Every society or human group naturally seeks to dress in a manner that defines and differentiates it. We can consider, for example, the traditional costumes of many regions of Europe, whose variety still surprises us today. We can also call to mind the attire associated with certain professions, such as the judge’s robes, or the chef’s hat, which, though a somewhat impractical “burden”, unmistakably identifies the role of the one wearing it.
Clothing has, therefore, a symbolic dimension that surpasses its merely practical function. More than just covering and protecting the body, clothing reveals something of the state, style and mentality of the wearer.
Thus, the white of the wedding dress represents the virginity of the bride, while its rich adornments emphasize the importance of the marriage vow, blessed by God as a Sacrament. The coarse tunic and rough cord of the Franciscans bring to mind their mystical marriage with “Lady Poverty”, while the vivid red of the cardinal’s soutane symbolizes the lofty dignity of a member of the Sacred College and evokes his disposition to shed his very blood, if necessary, for the Supreme Pontiff.
The priestly vestments: “Clothe yourself with Christ”
This symbolism, which can be observed in daily life, is even more evident in the Liturgy, especially in the Eucharistic Celebration.
At his ordination, the priest is clothed with Christ, and this fact is represented anew in each Holy Mass. Just as Pope Benedict XVI stressed in the Chrism Mass of April 5, 2007, to put on the liturgical vestments is to enter ever anew “into the ‘it is no longer I’ of Baptism, which ordination to the priesthood gives to us in a new way and at the same time asks of us. The fact that we are at the altar, clad in liturgical vestments, makes it clearly visible to those present that we are there ‘in the person of an Other’.
Having shown that priestly vestments are a profound symbolic expression of what the priesthood means, the Pope continued: “I would like to explain to you then, dear Confreres, on this Holy Thursday, the essence of the priestly ministry, interpreting the liturgical vestments themselves; which are intended to illustrate precisely what “putting on Christ”, what speaking and acting in persona Christi, mean.”
By means of the Pope’s explanations, we can better understand the different vestments used by the priest in Mass.
The heart’s gaze must be directed toward the Lord
After washing his hands, asking God to “cleanse them of every stain,” the priest places the amice around his neck and over his shoulders, praying: “Place, O Lord, on my head the helmet of salvation, that so I may resist the assaults of the devil.”
The name of this vestment comes from the Latin amictus (cover or veil) and its origin dates back to the seventh century. Regarding its symbolism, in the same homily, Benedict XVI commented: “In the past—and in monastic orders still today—it was first placed on the head as a sort of hood, thus becoming a symbol of the discipline over the senses and the thoughts necessary for a proper celebration of Holy Mass.”
Following this, the Pope gave concrete examples of this “discipline of the senses and of thought,” which the priest should maintain during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice: “The thoughts should not wander after the preoccupations and plans of daily life; the senses must not be drawn by what there, inside the church, might accidentally captivate the eyes and ears. My heart must open itself with docility to the Word of God and be recollected in the prayer of the Church, so that my thought may receive its orientation from the words of the proclamation and of prayer, and the gaze of my heart must be turned toward the Lord who is in our midst…”
The alb: reminder of the garment of light received in Baptism
During the first centuries of Christianity, the clothing of ecclesiastics was identical to that of the laity. At the height of religious persecution, prudence dictated that they avoid any sign that would announce to the government agents their “crime” of belonging to the Church and adoring the one true God, an infraction punished by death in that epoch.
However, in the sixth century, a complete transformation took place in the clothing of the laity. While the Roman people, influenced by the barbarians that had invaded the Empire, adopted the short attire of the Germans, the Church maintained the Latin use of long vestments, which became the distinctive dress of the clergy and gradually became reserved solely for sacred acts.
This is how the alb—a white tunic for the clergy—came into being. It is the liturgical garb of priests and deacons, but subordinate ministers can also wear it with the authorization of a due ecclesiastical authority. As he puts it on, the priest prays: “Make me white, O Lord, and cleanse my heart; that being made white in the Blood of the Lamb I may deserve an eternal reward.”
This prayer alludes to the passage from Revelation: the one hundred and forty-four thousand elect “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14). The alb also evokes the festive dress that the prodigal son received from his father when he returned dirty and ragged to the paternal home, as well as the garment of light received in Baptism and renewed in priestly ordination.
In the same homily, the Pope explains the need to ask God for this purification: “When we approach the liturgy to act in the person of Christ, we all realize how distant we are from him; how much uncleanness there is in our lives.”
The cincture of purity and the stole of spiritual authority
Once dressed in the alb, the priest girds himself with the cincture, a cord either white or the colour of the vestments; a symbol of chastity and the fight against the disordered passions. As he fastens the cincture, the minister of God offers Him this prayer: “Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me.”
After this, he puts on the stole, a sash of the same material and colour as the chasuble, adorned with three crosses: one in the middle and the other two on the ends. The stole signifies the spiritual authority of the priest as well as symbolizing the yoke of the Lord, which he should shoulder with courage, and by which he is to regain immortality. The priest places it over his shoulders, so that the middle is positioned behind his neck and the stole runs in two parallel lines down the front where its ends are tucked under the cincture, while he prays: “Restore to me, O Lord, the state of immortality which I lost through the sin of my first parents and, although unworthy to approach Thy Sacred Mysteries, may I deserve nevertheless eternal joy.”
The yoke of the Lord, symbolised by the chasuble
Finally, he vests himself with the chasuble, which completes the attire proper to the celebration of the Holy Mass. The prayer while putting it on also makes reference to the yoke of the Lord, but recalls that it is light for whoever carries it with dignity: “O Lord, who has said, ‘My yoke is sweet and My burden light,’ grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace.”
In this regard, the Holy Father teaches us: “Taking the Lord’s yoke upon us means first of all learning from him. It means always being ready to attend his school. From him, we must learn gentleness and meekness: the humility of God, which reveals itself in his being a man. […] His yoke is that of loving with him. And the more we love and become with him a loving people, the lighter becomes his seemingly heavy yoke.”
The liturgical colours
Everything in the Liturgy of the Church is rich in symbolism. This can also be noted in the colours of the sacred vestments, which vary according to the liturgical time of year and the commemorations of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints. There are four basic liturgical colours: white, red, green and purple. In addition to these, there are four other optional colours, which can be used in special circumstances: gold, rose, blue and black.
White symbolises purity and is used at Christmas and Easter, as well as for the feasts of Our Lord Jesus Christ (except those of the Passion), of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and of those Saints who were not martyrs.
Red, the symbol of the flame of charity, is used in the celebrations of the Passion of Our Lord, on Pentecost Sunday, the feasts of the Apostles and Evangelists, and in the celebrations of the Martyrs.
Green, sign of hope, is used for the greater portion of the year, the period called Ordinary Time.
The Church reserves purple, the colour of penance, for the periods of Advent and Lent. There are two exceptions, which correspond to the two intervals of joy in the penitential seasons: on the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Lent, the celebrant may wear rose-coloured vestments.
For solemn occasions, gold may be used in place of white, red or green. In some countries, blue vestments are allowed in the celebrations in honour of Our Lady. Moreover, in the Masses for the faithful departed, the celebrant may chose between purple and black.
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Clothed in this way, according to the wise dictates of Holy Church, the priest ascends to the altar for the Sacred Banquet, making it clear to everyone, as well as himself, that he is acting in the person of an Other, namely Our Lord Jesus Christ. ◊
