Page:MyPrayerBookHappinessInGoodness.djvu/247

 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." —

" 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.