Last year I wrote an eight-part series for my parish about the Catholic Mass. For the Catholics in my audience, or anyone who wants to know more about why Catholics do what they do, these articles and videos are a great resource!
This video, Why Do We Ring Bells, discusses bells and what they mean at Mass.
There is a Latin saying – “Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi”. What is prayed, is believed, is lived. We cannot disconnect how we pray the Mass from what we believe. If we worship God with reverence and beauty in architecture, music, and ritual, then our beliefs are strengthened so we can more effectively live the gospel and share it with others.
Our faith teaches the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We believe Jesus is totally present – body, blood, soul, and divinity – under the appearance of bread and wine and that they are not merely a symbol. So, when Jesus Christ, through the priest, is made present at Mass it is important that our actions reflect that belief. Ringing bells when this miracle happens is one way to help us understand what has taken place.
Bells have been rung at Mass for over 800 years. These bells, known as “Sanctus bells”, are primarily rung to “make a joyful noise to the Lord” (Psalm 100:1). They also serve the practical purpose of informing the congregation that the consecration is taking place if their attention has wandered.
In times past, and even at some churches today, the Sanctus bells were not small bells rung at the foot of the altar. They were large outdoor tower bells that signaled to those not at Mass that something supernatural just happened and gave them the opportunity to also pray in that moment.
Bells are rung at three points in the Mass. The first is at the epiclesis. The term epiclesis comes from the Ancient Greek for “calling upon” or “to invoke”. This is when the priest places his hands over the bread and wine and prays that the Holy Spirit will change these gifts into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. The bells remind us that something miraculous is about to take place.
The second ringing takes place at the elevation after the priest says, “This is my Body” and raises the host. The bells ring in praise of God as He is now truly present, and to remind us of the solemnity and sacredness of the moment.
The final ringing happens at the elevation after the priest says, “This is my Blood” and raises the chalice. Again, the bells ring in praise of God and as a reminder to us of this great gift.
The Sanctus bells are a beautiful sign and sound of praise. Historians tell us that the cymbals mentioned in the Bible were more like bells than what we call cymbals today. “Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!” (Psalm 150:5-6)
We pray as we believe, and we believe as we pray. The ringing of Sanctus bells is a great way to engage our senses and help solidify our belief in the Real Presence by the way we pray.
The other videos in the series:
#2 – Why Churches Look Like They Do
#3 – The Structure of the Mass