OFFERTORIO. – The name derives from the verb offerre (to offer, to bring), whose participle oblatum gave rise to the word «oblazione», «oblata», by which the thing offered is designated. The word offertorium is used in the II Ordo Romanus, is absent from the Gelasian Sacramentary, and is present in the Gregorian tradition; it soon came to designate the part of the Mass between the presentation of the offerings and the Preface, and since a chant accompanies this part of the Mass, it too took the name of «o.» (v. MESSA, III).
The Ordo Rom. I gives the first detailed description of the rite of the presentation. While the sacred ministers spread the shroud over the altar, the pope, accompanied by the primiceri, the notaries, and the defensores, descended from the cathedra, went to kiss the altar, and then proceeded to the enclosure where the men holding positions of authority (senatorium) stood to receive the offerings; he then passed to that of the matrons; the bishop on duty received the offerings of the clergy; and certain priests received those of the people from the pergula that enclosed the sacred place reserved for the presbyterium. Each person brought the loaf-shaped offering; the bishops, priests, deacons, and the more prominent among the laity also brought wine flasks called amulae; the singers, since they were occupied with the chant accompanying the offertory ceremonies (as Amalarius explains), offered the water through one of the choirmasters called the archiparaphonista. What was done in Rome was carried out, with the necessary ceremonial adaptations, in the other cities.
Already in the description of the Roman Mass made by an anonymous Frank of the second half of the 8th century, the deacon offers the paten to the pontiff, and he «suas proprias duas (oblationes) accipiens in manus suas; elevans oculis et manibus cum ipsis ad coelum, orat ad Deum secrete et completa oratione, ponit eas super altare» (Ordo XV, 33: ed. M. Andrieu, Les Ordines Romani du haut moyen âge, III, Louvain 1951, p. 102; V. also p. 71, n. 1). The sign of the Cross was introduced in the 12th century (Durandus, Rationale divinorum officiorum, 4, 30, 17). The chalice, on the other hand, was simply placed by the deacon on the altar to the right of the oblations, until, as a result of Gallican influence (Amalarius, De ecclesiasticis officiis, praef. alt.: PL 105, 992), it was placed behind the Host. And even when the Offerinus was introduced, only the deacon recited it; Durandus of Mende (d. 1296) was the first to note that the priest joined him in the recitation; at the end of the 15th century, Giovanni Bureardo described the priest as the offerer of the chalice, accompanied in the gesture and the words by the deacon. This is how it remained in the Missal of Pius V. IL CANTO. - Le cerimonie dell'Offertorium sono accompagnate da un canto detto antiphona ad Offertorium. Tacciono le più antiche testimonianze romane: solo l'Ordo Romanus I vi accenna dicendo che la schola cessava di cantare su invito del pontefice, quando appunto la presentazione delle offerte era terminata; sembra però doversi ritenere almeno del sec. V, comunque prima di s. Gregorio Magno. Era in origine un canto antifonico eseguito da due parti; Milano ha conservato (ancora più nei manoscritti) spesso con l'antifona il versetto, qualche volta anche due; ma questo era pure l'antico uso romano. Lo sviluppo dei riti offertoriali, richiedenti maggior spazio di tempo, trasformò il canto da corale in responsoriale e come tale giunse a Roma, poiché gli offertori vi appaiono già «lussureggianti nella loro ricchissima veste melodica, ed i versetti, dei parafonisti soprattutto, si mostrano ornati con tutta la virtuosità dell'arte del solista» (P. Wagner). Appunto per la loro origine la maggior parte dei testi più antichi è presa dal Salterio: quelli derivati da altre fonti solitamente non sono primitivi, soprattutto se storici. Si deve notare poi come i testi generalmente prescindano dal momento liturgico e spesso anche dalla festa celebrata, per limitarsi a dire la gioia dell'assemblea.
La riforma tridentina tolse ogni ripetizione fuorché negli Offertori della XVI e XXIII domenica dopo Pentecoste.