• He proceeds to break the bread. Silence is kept for a moment. Then he says the Pascha nostrum.

• The celebrant, holding the host and chalice, turns west and says, “The Gifts of God for the People of God” (not the extended form). [If there is a server, the bell is rung once.]

• The celebrant turns back to the altar and communicates himself. [Then he communicates the server.]

• The people do not intinct themselves.  If any have retained the host in their hands, the priest intincts the host and then places it on the tongue of that person.

• After communicating the people, the celebrant returns to the altar and consumes what remains of the consecrated gifts.

• If there is a server: The server approaches with water and pours it over the celebrants fingers into the chalice and the celebrant consumes the water.  After the celebrant has reassembled the stack, the server takes it to the credence and is then seated.

• If there is no server: The celebrant takes the chalice to the credence, pours in a little water, then drinks the water.  Returning to the altar with the chalice, the celebrant reassembles the stack, then takes it to the credence.  The celebrant washes his fingers in the lavabo.

• The celebrant returns to the midst of the altar, moving the book in front of himself, and then says “Let us pray.”  The celebrant says the proper postcommunion prayer (marked with a tab in the back of the altar book) with hands extended, then closes the book.

• The celebrant turns west (may say the Blessing) and says the Dismissal. In Lent, when a Prayer Over the People, preceded by the bidding, "Bow down before the Lord," replaces the usual blessing, the ministers and people bow profoundly for this prayer, rising for the dismissal.

• The celebrant turns east and kisses the altar, descends to the step to the altar, then turns east again to bow, then proceeds through the altar rails.