Chapter XIX

Holy Mass is of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful

In speaking of the profit to be derived from holy Mas*;

it is difficult to know where to begin or where to end. The holy fathers and doctors of the Church cannot say enough when they enlarge on the benefits holy Mass brings to the faithful. St. Laurence Justinian says: “Assuredly no human tongue is capable of telling how abundant are the fruits to be derived from the holy sacrifice of the Mass, how great the gifts and graces that flow from it.” He then proceeds to enumerate a few of the most striking of these: “Through the sacrifice of the Mass the sinner is reconciled with God, the just is confirmed in his justice. Transgressions are forgiven, vices exterminated, virtues multiplied, merits augmented, temptations overcome.” These are, indeed, fruits well worth having..

Father Anthony Molina, in his work on the dignity ot the priesthood, has many beautiful and forcible passages relating to holy Mass that must awaken love and esteem for it in every Christian heart. “There is nothing,” he says,“so profitable to mankind, so efficacious for the relief of the suffering souls, nothing so helpful for the attainment of spiritual riches, as the most holy sacrifice of the Mass. In fact in comparison with it all the good works which we perform by day or night, from the most virtuous motives, are of little or no account.” These words almost surpass belief, yet what consolation they convey to us! The holy sacrifice of the Mass, if rightly offered, is said to outweigh in value all other works, even those practices of piety which are performed with real devotion, recollection of heart, profound humility, fervent charity, and purity of intention. The previous portion of this book, if read attentively, will have prepared our minds for the acceptance of this truth; yet for its further confirmation a few more witnesses may be brought forward.,.,».#■•

Bishop Fornerus, commenting on the psalm Miserere, says- “He who, not being in a state of mortal sin, hears Mass devoutly gains more than he who performs some arduous work for the love of God, or goes on a distant pilgrimage. And no wonder, for the most virtuous of good works derive their worth and importance from their object, that is, from that which is done by means of them. Now what is nobler, more precious, more divine, than the sacrifice of the Mass!” Let all who seek to acquire celestial riches, who desire to do God acceptable service, lay to heart this noteworthy and consoling thought. Who will not rejoice to hear Mass if he knows that he can do nothing better, more meritorious, more acceptable to God?

Marchantius, writing on the same subject, says: “The Catholic Church can do nothing better, more holy, nothing more worthy of the most high God, more pleasing to Jesus and Mary, more gratifying to the angels and saints, more profitable for both the just and sinners, more advantageous to the souls in purgatory, than offer for them the sacrifice of the Mass.” All theologians declare the same, and concur in placing holy Mass far above all other good works. Do thou let thy practice be in accordance with their teaching. We have, however, more to say on this subject.

In the preface to an old missal bearing the date 1634 we find an exhortation addressed to priests bidding them entertain a very high opinion of the excellence of the holy sacrifice, and never doubt that every time they celebrate it they render God more acceptable service than by the exercise of the loftiest virtues, or by suffering all conceivable tortures for His sake. Dost thou ask how can this be? It is because Christ exercises every virtue in the Mass, and at the same time offers to God His passion and death. All the praise, the love, the veneration, the worship, the thanksgiving, which Christ presents to the ever-blessed Trinity in every Mass far transcends all the praise of the angels, the adoration of the saints, so far, indeed, that were all the penances, the prayers, the good works of apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all saints offered to the Holy Trinity they would be less pleasing to the Divine Majesty than one single Mass.

The most important testimony of all to the profit which the faithful derive from holy Mass, the authoritative utterances of holy Church in the Council of Trent, has yet to be given: “We must needs confess that no other work can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mystery itself, wherein that life-giving victim, by which we were reconciled to the Father, is daily immolated on the altar by priests.” (Sess. xxii.) Had we no other testimony to or proof of the profitableness of holy Mass, this alone ought to be sufficient to induce pious souls to hear Mass daily.

Ponder well, O Christian, what the holy Catholic Church, infallible in matters of faith, declares to us in the aforegoing words. She expressly states, and imposes on our belief, that no other work can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine as the tremendous mystery of the Mass. This does not only refer to priests, but to the faithful in general. Priests can indeed do nothing more holy and divine than celebrate Mass; the laity can do nothing more holy and divine than hear Mass, serve Mass, join in offering Mass, have Mass said for their intentions, follow the prayers and unite in spirit with the celebrant. Since 4.0 do this is of all works the most holy and divine, it stands to reason that it should also be the most profitable and meritorious.

Accept, therefore, with thy whole heart, O Christian, the wholesome doctrine taught thee by thy mother, the Church. Thou canst perform many good works to the greater glory of God, in honor of the saints, for thine own spiritual profit and salvation, but none so divine, so exalted, so pleasing to God and the saints, none so profitable, so salutary, so meritorious, as pious assistance at holy Mass. For the Church herself declares that this surpasses all other works, as far as the sun surpasses the planets in power and splendor, as far as it exceeds all the stars of the firmament in its beneficent action upon the earth. How much thou wilt have to answer for the times when thou hast heard Mass indevoutly, or when thou hast for some temporal advantage neglected it altogether!

St. Francis dc Sales thought so highly of Mass that he preferred it to mental prayer, although this is universally acknowledged to hold the first place among spiritual exercises. Writing to one of the nuns of the Order he had founded, soon after her departure to establish a monastery elsewhere, he said: “I beg you, my dear daughter, to arrange a chapel before all things, so that you may be able to hear Mass daily. If you cannot do this in your own house, then go every day to the nearest church, since the soul receives strength for the whole day if at its commencement she has been brought so near to Our Lord, present in the holy sacrifice.” The nun, who was no other than St. Jane Frances de Chantal, wrote in reply: “Do you wish me to interrupt or even omit my meditation in order to hear Mass, or shall I leave the Mass on week-days in order to make my meditation?” The saint answered: “You will find it much more useful to hear Mass than to omit it under the plea of making your meditation at home; for the corporal presence of the sacred humanity of Our Lord, which we have in holy Mass, is of far more value than His fancied presence to our mind, especially as it is the wish of the Church that her children should hear Mass every day.”

Thus St. Francis de Sales teaches us that to hear Mass is better and more profitable than mental prayer. Bishop Fornerus says the same: “The prayer of one who hears Mass piously, and offers it to God for the good of his soul, is worth infinitely more than other prayers, however long and fervent, even the prayer of contemplation.” And to account for this he adds: “Because of the merits of Christ’s passion, which make their power felt by a wondrous outpouring of grace and a plenitude of heavenly gifts.” Consider what is here said, O pious soul, and thou wilt find that they are inspired from above, and contain most salutary teaching.

If thou desirest to meditate upon the life and passion of Christ, thou canst do this at no more suitable time than during the Mass, when all the mysteries of His life and passion are renewed in thy sight. Or if thou dost desire to place thyself in the presence of Christ, to hold converse with Him, there thou hast Him present in person, both in His humanity and His divinity. Nor will the ceremonies of the Mass distract thy attention; on the contrary, they will serve to increase thy recollection, if thou dost follow the action of the priest and consider the significance of the ceremonies.

Before concluding this chapter we will give a memorable instance, which is mentioned by several writers, of the profit to be derived from holy Mass.

There was once a poor workingman whose devotion to Mass was so great that he endeavored to hear it every day. One morning he had risen early and gone to the market-place to look out, with some other men, for employment, when he heard the bell of a neighboring church ring for Mass. He directly left the other men and betook himself to the church, where he heard Mass very attentively, and implored God to give him that day his daily bread. But on returning to the market-place he found all the other men had got work, and although he waited for some time, no one would give him a job. Presently he went back to his home with a heavy heart, for he could not help regretting that he had lost a day’s work through going to Mass. On his way back he was accosted by a rich gentleman, who asked him why he was looking so sorrowful. The man told him that he had been to Mass and thus lost a day’s wages. u Never mind,“the stranger rejoined,” go and hear a Mass for me, and I will give you what you would have earned in the meantime.“The poor man went back to the church and heard a Mass, and yet another. Then he went to the rich man’s house, where a good meal was given him, besides a loaf and a shilling. For this he returned many thanks, and set out once more for his own home quite joyfully. He had not gone far before he met a gentleman of stately appearance, who asked him what made him look so happy. The man related what had occurred, and expressed his sense of obligation to the rich stranger. But his interlocutor said:”You had not nearly enough given you for the Masses you heard; go back to the rich man, and tell him he must give you more, or it will go ill with him.“The poor man therefore returned to his benefactor, and delivered the message, at the same time describing the fine appearance and distinguished manners of his new friend. The rich man, thinking that it was some saint who had spoken to the workingman, gave him a sovereign and bade him say some prayers for him. The poor fellow was hastening home to tell his wife and children of his good luck, when he was again stopped by the same gentleman, who asked him how much had been given to him this time. He informed him of the amount he had received, and was enlarging on the generosity of his benefactor, when the other said:”Go back once more, and say to him that if he does not give you five pounds he will not be alive to-morrow.“The man at fin*: refused to make such a demand, but the order was repeated in so peremptory a manner that he yielded, and, returning reluctantly to his rich friend, related to him what he had been told to say. The message alarmed the rich man very much, for he had sinned grievously, and had made a clean breast in confession, and rather than take the risk of a sudden and unprepared death he gave the five pounds that were required of him. That same night, while he was asleep, Christ appeared to him and said:”I am He who sent that poor man to you; I will tell you why I did so: The devil appealed to My strict justice to punish you, and called upon Me to pass sentence on you, and deliver you into his power, on account of your crimes, unconfessed and unrepented of* Fortunately for you that poor workingman came between you and your doom; by piously hearing Mass, and praying so fervently for you, he induced Me to revoke My verdict, and give you time to do penance. Wherefore confess your sins, amend your life, and be liberal in alms-giving.“The rich man did all this, and was assiduous in hearing Mass besides. Thus holy Mass was more profitable to him than all his wealth, since by it he was preserved from death, both temporal and eternal, and became a changed man.

This story may suggest the inquiry whether the holy Mass can be bought and sold. I answer, Certainly not; it would be a transaction like that of which Judas was guilty when he sold Our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. Yet, it may be said, priests take money for saying Mass. They do so, it is true; but the apostle Paul says: “They that serve the altar, partake with the altar.” (i. Cor. ix. 13.) The priest takes the money as payment for his trouble, not in the least as the price of the merit of spiritual profit which he obtains for him who desires the Mass to be said; for it would be simony, and a great sin, to think spiritual things could be purchased with money.

Yet if?. poor woman were to say to some rich lady: M If you will give me something to buy food, I will hear Mass for you to-day or to-morrow,“this would be quite right and proper, for it would be equivalent to saying: I will part with the merit I obtain by hearing Mass, and will bestow it upon you. And in this way the poor woman would give the lady ten times more than she received, even though the sum was a large one. For every one who hears Mass may gain for himself no small share in the merits of Christ, by means of which he may pay off a considerable part of the debt due for sin, and purchase celestial riches. And if a poor man, of his own free will, gives thee this treasure for a trifling temporal recompense, Thou hast indeed made a good exchange, nay, the very best possible. Wherefore do thou often let a poor man hear Mass for thee, and by this simple means expiate thy past errors and increase the glory in store for thee in heaven.

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