…how the Alleluia acclamation arose?
Among the temperate outbursts of joy that mark the ceremony of the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, one stands out for its candid and solemn effusiveness. It is the announcement of Easter, a moment in which the deacon, addressing the celebrant, makes a proclamation whose final word – silent throughout Lent and then frequently repeated throughout the Liturgical Year – seems to concentrate the joy that pervades the souls of the faithful at Christ’s victory over sin and death: “Most reverend father, I bring you a message of great joy: the message of Alleluia!” But do you know the meaning of this word and why it is used in the Sacred Liturgy?
The word alleluia comes from the Hebrew expression hallelu Yah, which means praise the Lord. Originally used in Israelite worship, the Holy Church assimilated it, considering it an acclamation of triumph, a cry of joy.
Its liturgical use arose in the East, more precisely in Alexandria, with its archbishops St. Athanasius and St. Cyril. Its introduction to the western world is probably due to Pope St. Damasus, at the behest of St. Jerome. At first it was used only on Easter Day, but in the 5th century it was extended to the entire Easter Season and, later, by order of Pope St. Gregory the Great, to Masses throughout the year, except those of Lent and other penitential days. ◊
…that the corporal should be made of white linen?
St. John tells us in his Gospel that, after the death of Our Lord, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus “took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices” (Jn 19:40). In fact, it was customary among the Jews to wrap bodies in linen cloths and anoint them with aromatic substances before laying them in the tomb.
In honour of the care, concern and reverence that these two disciples had for the Body of the Lord, the Holy Church determined that pieces of pure linen should always be used for the making of all sacred cloths intended directly for the service of the altar, such as, for example, the corporal.
As one of the most long-standing accoutrements used in the Holy Mass, the corporal is a square piece of linen with a cross embroidered near the edge, on which to rest the sacred vessels containing the Eucharist. It thus symbolizes a new shroud, destined to protect the Body of our Redeemer, no longer in the tomb, but during the bloodless renewal of the Sacrifice of Calvary.
In the early days of the Church, the corporal was larger than those currently used – so large that two deacons were needed to spread it over the altar. One of its ends was even used to cover the mouth of the chalice, a custom later replaced by the use of the pall.
The white colour of the corporal symbolizes the state of grace of those who approach the altar, an indispensable condition for receiving Communion. ◊
