Untitled - Saints' Books

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INSTR. i.] Tke Celebration of Mass. 213
II.
The Preparation for
Mass.
In the first place, then, the priest must make his prep
aration before Mass.
Before we come to practice, I ask how does it
happen
that there are so many priests in the world and so few
holy priests? St. Francis de Sales 1 called the Mass a
mystery which comprises the entire abyss of divine love.
St. John Chrysostom used to say that the most holy
sacrament of the altar is the treasure of all God s
benig
nity. 2 There is no doubt that the Holy Eucharist has
been instituted for all the faithful, but it is a gift be
stowed in a special manner on priests. Give not, says
our Lord, addressing priests, that which is holy to dogs ;
neither cast ye your pearls before swine. 6
Mark the words
your pearls. In the Greek the consecrated particles are
called pearls ; but these pearls are called, as it were, the
property of priests: your pearls. Hence, as St. John
Chrysostom says, every priest should leave the altar all
inflamed with divine love, so as to strike terror into the
powers of hell: Like lions breathing forth fire should
we leave that table, so that we may become terrible to
4
the devil." But this is not the case. The greater num
ber depart from the altar always more tepid, more im
patient, proud, jealous, and more attached to self-esteem,
to self-interest, and to earthly pleasures. The defect
5
is not in the food," says Cardinal Bona. The defect
1
Introd. p. 2, ch. 14.
Dicendo Eucharistiam, omnem benignitatis Dei thesaurum
2 "
aperio."
In I Cor. horn. 24.
Nolite dare sanctum canibus, neque mittatis margaritas vestras
ante porcos."
Matt. vii. 6.
4
Tamquam leones ignem "
spirantes ab ilia mensa recedamus.
facti diabolo terribiles." Ad pop. Ant. horn. 61.
5 "
Defectus non in cibo est, sed in edentis dispositione
Sacr. M. c. 6, 6,
De