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CHAP, v i.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 123
According to St. John Chrysostom, during the cele
bration of Mass the altar is surrounded by angels, who
are present to pay homage to Jesus Christ, the victim
offered in sacrifice. And 1
St. Gregory asks, who doubts
that at the very hour of immolation, at that voice of the
priest, the heavens are opened and the choirs of angels
are present at that mystery of Christ?""
Jesus St.
Augustine says that the angels assist as servants to the
priest who offers the sacrifice. 3
Now the Council of Trent teaches that Jesus Christ
himself was the first that offered this great sacrifice of
his body and blood, and that he now offers himself by
the hands of a priest chosen to be his minister and rep
resentative on the altar. 4 St. Cyprian says that the
priest truly holds the place of 5
Christ," and that, there
fore, at the consecration, he says This is My body: this is
the chalice of My blood? To his disciples Jesus himself
said, He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despise th
you, despiseth Me?
The priests of the Old Law the Lord commanded to
be clean, merely because it was their duty to carry
the sacred vessels: Be ye clean, you tliat carry the vessels
Peter de
of the Lord? "How much more clean," says
1
"Locus altari vicinus plenus est Angelorum choris, in honorem
illius qui immolatur." De Sacerd. 1. 6.
2
fidelium habere dubium "Quis possit, in ipsa immolationis hora,
ad Sacerdotis vocem coelos aperiri, et in illo
Jesu Christi mysterio
Angelorum choros adesse ?" \. 4, c. 58.
3
Sacerdos enim hoc "
ineffabile ccnficit mysterium, et Angeli conficienti
sibi quasi famuli assistunt." Molina, Instr. Sac. tr. i, c. 5, 2.
4
Idem nunc offerens Sacerdotum "
ministerio, qui seipsum tune
in cruce obtulit." Sess. 22, cap. 2.
5 "Sacerdos vice Christi vere fungitur." Epist. 62.
6
Hoc " est corpus meum; hie est calix sanguinis mei."
7
x. 16.
8 "
"Qui vos audit, me audit; qui vos spernit, me spernit." Luke,
Mundamini, qui fertis vasa Domini." Is. lii. n.