Faithful, and who are not such , by whom the Sacraments of Christ are dishonoured and profaned” ( St. Austin ).
NINETEENTH DAY : ON THE MASS.
1. A sacrifice is an exterior or visible offering made by a lawful minister to God alone, in testimony of his supreme dominion . Our absolute dependence upon God and the homage we owe him , render sacrifice essential to religion. Hence, from the be ginning of the world , it has been always offered. Abel, Noah, Melchisedech , Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob , have sacrificed to the Almighty ; and a variety of sacrifices were prescribed in the written law of Moses.
2. All these, however, were only weak figures of the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross ; for sin was too great an evil ; its guilt was of too black a dye, to be ever removed by the blood of sheep and oxen . No other atonement could compensate for its enormity than the infinite atonement of a God : therefore did he come. “ In the head of the Book it was written of him, that he should do the will of the Father.” By the one oblation of him self he paid off all our debts : he closed up the abyss of separation, cancelled the hand-writing of sin that lay against us ; and the sanctified he perfected for ever . 3. Was not this enough ? Most undoubtedly it was ; nay, one drop of his blood was fully adequate to all these purposes .Why then is the same sacrifice daily renewed in the Mass ? Why is he still immolated on our altars ? Why is his body mystically drained of his blood , by the separate consecration of the two species? Because his love for us would have it so : he would leave us a standing memorial of his death : he would daily apply to our souls the infinite merits thereof, just as he prays for us still, though his prayer on the cross was already heard for us : he would , as a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech, continue to the end of time the same unbloody sacrifice ; he was willing that his faithful on earth , united not only in spirit , but in outward ties of religion , should ever have this sacrifice before them, as the strongest bond of love, and the most perfect act of adoration.
[ Make a resolution to hear Mass, if possible , every day, and to hear it with the devotion which so august a sacrifice requires. For this purpose go to the church as you would to Mount Calvary : adore Jesus Christ in this state of humiliation ; pay him your homage with fervour at the foot of the altar. It is shameful in us, and most displeasing to him, that he should be so much deserted in the midst of our churches ; and that his court should be so empty , whilst earthly kings have their levees so full.
“ In every place there is sacrifice, and a pure victim is offered to my name " (Malac. i . ) .
“ He will then be our victim, indeed , when we sacrifice our selves to him ” ( St. Gregory) .
TWENTIETH DAY : ON ALMS-DEEDS.
1. We minister to Christ when we relieve the poor. He abides in the Eucharist to receive our adoration and to become our
