prescribed by the Church; accordingly we
do not use it in the same fashion as it was ordered under the Old
Law. It has reference to two things: first, to the reverence due to
this sacrament, i.e. in order by its good odor, to remove any
disagreeable smell that may be about the place; secondly, it serves
to show the effect of grace, wherewith Christ was filled as with a
good odor, according to Gen. 27:27: "Behold, the odor of my son is
like the odor of a ripe field"; and from Christ it spreads to the
faithful by the work of His ministers, according to 2 Cor. 2:14: "He
manifesteth the odor of his knowledge by us in every place"; and
therefore when the altar which represents Christ, has been incensed
on every side, then all are incensed in their proper order.

Reply Obj. 3: The priest, in celebrating the mass, makes use of the
sign of the cross to signify Christ's Passion which was ended upon
the cross. Now, Christ's Passion was accomplished in certain stages.
First of all there was Christ's betrayal, which was the work of God,
of Judas, and of the Jews; and this is signified by the triple sign
of the cross at the words, "These gifts, these presents, these holy
unspotted sacrifices."

Secondly, there was the selling of Christ. Now he was sold to the
Priests, to the Scribes, and to the Pharisees: and to signify this
the threefold sign of the cross is repeated, at the words, "blessed,
enrolled, ratified." Or again, to signify the price for which He was
sold, viz. thirty pence. And a double cross is added at the
words--"that it may become to us the Body and the Blood," etc., to
signify the person of Judas the seller, and of Christ Who was sold.

Thirdly, there was the foreshadowing of the Passion at the last
supper. To denote this, in the third place, two crosses are made, one
in consecrating the body, the other in consecrating the blood; each
time while saying, "He blessed."

Fourthly, there was Christ's Passion itself. And so in order to
represent His five wounds, in the fourth place, there is a fivefold
signing of the cross at the words, "a pure Victim, a holy Victim, a
spotless Victim, the holy bread of eternal life, and the cup of
everlasting salvation."

Fifthly, the outstretching of Christ's body, and the shedding of the
blood, and the fruits of the Passion, are signified by the triple
signing of the cross at the words, "as many as shall receive the body
and blood, may be filled with every blessing," etc.

Sixt