Ceremonies continued
Then the Bishop goes to the door of the church, and makes the sign of the cross on the upper part of the door with his crozier, and again on the whole lower part.
Let the invincible cross be placed on the threshold; and let the
doorposts on both sides be sealed with the inscription of thy grace;
and through the multiplicity of thy mercy, for the visitors of this
house let there be peace with abundance, sobriety with modesty, and
an overflowing with mercy. Let all restlessness and calamity depart
far away. Let poverty, pestilence, disease, sickness, and the
assault of evil spirits depart by thy ever present visitation, so
that thy grace, poured into this place of visitation, may run
throughout its extended boundaries and halls; and through all its
corners and recesses let it be a purification through the washing of
this stream, so that always in this place there may be joy of quiet,
grace of hospitality, abundance of fruit, reverence of religion, and
plenteousness of salvation. And, where thy holy name is invoked, let
follow an overflowing of all goodness, and let flee far away the
trial of evils; and let us be worthy to have with us the angel of
peace, chastity, charity, and truth, who may always guard, protect,
and defend us from all evils. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy
Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen.
He then returns to the place where the water was blessed, and standing facing the main altar, he says:
Beloved brothers, we humbly beseech God the Father almighty, in whose house there are many mansions, that He vouchsafe to bless and preserve this house through this sprinkling of water mixed with wine, salt, and ashes. Through our Lord Jesus Christ His Son, who with Him lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
After this the Bishop proceeds to the altar; and with the schola, begins the following antiphon, repeating the antiphon between each verse of Psalm 42, as needed:
Consecration of the Altar
I will go in to the altar of God: to God who giveth joy to my youth.
Psalm 42
Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is
not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.
For thou
art God my strength: why hast thou cast me off?
And why do I go
sorrowful whilst the enemy afflicteth me?
Send forth thy light
and thy truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto thy holy
hill, and into thy tabernacles.
And I will go in to the altar of
God: to God who giveth joy to my youth.
To thee, O God my God, I
will give praise upon the harp: why art thou sad,
O my soul? And
why dost thou disquiet me?
Hope in God, for I will still give
praise to him: the salvation of my countenance, and my God.
Intoning the beginning of the antiphon, the Bishop blesses himself with the Gregorian water and makes the sign of the cross in the middle cross of the altar, saying:
Let this altar be sanctified to the honor of God almighty, of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, and to the name and memory of Saints Auxilius, Casta and Aucta. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Peace be unto thee.
Then he does the same with the water on the crosses on the four corners of the altar. Sanctificetur hoc altare etc. He makes the first cross on the right rear side of the altar, that is where the gospel is said, the second on the left part before the first transverse, the third on the opposite side and the fourth on the left rear transverse, in this manner:
Let us pray.
Let us kneel. R. Arise.
That singular atoning offered on the altar of the cross for redeeming us, in prefiguration of which Patriarch Jacob erected a stone in pledge, in order that a sacrifice be made and an oracle of the gate of heaven be opened above it; as supplicants to Thee, Lord, we pour out our prayers, so that the polished material of this stone, to be imbued with the supernal sacrifices, Thou Thyself command to be endowed with the fruitfulness of Thy sanctification, who once wrote the law on stony tablets. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
The prayer finished, the Bishop sprinkles the altar table seven times.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, O Lord, and I shall be cleansed: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.
And
according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my
iniquity.
Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from
my sin.
Meanwhile the Bishop goes around the altar, sprinkling it. Finishing the verses, the Bishop begins the second antiphon:
Thou shalt sprinkle me....
For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
To
thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee:
that
thou mayst be justified in thy words, and mayst overcome when thou
art judged.
For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in
sins did my mother conceive me.
Meanwhile the Bishop goes around the altar, sprinkling it. Finishing the verses, the Bishop begins the third antiphon:
Thou shalt sprinkle me....
For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.
Meanwhile the Bishop goes around the altar, sprinkling it. Finishing the verses, the Bishop begins the fourth antiphon:
Thou shalt sprinkle me....
Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.
Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Meanwhile the Bishop goes around the altar, sprinkling it. Finishing the verses, the Bishop begins the fifth antiphon.
Thou shalt sprinkle me....
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.
I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.
Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice.
Meanwhile the Bishop goes around the altar, sprinkling it. Finishing the verses, the Bishop begins the sixth antiphon:
Thou shalt sprinkle me....
O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.
For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it:
with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.
A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.>
Meanwhile the Bishop goes around the altar, sprinkling it. Finishing the verses, the Bishop begins the seventh antiphon.
Thou shalt sprinkle me....
Deal favorably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion;
that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.
Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings:
then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.
Meanwhile the Bishop goes around a seventh time, sprinkling.