Sancta Missa - Handbook for Altar Servers

Handbook for Altar Servers

by the Archconfraternity of St. Stephen

Enrollment of Altar Servers

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After the Credo, the candidates will kneel facing the altar, on the floor of the sanctuary. The priest will stand facing them on the predella. Two servers will stand nearby, bearing the medals on a tray and the holy water.

V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

R. Qui fecit coelum et terram.

Who hath made heaven and earth.

Ant. 8g

Blessed are they who dwell in Thy house, O Lord.

Cor meum et caro me-a; exsultaverunt in De-um vi-vum.
Etenim passer invenit sibi do-mum; et turtur nidum sibi ubi ponat pul-los su-os.
Altaria tua, Domine vir-tu-tum: Rex meus, et De-us me-us.
Beati qui habitant in domo tua, Do-mine: in saecula saeculo-rum lau-da-bunt te.
Beatus vir, cujus est auxilium abs te ascensiones in corde suo disposuit, in valle lacri-ma-rum: in lo-co qeum po-suit.
Etenim benedictionem dabit legislator, ibunt de virtute in vir-tu-tem: videbitur Deus deo-rum in Si-on.
Domine Deus virtutum, exaudi orationem me-um: auribus percipe, De-us Ja-cob.
Protector noster aspice De-us: et respice in faciem Chri-sti tu-i.
Quia melior est dies una in atriis tu-is: su-per mi-llia.
Elegi abjectus esse in domo Dei me-i: magis quam habitare in tabernaculis pec-ca-to-rum.
Quia misericordiam et veritatem diligit De-us: gratiam et gloriam da-bit Do-mini.
Non privabit bonis eos, qui ambulant in inno-cen-tia: Domine virtutem, beatus homo qui spe-rat in se.
Gloria Patri et Fi-lio: et Spiri-tu-i Sanc-to.
Sicut erat in pricipio, et nunc, et sem-per: et in saecula saecu-lo-rum. A-men.

How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God.
For the sparrow hath found herself a house, and the turtle a nest for herself where she may lay her young ones.
Thy Altars, O Lord of hosts: My King and my God.
Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, O Lord: They shall praise Thee for ever and ever.
Blessed is the man whose help is from Thee. In his heart he hath disposed to ascend by steps in the vale of tears, in the place which He hath set.
For the lawgiver shall give a blessing, they shall go from virtue to virtue, the God of gods shall be seen in Sion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ear, O God of Jacob.
Behold, O God our protector: and look on the face of Thy Christ.
For better is one day in Thy courts above thousands.
I have chosen to be abject in the house of my God rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners.
For God loveth mercy and truth: the Lord will give grace and glory.
He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Ant. Beati qui habitant in domo tua, Domine.

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster (secreto)
V. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
R. Sed libera nos a malo.

V. Amen.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.
V. Dominus vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

Oremus.

Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti, da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere.

Actiones nostras, quaesumus Domine, aspirando praeveni, et adjuvando prosequere ut cuncta nostra oratio et operatio a te semper incipiat, et per te coepta finiatur.

Defende, quaesumus Domine, beata Maria semper virgine intercedente, istam ab omni adversitate familiam; et toto corde tibi prostratam ab hostium propitius tuere clemen- ter insidiis.

Per Chistum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.

Ant. Blessed are they who dwell in Thy house, O Lord.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Our Father (secretly)
V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.
V. Amen.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.
O God, Who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation.

Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy inspiration, and further them by Thy continual help; that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and through Thee be likewise ended.

Do Thou, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Blessed Mary ever virgin, defend this family from all harm and mercifully deign to protect from the snares of the enemy, those who prostrate themselves before Thee.

Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

The Priest will then interrogate the candidates. This may be done collectively.

P.	What do you seek?
S.	The blessing of Almighty God and admission to the Archconfraternity of Saint Stephen for Altar servers.
P.	Do you promise to serve with reverence and to keep the rules of the Archconfraternity?
S.	With the help of God I do so promise.
S.(s) I offer myself to God almighty, to Blessed Virgin Mary ever virgin, and to our Holy Patron, Saint Stephen, and I promise to do my best to serve reverently, intelligently and punctually, having the glory of God and my own eternal salvation as my object. Blessing of Medals

Oremus. Domine Deus virtutem, bonorum largitor, et benedictionum infusor, te humiliter deprecamur ut haec numismata bene[+]dicere et sancti[+]ficare digneris: suppliciter rogantes ut famuli tui qui eadem in notam Altaris reverentur inserviendi volunt induere, tibi officium pie et fideliter exequantur, et tandem ad te, coram Altari sublimi in Caelis, tuae gloriae participes perveniant gaudentes. Qui vivis et regnas, etc. R. Amen.		Let us pray. O Lord, God of hosts, bestower of all good things and giver of every blessing, humbly we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless [+] and to sanctify [+] these medals; do Thou grant we beseech Thee, that Thy servants who wish to wear them as a token of their devout service at Thine Altar, may faithfully and reverently fulfill their duties to Thee until at length being made partakers of Thy glory, they may joyfully come to Thee before Thy heavenly Altar. Who livest and reignest, etc. R. Amen.
He sprinkles the medals with holy water.

The candidates will now advance in turn and kneel on the predella.
While conferring the medal the Priest will say:

Accipe signum aggregationis ad sodalitatem Sancti Stephani, ut eo jugiter interveniente, vitam sanctam ducere valeas. Amen

Receive the token of your admission into the Guild of Saint Stephen that, ever aided by his intercession, you may lead a holy life. Amen.

After enrollment, the candidates will genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament and return by the sides of the Altar to their place on the lowest step or on the floor of the Sanctuary.

Oremus.
Domine Jesu Christe, qui non venisti ministrari sed ministrare, qui stans in virtus Dei dextera ostendisti beato Stephano claritate fulgida admirabilem tuam gloriam, concede, quaesumus, ministris tuis ut eadem fide qua ille, te colant celatum in augusto Sacramento, dum sanctis altaribus tuis fideliter subministrent, et accende corda eorum et mentes ad amorem gratiae tuae.
Qui vivis et regnas, etc.

Amen.

Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst come not to be ministered unto but to minister, and Who standing at the right hand of the power of God, didst manifest to Saint Stephen the radiant light of Thy wonderful glory: Grant to Thy servants, we beseech Thee, that while faithfully serving Thy holy Altars, they may, with faith like to his, worship Thee hidden in Thine adorable Sacrament, and in their hearts and their minds, do Thou, O Lord, enkindle the love of Thy grace.
Who livest and reignest, etc.

Amen.

Making the sign of the Cross over the newly admitted servers, the Priest says:

Bene[+]dicat vos Deus, et custodiat corda vestra et intelligentias vestras, Pater, et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus. Amen.

May God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, [+] bless you and safeguard you in heart and mind. Amen.

The Priest then sprinkles the servers with holy water, after which they return to their places in choir.

I. O. G. D.
(In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus - In all things may God be glorified.)

HYMN TO ST. STEPHEN

Holy Stephen, Christ's dear martyr,
First to shed thy blood for Him.
What bright glory now surrounds thee?
Glory which no time can dim!
O that we could share that glory,
Give for Him our life and blood.
Let us praise thy noble story,
Told with life's own crimson flood.

Noble witness thou didst render
To the passion of thy Lord,
bearing with a love courageous
Weight of stones more cruel than sword.
Mindful of our dying saviour,
Begging mercy in death's throes,
Thou didst raise thine eyes to heaven
Craving mercy on thy foes.

Ours it may not be to suffer
Like Saint Stephen unto death;
But a service we can render
To our last and failing breath.
Ours to serve our loving Saviour:
Ours to help His sacrifice:
Ours to give Him daily homage:
'Till He calls to Paradise.

Devotional Prayers for Altar Servers

Index

N.B. This edition of The Altar Server’s Handbook, originally published by the Archconfraternity of St. Stephen a century ago, contains in its pages directives which do not necessarily correspond to the 1962 Missale Romanum or the serving tutorial on the Sancta Missa website. The handbook is intended as a possible aid for parishes or individuals interested in implementing a similar guild.