Untitled - Saints' Books

"
222 Material for Instructions . [PART n.
holy sacrament. In the beginning the Jews respected
Jesus Christ, but when they saw him despised by their
priests they lost their esteem for him, and in the end
joined in the cry of the priests: "Away with this man;
crucify him!" J And in like manner, seculars, seeing a
priest treat the Mass with such irreverence, lose their
respect and veneration for it. A Mass said with rever
ence excites devotion in all who are present at it; but,
on the other hand, a Mass celebrated with irreverence
destroys devotion and even faith in those that are pres
ent. A religious of high reputation told me that a cer
tain heretic had resolved to renounce his errors, but
having been afterwards present at a Mass said without
reverence, he went to the bishop and said that he no
longer intended to abjure his heresy, because he felt
convinced that priests who celebrated Mass in such a
manner did not sincerely believe in the truth of the
Catholic Church; and added: If I were Pope, and knew
that a priest said Mass with irreverence, I would com
mand him to be burned alive." After these words he
withdrew, resolved to continue in his heresy.
But some priests say that seculars complain when the
Mass is long. Then I ask: Shall the want of devotion in
seculars be the rule for the respect due to the Mass?
Besides, if all priests said Mass with becoming reverence
and gravity, seculars would feel the veneration due to
so great a sacrifice, and would not complain of being
obliged to spend half an hour in attending Mass.
But because Masses are frequently so short, and so little
calculated to excite devotion, seculars, after the example
of priests, attend Mass with indevotion and with little
faith; and when they find that it lasts longer than half
an hour, they, on account of the bad habit that they
have contracted, grow weary and begin to complain;
and though they spend without tediousness several
1 "
Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum !"