A Manner Of Hearing Mass When We Consider It As A Sacrifice Of Praise Only; Purely To Adore And Worship The Greatness Of God, For Which Intention We Must Offer It.

MEMLING, Hans 

St John Altarpiece (right wing) 

1474-79

A Manner Of Hearing Mass When We Consider It As A Sacrifice Of Praise Only; Purely To Adore And Worship The Greatness Of God, For Which Intention We Must Offer It.

At the beginning, having placed yourself with great respect and humility in the presence of God, and made an act of contrition for your sins, imagine that an Angel says to you, as one said to St. John, Ascend, and I will show you what must be done.

Represent to yourself the spectacle which was shown him; who, wrapt in spirit, saw in heaven a throne, and a person seated on it, and round it a rainbow like unto an emerald; which throne was surrounded by twenty-four others, on which were seated as many seniors in white garments, wth crowns of gold on their heads.  And there were also four great animals which never ceased day and night to repeat continually, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Almighty Lord, who was, who is, and who ever will be. And whilst the heavens echo'd the praises and benedictions uttered by those animals, all the seniors prostrated themselves, laying their crowns at his feet, and crying out, You deserve, O Lord our God, to receive glory, honor, and power, for you have created all things; and it was because you would have it so, that they have received a being and were made.

Then reflect that this great God has his eyes first upon you, to receive the divine sacrifice you are going to offer by the hands of the Priest; and that an innumerable number of angels, with due respect and fear, surround the Priest and the Altar. With this idea assist at Mass to acknowledge the infinite greatness of God, and to render him all due honor.

Affections

Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, Master of all creatures; before whom al kings of past, present, or future ages, together with all their subject, are but as a drop of water, or a grain f sand! You whose Majesty fills the whole universe, and whose lustre dazzels the most sublime intelligences, whse power makes hell to tremble, and whose charms ravish the blessed. Who, with one ony word, have drawn all created beings out of nothing; and without the least diminution of your treasures have furnished them with all the goods they have. 

Behold me your unworthy creature prostrate at your feet, begging that, together with the Sacrifice of your dear Son, you will please to accept that of my unworthy self, and the promises made for me at baptism, and those I made at my profession, which I here again renew.  

I adore you my God; I believe in you; I expect and hope all from you; Iacknowledge all my love is due to you; I place all my felicity in loving and serving you.

How sweet is it to have for a Father, so amiable and so powerful a God! When I reflect that you are willing t be my Father, I grieve that my understanding is so narrow as not to conceive so inestimable a benefit; and that my heart is not capable to love you as I ought. I adore you, with respect, as my sovereign, I embrace you with tenderness, as my Father; and I consecrate myself wholly to you, as my Creator and bestower of my being.

At The Offertory.

Consider Christ as the only victim that can worthily honor the greatness of God. Offer him and all his merits to his eternal Father, and so by his means render him all the honor he merits and deserves, and as much as yu owe him, or he can justly exact from you. This must also mind you t offer yourself; that is, the sacrifice of your liberty: for he that gives his liberty: gives all, and can n more possess any thing.

Affections.

Take possession of me, myGod, for I am wholly yours. Imprint in my memory the remembrance of your presence, and divine perfections in my understanding the knowledge of you, and in my heart your love; and grant me the grace to submit my will to all your laws, and to each point of order for your sake. Destroy, and make me overcome whatever may dispute your right in me. I desire to depend wholly on you: it is yu alone, my God, that I desire to serve, and to have no other end in all I do, than the accomplishment of your greater glory: grant me but that, and I will desire no more. 

At The Elevation.

It is at that precious moment, that God showers down a deluge of graces into the hearts of those that are disposed to receive them; a deluge of Sanctity for the just, and f Penance for sinners. And it is then that we obtain of the eternal Father all we ask him by the death and passion of his Divine Son. 

Adore our Saviour in the Host, and consider him as a true model of a perfect Holocaust. He has spared nothing, but has sacrifice all for the glory f his eternal Father: thence learn what you ought t do; resolve upon it, and beg grace fr that effect.

Affections.

My soul, behold the afflicting state which your dear Saviour was reduced to upon Mount Calvary, and you shall not find the least thing, neither in soul no body, which he has not sacrificed for his eternal Father's glory and your salvation.

Sovereign Lord, what obligations have I to you! who not content to have sacrificed yourself n the cross for me, do daily renew the same sacrifice for me. I believe you as really present here, as I do that you are seated at the right hand of your eternal Father. If on Calvary you had the goodness to promise him that I should one day sacrifice myself with you, the day is now come; be pleased then to offer me to him united with yourself, for I am so base and unworthy of his acceptance, that I dare not offer myself alone; but united to you, and offered by you, and despicable as I am, I shall be agreeable to his Divine Majesty.

O eternal Father, behold here your dear, your Divine Son, and for his sake look upon me whom he has redeemed with his precious blood; since,together with my dear Saviour, I consecrate myself to you, to be disposed of, as it shall please your Divine Majesty, for time and for eternity.

At The Communion.

Jesus Christ present on the Altar, has an ardent desire to be received by you, that he may adore, praise and worship his eternal Father in you, and pay him, in your behalf, those homages you owe him: and together with himself, offer you up in Sacrifice to his Divine Majesty. Be sure therefore to communicate spiritually, making acts, as if you were sacramentally to receive him, as of humility, contrition, and a great desire to receive him.

After which, consider him in your heart, adre him there, and offer first yourself to him: and then offer him to his eternal Father, and his adorations to acknowledge  the supreme domination  he has over you and all creatures, and beg him to receive the same in lieu of all the honor and homage due to his sovereign greatness from you and all creatures. If you desire that your offering may be pleasing to God, you must unite your heart with the heart of Jesus; for ask your tears and sighs, if not united with his, will not touch the heart of God.

Penetrate, if you can, the sacred heart of Jesus, when he offers himself in Sacrifice on the Altar of your heart to his eternal Father. What flames of love will yu there discover! It is there that he contemplates his eternal Father, and profoundly adores him; offering his body, soul, and all his merits, for the sanctification of your soul, and inflame it with his love.

Of all other means, this f Holy Communion is the most powerful. At Mass never fail to communicate spiritually when you are not permitted to do it sacramentally. And beseech him, who came down from heaven, to inflame your heart with his holy love, that he would please even now to enkindle that flame in it, anad to teach you the true method of loving him. For if you know that, you know all; and provided he bestows that upon you, let him exact what he pleases, tell him you are content, In short, beg hm so to unite your heart with his, that you may be one with him, according to his divine will, for time and for eternity

Lady Lucy Herbert 

Prioress of the English Austin Canonesses at Bruges

(1668-1744)