The Second Design Our Lord Had In The Institution Of The Adorable Sacrifice Of Holy Mass Was, That It Should Be A Perpetual Sacrifice Of Thanksgiving,Which Might Worthily Acknowledge All The Divine Favours And Benefits, And Render Him Answerable Thanks.

 

BALDUNG GRIEN, Hans 
Mass of St Gregory 
c. 1511


The Second Design Our Lord Had In The Institution Of The Adorable Sacrifice Of Holy Mass Was, That It Should Be A Perpetual Sacrifice Of Thanksgiving,Which Might Worthily Acknowledge All The Divine Favours And Benefits, And Render Him Answerable Thanks.

The Divine Majesty continually bestowing new favours upon us, we ought likewise every moment to offer him a sacrifice of thanksgiving, which duty Christ knew was impossible to us; and therefore he fulfills that obligation for us, to his eternal Father, by means f Holy Mass (in which consists its greatest advantage); and that in an infinitely more perfect manner than all the SAints and Angels could do during a whole eternity.

For thus end we ought to assist at Mass, that we may thereby render infinite thanks to Almighty God for all the favours we daily receive, since all we are, or have, is his gift to us; and as if that were not yet enough, he has, as it were, drained his greatest treasure which is of an infinite value, and has given it to us; to wit, his only Son, for which none but himself can render worthy thanks.

We should therefore, by necessity, have remained ungrateful, had we not had his only Son, whom he has made ours, by giving him to us, that we may present him in return for all benefits received.

When our Saviour instituted this adorable Sacrifice, the Evangelist observes, that he first rendered thanks to his eternal Father. This is what he continues to do daily on our Altars. He there, in our behalves, renders due thanks for all God's favours, and as much as he deserves; for it being the thanksgiving of a God, it can be no less than infinite; and therefore God can neither possibly receive, nor exact greater.

It follows then, that by assisting devoutly at Mass, and uniting our hearts and will with that f Jesus, we by him and with him render thanksgiving to God, which is infinite and worthy of himself.

Though we should have been upon our knees, from the first moment of our lives to the last of our days, employed in thanking Almighty God, with all imaginable fervour for al his benefits, and that all souls both in heaven and earth, should have joined with us, yet we should not so worthily have thanked his Divine Majesty, as we do by hearing Mass devoutly.

What a comfort ought this to be to us, and with what joy ought we to assist thereat; since by it we can worthily acknowledge, and render those thanks to God which are due to him for all his mercies to us.

Let us then, with all possible reverence, offer this great Sacrifice in thanksgiving for all favours received, both spiritual and corporal, for the best means to obtain new favours, is to be grateful for them we have received. And nothing being more proper for acknowledgment than the Sacrifice of Holy Mass, we may offer it for that intention, using the following method.

Lady Lucy Herbert 
Prioress of the English Austin Canonesses at Bruges
(1668-1744)

 

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