The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-08

"The Catholic Universe" We read in
the 85th Psalm All nations whom
Thou hast made shall come and wof-
ship, before Thee, o Lord, and shall
glorify Thy name, for Thou are great
and dost wonderful things. Thou art
God alone" II.
Sacrifice, if offered to a creature,
would be idolatry; it is the one act
which can be offered to God alone.
God revealed it to our first parents,
and it has been handed down by tradi-
ton. Cain and Abel offered sacrifice,
and so did Noah, Abraham and the
Patriarchs.
There were various sacrifices in the
Old Law and all were figures of the
sacrifice of the New Law
Holocaust was offered in token of
Gods supreme dominion
Thank-offering, in gratitude for His
mercies.
Peace-offering, To obtain His favors.
Sin-offering to, sexpiate sin against
God.
All nations have regarded sacrifice
as an essential part of religion. The
principle is recognized even by those
who practice ido1atry.
The 'reformers'' of the sixteenth
century stand alone and are unique
| in having neither altar nor sacrifice,
and altar and sacrifice are concomi-
ltants or tcorrelatiFess terms. d A priest
land no. sacrfficeFis a contradiction.
Hence it is useless for those who have
no sacrifice to maintain that they have
| priests, or that the sacrament of holy
orders has any place among them.
In giving us the Holy Eucharist
our Lord gave us both a sacrifice and
sacramento sacrament to sanctify
ourselves and a sacrifice as fitting
worship to God. AS children we read
in the catechism that "the sacrifice
of the Mass is offered for four ends
first, to give supreme honor and glory
to God; secondly, to thank Him for
all His benefits; thirdly, to obtain par.
don for our sins, and fourth1y, to OBJ
tain all graces and blessings through
Jesus Christ
A sacrifice is the offering to God
as a token of homage, some creature
which is to be consumed, or i'm
molated in some way, in testimony
that He is the sovereign head of al
things. In the Old Law, the living
things sacrificed were slain and the
flesh burned, and the blood was
poured out and sprink1ed around the
altar 80 56teiTff
i In the Mass, bread and wine con
j stitute the matter of the sacrament
The conservation, by which the breat
!. and wine are changed into the body
land blood of Christ, is the essence
Eof the sacrifice. There is no Mass OF
Good Friday because there is no con
i secration. By the conservation in thu
two forms,s the separation of the bod!
and blood is fnystically accomplished
The communion is also necessary fol
the completion of the sacrifice, as thu
lcelebrant must receive under boil
kinds to complete or to carry out thu
destruction or the contamination o
i the victim, as this is of the essenc,
of sacrifice.
The Mass is therefore not merely ;
form of prayer, but great action
| and all those who are present have
in a certain sense, to take part ii
that action or what is done. Thos,
who assist at the sacrifice are not t,
be mere spectators or attendants, blu
actors. When the priest turns at tn,
!, "Orate Fratres," he says to the pee
pie: Brethren, pray that my sacri
flee and yours may be acceptable II
God, the Father Almighty Just be
fore the conservation, at the com
memoration of the living, the cele
brant prays to Almighty God In thes
words. ,..Be mindful of all here pres
lent whose faith and devotion ar,
known to Thee, for whom we offer
/ or who offer,s up to Thee this sacrific,
/ of praise.iisa 80
| How many of the people realize tina
it is their sacrifice which the prizes
is offering and that they are not tt
4 be mere onlookers, but should b,
participants in the holy action? Henc,
the people should unite their inten
| tions with those of the priest at th,
| altar. They may make use of an!
form of devotion or prayer which viii
the better help them to such united
action.
| The altar, the crucifx, the lights
/ the vestments which the priests wears
are not a display to the people, bu
the outward marks and the fitting &C
compartment of sacrifice offeredi Il
1 God. Liturgies may differ, al they do
|yee they all express the same faftl
land the same idea Of sacrifice e.
| show forth the death Of the Lord.
- rrw aN -