Untitled - Saints' Books

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INSTR. i.] The Celebration of Mass. 215
with half an hour, or, and for some, with even a quarter
of an hour; but a quarter
is too little. There are so
many beautiful books containing meditations prepara
tory to Mass, but who makes use of them ? It is
through
neglect of meditation that we see so many Masses said
without devotion and with irreverence. The Mass is a
representation of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Hence
Pope Alexander I.
justly said that in the Mass we should
always commemorate the Passion of our Lord. And
1
before him the Apostle said: For as often as you shall eat
this bread and drink the chalice, yon shall show the death of
the Lord until He come? According to St. Thomas, 3 the
Redeemer has instituted the most holy sacrament that
we might always have a lively remembrance of the love
that he has shown us, and of the great benefits
that he
obtained for us by offering himself in sacrifice on the
cross. But if all should continually remember the Pas
sion of Jesus Christ, how much more should the priest
reflect on it when he goes to renew on the altar, though
in a different manner, the same sacrifice which the Son
of God offered on the cross !
Moreover, even though he had made his meditation,
the priest should before he begins Mass always recollect
himself at least for a short time, and consider what he
is
going to do. The Council of Milan, in the time of
St. Charles, ordained that all priests should do so. 4 In
entering the sacristy to celebrate Mass the priest should
take leave of all worldly thoughts, and say with St.
Bernard: Ye cares, solicitudes, earthly troubles, remain
Inter Missarum solemnia, semper passio
Domini miscenda est,
ut ejus, cujus corpus et sanguis conficitur, passio celebretur."
Epist. i.
2 "
Quotiescumque enim manducabitis Panem hunc, et Calicem
bibetis, mortem Domini annuntiabitis." i Cor. xi. 26.
3
Offic. Corp. Chr.
4 "Antequam celebrent, se colligant, et orantes mentem in tanti
ministerii cogitatione defigant," Const, p. 2, n. 5.