Angelo are discharged, the arms are no longer reversed
and the bells of the city are tolled, to announce to its faithful
inhabitants the resurrection of their Divine Lord.
[Sidenote: Alleluja.]
After the epistle, sung as usual by the subdeacon, another subdeacon
(_Uditore di Rota_) wearing a white _tonacella_ or tunic announces
at the foot of the throne the joyful tidings to His Holiness[124] by
chanting aloud; "_Pater sancte, annuntio vobis gaudium magnum, quod
est, Alleluja_": having then kissed the Pope's foot he returns into
the sacristy. This word of joy[125] _Alleluja_, (praise God) which
had not been once uttered during the long season of mourning which
preceded this solemnity, is now sung thrice by the Celebrant,
gradually raising his voice to a higher tone. The choir reechoes it
each time, singing it in _contrapunto_, and then chants the verse
_Confitemini_, and the tract, which is ordinarily recited in
penitential times. Throughout the mass the joy of the church is
incomplete; for though Christ has risen from the dead, He has not
yet appeared to His disciples, and the light of faith is still
overclouded, as Alcuin remarks: hence lights are not carried at the
gospel; the Creed, offertory, motetto and _Agnus_ _Dei_ are omitted,
and the kiss of peace is not given[126]. Merati adds to the cause
already assigned the wish to abridge service; particularly on account
of the newly-baptised children, who communicated at this mass; and the
unusual shortness of the Vespers confirms this opinion.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147