ater, and the priest puts some into the chalice. Then he says
a prayer, and offers to God the bread and wine to be consecrated. This
is called the offertory of the Mass, and takes place after the boy
presents the wine and water. Immediately after the Sanctus the priest
begins what is called the Canon of the Mass, and soon after comes to the
time of consecration, and has before him on the paten the white bread,
or host, and in the chalice wine. Remember, it is only bread and wine as
yet. After saying some prayers the priest bends down over the altar and
pronounces the words of consecration, namely, "This is My body," over
the bread; and "This is My blood," over the wine. Then there is no
longer the bread the priest brought out and the wine the boy gave, upon
the altar, but instead of both the body and blood of Our Lord. After the
words of consecration, the priest genuflects or kneels before the altar
to adore Our Lord, who just came there at the words of consecration; he
next holds up the body of Our Lord--the Host--for the people also to see
and adore it; he then replaces it on the altar and again genuflects. He
does just the same with the chalice. This is called the Elevation. The
altar boy then rings the bell to call the people's attention to it, for
it is the most solemn part of the Mass. After more prayers the priest
takes and consumes, that is, swallows, the sacred Host and drinks the
precious blood from the chalice. Then the people come up to the altar to
receive Holy Communion. But where does the priest get Holy Communion for
them if he himself took all he consecrated? He opens the tabernacle, and
there, in a large, beautiful vessel he has small Hosts. He consecrates a
large number of these small hosts sometimes while he is consecrating the
larger one for himself. When they are consecrated, he places them in the
tabernacle, where they are kept with the sanctuary lamp burning before
them, till at the different Masses they have all been given out to the
people. Then he consecrates others at the next Mass, and does as before.
The size of the Host does not make the slightest difference, as Our Lord
is present whole and entire in the smallest particle of the Host. A
little piece that you could scarcely see would be the body of Our Lord.
However, the particle that is given to the people is about the size of a
twenty-five-cent piece, so that they can swallow it before it melts. In
receiving Holy Communion you must never le