Ancient Liturgy Series #5 - 14th Century

The fifth worship in a series of Ancient Liturgy Series
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COMMENTARY

The Corpus Christi Mass was introduced in England in the 
14th century. By that time there had been many changes that
had taken place in the liturgy’s performance and in the laity’s
participation in the previous several centuries.

Corpus Christi is the celebration of the “real presence” of
Jesus in the sacrament. By the Middle Ages the mystery and
miracle of bread and wine becoming Jesus flesh had become
the major focus of Christian devotion. In accordance with
that change in focus the laity then rarely received communion
(only on high feast days like Easter) and the consecrated bread
was reverently exposed and displayed to the congregation for
their awe and veneration.

The actual prayers of consecration were said (in Latin) by
the clergy normally behind a screen that separated the crowd
of lay people in the nave from the altar and the sanctuary. The
western Church had become “priest-centered” with laypeople
being mostly observers. The mass said in Latin, the
illiteracy of most laity, the emphasis on mystery and miracle
all conspired to elevate the clergy in the public mind.

While the clergy “said mass”, there was music performed
for the laity by choir and musicians, or special devotions
offered that connected the liturgy to the Crucifixion . . . again
stirring the minds and imaginations of the gathered lay-folk to
an emotional response to Jesus’ passion as it is re-enacted in
the Eucharistic celebration.

The people were bidden to pay attention, and given
instructions as to when to kneel, stand, or sit. The people’s
own devotions followed the structure of the liturgy, and the
most common congregational responses were the “Our
Father”, the “Hail Mary”, and the Gloria in excelsis.
With so much of the ritual in Latin and out of sight, the
space for the people’s attention was replaced by ceremonial.