The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-11-26

incumbent upon man, but an honor
and a happiness as we'll
AS in the prayers Of the offertory,
so now We beseech God graciously to
accept this oblation. AS previously
observed, this sacrifice considered in
itself cannot but be acceptable to God
because in it is offered the Son of
God; nevertheless we fear, because OF
the imperfection of our dispositions.
Hence we beseech God graciously to
accept lest He reject this sacrifice OH
account of our sinfulness.
"For Time and Eternity"
We expect and implore by virtue
of the eucharistic sacrifice mercies
and blessings for time and eternity
Earthly, temporal welfare consists in
this, that God orders and directs our
days in peace; heavenly, eternal well
being includes preservation from end
less reprobation and enrolment among
the elect. We ask God, ito dispose
our days in peace" because we desire
good and peaceful days that are not
clouded by suffering, combats, as
saults and persecution, but always
cheered and blessed by the peace OF
God. We pray for temporal prosperity
inasmuch as it may be serviceable to
the attainment of "the one thing nee
essary," the salvation of our souls.
We ask to be delivered from eter
nal damnation and to be numbered
among the elect. Christ, our Redeem
er, by His death on the cross, has
merited for us freedom from damna
tion and heirship to heaven; but the
merits of Christ cannot be applied to
our souls unless we cooperate with
the grace of God and persevere in
faith and good works to the end
Hence, in this prayer we do not i'm.
plore salvation without meaning to
merit it, but we ask God for strength
to work out our salvation in fear and
trembling, to make our call and cleo
ton sure by persevering in faith and
good works to the end
The Mystic Meaning.
During this prayer the priest ex.
tends his hands over the host and the
chalice. This extending of hands is
first mentioned in missals printed to.
wards the close of the fifteenth cen
fury. 1t was afterwards prescribed
by Plus v for the universal Church.
This ceremony not only harmonizes
with the words, .'this oblation, there
FORE" indicating, as it does, the sacri-
fetal elements in fitting and rever.
entail manner but also contains a
mystical meaning full of pathos. This
rite seems inspired by a ceremony or
'dered by God in the sacrifice of the
scapegoat: Then let him (the high
priest) offer the living goat and, put,
ting both, hands upon his head let
him confess all the iniquities of the
children of Israel, and all of their of,
lenses and sins; and praying that they
may light on his head, he shall turn
him out by man ready for it, into
carried all their iniquities into an
uninhabited land. (Levit. xvi, 81,
22). By thus holding both hands over
the sacrifcial elements soon to be
changed into the body and blood of
Christ, the priest expresses that
Christ, the divine victim, is about to
be offered up, laden with our sins in
our place, and for our sake. How
wildly does this ceremony bring to
our minds the meaning of the words
of the apostle: Him, who knew no
sin, He hath made sin for us, that
we might be made the justice of God
in Him." III Cor. v, 21.) If God has
loved us so much, why should we not
love Him in return. -