Chapter XII

Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Sacrifice of Praise

The nature of God is so infinite and incomprehensible that no created intelligence is capable of grasping it and describing it. His sanctity is unfathomable. His glory is immeasurable, His riches are beyond compare. He is in Himself strictest justice, gentlest mercy, superabundant loving-kindness, the most attractive beauty. Although the angels and saints love Him with their v. hole heart, yet they tremble before His awful majesty, and worship Him prostrate upon their faces in lowly adoration. With all their powers they laud, magnify, and bless His infinite perfections; nor do they ever weary of His praise. This praise God demands from them; it belongs to Him as their sovereign Lord, and is justly due to His endless sanctity.

From all eternity, before anything was made, God magnified Himself, and the three divine Persons rejoiced in their majesty and grandeur. God the Father magnified the unsearchable wisdom of His Son; God the Son magnified the bounteous goodness of the Holy Ghost, and God the Holy Ghost magnified the infinite power of the Eternal Father. This is shown in the revelations of St. Mechtilde, to whom Christ said: “If thou desirest to honor Me, praise and magnify Me in union with that most excellent glory wherewith the Father in His almighty power and the Holy Spirit in His loving-kindness have glorified Me from all eternity; in union with that supreme glory wherewith I in My unsearchable wisdom have glorified the Father and the Holy Spirit from all eternity, and wherewith the Holy Spirit, in His ineffable goodness, has magnified the Father and Me from all eternity.”

Urged by His infinite bounty and love, God created heaven and earth, angels and men, creatures animate and inanimate, in order that they might praise and glorify Him as was His due, and as much as in them lay. That such was His original intention we learn from Holy Scripture, which says: “The Lord hath made all things for Himself*’ (Proverbs 16:4); that is to say, in order to be known, praised, and glorified by His creatures. This the angels did from the first moment of their creation, this they do now, and will do to all eternity. The irrational creatures also, wild beasts and tame animals, trees and plants, minerals and stones, each in its own way and according to its capacity, contribute to enhance the glory of the Creator, to Whom they owe their being. This may be proved by the words Christ addressed to St. Mechtilde:” When the priest says in the Mass: ’ Through Whom the angels praise Thy majesty,’ do thou join thy voice to theirs in that celestial hymn of praise whereby the ever-blessed Trinity magnifies itself and is magnified, and wherein the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the angels and saints do participate. Wherefore say a Pater, and offer it to Me in union with that hymn of praise with which heaven and earth and all created things glorify Me.“

Now if all irrational creatures praise their Creator, how much the more is it incumbent upon man to extol and magnify Him, since to this end he was created and endowed with reason. Under the Old Dispensation David felt this obligation; the psalms and prayers he composed consist of little else than the praises of God, and of motives whereby he incites himself to magnify His holy name. If the Jews were so assiduous in praising God, much more is it the bounden duty of Christians to do the same, since it is for this that we are made the children of God, as St. Paul distinctly tells us: “Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children... unto the praise of the glory of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:5,6) That is to say, God has adopted us Christians as His children in order that we may laud and magnify His greatness and His grace. This is the chief duty of all mankind, and he who neglects it sins grievously against God. But who can fulfil this duty aright, since the majesty of God is infinite and incomprehensible, above and beyond the praise of both angels and men?

Seeing that our poor human powers were incapable of giving to God the glory due to Him, our blessed Lord, at the Last Supper, instituted the holy Mass, which is an eucharistic sacrifice, and as such is offered to God by the Church daily and hourly, by day and by night. In the Mass the celebrant says. “We offer to Thee, O God, a sacrifice of praise.” Previously to that he utters this song of praise: “Glory be to God on high; we praise Thee, we bless Thee, we adore Thee, we glorify Thee,” etc. In the preface he says: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory; hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” What a glorious hymn of praise is this! The seraphim in heaven sang the Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus; the little Hebrew children on earth were inspired to sing the Hosanna in excelsis. Thus these words of praise resound partly from heaven, partly from earth; the Church, moreover, repeats them thousands of times every day in the Mass, thus praising the Lord our God by the mouth of His priests.

St. Laurence Justinian expresses this well when he says: ’* It is certain that nothing gives God greater glory than the spotless victim of the altar, which Christ ordained to be sacrificed in order that His Church might offer praise to God.“In these words the saint implies that we can magnify God in no better way than by celebrating or assisting at holy Mass. Molina explains how this is.” In holy Mass,“he says,” the firstborn Son of God is offered up to the Father, with all the praises and glory which He rendered Him on earth.“Thus the praise God receives is infinite, for it is the praise His divine Son offers to Him. From our altars Christ praises God in a manner really worthy of the divine majesty, and this neither angels nor saints, much less men, are capable of doing. Hence it follows that the praise rendered to God in one Mass far exceeds that which He receives from the angels and the redeemed in heaven.

St. Irenaeus tells us of a maiden who desired most earnestly to praise God with all her powers. Many were the sighs she breathed forth to Heaven, exclaiming: “Would that I had a thousand tongues wherewith to praise Thee, O my God! Would that I had the hearts of all men in my power that I might incite them to Thy praise! Fain would I give understanding and affections to all irrational and inanimate creatures, and engage them to praise Thee incessantly! Were it possible for me to create new heavens, and fill them with seraphim, I would strain every nerve to accomplish this. Happy indeed should I be were I endowed with such powers of soul and body as would enable me to adore, praise, honor, and magnify Thee more than all the choirs of angels, the company of the blessed!” Such were the fervent desires that filled this loving soul, and overflowed in ardent aspirations. One day, when inflamed more hotly than usual with the flames of this holy fire, she heard a celestial voice speaking to her. “Hail, beloved daughter!” it said; “know that I derive more praise from one Mass than all you could give Me were your wishes accomplished. Go diligently to Mass, and offer to Me that sacrifice of praise, and you will thereby praise and magnify Me to the utmost of your desire.”

Hence learn, O Christian, what a sublime sacrifice holy Mass must be, since thereby greater glory is given to the most high God than by the adoration of all the heavenly host. If all the powers of heaven were to unite to form a solemn procession in honor of the Holy Trinity, at the head of which would be the Mother of God, the chief of all creatures, surrounded by the nine choirs of angels, followed by innumerable companies of the saints and blessed, singing with the sweetest voices, playing on the most melodious instruments, this triumphant procession would doubtless be to the praise and glory of God, and would be pleasing in His sight. But if at the close of the procession the Church militant were to commission one single priest to say one Mass in honor of the ever-blessed Trinity, this one priest, with his one Mass, would offer an incomparably higher tribute of praise than that grand procession had done. Nay, it would be as far superior in glory and sublimity as the Son of God is exalted above all created beings.

This being so, we perceive how much we ought to love and honor Christ for having given us in holy Mass a means at once simple and sublime of honoring and magnifying the Divine Majesty in a manner commensurate with His great dignity. This consideration ought to awaken in us a keen desire to hear Mass frequently, and acquit ourselves satisfactorily of the duty and obligation to praise God. That it is our bounden duty to praise Him has already been shown in the commencement of this chapter. It was there stated, besides, that to fulfil this obligation aright it was necessary to comprehend the divine nature in all its dignity and vastness; and of this no created beings, not even the angels, are capable. Only the sacred humanity of Christ understands perfectly, by reason of the hypostatic union, how infinitely great the Godhead is, how infinitely worthy of praise. Accordingly the humanity of Christ lauds and magnifies the Godhead everywhere, but more especially on our altars during Mass. There only is God praised in a fitting and worthy manner, because Christ is there present in His humanity, and there He offers the most costly sacrifice of praise to the glory of God the Father. Now mark this well: Christ offers the tribute of praise which He pays to the Godhead on the altar principally in the name of those who are present, supplying what is wanting to their praise. Nay, more, He gives it to them, to be offered to God as their own, that they may thus defray the debt they owe Him. He who thus offers to God the sacrifice of His divine Son does more to praise Him than all the angels and saints are in a position to do; for their praise is finite and imperfect, whereas he who hears Mass with this object offers to Him praise which is both infinite and divine.

In support of this assertion we will hear what certain pious and learned men say on this subject. Father John Angelo, a priest of great enlightenment, speaking of holy Mass, says: “When I meditate upon the mysteries of the Mass, it appears to me that the praise, glory, and joy accruing to God the Father by the mystical sacrifice of His Son is so superexcellent that the praise of all the choirs of angels and the company of the saints bears no comparison to it. For the works of creatures, however noble and excellent, contribute nothing to the work of the Creator. Although the angels and saints serve God in an admirable manner, and worthily sing His praise, yet of what value is what they do compared with the glory accruing to the ever-blessed Trinity from holy Mass? For since the priest and the people offer to the Eternal Father the Incarnate Word and His tribute of praise, their oblation is that of a God, and the praise, honor, and thanksgiving is infinite.”

These noteworthy words serve to corroborate what has already been said, that God is more praised by the sacred humanity in holy Mass than by all created things in heaven and earth. That the hosts of heaven join in praising God at holy Mass we may gather from the legend which records that Satan, having entered into a woman, and being exorcised, was asked what was the power possessed by a priest “Great, indeed,” he answered, “are the dignity and power of a priest, for when he changes the substance of the bread and wine upon the altar the heavens are opened, and all the celestial court descends to earth.” The truth of the foregoing assertion is attested by the revelations of St. Bridget, which have been formally approved by the Church. The saint says: “One day when I was hearing Mass, when the priest came to the consecration, it appeared to me as if sun and moon, the stars and planets, all the orbs of heaven in their course, chanted a sweet harmony. To these were added multitudes of celestial singers, whose entrancing notes our ears could not catch, much less our tongues frame. The choirs of angels gazed at the priest, and bowed low before him in reverence. The devils on the other hand shuddered, and fled in dismay. As soon as the words of consecration were spoken the bread was changed into a living lamb that had a human face. All the angels, of whom there were as many as there are motes in a sunbeam, worshipped and adored it. A great number of holy souls were also present, who joined in praising God and adoring the Lamb.”

This remarkable vision tells us how numerous a company of heavenly spirits are present at Mass, and how rapturous the song of praise they sing to Almighty God, a song in which the material orbs of heaven join. In the midst of angels and saints thou dost stand, O devout Christian, when thou hearest Mass; thou dost join with them in praising thy God. Think how greatly He must be honored and glorified by holy Mass. Theologians tell us that it is a sacrifice so royal, so pleasing to God, that all the virtues and good works, the praise, the honor, the adoration, of angels and men, fall far short of it in value. For since Christ is both victim and priest, no one can deny that the exalted nature of the sacrificed and the sacrificer renders the oblation of praise and glory infinitely superior to that which any and every created being can offer.

Hence it is clearly seen how transcendent is the praise, the love, the thanksgiving, offered to the Holy Trinity in every Mass, and how amply the debt we owe to the Divine Majesty—a debt we ought to, but do not, pay— is defrayed for us; nay, more, reparation is made for the blasphemies and insults daily uttered against God. Were it not for this, a world could no longer subsist in which Almighty God is daily a thousand times blasphemed. We know how terribly these insults offend Him, for He says in the prophecies of Isaias: “Now what have I here?... My name is continually blasphemed all day long.” (Isaias 52:5). How can I remain any longer in a world where I am incessantly outraged, blasphemed, reviled? I will therefore withdraw My presence, and deliver the world over to the power of Satan. Nay, I will destroy it, and cast all the blasphemers into hell. God would indeed have reason to do this, for we know one mortal sin is enough to destroy the whole world. Why does He not do it? What restrains Him from executing His dread purpose? Most decidedly it is the holy sacrifice of the Mass which averts this calamity. For although the divine majesty is continually blasphemed by ungodly men, on the other hand it is continually honored by priests in thousands of Masses, and worthily blessed by Christ Himself. This tribute of praise far outweighs the blasphemies of the reprobate, and makes amends to God for the indignities shown Him.

We have indeed reason enough, and it is our bounden duty to give heartfelt thanks to Christ for having, of His pure mercy, instituted the sacrifice of the Mass, whereby the world, despite its iniquities, is preserved from destruction, blasphemers are rescued from the abyss of hell, the negligence of the just is compensated for, and the infinite God receives the praise and honor which belong to Him.

All glory and thanks be to Thee, therefore, most loving Jesus, from me and from all children of the Church, nay, from all creatures in heaven and on earth, for the inestimable benefit which Thou hast conferred, and dost daily confer, upon us by the institution of holy Mass. How can we better express our sense of this benefit than by regular and devout attendance at Mass, by participating in the oblation of praise and thanksgiving which Thou dost offer to the Godhead in it? Would to God that I could incite all men to hear Mass frequently, to hear it devoutly! Do Thou do what I cannot do; pour into my heart and into the hearts of all the faithful the spirit of devotion, so that we may ever increase in our love for holy Mass, and may daily join in offering this sacred oblation.

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