Untitled - Saints' Books

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122 Materialfor Sermons. [PART i-
CHAPTER VII.
THE SACRILEGIOUS MASS.
Purity Required in the Priest to Celebrate Worthily.
"WE must needs confess," says the holy Council of
Trent, that no other work can be performed by the
faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mystery
itself." God himself could not enable man to perform
a more sublime or sacred action than the celebration of
Mass. Oh! how much more excellent than all the
ancient sacrifices is our sacrifice of the altar, in which
we immolate not an ox, nor a lamb, but the very Son of
God? The Jews, says St. Peter of Cluni, had an ox;
the Christians have Christ: the sacrifice of the latter as
far transcends that of the former, as Christ is more ex
cellent than an ox. 2 The same author adds, that to
servants a servile victim was suited, but for friends and
children was reserved Jesus Christ a victim that has
delivered us from sin and eternal death. 3 Justly, then,
has St. Laurence Justinian said, that there is no oblation
greater, more profitable to us, or more pleasing to God,
than the offering that is made in the sacrifice of the
Mass. 4
1 "
Necessario fatemur nullum aliud opus adeo sanctum a Christ!
2 "
fidelibus tractari posse, quam hoc tremendum mysterium." Sess. 22,
Deer, de observ. in Missa.
Habuit bovem Judseus, habet Christum Christianus, cujus
sacrificium tanto excellentius est, quanto Christus bove major est."
a
"Congrua tune fuit servilis hostia servis; servata est liberatrix
victima jam filiis et amicis." Ep. contra Petrobr.
Qua oblatione nulla major, nulla utilior, nulloque oculis Divinae
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4
Majestatis est gratior." Serin, dc Euchar.