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have committed, they then confess them in turn to
God, the blessed Virgin, Saint Michael, Saint John
the Baptist, the holy Apostles, Peter and Paul. These
heavenly witnesses become their intercessors with God,
and through their intercession priest and assistants
trust to obtain forgiveness. Confiteor Misereatur.
The prayer ends with invocations to God who gives
life and salvation, Deus tu conversus, etc.
Fortified by this assurance, the priest ascends the
altar reciting two prayers in a low voice. But,
let it
be noted that in these prayers he uses the plural, Aufer
a no bis ; mereamur ; Oramus te. And henceforth when
ever he addresses God in secret he uses this form 1
.
In the prayer, Aufer a nobis, he again asks forgive
ness. In the second prayer he implores God to grant
this through the merits of the saints, whose relics,
enclosed in the altar stone, he venerates at the
same time. This stone is symbolic of Jesus Christ
Himself. To render Him homage the priest for the
first time incenses the altar (without prayer), no doubt
in remembrance of the numerous incensings on the day
of its consecration. The use of incense is very ancient
in the Church ; there are proofs that it was used as early as
the fourth century. It symbolizes, at one and the same
time, the prayer which ascends to God like sweet-smel-
ing smoke, the homage of adoration rendered to the
Lord, and lastly, recognition of His supreme domi
nion. This rite ended, the priest recites the Introit
which has been already sung by the choir, and repeats
alternately with the server, the Greek invocations,
Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison and then
usually intones the Gloria in excelsis, a canticle of joy,
1 With only one or two exceptions.