Abraham in the Catholic Liturgy: Encyclopedia - Abraham in the Catholic Liturgy

Abraham in the Catholic Liturgy

The figure of Abraham plays a prominent part of the Catholic Liturgy.

Three Old Testament figures are given particular prominence in the Roman Catholic liturgy - Abel, Melchisedech and Abraham. This is through their association with the idea of sacrifice which means that they are invoked during the most solemn part of the Canon of the Mass in the Roman rite.

In the Tridentine liturgy, Abraham was used in the Martyrology of 9th October:

(The same day, the memory of S. Abraham Patriarch and Father of all believers).

• (a) In the Tridentine Ordo commendationis animae (Recommendation of a soul departing), the brief litany includes only two Old Testament names:

In the Libera (Deliver, etc.), which follows shortly after, many names of the Old Testament are mentioned, including Abraham, but omitting Abel: "Deliver . . . as thou didst deliver Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans".

• (b) In the Benedictio peregrinorum (Blessing of pilgrims), the second prayer reads: "O God, who didst guide Abraham safely through all the ways of his journey from Ur of the Chaldeans....

• (c) In the Tridentine Breviary on Septuagesima Sunday the readings from Scripture begin with the first verse of Genesis, and the formal narrative of Abraham begins with Quinquagesima Sunday, the lessons ending on Shrove Tuesday with the sacrifice of Melchisedech.

• (d) The Tridentine antiphon to the Magnificat on Passion Sunday is: "Abraham your father rejoiced . . ." (John, viii, 56). Again, the first antiphon of the second nocturn of the Common of Apostles reads: "The princes of the people are gathered together with the God of Abraham". The occurrence of the name in the last verse of the Magnificat itself: "As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever" and in the Benedictus (sixth verse): "The oath which he swore to Abraham our father . . ." make the name of daily occurrence in the Divine Office, as these two Canticles are sung daily the former at Vespers, the latter at Lauds. In the Psaltery, also, recited during every week, the name occurs in Pss., xlvi, 10; civ, 9, 42. See also the third strophe of the hymn Quicumque Christum Quaeritis (Vespers of Transfiguration D. N. J. C. and various Lessons in the Nocturns, e.g. Feria 3a infra Hebd. vi p. Pent., Feria 3a infra oct. Corp. Christi, 2d nocturn).

• (e) In the Tridentine Missal, the third of the twelve lessons called "Prophecies" read on Holy Saturday between the lighting of the Paschal Candle and the Blessing of the Font deals wholly with the sacrifice of Isaac imposed upon Abraham. The lesson (Gen., xxii, 1-19) is, like the others, not only read quietly by the priest at the altar, but also chanted in a loud voice simultaneously by a cleric. The dramatic incidents thus rehearsed must have impressed the catechumens deeply, as is evidenced by the reproduction of the incidents on the walls of catacombs and on sarcophagi. The lesson is followed by a prayer: "O God, the supreme Father of the faithful, who throughout the world didst multiply the children of thy promise . . . and by the paschal mystery dost make Abraham thy servant the father of all nations...."

• (f) Again, in the prayer after the fourth lesson: "O God, grant that the fulness of the whole world may pass over to the children of Abraham...."

• (g) The Epistle of the thirteenth Sun day after Pentecost: "To Abraham were the promises made.... But God gave it to Abraham by promise...." (Gal., iii, 16-22).

• (h) Offertory of the Mass for the Dead: "O Lord . . . may the holy standard-bearer Michael introduce them to the holy light which Thou didst promise of old to Abraham...."

• (i) In the Tridentine Nuptial Mass, the blessing reads: "May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, be with you . . ."

• (j) The prayer in the Canon of the Mass (both Tridentine and modern), when the priest extends his hands over the Consecrated Species: "Accept them, as you accepted the gift of your servant Abel, and the sacrifice of our Father Abraham...." Here the Canon insists on the idea of sacrifice, a fact common to Western and Eastern liturgies, while those of the East, except the Maronite, omit in their epicleses all reference to the typic sacrifices of the Old Testament, and appear concerned with impressing the faithful with the idea rather of sacrament and communion. This is esteemed a fact of capital importance towards a classification of the liturgies.

• (k) In the Tridentine Sequence of Corpus Christi while Abraham is not named, his sacrifice (unbloody, like that of the altar) is commemorated in the lines In figuris praesignatur, Cum Isaac immolatur....

• (l) In one of the Prefaces of the Consecration of an altar the priest reads: "May it have as much grace with Thee as that which Abraham, the father of faith, built when about to sacrifice his son as a figure of our redemption . . ." Again, in the Blessing of a Cemetery (third Prayer) and in connection with Isaac and Jacob (sixth Prayer). Finally, in two of the Prayers for the Blessing and Coronation of a King. The exalted position of Abraham in Sacred History, and the frequent use of his name in invocations etc. in the Old Testament (e. g. Gen. xxviii, 13; xxxii, 9; xlviii, 15,16; Exod., iii, 6,15,16, iv, 5; Tob., vii, 15 etc.), and the continued use thereof by the early Christians (Acts, iii, 13; vii, 32) made his name of frequent occurrence in prayers, exorcisms and even amongst Pagans, ignorant of the significance of the formula "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob" etc., in magical rites and incantations, as Origen testifies.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Catholic Encyclopedia.

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