for my name is great among the Gentiles. It cannot be denied that the primitive Fathers applied this prophecy to the eucharist, and they declare that the church learned of Jesus Christ and his apostles, to offer this saerifice in every part of the world. Indeed, we know of no other, which has superseded all the ancient sacrifices, and is offered in every part of the globe, from the rising to the setting sun. St. Augustine expounding the prophecy of David, Ps. 39, sacrifice and oblation thou didst not require, exclaims: "What are we then to "be left without a sacrifice? God forbid. For thou

"hast formed a body for me, Behold here a new vic"tim. What then does God reject! The figures. What "does he give to fulfil the figures! That body which "fulfils all figures, the adorable body of Jesus Christ on our "altars; that body, which the faithful know, but all "do not know. The body, which we who know it, "receive; and which you (Catechumens) will know, "tho' not as yet, God grant, that when you do know "it, you may never receive it to your own condemna"tion; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, "eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the body of our Lord."

But, because Christ is a Priest according to the order of Melchisedeck, who offered in bread and wine, and suffered Abraham and his family to participate the sacrifice, so did Jesus Christ, says St. Cyprian ep 63 ad Cecilian, who is a Priest of the high God, offer sacrifice in bread and wine, i. e. his own body and blood, and distribute it to his own, the night before he went to suffer. Knowing, as S. John declares, c. xiii. that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to his Father, who had given him all things into his hands, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And certainly nothing less than infinite power and infinite love were requisite to change bread and wine into his own body and blood, and thus by anticipation to shed his blood mystically before his death, as we read in the greek text: this is my body which is given for you. This is the chalice of the new testament in my blood which is shed for you. Thus did he exercise his sacerdotal powers, which he did not take to himself, says St. Paul, Heb. v. 5, but received of his Father, to be a priest for ever according to the order of

Melchisedeck, and as his priesthood is eternal, he will continue for ever to offer this sacrifice and will have no successor. He will ever remain on our altars the Priest and the Victim, the offerer and the thing offered. But, that this sacrifice may be visible, he established the apostles and their successors for his ministers, to whom he gave the power of doing what himself had just done : do this for a commemoration of me. They have done it, and will continue to do it in his name throughout the world, and to shew that this sacrifice is never to end, we are commanded to participate it, and thus to shew the death of the Lord until he come. The faithful should be taught that Jesus Christ in separately changing the bread into his body, and the wine into his blood, represents his blood as mystically spilled for us, and that he as really offers up his body in the mass, together with his Church, to his eternal Father, as he did on the altar of the cross. It is the same high Priest, the same God, the same victim, the same sacrifice, the only difference is in the manner of offering. On mount Calvary Christ was only offered; on our altars, he is both offered and received. We have an altar, whereof.they have no power to eat, who serve the Jewish tabernacle. Heb. 13. 10. He also offers himself in the mass like at his resurrection, because he offers his body in its immortal and glorified state; and like at his ascension, because he ascends from our altars on earth, to the sublime altar in heaven, where he for ever sitteth on the right hand of God. Heb. 10. 12. Here then we have the reunion of all the different mysteries, and continuation of Christ's sa'crifice on the cross, and what David with his prophetic spirit long before celebrated ps. 110. 4, in giving food to them that fear him, he hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works.

Religion can present nothing so excellent to her clients as the Blessed Eucharist. The virtue of all her other sacraments are a preparation for this, says St. Thomas, 3. p. q. 73, art. 3. The faithful find in this holy table the perfection and consummation of a spiritual life, as they feed upon God himself. It may be said that the sacrifice of the mass changes our temples 'into heaven. The Lamb of God is here immolated and adored, as represented by St. John, Rev. 7, 17, in the midst of the celestial Sanctuary; for the blessed spirits,

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knowing what passes upon our altars, come down and attend with that awe and trembling, which the most profound respect inspires. St. Chrysostom b. 6. on the priesthood mentions well authenticated facts of this truth; and St. Gregory in his dial. b. h. c. 58 asks: can any one of the faithful deny, that at the voice of "the Priest during the sacrifice, the heavens open, and "choirs of angels attend at the mysteries of Jesus "Christ: that the highest with the lowest, celestial with "terrestrial creatures, visible with invisible are united.” Our occupation then is the same with that of the Saints in heaven. We adore the holy victim immolated in the hands of the Priests; and the Saints adore in heaven the same victim, the Lamb without spot, represented standing, and as it were slain, to signify both his immolated and glorious state. Rev. v. 6. All the prayers and all the merits of the Saints ascend as sweet incense before the throne of God from the hands of the angel. Rev. 8.3, 4. The essential prayers and ceremonies of the mass come to us from Jesus Christ. Other prayers and ceremonies, such as were adapted to the circumstances of time and place, were added by the Apostles and other apostolic men. During the heat of persecution these though short and few, were of strict observance: Let all things be done according to order. 1 Cor. 14, 40. St. Justin who lived soon after the Apostles, anno 140, in his second apology, gives us to understand that the officiating Priest continued his prayers dur ing the offering as long as circumstances would permit ; and St. Cyprian in his book on the unity of the Church, informs us that there were stated prayers, which could neither be changed nor omitted. But it was not till the Church enjoyed profound peace at the commencement of the 4th century, that stately Temples were erected, and divine service performed with all the variety of prayers and ceremonies. The liturgies, which the Greek Church uses at this day, are called after St. Basil and St. Chrysostom, who composed them; as that of Milan was called the liturgy of St. Ambrose. Although the Church of Rome has ever delighted in uniformity, she has at different times thought it expedient to adopt whatever there was good and edifying in the practice of private Churches, and has inserted such additions into the ordi nary of the mass, which, since the 13th century, has

been the same as at this day, and which merits the praises it has so uniformly received from all catholic Churches. Not the prayers only, but the ceremonies which have been established with a view to promote edification, instruction and attention, should be carefully explained. The scriptures teach that Almighty God attaches particular graces to them. The prayer of Moses with his hands elevated towards heaven was a religious ceremony, to which God attached the victory of the Jews. Exod. 17, 11.-Great preparation is necessary to attend with fruit at these divine mysteries; for, if we are to prepare our souls for prayer, Eccl. 18. 23, what prayer can be more excellent, than that which renders Jesus Christ present on our altars, and makes us partakers of his adorable sacrifice? The 1st disposition is a good life. So live, say the holy Fathers, that you may be permitted to approach each day to the sacred banquet. The 2d is a strong desire to approach the altar of God, as the source of all consolation. The Israelites were happy to approach their altars, which had no other merit, than as figurative of ours. In every difficulty Christians should pray with the Prophet Jonas in the midst of the raging ocean; I shall behold thy holy temple. Jonas 2. 11. Their faith should keep them attached to the sacrifice of our redemption, as St. Augustine says of his mother St. Monica, who never failed assisting daily at the altar, where she knew the holy victim was distributed. Conf. b. 9. 12. 13.-The 3d preparation is to bewail our unworthiness and to enter into the dispositions of the Publican, who was afraid to lift up his eyes as he entered the temple. Nothing is more respectable than the house of God; and if it were said of the tabernacle of the old law: tremble before my sanctuary, what respect ought not our temples to inspire, where the sacrifice of heaven and earth, the blood of a God-man is offered? Formerly a deacon used to proclaim in the words of St. John, Rev. 22. 15; without are dogs and sorcerers and unchast and murderers, and servers of idols and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. The last preparation is to offer ourselves with Jesus Christ and his catholic Church. We should ask of God, that like holocausts, which the fire purifies and consumes, the divine fire may consume all that is terrestrial and carnal in us, all that cannot be offer

ed with Jesus Christ, that not only our souls, but our bodies, which are both to be offered, may both be purified by this divine fire, and that we may be able to say with St. Paul, since we have a high-Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with the cleansing waters of baptism. Heb. 10. 21. 22.-But altho' we may not find ourselves in these happy dispositions, which all Christians should desire, still let us hope in the mercies of God, and go with confidence to the foot of the altar, the true source of grace. For we have not a high-Priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities; but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid. Heb. 4. 15, 16.

While the Priest is vesting, say the following prayer.'

PROSTRATE in spirit at the foot of thy holy altar, I a

Grant I

dore thee, O Almighty God. I firmly believe that the Mass, at which I am going to assist, is the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ thy son. may assist thereat with the attention, respect, and awe due to such august mysteries; and that by the merits of the victim there offered for me, I myself may become an agreeable sacrifice to thee, who livest and reignest with the same Son and Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen.

+

The Priest, at the foot of the altar, makes the sign of the Cross, and says,

Pr.

and of the Son, and of the

Pr. Introibo ad altare Dei.

P. Ad Deum, qui lætificat juventutem meam.

Psalm xlii.

UDICA me, Deus,

E thou, O God, Pr. JUD discerne cau

BE

my judge, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy : From the unjust and deceit

et sam meam de gente non sanctâ: Ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me.