I. THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
Since the most important of all the means of grace, the holy Mass, is a sacrifice, it is necessary first of all to speak of sacrifice in general. The word “to sacrifice” means to offer something valuable to some person as a token of affection for, or dependence on that person; or to surrender something that we prize for the sake of another. If a father gives all he has to his sons to enable them to pursue their studies, and himself lives in straitened circumstances, he is said to make a great sacrifice for his children. When a soldier marches to battle for the defense of his country at the risk of life and limb, he is said to sacrifice himself for his country. By a sacrifice to God is signified something given up to God. Out of love to Him the poor widow cast into the treasury the last two mites which she possessed; in doing this she made a great sacrifice for God’s sake (Mark 12:43). Tobias did the same, when in captivity he distributed alms to his poorer fellow countrymen, and at peril of his own life buried the bodies of the slain (Tob. 1). The Jews made a sacrifice, when after the giving of the law, they brought gold, silver, precious stones, purple, etc., to Moses for the making of the tabernacle (Exod. 35). We are told in Holy Scripture that to keep the commandments, to depart from injustice, and to do mercy, is to offer sacrifice (Sir. 35:2–4). The essential part of a sacrifice is the surrender or renunciation of some object which we highly prize. Of old, if any one desired to accentuate his surrender of the object he valued, he used to destroy it completely; thus rendering it impossible for him ever to recover possession of it. The sacrifices offered by Cain, Abel, and Noah, were of this nature. Abel slaughtered and burned the firstlings of his flock; his brother Cain offered of the fruits of the earth gifts unto the Lord (Gen. 4:3–5). Noah, on leaving the ark, took some of the animals and offered them as holocausts upon the altar he had built (Gen. 8:20).
1. Hence the word sacrifice signifies the voluntary surrender or the destruction of an object which we value, to give honor to God as our supreme Lord.1
It is no uncommon thing among men to present a valuable present to someone as a sign of respect or an act of homage. Subjects not unfrequently offer the best produce of their land or their skill to their monarch. So we ought to give to God what we most value. And as in a State there are certain honors which it is the exclusive prerogative of the ruler to receive, so the offering of sacrifice is an act of homage which can be paid only to God.
2. There are bloody and unbloody sacrifices.
As may be seen from the sacrifices of Cain and Abel, the oblation offered in sacrifice varied according to the nature of the possessions of him who offered it. Either a victim, such as an ox, a lamb, a dove, was taken from the animal kingdom (this was a bloody sacrifice, because the blood of the victim was shed), or an oblation was taken from the vegetable kingdom, some species of food, such as flour or fruit, or drink, wine, for instance (this was an unbloody sacrifice, because it was without shedding of blood). The animals used to be slaughtered, their blood poured upon the altar, and their flesh either consumed entirely by fire, or eaten in part by the priests and Levites. The fruits of the earth were either burned or eaten; wine was poured as a libation on or before the altar.
The offering of a sacrifice gives outward expression to the feelings of the heart. The man who has a due knowledge of God, who knows Him to be the almighty Creator, the wise and bountiful Preserver and Ruler of the world, will be penetrated with sentiments of respect, of gratitude, of confidence, and of contrition. And since it belongs to the nature of man to manifest outwardly what he feels inwardly, he will evince these sentiments by the surrender,—the renunciation or destruction—of some object that he values. These sentiments are essential to a sacrifice—without them it would be mere hypocrisy—consequently the sentiment of compunction is of itself sometimes designated a sacrifice (Ps. 50[51]:19). Sacrifices of praise used to be offered daily in the Temple; Noah’s sacrifice was a sacrifice of thanksgiving, while the sacrifices which Judas Maccabeus caused to be offered before going to battle were deprecatory sacrifices; those offered for the warriors who fell in the fight were expiatory sacrifices (2 Macc. 12:43).
4. The custom of offering sacrifices has existed in all times and among all nations of the world.
Sacrifices have been customary from time immemorial. They were offered by Cain and Abel, the children of the first man and the first woman. They are found among Jews and Gentiles. The Jewish high priest offered an oblation morning and evening in the name of the people; first he burned incense upon the altar, then he offered an unbloody sacrifice consisting of flour, oil and frankincense (Lev. 6:14), and finally a sacrifice in which was shedding of blood, the victim being a lamb of one year old, without blemish, together with an oblation of food and drink (Exod. 29:38). On the Sabbath day two lambs of a year old, together with bread and wine, were immolated in addition to the daily oblation (Numb. 28:9). Special sacrifices were also appointed for certain feasts. The heathen nations also offered sacrifices, but their ideas on the subject were perverted, for they offered human sacrifices, and not to the true God, but to idols. Hence St. Paul says: “The things which the heathen sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God” (1 Cor. 10:20). We read in Holy Scripture that the King of Moab took his oldest son and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall, in order to obtain help against the Israelites (2 Kings 3:27). The Phœnicians and other Asiatic people used yearly to immolate young children to their god Moloch, the brazen statue of the deity being made red-hot, and the children cast into its arms. The custom of offering human sacrifices formerly prevailed to a great extent in Mexico; it is said that the number of victims slaughtered yearly amounted to no less than twenty thousand. Human sacrifices are not yet entirely abolished, they are still customary among savages. How sad is the condition of man without the Christian faith!
5. The chief motives which urge mankind to offer sacrifice are: The consciousness of sin and the desire for reconciliation with God and because God often required or sanctioned the sacrifice.
The consciousness of sin was a powerful incentive to man to offer sacrifices. St. Paul says: “In them there is made a commemoration of sins every year” (Heb. 10:3), and again: “Without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). God not unfrequently showed His approbation of sacrifice; He testified His acceptance of Abel’s offering (Gen. 4:4). Of Noah’s (Gen. 8:21), of the holocaust offered by the prophet Elijah, which was consumed by fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38). On many occasions God required a sacrifice, as that of Isaac (Gen. 22). He gave minute directions concerning the sacrificial offerings to the Jews by Moses’ lips (Lev. 1.–7.; 16; 22). The knowledge that God approved of and even demanded sacrifices from man was a potent motive inducing him to offer them.
6. The sacrifices of the Jewish nation, more particularly that of the paschal lamb and the victim of expiation, were typical of the great sacrifice that the Redeemer was to offer on Mount Calvary.2
In the Old Testament everywhere there is shedding of blood; this was typical of the blood of Christ, whereby we are purified. On the great Day of Atonement one of the ceremonies consisted in this: The high priest laid both his hands upon the head of one of the goats which were to be offered up for the people, confessing at the same time the iniquities of the children of Israel, and praying that they might light upon the head of the animal; thereupon the goat was turned out into the desert, to express symbolically that the sins of the people were taken away out of God’s sight. Since the Jewish sacrifices were but a foreshadowing of Our Lord’s expiatory sacrifice, they ceased after this was offered, as had been foretold by the prophets (Dan. 9:27; Hos. 3:4). Nor were the sacrifices of the heathen anything more or less than a seeking after the true sacrifice of atonement; the victims were without blemish, a pure and spotless oblation; moreover everywhere the persuasion seemed to prevail that “it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away” (Heb. 10:4), or that the Deity should be propitiated by any other similar victims. A victim of infinite value was needed to reconcile God with man.
2. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST UPON THE CROSS
1. The sacrifice which reconciled God with man was that which Christ offered upon the cross.3
The life of Our Lord upon earth may be said to have been one uninterrupted sacrifice. This sacrifice was commenced at the Incarnation, for then He divested Himself of His divine dignity that was His as Son of God, and took the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7). He gave up His free will, becoming obedient to His heavenly Father unto death, even to the death of the cross (5:8). This sacrifice was continued throughout His whole life. He relinquished all earthly possessions; He Himself says: “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20). He often denied Himself the food of the body; for instance, on the occasion of His converse with the Samaritan woman, He said to His disciples, when they pressed Him to take some refreshment: “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, that I may perfect His work” (John 4:34). Even when wearied with His apostolic labors He denied Himself rest; we read that not unfrequently He went up into a mountain, and passed the whole night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12). He willingly renounced honor, saying: “I seek not My own glory” (John 8:50). He bore scorn and derision in silence, especially when brought before His judges (Luke 23:11). He allowed Himself to be put on a par with murderers, and crucified between two thieves (Mark 15:27). He suffered a notorious criminal to be preferred to Him (Matt. 27:17). Finally, upon the cross, He surrendered all that He had, even His life itself, for He said: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down His life for His friends” (John 15:13). Well might He exclaim immediately before His death: “It is consummated!” The actual sacrifice of propitiation began with Our Lord’s Passion, and ended with His death upon the cross. On the cross He gave His body to be offered up. It was not, it is true, slain, divided and burned with fire like the bodies of other victims, but it was cruelly tortured and deprived of life. While hanging upon the cross the Redeemer might echo the words of the Psalmist: “I am a worm and no man. I am poured out like water, and all My bones are scattered” (Ps. 21[22]:7, 15). It was in reference to this expiatory sacrifice made by the Redeemer that the prophet spoke of the Messiah as a lamb brought to the slaughter. When John the Baptist saw Christ approaching, he exclaimed: “Behold the Lamb of God; behold Him Who taketh away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29.) And St. Paul says: “Christ, our Pasch, is sacrificed.”
The sacrifice of the cross is, however, differentiated from every other sacrifice by the fact that in it the officiating Priest is the Victim Himself; also because the value of this sacrifice is infinite.4
Christ Himself, as St. Augustine says, was both Priest and Victim. The soldiers were only instruments of which it pleased Him to make use. Had He willed otherwise, they would have had no power at all over Him. This He made manifest on Mount Olivet, for at the word: “I am He,” they fell to the ground. The soldiers could not indeed have been the sacrificers, because by putting Christ to death they did not perform a work pleasing to God, but committed one of the greatest of all crimes. Christ was immolated, because it was His will to be immolated (Is. 53:7). Not all the sacrifices offered under the Old Testament had power to reconcile God and man; their value was but finite. St. Paul says; “It is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away” (Heb. 10:4). These sacrifices could only serve as a means of recalling sin to men’s minds, and awakening compunction; they had no cleansing power. With the sacrifice Christ offered it is quite otherwise.
2. The sacrifice of Christ upon the cross was a vicarious sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, and a sacrifice of superabundant value.5
Christ suffered in our stead. Of Him the prophet spoke when he said: “He was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for our sins” (Is. 53:5). Christ, the second Adam, the Head of the human race, suffered for His members. The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep (John 10:15). We know by the experience of daily life that vicarious atonement is possible. Not only property, but disgrace or glory may be bequeathed to posterity. A family, nay more, a whole nation, will be proud of a great man born in their midst, and on the other hand, nations are sometimes severely chastised for the sins of a single individual. Original sin has become the heritage of humanity, and in like manner the merits of one man may become the heritage of all mankind. Christ made atonement for the sin of the whole human race, original as well as actual sin. The apostle says: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Christ is the true Paschal Lamb, the sacrifice of which did not liberate one nation from the yoke of Pharaoh, but the whole human race from the servitude of Satan. Although Christ died for all, yet all do not receive the benefit of His death; only those to whom the merit of His Passion is communicated (Council of Trent, C. 6, 3). Christ’s atonement was more than sufficient; He suffered beyond what was necessary. A single drop of His blood would have sufficed to wash away the sins of all mankind, for He is very God, and the least of His actions is of infinite value. Christ suffered more than it is possible for any human being to suffer. Hence He cried aloud upon the cross: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
Our Lord suffered so much in order to show how much He loves us, and how greatly God is offended by sin.6
A single word of Christ would have fully sufficed to redeem us, but it was not enough to make manifest the love of God. It is because of the great love Christ displays towards us, that we venerate the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The heart is the centre of the physical life; from it the blood flows into every part of the body, maintaining its vitality. And since there is an intimate connection between body and soul, the heart is spoken of as the centre of the spiritual life, whence all the thoughts and feelings take their rise. Hence we say: “My heart rejoiced, my heart is grieved, etc.” The heart is regarded pre-eminently as the seat of love. When we venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we call to mind His exceeding great love for us, and are stimulated to return love for love. God made use of a French nun at Paray-le-Monial, named Margaret Mary Alacoque, to propagate this devotion. Our Lord appeared to her repeatedly, showing her His Heart pierced by the lance, emitting flames of fire, surrounded by a crown of thorns—to signify the pain sinners cause to Our Saviour—and surmounted by a shining cross. Our Lord intimated His desire that pictures of this Heart should be exposed for veneration, and promised signal blessings to all who should practice this devotion. He also commanded the festival of the Sacred Heart to be kept on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi. This day is a most appropriate one, for it was on a Friday that Our Lord by His death gave the greatest possible proof of His love, and His Heart was pierced by the lance. Moreover the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar affords abundant testimony to the love of the Saviour, for as the sun’s rays are focussed in a lens, so the rays of the sun of divine love are concentrated in the Sacrament of the Altar. Hence the feast of Corpus Christi is a special memorial of the love of Christ for man. The devotion to the Sacred Heart, opposed at the outset, as are all works that are of God, spread rapidly over all the earth, and was attended by signal blessings. Another reason why Our Lord suffered so much was that He might be a pattern to us in suffering: “Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example” (1 Pet. 2:21). He Himself said: “I have given you an example” (John 13:15).
3. The graces which Christ merited for us by His death are communicated to us by the means of grace; that is to say, the holy sacrifice of the Mass, the sacraments, the sacramentals, and prayer.7
The means of grace are the channels whereby the divine Redeemer conveys to us the graces He merited for us upon the cross. His side was opened that the means of grace might thence flow out. It is because the Church, through the medium of the appointed means of grace, communicates to the faithful the graces flowing from the cross of Christ, that in dispensing them she always makes use of the sign of the cross.
He who neglects the use of the means of grace cannot be saved, in spite of Christ’s death.
Medicine cannot work a cure unless the sick man swallows it. “He Who made thee without thyself,” says St. Augustine, “will not save thee without thyself.” The devil makes strenuous efforts to deprive men of the means of grace. He acts like the General Holofernes, who when besieging the town of Bethulia cut off the aqueducts, in order to reduce the inhabitants through want of water; for he deters the faithful from drinking from the channels of grace, by inspiring them with indifference or aversion towards them.
3. THE INSTITUTION, NATURE, AND
PRINCIPAL PARTS OF THE MASS
At the Last Supper the Son of God changed bread into His body, and wine into His blood; He then gave both to the apostles, bidding them eat and drink the same.8
We are told that after the washing of the feet Our Lord sat down at the table, took bread in His hands, looked up to heaven, gave thanks, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His apostles, saying: “Take ye and eat; this is My body.” And after the apostles had received the body of Christ, He took the chalice in which was wine, gave thanks, blessed it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: “Drink ye all of this, for this is My blood; the blood of the new, the eternal covenant, the mystery of faith (a mystery for the trial of our faith), which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. Do this for a commemoration of Me.” (These are known as the words of consecration.)
After the consecration, the species or appearance of the bread and wine still remained the same.
The body of Christ had not the appearance of flesh, but the appearance of bread; it had the smell, the taste, the color, the weight, etc., of bread; the species was in fact retained. Nor did the blood of Christ bear the appearance of blood, but of wine; it had the smell, the taste, the color, etc., the ordinary appearance of wine. (This subject will be enlarged upon in the instructions concerning the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar.)
1. The Son of God offered a sacrifice at the Last Supper, because He gave His body and blood to be offered up, in order to reconcile His heavenly Father with man.9
At the Last Supper our blessed Lord instituted a visible sacrifice, in order thereby to represent the bloody sacrifice which was to be offered once upon the cross, and to preserve the memory thereof unto the end of the world. Our Lord indicated to us that He intended at the Last Supper to institute a sacrifice, by choosing for this act the very time when the paschal lamb was slain and eaten. Moreover the words He made use of were almost identical with those which Moses spoke on the institution of the Old Covenant. We read that Moses, after the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, slaughtered an animal, and sprinkled the blood upon the people, saying: “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you” (Exod. 24:8). As Our Lord’s words were similar to these, it follows that in His case also there was a sacrifice. Again it is a significant fact that Our Lord caused His Passion and death to follow immediately after the Last Supper; by this He would have us know that they were one and the same act. The sacrifice begins with the consecration, when Christ assumes the form of bread and wine; for He then divests Himself of the splendor of His divine glory, and conceals His infinite majesty. Nay, more, not only does He conceal His divine grandeur, He also conceals His human presence. “Christ, the King of heaven and of earth, reduces Himself by the words of consecration to a condition of abasement which is almost equivalent to annihilation. Not even a trace can be perceived of that regal dignity with which His humanity was invested, and which inspired men with reverence and awe. At His birth at Bethlehem He was at least in the likeness of man, but here He seems to be nothing but a morsel of bread.” By this profound self-abasement Our Lord reconciles us to His Father, Who is justly angry with us; for there is no better means of appeasing one whom we have offended than by humbling ourselves before him. King Ahab averted the punishment of which he was warned by the prophet Elijah, by humbling himself before God (1 Kings 21:27); the Ninivites did the same. The sacrifice is not consummated until the species of bread and wine are consumed. Thus it was with the sacrifice Our Lord made upon the cross; He suffered first, His body being torn and mangled; then death came, and His human existence was ended. The sacrifice was accomplished; He spoke the words: “It is consummated!” Hence it will be seen that the unbloody sacrifice of the altar is in every respect a faithful representation and a true repetition of the bloody sacrifice of the cross. What the death of Christ was then, the reception of the sacred elements is now. Thus St. Paul says that those who eat this bread and drink the chalice show the death of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:26). Moreover the separate forms of bread and wine symbolize the destruction of Christ’s human nature, for the body and blood of Christ are separated one from the other upon the altar, as they were upon the cross, when the blood flowed out of His body through the countless wounds. We also gather that the object of this unbloody sacrifice is the reconciliation of man with God, from the words Our Lord uttered at the Last Supper. “This is My blood,” He said, “which is shed for the remission of sin.” This unbloody sacrifice is therefore like the sacrifice of the cross, truly a propitiatory sacrifice (Council of Trent, 22, 2). We are not, indeed, redeemed anew by it, for we are redeemed by the bloody sacrifice, but the fruits of redemption are applied to our souls by this unbloody sacrifice. Nor is this unbloody sacrifice of itself sufficient to reconcile men to God without their own co-operation; but it has the effect of awakening them to a sense of sin, exciting them to contrition, inducing them to confess their sins and avoid them in future.
a. The apostles had, and their successors have, the power of offering the same sacrifice, for the Son of God at once commanded and empowered them to do so, when He said: “Do this for a commemoration of Me” (Council of Trent, 22, 1).10
When Christ gave His twelve apostles His flesh to eat and His blood to drink, He commanded them to immolate Him in lieu of the usual sacrificial victims. God had enjoined upon the Jews to slay a paschal lamb every year, in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, and in like manner it was His will that a special sacrifice should be offered in commemoration of the death of Christ upon the cross, and the redemption of mankind from the servitude of the devil (Council of Trent, 22, 1).
b. This sacrifice was foretold in the Old Testament both by types and prophecies.11
Several sacrifices in the Old Testament were types of the true sacrifice; the offering made by Abel, to which the Lord had respect (Gen. 4:4), because it was offered by faith in the future Redeemer and His true oblation (Heb. 11:4); the sacrifice of Abraham, who in obedience to God’s command offered his son Isaac upon Mount Moria, without shedding his blood (Gen. 22), and above all, the sacrifice of Melchizedek, the King of Salem (i.e., the king of peace), who offered bread and wine (Gen. 14:18). These three sacrifices are mentioned in the Mass, immediately after the consecration, when the priest beseeches God to look propitiously upon our gifts, as He was graciously pleased to accept the gifts of Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek. The holy Mass was also foretold by prophecies. David predicted that the Messiah would be a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 109[110]:5). The prophet Malachi foretold the holy Mass to the Jews who, after their return from captivity, performed the sacrificial ceremonies in a careless manner, saying: “I have no pleasure in your sacrifices, saith the Lord of hosts; I will not receive a gift of your hands. For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, My name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to My name a clean oblation” (Mal. 1:10–11).
c. This sacrifice was offered by the apostles, and it has since been offered by their successors, the bishops and priests of the Church.12
Even in apostolic times the Christians were accustomed to assemble together, on Sunday particularly, for breaking of bread (Acts 20:7, 11). St. Paul repeatedly mentions the chalice of benediction which was blessed and given to the faithful, and the bread whereof they partook (1 Cor. 10:16; 11:26). He says: “We have an altar whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle” (Heb. 13:10). It is recorded that the Apostle Andrew when urged by the proconsul to offer to the gods, said to him: “I offer daily to the almighty and true God, not the flesh of oxen or the blood of rams, but the immaculate Lamb of God; and when all the congregation of the faithful have received His sacred body, the same Lamb that was immolated is still unconsumed and lives forevermore.” St. Justin, in one of the apologetic writings he addressed to the Roman emperor, speaks of the different parts of the Christian sacrifice, the reading and explanation of Holy Scripture, the oblation of bread and wine, the consecration and transformation of the sacred elements, and their distribution to the people. The oldest of the Fathers of the Church mention the sacrifice of the Mass. St. Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons (202 A.D.), says: “The oblation of the New Covenant is the Lord’s Supper; Christ instituted it as at once a sacrifice and a sacrament, and throughout all the world the Church offers this sacrifice.” St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage (258 A.D.), says: “In the Church the priest offers the same sacrifice which Christ Himself offered,” and again: “Day by day, in times of persecution and of peace, we offer the sacrifice whereby the faithful are prepared to give themselves as sacrificial victims by a martyr’s death.” Pope Leo the Great says: “The one oblation of the body and blood of Christ is substituted for all the former sacrifices.” The frescoes in the Catacombs bear witness to the offering of the holy sacrifice, likewise the most ancient liturgies, the altars, chalices and vestments, which would not have been needed had not the Mass been celebrated. Some of these are still preserved, among them the wooden altar at which St. Peter and his successors for nearly three centuries said Mass. Until the tenth century no heretic dared to impugn the holy sacrifice. Luther attacked it most vehemently, at the instigation of the devil, as he himself confessed.
2. We call the sacrifice instituted by Our Lord at the Last Supper holy Mass, or the sacrifice of the Mass.13
In the first centuries of Christianity the catechumens and penitents used to be sent away out of the church at the commencement of the sacrifice. The Latin for dismissal is missio (missa).14 Hence it came to pass that the ceremonies consequent to the dismissal of the catechumens were called the missa, the Mass. This expression is used by Pope Pius I as early as the second century; it also occurs frequently in the writings of St. Augustine and St. Ambrose. Another explanation of the word missio (mission) is that it denotes the sending of Our Lord from heaven to earth at the moment of the consecration, and again the sending of the sacred Victim up to heaven by the faithful in the hands of angels; as St. Bonaventure says: “First of all God sends His Son down to us upon the altar, then the Church sends Him up to the Father, to make intercession for sinners.” The sacrifice of the Mass must be clearly distinguished from the Sacrament of the Altar. In the latter Christ is present as an object of our worship and as our spiritual sustenance; in the former He is also our Victim and the means of our salvation.
a. The sacrifice of the Mass is the chief and central act of Catholic worship.15
Several of the sacraments and the sacramentals can only be administered in connection with the Mass. It stands in the same relation to the other services of the Church as a jewel does to its setting. It is a reservoir wherein the streams of grace are collected which flow from the sacrifice of the cross, and whence they are poured out upon mankind through the channels of the sacraments. The holy Mass is the sun of grace, day by day rising upon the world, the bright rays of which, in the prismatic colors of the seven sacraments, form the fair rainbow, the emblem of peace, the connecting link between heaven’s riches and earth’s poverty. The dignity of holy Mass surpasses by many degrees that of the sacraments, for they are only vessels of mercy for the living, whereas the Mass is an inexhaustible ocean of divine liberality for the living and the dead. In the holy Mass man has a foretaste of heaven upon earth, for in the sacred Victim he has before him the Creator of heaven and of earth, he even holds Him in his hands. The sacrifice of the Mass contains in itself as many mysteries as there are drops in the ocean, stars in the firmament, flowers upon the earth. Take this sacrifice away from the Catholic Church and you leave nothing but unbelief and error. Were holy Mass not of such surpassing excellence the devil would not have aroused so many enemies against it among heretics.
b. The sacrifice of the Mass is a catholic sacrifice in the true sense of the word, for it is and will be offered unceasingly throughout the whole earth until the end of time.
At the present time some 350,000 Masses are celebrated daily on our globe; there is not an hour in the day in which Mass is not being said. Thus the words of the prophet are literally fulfilled: “From the rising of the sun until the going down, in every place there is sacrifice” (Mal. 1:10). Mass will be celebrated until the Day of Judgment (1 Cor. 11:26). Not any or all of the adversaries of the Church, not Antichrist himself, will be able to suspend the offering of the holy sacrifice. The last Mass said will be on the last day of this world’s existence. This is what Our Lord meant when He said: “I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:20).
3. What takes place in the sacrifice of the Mass is this: The priest at the altar, as the representative of Christ, offers up bread and wine to almighty God; he changes these substances into the body and blood of Christ, and destroys them by consuming them.16
Thus it is not the priest, but Christ Himself, Who in the Mass is the sacrificing Priest.17
From the words of the consecration it is evident that the priest is only an instrument of which Our Lord makes use, for the priest says: “This is My body, this is My blood,” although he does not change the bread and wine into his own body and blood. It is not the man who causes the oblation upon the altar to be changed into the body and blood of Our Lord, it is Christ Himself; Christ, our High Priest, Who is holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, purer than all the celestial spirits (Heb. 7:26). Hence the sacrifice of the Mass does not lose its value, supposing the officiating priest should be living in sin. The Council of Trent declares that the sacrifice of the Mass cannot be defiled through the unworthiness or malice of him who offers it. “This oblation is holy,” says St. John Chrysostom, “be the priest what he may; for man does not consecrate, but Christ.”
Christ is also the Victim which is immolated in the Mass.18
Christ is the Priest Who offers the sacrifice, and He is likewise the Victim which is offered. The Priest and the Victim are one and the same. Christ our Paschal Lamb, once immolated upon the cross, is daily immolated anew upon our altars. Christ offered Himself, because among all the treasures of heaven and of earth He could find nothing that could serve as a worthy oblation to be offered to the Blessed Trinity. The sacred humanity of Our Lord is the most precious, the most perfect work of God. Even the inexpressible beauty of the Mother of God is, in comparison to the humanity of Christ, as a flaming torch beside the noonday sun. Even the graces and prerogatives which God has bestowed upon the angels and the saints, all taken together, fall far short of the graces and excellences appertaining to the sacred humanity of Christ. By reason of its intimate union with the Godhead it is enriched with boundless treasures and endowed with infinite dignity.
The sanctuary bell is rung at the consecration and the communion, and also between the offertory and the consecration, at the Sanctus.
a. What takes place at the offertory is this: Bread and wine are offered to God and blessed.19
The priest takes the paten whereon the Host is placed, and elevates it, offering the Host to God. Then he takes the chalice, pours into it wine and a little water, elevates it, and offers it likewise to God. He next invokes the Holy Spirit and blesses the oblation with his hand. This is called the offertory, because the actual sacrificial act does not begin until the consecration. For if the priest who was celebrating should chance to fall sick, or any accident should occur, if it was before the consecration he could break off the Mass, but not after the consecration; in that case he must take the communion immediately, and then leave the altar. And supposing the priest were to die after having consecrated, another priest must proceed with the Mass, even were he not fasting; but if the priest who was celebrating died before the consecration, it would not be necessary to go on with the Mass. What does this prove? The name of offertory is given to this part of the Mass because in early times the offerings of bread and wine were made by the faithful. The bread is prepared from wheaten flour; it is unleavened, because the bread Our Lord used was unleavened, and also because it denotes the purity of the body of Christ; it is round in shape, to symbolize the eternal nature of Christ, without beginning and without end. A large Host must be used at Mass, unless only small ones can be had. The wine must be prepared from the juice of grapes; a little water is mixed with it, because this was done by Christ. The water and the wine are also in commemoration of the water and blood which flowed from His riven side.
b. What takes place at the consecration is this: The bread is changed into the body, and the wine into the blood of Christ; and they are then elevated in the sight of the people.20
The consecration is effected by means of the words Our Lord uttered at the Last Supper.
At the consecration something similar occurs to that which occurred when Elijah offered sacrifice on Mount Carmel, when the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust (1 Kings 18); in that case however the agent was natural fire, whereas at Mass it is the supernatural fire of the Holy Spirit. As natural fire changes wood into glowing embers, so the Holy Spirit effects the tran-substantiation of the oblation by words of fire. Hence from the earliest times it was customary in the East—as we learn from ancient liturgies—to call upon the Holy Spirit to come and effect the change. At the moment of consecration the heavens are opened at the word of the priest, and Christ, the King of heaven, descends from above with His courtiers, the angels, who wait upon their Monarch. He descends from heaven upon our altars as swiftly as the eyes on being opened perceive at once the most distant objects. At the moment of consecration, the Incarnation of the Son of God takes place anew, and in the same manner as when, at the salutation of the angel, Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit.21 As the Blessed Virgin then spoke but a few words, so now the priest utters but a few words, and the Son of God comes down from heaven at his summons. It is because Christ becomes man again in the Mass, that at the conclusion the words: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” are read; and when the Credo is sung at High Mass, special emphasis is given to the sentence: Incarnatus est, de Spiritu Sancto, ex Maria Virgine; et homo factus est. The birth of Christ is also repeated in the Mass, with this difference, that Christ is not born corporally, as at Bethlehem, but spiritually; that He is not now clad in mortal flesh, but arrayed in His glorified body, resplendent with the five sacred wounds. It is on account of this spiritual birth that the Church appoints the Gloria in excelsis, the song of praise sung by the angels at Bethlehem, to form part of the Mass, and that Our Lord has appeared many times after the consecration under the form of an infant. An appearance of this kind is said to have been the means of converting the Saxon chief Wittekind, who, when at war with the Emperor Charlemagne, entered the enemy’s camp in disguise, and was present when Mass was said. The same announcement may be made to us Christians as was made by the angels to the shepherds of yore: “Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, for today is born to you a Saviour.”
c. What takes place at the communion is this: The priest receives the body and blood of Christ, and oftentimes administers the body of Christ to the faithful.22
Before the priest communicates the people, the Confiteor is repeated and at the end he absolves and blesses the faithful; then taking the sacred vessel containing the Hosts in his hand, he holds one up in the sight of the people, saying: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who taketh away the sins of the world;” and then repeats three times: “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word and my soul shall be healed.” To each of the communicants, when administering holy communion to him, he says: “May the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul to life everlasting, Amen;” having previously made the sign of the cross over him with the sacred Host, to signify that it is the crucified Redeemer Whom he gives to him. The Hosts that remain after the communion of the people are reserved in the ciborium, which is placed in the tabernacle. In each of these Hosts which were consecrated in the Mass Our Lord remains present. They are used to give communion at other times than in the Mass. Communion may be given at any time when it is allowable to say Mass; but not on Good Friday, nor on Holy Saturday until after the communion of the priest. If there should not be enough Hosts for the intending communicants, the priest may divide them, or in extreme cases, a particle may be broken off the large Host.
1. In the course of time many ceremonies of deep significance grouped themselves around the holy sacrifice of the Mass, which were not to be omitted without absolute necessity.23
As early as the third century, certain prayers and ceremonies were added to the essential part of the sacrifice of the Mass. The service began with psalms sung by the people (at the present time the priest says the psalm Judica me at the foot of the altar); this was followed by the petition for mercy (the priest now recites the Confiteor at the foot of the altar, and the Kyrie eleison standing in front of the altar). Then came the thanksgiving for the pardon of sin (now the Gloria is said immediately after the Kyrie). The officiating bishop next turned to the people and pronounced the salutation: Dominus vobiscum, “the Lord be with you,” and then with extended arms offered a prayer in the name of the people (the collect). After this one of the acolytes read a portion of one of the epistles, then a portion taken from one of the gospels, as is done in the present day, the congregation standing meanwhile, and the bishop gave a short explanation of the gospel of the day. When this was ended, one of the ministers, generally the deacon, called upon the catechumens (i.e., those under instruction for Baptism) to leave the church; if he did not feel sure about anyone who remained, he required the watchword of him, that is, he made him repeat the confession of faith, that was known only to the Christians. This division of the Mass, up to the Creed, was the preparatory part, and used to be called the Mass of the catechumens. At this point the actual sacrifice of the Mass began. The faithful presented offerings of bread and wine, from which the deacons took what was required for the Mass; this the bishop then offered to God and blessed (the offertory). He then washed the fingers with which he had touched the bread, and one of the acolytes called upon the people to pray for the catechumens who had just departed, for the clergy and the Church in general, for friends and for foes. (The Orate Fratres is now said by the priest.) Then followed a prayer of thanksgiving, in imitation of Our Lord, Who gave thanks before consecrating the elements (the preface of the present day, which ends with the Sanctus, an ascription of praise to the Holy Trinity), and all present prayed, as had been enjoined upon them, for the Pope, the bishop, the emperor, invoking the intercession of the Mother of God, of the apostles and holy martyrs. Then came the consecration, the ceremonial for which was the same as it is now; the people prostrating themselves in lowly adoration at the elevation of the Host and of the chalice. The prayer for the dead came next, some of the martyrs being commemorated; the Pater Noster was said aloud, and the Agnus Dei three times: “O Lamb of God, Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.” Upon this the communion followed, the bishop received the body and blood of Christ, and gave communion to the faithful; they crossed their hands, the sacred Host being placed on the palm of the left hand. During the communion appropriate psalms were sung (the priest now recites some verses from the psalms at the right hand side of the altar, which are called the post-communion). The Hosts that remained over were placed in a chest, or a vessel in the shape of a dove beside the altar. After a concluding prayer, the bishop saluted the people with the words, Dominus vobiscum, and dismissed them, saying: Ite, missa est: “Depart, the Mass is ended.” The blessing being given, the commencement of St. John’s Gospel was generally read, in which occur the words: “The Word was made flesh,” and: “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not,” the former being an allusion to the presence of Our Lord in the holy sacrifice, the latter having reference to the sin of those who, without good reason, absent themselves from Mass. In the course of the Mass, which, if a low Mass, lasts from twenty-five to thirty minutes, the celebrant has to observe no less than five hundred ceremonies, such as bowing down, smiting his breast, making the sign of the cross, etc. All this ceremonial is intended to impress the faithful more deeply with the majesty of so great a sacrifice; also to incite them to the contemplation of those most sublime things that are hidden in the Mass (Council of Trent, 22, 5). Each of the ceremonies has its own special meaning.
2. The whole story of the Redemption is symbolically represented by the ceremonies of the Mass.
The opening prayers, said by the priest at the foot of the altar, and at a little distance from it, are emblematic of the 4000 years during which man was comparatively far from God, and looking for the redemption. The Kyrie, repeated nine times, and the Gloria, signify the book of Christ, and the song of praise sung by the nine choirs of angels at Bethlehem; the Orationes, the youth of Our Lord, which was passed in prayer and seclusion from the world. The Epistle, the carrying across of the missal, the Gospel and the Creed, are to remind us that the Gospel was first preached to the Jews, and being rejected by them, was proclaimed to the Gentiles, many of whom believed and were baptized. The offertory represents Our Lord’s preparation for His Passion and His willingness to surrender His life. The preface, which ends with the words: “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest,” represents Christ’s entry into Jerusalem; the prayer for the living, His prayer for the Church before the Last Supper. The five crosses which the priest makes over the oblation are symbolical of the five times that Our Lord was mocked, before Annas, Caiphas, Herod, Pilate, and once again before Herod. The elevation of the bread and wine, of His lifting up on the cross; the five crosses made from time to time over the elements, of the five sacred wounds. The seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer represent the seven wounds upon the cross; the breaking of the Host, the death of Christ, when His soul and body were parted. When the priest says the Agnus Dei and strikes his breast, it recalls the action of the soldiers and others present upon Calvary, who, amazed at the stupendous convulsions of nature, struck their breasts, while the centurion exclaimed: “Indeed this man was the Son of God!” (Luke 23:48; Mark 15:39.) The communion represents the burial of Christ; the Dominus vobiscum, twice repeated, His salutation of the apostles on His twofold appearance to them after His resurrection; the words of dismissal, Ite, missa est, His ascension, when He sent His apostles forth to evangelize the world, and blessed them for the last time; and the Last Gospel, the propagation of the Gospel after the descent of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Mass is seen to be a brief compendium of Our Lord’s life; in one half hour all is depicted which He did during thirty-three years upon earth (Cochem).
5. THE RELATION WHICH THE MASS
BEARS TO THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS
1. The sacrifice of the Mass is a living renewal of the sacrifice of the cross, for in the Mass, as upon the cross, Christ immolates Himself.24
Only in the Mass He sacrifices Himself in an unbloody manner under the appearance of bread and wine, whereas on the cross He sacrificed Himself in a bloody manner as man.
Since it is impossible for the faithful to be present at Our Lord’s sacrifice of Himself upon the cross, He has provided a means whereby they can at least assist at the repetition of that sacrifice, and gain the same merit that would have been theirs had they actually stood beneath the cross on Calvary. The Son of God foresaw that, despite all His bitter Passion, many millions of mankind would not be saved; for their sake He offered Himself to His heavenly Father, expressing His readiness to hang upon the cross, not for three hours only, but until the Last Day; and as this could not be, He devised in His wisdom a plan whereby He could daily suffer anew in a mystical manner, in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and anew move His Father to compassion. The Mass is consequently no mere image of the sacrifice of the cross; it is not a bare memorial of it, it is the self-same sacrifice which was consummated on Calvary (Council of Trent, 22, 3), and accordingly it is of the self-same value and of the self-same efficacy. In the Mass the Passion and death of the Son of God take place again in a mystic manner, His blood is shed afresh. In it He displays His wounds to His heavenly Father, to save man from perdition; He sets before Him the bitter anguish He endured at His death as vividly as if His Passion were but just ended. To say Mass therefore, is to immolate the Son of God anew in a mystic manner. The principal ceremonies of the Mass demonstrate, as we have seen, that the oblation once offered upon the cross is renewed upon the altar.
2. In the sacrifice of the Mass all the sacrifices made by Our Lord are also renewed.
In the Mass Christ does not only sacrifice His humanity, as upon the cross, but with it He offers all that He did and suffered during the thirty-three years of His life on earth, placing it all forcibly before the Holy Trinity, though with all lowliness. The prayers which He sent up to heaven while on earth are all repeated and summarized, as it were, in the Mass, and presented to God the Father with the same urgency as if they were but just uttered. All this He offers for the salvation of each individual who is present at the Mass. Our Lord said once to St. Mechtilde: “I alone know and fully understand how I offer Myself daily upon the altar; it surpasses the comprehension of the seraphim and cherubim, and all the heavenly hosts.”
6. THE PROFIT TO BE DERIVED FROM
THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
1. By means of the holy sacrifice of the Mass the fruits of the sacrifice of the cross are applied to us in most abundant measure; more particularly we obtain thereby forgiveness of sin, certitude that our prayers are heard, temporal blessings, and eternal rewards.25
Every Mass is productive of the same fruits, the same profit to the soul as that which resulted from the death of Our Lord on Good Friday. And since the sacrifice of the Mass is identical with the sacrifice of the cross, it follows as a necessary consequence that its effects are the same (Cochem). The death and Passion of Christ are the treasury, the Mass is the key that unlocks it. The cross is the tree of life laden with celestial fruits, and by the Mass those fruits are given to us. In the sacrifice of the Mass we are made partakers of the merits of Christ; they are, it is true, applied to us by the other means of grace, but far less freely and abundantly. At the time of Mass God gives lavishly; from no other source do the streams of grace flow so copiously as from the altar. In the Mass, the Son of the most high God comes down from the gardens of paradise, bringing to us from thence celestial riches and treasures of infinite value. In the Mass the heavenly Father gives us His Son; “and hath He not with Him, also given us all things?” (Rom. 8:32.) If you, O Christian, knew how to profit by the Mass, by it you might become richer than all the creatures of God can make you! One must be in a state of grace in order to receive most of the sacraments, otherwise one cannot share in Christ’s merits, and one incurs the guilt of mortal sin; but it is not necessary to be in a state of grace to hear Mass; the sinner does not commit a fresh sin by doing so; on the contrary he gains the grace of conversion.
a. The forgiveness of sins consists in this: Through the sacrifice of the Mass sinners obtain the grace and gift of penitence (Council of Trent, 22, 2), while the just obtain the remission of venial sin, and of the temporal penalty due to sin.26
That remission of sin is effected by the Mass, we learn from Our Lord’s words when He consecrated the chalice (Matt. 26:28). The Mass is above all a propitiatory sacrifice; thereby it is differentiated from the Old Testament sacrifices. They only cleansed from legal impurities, not from sin (Heb. 10:1); the oblation of the New Testament alone has power to remit sin (Heb. 9:9). Upon the cross Christ cried: “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34), and at Mass He utters the same petition on behalf of all who are present. As the blood of Abel cried to heaven for vengeance, so the blood of Christ calls to heaven in the Mass for mercy, and the voice of His well-beloved Son has more power with God than that of Abel had (Heb. 12:24). In the Mass Christ is our Advocate with the Father, the propitiation of our sins (1 John 2:1). Our Lord once said to St. Mechtilde: “My condescension in the Mass is so great, that there is no sinner, however great, there present, to whom I will not gladly grant forgiveness, if only he asks Me for it.” Just as men are pacified by a gift, and induced thereby to condone offences committed against them—remember how Jacob on returning home approached his brother Esau with a present, to allay his wrath—(Gen. 32:20)—so God allows His anger to be appeased by the oblation of holy Mass. That holy sacrifice rescues the sinner from eternal perdition. As the sun disperses the clouds and makes the face of nature bright, so holy Mass gladdens the Church of God. The effect of holy Mass upon the sinner is not immediately perceived; God brings about his conversion in an opportune moment, when his heart is open to the influence of grace. At the time of Our Lord’s crucifixion few were moved to repentance; not until Pentecost, when the hearts of many were softened by the preaching of Peter, did the effect of the sacrifice of the cross become apparent. Many are gradually converted through divine grace, without knowing that this is owing to the power of holy Mass. The Holy Spirit acts upon the hearts of those who assist at Mass as He acted upon the centurion and some others who stood beside the cross of Christ, and who acknowledged: “Indeed this man was the Son of God.” The lights about the altar are emblematical of the graces of the Holy Spirit, which are communicated in rich abundance to those who hear Mass devoutly. It would not be meet for one who had served at the table of a monarch to go away hungry, and it cannot be supposed that one who had heard Mass piously should be allowed to depart without spiritual nourishment. As when the mouth eats the whole body is refreshed, so the faithful communicate spiritually at the communion of the priest, although they do not actually receive the Lord’s body. The just obtain remission of venial sin through the sacrifice of the Mass, because the treasures of the infinite satisfaction Our Lord made to His heavenly Father are offered for them in it. “Venial sins,” says Cochem, “melt away at Mass like wax before the fire.” The Council of Trent (22, 1), declares that by the sacrifice of the Mass we obtain the remission of the sins we daily commit. If, as St. Augustine asserts, one Our Father said from the heart will expiate the venial sins of a whole day, how much the more are they expiated by the holy Mass? The Mass is also a sacrifice of atonement for sins of which we are not conscious. Father Cochem tells us that one Mass will do more to pay the temporal penalty due to sin than the severest penances. Moreover the divine chastisements are averted by holy Mass. When God sent a pestilence upon Israel during David’s reign, and seventy thousand of the people died, the prophet told the sorrowing king to offer a holocaust and burnt-offerings to appease the anger of God. No sooner was this done than the plague was stayed. Now if the sacrifice of oxen and sheep availed to arrest the divine judgments, what cannot the sacrifice of the Mass effect? “If,” says Cochem, “thou dost often hear Mass, thou mayst hope that thy purgatory will be short and not severe, because by frequently assisting devoutly at holy Mass, thou hast to a great extent expiated thy sins.” Consider how quickly the penitent thief, who witnessed the sacrifice of Our Lord upon the cross, was admitted to heaven.
b. The prayers we offer during Mass will surely be heard, because they are aided by the prayer of Our Lord and of the angels who are present.27
When we hear Mass, our prayers are strengthened by Our Lord’s prayers, and His prayers are never offered in vain, for the Father heareth Him always (John 11:42). The holy angels await the time of Mass, in order to proffer their petitions on our behalf with greater urgency and more hope of success. As the sacrifice of the Mass is more excellent than any other act of worship, so the prayers offered during Mass are more efficacious than any others. St. Francis de Sales says that prayers offered in union with the divine Victim have an inexpressible power; favors can be obtained at the time of Mass which can be obtained at no other. “Let him who is always complaining that he cannot pray aright,” says Cochem, “go to Mass, that Christ may pray for him and instead of him, and supply what is wanting to his prayers.” How foolishly those act who say at home the prayers they might say at Mass!
c. Through the holy sacrifice of the Mass temporal blessings are obtained, especially these: God protects us from misfortune, assists us in our work, and blesses us in our temporal substance.
He who has heard Mass devoutly will succeed in all things during the remainder of the day. The favorite servant of Queen Elizabeth of Portugal escaped apparently certain death through hearing Mass. St. Philip Neri was accustomed to offer the holy sacrifice before commencing any important undertaking, because he thereby insured its success. You are strengthened to meet the troubles of the whole day, if you have been near your Redeemer in the morning at holy Mass. God assists those in their work who have heard Mass with devotion in the early morning. St. Isidore, a farm-servant at Madrid, used to rise daily at a very early hour, in order to hear Mass before going to his work. When his master, at the instigation of his fellow servants, blamed him for doing this, he replied: “If you find that I get through less work than the others, take something off my wages.” The master observed him narrowly, and was soon convinced that Isidore did a great deal more than the other men, for an angel at his side assisted him in his labor; and thenceforward he did not attempt to hinder him from going daily to Mass.
d. We cannot obtain an eternal recompense through hearing Mass unless we are in a state of grace.28
“Every Mass thou hearest,” says Father Cochem, “perceptibly increases thy future felicity.” As one who is mounting a flight of stairs comes higher at each step, so he who hears Mass ascends one degree higher in heaven. The higher he mounts, the nearer he comes to God; the more clearly he knows Him, the more dearly he loves Him, the more ineffable is his enjoyment of Him. And for all the hardships you have to endure by reason of going to Mass, early rising, exposure to cold, etc., you will be abundantly requited in heaven. A man who had given up going to Mass on week-days for some time, on account of the distance, once beheld in a dream an angel following him on the way to the church, and counting every step he took, in view of his future reward. After he had that dream, he again attended Mass regularly. How unwise are those who neglect the holy sacrifice of the altar! The early Christians valued holy Mass aright, and were ready to lay down their lives rather than be deprived of it. What a responsibility for us, now that it is such an easy matter, that it costs us nothing to go to Mass. The burnt-offerings of the Jews were costly; they were required to sacrifice at once a sheep and a goat, or if poor, two doves; and we have an all-efficacious sacrifice without price. “Let us therefore go with confidence to the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16).
2. Those who participate in the fruits of the holy sacrifice of the Mass are; First, the individual for whom it is celebrated; then the priest and all who are present; finally, all the faithful, both living and dead; moreover the holy sacrifice gives joy to all the angels and saints.29
First and foremost, the individual for whom the Mass is said benefits most by it. The priest is at liberty to apply the actual fruit of the Mass to whomsoever he will. From time immemorial it has been customary in the Church to give a fixed sum to the priest, that he may say the Mass for a certain intention. The money is not given to pay for the Mass, for the value of the Mass is beyond all price, but as an alms towards the maintenance of the priest, and to defray the expenses of divine worship; to pay the server, to purchase candles, etc. In early times the priest was not paid in money, but in kind; the people brought him wine, oil, bread, etc.; not until the Middle Ages did it become usual to give money. The amount to be given is fixed by the bishop; it varies in different countries. No priest is allowed to ask more, unless the Mass is wanted at a very early hour, or a sung Mass is desired, or the priest has to go a long distance. The priest who celebrates Mass derives greater benefit from it than do those who hear it, because of his closer proximity to the Author of all grace. A monarch pays more attention to the envoy of his subjects than he would to one of the people who have deputed him to speak for them; and God, in like manner, regards the priest at the altar not as a sinful mortal, but as the ambassador empowered to speak in the name of the Church and as the representative of His Son; consequently his prayer has more power with God. All who are present at Mass are spiritually sprinkled with the blood of Christ. Could you see the beauty and the brilliancy of a soul thus sprinkled with His blood, you would be ready to fall down and adore it. By reason of the communion of saints, the whole Church is benefited by the holy sacrifice. It is an embassy to the Holy Trinity, bringing a gift of inestimable value. If a deputation from a town offers a present to their monarch, all the inhabitants take part in offering it. So all Christendom has its share in the Mass, although at the sacrificial act its representatives are few in number; on this account the priest says in the prayers of the Mass that he offers up this sacrifice of praise for the whole Church, for all who pay their vows to the eternal, living and true God (prayer after the Sanctus). Every priest offers the sacrifice of the Mass for the salvation of the whole world; without it, destruction would long ago have come upon the earth by reason of the multitude of man’s transgressions. The faithful departed benefit more particularly by holy Mass. Our Lord’s death upon the cross was of immediate profit to the dead, for He directly went down to limbo, to set free many who were there. It is the same now; whenever a Mass is said, several souls are released from purgatory; the angels hasten to open for them the gate of their prison. Moreover the holy sacrifice gives joy to the angels and saints. Since the blessed desire above all things the glory of God and the salvation of mankind, they experience inexpressible delight when they see that in the Mass highest honors are paid to the Holy Trinity, and the spiritual welfare of man is powerfully promoted. The angels and saints also rejoice because their names occur in the holy Mass; they exult with the exultation of warriors who, having been companions of their monarch in the fight, are not forgotten in the triumph of his victory. And if even from the Jewish sacrifices a most sweet odor rose up to heaven (Numb. 28:2), how much more must this be the case with the oblation of Christ. The fragrance of His blood goes up on high to refresh and invigorate the blessed denizens of heaven. For this reason the angels descend from the realms above to assist at Mass; as on Christmas night they came down to Bethlehem, singing songs of praise, to adore the new-born Infant in the manger, so now they stand around the altar at the time of Mass, because the only-begotten Son of God is again made flesh. When God brought in the first begotten into the world, He said: “Let all the angels of God adore Him” (Heb. 1:6). Remember, when you hear Mass, that you are in the company of countless celestial spirits.
7. THE CELEBRATION OF HOLY MASS
1. The holy sacrifice of the Mass is only offered to God; it may be offered to Him with a fourfold intention; by way of atonement, of petition, of praise, or of thanksgiving.30
When we offer sacrifice, we acknowledge that He to Whom we offer it is the Author of all being, the sovereign Lord of all things, and that we consequently owe Him homage. The sacrificial act is therefore an act of adoration, which can be offered to no created being, be he saint or angel. No one has ever offered sacrifice except to the true God, or to one whom he erroneously supposed to be the true God. Under the Old Dispensation there were various sacrifices: Sin-offerings, burnt-offerings, sacrifices of praise, etc.; we have but one sacrifice, which answers all these ends. To make atonement is pre-eminently the object of the sacrifice of the Mass; this is the chief intention for which it is celebrated. The sacrifice of the Mass has also an immense potency if we would ask for anything; no gift or favor is too great to be obtained by means of it. For what we implore is something finite, something created, whereas what we offer is something divine, something infinite. It cannot be imagined that God, Who is so generous that He richly rewards a cup of cold water given in His name, will not reward us when we offer Him the chalice containing the blood of His divine Son. The holy sacrifice of the Mass is also a sacrifice of praise. That alone can be praised which is praiseworthy; the more good there is in a man, the more praise can be given to him. God is the supreme and infinite Good; all the creatures He has made cannot praise Him enough. “Glorify the Lord, exalt Him as much as you can, for He is above all praise” (Sir. 43:32). Yet there is one means whereby we can worthily praise God, and that is by the sacrifice of the Mass. Upon the altar Christ praises the Godhead as He ought to be praised, as neither angel nor saint, much less mortal man, is able to praise Him. One single Mass gives more glory to God than all the angels and saints in heaven are capable of rendering Him; the glory given Him is as much greater as God is more exalted than His creatures (Cochem). In no way can God be more honored than by the spotless Victim upon the altar; Christ instituted the Mass for this end, to enable the Church to give glory to God. Another intention for which Mass may be celebrated is to give God thanks. “If any one has done thee a kindness,” says Cochem, “thou art bound to make him a fitting return, unless thou wouldst appear ungrateful.” Now consider what countless benefits we have received from God; think how admirably He has made the earth, fashioned man; how He provides continually for our sustenance. Think, above all, of the work or redemption, the institution of the sacraments, and of the many graces He has conferred on us. Will we not say with Tobias: “What wages shall we give Him, or what can be worthy of His benefits?” (Tob. 12:2.) See, you have the sacrifice of the Mass; therefore it is in your power to make a worthy return for the divine benefits. For as Our Lord gave thanks to God at the Last Supper, so He now gives thanks in the Mass; and the thanksgiving offered by God is infinite, surpassing in value that of all angels and all mankind. If the whole company of heaven and all good men on earth were to unite with you in one unceasing act of thanksgiving, you would not give God as much thanks as is rendered to Him in one Mass by His divine Son. How great is the love of God towards us! Not only does He lavish innumerable benefits upon us, but at the same time He places within our reach an excellent means of repaying worthily the great blessings we have received.
2. The holy sacrifice of the Mass may also be offered in honor of the angels or saints.31
When we offer holy Mass in honor of the saints, it is the same as when a play is acted in honor of a prince. Although no allusion may be made in it to the prince, yet he accepts it graciously. Even so the blessed take special delight in the Mass when it is celebrated in their honor, although the Passion of Christ alone is re-enacted in it, and it is offered solely to God (Cochem). When offered in honor of the saints, the Mass is essentially a sacrifice of thanksgiving and of petition; for we give thanks to God for the graces bestowed on the saints, and beseech Him to grant us grace through their intercession. When Mass is celebrated with this intention, the accidental glory of the saints is increased, but not the degree of happiness they enjoy. St. Gertrude often had Mass said in honor of the saints, and they generally appeared to her to thank her. During the Mass she was permitted to see them shining in greater glory, arrayed in garments more resplendent. The renewed presence of her Son upon earth also gives the Mother of God a thousand times more joy than all the psalms, litanies, prayers, you could recite in her honor; and doubtless she will show you special favor if you hear or celebrate Mass in her honor.
3. The holy sacrifice of the Mass can also be offered for the souls of the departed, who have been members of the Catholic Church.32
The Council of Trent expressly declares that the sacrifice of the Mass may be offered for the dead (C. 22, 2). It is unquestionably true that the departed may be assisted by holy Mass; that God is thereby induced to deal with them more leniently than their sins deserve (St. Augustine). From the earliest ages of Christianity it was customary to offer the holy sacrifice for the faithful departed, and give them a memento in every Mass, as is done now after the consecration. Tertullian states that this was the practice of the apostles themselves. We know that Monica begged St. Augustine to remember her at the altar of God after her departure. “She was not concerned,” says St. Augustine, “about the embalming or preparing of her body for burial; she was not solicitous about her sepulcher or the monument to be raised to her memory; her only anxiety was that intercession should be made for her at the altar.” What a contrast to Christians in the present day! Holy Mass may not be publicly celebrated for non-Catholics, such as Jews and Protestants, after their death. “We cannot,” says Pope Innocent III, “hold communion after their death with those with whom we held no communion during their life.” To offer the holy sacrifice for such persons by name, as we do for Catholics, would be out of harmony with Catholic teaching. It is, however, permitted to offer up holy Mass privately even for non-Catholics, and it will avail them if they were free from mortal sin at the time of their death.
Holy Mass may be said for the living; we know that it is well to pray for our brethren when we are present at the holy sacrifice, and in every Mass a memento is made for the living. Father Cochem tells us that prayer for others is far more efficacious if offered during Mass, and we can even obtain the conversion of sinners by saying Mass, or having Mass said for them. No better assistance than this can be given to the sick and dying. We may also offer the holy sacrifice for unbelievers during their lifetime, because Christ died for all men, and the Church intercedes for infidels, e.g., on Good Friday. The greater the number of persons for whom a Mass is said, the less profit does each individual derive from it. For this reason priests are strictly forbidden to accept more than one gratuity for one Mass. From time immemorial Mass has been offered for individuals, for it could not be supposed that a Mass which is said for hundreds or thousands of people could profit each one as much as if it were said for him alone.
5. Not the priest alone, but all the faithful who are present at Mass, may offer the holy sacrifice for a special intention.33
The people who are present when Mass is celebrated offer it with the officiating priest. The priest offers the sacrifice in his own person, the people offer it by his hands. Hence St. Peter speaks of Christians as a kingly priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9), and the Jews of old were called a priestly kingdom (Exod. 19:6). In the prayers of the Mass the priest includes the people with himself as those who offer the oblation (Orate Fratres); in fact the priest must of necessity have some one to offer it with him, for on no account is it permitted to say Mass without a server, who represents the people. And as those who assist at Mass are fellow-sacrificers with the priest, it follows that their prayers have the same power as his. The faithful ought therefore, whenever they hear Mass, to offer it for some definite intention. This may be done either at the commencement of the Mass, or at the offertory, or immediately after the consecration. Take heed, O Christian, that in the Mass you frequently offer up the divine Victim to His heavenly Father; the more often you do this, the more abundantly will you be enriched. Those who neglect thus to offer the holy Mass in word or in thought, lose much that they might gain. The due blessing of Mass does not consist in merely being present at it, but in uniting one’s self in spirit to the priest who offers it.
8. THE VALUE OF THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
1. As the holy sacrifice of the Mass is an oblation of infinite value, to celebrate or to hear Mass is a good work which surpasses all other good works in excellence.34
An oblation is nothing else than a gift we offer to God. Now the value of a gift is proportionate to the dignity of the giver and the costliness of the gift. Thus it is with a sacrifice; the more holy the sacrificer and the more precious the victim, the greater is its importance in God’s sight. Hence it is that the value of the sacrifice of the Mass is infinite, for the priest and victim are none other than He of Whom God the Father said: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). The glory given to God in the Mass is greater than that which accrues to Him from all the good works of the saints, for the glory they give Him is finite, whereas the glory He receives in the Mass is infinite; it is an honor paid not by angels or men, but by Christ Himself. “Christ alone,” says Cochem, “knows the greatness of the divine majesty; He alone knows what is due to the Most High; He alone is capable of rendering to the divine majesty the honor that appertains to Him; all that angels and men can do for the glory of God scarcely deserves notice in comparison with what Christ does.” No sacrifice is an act of such profound abasement as the sacrifice of the Mass, for in it the all-glorious Son of God abases Himself to the utmost upon the altar, making Himself appear less than man. In presence of the sacrifice of the Mass, all the sacrifices of the Old Testament vanish as do the stars when the sun rises, for those sacrifices were only acceptable to God inasmuch as they foreshadowed the oblation of Christ on the cross, with which the Mass is identical. Therefore to hear or celebrate Mass is a good work of greater excellence than any other. As the sun exceeds the planets in radiance and vivifying power, so to hear Mass devoutly is much more important, more profitable to us, than any other good work. “If,” says St. Laurence Justinian, “you place all your good works, prayers, fasts, alms, mortifications in one scale, and a single Mass in the other, you will find the latter far outweighs the former.” For by the practice of penance we offer to God gifts that are purely human, but when we hear Mass with due devotion, we offer Him gifts that are divine; we offer Him the body of Christ, the blood of Christ, the wounds of Christ, the Passion of Christ—nay, the only-begotten Son of God Himself. The Council of Trent declares that no more holy and divine act can be performed by the faithful than the sacrifice of the Mass. To hear Mass, as a good work, is more profitable than mental prayer, which is the highest form of prayer, because in meditation we represent to ourselves Christ as present, whereas in the Mass He is really present in person.
The sacrifice of the Mass has a twofold virtue. The one it has of itself, quite independently of the worthiness of the priest. By the sacrifice of the Mass the virtues of Christ’s Passion and His merits are applied to our souls in a totally different manner to that of any other works. Hence a man in no wise loses the fruit of the holy sacrifice if it is offered for him by a priest who is unworthy. Just as the efficacy of the sacraments does not depend upon the character of the priest who dispenses, so the oblation of a bad priest has the same intrinsic value as that of a good priest (St. Thomas Aquinas). Yet on the other hand, the Mass regarded as a good work performed by a believing Christian, has a secondary virtue which depends upon the sanctity and fervor of priest and people. The holier the priest, the more profound his devotion, the more acceptable is the sacrifice he offers, and the greater is the benefit accruing from it. Thus it is far preferable to hear the Mass of a good priest than of a careless one, for the piety and sanctity both of the minister himself, and the faithful who join with him in offering the sacred oblation, enhance its beneficial effect as a good work and incite those present to greater devotion.
When we are conversing with any one, we give him our whole attention, and do not think of other people. So when we hear Mass, when we are in the presence of God, we should fix our thoughts on Him, and for the time forget everything else. This we should do all the more because to hear Mass is the highest and holiest act of worship we can perform, and if we do this carelessly, it will be without benefit to ourselves.
We ought to be very devout at Mass; that is, we ought to banish from our minds all that may cause distraction, and endeavor to unite our supplications to those of the priest, especially in the three principal parts of the Mass.35
As it is only at the cost of great toil that miners extract precious stones from the bowels of the earth, so we cannot make the hidden treasures of grace contained in the Mass our own unless we take pains to assist at it with the utmost attention and devotion.
1. Whispering, laughing, looking about at the time of Mass must be carefully avoided; moreover it is unseemly to come to Mass overdressed.36
It may he said of our churches, where God is present upon our altars, what God said to Moses out of the burning bush: “The place whereon thou standest in holy ground” (Exod. 3:5). We gather from the indignation Our Lord manifested in regard to those that bought and sold in the Temple (Matt. 21:13), how abhorrent to Him is indecorous behavior in the house of God. The house of God is a house of prayer. You would not allow yourself to chatter and laugh, nor even to sit down in the presence of an earthly monarch; with how much greater awe and reverence ought you to behave in the presence of Him Who is above all kings and emperors, the Son of the most high God! Seven hundred priests and Levites ministered in the Jewish Temple of old; they slaughtered victims daily for the burnt-offerings; and all went on in silence so profound that it might have been imagined that one priest only was in the Temple. Alexander the Great once was offering sacrifice to one of the heathen gods; a young nobleman stood by holding a lighted torch; before the function was ended the torch burned down and scorched his hand, but such was his reverence for the act of sacrifice that he would not allow himself to fling it away. How much more ought Christians to avoid everything that would disturb the solemnity of this sublime sacrifice! The early Christians remained motionless at Mass, so that it was as still as if no one were in the church. It has always been customary to kneel during Mass, at any rate from the consecration until after the communion. A pious empress, who was in the habit of kneeling throughout the Mass, was once begged not to fatigue herself in this manner: “What,” she replied, “would you have me sit in the presence of my Lord and God, when my servants do not venture to sit in my presence?” St. Elizabeth of Hungary used always to remove her crown while she heard Mass. Those who behave irreverently at the holy sacrifice deserve condign punishment; they certainly derive no profit from it. It is also most unseemly to come to Mass dressed to excess, in the height of the fashion. St. John Chrysostom animadverts severely upon women who apparently go to Mass to attract attention, and show off their fine clothes. “Thou popinjay! is this finery,” he says, “befitting a contrite sinner, who comes to entreat pardon? Such garments are more suitable for the ballroom than the church.” St. Ambrose says the more admiration such persons gain from men, the more they are despised by God. Some Popes and holy bishops have ordained that women should come veiled to church: St. Paul seems to have made the same rule for his converts, remarking that nature provided them with a veil, by giving them long hair (1 Cor. 11:5, 14).
Meditation upon Our Lord’s Passion is the best method of hearing Mass, because in holy Mass the sacrifice of the cross is re-enacted, and it was instituted as a commemoration of the death of the Redeemer.37
Those do wrong who repeat the prayers of the Mass out of a prayer-book in a formal manner, with their lips, not with their heart. There is nothing reprehensible in refraining altogether from vocal prayer during Mass if we substitute for it mental prayer. Those who repeat vocal prayers must take care not to disturb others by whispering. The five sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary are a very suitable devotion for Mass, because Our Lord’s Passion is thus set before us.
It is well to have a little singing during Mass, as it is conducive to devotion, is in itself a prayer, and promotes the glory of God.38
Sacred music is most useful in exciting devotion. St. Augustine says: “How many tears I have shed, when hymns and canticles were sung to Thee, O my God! What emotions were aroused within me, when the church re-echoed with sweet melodies! Each note fell upon my ear like soothing balm, carrying conviction of Thy truth to my heart, and kindling within me the ardor of devotion.” Music is, moreover, an efficacious prayer; it is a heartfelt and fervent prayer, for the feelings of the heart gain force when the voice expresses them in song. The Fathers of the Church cannot say enough in commendation of the use of vocal music in church; they say that it appeases the wrath of God, drives away the spirits of evil, attracts the angels, and leads the Holy Spirit to visit the heart of the singers; that on the wings of song the soul is aided to soar on high, that the voice of song awakens in the mind a longing for heavenly things, that it melts the heart and causes the sinner to shed tears of contrition and compunction. Vocal music is also an appropriate accompaniment to the sacrifice of the Mass; for it affords a means of expressing and manifesting the intense feeling, the deep emotions evoked by an attentive consideration of what is being enacted upon the altar. And since it is in song that the heart gives vent to her inmost feelings most freely and touchingly, it is the most perfect and fitting means of honoring the divine majesty. As often as Holy Scripture speaks of giving glory to God by the lips of angels or saints, it is described as a sublime and exalted song of praise. Therefore vocal music may almost be said to be an integral part of the solemn celebration of the holy sacrifice; the Church could more readily dispense with magnificent structures, rich coloring, costly vestments, precious vessels, than with singing, for it is the language in which utterance is given to her prayers. We read that at the Last Supper Our Lord and His apostles sang a hymn, after which they went out unto Mount Olivet (Matt. 26:30). And we know, from the testimony of the earliest writers, that the Christians of primitive times were wont to sing during the celebration of holy Mass; for the first Christian annalists employ the expression: “Sing to Christ a canticle of praise,” as synonymous with offering the holy sacrifice. In the present day some parts of the Mass are appointed to be sung by the priest. It is, however, important that the singing at Mass should be as far as possible in harmony with the prayers recited by the priest and with the festival of the day; for congregational singing is not a mere accompaniment to, an accessory of the Mass, but a means whereby the people take part in the service and join with the priest who officiates at the altar. But the singing should not be continuous, for this is disturbing to devotion. The Holy See has expressly forbidden the singing to go on during some parts of the liturgy, as at the consecration, and when benediction is given with the Blessed Sacrament.
3. At the three principal parts of the Mass we should to a certain extent suspend our private devotions, and fix our attention upon what is done upon the altar.39
It is evidently the intention of the Church that we should discontinue our private prayers or singing during the canon of the Mass and at the communion, as a bell is rung to call our attention to it. At the offertory the priest says: “We offer unto Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation,” and the faithful ought on their part to make an act of offering, to verify his words.
In the course of the Mass we are required to do as follows: When the priest commences the Mass, we should make the sign of the cross, and direct our intention.
The priest also offers the Mass for a definite intention. Ask yourself for what intention you should offer the holy sacrifice. In some places it is customary for the people to stand when the priest goes up to the altar, as a mark of reverence to him as Christ’s representative.
At the Gospel all stand up, out of respect for the word of God; we should at the same time cross ourselves on forehead, lips, and breast, to testify our belief in, and our readiness to confess and follow the teaching of the crucified Redeemer.
At the offertory we ought to offer to God the oblations upon the altar, ourselves, and all that we possess.
At the Sanctus we ought to give praise to God, and hail the coming of the Son of God Who is about to descend upon the altar. The words of the Sanctus are like the thrice holy of the angels (Is. 6:3), and the cries of the people at Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:9).
At the consecration we ought to kneel and adore the Redeemer Who comes down from heaven upon the altar.
Imitate at the consecration what you see the priest do; he falls upon his knees, and reverently adores the Lord and God Whom he holds in his hands. Do as the three kings did in presence of the Infant Christ, or as the apostles on Mount Thabor. When the priest elevates the Host, look upon it with veneration; Our Lord once revealed to St. Gertrude that those who did so would have greater joy hereafter in the contemplation of God. If looking upon a brazen serpent in the wilderness brought healing (Numb. 21:9), what must it not do for us to gaze in faith upon the sacred Host! It is not well to drop one’s head immediately, as if one would hide one’s self. For what purpose does the priest elevate the sacred Host and hold it up on high but that we may behold it? Everyone should remain perfectly silent, in trembling awe, when the King of kings comes to be immolated for the faithful and given to them as their spiritual sustenance. Before Him the choirs of angels move, covering their faces, singing songs of praise with great jubilation. “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him” (Hab. 2:20). Some people keep cold and unmoved at the consecration, just as if Our Lord were not present; they are like a man who, when a friend comes from a distance to visit him, does not so much as bid him welcome on his arrival, but leaves him standing as if he were a stranger. The whole court of heaven makes preparation for the consecration, and we miserable mortals look on with indifference, scarcely seeming to heed what is enacted upon the altar. Oh! did God but open the eyes of our soul, what marvels would be disclosed to our spiritual sight! But because we do not perceive with our senses the abasement of the Son of God, we think little of it, whereas the angels gaze on it with trembling.
4. It is an excellent practice immediately after the consecration to make to our heavenly Father a definite act of offering of His divine Son sacrificed upon the altar, and of His Passion and death.40
The priest officiating at the altar recites a prayer of offering. We may use some such words as these: “I offer Thee, O heavenly Father, Thy well-beloved Son, here present upon the altar; I offer Thee His sufferings and cruel death, beseeching Thee to have compassion upon the souls in purgatory” (or any other intention, such as the recovery of a sick person, or in thanksgiving for favors received). How pleasing it is to the eternal Father, when you honor Him in this manner! How rich a return will He make for the gift you present to Him! If any man possessed the whole world, and offered it to almighty God, he would not give Him so great a gift as when he humbly offers to Him His beloved Son in the Mass. The power of Christ’s precious blood is all-prevailing to appease the wrath of God; by it we can obtain the conversion of sinners and the deliverance of souls from purgatory. Even the most grievous sinner may hope to obtain pardon, if he offers up the Passion and death of Christ to His divine Father. This may be done at other times than at Mass, but with less efficacy.
5. At the communion if we do not communicate actually, we ought to do so spiritually.
The early Christians communicated daily; but now few Christians lead so perfect a life as to be able to communicate daily. When the priest gives the blessing we should cross ourselves, at the same time imploring the blessing of God and giving thanks for the graces we have received. At the Last Gospel we should do the same as at the first.
We should endeavor, if we are present when several Masses are being said, to hear the one which is said where we can see it best, and follow that alone. In some dioceses it is the rule that if several Masses are celebrated simultaneously, the bell should be rung at one altar only, and that the principal, or at any rate the most conspicuous one. Yet though we cannot hear more than one Mass at the same time, if we are where several are being said, we profit in a certain measure by all, since every priest prays for all who are present.
10. THE OBLIGATION OF HEARING MASS
1. Every Catholic is bound, under pain of mortal sin, to hear the whole of one Mass devoutly every Sunday and holy day of obligation.41
(See the second commandment of the Church.)
a. Those persons who could not go to church without great injury to themselves, or who have some urgent work of mercy to perform, are excused from hearing Mass.42
Those are dispensed from hearing Mass who by going to church would incur serious personal injury. Thus the sick who cannot go to church are excused, likewise those whose health is so delicate that they cannot go without at least the risk of falling ill; or those who by going would be in danger of being set upon by ruffians; others again who live more than three miles from a church, or at too great a distance to go in bad weather. A king once observed that on a stormy December morning the church was almost empty, whereas in the evening, though the snow was falling heavily, the theatre was crowded. “Alas,” he exclaimed, “people are ready enough to make sacrifices for pleasure, but for God they will make none.” Working-people are also excused if they would lose their employment by leaving their work to hear Mass, or they may stay away occasionally, if by going they have great disagreeables to put up with from the people they live with, though they should endeavor rather to bring them to a better mind. One member of a household may remain at home to keep the house; those, again, are excused from attendance at Mass who have works of mercy to perform, such as nursing the sick, taking care of young children, preparing the meals for other inmates of the house, etc.
b. We have not heard a whole Mass, unless we have been present in the church during the three principal parts of one and the same Mass.
It is requisite to be present at the three principal parts of the Mass; if one of these is omitted through negligence, the obligation is not fulfilled; if, for instance, we do not come in before the offertory, or if we leave before the communion. It does not suffice to hear one Mass from the consecration to the end, and another from the commencement to the consecration. What Christ has joined together, let not the Christian put asunder. He who comes in after the offertory must stay for the whole of another Mass. Moreover one must be present inside the church; it will not suffice to sit or stand outside, unless the church should be so overcrowded that it is impossible to get inside. How potent is the prayer of an assembled multitude; for where two or three are gathered together in Christ’s name, there is He in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20). St. John the Almoner, Patriarch of Alexandria in the seventh century, put a stop to the bad habit his flock had contracted of remaining outside during Mass-time. One Sunday, instead of vesting for Mass, he went out and sat with the people outside the church, to their great astonishment. “Where the sheep are, there the shepherd must be,” he observed. “While you stay here, I shall do the same; if you go in, I will go too.” After this rebuke no one was to be seen outside the church at Mass-time.
c. Those only can be said to hear Mass devoutly who banish from their mind all that may cause them distraction, and who unite their petitions to those of the priest, especially at the three principal parts of the Mass.
d. It is permissible to assist at the holy sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays and holydays in any church; but it is desirable to go to one’s parish church.43
The Council of Trent admonishes the faithful to be frequent in their attendance at their parish church, at least on Sundays and the greater festivals. On those days the priest offers the holy sacrifice for all his parishioners, both living and dead, and adapts his sermons to the needs of his flock; furthermore in the parish church notices are given out of marriages, of fast days, of ecclesiastical festivals and ordinances. The faithful ought to become acquainted with their parish priest, who is their pastor and spiritual father, in the house of God. There is however no law which makes it binding upon Catholics to hear Mass in their parish church.
2. To hear Mass on week-days, if possible, is a highly commendable practice, for it may be the means of gaining the greatest graces.44
If the holy sacrifice were celebrated in only one place in the world, and offered only by one priest, with what longing would Christian people hasten to that spot! But now that there are many priests, and Christ is daily offered up in many places, how much is our lukewarmness and negligence to be deplored, which has thereby arisen (Imitation, Book iv., ch. 1). Some people consider the half hour they take from their work to hear Mass as a loss of time; this is, however, not so, for they do their work better and more quickly through having been to Mass. Has not Our Lord said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33)? “If,” says Cochem, “a shower of gold fell from the clouds, thou wouldst surely leave thy work and hasten into the street to gather up the coins. Only a fool would stop indoors. And thou art a fool if thou dost through indifference or negligence omit to hear Mass, when a stream of heavenly treasures is poured out from on high. Through neglecting holy Mass one loses far more than one would gain by a whole day’s work. Arrange thy business therefore, if thou canst, so as to allow of thy hearing Mass daily. And if it is impossible for thee to go thyself, give an alms to some poor person to hear Mass for thee; he will do so gladly, and thou wilt reap the greater benefit.” For, as is the case with every good work, we may apply to others the merit of hearing Mass without being losers ourselves. For the priest, in the canon of the Mass, supposes that those who are present who with him offer up the holy sacrifice, do so for their families and friends as well as for themselves. Do not allow human respect to keep you from serving Christ, for if you are ashamed of Him, He will also be ashamed of you (Luke 9:26). When King Louis of France was told that people talked about his habit of hearing one or even more than one Mass daily, he replied: “How careful people are about my time; if I spent twice as long at play or out hunting, they would not have a word to say about it.” The Blessed Thomas More was accustomed to say, in connection with hearing Mass daily, that he esteemed it his greatest honor to render that mark of respect to the King of kings.
11. THE TIME WHEN MASS IS
TO BE CELEBRATED
1. The holy sacrifice of the Mass is generally to be celebrated between sunrise and noon, and at midnight on Christmas Eve.45
Mass may be said before sunrise under exceptional circumstances, such as the priest’s going on a journey, or in order to give working-people the opportunity of hearing Mass before commencing the day’s labor; or it may happen that after the consecration of a church, or a confirmation, the holy sacrifice is not commenced before twelve o’clock (noon). The early Christians celebrated Mass at night, in order to escape the persecution of the heathen. And in later years it was customary to offer the holy sacrifice during the night several times in the course of the year; at Christmas, on Holy Saturday, on St. John Baptist’s Day, and on Ember days.
Every Catholic priest is bound to say Mass on Sundays and holydays (Council of Trent, 23, 14). Those who have the care of souls are, in virtue of their office, under the obligation of offering the holy sacrifice every Sunday and holyday for their parishioners, both living and dead. These Masses which are binding on those who have the cure of souls are called parochial Masses, and must be said at the hour when the parishioners are best able to come to church.
3. No priest may, as a rule, say Mass more than once daily;46 but on Christmas Day and on All Soul’s Day all priests are allowed to say three Masses. And by the permission of the bishop some parish priests who have a large congregation are allowed to duplicate, that is, say two Masses on the same day.
In the commencement of the Middle Ages it was customary for priests sometimes to say one Mass after another, but this gave rise to many abuses. By a decree of Pope Innocent III the clergy were forbidden to say more than one Mass daily, except on Christmas Day, when three might be said. It is not, however, obligatory on priests to say three Masses on Christmas Day, any more than it is upon the laity to hear three. Priests who have a large parish obtain permission from the bishop to duplicate, if the church is too small for all the parishioners to hear one and the same Mass.
On the other hand no priest may say Mass on Good Friday. And on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday only one solemn Mass is to be celebrated in the parish church.
The only exception to this rule is made when the feast of the Annunciation falls on Thursday in Holy Week. If it falls on Good Friday or Holy Saturday, it is transferred to the Monday in Low Week.
12. THE PLACE WHERE MASS
IS TO BE CELEBRATED.
1. The apostles offered the holy sacrifice on a table in a dwelling-house.47
(See Acts 2:46; Col. 4:15.) To this day the table whereon St. Peter offered the holy sacrifice may be seen in the Church of St. John Lateran in Rome. The Council of Nice (325), speaks of the holy table on which the priest immolates without bloodshed the Lamb of God, Whose body and blood is the spiritual food of Christians. A table was used because it was on a table that the holy Mass was instituted by Our Lord on Holy Thursday; that table, made of cedarwood, is still preserved in Rome. Another reason for using a table was that it could be easily hidden or removed in times of persecution.
It is from this that the altar to this day has the form of a tomb, and that relics of the saints are deposited in it. Another reason why relics are placed in the altars is to denote the communion we hold with the saints in heaven, and it is on account of the relics being there that the priest frequently kisses the altar. When the Church had emerged from the Catacombs, the churches were erected by preference upon the spots where the saints and martyrs were interred (witness St. Peter’s in Rome), and eminent ecclesiastics were buried in the crypts. Hence arose the custom at funerals of having the body in the church when the requiem is sung. And the lights which are burned during divine worship date from the time when the Christians assembled to hear Mass in dark, subterranean chambers. The burning lights also symbolize divine grace, which enlightens and vivifies, and which is communicated at no time so freely as during holy Mass. The candles upon the altar signify, furthermore, the presence of Him Who is the Light of the world, the God-man, Who enlightens us by His word.
3. When the period of persecution was over, the holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered in churches upon altars of stone.48
In old times a table or mound was formed of stone, and decked as an altar. Noah, on coming out of the ark, built an altar, and the other patriarchs did the same. In the Temple at Jerusalem there were two altars, the altar of burnt-offering in the outer court, and the altar of incense in the sanctuary. Altars must be either composed entirely of stone, or a stone, blessed by the bishop and containing relics, must be let into the top. On this the chalice and paten are placed, to signify that Christ is the foundation and cornerstone on which the Church rests (Ps. 117[118]:22), and a threefold linen cloth must be spread upon the altar, both because Our Lord was wrapped in a linen cloth when He lay in the sepulcher, and also to absorb any drops of the precious blood that might perchance fall from the chalice. On every altar there must be a cross, because the sacrifice of the cross is renewed there, and also two candlesticks with wax tapers. The altar is generally placed so that the officiating priest looks towards the east; the reason of this is because when he celebrates the Mass he lifts his heart and hands to Him Who is the source of spiritual light. The altar is raised, both to denote its dignity, to enable all who are in the church to see the ceremonies, and also because the great oblation of our redemption was offered upon an eminence visible from afar.
Churches are usually built on a height, or in the centre of a township. The styles of ecclesiastical architecture are many and varied.
A hill, or some eminence, used to be selected as the site of a church, because of old high places were considered sacred; under the Old Dispensation God frequently manifested Himself to mortals on a mountain; Our Lord often withdrew to a mountain to pray, and the Temple of Jerusalem, the type of the Christian Church, was situated upon a mountain. On an eminence one is more disposed for prayer and recollection; one is further aloof from the noise of the busy world, one feels nearer to God. Christ Himself said His Church was to be built upon a rock, and He was crucified upon Mount Calvary. When churches are situated in the centre of a town or village, it should remind us that in the Blessed Sacrament the Good Shepherd loves to dwell in the midst of His sheep. The Church of St. Peter in Home is the largest basilica in the world.
Both the external and internal arrangements of churches are adapted to awaken and aid devotion.49
In regard to the exterior, the church is larger and higher than ordinary dwelling-houses, because it is the house of the most high God. It looks toward the east, because it is destined for the worship of the Sun of justice. It is built in the form of a cross, because the sacrifice of the cross is re-enacted within its walls, and the doctrine of the Crucified preached. It has a spire, pointing to heaven, our home, to admonish us to “seek those things that are above” (Col. 3:1). Bells are hung in the tower to summon us to divine worship or call us to prayer; the spire is surmounted by a cross, the emblem of salvation, whereby God is reconciled with man. The interior of the church is divided into three parts; the porch, where in former days the catechumens and penitents used to kneel, and which ought to remind us of the preparation necessary before entering the church: the nave, which is the part appropriated to the faithful, wherein, as in Noah’s ark, they are saved from eternal perdition; and the choir, where the singers formerly sat, but which is now set apart for the clergy. It is separated from the body of the church by a rail or communion table. At the entrance of the church we see the holy water stoup, reminding us that we ought to approach God with pure hearts; in the interior is one or more altars; over the high altar is the tabernacle wherein the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, and before which the sanctuary lamp is kept perpetually burning, to symbolize the Light of the world there present. There are also pictures and statues of saints and angels, who assist unseen at the sacred offices, besides the font, and all the other furniture of a church, with which every Catholic is familiar. The “dim religious light” that pervades the building, owing to the colored glass of the windows, reminds us that here below we understand the things of God only in a dark manner. Those people who say that it is unnecessary to go to church, because they can say their prayers anywhere, should consider that in the churches Our Lord is actually present upon our altars, that the atmosphere of the sacred edifice disposes us to recollection, and that petitions offered there have more power than those offered elsewhere.
The consecration of a church is performed by the bishop, but a church can, with the permission of the bishop, he employed for divine service without consecration.50
By God’s command Moses had to anoint the tabernacle with the oil of unction (Exod. 40. 9), and Solomon’s Temple was dedicated by that monarch himself. When King Antiochus had profaned the Temple by setting up idols within it, it had to be cleansed and dedicated anew; this was the origin of the feast of the Dedication (1 Macc. 4:54). It appertains to the office of a bishop alone to consecrate churches, but he may give leave for Mass to be said in any building set apart for the purpose. The principal ceremonies of the consecration of a church are as follows: The bishop first prostrates himself before the principal entrance, and recites the Litany of the Saints; then rising up, he goes three times around the outside of the building, sprinkling the walls with holy water; each time that he passes the door he knocks upon it with his crozier; finally he makes the sign of the cross upon the threshold with the crozier to signify that nothing can resist the force of the cross, and enters the church, where he falls on his knees and invokes the Holy Spirit. He then draws the letters of the Greek and Latin alphabets upon the pavement of the church, which is strewn with ashes, to signify that all the nations of the earth are called into the Church of Christ; next he goes round the interior of the building three times, sprinkling the walls with holy water, and three times up the centre and across it; this is in honor of the Holy Trinity, and of the crucifixion of Christ; afterwards he anoints the walls in twelve places, where lighted tapers are affixed, in memory of the twelve apostles who spread abroad the light of the Gospel, and then proceeds to consecrate the altar. From time immemorial the anniversary of the dedication of a church formed a yearly festival in the parish, but abuses having crept in, one festival was appointed for the whole Church, the third Sunday in October, to be kept as the feast of the Dedication. If any grievous crime is committed in a church, such as murder, or suicide, and it is known publicly, the sacred edifice must be instantly closed and dedicated anew. This must also be done if a church is rebuilt, either wholly or to such an extent that the walls are in great part pulled down. Only under most exceptional circumstances, in time of war, or if a church is burned down, or at open-air festivals, may Mass be said outside the church, and express permission from the bishop must invariably be obtained. For saying Mass on board ship, the sanction of the Holy See is necessary. On such occasions a portable altar, blessed by the bishop, is used; that is, a square stone slab, large enough to admit of the chalice and Host being placed upon it.
13. THE VESTMENTS AND SACRED
VESSELS USED AT MASS
He who is granted an audience of an earthly monarch dresses himself in full dress out of respect to that monarch; and the priest, when he appears before the King of kings at the altar, is arrayed in suitable vestments. These vestments show that he does not act of his own power, but as the representative of Christ. God Himself gave directions concerning the vestments which were to be worn by the priests under the Old Testament (Exod. 28:4). The vestments to be worn by the Christian priests were prescribed by the apostles.
The amice is a white linen cloth laid about the head and shoulders. Formerly it used to be placed over the head like a hood, to keep the priest from distractions at Mass. The alb is a white linen garment, reaching from head to foot. In the East it was customary to wear a white robe on festival occasions, as for instance, when invited to a wedding. In the parable of the marriage-feast, Our Lord makes mention of the “wedding garment” (Matt. 22:12). The girdle is a cord which fastens the alb together, so that it may not inconvenience the priest in walking. It is said of the young Tobias, when he was seeking a companion for his journey, that he found a young man, standing girded, as it were ready to walk (Tob. 5:5). Our Lord also says: “Let your loins be girt” (Luke 12:35). The maniple was at first a linen cloth which was worn on the left arm, representing the cloth wherewith Our Lord’s countenance was wiped. The stole is a long band of silk which hangs down from the neck and is crossed on the breast. It is the special sign of the sacerdotal office, therefore the priest wears it whenever he exercises his priestly functions. The chasuble is a garment which covers the priest before and behind, reaching down to the knees; in early times it was a kind of mantle, with only one opening, through which the head was passed, whence came the name casula, a little house. At other times than at Mass the priest wears a short alb or surplice, or a cope. At High Mass the deacon and sub-deacon wear special vestments, called dalmatics.
The amice represents the cloth with which the soldiers muffled Our Lord’s face when they struck Him; the alb represents the white robe in which Herod arrayed Him in mockery; the girdle, the cords wherewith He was bound; the maniple, Veronica’s handkerchief; the stole, the rope laid about Our Lord’s neck after His condemnation; the chasuble, on the back of which is a cross, the cross He bore on His shoulders. The amice reminds the priest to observe custody of the eyes; the alb betokens purity of heart; the girdle, abstemiousness, purity, and self-control; while the stole signifies his dignity as a priest, and the chasuble the heavy responsibilities that rest upon him.
3. The principal things which are used in saying Mass are: The chalice, the paten, and the missal.
The upper part of the chalice must be of gold, or silver, gilt inside. The paten is a small plate, whereon the sacred Host is laid; it must be gold or silver-gilt. Both chalice and paten must be blessed by the bishop. The missal contains the prayers that are said in every Mass, and those which vary according to the seasons and days of the ecclesiastical year. The ciborium somewhat resembles a chalice; it has a cover, and in it the consecrated Hosts are reserved for the communion of the faithful. The monstrance is sometimes used for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Some worldlings are inclined to say as Judas did, when Magdalen anointed Our Lord’s feet: “To what purpose is this waste?” when they see the care and money expended by Catholics on the sacred vessels and furniture of their churches. They should, however, consider how greatly the beauty of God’s house impresses the beholder and conduces to devotion; and that it is, moreover, only right to give what is most precious and beautiful for the service of God. Why should the house of God be less richly adorned than the mansions of the wealthy?
14. THE COLORS OF THE VESTMENTS
The Jews made sacerdotal vestments of various colors by God’s injunction for use in the Temple, white, scarlet and purple being the prevailing colors. Among the heathen the priests wore garments of dazzling whiteness, hence the Christians, who were converts partly from Judaism, partly from paganism, wished to provide similar colored vestments for divine worship. Besides, from the revelations of St. John, the Church learned that the celestial spirits who serve God in heaven standing about the throne, are arrayed in brilliant hues, so as to resemble a rainbow (Rev. 4.). Thus the Church Militant imitates the Church Triumphant in the use of colors in her services. And again, as the face of nature changes with the varying seasons, so the different emotions evoked by the various seasons of the ecclesiastical year find expression in the use of different colors.
White is emblematic of innocence and purity, and of the eternal bliss to be enjoyed hereafter; red, the color of fire and of blood, betokens love and martyrdom. Green signifies hope, and violet or purple, faith and penance. Black is an emblem of death.
a. White is the color used on the feasts of Our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin, of the angels, and of confessors.
Christ is the Light of the world and perfect purity; the Mother of God was free from the stain of original sin. The angels dwell in everlasting light and perfect sanctity; the confessors let the light of their good works shine before men. On the nativity of St. John Baptist white vestments are worn, although he was martyred, because he was sanctified before his birth.
b. Red is the color used at Pentecost and on the feasts of martyrs.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit, Who kindles the fire of charity in our hearts, came down upon the apostles in tongues of fire. The martyrs shed their blood for Christ, and thus manifested the greatness of their love for Him. Red is also used on the feasts of the holy cross, because Our Lord shed His blood upon the cross.
c. Green is used on the Sundays after the Epiphany and after Pentecost on which nothing special is commemorated.
On the Sundays after Epiphany the Church commemorates the youth of Christ, and His entrance upon His public ministry, which brought hope to the world; after Pentecost she celebrates her own springtime, the germination of the grain in the kingdom of God.
d. Purple is used in Advent and Lent, and upon vigils and Ember days.
Advent is the season in which faith looks for the coming of the Saviour; Lent is the time of fasting and penance. Purple is worn in administering the Sacrament of Penance, Extreme Unction, and Baptism, until after the anointing of the person to be baptized.
e. Black is used on Good Friday and at Masses for the dead.
There is generally some white about black vestments, to indicate that the souls of the departed will soon enter upon eternal joys. At the obsequies of young children white is used because they die in innocence.
The colors in use in the Church, which, as we have seen, coincide with each event commemorated as it recurs in the cycle of the ecclesiastical year, are, besides, a continual lesson to the Christian. Let the white vestments remind you that the Church calls on her children to strive after holiness; let the sight of the red kindle in you the love of God, while the green bids you raise your heart and fix your hopes on heaven. The sight of the purple will remind you that you must do penance; the black will recall the thought of death, urging you to prepare for your last end and also to pray for your departed friends.
In celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass the Church makes use of the Latin language.
The Latin language is venerable on account of its origin and its antiquity; it is the language in which the praises of God resounded from the lips of Christians during the first centuries. It is a sublime and solemn thought that the holy sacrifice is now offered in the same language, nay, with the very same words as it was offered in times long past in the obscurity of the Catacombs. There is also an element of mystery about the Latin tongue; it is a dead language, not understood by the people. The use of an unknown tongue conveys to the mind of the vulgar that something is going on upon the altar which is past their comprehension, that a mystery is being enacted. In the first centuries of Christianity a curtain used to be drawn during the time from the Sanctus to the communion, to conceal the altar from the sight of the worshippers. This is now no longer done, but the use of an unknown tongue has something of the same effect, by inspiring awe into the minds of the common people. It is a striking fact that Jews and pagans made use, in the worship of the Deity, of a language with which the multitude were not conversant. The Jews made use of the ancient Hebrew, the language of the patriarchs; we do not find Our Lord or the apostles censuring this practice. The Greek Church, both orthodox and schismatical, employs the old form of the Greek language for divine service, not that spoken at present. The same language is in use in the Russian (so-called orthodox) Church, not the vernacular, which is a Slavonic dialect.
The use of Latin is a means of maintaining unity in the Church, as well as uniformity in her services, for the use of one and the same language in Catholic churches all over the surface of the globe, is a connecting link binding them to Rome, and making one nations which are separated by diversity of tongues. Latin, as the language of the Church, unites all nations, making them members of God’s family, of Christ’s kingdom. The altar on earth is a type of the heavenly Jerusalem where a great multitude of all peoples and tongues stand around the throne, praising God. If Latin were not the official language of the Church, deliberations and discussions among bishops assembled at the councils, the mutual exchange of opinions between theologians would be impossible. Moreover, the use of Latin, the language of ancient Rome, is a constant reminder of our dependence on the Holy Roman Church; it recalls to our minds involuntarily the fact that thence, from the Mother Church, the first missionaries came who brought the faith to our shores. The use of a dead language is a safeguard against many evils; it is not subject to change, but remains the same to all time. Languages in daily use undergo a continual process of change; words drop out, or their meaning is altered as years go on. If a living language were employed in divine worship heresies and errors would inevitably creep into the Church, and sacred words would be employed in an irreverent or mocking manner by the unbeliever. This is prevented by the use of Latin, at any rate as far as the unlearned are concerned. Yet the Church is far from desiring to keep the people in ignorance of the meaning of her religious services; the decrees of the Council of Trent (22, 8), strictly enjoin upon priests to explain frequently the mysteries and ceremonies of the Mass to the children in schools, and to adults from the pulpit. But as a matter of fact, it is by no means necessary for the people to understand every detail of the ceremonial of the Mass. “If,” says St. Augustine, “there are some present who do not understand what is being said or sung, they know at least that all is said and sung to the glory of God, and that is sufficient for them to join in it devoutly.” Moreover, experience teaches that the fact of the prayers being in Latin does not at all hamper or interfere with the devotion of the faithful, or lead them to absent themselves from the services of the Church. Besides, the sermons are always delivered in the vernacular; it is often used at the opening services and to some extent in administering the sacraments. The reason why the whole of the Mass is in Latin is because it is a sacrifice, not an instruction for the people. The greater part of the prayers are said by the priest secretly, so that were they in the mother tongue, they would be inaudible to the people. Furthermore, the celebration of Mass consists more in action than in words. The actions of the priest, the whole ceremonial, speaks a language intelligible to all. And if, as some would wish, all the services were conducted in the language of the country, persons of another nationality, not conversant with other languages, might be led to drop their religion on leaving their own land. Another evil consequent upon such a change would be a lessening of the respect felt for the holy sacrifice, as was proved at the time of the reformation, when the prayers of the Mass were, to a great extent, translated into German and English.
This may be heard at High Mass, when the priest sings the preface or the Pater Noster, and when he begins the Gloria or Credo. This style of music is called Gregorian, because it was brought to perfection and introduced into general use by Pope St. Gregory the Great. It is believed that it was by divine inspiration or through direct revelation that the saint did so much in the interests of Church music. This chant is marked by extreme gravity, tranquil solemnity, majestic dignity. It is free from all rapid movements, florid passages, all striving after effect. It is the language of another, a higher sphere, it is truly the voice of prayer and of praise. In the Gregorian style special attention is paid to the text, the words of which are plainly audible; the beautiful, subdued melody holds a secondary place. This style of chanting is not hampered by restrictions of time and measure, and that gives it the irresistible power it possesses over the feelings, as an eloquent discourse carries away the heart. Gregorian music undergoes no change; like Latin, the language of the Church, it is always and everywhere the same. Hence it admirably corresponds to the nature and characteristics of the Church, particularly her unity and universality. Many devout Christians prefer this style of singing to any other, because it is a stimulus to recollection and devotion.
2. In addition to the Gregorian chant we have in our churches congregational singing, hymns in which the people join. Instrumental music, as an accompaniment to the singing, is played on the organ, violin, or other musical instruments.51
Congregational singing had its origin in the first centuries, when the vernacular was the language of religion, and the people joined in some portions of the liturgy that was chanted. But when, in the fifth century, the Teutonic tribes overran Italy, and the national languages took a new form, and the people could no longer join in those parts of the liturgy which were sung in Latin, hymns to be sung in the vulgar tongue were introduced. The singing of hymns and canticles was more popular in Germany than elsewhere. Hymns full of sterling piety for processions, pilgrimages, and anthems in honor of Our Lady were composed and set to simple but splendid melodies. Luther was the ruin of Church music. He took advantage of the national love of psalmody and employed it as a means of propagating his erroneous tenets; it is said that he perverted more Catholics by his psalm-singing than by his preaching. The “chorales” to which he gave the principal place in divine worship were of so exciting a nature that it is said that while singing them, many a one felt himself urged to use his fists as well as his voice in spreading the new teaching. The Catholics of that period met Luther on his own ground; they too composed hymns in defense of the doctrines he attacked. This was the cause of a lamentable deterioration both in the spiritual songs themselves, and in the time and measure of the melodies to which they were sung, an effect which is felt to this day. Congregational singing during Mass should only be allowed in moderation, so as to leave every worshipper free to enter into the spirit of the holy mysteries, and not interfere with the private devotions of any one present. Instrumental music in churches enables us to lift up the heart to God with greater facility. Delight in the melody disposes the mind of the weaker brethren to deeper devotion, and is an aid in raising the thoughts from the natural to the supernatural. It must, however, be remembered that instrumental music is only an accessory; it is an accompaniment to vocal music, and serves to accentuate the words that are sung. In divine worship the simple words of prayer alone, or in their more solemn form of sacred music, are of main importance, because they are the outcome of the heart; the orchestral accompaniment is an accessory that can well be dispensed with. The playing ought never to drown the singing, or render the words sung unintelligible. Still less ought the instrumental music be calculated rather to please the ear than to touch the heart and awaken pious emotions, for in that case it would be a hindrance, not a help to prayer. In the early days of Christianity no instrumental music was beard at the time of divine worship, for the Christians would not have their prayers mingle with the notes of instruments which were associated with pagan dances and idolatrous ceremonies. Organs were first used in churches in the eighth century; in the sixteenth century, when kings and princes who were patrons of music had orchestras attached to their courts, we find instruments of various kinds, violins, flutes, etc., in the churches. Later on, professional bandmasters were engaged to conduct the choirs in churches, and unfortunately they introduced secular melodies into the house of God, and in the performance of these compositions no heed was paid to the sacred words of the liturgy. Among those who contributed most to the reform of Church music was Palestrina, the Papal choirmaster in the Vatican; he composed several Masses of a solemn and dignified character, in which due prominence was given to the words. His name is immortalized by the Missa Papæ Marcelli. A contemporary of his of Dutch origin, Orlando di Lasso, choirmaster of the Lateran Church in Rome, asserted himself in the same direction. He was called the “king of composers,” and was the author of eight hundred secular compositions, besides fifteen hundred sacred works. The finest of the latter is the seven penitential psalms arranged for five voices, in which the feelings of penitence and compunction are expressed in a masterly manner. Gabrieli, organist of St. Mark’s in Venice, and Allegri, are also celebrated composers. The Miserere (for Holy Week), written by the last named, with nine parts and a double score is much esteemed. These masters promoted vocal music without an accompaniment, more than instrumental music, for which they did little. Instrumental music owes much to the composer Bach, a native of Eisenach (1750), whose sacred music is distinguished by its serious, religious tone. Towards the close of the eighteenth century instrumental music was brought to great perfection by Haydn, an Austrian, who composed fifteen Masses; he died in 1809 in Vienna; Mozart, a native of Salzburg, who attracted attention as a boy by his musical talent, composed fifteen Masses before he was eighteen years old; he died at the age of thirty-five in Vienna; and Beethoven, a native of Bonn, who wrote two Masses of prodigious length; he died in 1827 in Vienna. The works of these composers cannot be considered as models of what sacred music ought to be; they do not reflect the spirit of the Church in the Gregorian music. They may express feelings of devotion, otherwise they differ little from secular compositions, and bear the stamp of the age in which they were written. In recent times much has been done for the improvement of Church music by the Society of St. Cecilia, founded in 1867 at Regensburg, the object of which is to train choirs, to raise congregational singing to a higher level, and introduce instrumental music of a nature to correspond with the liturgy of the Church. The rules of this Society were confirmed by Pope Pius IX in 1870.
At the miraculous multiplication of the loaves, Our Lord caused the bread to be distributed to the people by His disciples (Matt. 15:36). And now He employs His ministers to dispense to the faithful the spiritual bread, the word of God. This bread is given to them freely (2 Cor. 11:7).
1. The Word of God is said to be the food of the soul, because it sustains the life and strength of the soul, as bread does that of the body.52
The Fathers of the Church speak of the word of God as the food of the soul. Our Lord Himself says: “Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). The manner in which the word of God acts upon the soul is by enlightening the understanding and inciting the will to do what is good. In the darkness of this life it shows us the path to heaven, as a lantern enables the traveler to find his way by night. The word of God reveals to us the stains upon our soul, as a mirror shows us the marks upon our countenance. When St. Augustine had attended the sermons of St. Ambrose at Milan, he said: “That man opened my eyes.” The word of God stimulates the will to what is good. The fable tells us that Orpheus played the lyre with such a wonderful charm, that the sounds he drew from it fascinated the most savage mortals, tamed wild beasts, and even recalled the dead to life. This is true of the word of God; by it whole nations sunk in heathendom, degraded below the level of the beasts, have been converted, and civilized, and rescued from eternal death. St. Anthony the hermit embraced the life of an anchorite in consequence of having heard a sermon on Our Lord’s words to the rich young man. “Are not My words as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29.) The word of God strikes the heart like a thunderbolt. The thunder of the divine menaces awakens those asleep in sin, indifferent as to their salvation. The word of God banishes sin. “It acts on the soul,” says St. Jerome, “as a plough on the soil, loosening the hardened surface, rooting up the thistles of vice.” The word of God kindles the flame of charity in the heart of man; like fire, it consumes the rust of sin, it promotes the growth of virtue; or it may be compared to the gentle rain that cometh down from heaven to soak the earth and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater (Is. 55:10).
He who shows indifference towards the word of God exposes himself to the risk of spiritual death and eternal damnation.
Just as a man who refuses to take food will surely die, so those who do not hear the word of God, which is the food of the soul, incur spiritual death. In this life we are travelers on the long and dangerous journey from time to eternity; and as the traveler who walks by night without a lantern strays from the right road, so we shall not reach the end of our journey without the light of God’s word to illumine our mind and guide us to our final end. The word of God is the sun of the soul, without which the spiritual life will droop and fail, as nature would if deprived of the vivifying warmth and radiance of the sun.
2. Hence it is the duty of every Christian either to hear sermons frequently, or to read spiritual books and make a practical application of what he hears or reads.53
The Council of Trent orders that there should be a sermon in every parish church on Sundays and festivals. As it has long been customary to have the sermon after the Gospel, all who go to Mass on those days hear a sermon as a matter of course. Consequently there is no special injunction to hear sermons. Preaching was the principal occupation of Our Lord and the apostles (Luke 4:43; Mark 16:20), and the greatest saints have generally been able and zealous preachers. The preached word has more force and effect than what is read in books. The Bible history, the lives of the saints, or books of meditation are much to be recommended; these are preachers to whom we may listen at any hour. Spiritual books are a mirror in which we discern our own feelings, and the virtues of which we stand most in need. Experience shows how much good may be done by reading them; witness the well-known conversion of St. Ignatius Loyola, or of St. John Columbinus, a nobleman and burgomaster of Sienna. One day, returning home from the town-council at noon, he found dinner was not quite ready. His wife gave him a volume of the lives of the saints to while away the time of waiting; at first he threw it aside, but presently opening it, he read the history of St. Mary of Egypt. This touched him so deeply that he became a changed man; from thenceforth he led an austere and saintly life. If we would profit by what we read, we must read with deliberation, and not too much at a time; and above all, be careful in the choice of books. Many books are like fungi, not food, but poison; “evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:33). Moreover one must make a practical application of what one hears or reads. As food only nourishes the body when it is properly digested, so the word of God does not profit the hearer unless it be received into the heart and meditated upon. And as when we have been walking in a beautiful garden, inhaling the perfume of the flowers, we like to take away with us a few fragrant blossoms, so after spiritual reading we should retain a few thoughts as a spiritual bouquet to refresh us during the day. Unfortunately people do not think over what they hear or read; they are like a man who beholds his own countenance in a glass and goes his way, presently forgetting what manner of man he is (Jas. 1:23–24). This is so because either they are distracted by worldly cares (the seed falls on the wayside), or they are prejudiced against the word of God (the seed falls upon a rock), or their hearts are full of corrupt inclinations and unruly passions (the seed falls among thorns) (Luke 8).
To apply the word of God to another, not to one’s self, is reprehensible; or to listen to a preacher as the Pharisee did, merely in a critical spirit; or again to refuse to obey the word of God, because the example of the preacher does not correspond to his teaching.54
We ought to apply the sermons we hear to ourselves. Some are so busy in apportioning what they hear to others, that they leave nothing for themselves. It is recorded in the life of St. Anthony of Padua, and those of other saints, that when they preached against the follies of the day, gambling and love of dress, men brought their cards and dice, women their cosmetics and finery, and burned them in the presence of the preacher. It is not eloquence, but truth, that should attract us in a preacher. If we listen to the simplest discourse in a docile spirit, we are sure to learn something from it. Others will not obey the word of God because the preacher does not practice what he teaches. St. Augustine compares those who will not follow the counsels of a preacher because he himself does not act upon them, to travelers who, coming to a wooden guide-post, will go no further on the road pointed out to them because the guide-post itself is stationary. The preacher is but the instrument of which the divine husbandman makes use to sow His celestial seed. Look not at the poverty of the vessel containing the seed, but at the excellence of the grain, and the majesty of the husbandman.
3. Those who are assiduous in hearing sermons or reading spiritual books, will not have great difficulty in attaining eternal salvation.55
Our Lord says: “He that is of God, heareth the words of God” (John 8:47). “Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28). We delight to hear men speak of those whom we love; therefore, if we rejoice to hear of God, we must have the love of God in our hearts, and those who have divine charity are in a state of grace. Appetite is a sign of health; so the desire for spiritual nourishment is a sign that the soul is in a healthy condition, that is, in a state of grace. A disgust for food shows the body to be sick, and a distaste for the word of God indicates a bad state of the soul.
The profit to be derived from a sermon is proportioned to the enlightening grace of the Holy Spirit present in the hearts of the preacher and his hearers.
This is why the assistance of the Holy Spirit is invoked before the sermon. It is God, not the preacher, Who speaks to the heart. The preacher planteth only and watereth, it is God Who giveth the increase (1 Cor. 3:7). However splendid the equipments of a ship, she cannot sail unless the wind is favorable; so it is with the preacher; however great his erudition and eloquence, unless the Holy Spirit imparts unction to his words, they avail nothing. An officer of distinction, who had heard all the best preachers of France, once went to hear the sermon of a simple but pious village priest, the Curé d’Ars. When asked what he thought of the discourse, he answered: “Hitherto I have only been pleased with the orator, now I am displeased with myself.” It is said that St. Francis de Sales converted seventy thousand heretics by his preaching. When we see a beautifully executed piece of penmanship, we do not praise the pen, but the hand that guided it; in like manner it is not to the preacher who delivers an excellent discourse that praise is due, but to the Holy Spirit Who spoke by his lips. The word of God does not always bear fruit immediately, it is like the grain of mustard-seed (Matt. 13), which after a considerable time grew up and became a large tree. Sometimes it produces no fruit at all. Our Lord speaks of three cases in which the seed perished and only one in which it bore fruit; when it bears fruit the amount is not always the same.
On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit manifested His coming by a visible and audible sign; the tongues of fire indicated the enlightenment of the apostles and the gifts of tongues; the mighty wind the power imparted to them. In like manner, it is the good pleasure of Our Lord to convey graces to us by means of sensible signs. He ordained for the communication of graces the use of such words and objects as clearly signify the grace bestowed; for the washing away of original sin He ordained that water should be poured on the head (because water cleanses) and at the same time a form of words used which indicates that it is done by the power of the Holy Trinity. In order to impart to us the gifts of the Holy Spirit, light and fortitude, He instituted the laying on of hands, with prayer and anointing with oil (oil being used to. give light and warmth).56
1. The sacraments are sensible signs instituted by Christ, by means of which the graces of the Holy Spirit are communicated to us.57
In every sacrament there is: An appropriate ceremony, called the matter, and a form of words, which accompanies the sign or ceremony; and besides, there is the grace conveyed. The sign, or visible part of the sacrament, not only signifies what is effected in the sacrament, but effects what is signified. They are, therefore, practical signs; they may also be termed instruments, and the graces conveyed through them the effect of those instruments. The signs of the sacraments are like Our Lord’s humanity, and the graces conveyed like the Godhead concealed beneath this humanity. The word sacrament (sacramentum) means something holy and also mysterious, because in early times holy things were hidden from the knowledge of the heathen.
Sensible signs were instituted by Our Lord for this purpose; that the graces conferred by their means might be made duly apparent, and thus recognized by man.58
As water cleanses from impurity and extinguishes fire, the use of water signifies that our souls are cleansed and the fire of hell is quenched for us. As oil gives light and strengthens the body, its use in Confirmation indicates plainly that our souls are enlightened and fortified by the Holy Spirit. Thus the practical effect of the sacrament may be known by the sensible sign. Our Lord made use of distinct signs in conferring graces and benefits, although a thought, a word on His part, would have sufficed; He touched the eyes of the blind man (Matt. 9:29); He touched the leper (Matt. 8:3); He breathed on the apostles and said to them: “Receive ye the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Under the Old Dispensation likewise, God bestowed His favors through signs; witness Moses’ rod, the brazen serpent, the gall of the fish wherewith Tobias’ sight was restored, the cure of Naaman by washing in the Jordan. Sensible signs were instituted by Our Lord for the purpose of humbling the pride of man. Man, who aspired to be as God, is now dependent for the recovery of the grace he lost upon what is lowest in creation, lifeless matter. As for the sake of what is sensible man renounced heaven, it is meet that by use of what is sensible he should rise again to that which is suprasensible. Sensible signs are, in fact, required by the nature of man. If we were pure spirits we could dispense with corporal signs for the communication of spiritual gifts, but as we are composed of body and soul, we have need of them.
In addition to the signs instituted by Christ, certain ceremonies have been appointed by the Church, in order to indicate still more perceptibly the graces conferred, and to increase the devotion of those who dispense and those who receive the sacraments.
The various significant ceremonies are like a mirror, wherein a man sees the reflection of what goes on within his soul. The benefits God bestows on us are more deeply impressed upon our minds by the accompanying ceremonial; it also deepens the devotion of both the dispenser and the recipient of the sacrament. If an earthly monarch is seen by his subjects in all the grandeur of his regal dignity, attended by the grandees of his court, they think more of him than when he is in ordinary attire. The sacraments are not dispensed in a bare and informal manner, but are accompanied by the accessories of a rich and solemn ceremonial; this is not only to make a greater impression upon mortals, but to give greater glory to God. The ceremonies also constitute a certain preparation for the reception of the sacraments; they prepare the soil of the heart, that the good seed may bear more abundant fruit. The ritual is not precisely the same in all dioceses, local custom having added some rites which cannot well be abolished, but the Roman ritus is the one universally followed. The ceremonies of the Church may be omitted in case of necessity, as in Baptism when there is danger of death.
2. Christ instituted seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.59
The doctrine of the seven sacraments is as old as the Church herself. All the sects that fell away from the Church in the early centuries retained the seven sacraments, as did the Greeks and Romans at a later period. The institution of seven sacraments is, it is true, not mentioned in Holy Scripture, but it is not said that there were more or less. On this point Tradition is sufficient authority. The seven sacraments answer exactly to the needs of the soul, which resemble to a certain extent the exigencies of the body. The life of the soul begins at Baptism, it is fortified by Confirmation, brought to perfection by the Holy Eucharist; if the life of the soul be lost, it is restored by Penance and Extreme Unction; it is kept up by Holy Orders and Matrimony from generation to generation.
Through the seven sacraments we receive divine grace at the very time of our life when we are most in need of it.60
These times occur at birth, at our entrance into youth, when we have lost the friendship of God, when we embrace a new state of life, and at the hour of death. As at sea there are islands and harbors, where the mariner can cast anchor and take in supplies; as there are roadside inns where the traveler can pause to rest and recruit his strength, so on the weary journey of life the sacraments are provided to afford support and refreshment now and again to the pilgrim.
3. By the three sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, there is imprinted upon the soul a certain spiritual and indelible mark or character, on account of which they cannot be repeated (Council of Trent, 7, 9).61
The indelible mark or character consists in a special consecration and dedication to Christ. By this mark the angels know whether a man is one of God’s family, and if so, they give him particular protection. This mark is not effaced by mortal sin, it never can be removed from the soul. Consequently these three sacraments can never be received a second time, not even by one who has apostatized from the faith and has been received back into the Church. These three sacraments will be like a seal upon the soul in a future life; they will be a cause of eternal glory and rejoicing to the blessed; to the reprobate they will be a source of shame and confusion.
The holy sacraments are the wine and oil of the Samaritan in the Gospel, for the maintenance and restoration of the health of the soul. Baptism and Penance are called sacraments of the dead, of those who are spiritually dead, because they were instituted for those whose spiritual life is destroyed by mortal sin. The five others are sacraments of the living, because they were instituted for those who are in a state of grace. It is, however, possible for sanctifying grace to be increased by Baptism and Penance, if through earnest amendment of life and heartfelt contrition a man has merited to receive the Holy Spirit previous to Baptism or confession, like the centurion Cornelius, on whom, and on whose household, the Holy Spirit was poured out while St. Peter was preaching (Acts 10:44). So also one may go to confession without being guilty of mortal sin and thereby acquire more grace.
Each sacrament has besides its own individual object, and confers a grace peculiar to itself.62
Thus Baptism confers the grace to live according to the precepts of the Gospel; Confirmation, to confess the faith fearlessly; the Holy Eucharist, to make progress in the supernatural life; Penance preserves us from relapse into sin; Extreme Unction is a remedy; Holy Orders and Matrimony confer the graces appropriate to those states in life. Such is the great practical efficacy of the sacraments, and yet how little we appreciate their value! What efforts, what sacrifices, people make to keep or to regain their bodily health! And yet they will not employ the simple, easy means within their reach for preserving the health of their soul, which is far more important.
5. Due preparation must be made before receiving the sacraments, in order to obtain the graces they convey.63
Anyone who approaches the Sacrament of Baptism or Penance without a thorough change of heart, or who receives the other sacraments in a state of mortal sin, commits the terrible sin of sacrilege, and will not obtain the graces of the Holy Spirit until the hindrance to grace has been removed.
On this account in the early ages of Christianity a two years’ probation was required before admission to Baptism, the object of this being to give the heathens time to reform their life. St. Peter in his preaching insisted on the necessity of penance and sincere conversion (Acts 2:38; 3:19). To this day the Church requires those who approach holy communion to go to confession first. How reprehensible is the conduct of those who, from force of habit, or because of some special indulgence, go to confession without purposing a serious amendment of life! “The sacraments,” St. Augustine says, “are the salvation of those who use them aright, the damnation of those who misuse them.” That which is meat to the healthy is poison to the sick. Infant baptism is the only case in which no previous preparation is necessary. And if anyone is so unhappy as to receive one of the sacraments sacrilegiously he may yet participate in the grace of the sacrament, if the obstacle to it be removed. The sacraments are like the sunshine; it cannot penetrate into a room of which the shutters are closed, but as soon as they are opened, it streams in, warming it and illumining it. In like manner a sacrament, if received unworthily, need not be received again; on amendment of life, its gracious influences are freely exercised. This rule does not hold good in regard to the Holy Eucharist; if it be received by one who is in mortal sin, the grace of it is lost, even if the sinner returns to a state of grace. The more worthy the recipient, the greater the graces conferred by the sacrament. The drier the wood, the more freely it burns. If the vessel taken to the spring be clean, the water contained in it will be pure.
There are two indispensable conditions which the Church imposes on those who approach the sacraments: They must be qualified to receive them, and desirous to receive them.64
The power of assimilating food is dependent upon certain organs of the human body; even so certain qualifications are necessary for the reception of the sacraments. An unbaptized person is incapable of receiving any of the other sacraments; a child who has not reached the age of reason cannot receive the Sacrament of Penance; Extreme Unction cannot be given to one who is in robust health; no one under the age of twenty-three can receive Holy Orders. If a sacrament is administered to any one against his will, it is invalid. The Church has never sanctioned the action of secular rulers who have compelled their subjects to be baptized, as was done in early times.65 Thus now at Baptism the question is asked: “Wilt thou be baptized?” The last rites of the Church are, it is true, administered to persons who are unconscious, before death; but only if it be supposed that they would have wished for the sacraments had they been conscious. The baptism of infants is justified on these grounds.
6. Supposing the priest who administers the sacrament to be unworthy, the graces of the Holy Spirit will still be communicated by means of the sacrament.66
The entire efficacy of the sacraments is derived from the merits of Christ, not those of the priest who dispenses them. It is out of the power of man to confer what is divine. The sacraments are essentially holy in themselves, not because they are administered by one who is holy. Nor is the grace of the sacraments lessened by the evil life of the priest. God is wont to make use of unworthy instruments. The minister is but the dispenser of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1). A leper can act as porter as well as a healthy man, provided he has the key of the door. A judge may be, as a man, worse than the criminal before him, yet he can pass sentence on him. The coin of the realm has the same value in the hand of a bad as of a good man. The wine is the same, whether it be drunk out of an ordinary glass or a gold goblet. So it is with the sacraments; the Donatists, who asserted the contrary, were heretics. If the sacraments could only be administered aright by good priests, one would never have any certainty in regard to them.
The Church imposes two indispensable conditions on those who administer the sacraments: they must make use of the prescribed sensible sign without any essential alteration at the same time as the form of words, and they must have the intention to do what the Church does.67
If wine, for instance, were employed instead of water for baptizing, the visible sign would be essentially changed, and it would be no baptism at all. Or if one were to say: “I baptize thee in the name of Christ,” the audible sign would be essentially changed, and it would be no baptism. But the wrong pronunciation of some word—by a foreigner perhaps—would not interfere with the efficacy of the sacrament. In the prescribed form of words is pronounced some time before or after the water is poured upon the head of the person to be baptized, the baptism is not valid; the two actions must be simultaneously performed. When Protestants baptize, their baptism is valid, if they have the intention to do what the (true) Church does, and are careful to adhere to what is prescribed.
Even heathen nations, such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, made use of water to cleanse their souls and render them pleasing to the Deity. The Jewish law enjoined purifications, to cleanse from various legal uncleannesses (Lev. X12–15). Before the giving, of the Ten Commandments the people were to be sanctified and wash their garments (Exod. 19:10). John the Baptist baptized in the desert those who promised amendment of life, to signify the remission of sins which they would gain by their penitential works. The baptism of Christ is of a different nature; it has a transforming power, for it washes away sin and confers the gift of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11).68
1. This is what takes place at Baptism: Water is poured upon the head of the person to be baptized, and at the same time the words appointed by Our Lord are repeated; the person is thereby cleansed from original sin and all other sins, he is gifted with habitual and sanctifying grace, and becomes a child of God, an heir of heaven, and a member of the Church.69
At our baptism much the same takes place as at Our Lord’s baptism: like Him, we have water poured upon our head, and certain words are spoken (“I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”); the Holy Spirit descends upon us (although not in the form of a dove), we are made temples of the Holy Spirit and endowed with sanctifying grace; God the Father says: “This is My beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” (we are made children of God), and the heavens are opened (we are made heirs of immortality). Again, much the same takes place at our baptism as at the cleansing of Naaman (2 Kings 5:14); we are washed with water, and delivered from the leprosy of sin, both original and actual. So again much the same takes place at our baptism as at the passage of the Israelites through the Jordan (1 Cor. 10:2); we pass through the water of Baptism into the promised land, the Church of which we become members. Those on whom sanctifying grace has been bestowed, are in virtue of that bestowal children of God and heirs of heaven. Only the baptized have the right to call God their Father, hence in early times the Lord’s Prayer was not taught to the unbaptized. St. Louis of France used to say: “I think more of the private chapel where I was baptized, than of the Cathedral of Rheims where I was crowned; for the dignity of a child of God, which was bestowed on me at Baptism, is greater than that of the ruler of a kingdom. The latter I shall lose at death; the other will be my passport to everlasting glory.” It is because man is cleansed from sin by baptism that St. Paul exclaims: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). The words of St. Peter on the Day of Pentecost show what is the effect produced by Baptism: “Do penance, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). St. Paul speaks of Baptism as “the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Spirit,” whereby “being justified by His grace we may be heirs according to hope of life everlasting” (Titus 3:5, 7). Again he says: “In one spirit were we all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13).
Baptism was instituted by Our Lord at His own baptism and enjoined upon the Church at His ascension.70
Our Lord caused Himself to be baptized in the Jordan in order to sanctify water and impart to it a cleansing power. The manifestation of all the three persons of the Holy Trinity at the time of His baptism showed that the sacrament was to be administered in the name of the three divine persons. Christ also told His apostles at His ascension to go, “baptizing all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).
2. Baptism acts spiritually as water does materially.71
It cleanses us from the stains of sin, it extinguishes for us the flames of hell and of purgatory; it imparts to us a new life, it quenches the thirst of the soul, it gives us strength to fulfil the commandments, causes us to bring forth fruit to life eternal, and makes us members of Christ’s mystical body.72
Every one knows that in the natural order water cleanses the body, puts out fire, and recalls to consciousness one who has fainted; that it invigorates the human frame and gives fertility to the soil. The water of Baptism does the same in the spiritual order. Every new-born infant has the stain of original sin attaching to him, and every adult has, in addition, that of actual sin. These sins vanish at the laver of regeneration as a spark disappears if it falls into the ocean. On this account no penance is enjoined on the newly-baptized. Any one dying immediately after baptism, goes straight to heaven if he has at the time no attachment to venial sin, thus escaping purgatory and hell. And since the person baptized receives the Holy Spirit, and with Him sanctifying grace, a new life begins for him, the life in God. Thus Baptism is the birth of the soul, whereas the other sacraments are its food or its medicine. Baptism is also called regeneration, because it is the commencement of another and a new life. When the water is poured upon the exterior, an interior change takes place; the individual becomes a new creature—from sinful he becomes just. In Baptism true peace of mind is acquired through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The early Christians used to feel the same interior happiness after baptism that we feel after making a good confession. It may truly be said that the water of Baptism quenches the thirst of the soul. Furthermore, when the Holy Spirit enters into the soul at Baptism, He enlightens the understanding and justifies the will. When Saul, the persecutor of the Christians, was baptized, there fell from his eyes as it were scales (Acts 9:18), indicating that his spiritual blindness was at an end. Baptism also confers strength to resist the temptations of the evil enemy. Yet the corrupt proclivity remains, and man is ever subject to temptations, as the Hebrews, when they had escaped from servitude by the passage of the Red Sea, were still exposed to the attacks of their adversaries in the desert. As the will is fortified by Baptism, we are better able to perform good works. He who has received the Holy Spirit possesses divine charity (Council of Trent, 6, 7), and by charity we abide in God, and are closely united to Him (John 14:23; 1 John 4:16). Hence, having received the Holy Spirit and with Him divine charity, we are in Baptism made one with Christ (Gal. 3:27); we are united to Christ as members to the head; “your members are the members of Christ” (1 Cor. 6:15). We are made members of the one great body of which Christ is the head and the life; all the graces which we receive as members of the Church proceed from Christ. Hence He is rightly termed the lifegiving Head of the Church, for in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13, 15). In Baptism we are cut off from the stock of the old sinful Adam, and grafted into Christ as new creatures; we are no longer of the posterity of the old Adam, but of the posterity of Christ. Baptism is compared to the door of Noah’s ark. See how marvelous are the effects of this sacrament! The grace of Baptism is of all the gifts of God the most excellent, the most exalted, the most precious. Who, being unbaptized, would not desire Baptism?
3. Baptism is indispensably necessary to salvation. Hence children who die unbaptized cannot enter heaven (Council of Trent, 7, 5).73
Our Lord says: “Unless a man be born again of water and of the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven” (John 3:5). He makes no exception, not even in the case of infants. St. Basil says Baptism is the vessel wherein we embark for the celestial port. Baptism is no less indispensable in the spiritual order than water in the natural order, and since it is so indispensable, God has made it very easy. Nothing is absolutely necessary but water, which may be had everywhere; everyone can baptize in case of need; new-born infants may be baptized; and for adults the simple desire is sufficient, if actual baptism is impossible. And since Baptism is of such urgent necessity for salvation, it follows that infants dying unbaptized cannot attain eternal felicity. For every child coming into the world has the taint of original sin, and has not sanctifying grace, without which no man can enter heaven. Yet, although infants dying without baptism are excluded from participation in celestial joys, the divine Judge does not consign them to the torments of hell, because they have never committed actual sin; they enjoy a certain natural happiness without physical suffering or mental sadness; they are cheerful as those are with whom all goes well on earth. But the happiness which is their portion bears much the same relation to everlasting felicity as the feeble light of a candle does to the brilliance of the noonday sun. Thus parents who through negligence allow their children to die unbaptized have much to answer for. The eternal salvation of the infant is entirely dependent on the free will of its fellow-man, especially near relatives. St. Augustine mentions the relics of St. Stephen having been efficacious in restoring to life a dead child in order that it might receive Baptism.
4. Hence it follows that parents ought to have their children baptized immediately after their birth, because new-born infants hover between life and death.74
Infant baptism has been customary since apostolic times. St. Alphonsus says that if parents, without an urgent reason, neglect to have their children baptized within ten days after their birth, they incur the guilt of mortal sin.
5. In case of necessity any one can administer baptism, and without the usual ceremonies.75
Nurses often baptize weakly infants. The baptism by Jews and heretics is valid, provided it is correctly administered, that is, if water be poured on the child’s head (or some other portion of the body) and at the same moment the formula is repeated: “I baptize thee, etc.” If the child lives, he should be taken to the church later on for the usual ceremonies. If it be surmised that through overhaste, or some other cause, the first baptism was not properly performed, the priest must baptize the child again, conditionally.
In the majority of cases only priests should administer Baptism, and that in the church with the prescribed ceremonial.
In the early ages of Christianity only the bishop, or a priest whom he empowered to act for him, had the right to baptize. But when the dioceses became larger, and it was impossible for the bishop to go about continually to administer that sacrament, the power to baptize was made a part of the priests’ office. As a matter of fact in the present day only the priest of the parish possesses this right, unless he authorizes another to act in his stead. Originally Baptism was only administered in baptistries, or small stone chapels containing all that was necessary for baptism, situated either in close proximity to the principal church of the diocese, or in the interior of the building. About the seventh century infant baptism became universal, and adult baptism of rare occurrence; fonts containing blessed water were then placed in the church where the bishop officiated. Baptism in private houses was strictly forbidden, but in the case of the children of kings and princes it might be administered in the palace-chapel. So sacred and solemn a ceremony ought to be performed in a consecrated place. In the present day the bishop’s permission must be obtained for the administration of Baptism in a private house.
6. If baptism by water is impossible, it may be replaced by the baptism of desire, or by the baptism of blood, as in the case of those who suffer martyrdom for the faith of Christ.76
The Emperor Valentinian II was on the way to Milan to be baptized when he was assassinated; St. Ambrose said of him that his desire had been the means of his cleansing. The patriarchs, prophets and holy men of the Old Testament had the baptism of desire; their love of God was ardent, and they wished to do all that He commands. God accepts the will for the deed; in this He manifests His superabundant loving kindness. But all the temporal penalties of sin are not remitted by the baptism of desire. Martyrdom for Christ’s sake is the baptism of blood. This the holy innocents received, and the Church commemorates them as saints. All unbaptized persons who suffer martyrdom for the Christian faith, for some act of Christian virtue, or the fulfilment of a Christian duty, also received the baptism of blood. Witness St. John Baptist; or St. Emerentiana, who, while yet a catechumen, was found by the pagans praying at St. Agnes’ tomb, and was put to death by them. The Church does not pray for the unbaptized who suffer death for Christ; for He Himself says: “He that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matt. 10:39).
Baptism used to be administered in the night preceding Easter and Whit-sunday. It was administered at Easter, because it is a spiritual resurrection, and therefore appropriate to the season; at Pentecost, because on the first day of Pentecost three thousand persons were baptized, and because the Holy Spirit is given in Baptism; on the eve of the Epiphany because the Church commemorates the baptism of Our Lord in the Jordan on that day. Individuals were also baptized at other times, the sick, for instance, or converts who were thoroughly versed in Christian doctrine. The water to be used in Baptism is solemnly blessed on Holy Saturday and on the eve of Pentecost to this day; the ceremonial is elaborate and impressive; it is accompanied by prayers and chants, and many beautiful symbolical ceremonies, such as the mixing of the chrism, breathing upon the water, dipping the paschal candle into it, etc.
In the first ages of Christianity, religious instruction preceded Baptism; the candidates for Baptism were called catechumens.77
Anyone who desired to become a Christian had to present himself to the bishop, who questioned him closely, and if he thought him worthy admitted him into the number of the catechumens. He laid his hands upon him, as a sign that he was soon to receive the Holy Spirit; he made the sign of the cross upon his forehead and breast, to signify that he must believe the teaching of our crucified Lord, and shape his life thereby; finally he put salt on his lips, to denote preservation from the temptation of sin. The candidate was then a catechumen of the first class; for two years he was instructed in biblical history, the Ten Commandments, the precepts of charity, and allowed to be present at Mass until the creed. At the end of the second year, he became a catechumen of the second class: that is, he was obliged to fast in Lent, to hear sermons, to confess his sins in public and undergo various exorcisms, anointings and other symbolical ceremonies. In the last week before Baptism was administered, after Palm Sunday, that is, the candidates were taught the doctrine of the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. All these ceremonies previous to Baptism have been retained until the present day.
Immediately before Baptism the candidate had to take a solemn vow to believe and follow the teachings of Christ. (The baptismal vow or covenant.)78
Standing with his face towards the west, he renounced the devil and all his works (the worship of idols and the corrupt practices of the heathen), and the pomps and vanities of the world. Then turning towards the east, he promised to believe and follow the teaching of Christ. This promise is known as the baptismal vow; it is also called a covenant, because God at the same time promises the assistance of His grace to fulfil the promise made, and to reward those who keep it with eternal felicity after death. The baptismal vow resembles the military oath taken by the soldier, for at baptism we are enrolled under the banner of Christ, and promise to light against the adversaries of God. The baptismal vow also resembles the marriage treaty concluded between those who are wedded at the altar, for the soul then promises fidelity and love to her celestial Bridegroom. It is well for those who have been baptized in their infancy to renew their vows at certain times after they have attained the age of reason, particularly before approaching the sacraments. St. John Chrysostom used to renew his vows in the hours of temptation, saying: “I renounce the devil and give myself wholly to Christ.” In the time of persecution the early Christians were accustomed to solemnly renew their vow once a year, to strengthen themselves in the faith. One could wish that this was done now. Christians who have been unfaithful to their vows will, at the Last Judgment, hear from the lips of Our Lord the appalling words: “Thou wicked servant, out of thine own mouth will I condemn thee, by the promise thou didst once solemnly make to Me.”
Formerly baptism was generally by immersion, but oftentimes water was sprinkled or poured upon the individual.79
The priest and the godfather, or in the case of women, the godmother, led the person to be baptized by the hand down the steps, and plunged him three times under the water, while the priest pronounced the words prescribed by Our Lord. The threefold immersion was in honor of the most Holy Trinity; it was also in commemoration of the burial of Christ and His rising again, and was intended to signify that the old, sinful man was buried, and the new man had arisen (Rom. 6:3, 11). In the later centuries baptism by immersion was abolished, and the custom of sprinkling almost exclusively adopted.
The name of a saint was given to everyone at the baptismal font; this was his baptismal or Christian name.80
The individual baptized was placed under the special protection of a saint or angel, who was to serve him as a model. Socrates of old used to advise parents to give the names of virtuous persons to their children in order to encourage them to imitate their example. Alexander the Great used to say to soldiers who had the same name as himself: “Either take another name, or see that thou dost credit to my name.” The addition of the name of some saint was to indicate that the person baptized had been made a child of God, and incorporated into the company of the saints. On occasions when God bestowed particular favors on one of His servants, the name was sometimes altered; as Abram became Abraham, Simon was called Peter, Saul was changed to Paul. The Church does not approve of heathen or fantastical names being given to children. Priests cannot give such names in Baptism, though they enter them in the register. The name of a saint may often prove an incentive to him who bears it, to lead a Christian life.
When Baptism is administered with the usual ceremonies, which is called solemn Baptism, the person baptized must have a godfather or godmother, or one of each, but not more.81
The obligation of a sponsor is to see that the person baptized keeps the faith and leads a Christian life. In appointing sponsors, the Church acts like a man who lends money; he requires securities. A child when born into the world, requires a nurse to bring it up; so one who is baptized needs someone to watch over his spiritual growth. The sponsors have also to provide for the Christian instruction of their godchild, if the parents neglect their duty in this respect, or are removed by death. Now that children receive regular religious teaching at school, the responsibilities of the sponsor are virtually almost nothing; still he should endeavor to influence his godchild for good, if necessary. A spiritual affinity is contracted between the sponsors and the person baptized, not with his parents, which the Church regards as an impediment to marriage. Hence the number of godparents is limited to two, to prevent difficulties arising. One sponsor is indispensably necessary. If a man, he must be at least fourteen years old; if a woman, twelve is the lowest age admissible; the sponsor, if there be but one, must be of the same sex as the person baptized, and a Catholic (non-Catholics can only be allowed as witnesses). The sponsor ought to have been confirmed, and be known to lead a good life; the parents of the child cannot possibly act as his sponsors, nor members of a religious Order, because they cannot, if necessary, replace the parents. At baptism the sponsor, holding the infant on his right arm, awaits at the entrance of the baptistry the coming of the priest, who asks the name the child is to receive, and interrogates him by name thus: “What dost thou ask of the Church of God?” The answer is: “Faith and life everlasting, which it obtains for me.” The priest then performs the same ceremonies as were prescribed for the reception of a catechumen; afterwards he lays his stole upon the child (as a sign of his ecclesiastical powers), and admits both him and his sponsor into the church, when the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer are recited. Next the person to be baptized, or if he be an infant, his sponsor, takes the baptismal vows; to the three first questions addressed to him he replies: “I renounce them,” and to the three last, “I believe.” The baptism then takes place, and presently the priest dismisses the party with a valedictory benediction: “Go in peace and the Lord be with you.”
The beautiful ceremonies following upon Baptism denote the dignity conferred upon the newly baptized, and the obligations resting upon him.82
The priest anoints the person or child on the top of the head with chrism in the form of a cross, to remind him that he is now a Christian, an anointed one. This unction also recalls his royal dignity as a son of the King of heaven; it admonishes him to overcome the concupiscences of the flesh (Gen. 4:7). Moreover oil, being a mild substance, reminds him to practice meekness, and exercise the works of mercy; it also signifies the illuminating and justifying grace of the Holy Spirit. In former times the newly-baptized used to put on a white robe which they wore in the church for a week, until Low Sunday, as a symbol of the robe of baptismal innocence, and of the wedding-garment of sanctifying grace, which they were to keep unspotted until death. On the present day a white cloth is laid upon the newly-baptized. A lighted candle is then given to the person baptized (or to the sponsor, if an infant). This is to denote the light of the Holy Spirit, which he has received, and recalls the words of Our Lord: “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). It also indicates that the portals of the city of eternal light are opened to him. All these ceremonies have a sanctifying influence, and consecrate him who receives them to be a fitting temple of the Holy Spirit.
Formerly the person baptized was confirmed immediately afterwards, and admitted to holy communion.83
He was also fully instructed in the doctrine of holy Mass, the sacraments, and prayer, the so-called disciplina arcani. Previous to Baptism he would not have understood them, as he was without the enlightening presence of the Holy Spirit, See how great the esteem in which religious instruction was held!
Confirmation is so-called from its effect, which is to confirm and strengthen in the faith those who receive it; it is also spoken of as the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17), from the nature of the ceremonies. Our Lord had given the Holy Spirit to His apostles before His ascension, yet they were timid and fearful, and did not lose this timidity until the Day of Pentecost, when the plenitude of the Spirit was poured out upon them. So we receive the Holy Spirit at our baptism, but not in all His fulness; this we receive at our Confirmation. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles under sensible signs, tongues as of fire and a mighty wind; so in Confirmation the visible sign is the imposition of hands, the audible sign the prayers repeated by the bishop. At Pentecost the apostles received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, pre-eminently the gift of fortitude, and the extraordinary gift of tongues; it is the same with us at Confirmation, only the gift of tongues is not now given. What the Day of Pentecost was to the apostles, Confirmation is to the Christian.84
1. The ceremonial of Confirmation is as follows: The bishop lays his hands upon the candidates and anoints each one severally with chrism upon the forehead, with prayer; and those who are so anointed receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially courage to profess their faith.85
The bishop extends his hands over the persons to be confirmed, while he invokes the Holy Spirit with His sevenfold gifts, to indicate that a supernatural power is communicated to them; he then goes to each one separately, and laying upon his head four fingers of his right hand, with the thumb of the same hand he makes the sign of the cross with chrism on the forehead of the person to be confirmed, giving him thereby to understand that he must never be ashamed to profess himself the disciple of a crucified Saviour, saying meanwhile: “I sign thee with the sign of the cross and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.” Then he gives him a slight blow upon the cheek, to teach him that he must be ready to suffer persecution for the faith, saying: “Peace be with thee.” In conclusion the bishop gives to all his blessing. The chrism is composed of olive oil and balm of Gilead; it is solemnly blessed by the bishop in the cathedral church on Maundy Thursday.
The apostles administered Confirmation, as at Samaria and Ephesus.
The holy apostles Peter and John laid their hands on the Christians at Samaria, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:11–17). St. Paul did the same at Ephesus. At that time when Confirmation was administered, it was generally accompanied by extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as the gift of tongues and of prophecy (Acts 19:6). At the laying on of hands the Holy Spirit was wont to manifest His coming by visible signs, so that the apostles needed not to make use of chrism. Originally oil alone was employed; not until the sixth century was balm mingled with it. The oldest writers and Fathers of the Church speak of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Pope Urban, in the third century, says: “All the faithful ought, after baptism, to receive the Holy Spirit by imposition of hands, in order that they may become perfect Christians.” St. Augustine remarks that it must not be concluded, because the gift of tongues is no longer given, that the Holy Spirit is not communicated by imposition of hands. It was only given in early times for the more rapid propagation of the Gospel. The Council of Trent expressly declares Confirmation to be a true sacrament, not a mere rite, which formerly was appended to Baptism, nor a public profession of faith in presence of the faithful.
2. The supernatural effect of Confirmation is similar to the natural effect of oil.86
It creates within us a spirit of meekness; it increases, that is, our charity towards God and our neighbor, it enlightens our understanding, strengthens our will, preserves our soul from the corruption of sin, and fills us with the sweet odor of virtue.87
Oil softens what is hard, it adds vigor to the frame, it diffuses an agreeable light. Balm is a preservative against putrefaction, and emits a fragrant smell. Confirmation increases our charity towards God and our neighbor, or, in other words, it increases sanctifying grace, and imparts to us the fulness of the divine Spirit. Hence Confirmation is the complement of Baptism; in Baptism we are made the temples of the Holy Spirit, in Confirmation we receive Him in all His plenitude of graces. In Baptism we are made soldiers of Christ; at Confirmation our weapons are handed to us. Those who have been confirmed enjoy a greater degree of glory in heaven than the unconfirmed. This is why, in early times, Confirmation was administered to infants. The enlightenment of the mind consists in giving man a sense of the worthlessness of the goods and pleasures of this world, and inspiring him with an abhorrence of them. By Confirmation our thoughts and aspirations are directed towards heaven; from earthly, man becomes heavenly, from sensual, spiritual; he becomes a perfect Christian. By Confirmation timidity is dispelled and courage imparted. Before the Day of Pentecost the apostles were faint-hearted as children; after that day they were bold as lions. The Holy Spirit produces a like change in those who are confirmed: they can say: “I can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). St. Vincent is of opinion that at the end of the world Antichrist will spare no effort to deter Christian people from receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, as in that case they would more readily apostatize from the faith. And since Confirmation confirms the will, it makes it easier for those who have received it to resist temptation, and thus avoid sin. If such a one should fall into mortal sin, he will incur a rigorous chastisement, like a soldier who deserts to the enemy’s camp. And the stronger the will, the less difficult does the practice of virtue become. Confirmation tends especially to render us humble and meek, as the oil and balm denote: for balm sinks into the liquid into which it is poured, symbolizing humility, and oil always floats on the surface, teaching man to rise superior to the vexations of life by unfailing meekness. Holy Scripture speaks of virtue as a good odor (2 Cor. 2:15), because those who are virtuous are as pleasing to God as a sweet perfume is to us.
3. Christians ought to be confirmed at the age when they pass from childhood to youth, because at that period temptations thicken around them, and they need strength of will to resist them.88
It is not well to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation before a child has attained the age of seven years, and the use of reason. The most suitable age is about twelve; it should not be deferred longer than the age of fourteen, but it is impossible to fix an exact time, as in large dioceses the bishop can only visit the more remote parishes at long intervals.
It is a grievous sin willfully to omit to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.89
To do this is to act like a traveler who, having to pass along a dangerous road, refuses to accept the means of defense offered to him; what wonder if he have to pay a high price for his folly! Although Confirmation is not absolutely necessary to salvation, yet God punishes contempt of this sacrament severely. The Fathers of the Church ascribe all the misery of Novatus, who became a teacher of heresy and ended his days in wretchedness, to his having neglected to be confirmed. In early times parents who did not have their children confirmed had to do penance for three years. Let it be enough for us to know that it is Christ’s will that all should be filled with the Spirit (John 7:37).
4. The candidate for Confirmation ought previously to go to confession and, if possible, to holy communion; for to receive this sacrament one must be in a state of grace.90
For any one in mortal sin to receive Confirmation is as if a precious and delicate substance were poured into an unclean vessel. It is not obligatory on one who is unquestionably in a state of grace to go to confession before Confirmation. In the early ages of the Church it was the custom to confirm very young children, as is now done in Greece and in Spain. In many dioceses children are confirmed before they make their first communion, provided they are eight years old and have been to confession, in order that they may not lack the graces Confirmation imparts at the time when they most need them. St. Charles Borromeo established this rule throughout his diocese.
The candidate for Confirmation must be well instructed in the doctrines of the faith, and prepare himself to receive the Holy Spirit by retirement and prayer.91
He should in this respect imitate the apostles, who spent the ten days before Pentecost in persevering prayer (Acts 1:14). On this account several Synods decreed that candidates for Confirmation should be placed under instruction for a week previously; that each day in that week they should repeat seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys in honor of the Holy Spirit, and that they should keep the eve of their Confirmation day as a fast. Every one must be provided by his parish priest with a certificate, to certify that he is properly prepared for the reception of this sacrament. Without this the bishop will not confirm him.
In the first centuries of the Church Confirmation was, as a rule, administered at Easter and Pentecost, because it followed immediately upon Baptism. St. Jerome relates that in his time (about the commencement of the fifth century), the bishops used to take long journeys for the purpose of confirming those who had been baptized by a priest or a deacon. An ordinary priest cannot administer Confirmation unless he be expressly authorized and empowered to do so by the authority of the Pope; they are thus empowered in missionary dioceses, which are of too great extent for the bishop to traverse, and where the converts would be in danger of relapsing into paganism unless they were confirmed in the faith as soon as possible. As in erecting a building the whole of the work is done by the workmen, the finishing touch alone being put by the architect, so in the spiritual fabric it devolves upon the bishop to administer Confirmation, whereby the top-stone is put to the edifice (St. Thomas Aquinas). This sacrament appears more imposing when administered by the bishop in person.92
The person confirmed receives the name of some saint at his Confirmation.
When Confirmation followed immediately upon Baptism, no other name was added to that given in baptism. But when in after years, the convert got into the habit of retaining his heathen name after Baptism, he was made to take the name of some saint at his Confirmation, on whom he was to look as his model in the spiritual warfare, as a soldier looks to his general. And he whom he chose for his pattern on earth he was to invoke as his intercessor in heaven. Besides this heavenly guide, the Christian has at Confirmation an earthly guide.
The person to be confirmed must also have a godfather or godmother.93
The gladiator who is about to enter the arena requires some one to instruct him in swordsmanship and assist him with his counsel; so it is at Confirmation. In all the difficulties of life the godparent ought to be ready to support and help his godchild; he ought to do his utmost to induce him to keep within the paths of virtue; and the godchild ought to feel that he must not rely too much on his own powers, but must seek counsel from others. A spiritual relationship exists between the two, which is no longer an ecclesiastical hindrance to marriage. The sponsor chosen ought to be one who has himself been confirmed, a person of blameless life, older than the one to be confirmed, and of the same sex; not, if it can be avoided, the same who stood sponsor for him at the baptismal font.
Those who present themselves to the bishop to be confirmed must be simply and suitably dressed.
The Holy Spirit does not take up His abode in the heart that is enslaved by the pride of life. God resisteth the proud (1 Pet. 5:5). Some, on going to be confirmed, think more of their dress than of the sacrament they are about to receive. It is no longer required of the candidates for Confirmation that they should be fasting, in fact, this would not be possible now, as the ceremony often lasts a long time. They should be dressed simply, their forehead being uncovered; each one should have a prayer-book, and the necessary certificate. Adults kneel, children either stand or kneel, to receive the sacrament; behind each one stands the sponsor, his right hand on the right shoulder of his god-child. All must be present in the church before the bishop extends his hands over all in general, after that the door is closed and no one else admitted. Nor must any one depart before the bishop gives the final blessing, although it does not constitute an integral part of the sacrament. After receiving Confirmation, one must be careful not to drive away the Holy Spirit by grave sin. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30). The chief reason why the faith of Christians is so cold in the present day is because so little is now thought of the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Institution and Nature of the Holy Eucharist
Our Lord promised the Jews at Capernaum that He would give them His flesh to eat and His blood to drink (John 6).
After the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes the people went in search of Christ, and found Him in the synagogue at Capernaum. They wanted Him to give them bread again; but He promised to give them the bread of immortality. When they asked Him for it, He answered: “The bread that I will give is My flesh.” And when they refused to believe His words, He added: “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed” (John 6:52–56).
Our Lord fulfilled this promise at the Last Supper; He changed the bread into His body, and the wine into His blood and gave it to the apostles (Matt. 26:28).
The apostles did not, however, see the body of Christ under the appearance of flesh, for the accidents of the bread remained, i.e., its color, taste, smell, weight. Nor did they see His blood otherwise than as wine, because the accidents of the wine were retained; the substance only was changed. So the shell of an egg remains the same while what is contained within it is changed into a living bird.
1. The body of Christ under the appearance of bread, and the blood of Christ under the appearance of wine, is called the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.94
Here again we find the three essentials of a sacrament. The visible sign is the form of bread and of wine, the audible sign is the words of Christ; the invisible grace is the reception of the body and blood of Christ; the institution of this sacrament took place at the Last Supper. The visible form portrays the invisible grace: the bread prepared with water and the flour of wheat, and baked with fire, represents the body of Christ which was subjected to cruel suffering; the wine, the juice pressed from the grape, represents the blood of Christ, which flowed from the wounds of His sacred body. The bread is unleavened, to denote the purity of Christ’s body; it is round in shape, because it conceals Him Who is without beginning and without end (Heb. 7:3). Water is mixed with the wine, to signify the intimate union of the Godhead and manhood in His person. Bread and wine being the principal means of nourishment for the body, signify that the body and blood of Christ are the chief sustenance of the soul. This Sacrament is called the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, because the change of substance takes place upon the altar; it is called the Blessed Sacrament, because in it not only are the graces of the Sacrament received, but the Author and Giver of all grace; and it is besides the most exalted and sublime of all the sacraments. It is called the Bread of heaven, the Bread of angels, because Our Lord comes down from heaven to be our food, a food which makes men like to angels.
We speak of this Sacrament as the Sacrament of the Altar, because the priest, standing at the altar, does the same by Christ’s command which He Himself did at the Last Supper.
Our Lord commanded the apostles: “Do this for a commemoration of Me” (Luke 22:19). On this account the priest pronounces exactly the same words over the bread and wine which Our Lord uttered at the Last Supper, thereby changing the bread into the body, and the wine into the blood of Christ.
The Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is reserved in the tabernacle in every parish church.95
The tabernacle, which stands in the middle of the high altar, is made of wood, marble or brass, gilt inside, and lined with white silk curtains. In earlier times it was situated beside, not above the altar. The name of tabernacle, or tent, is given to it, from the sacred tent of the Israelites; and the mysterious cloud that accompanied them on their journey, was a type of the tabernacle of God in which He dwells with men (Rev. 21:3). A lamp is kept burning continually in the sanctuary before the tabernacle, to indicate the place where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, and also to symbolize the Light of the world. It is, besides, emblematic of the perpetual adoration the angels pay to the God present upon the altar. In the Temple at Jerusalem there was a candlestick with seven branches in which lights burned continually. Our divine Lord is thus ever present with mortal men; as He Himself declares: “I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:20). He is as truly present with us as with the saints in heaven; the only difference is that they behold Him face to face, whereas He is hidden from our sight beneath the eucharistic veils. The manna preserved in the ark was a type of the hidden God present in our tabernacles (Exod. 16:33).
2. The presence of the body and blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine is a mystery, because our feeble reason cannot comprehend it.96
Our Lord conceals Himself under the appearance of bread and wine in order to test our faith, whether we believe His words rather than the testimony of our senses. If we saw what we believe, faith Would have no merit. Moreover, if we were to behold Our Lord in all the majesty of His glorified body, radiant with light, we should be struck with alarm, and dazzled, as those are dazzled who look with the naked eye on the noonday sun. Even the apostles could not bear the unveiled brilliance of the glorified body at Our Lord’s transfiguration, for they fell to the ground upon their faces. And Moses covered his face, when God appeared to him in the burning bush. We cannot trust our senses even in natural things, for they often deceive us. For instance, an oar half in the water looks as if it were broken; objects seen from a distance appear quite small. Faith teaches us to believe that as the food we eat is assimilated to our body, as the moisture of the earth is changed into the sap of the vine and the juice of the grape, even so, and far more, by the power of His word, can Christ change bread into the substance of His body, and wine into His blood. He, Who by His almighty power can create things out of nothing, can surely effect a change in what already exists. He Who can cause the earth to bring forth bread, can change that bread into His own body. Many different heretics have contested the truth of this doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, and endeavored to attach a different meaning to Our Lord’s words: “This is My body.” But in the course of centuries almighty God has worked many striking miracles in confirmation of the truth. Consecrated Hosts have remained unconsumed in the midst of fire; they have remained suspended in the air without support; the place where they were concealed has been disclosed by a bright light hovering around it; blood has flowed from the sacred Host during Mass; Our Lord has appeared in it in the form of an infant, etc.
It has been the firm belief of Christians in all ages that the bread and wine are converted into the body and blood of Christ.
St. Augustine says: “Our Lord held Himself in His own hands, when He gave His body to the disciples.” St. Cyril: “If Christ changed water into wine on one occasion, He can also change wine into His blood.” And when He asserts that it is His body, who shall dare to gainsay it? It was a calumny commonly brought against Christians by the heathen that they killed and ate the flesh of a child at their ceremonies.
3. It is most true that under the species of bread, as also under the species of wine, Christ is present, God and man, whole and entire.97
Where the body and blood of Christ are, there He must be present, not in part, but in His whole person; for now He hath risen from the dead to die no more, and consequently the body can no more be separated from the blood than the body and blood can be separated from the soul of Christ. Our Lord’s words: “This is My body which is given for you,” and: “This is My blood, which shall be shed for many,” demonstrate that it is His living body, His living blood, that are present under the appearance of bread and wine, and therefore the living, not the dead Christ Who is present upon the altar. As a whole landscape may be seen in the pupil of the eye, so Christ is contained whole and entire in the sacred Host.
4. Our Lord is present in every particle, however minute, of the consecrated bread and wine.98
We have seen that Christ is present in every Host, and when the priest breaks the Host, He is equally present in every fragment of it. If a magnet be broken in pieces, each part forms a separate magnet with the property of pointing to the north. And if a mirror is broken, in each portion one’s face is reflected. But the body of Christ is not multiplied; His body is but one, animated and pervaded by His divinity, which fills all space. It is not increased by each fresh consecration, nor diminished by the numbers who receive it. As the light of a candle is not lessened, however many other candles are lighted at its flame, so Our Lord’s body suffers no diminution when it is given to thousands of communicants. Thus St. Andrew said to the proconsul at Achaia: “I daily offer upon the altar to the almighty and true God the immaculate Lamb of God. And when all the faithful have received His sacred body, the Victim that was slain is yet alive and unconsumed.”
5. Christ is present in the consecrated elements as long as the accidents of bread and wine remain.99
Our Lord is not only present in the Sacrament of the Altar at the moment of communion, but both before and after the Host is consumed. Had this been otherwise, He would not have said: “Take and eat this, for this is My body.” And He is present in those who receive the sacred Host as long as the accidents of bread remain unconsumed. Thus after communion we bear in our body the body of Christ.
6. The duties of the Christian in regard to the Holy Sacrament of the Altar are these; He ought to visit it frequently, to adore it, and to receive it.100
We ought to visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. In this respect the shepherds and the three kings, who came to worship the Infant Saviour in the manger, set us an excellent example. The saints spent many hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Cardinal Bellarmine, when a student, was accustomed whenever he passed by a church to go in and say an Our Father. When asked why he did this, he replied; “It would be ill manners to go by a friend’s house without a word of greeting.” He was distinguished while yet a youth for his great wisdom. Access to Our Lord is not denied us; the church door stands open, and from the tabernacle the voice of Our Lord calls to us: “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you” (Matt. 11:28). St. Teresa declares that Our Lord in the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar affords us far more satisfaction than can be derived from the whole world, with its festivities and pleasures. In His presence the sorrowful are comforted, the foolish learn wisdom, the feeble are strengthened, and the poor are enriched. Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together; and in like manner the faithful should hasten to the Blessed Sacrament, the food of the soul. The saints loved to drink of this river of paradise, as the hart pants to quench his thirst at the fountains of water. Unwise indeed are they who in the hour of need, choose rather to seek human aid, to pour their troubles into a human ear; they do not betake themselves to the church, to Christ, Who is so willing, so able to help them.
The Church admonishes us to pay homage to the Holy Sacrament of the Altar by the sanctuary lamp; by the bell rung at Mass and when the Viaticum is carried to the sick, by the processions of Corpus Christi, and by frequent Expositions of the Blessed Sacrament.
It is customary on entering or leaving a church to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament; to kneel down reverently at the consecration, and when benediction is given with the Blessed Sacrament. In former times people used to kneel whenever they met a priest carrying the sacred Host to the sick; it is related of Rudolph of Hapsburg that once when he was out hunting, he met a priest going to give communion to a dying man; immediately he dismounted, and kneeling by the roadside, gave his horse to the priest; nor would he allow the animal to be again used except in the service of the Church. Before receiving holy communion, we ought to make an act of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Unhappily many among us possess no living faith; they pass by the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar with cold indifference. The procession of Corpus Christi was instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1264, with a view to increase our faith in the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and the Exposition of the Forty Hours has the same object. The Confraternity of the Perpetual Adoration is intended to keep up the worship of the Blessed Sacrament uninterruptedly; each member has to spend at least one hour every month in adoration before the altar. This Sacrament was instituted by Our Lord immediately before his death in order to give it greater importance in our eyes, as we treasure more the last gift of a dying friend. If the Jews were not permitted to behold, much less to touch, the Ark of the Covenant, which was a type of the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar, what dread ought we not to feel in presence of the reality!
Christ invites us to receive the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar when He says: “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you” (John 6:54).101
The reception of this Sacrament is known as communion, that is, union with Christ. In communion we receive Our Lord, as Zacheus did, into our house. In the Scriptures there are many types of the Holy Eucharist; for instance, the tree of life in the midst of paradise, which gave immortality to our first parents; the manna; the paschal lamb; the bread that gave Elijah strength to go the forty days’ journey to Mount Horeb; the miraculous multiplication of the loaves; the water made wine at the marriage of Cana. And holy communion is itself an earnest of the spiritual food wherewith we shall be nourished in heaven.
The faithful receive the Holy Eucharist under the form of bread only; the priest alone, at Mass, receives it under both kinds.102
The priest at the altar offers an oblation, the very same as the one Christ offered on Calvary. On the cross Christ shed almost all His blood, so that His body and blood were separated one from the other. The two several species of bread and wine in the Mass signify this separation of Our Lord’s body and blood. The faithful, on the other hand, do not sacrifice the Victim, but receive the Sacrament; it is unnecessary for them to receive the chalice, as Our Lord is contained wholly under either species. He Himself says: “He that eateth this bread shall live forever” (John 6:59). There are many reasons for withholding the chalice from the laity; the precious blood might easily be spilled in passing from one to another; there is the difficulty of procuring wine in some places; the difficulty of reserving it and bearing it to the sick; and some people cannot bear the taste of wine. Communion in both kinds was, it is true, enjoined on the laity by the Holy See in the fifth century, but this was only done to combat the error of the Manichees, who declared wine to be an invention of the devil and wholly to be avoided. And in 1433 the chalice was for a time given to the laity, to induce the followers of Huss to return to the unity of the Church.
The Necessity of Holy Communion
1. The Holy Sacrament of the Altar is the nourishment of our souls.103
Consequently the reception of this Sacrament is an indispensable means whereby to attain spiritual perfection or sanctity here, and eternal life hereafter.
The Holy Eucharist is the nourishment of our souls; on it our spiritual life is dependent. Our Lord says: “He that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me;” and again: “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you” (John 6:58, 54). Holy communion is therefore essential to our progress in sanctity, and to the final attainment of eternal life. As the bodily health cannot be maintained without nourishing food, so spiritual health cannot be acquired and preserved without holy communion. St. Francis de Sales tells us that there are two classes of men who need holy communion: the perfect, that they may not decline in perfection, and the imperfect, that they may become perfect; the strong, that they may maintain their strength, and the weak, that they may acquire strength. The early Christians communicated daily, and this it was that gave them constancy, and fortitude to suffer martyrdom. As a rule the saints communicated frequently. Yet it must not be supposed that frequent communion is in any way a mark of sanctity, or the reward of sanctity; it is only a means of acquiring it.
Therefore those who rarely receive holy communion will not make rapid progress in perfection.
The consciousness that even after confession we are unworthy to receive Our Lord, ought not to deter us from going to communion. The Church puts the words of the heathen centurion upon the lips of the intending communicant. No mortal can ever be worthy to receive a God. Yet it must be remembered that Christ did not institute the Holy Sacrament of the Altar for angels, but for men. Those who are conscious of their own misery, and desire to remedy it, will feel the need of frequent communion. Our daily failings ought not to hold us back; on the contrary, they ought to incite us to approach the holy table, that we may be delivered from them. For holy communion purifies the soul from venial sin, and weakens the force of evil concupiscence. Nor ought the absence of sweetness and consolation deter us from communicating; “how unwise would be the man,” says St. Ignatius, “who refused to eat his bread, and chose to die of hunger, because it was not spread with honey.” Again, who would wait until he was warm before going to the fire? “He who censures the practice of frequent communion,” says Ségur, “does the devil’s work.” The saints have always advocated frequent communion, and it has been urged on the faithful repeatedly by the Holy See.
Those who willfully neglect holy communion for a lengthened period, incur the risk of spiritual death here and eternal damnation hereafter.
The soul cannot live without food any more than the body. Yet as certain saints have existed without taking any corporal sustenance, so others have lived for years without holy communion. St. Mary of Egypt, for instance, who spent forty years in the desert; and several anchorites, such as St. Paul and St. Anthony. The Holy Spirit, who led them into the wilderness, replaced all that holy communion could have been to them. Yet most, if not all, were communicated before their death. Every one, however, if he be prevented from receiving communion, is bound to make a spiritual communion; that is, he must desire to communicate, and must do so actually, whenever opportunity offers.
2. We are bound under pain of mortal sin to communicate at least once a year, and that at Easter; also in case of dangerous illness. It is, moreover, the wish of the Church that the faithful should, if possible, receive holy communion on Sundays and holydays.104
In the first ages of Christianity the Christians communicated daily. About the middle of the third century it became necessary to enjoin upon the faithful to communicate three times a year, at the three great festivals. In the Middle Ages people grew careless, some absented themselves from the holy table for years; consequently in the Lateran Council (1215) the Church decreed that every Catholic who had come to the age of reason, should receive holy communion at least once in the year, and that at Easter; those who failed to obey this precept were to be deprived of Christian burial. Children are to be admitted to holy communion as soon as they can distinguish the heavenly food from the earthly, and it can confidently be assumed that they will receive this Holy Sacrament with due reverence and devotion. “Wherefore to put off communion any longer or to exact a riper age for the reception of the same is to be rejected absolutely and the same has been repeatedly condemned by the Holy See.” (Decree of S. Cong. of Sac. Disc.) In the Middle Ages children were allowed to make their first communion when they were seven years old. The Christian is also bound to receive holy communion if he be in danger of death. Hence the communion given to the sick is called the Viaticum, the sustenance of the traveler on his last journey. The sacred Host must not be administered to anyone who cannot swallow, or who is subject to vomiting. If the illness is of prolonged duration, the sick man may receive communion two or three times during its course, if he desires to do so. Holy communion must also be given to children who are in danger of death, provided they have attained the use of reason. “It is an utterly detestable abuse not to administer Viaticum and Extreme Unction to children having attained the use of reason.” (Ibidem.) The priest must briefly instruct them in the chief truths of the Faith, and the sacraments they are about to receive. Furthermore, it is the desire of the Church that the faithful should, in as far as is possible, communicate on all Sundays and holydays. The Council of Trent would fain indeed that at each Mass the faithful who are present should communicate, not only in spiritual desire, but also by sacramental participation of the Eucharist, that thereby a more abundant fruit might be derived to them from this holy sacrifice (Council of Trent, 22, 6). Now it is of obligation that every Catholic should hear Mass on all Sundays and holydays, hence it may be inferred that they should receive holy communion on all those days at the least. Many Fathers and Doctors of the Church urge frequent communion on the faithful. “We give our bodies nourishment several times a day,” says St. Charles Borromeo, “and shall our souls receive nourishment only once a year?” It is the duty of those who have the cure of souls to exhort the faithful to the practice of frequent, nay daily, communion, as the soul, like the body, will languish without nourishment.
The confessor’s advice should be asked in order that daily communion may be practiced with more prudence and with greater fruit, but the confessor should not prohibit daily communion to anyone who is in the state of grace and who approaches with an upright intention.105
The old controversy about frequent communion was finally settled by the Decree of Pius X, December 20, 1905. The mind of the Church on the question is therein clearly expressed. The decree says in effect: Let frequent and daily communion, a practice which is very much desired by Christ our Lord and by the Catholic Church, be open to all the faithful of whatever rank and condition they be, so that it may not be refused to anyone who is in the state of grace, and who approaches the Holy Table with a good and upright intention. This good intention consists in a desire to fulfil the divine will and to be more closely united with God, and by that divine remedy to fight against one’s weaknesses and defects, and not to approach out of routine, or vanity, or worldly motives. Venial sin is not an obstacle to daily communion, although it is in the highest degree becoming that daily communicants should be free from all fully deliberate venial sin. The sacraments, it is true, produce their effect ex opere operato, and yet because they produce greater effect in those who are better disposed, care must be taken to make proper preparation for holy communion and due thanksgiving afterward. (Slater, “Moral Theology.”)
The priest must not administer holy communion to persons who are not able to distinguish this supersubstantial bread from ordinary food, or of whom it may be surmised that they will receive it without reverence and devotion.106
Thus children who have not attained the use of reason are not admitted to holy communion. If exceptions to this rule have been made in former days, it was because of the exigencies of the times. Children should be properly prepared before making their first communion. Idiots and lunatics are incapable of communicating; the latter may, however, have lucid intervals, or recover their reason at the approach of death. Both for first confession and communion a complete and perfect knowledge of Christian Doctrine is not necessary. The child will, however, be obliged to gradually learn the whole catechism according to its ability. The knowledge of Christian Doctrine required in order to be properly prepared for first holy communion is that they understand according to their capacity those mysteries of the Faith which are necessary as means of salvation, that they be able to distinguish the Eucharist from common and material bread and also approach the Sacred Table with the devotion becoming their age. (Decree of Sept. 8, 1910.)
Holy communion is of great benefit both for the soul and the body. “The divine King,” says St. Alphonsus, “is accustomed to reward royally all those who entertain Him well.”
Holy communion acts spiritually, as bread and wine act materially.107
Bread and wine, i.e., material food, (1), Assimilates itself to the body; (2), Maintains life, promotes growth; (3), Dispels fatigue and weakness and imparts strength to the body; (4), Affords a certain satisfaction by pleasing the palate; (5), And influences the mind by the medium of the body. In a similar way the action of holy communion upon the soul may be described.
1. By holy communion we are united most closely to Christ. Our Lord says: “He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him” (John 6:57).108
Holy communion is, as it were, a continuation of the Incarnation. By His Incarnation Our Lord united Himself to mankind in general, by holy communion He unites Himself to each individual member of the human race. As two pieces of wax when melted are amalgamated with each other, so completely does Our Lord make Himself one with us in holy communion. He is in us and we are in Him. St. Augustine says that those who receive Our Lord frequently assume His nature, are, as it were, transformed into Him. By communion Christ changes our nature into His own, as leaven changes a quantity of flour. There is this difference between the spiritual food we receive in communion and the ordinary food of the body; the latter is less powerful than our nature, and is assimilated by it; the former is more powerful than our nature, and consequently it converts that nature into its own. Our nature is ennobled by communion, as a wild tree is ennobled by being grafted with a cultivated tree. Holy communion also unites us to one another; all Catholics by means of it are made one body, as St. Paul says: “For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). The Fathers speak of communion as the general union of all the faithful in Christ and with one another (communis, unio). Hence it is called “the sign of unity, the bond of charity, the symbol of concord” (Council of Trent, 13, 8).
2. Holy communion imparts actual graces, and also maintains and increases sanctifying grace in the soul.109
At each communion fresh actual graces are obtained, that enlighten the understanding and strengthen the will. Holy communion acts like the rising sun, dispelling darkness and bringing light. It imparts strength as did the bread of which Elijah partook (1 Kings 19.); and power to withstand temptation and to practice virtue. Holy communion gives to the timid the courage of lions; St. John Chrysostom says that the devils tremble when they see lips reddened with the blood of the Lord. Those who have great trials and sufferings to endure ought to communicate often to acquire strength. It was because the early Christians were so cruelly persecuted that they used to fortify themselves so often by receiving holy communion; thence they gained courage to confront martyrdom. Whenever they knew that some danger had to be encountered, they approached the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, for they were conscious that otherwise their force would fail them. Those also who are exposed to violent temptations ought to communicate often, for holy communion has even more power than had the blood of the paschal lamb sprinkled on the doorposts, to deliver from the destroyer. Holy communion preserves the life of the soul, as bread and wine do that of the body; for it maintains within us sanctifying grace, which gives vitality to the soul. Hence Our Lord says: “He that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me;” and again: “If any man eat of this bread, he shall not die” (John 6:50, 58), that is to say, he will not fall into mortal sin, and thus destroy the life of the soul. Holy communion is also the means of keeping us from relapse into mortal sin; it is an antidote against the poison of sin (Council of Trent, 13, 2). Those who communicate frequently persevere in grace; for where God is often present, the enemy of God can find no permanent abode. Holy communion also increases sanctifying grace in the soul; and since the degree of felicity we shall enjoy hereafter is dependent on the measure of sanctifying grace we possess here, it follows that holy communion conduces to the augmentation of our eternal happiness.
3. The force of evil concupiscence is lessened by holy communion, and we are freed from venial sin by means of it.110
Physicians order nourishing food for those who are infirm, that they may gain strength. There is an aliment of surpassing excellence well calculated to remove spiritual infirmities and impart vigor to the soul. He who communicates frequently will feel less sharply the stimulus of anger, envy, uncleanness, and other evil propensities. Holy communion quenches the flame of concupiscence; it is the corn of the elect and the wine springing forth virgins (Zech. 9:17). It cleanses us from venial, but not from mortal sin; like fire which consumes wood and straw, but does not burn stone or iron. It is the food and the medicine of the soul; now food and medicine are beneficial to the sick, but in no wise to the dead. Therefore if after confession we commit some venial sin, it is not necessary to go to confession again before approaching holy communion.
4. Holy communion often affords much refreshment to the soul.111
The manna is said to have had a pleasant taste, like honey. In holy communion, St. Thomas Aquinas says we taste sweetness at its true source. In the prayer said before benediction is given with the Blessed Sacrament, it is declared to contain within itself all sweetness (Wisd. 16:20). The greater the worthiness of the communicant the greater is the sweetness he experiences in holy communion; but sometimes God withdraws all consolation, even from the saints.
5. Holy communion sanctifies the body, and implants in it the germ of a future glorious resurrection.112
The temporal penalties of sin are cancelled by holy communion according to the measure of our devotion. If those who did but touch the hem of Our Lord’s garment were cured of whatever infirmities they labored under, how much the more shall we be healed of our spiritual sickness, who have the privilege of receiving Christ into our breast? St. Louis Bertrand used to advise the sick to receive holy communion as a means of recovering bodily health. Our Lord says: “He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day” (John 6:55). The body of Christ is the seed of immortality for our flesh. Communion represents to us the tree of life, which stood in the midst of Eden.
The graces above named are the portion of those who receive holy communion frequently, and prepare themselves carefully for it.
The best means of learning to receive Our Lord well is to receive Him often, for in everything it is practice that makes perfect.
Preparation for Holy Communion
1. We must make a suitable preparation of body and soul before receiving holy communion.113
We must endeavor, before approaching holy communion, to render ourselves as much like Our Lord as possible; for unless we resemble Him spiritually no union between Him and us will be practicable. Liquids cannot mingle one with another, without they are of the same nature; thus wine and water can be mixed, but not water and oil. The better our preparation for holy communion, the more plentiful the graces we receive from it. Those who make a bad preparation for communion, or none at all, draw down on themselves the divine anger. Such persons lose all reverence for the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; in fact their faith in the presence of Our Lord under the eucharistic veils dies out altogether. He who approaches holy communion merely from force of habit, cannot expect to receive anything from God.
2. The manner in which we should prepare our soul is this: We must cleanse our souls from mortal sin by confession, perform good works, and adorn ourselves with the virtues.114
When a monarch visits a town it is previously cleansed and decorated. We should do the same when the King of kings comes to us; we should purify our conscience by confession and adorn our soul by good works. St. Paul says: “Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that chalice” (1 Cor. 11:28). We must examine our conscience before approaching holy communion, and that not merely in regard to greater transgressions, but also minor offences. The apostles laid their garments upon the ass, before they made Our Lord sit thereon; so we should deck ourselves with virtues when we prepare to receive Him in communion. Some people think more of communicating upon certain festivals, than of purifying their hearts by confession, although this is of far greater importance. Wherefore it is not he who communicates often, or he who communicates seldom, who should be esteemed, but he who communicates with a clean heart.
To receive holy communion when one is conscious of having committed a mortal sin, is to incur the guilt of sacrilege.115
He who receives holy communion in a state of mortal sin profanes the Holy Sacrament; he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27), that is, his sin is the same as if he had put Our Lord to death. The unworthy communicant acts like the Philistines, who took possession of the ark and placed it close to the image of their god Dagon, for he introduces Christ where Satan is. Holy communion is like the light, which is salutary to good eyes, but hurtful to those that are diseased; so the Lord’s body is a medicine, giving spiritual health to the pure of heart, but spiritual death to the unclean and evil. Holy communion is like the pillar of the cloud, enlightening the Israelites but enveloping the Egyptians in darkness (Exod. 14:20). Wherefore if any man call to mind a mortal sin before he communicates, let him go to confession at once, if by any means he can do so. If it be impossible, he may communicate, but he must confess the sin in question the next time he goes to confession; for as it was not willfully omitted, it was remitted with the rest by the sacerdotal absolution.
The consequences of a sacrilegious communion are very terrible; it produces spiritual blindness, obduracy of heart, and brings upon the sinner chastisements both temporal and eternal.
Satan enters into the unworthy communicant, as he did into Judas after his sacrilegious communion (John 13:27). If the possession of the ark brought such grievous afflictions upon the Philistines; if the profanation of the sacred vessels by Baltassar was so bitterly expiated (Dan. 5), what must be the punishment of those who lay violent hands on the body of the Lord? The Apostle tells us that infirmities and death are no unusual chastisements of unworthy communicants (1 Cor. 11:30). Remember the awful fate of Judas. Terror, despair, hatred of God, the torments the lost suffer in hell, begin on earth for the unworthy communicant. He who comes to the marriage feast (holy communion) without a wedding garment (sanctifying grace), shall be cast into exterior darkness (Matt. 12). St. Paul warns the Christians of communicating unworthily when he says: “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Cor. 11:29).
All that is absolutely required for the worthy reception of holy communion is to be in a state of grace; but it is greatly to be desired that all unruly attachment to earthly things should be completely given tip before approaching the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.116
“If you are in a state of grace,” says St. John Chrysostom, “why do you not go to communion, which was instituted with the object of enabling you to continue in that state?” The more we are detached from earthly things the greater will be our charity, and the greater our charity the more abundant will be the graces we receive in communion. Thus the avaricious, the ambitious, the intemperate, all who indulge their evil tendencies, will derive little benefit from holy communion. A pure heart is the only fit dwelling for the God of purity.
Prayer, acts of self-denial, the works of mercy, are the good works which we ought to practice before going to communion.117
At least half an hour ought to be spent in prayer before holy communion. It is advisable to hear Mass first. On the previous day we should be specially abstemious at table, deny ourselves worldly pleasures and amusements, avoid idle conversation, etc. It is well also to perform some works of mercy. “If thou givest earthly food to Christ (in the person of His poor),” says St. Augustine, “He will in return give thee celestial food.”
Those who receive holy communion ought to possess these virtues in particular: Faith, hope, charity, humility, and meekness.
It is usual before communion to make acts of the three theological virtues and also of contrition. The Church herself seeks to awaken these sentiments in the heart of the communicant; for after the Confiteor has been said by the sinner, the priest implores the pardon of God, and when elevating the sacred Host he repeats the words of St. John Baptist: “Behold the Lamb of God, etc.,” as well as those of the centurion: “Lord, I am not worthy, etc.” Children generally are made to renew their baptismal vows before making their first communion. Before communicating we ought to make an act of faith, for Our Lord always required a lively faith in those on whom He bestowed graces and for whose sake He worked miracles. Thus we read that He said to the blind men: “Do you believe that I can do this unto you?” and until they answered in the affirmative He did not heal them. We ought also to make an act of hope before communicating. When Our Lord was on earth He never sent any one away empty who came to Him in trustful confidence. The woman who had been afflicted for twelve years was made whole immediately upon touching the hem of His garment in faith (Matt. 9:20). We ought also to make an act of charity before communicating; for the greater our love to God, the greater is His generosity towards us. He must be received with love Who out of love gives Himself to us. “Love Him,” says St. Augustine, “Who for love of thee comes to unite thy mortality to His immortality.” We ought also to humble ourselves before God before communicating, considering His majesty and our misery, and deploring our sinfulness, for God resisteth the proud, but to the humble He gives grace (1 Pet. 5:5). Meekness is also necessary in those who communicate, for without it we cannot be pleasing to the Lamb of God.
3. Our body must be prepared for holy communion by fasting from midnight; by dressing in a neat and suitable manner, and by a reverent deportment at the time of communion.118
The heavenly food must be taken before the earthly, for precedence is always given to the noblest and most excellent. The body of Our Lord when taken down from the cross was laid in a sepulcher wherein never yet had any man been laid. Our bodies must also be cleansed; Christ washed the apostles’ feet before giving them communion. The Israelites were even commanded to wash their clothes before the Ten Commandments were delivered to them. External cleanliness is supposed to represent inward purity. The guests at a marriage have to appear in wedding garments, and shall we come to the Lord’s Supper in soiled apparel? At the table of an earthly monarch a certain etiquette has to be observed; how much the more should we behave with reverence when approaching holy communion.
The law prescribing fasting before communion is a positive law of the Church and admits of exception and excuse.
Thus those who are in danger of death from whatever cause may receive holy communion not fasting. After receiving Viaticum, if they continue to live in their illness they may receive again repeatedly by way of Viaticum.
By a decree of December 7, 1906, Pope Pius X kindly allows those who have been sick in bed for a month, without a well-grounded hope of their speedy recovery, with the advice of their confessor, to receive holy communion after taking some liquid food by way of drink, once or twice in the week if they live in houses where the Blessed Sacrament is kept or where Mass is said by indult, and in other cases once or twice in the month, with the obligation of observing the rubrics of the Ritual on the point.
For the privilege of communicating or celebrating not fasting, outside of the cases of actual sickness above mentioned and cases of necessity, such as saving the Bl. Sacrament from profanation, completing the sacrifice begun by a priest suddenly taken ill—application must be made to the Holy See through the bishop of the diocese.
Our dress should be clean and suited to our station when we go to communion; that is to say, we should put on better things than those in daily wear, but not dress showily.
To attach importance to dress when approaching the holy table, would lead us to overlook what is essential, and mar devotion. Shabby clothes are no shame to the wearer; Christ was poor and He loves the poor. He looks at the interior, not the exterior of a man.
Our demeanor should be reverent when we go to communion; we should avoid singularity and everything prejudicial to devotion.
When the priest repeats the words: Domine non sum dignus, the intending communicant should strike his breast, and rising from his knees, go slowly up to the altar-rails without looking about him; when the priest advances to give him the sacred Host, let him raise his head, close his eyes, open his mouth, and put his tongue forward as far as the underlip; then let him swallow the Host as soon as possible, and after a few moments’ pause return reverently to his place.
Behavior after Receiving Holy Communion
After receiving communion we should make our thanksgiving, and proffer our petitions to almighty God, praying for the Pope, for the authorities, secular and ecclesiastical, for our relatives, friends, and benefactors, and for the holy souls in purgatory.119
Our thanksgiving ought to last at least a quarter of an hour. Priests recite the Benedicite after Mass. To leave the church after communion without thanksgiving would be a very rude act; how ill-mannered would he be thought who, when invited to the table of one far above him in rank, did not so much as thank his host! To do so is to be like Judas who, after receiving communion, immediately went out. St. Philip Neri once sent two acolytes with burning tapers to accompany a person whom he observed thus hurrying from the church. We ought also to present our petitions to God after communion. Queen Esther pleaded with King Assuerus on behalf of the Jewish people after the banquet, for she knew this was the most favorable moment to make her request, and it was granted her (Esther 7). There is no better time for us to hold converse with God than when He is present with us as our Guest. Our prayers have far more weight with God after communion than at any other time, because they are sanctified by the presence of Our Lord. We have not Him always with us (Mark 14:7). “How much those lose,” exclaims St. Alphonsus, “who neglect to implore graces after receiving holy communion!”
No food should be taken until at least a quarter of an hour after receiving communion, when the species of bread are consumed.
It is not well to indulge in worldly amusements on the day of communion, for by doing so we lose the graces we have received. We shall do better if we go to a church, and thus return the visit Our Lord has graciously vouchsafed to pay us.
To make a spiritual communion is a matter of no difficulty; it is enough to recollect one’s self for a few minutes, to place one’s self in spirit before the tabernacle, and to say: “Lord Jesus, come, I beseech Thee, into my heart.”
We ought to make a spiritual communion during Mass, more particularly at the communion of the priest, and also when we pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
We may even communicate spiritually every hour of the day, the oftener the better. For this there is no need to fast beforehand, nor to obtain permission from our confessor.
Spiritual communion is the means of enriching the soul with many and precious graces.
Actual communion is compared to a golden, spiritual communion to a silver vessel. Our Lord, when on earth, did not heal those only to whom He went in person, but those also who were absent, and who ardently desired His presence. Remember how He acted in regard to the centurion’s servant; He does the same now as He did then (Cochem). The Council of Trent says (13, 8): “Those who eat in desire that heavenly bread, are by a lively faith which worketh by charity, made sensible of the fruit and usefulness thereof.” Spiritual communion is the best preparation for sacramental communion. Our Lord did not come to earth until His advent was ardently desired; and in like manner He is reluctant to visit the soul that does not earnestly long to receive Him.