33 Last Supper
The Eucharist for the early Church was done in imitation of the Last Supper, following Jesus’ command, “Do this in memory of me.” The Last Supper, in turn, was a ritual prefiguring of the Passion of Christ, the offering of His Body and Blood on the cross for our salvation.
44 Christians expelled from the Synagogue
Until this time Christian Jews would continue to take part in the Synagogue Service on the Sabbath. Once expelled from the synagogue they would continue the service in their homes. It would slowly evolve into the Liturgy of the Word and in the 2nd century would be joined to the Eucharistic liturgy that was celebrated on Sunday.
Mid-Century Agape meal and Eucharistic meal are separated
The Agape meal was a communal meal shared by the early Christians originally preceding the Eucharistic liturgy. In time it became a source of division in the community and so was separated from the Eucharist. The Eucharist was understood by St. Paul as the sacrament of the Church’s unity. Cf. 1 Corinthians 10,16-17; 11,20-2, 33-34. The Agape meal would disappear completely by the mid-fourth century.
Mid-century Celebration of Mass on special days other than Sunday
In the first century of the Church Mass was celebrated only on Sundays by the middle of the 2nd century is Mass celebrated on other occasions, especially on the anniversaries of martyrs.
306 Sunday Mass becomes obligatory
The Synod of Elvira held in the Roman Province of Hispania Baetica in 305-306 makes Sunday Mass attendance mandatory. It was also at this synod that celibacy was mandated for the clergy.
313 Edict of Milan
With the Edict of Milan Christians were given legal status in the Roman Empire. This would have a dramatic effect on the Church. She entered the 4th century outlawed and would exit it as the official religion of the Empire.
315-340 Introduction of Vestments
In the 4th century Church authorities were appropriating the titles and signs of honor formerly reserved to Imperial dignitaries. Concomitantly, the State had begun to use symbols that previously had been associated exclusively with Christ and Christians. The most dramatic example of this exchange is that of a nail from the cross of Christ being set in the crown of the emperor.
Genuflection becomes a gesture in the Mass
Previously genuflection was a gesture of reverence used by the State. It enters the liturgy first as a penitential gesture but later as a sign of reverence and veneration.
380’s Latin begins to replace Greek as the language used in the Mass
Greek, formerly spoken by the upper class of Rome, was disappearing. The common language of Latin was in the ascendency and replaced Greek in the Mass at Rome.
Late-century Earliest Evidence of the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I)
St. Ambrose quotes parts of the Roman Canon in his work De sacramentis.
Our Father in the Mass
There is ample evidence that the Our Father is included in the Mass by the 4th century. Its present placement in the Mass was not settled until the time of Pope Gregory the Great, who insisted that the Our Father be said immediately after the Eucharistic Prayer. It being only right that with the bread and wine being changed into the Body and Blood of Christ that the first prayer prayed is not of human composition but the one given by Christ to His disciples.
Daily Mass celebrated
Daily Mass is beginning to be celebrated. By this time, it has already become a common practice in the churches of North Africa.
Mid-century The Kyrie eleison introduced into the Roman Mass
This is the only Greek prayer found in the Mass. Some mistakenly believe that it is a holdover from when the Mass was in Greek. But it is only introduced into the Mass at Rome at this late date. In early Roman times it was associated with the Roman pagan worship of the sun. The pagans would bow towards the sun address it as “Kyrie” and pray “eleison”.
Early Century The Gloria is introduced into the Mass
The Gloria is one of a group of religious hymns referred to as the psalmi idiotici, that is, “hymns of private individuals”. They were not intended for the Mass. Two other hymns existent from this group are the Te deum and the Te decet laudis, both of which are found in the Liturgy of the Hours. Pope Symachus allowed the Gloria into the Mass but it was to be intoned by the Pope. Later it would be intoned by bishops and only in the 11th century were priests allowed to intone the hymn in the Mass.
Late Century Church Calendar Created
The Church developed a liturgical calendar that gave order to the various feasts and seasons celebrated during the year.
Mid-century The Agnus Dei is introduced into the Mass
Pope Sergius I permitted the chanting of the Agnus Dei in the Mass in response to the Eastern Church condemning the West’s practice of depicting Christ as a lamb and referring to Him as the Lamb of God.
Offertory Collection
The practice of collecting money at the Offertory is introduced
1014 Creed introduced in Roman Mass
While most of the Church included some form of the Creed in the Mass much earlier, the Creed was not said in the Mass at Rome until this late date. Evidently, Pope Benedict VIII agreed to the Creed being recited at Mass, only on Sundays and Solemnities, at the insistence of Henry II, the Holy Roman Emperor.