The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-03-06
THE EXCELLENCE OF THE MASS

st. Francis de Sales, in his introduce
ton to a Devout Life, says: ''Holy
Mass is the sun of all spiritual exer-
cises, the handspring of devotion, the
soul of piety, the fire of Divine charity,
the abyss of Divine mercy, and a pre-
c1ous means whereby God confers
upon us His graces." The learned
Father Osorius, says Rev. J. M. McDon-
nell, S. j., places it above all the other
mysteries of our religion. There is
nothing" he says, Sin holy Church so
sublime and of such inestimable value
as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for
in it the Adorable Sacrament of the
Altar is consecrated and offered as a
sacred oblation to the Most High
God" Another writer, Fornerus,
Bishop of Bamberg, says: "The holy
Mass far surpasses in dignity all other
holy Sacraments and rites of the
Church" Again he says: 1.-THE holy
Sacramento are sublime, but more sub
lime by far is the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass; for they are vessels of mercy
for the living, whereas it is an mex
haustible ocean of Divine bounty for
both the living and the dead"
The Great High Priest.
Who is it that really offers up this
Sacrifice? Is it the priest, whom per
haps you know-Father so-and-so-
and whom you see standing at the
altar? By no means. The priest is
merely the visible representative of
Christ, acting and speaking in His
Name. In his ordination he becomes
partaker in Christ's priesthood, receiv-
ing certain, but limited, conmunica-
ton of Christ's power. Itis therefore
not, strictly speaking, his own but
Christ's priesthood that he receives
and exercises. Hence lie is called by
many of the Fathers of the Church
Christ's Vicar" His ambassador"
His representative" His minister"
to signify that when he teaches, alb
solves, or offers sacrifice, he is acting
i'll Christ's name, and as discharging
Christ's sacerdotaI Office. Thus in the
tribunal of Penance he says, speaking
in Christs name and in His. Person,
Il absolve thee, and at the. consecra-
tion of the Mass, "This is my Body"
etc.
Christ Himself is, then, the principal
and only real Offerer. To this effect
st. Chrysostom asserts that: THE
priest is only a minister, for He Who
sanctifies and transforms the Victim
is Christ Himself, Who at, the Last
Supper changed the bread into His
Flesh. The same He continues to do
still. Therefore, o Christian, when
thou seest the priest at the altar,
think not that it is he who offers the
Sacrifice: but believe that it is the
Hand of Christ, invisible to mortal
sight" CHom. de Prod judi. Christ
says st. Augustine, lis the Offerer;
He is also the Oblation.' This is of
faith. The Council of Trent, in one of
its DEGREES, teaches that: THE Sacri-
flee of the Cross and the Sacrifice of
the Mass are one and the same, the
same now offering by the ministry Of
priests Who offered Himself on the
Cross"
1t is told in the letters of the servant
of God, Marie Eustelle Harpain, col
lected by the Ven. Cardinal Villecourt,
that one day when she was meditating
on the greatness of the Holy Sacrifice,
at which she was assisting, she beheld
our Lord Himself standing in the place
of the priest in great majesty, offer
ing the Sacred Victim up to God, and
that Victim she saw to be also Christ
Himself. Filled with admiration and
establishment, she exclaimed: "A God
Offering Himself to a God, what a
Sacrifice! Ny mind cannot grasp its
value. 1t was, above all, at the time
of Conservation that my mind was
filled with awe and love. The sight Of
this Goodman. consecrating His own
Body and Blood, penetrated me With
10y and happiness.