Chapter XXVII

An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily

[…] may venture to hope that an attentive perusal of this book and careful consideration of the truths it contains will have awakened in the breast of the reader a fervent love for holy Mass, so that no further arguments will be needed to induce him, to hear it daily

A few admonitions may, however, yet be added to kindle his zeal to a still hotter flame.

In the first place, let me tell thee, O Christian, that no hour of the whole day is so precious as that wherein thou dost hear Mass, and offer that Mass to the ever-blessed Trinity. It is indeed a golden hour, for all that thou dost in cooperation with the holy sacrifice is changed to gold. The other hours of the day, in comparison with it, may be likened to copper. It may be alleged that work is of greater importance than hearing Mass to those who earn their bread. To this I reply: Hearing Mass is more important than our work, because it contributes largely to our eternal welfare. I do not say that a man should neglect his work altogether, but that he should spare half an hour from it for the service of his God: his work will get on all the better for it, for God will bless it more abundantly. Those who absent themselves from Mass out of indifference or for the sake of some temporal advantage change the hour that might be golden into one of lead, and sustain a loss incalculably greater than any earthly loss, for in that hour they might have won a hundred times more than they could earn by a whole day’s labor. Our Saviour teaches us this in those memorable words of His: “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26) By not going to Mass on week-days for the sake of temporal profit we do our soul an immeasurable injury for which no worldly wealth can compensate. Shall we, then, heedless of Our Lord’s warning, throw away eternal riches for the things of time and sense?

If those who, being dependent on their own exertions, are accustomed to absent themselves from Mass on account of some paltry gain, or an employment that ill repays their toil, would carefully consider these truths, they would surely alter their conduct, and spare a short time from their work just to hear Mass. How very little can be earned by the labor of one’s hands in one brief half hour? How short-sighted, then, is the man or woman who prefers to lose the treasures contained in holy Mass rather than deprive himself or herself of a few halfpence! By going to Mass they might earn treasures wherewith to purchase heaven but they will renounce these if the least diminution of their wages is involved— not that I believe they would be the losers in the end, for God, of His divine bounty, would so prosper their work as to more than make up for the time they took from it.

To this another reason may be added to show the folly of these people. If money dropped down from the clouds, would not every one hasten out to pick it up? Those who stayed indoors and went on with their work would be the derision of their neighbors. Yet, of a truth, in every Mass, not earthly riches from the clouds, but celestial riches from heaven, are showered down on all who are present, and all are free to possess themselves of them. But what are the riches which drop down from above? An increase of divine grace; an increase of merit and virtue; an increase of eternal glory; celestial consolations; the divine blessing in temporal affairs; the pardon of venial sins; the remission of a great part of the debt due to divine justice; a share in the infinite merits of Christ. Grace and mercy, temporal welfare, and eternal salvation—such is the heavenly dew which distils from above. Are not these things more precious than refined gold? Wherefore, if, on account of the slight trouble it costs us, or the trifling pecuniary sacrifice it entails, we omit going to Mass on week-days when we might do so, we are guilty of greater folly than those who would stay indoors at their work if gold were rained down from the clouds.

Clingius says: “Holy Mass, as the central act of religion, takes precedence of all other devotions; if it be neglected, the fount of interior piety will run dry.” Just as the sun surpasses all the planets, so the Mass surpasses all other forms of worship.

The light, the heat, the power of the sun are incomparably more useful to the earth than those of all the planets together. In like manner devout attendance at Mass is more pleasing to God, more profitable to thyself, more salutary for the living, more helpful to the dead, than all thy prayers and good works for the whole day. By these, it cannot be denied, thou dost indeed serve and please God; thou dost rejoice the angels and gain much merit for thyself; but by hearing Mass how much greater is the honor thou givest to God, the joy thou causest to the angels, the reward to which thou art entitled! And all this with lar less trouble to thyself.

Supposing a man at work in the fields should find a treasure, and immediately leave off work, doing no more for the remainder of the day, would he not in the evening be a much richer man than his fellow-laborer who, though he toiled industriously all day long, only received his accustomed wages? Assuredly he would. So it is with thy good works; however piously they are performed they will not, comparatively speaking, be of great merit. Whereas, if thou hearest Mass, thou findest a treasure, nothing less than Christ’s merits, which are communicated to us in holy Mass, and in which we receive more than our thoughts can compass. Holy Mass is a gold mine; those who work it earn far more than if they labored in a stone-quarry; and in like manner those who hear Mass piously derive from it very much more spiritual wealth than others do from the performance of works of penance. The Church recognizes the Mass as the greatest of good works when she says: “We must needs confess that no other work can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mystery.” (Counc. Trent, Sess. xxii.) Since holy Mass is the most holy and divine, it must needs be the most meritorious and profitable, means of obtaining heavenly riches. Let every one beware how he allows himself to be prevented from going daily to Mass, for where would the man be found who would stay away if he could earn eight or ten pounds by going? And what are ten pounds in comparison to the spiritual treasures which are the reward of those who hear Mass devoutly? Compared with the holy sacrifice of the Mass, earthly gold is but a handful of sand!

We therefore earnestly and humbly entreat the reader to be regular in going to Mass every day, in so far as this is possible. Let us not forget that we are created to serve God to the best of our ability, and by our service to glorify Him, We cannot do this better than by hearing Mass which is the highest act of worship, the one whereby He is most honored. We are bound to render to our God the thanks that are His due for all the benefits He has conferred on us, both bodily and spiritually. This cannot be done better than by hearing Mass, for it is the noblest of all thank-offerings.

The object and end of our existence upon earth is to praise the Divine Majesty according to His great glory. This cannot be done better than by hearing Mass, for it is the most sublime sacrifice of praise. Our Lord has said: “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19) We cannot bear fruit better than by hearing Mass in a state of grace, for it is the most perfect sacrifice of satisfaction. We daily stand exposed to the danger of falling into sin, of being overtaken by misfortune; we cannot guard against these perils better than by hearing Mass, for it is the most efficacious propitiatory sacrifice. Death and the devil constantly dog our footsteps and lay in wait for us, desirous to snatch us away and precipitate us into hell; we cannot shield ourselves against their arrows better than by hearing Mass, for it is the surest protection against the evils that threaten us. Finally, let us not forget that in the hour of death we shall be in some need of the Saviour’s assistance; there is no better means of assuring ourselves of this than by hearing Mass devoutly, for have we not heard how Christ Himself gave to one of His servants the promise that he would send for his solace and support at his last moments as many blessed spirits as he had heard Masses with devotion during his lifetime? Reflect upon these truths, and resolve from henceforth to hear Mass, if possible, every day.

If it should be out of thy power to do this, have a Mass said for thy intention occasionally, in order thus to make amends for thine own shortcomings in God’s service, and to cancel the punishment due to thy daily transgressions. If, perchance, thou lackest the means of doing this, give an alms, according to thy power, to some poor man, and let him hear Mass for thee. This he will do most readily, and make over to thee the amount of satisfaction for sins committed which he earns by hearing Mass. In this manner he obtains a special grace for thee from God, for thy welfare in time and in eternity.

If it be asked whether one can really hear Mass on behalf of another person, I answer: Most undoubtedly; and to do so is very preferable to going to communion for some one else. Holy communion is essentially a sacrament, and the food of our souls. It is impossible to benefit another by partaking of food in his stead, and it is certain that we cannot receive a sacrament for another, nor can we transfer to another the nourishment, the grace, our soul receives in holy communion. Is there nothing, then, that we can give to any one by going to communion for him? Yes; all good works discharge a part of the temporal penalty due to sin, and holy communion, being a most sacred and excellent act, has considerable power to do so. We are free to renounce this benefit for ourselves, and to bestow it upon, assign it to, another person. Besides, as after holy communion we are presumably in the grace of God, our prayers on behalf of another will be more fervent and more efficacious.

It is otherwise in regard to hearing Mass, for it is especially instituted for the benefit of many, not of one alone. We have seen that the priest, in the canon of the Mass, prays thus: “Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy servants N. and N., and of all here present, for whom we offer, or who offer, up to Thee this sacrifice of praise for themselves, their families, and their friends.” These words clearly indicate that all who assist at holy Mass offer it for themselves and for those who are related to them, and obtain great graces for them in virtue of that sublime sacrifice. In addition to this each one is empowered, and indeed ought, to give to the individual for whom he hears Mass the share in the merits and satisfaction of Christ to which devout attendance at Mass entitles him.

The Example of the Saints is an Incentive to Hear Holy Mass Daily

The proverb says: “Example is more powerful than precept.” If all the arguments hitherto urged have not had the effect of inducing the reader to make a practice of assisting at Mass every day, the example, which shall now be brought forward, of saints who, although their time was engrossed with weighty affairs, never failed to do so may perhaps have some influence.

The ecclesiastical historian Baronius tells us that in the early ages of Christianity priests were at liberty to say as many Masses every day as they chose. The holy Pope Leo III. had recourse to the holy sacrifice in all his necessities, and was known, in times of affliction, to celebrate no less than nine Masses in one day, with great fervor and recollection.

The saintly Bishop Ulrich was accustomed to say three Masses every day, unless prevented by sickness or stress of business. Since 1073 the practice of saying more Masses than one has been abolished, Christmas Day alone being excepted.

St. Hedwige of Poland is said to have had a profound veneration for holy Mass. She always assisted at as many as she could; and if enough were not celebrated in the chapel attached to the palace to satisfy her devotion, she sent for other priests, recompensing them liberally for their trouble. Raynaldus records of St. Louis of France that he was in the habit of hearing two, three, sometimes even four Masses daily. His courtiers murmured at this, saying it was not right for the king to spend all the morning at prayer in the chapel instead of attending to state affairs and leaving Mass to the clergy. The king, hearing what they said, answered: “I wonder that you should complain of my hearing Mass, for not one of you would think me to blame if I spent twice as much time in hunting or playing dice.” This was a very good answer, and it applies to many amongst ourselves as well as to the officials of King Louis’ court. For in our blindness we imagine that it is a waste of time and loss of money to go to Mass on week-days. But if two or three hours are spent in idle conversation, at play, over our wine, or perhaps in sleep, we think that the time thus squandered has been most profitably employed. What an unfortunate delusion!

The same historian tells us that Henry I. of England was also accustomed to hear three Masses every day even when engrossed with urgent affairs of state. It is said that once, when he was talking with the King of France, the conversation turned upon hearing Mass; and the French king remarked that one ought not always to go to Mass, but to hear sermons as well. Henry I. courteously replied: “It is a greater pleasure to me to see my friend frequently than to hear others speak in his praise.” With this opinion I who write this book fully coincide; in fact, I have often told people who asked me whether it was better to go to Mass or to hear sermons that to assist at Mass was by far the best. One ought not, however, to eschew sermons altogether, for they are very useful, and even necessary, especially in the case of hardened sinners, to awaken in them a sense and an abhorrence of sin.

The Blessed Anthony of Stroncone delighted in hearing Mass above any other spiritual exercise. He assisted at the holy sacrifice, and served the Mass with such fervor and joy of heart that he forgot all about his meals. If Mass could have been celebrated all day long from early morn until night closed in, he would always have been present, without ever leaving the church. When he grew old, and his enfeebled limbs could hardly support him, he would still totter to the church in order to hear Mass, and this he did even when the hand of death was already upon him, for he rose from his bed to fill his accustomed place near the altar. Let us take example from this Franciscan brother, who was beatified in the year 1690, and be more zealous than ever in our attendance at holy Mass.

We read in Baronius that the Roman Emperor Lothaire used to hear three Masses every day, even when he had to take the field against the enemy. Surius tells us that Charles V. invariably heard Mass every morning; only once-in his whole life did he omit to do so, in the campaign he made against Tunis. In the Roman breviary it is stated of St. Casimir that he was so carried out of himself during the time of Mass that he was thought to be in an ecstasy.

The legend of St. Wenceslas tells us that when the Emperor Otho summoned all the princes and nobles of the realm to attend an imperial diet at Regensburg at a very early hour, Wenceslas, instead of betaking himself to the house of Assembly, went to Mass, and did not leave until the priest quitted the altar. Meanwhile the emperor and the princes were waiting for him impatiently; at length, finding he did not come, the emperor said: “We will open the diet without Wenceslas; and when he comes let no one rise up or make room for him.“Presently Wenceslas made his appearance, and the astonished monarch saw that he was accompanied by two angels. Rising from his throne, he hastened to meet him, and clasped him in his arms. The princes were angry when they saw the emperor receive Wenceslas in so very different a manner to that in which he had ordered them to receive him, but he answered their expostulations by telling them what he had seen, and that he felt compelled to show honor to one thus favored. In fact, he took the regal diadem from his own head, and then and there crowned Wenceslas first King of Bohemia.

When we hear of all these kings and potentates who, although they were burdened with all the business that in those days belonged to the ruler of.a kingdom, made it their practice always to hear one, if not more than one, Mass every day, how shall we excuse ourselves before God for neglecting to assist at the holy sacrifice on account of our less weighty, often trivial, occupations? It is greatly to be feared that at the Last Judgment this awful sentence will be ours: “The unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30)

But it may be asked: How could God condemn me for not hearing Mass, when there is no express command to hear it on week-days? I reply: He will not condemn thee for neglecting to hear Mass on days that are not of obligation, but because thou hast been slothful in His service, and not made use of the talent confided to thee, of His grace, that is, which would be communicated to thee in holy Mass.

Nor, when we neglect Mass, ought the loss to ourselves alone to be considered, but the loss to God and to the blessed in heaven. The injury done to them is thus expressed by the Venerable Bede: “If a priest, without committing mortal sin, neglects to celebrate Mass, he deprives the Most Holy Trinity of the honor which is Its due, he deprives the angels of a source of joy, the sinner of forgiveness, the just of assistance, the departed of relief, the whole Church of spiritual benefit, and himself of a salutary medicine. See how much harm results from the indifference of one priest; the loss occasioned is almost as great if a layman fails to assist at the divine mysteries when it is in his power to do so.”

Many instances might be given in which neglect of Mass has met with condign punishment, but one incident must suffice. In the year 1570 in the depth of winter three merchants journeyed together from Eugubo to Cisterno for the annual fair. Trade was good; they made a great deal of money. At the close of the fair (it was a Saturday night) one of them said to the others before retiring to rest, for all three had taken up their quarters at the same inn: “We must start to-morrow morning long before daybreak in order to reach home before nightfall.” One of his companions acceded to the proposal; the third negatived it, saying that as it would be Sunday they had much better hear Mass before setting out, and then go on their way with the blessing of God. But the others would not be persuaded; so he let them begin their journey without him. As soon as he had been to Mass, and taken a hasty breakfast, he mounted his horse and rode quickly after them. Now, when the two merchants had got about two miles on their way, they came to a wooden bridge which spanned a wide river. Just as they were crossing it the stream, much increased in volume by recent rains, carried away the supports of the bridge, and they were both precipitated into the water. The two horses swam to shore, but their riders, weighted by the bags of gold which they carried on their person, perished miserably. God grant that they did not lose their souls as well as their lives and their money. About an hour later the third merchant reached the spot, and was informed by the inhabitants of the fatality that had occurred. He was shocked to see the bodies of his two friends, which had been recovered by the peasantry, laid out on the bank of the river. It was impossible not to recognize in this event the just judgment of God, and he gave hearty thanks to Providence for having preserved him from a watery grave for the sake of the holy sacrifice at which he had assisted. He arrived in safety at home, and it was his painful duty to acquaint the families of the two other merchants with the sad tidings he brought. The terrible fate that overtook these men ought to be a useful lesson to us never to miss Mass on Sundays or holydays on account of any worldly advantage. Many men of business do this without the least scruple, but they are none the less guilty of mortal sin, since it is not permissible to allow ourselves to be deterred from hearing our Mass of obligation because of any temporal loss or inconvenience.

Children whose parents keep them from Mass on holy-days without absolute necessity should imitate St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. When quite a child, as she was in the act of going to church on a holyday of obligation, her mother ordered her to remain at home to take care of the house. She answered: “Mother, I cannot miss Mass with a clear conscience; I would rather displease you than offend against God.” The woman, irritated by this speech, struck her daughter a hard blow on the cheek, and scolded her harshly for her undutiful conduct. Her punishment was not long delayed; the mother was struck with total blindness, and thus she remained for two years, until she acknowledged how wrong she had been, and in answer to Genevieve’s constant prayers her sight was restored to her. Thus children who are kept from going to Mass when it is of precept should respectfully represent to their parents that they are bound to obey God rather than man.

It is the duty of masters and mistresses to exhort the members of their household to perform their religious duties and do what is right. If they neglect this, they are more to blame than they perhaps imagine, for St. Paul says: “If any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Timothy 5:8) These words are forcible and may well alarm us, for St. Chrysostom expounds the word “care” as having reference to the spiritual, not the physical welfare of their dependents. And if the head of a household who neglects to provide his children and domestics with the food and clothing necessary for their bodies is to be counted as a heathen or unbeliever, how much more will he deserve to be regarded by Almighty God as one who denies the faith and worse than an infidel, if he is utterly indifferent to their spiritual needs.

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