"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." — St. Leonard of Port Maurice.
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 blessines." — "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. He will, likewise, have Masses offered up by the priest, both for himself and others, living or dead." — Father Fiege in "The Paraclete."
The Ordinary of the Mass
The priest, standing at the foot of the altar, bows down, signs himself with the sign of the cross , and says;
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
