suffered Abraham and his family to participate the sacrifice, so did Jesus Christ, says St. Cyprian ep 63 ad Cecilian, who is a Priest of the high God, offer sacrifice in bread and wine, i. e. his own body and blood, and distribute it to his own, the night before he went to suffer. Knowing, as S. John declares, c. xiii. that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to his Father, who had given him all things into his hands, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And certainly nothing less than infinite power and infinite love were requisite to change bread and wine into his own body and blood, and thus by anticipation to shed his blood mystically before his death, as we read in the greek text: this is my body which is given for you. This is the chalice of the new testament in my blood which is shed for you. Thus did he exercise his sacerdotal powers, which he did not take to himself, says St. Paul, Heb. v. 5, but received of his Father, to be a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedeck, and as his priesthood is eternal, he will continue for ever to offer this sacrifice and will have no successor. He will ever remain on our altars the Priest and the Victim, the offerer and the thing offered. But, that this sacrifice may be visible, he established the apostles and their successors for his ministers, to whom he gave the power of doing what himself had just done : do this for a commemoration of me. They have done it, and will continue to do it in his name throughout the world, and to shew that this sacrifice is never to end, we are commanded to participate it, and thus to shew the death of the Lord until he come.-The faithful should be taught that Jesus Christ in separately changing the bread into his body, and the wine into his blood, represents his blood as mystically spilled for us, and that he as really offers up his body in the mass, together with his Church, to his eternal Father, as he did on the altar of the cross. It is the same high Priest, the same God, the same victim, the same sacrifice, the only difference is in the manner of offering. On mount Calvary Christ was only offered; on our altars, he is both offered and received. We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat, who serve the Jewish tabernacle. Heb. 13. 10. He also offers himself in the mass like at his resurrection, because he offers his body in its immortal

and glorified state; and like at his ascension, because he ascends from our altars on earth, to the sublime altar in heaven, where he for ever sitteth on the right hand of God. Heb. 10. 12. Here then we have the reunion of all the different mysteries, and continuation of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and what David with his prophetic spirit long before celebrated ps. 110. 4, in giving food to them that fear him, he hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works.

""

Religion can present nothing so excellent to her clients as the Blessed Eucharist. The virtue.of all her other sacraments are a preparation for this, says St. Thomas, 3. p. q. 73, art. 3. The faithful find in this holy table the perfection and consummation of a spiritual life, as they feed upon God himself. It may be said that the sacrifice of the mass changes our temples into heaven. The Lamb of God is here immolated and adored, as represented by St. John, Rev. 7, 17, in the midst of the celestial Sanctuary; for the blessed spirits, knowing what passes upon our altars, come down and attend with that awe and trembling, which the most profound respect inspires. St. Chrysostom b. 6. on the priesthood mentions well authenticated facts of this truth; and St. Gregory in his dial. b. h. c. 58 asks: can any one of the faithful deny, that at the voice of "the Priest during the sacrifice, the heavens open, and "choirs of angels attend at the mysteries of Jesus "Christ: that the highest with the lowest, celestial with "terrestrial creatures, visible with invisible are united." Our occupation then is the same with that of the Saints in heaven. We adore the holy victim immolated in the hands of the Priests; and the Saints adore in heaven the same victim, the Lamb without spot, represented standing, and as it were slain, to signify both his immolated and glorious state. Rev. v. 6. All the prayers and all the merits of the Saints ascend as sweet incense before the throne of God from the hands of the angel. Rev. 8. 3, 4. The essential prayers and ceremonies of the mass come to us from Jesus Christ. Other prayers and ceremonies, such as were adapted to the circumstances of time and place, were added by the Apostles and other apostolic men. During the heat of persecution these though short and few, were of strict observance: Let all things be done according to order. 】

Cor. 14, 40. St. Justin who lived soon after the Apos-
tles, anno 140, in his second apology, gives us to under-
stand that the officiating Priest continued his prayers dur-
ing the offering as long as circumstances would permit ;
and St. Cyprian in his book on the unity of the Church,
informs us that there were stated prayers, which could
neither be changed nor omitted. But it was not till the
Church enjoyed profound peace at the commencement of
the 4th century, that stately Temples were erected, and.
divine service performed with all the variety of prayers
and ceremonies. The liturgies, which the Greek Church
uses at this day, are called after St. Basil and St. Chry-
sostom, who composed them; as that of Milan was
called the liturgy of St. Ambrose. Although the Church
of Rome has ever delighted in uniformity, she has at
different times thought it expedient to adopt whatever
there was good and edifying in the practice of private
Churches, and has inserted such additions into the ordi-
nary of the mass, which, since the 13th century, has
been the same as at this day, and which merits the prai-
ses it has so uniformly received from all catholic
Churches. Not the prayers only, but the ceremonies
which have been established with a view to promote edi-
fication, instruction and attention, should be carefully
explained. The scriptures teach that Almighty God
attaches particular graces to them. The prayer of Mo-
ses with his hands elevated towards heaven was a reli-
gious ceremony, to which God attached the victory of
the Jews. Exod. 17, 11.-Great preparation is neces-
sary to attend with fruit at these divine mysteries; for,
if we are to prepare our souls for prayer, Eccl. 18. 23,
what prayer can be more excellent, than that which
renders Jesus Christ present on our altars, and makes us
partakers of his adorable sacrifice? The 1st disposition.
is a good life. So live, say the holy Fathers, that you
may be permitted to approach each day to the sacred
banquet. The 2d is a strong desire to approach the
altar of God, as the source of all consolation. The Is-
raelites were happy to approach their altars, which had
no other merit, than as figurative of ours.
difficulty Christians should pray with the Prophet Jonas in
the midst of the raging ocean; I shall behold thy holy
temple. Jonas 2. 11. Their faith should keep them
attached to the sacrifice of our redemption, as St. Au-

In every

gustine says of his mother St. Monica, who never failed assisting daily at the altar, where she knew the holy victim was distributed. Conf. b. 9. 12. 13.-The 3d preparation is to bewail our unworthiness and to enter into the dispositions of the Publican, who was afraid to lift up his eyes as he entered the temple. Nothing is more respectable than the house of God; and if it were said of the tabernacle of the old law: tremble before my sanctuary, what respect ought not our temples to inspire, where the sacrifice of heaven and earth, the blood of a God-man is offered? Formerly a deacon used to proclaim in the words of St. John, Rev. 22. 15; without are dogs and sorcerers and unchast and murderers, and servers of idols and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. The last preparation is to offer ourselves with Jesus Christ and his catholic Church. We should ask of God, that like holocausts, which the fire purifies and consumes, the divine fire may consume all that is terrestrial and carnal in us, all that cannot be offered with Jesus Christ, that not only our souls, but our bodies, which are both to be offered, may both be purified by this divine fire, and that we may be able to say with St. Paul, since we have a high-Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with the cleansing waters of baptism. Heb. 10. 21. 22.-But altho' we may not find ourselves in these happy dispositions, which all Christians should desire, still let us hope in the mercies of God, and go with confidence to the foot of the altar, the true source of grace. For we have not a high-Priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities; but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid. Heb. 4. 15, 16.

PROST

While the Priest is vesting, say the following prayer. ROSTRATE in spirit at the foot of thy holy altar, I a dore thee, O Almighty God. I firmly believe that the Mass, at which I am going to assist, is the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ thy son. Grant I may assist thereat with the attention, respect, and awe due to such august mysteries; and that by the merits of

the victim there offered for me, I myself may become an agreeable sacrifice to thee, who livest and reignest with the same Son and Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen.

The Priest, at the foot of the altar, makes the sign of the Cross, and says,

N the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen

IN

Pr.

BE

Pr. Introibo ad altare Dei.

P. Ad Deum, qui lætificat juventutem meam.

Psalm xlii.

UDICA me, Deus,

et

E thou, O God, Pr. Je discerne my judge, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: From the unjust and deceitful man do thou deliver

me.

P. Since thou, O God, art my strength, why hast thou cast me off? And why do I go sorrowful, while the enemy afflicteth me.

Pr. Send forth thy light, and fulfil thy promise +; they have led me on; and brought me to thy holy mount, and into thy tabernacles.

P. And I will go up to the altar of God, to God who rejoiceth my youth.

Pr. I will praise thee on the harp, O God, my God; why art thou sorrowful, O my soul, and why dost thou disturb me?

cau

sam meam de gente non sanctâ: Ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me.

P. Quia tu es Deus fortitudo mea, quare me repulisti? Et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus?

Pr. Emitte lucem tuam, et veritatem tuam; ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua.

P. Et introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui lætificat. juventutem meam.

Pr. Confitebor tibi in eitharâ, Deus, Deus meus ; quare tristis es anima mea, et quare conturbas me ?

+Lit. Thy truth. This word truth, in the psalms particularly, is always taken for the certain accomplishment, or fulfilling of a promise.