# My Prayer-Book/The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
I. Mass the Sacrifice of the New Law
Holy Mass is the sacrifice of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, really present upon the altar, under the appearances of bread and wine, and offered to God by the priest for the living and the dead.
Holy Mass is the same sacrifice as that which Was offered up by Our Lord Himself on the cross of Calvary, the manner alone of the offering being different. On the cross, He actually died by the shedding of His blood. On the altar, He renews His death in a mystical manner, without the reshedding of blood. This is done at the Consecration, for by the separate and distinct consecration of the two species, namely of the bread and of the wine, the blood of Christ is exhibited as being once more separate from His body; and thus Jesus Christ is placed on the altar, and offered to heaven, under the appearance of death, as if slain again and immolated
II. The Four Great Ends of Mass
Holy Mass is offered to God for four great ends, corresponding to the four great duties we owe to Him; these are:
1. To praise, honor, and adore the infinite majesty of God, Who is infinitely deserving of all the glory that can be given Him by His creatures.
2. To satisfy the infinite justice of God, Who is infinitely offended by the sins committed against Him.
​3. To thank the infinite liberality of God, Who requires an infinite return for all the favors bestowed upon His creatures.
4. To petition the infinite goodness of God, Whom nothing but a pleading of infinite value can move to grant us all needful blessings.
When Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost offered Himself unspotted to God on Mount Calvary, He paid infinite adoration to the divine majesty, gave infinite satisfaction to the divine justice, made an infinite return to the divine liberality and moved the divine goodness by an appeal of infinite efficacy.
Now in Holy Mass, Jesus places Himself entirely in your hands, that you may offer to God the same great sacrifice of infinite value for the same most excellent ends, in your behalf as well as for others, whether living or dead. For all who devoutly assist at Holy .Mass are made one with the priest, and along with him present to heaven the adorable sacrifice. What would you, therefore, do without the Holy Mass?
"Holy Mass is the sun of Christianity, the soul of faith, the center of the Catholic religion, the grand object of all her rites, ceremonies, and sacraments, in a word, it is a summary of all that is grand and beautiful in the Church of God." —St. Leonard of Port Maurice.
" When a priest celebrates Holy Mass, he honors God, he rejoices the angels, he edifies the Church, he helps the living, he obtains rest for the departed, and makes himself partaker of all blessing. —Following of Christ.
With the view, therefore, that God may receive from His creatures that clean oblation which alone is worthy of Him, and that the faithful be not deprived of the immense benefit of the same adorable sacrifice, Holy Church commands her children under pain of grievous sin to hear Mass on all Sundays and holydays of obligation. But, surely, no Catholic who has any right idea of the importance and value of Holy Mass will remain satisfied with this. He will attend Holy Mass as often as he can on week-days as well. ​He will, likewise, have Masses offered up by the priest, both for himself and others, living or dead.—Fr. Fiege, in The Paraclete.
Important Comment on the Following Method of Assisting at Mass
There is no need of attempting to say all the prayers for Mass given in a prayer-book. As regards the following method of assisting at Mass, it combines vocal prayer with meditation. Our aim has been to lead pious souls to devote some time at Mass to mental prayer; hence the reflections on the Passion of Our Lord in the Canon and on the Pater Noster; hence the scriptural extracts and the thoughts from spiritual writers, which are found scattered among the prayers. Many of the prayers, it will be observed, are indulgenced, and therefore particularly commendable.
All through this book, indeed, our aim has been to insert indulgenced prayers and ejaculations, wherever these could find a proper setting. The use of indulgenced prayers for the relief of the holy souls in purgatory is very desirable and advisable.
However, it is not intended that all the prayers here given should be invariably used; nor will it be possible always to say them all, especially not at Low Mass. Devotion would at times only be hampered in an attempt to say all the prayers.
Furthermore, our pious readers are not expected to make use of all the moral reflections and scriptural quotations every time they assist at Mass; dwell on those that excite special devotion or inflame your heart with pious affections and good resolutions. Any part of the prayers and reflections may be omitted.
If, while reading from your prayer-book at Mass, a good thought should make a strong impression on your mind, pause, meditate upon this point, and evoke spiritual ​affections and such resolutions as are calculated to help you in overcoming your evil inclinations and in leading a more perfect life.
"Mental Prayer or Meditation," says St. Francis of Sales, "is an earnest thought, voluntarily repeated or entertained in the mind, to excite the will to holy and salutary affections and resolutions."
Salutary acts of the will are acts of faith, hope, charity, humility, contrition, praise, adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, oblation, and petition.
When you intend to receive holy communion, the whole time of Mass may be employed most profitably in making such acts, with or without the use of a prayer-book.
Many acts and prayers contained elsewhere in this book may be substituted occasionally for those given in the following methods of assisting at Mass, especially such as relate to the Passion, the Blessed Sacrament, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
You may also very appropriately recite the Rosary during Mass, and in particular the Eucharistic Rosary in which we meditate on the life, passion, and death of Our Lord in connection with the sacred mysteries of the altar. Formulate your own prayers occasionally.
Converse with God in a familiar manner. Prayer is the elevation of the soul to God. Speak to your heavenly Father from your heart with filial piety, simplicity, and confidence.
Prayers at Holy Mass
Offering According to the Four Great Ends of Sacrifice
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the sacrifice which Thy beloved Son, our blessed Redeemer, made of Himself on the cross and now renews on this altar. I offer it in union with all the Masses which have been said and which shall be said throughout the whole world, for all the intentions and interests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in praise and adoration of Thy supreme majesty; in thanksgiving for the numberless benefits which Thy divine mercy has conferred upon me; in reparation for my offences and in atonement for the sins of all mankind; finally, in humble supplication for my temporal and eternal welfare, for the wants of our holy Mother the Church, for the conversion of sinners, for the propagation of the Faith, and for relief of the souls in purgatory.
Special Offering of the Mass for the Souls in Purgatory
St. Alphonsus Liguori
O God of love, Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, on this altar behold the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Thy Son, representing that of His most holy death and grievous passion, which He, the great High Priest, offered ​Thee on Calvary. In consideration of this holocaust of sweet odor, have mercy on the souls in purgatory; open to them the gates of heaven, that they may love and praise Thee, and enjoy Thee eternally in the abode of the saints. Together with the sufferings of Thy divine Son, I likewise offer Thee the sorrows of His blessed mother, whose soul was crucified at the foot of her Son's cross; for the lance which pierced the side and heart of Jesus, thine adorable. Son, also transfixed the soul and heart of Mary, according to Simeon's prophecy, and made her the queen of martyrs. Behold then, O heavenly Father! the disfigured countenance of Thy Son on the cross and the crucified heart of His Mother at the foot of this same cross; and by the merits of all the sufferings of that Son and that Mother, grant eternal repose to the souls in purgatory.
Indulgenced Prayer
By Which All the Masses Celebrated Throughout the World are Daily Offered to God
MY God, I offer Thee all the Masses this day celebrated throughout the world, for sinners in their agony, and for those who shall be overtaken by death to-day! May the precious blood of Jesus, our Redeemer, obtain for them mercy!
Indulgence of 300 days. — Pius X, Dec. 18, 1907.
At the Confiteor
Adoration and Contrition
My Lord and my God! I adore Thee, and acknowledge Thee as the Master of my whole being. All that I am, and all that I have is from Thee. Without Thee I am nothing. Without Thee I can do nothing. Powerless as I am to render worthy homage to Thy majesty, I offer Thee the humiliation and the love of Jesus on the altar. With Him I praise and worship Thee. In His name I appeal to Thy mercy; I pray Thee to accept my prayers in union with the precious blood and merits of Thy divine Son, offered on all the altars of the world. I rejoice, O my God, that I am able by this august sacrifice to glorify Thee as Thou art glorified in heaven. I also join my praises to those of the most blessed, Virgin, the angels, and the saints. I adore Thee with all the heavenly host, and love Thee with my whole heart above all things, and will love Thee for ever, Would that by the ardor of my love I could make up for the time in which I loved creatures too much! How I thank Thee for not having wearied of so long an abuse of Thy graces!
I confess, O my God ! not only in Thy presence, Who seest the secrets of hearts, but in the presence of all the blessed in Heaven add of all the faithful on earth, that I have often and grievously offended Thee by my thoughts, words, actions, and omissions. Yes, I have sinned, O my God! I have ​sinned; I acknowledge it to my shame, and with the most bitter regret. I am sorry that I have sinned, because Thou art infinitely good and sin displeases Thee! I am unworthy to appear before Thee. But Thy mercies, O my God! are above all thy works; Thou wilt not despise a contrite and humble heart.
O most holy Virgin! and ye angels and saints of heaven, I humbly beseech you to intercede for me! May God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and lead me to eternal life! May He grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins!
At the Introit
From the Psalms
"Come, let us praise the Lord with joy: let us come before His presence with thanksgiving."
"Praise the Lord, for He is good: His mercy endureth forever."
"The Lord is just in all His ways, and holy in all His works."
"In Thee, O God, have I hoped: O Lord, let me never be confounded."
"The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? If I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils: for Thou art with me, O Lord" (Ps. xxii),
"Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Thy eye: protect me under the shadow of Thy wings."
​"The Lord is high unto all them that call upon Him: He will do the will of them that fear Him and He will hear their prayers and save them" (Ps. cxliv).
"Expect the Lord and do manfully: let thy heart take courage and wait for the Lord."
"Blessed are the undefiled in the way: Who walk in the law of the Lord."
At the "Kyrie Eleison"
Father in Heaven, my Creator, have mercy on me. Son of God, my Redeemer, save me. Holy Spirit, sanctify me and bring me to life everlasting.
At the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo."
Glory be to God on High, and on Earth Peace to Men of Good Will.
Men of good will are those who give glory to God by loving Him and doing His holy will, by observing His commandments, by faithfully fulfilling the duties of their state of life; thereby they secure for themselves at the same time peace of soul and true happiness.
Glory be to God by all nations and in all places!
Blessed be God now and forever.
Blessed be His holy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar.
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