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Views from the Choir Loft

Vesting Prayers • Part 4 of 9

Fr. David Friel · July 26, 2015

HE WORD “ALB” is simply the Latin word for “white,” so it should be no surprise that the alb is always made with white fabric. Its basic purpose is to cover the minister’s secular clothing during the sacred liturgy, thereby reminding those present that what transpires in the sanctuary is a foretaste of the heavenly realm.

The imagery of the saints wearing white in heaven is scriptural. In the Book of Revelation, the bride of the Lamb is described wearing “a bright, clean linen garment” (Rev 19:8). Later in the same chapter, “the armies of heaven” are said to be riding horses and “wearing clean white linen.” The magnificent hymn, Te Deum, moreover, refers to the “white-robed army of martyrs” praising God (Te mártyrum candidátus laudat exércitus).

Another facet of the alb’s significance is that it should serve to remind us of our Baptismal identity. In this sense, the alb hearkens to mind the white garment we received at our first Sacrament, as well as the Pauline theme of “putting on” Christ (“All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” Gal 3:27; “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,” Rom 13:14; “Put on the new self,” Eph 4:24).

As the priest puts on his alb, he offers the following prayer:

Dealba me, Domine, et munda cor meum; ut, in sanguine Agni dealbatus, gaudiis perfruare sempiternis.

Cleanse me, O Lord, and purify my heart, that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may attain unto everlasting joys.

There is a very surprising image used in this prayer, and it centers on the rich word dealbatus. The English translation I have provided above gives this word as “washed,” but it could more literally be translated as “having been made white.” The word “alb” even appears within this longer word. Isn’t it curious to suggest that, being washed in Blood, one may be made white? This unusual image, I believe, is meant to strike our ears strangely, leading us to deeper meditation on the cleansing power of Christ’s sacrifice.

In the latter portion of the prayer, a complex word appears. Perfruare is the second-person singular form of the present active subjunctive. It is, furthermore, a deponent verb (i.e., a verb that is active in meaning but passive in form). The use of the subjunctive here makes a beautiful theological point. The prayer asks that the one praying might become worthy/deserving of everlasting joys. Implicit in the prayer, therefore, is the notion that we are not, of ourselves, worthy or deserving of heavenly bliss. We may become so, though, by the sanctifying grace that comes to us by the action of the sacred liturgy.

Yet another phrase in this prayer warrants closer consideration. The words Munda cor meum appear not only in this vesting prayer, but also in one of the private prayers prayed inaudibly during Holy Mass. These are the opening words of the prayer of preparation offered by the deacon or priest before proclaiming the Gospel. At both of these moments, how fitting it is to offer a preparatory prayer for purity.

Like the other vestments we are considering in this series, the alb is traditionally a priestly vestment. In recent decades, this understanding has been eroded as the alb has been reinvented as the vesture for a variety of functions within the liturgy. JMO considers this topic HERE.

Next week, we shall consider the vesting prayer associated with the cincture.

Part 1 • Introduction

Part 2 • The Hand Washing

Part 3 • The Amice

Part 4 • The Alb

Part 5 • The Cincture

Part 6 • The Maniple

Part 7 • The Stole

Part 8 • The Chasuble

Part 9 • The Dalmatic

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Traditional Catholic Vestments, Vesting Prayers Last Updated: March 29, 2021

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
    Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect piece for a choir just beginning to experiment with polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It introduces us to a still and serious world, deserted and rigid, without colour, without light, without motion; it does not gladden, does not distract; yet we cannot break away from it.”

— ‘Schweitzer on the THEME from Bach’s “Art of Fugue”’

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