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CHAP, vii.] The Sacrilegious Mass. 133
again and repeats, ultio,p(Ena, dolor. In an instant the
altar appeared to be surrounded by flames of fire, which
denoted the just fury of the Lord against the unworthy
celebrant; and at the same time a great multitude of
angels were seen with swords in their hands as if to exe
cute vengeance on him for the sacrilegious Mass which
he was going to offer. When the monster came near
the consecration, a crowd of vipers sprung from the
midst of the flames to drive him away from the altar;
these vipers represented his fears and stings of con
science. But they were all useless; the impious wretch
preferred his own reputation to all these stings of re
morse. Finally he pronounced the words of consecra
tion; and instantly the servant of God felt a universal
earthquake, which caused heaven, earth, and hell to
tremble. She saw angels around the altar bathed in
tears; but the divine mother wept still more bitterly at
the death of her innocent son, and at the loss of a sinful
child. After a vision so tremendous and dismal, the
servant of God was so overpowered with fear and sor
row that she could do nothing but weep. The author
of her life remarks that it was in the same year the
earthquake happened which produced such havoc in the
city of Naples and in the surrounding country. Hence
we may infer that this earthquake was a punishment
for the sacrilegious Mass at which Sister Mary was
present.
But, exclaims St. Augustine, what more horrid impiety
can be conceived than that the tongue that calls down
the Son of God from heaven should be, at the very same
moment, employed in outraging his majesty? or that
the hands that are bathed in the blood of Jesus Christ
should be, at the same time, polluted with the blood of
sin. 1
To the sacrilegious priest St. Bernard says: O
"Ne
lingua, quae vocat de coelo Filium Dei, contra Dominum
loquatur;
et manus, quae intinguntur sanguine Christi, polluantur
sanguine peccati." Molina, Instr. Sacr. tr. i, c. 5, 2.