You’ve definitely seen it if you’ve attended the older form of the Mass, the Latin Mass.
It seems to serve no practical function, and even comes off as a bit in-the-way. The priest takes it off when he leaves the altar to preach the day’s homily.
What is a maniple, and why do priests wear it?
A maniple is a short length of cloth that is looped over the left arm of the priest. While we don’t commonly see this anymore, it was once a normal part of the priest’s Mass vestments, and is still used in the Latin Mass, where older styles of vestments are often worn. Technically, it was never abrogated, so the priest can still wear it with the current vestments!
As a piece of clothing, the maniple goes all the way back to ancient Rome. It was simply a handkerchief used either to wipe away perspiration or as a decorative piece—uses that the handkerchief still serves today!
As a liturgical vestment, the maniple goes back to at least the 6th century, with its original purpose possibly being to simply wipe the face during Mass. It is worn by clerics from the subdeacon rank (the rank just before deacon) on upward. As part of the subdiaconate ceremony, the bishop places the maniple over the new subdeacon’s left arm.
But the maniple isn’t just a curiosity left over from a bygone era. It bears profound spiritual meaning. Various interpretations of it developed over time, eventually coalescing into the meaning we glean if we read the beautiful prayer that the priest prays while putting it on, referencing Psalm 125:
Merear, Domine, portare manipulum fletus et doloris; ut cum exsultatione recipiam mercedem laboris.
May I deserve, O Lord, to bear the maniple of weeping and sorrow in order that I may joyfully reap the reward of my labors.
The maniple illustrates the priest’s role as a laborer in Christ’s vineyard, the Holy Mass being his chief work. It’s a life that entails a great deal of blood, sweat, toil, and tears, but which has as its reward the salvation of eternal souls.
For us laymen, the maniple is an encouragement to do our own appointed work with fortitude and hope, and a reminder that God’s grace, given in the Holy Mass and the Sacraments through the hands of the priest, will always enliven and sustain us. It’s also a good reminder to pray for our priests, who need our prayers so much in order to carry out their crucial work.
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