The Apostles spread the Gospel throughout the known world. Peter founded the Church in Antioch and then Rome, where he died.
We know that the first Masses had at least the most essential elements that are still in use today. Bread and wine are brought to an altar. A bishop gives thanks, says the words of consecration, and distributes that which was offered. Early sources also indicate a lector reading from scripture until the bishop signaled a stop.
The use of the lavabo to wash hands, the kiss of peace, kneeling and standing. Early prayers such as Alleluia, Kyrie Eleison, Thanks be to God, forever and ever. Davies notes that much of this is inherited from Jewish worship.
St. Paul first mentions a more stylized version of the words of institution that we are familiar with today.
Peter is martyred in Rome during the reign of Nero.
The era in the Church where we get the writings of the Fathers, like Leo the Great, Gregory the Great, and many more!
Since the earliest days in the Church, Mass was always celebrated facing the East, the direction in which the Lord shall return.
Per the Catholic Encyclopedia, this prayer is first mentioned by Clement of Rome, and later, Origen. By the end of the 5th century, it is sung in almost every rite.
Pliny the Younger writes to Trajan about his perception of the early Christians, though he likely misunderstands their practices. Click below to read more.
Justin Martyr gives a very broad glimpse into liturgical life in the second century. Click below to read his account!
The first mention of the prayers of the Roman Canon. St. Ambrose (d. 397) definitively reiterates a part of the Canon in his De Sacramentis.
Previously, the lingua franca of the West was Greek. More and more people began speaking Latin, however. Eventually, all liturgies in the West also took on the Latin language.
These are first mentioned in a letter from Pope Cornelius to Fabius of Antioch. They include porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte. The major orders are the subdeaconate, deaconate, and priesthood.
From time immemorial, churches have always had ways of designating between the sanctuary, representing the Holy of Holies, and the nave, where the faithful attended Mass. This is an element handed down from Jewish tradition, and the demarcation of the various points of the temple. At the very beginning, this was known as the Cancelli. In the East, this barrier eventually became the iconostasis. In the West, this eventually became the rood screen and the altar rail.
Following the legalization of Christianity, Christians were permitted to worship publicly. As the religion grew, Christians opted not for the old Roman Temples, but rather for the basilica model, an ancient Roman court building
Also known as the edict of toleration. Christianity is legalized in the Roman Empire by Constantine.
This council combated early heresy of Arianism and gave us the Credo, recited even today at Sunday Mass.
Per Davies (14), it is widely believed that the Pope commissioned Jerome to set the readings for each Sunday. This goes virtually unchanged until 1970.
The first mentions are made of the Gloria in the Apostolic Constitutions, though the prayer is likely older.
Theodosius I makes Christianity the religion of the Empire.
At this point, all existent rites, East and West, come from either Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, or Gaul. These rites are considered apostolic, as many of their prayers and customs date to time immemorial.
Around this time, we are given the Evangelarium, Lectionarium, Epistolarium, Sacramentarium. Each book holds a different part of the Mass for different ministers to recite.
The recitation of the Last Gospel (the prologue to the Gospel of John) begins as a pious practice throughout the Church until it is eventually codified in the Tridentine Missal.
This sacramentary contains some original material from Gregory the Great, but most is from the traditio, i.e. that which was handed down (Davies 18). Gregory undertook a massive reform of the Roman Liturgy during his pontificate. The Mass becomes more structured and standardized. Gregory is also famous for many chants written by him, or written in his name.
Like many other orations for the offertory, this prayer is linked back to the Gallican Rite and its first verified ordering is in the Missale Gothicum (c. 7th-8th century).
The first recorded sighting of the prayer at the end of the Offertory is in the Missale Gothicum (c. 7th-8th century) in the Gallican Rite.
An old, but incomplete manuscript of the Roman Mass.
Pope Sergius introduces the Agnus Dei in 692. (See: Byzantine Rome and the Greek Popes by Andrew J. Ekonomou)
A medieval manuscript, the "Ordo Romanus I" is the first document indicating a silent Canon. It makes sense, as Gregorian reforms brought beautiful chants with them. On a functional level, the chanting of the Sanctus and Benedictus overlaps the priest reciting the Canon.
The first mentions of the Confiteor, or "I Confess" are given in the Gelasian Sacramentary.
This is the most complete early sacramentary that we have from this time period. Some of our earliest prayers are found in this manuscript!
Charlamagne, being the first Holy Roman Emperor, desired the standardization of worship throughout the territory in which he ruled. He, enlisting the help of the English monk, Alcuin, incorporated elements into the Roman Sacramentary from the Gallican Rite, thus combining the two apostolic rites into one. Where local rites had previously prevailed in the West, now everyone worshiped under one Roman Rite.
Various vesting prayers take shape throughout the Medieval era as pious custom until they are made compulsory in the Tridentine Missal.
As Eucharistic piety grew, along with Western Monasticism, the Low Mass grew in popularity. This degree of solemnity is slightly abridged, and is recited in silence without music. This is all brought to the fore in the Cluniac Reforms.
The first appearance of this prayer before the priest washes his hands in the offertory. The first written facsimile we have is the Irish Stowe Missal from this century. Throughout the medieval era it will begin cropping up in several missals throughout the West.
The first mention of the prayer right before the priest blesses the people. Click to read more!
As the Low Mass develops, the priest begins reciting privately at the High Mass everything sung by the other ministers, such as the Epistle and Gospel.
While dating isn't well recorded on this prayer over the wine, we know that it comes from the Mozaberic Rite. Click to read more!
This offertory prayer over the bread is first mentioned in a prayer book of Charles the Bald. It is taken from the Gallican Rite. Click to read more!
Per Joseph Shaw, in 878 at a local council in Rouen, Communion was mandated to be received by the faithful on the tongue. This was the case throughout the western world.
Where the Mass was previously divided into several books, the first attempts were made in the 10th century to compile all of the texts into one book.
Major reforms happen to monastic life and with it, the liturgy. The Church emphasizes a return to the traditions of the founders of each order.
A product of the Cluniac Reforms, priests keep their index finger and thumb pressed together from the consecration through the ablutions, demonstrating Eucharistic piety.
While the creed had existed for nearly a millennium, now it is added into the Mass formally (Davies 24).
Though similar prayers existed as post-communion prayers throughout the centuries, this prayer is finally seen written down in Roman Missals from the 12th century. It is recited as the priest takes the first ablution.
Butresses, pointed arches, and spires come from this era! The first gothic cathedral is St. Denis. Click below to read more!
"Lavabo inter innocentes" (Psalm 25) is incorporated into the offertory prayers as the priest washes his hands.
As Eucharistic piety grew in the West, it became the custom for the priest to genuflect after he recites the words of consecration, elevate the Sacred Species, and genuflect again.
Urban IV extends the feast of Corpus Christi to the whole Church (it was previously celebrated only locally). Following the papal bull "Transiturus," St. Thomas Aquinas is commissioned to compose the Mass propers and office of Corpus Christi.
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