The Offertory
The Hand Washing
The Hand Washing
Priest
You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. — Psalm 50:7
Priest
You shall make me hear joy and gladness; My bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice. — Psalm 50:8
Priest
I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O Lord, That I may hear the voice of praise And tell of all Your wondrous works. — Psalm 25:6, 7
Commentary
The Priest washes his hands three times. This signifies that no offering can be presented to God unless the heart and internal being are pure. The washing is a reminder that the offering of love ought to be offered with a clean heart and hand. If the heart is polluted by sin, the offering is rejected before God.
“The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord, But the prayers of the upright are acceptable with Him.”— Proverbs 15:8
"The washing of hands is a symbol of obligation to be clean from all sins and transgressions. The hands symbolise actions, so, by washing them, it signifies plainly purity and blamelessness of conduct." — St Cyril of Jerusalem