INSTRUCTIONS AND DEVOTIONS FOR Hearing Mass. INSTRUCTIONS MAN has at all times been required to dedicate one day in seven in an especial manner to the worship of his Maker. Under the Jewish dispensation this was the Sabbath or seventh day of the week, but under the New Law the obligation has been transferred from the Sabbath to the Sunday. The Church of God has also, by virtue of the power given to her by Jesus Christ, appointed certain other days in the year to be kept holy; and, to the end that. we may duly comply with these obligations, she earnestly exhorts all the faithful to assist at the whole of the public service, and commands their attendance at the adorable sacri fice of the altar, on all Sundays and Holydays. The Christian, who reflects that the object of these sacred ordinances is the attainment of eternal salvation, will need no other motive to attend to the short instructions contained in the three following sections; in the first of which he will be taught what the Mass is, and for what ends it is offered: in the second he will be instructed in the public ceremonies of the Church, chiefly as they relate to the holy sacrifice and in the third he will find devotions at Mass. SECT. I. What the Muss is, and for what ends it is to be offered. 1. From the beginning of the world the servants of God were always accustomed to offer sacrifice to him, by way of acknowledging his sovereignty, and paying their homage to him and in all ancient religions, true or false, this worship of sacrifice was always looked upon as a most solemn act of religion, due to the deity that they worshipped. 2. In the law of nature, and in the law of Moses, there was a great variety of sacrifices: some bloody, in which the victim was slain, others unbloody: some were called holocausts or whole burnt-offerings, in which the whole host or victim was consumed in fire upon God's altar, for his honour and glory; others were called sin-offerings, which were offered for sins; others were offerings of thanksgiving; others, in fine, were pacific or peace-offerings, which were offered for obtaining favours of God; the word peace, in the scripture style, signifying all manner of good and prosperity. 3. All these sacrifices of the law of nature, and of the law of Moses, were of themselves but weak and needy elements, and only figures of a sacrifice to come, viz. that of Jesus Christ; in consideration of which sacrifice only, and of the faith of the offerers, by which they believed in the Redeemer to come, those ancient sacrifices were then accepted by the divine Majesty, when they were accompanied with the inward sacrifice of the heart: but not for any intrinsic worth or dignity of the things offered; for no other blood but the blood of Christ could wash away our sins. -Hence in the 39th Psalm spoken in the person of Christ to his Father, we read, Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, but a body thou hast fitted to me.-(So St. Paul reads it, Heb. x. 5.) Burnt-offering. and sin-offering thou didst not require: then said I, Behold I come: to give us to understand, that by reason of the insufficiency of the sacrifices of the old law, Christ himself would come to be our sacrifice, and would offer up his own body and blood for us. 4. Accordingly our Saviour Jesus Christ, at the time appointed by his Father, having taken flesh for us, was pleased to offer himself a sacrifice for us all, dying upon the cross for the sins of the whole world. By this one offering we were completely redeemed, inasmuch as our ransom was paid, and all mercy, grace, and salvation were purchased for us. Neither ca. there now be any need of his dying any more, or purchasing any other graces for us than those for which he has already paid the price of his n'ood. 5. Nevertheless, for the daily application of this one eternal redemption to our soul, and that the mercy, grace, and salvation, which he has purchased for us, may be actually commu nicated to us, he not only continually appears in our behalf in the sanctuary of heaven, there representing and offering to his Father his death and passion for us; but he also instituted the blessed Eucharist, the night before his passion, in which he has bequeathed us his body and blood under the sacramental veils, not only to be received by us as a sacrament, for the food and nourishment of our souls; but also to be offered and presented by his ministers to his Father (mystically broken and shed) as a sacrifice: not by way of a new death, but by way of a standing memorial of his death; a daily celebration and representation of his death to God, and an application to our souls of the fruits of it. 6. This Eucharistic sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, daily offered under the forms of bread and wine, in remembrance of his passion, is what we call the Mass. This is the solemn liturgy of the Catholic Church. This is that pure offering which is made to God in every place among the Gentiles according to the prophecy of Malacky, i. 10, 11. By this Christ is a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec, Ps. cix. whose sacrifice was bread and wine, Gen. xv. 7. This sacrifice of the mass is the same in substance with that which Christ offered for us upon the cross; because both the Victim offered, and the priest, or principal Offerer, is the same Jesus Christ. The difference is only in the manner of the offering; because, upon the cross, our Saviour offered himself in such a manner, as really to shed his blood and die for us; whereas now he does not really shed his blood, or die any more. And therefore this is called an unbloody sacrifice; and that of the cross a bloody sacrifice. 8. By reason of this near alliance which this sacrifice of the mass has with the sacrifice of the cross, it completely answers all the different ends of sacrifice, and that in a manner infinitely more perfect than any of the ancient sacrifices. Christ is here both Priest and Victim, representing in Person, and offering up his death and passion to his Father: First, for the adoration, praise, honour, and glory of the Divine Majesty. Secondly, in thanksgiving for all his benefits. Thirdly, for obtaining pardon for our sins. Fourthly, for obtaining grace and salvation for us, by the merits of that same death and passion. And therefore this sacrifice, in order to all these ends, must be infinitely beyond all the holocausts, thank-offerings, sinofferings, and peace-offerings of the ancient law. 9. This sacrifice of the mass, then, is offered up to God, in the Catholic Church, First, as a daily remembrance of the passion of Christ: Do this for a commemoration of me, St. Luke, xxii. Secondly, As a most solemn worship of the Divine Majesty. Thirdly, As a most acceptable thanksgiving to God, from whence it has the name of Eucharist. Fourthly, As a most powerful means to move God to show mercy to us in the forgiveness of our sins; for which reason we call it propitiatory. And, lastly, As a most effectual way to obtain of God all that we want, coming to him (as we here do) with Christ and through Christ. 10. For these ends both priest and people |