Asperges
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Asperges is a name given to the rite of sprinkling a congregation with holy water. The name comes from the first word of one of the antiphons that may be sung during the rite.
"On Sundays, especially in Eastertide, the blessing of holy water and sprinkling with it may be carried out in memory of baptism ... If the rite is performed within Mass it takes the place of the usual penitential act at the beginning of the Mass" (Roman Missal Ordo ad faciendam et aspergendam aquam benedictam, 1).
In the Roman Catholic Church, the priest blesses the water with one of the three prayers proposed (one of which is reserved for Eastertide). He may also bless salt and put it in the water, if local conditions or custom of the people favours doing so. Then he takes a sprinkler (called in Latin and sometimes in English an "aspersorium",[1] and in English referred to also as an aspergill, and sprinkles himself, the ministers, and then the clergy and people, preferably walking through the church to do so.
While the sprinkling is being done, an antiphon or a hymn is sung. The Roman Missal proposes several, based on the following verses of Scripture:
- Outside of Eastertide
- During Eastertide
But other suitable hymns are permitted.
Before the 1970 revision of the Roman Missal, only the first antiphon of each of the two above sets was authorized. Accordingly, outside of Eastertide, the antiphon was, in Latin: "Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor" (You will sprinkle me, Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; you will wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow), which was combined with verse 3 of the opening verse of the same Psalm and the "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit" doxology. And in Eastertide the antiphon was, in Latin, "Vidi aquam egredientem de templo, a latere dextro, alleluja: et omnes, ad quos pervenit aqua ista, salvi facti sunt, et dicent: alleluja, alleluja" (I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia; and all to whom that water came were saved, and they will say: alleluia, alleluia), combined with the opening verse of Psalm 117/118 and the doxology.
At that time the blessing of the water was done in the sacristy by a priest wearing alb or surplice and vested with a stole. A total of four prayers were said over the water and the blessing and addition of salt was obligatory. If the sprinkling took place, the priest who was about to celebrate Solemn Mass put on a cope and, before sprinkling the clergy and people in the church, sprinkled the altar three times. The sprinkling of the people was usually done symbolically, without walking among them, since the Missal gave no instruction about it.
[edit] External link
- Asperges from the Catholic Encyclopedia
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
