more especially shine St. Martin did behave himself in the Church with so great Reverence and Devotion that he was never seen to sit there but alwayes to kneel or stand with trembling and pale fear being demanded the cause thereof he answered shall I not fear and tremble knowing that I stand before God St. Gregory Nazianzen relates of his Mother that her veneration to the Churches was so great that her voice was never heard therein but in silence she honoured the Holy Mysteries and that she never turned her back to the Altar nor ever spit in those divine places Q. What say the Holy Fathers of this A. I will only cite some few devout St. Bernardine first occurs who in one of his Sermons sayes Let our entry into the Churches be humble and devout let our abode in them be quiet and acceptable before God pleasing to the beholders which may not only edifie the standers by but also encourage them let us attend in those places to the sacred Solemnities with intent affections and insist in devout prayers let all vain things cease much more filthy and prophane a way with all talk and confabulations Woe woe to the impudence of men for they are confounded with greater shame before men than before God for we are bold to do many things in the sight of God which we would be ashamed to do before men This he learned of his and our Seraphical Father St. Francis whose words are It is a great misery and miserable infirmity that we should regard any thing in this World when we have God so present The whole man may dread the World tremble and Heaven rejoyce when Christ the Son of the living God is on the Altar in the hands of the Priest O admirable altitude O stupendious favour O humble sublinity the Lord our God and the Son of God so humbles himself that for our Salvation he hides himself under the little form of Bread Behold O Brethren God's Humility and pour forth your hearts before him and be ye humbled that so you may be exalted by him It is a Rule which amongst others St. Augustine gives Nothing at all ought to be done in the Oratory Chappel or Church besides the Worship of prayer or singing that our works and mind continually employed may be agreeable to the name of Oratories or place of prayer I will conclude with the words of St. Nilus who with St. James the Apostle in his Liturgie and St. Chrysostome very frequently St. Ambrose and St. Cyril affirms that the Angels are there present with fear and trembling he concludes I write these things that understanding of what dread the Divine Majesty is ye do not remisly neglect the fear of our Lord nor permit any others to talk or mutter in the time of the Oblation that is the Masse nor rashly harken or be moved from becoming gravity or to go up and down with idle and divided divagations Of Intention Q. Is it necessary to have an intention to hear Masse A. There are some who go to hear Masse following their fancies with little or nothing of a rational action for they little consider why wherefore or for what end they come to Masse but do as they see others do or like sheep one follows the other or out of Custome no way reflecting on the spiritual operation necessary to such spiritual and supernatural mysteries Whereas man who is rational ought to work rationally with reason and prudence and first propound the true end of what he is to do directing his intentions thereto and then to consider proportionate means to attain that end and accordingly to frame his actions The first thing therefore required is intention from whence all humane actions have their value or worth or the contrary The intention therefore leads and governs the mind and understanding whence St. Anthony of Padua said well The intention illuminates the knowledge of good works low and mean works done in spirit and right intention become valuable and meritorious but the best works lose their value and esteem where just and good intentions are wanting would we have God to receive that which we do not offer or can we expect to obtain what we never intended to ask such prayers are rather babling and at the best are but abusively called prayers and therefore it is no wonder if they be ineffectual for surely God is not vocis sed cordis auditor It is the devotion and Intention of the Heart which makes our prayer pleasing to God and profitable to our Souls Mellifluous St. Bernard will give us a notable pattern to this our purpose saying Come Intentions Cogitations Wills and Affections all my interiour parts let us ascend to the Mountain That is to the Masse or to the Church where our Lord sees and is seen yee cares Solicitudes Anxieties Dolours Services expect me here that is at the door of the Church with the Ass my body whilst I with the Boy that is with reason and understanding hastning thither after we have Adored we may return unto you for we will return and alas how quickly shall we return When we go to Masse we ought to lay aside all other thoughts and bend all our intentions to what we are then to do Q. How many wayes may one make his Intentions A. The intention may have influence upon our actions actually virtually or habitually Then our intentions are actual when by an application of the mind we actually intend such or such an end of our actions Then virtually when having made first an actual intention we do such or such actions in conformity or in vertue of such a precedent actual intention Then habitually when being accustomed to such and such actions which import such or such intentions we do them without reflection on them For example when I actually intend to go or hear Masse then my intention is actual as likewise to hear it for such and such ends or for remission of my Sins for to obtain grace and such like And when I do what becomes a Christian by vertue of my precedent intention there is a virtual influence on what I do although I do not reflect upon any such intention An example of the third may be of him who is accustomed to give Alms not considering actually what he doth at the present who nevertheless would not give it but for God such a one may be said to have a habitual intention The first to wit actual intention as it importeth a continual intention to the end is proper only to the perfect and such who have obtained that special grace of God who by a perfect abstraction from all earthly things are absorpt in God nevertheless by diligence we may at least frequently renew those actual intentions provided that it be not done with anxiety or trouble of mind to the hindrance of the action we are to do The second that is virtual intention suffices to make our actions pleasing and acceptable to God
a better time to invocate him than when he is so near descending to our imbecility and frailty more willing to be with us than we to be with him O can we doubt but that if we truly invocate his name with fervent Devotion he will give us his grace his justice and his mercy yea whatsoever good we desire for as he hath given himself so with him all things We may also contemplate the great Devotion of the Apostles when they were to receive the holy Eucharist from the hands of our Saviour and imitate them therein believing that invisibly we are to receive the same from our Saviour by the Ministery of the Priests 6. Of Domine non sum dignus Q. What means Domine non sum dignus A. The Priest Devoutly bowing with eyes fixed on the Host saith Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my Roof but only say the word and my Soul shall be healed repeating the same three times and at each time he strikes his breast the words are of the Centurion who desired Christ to cure his servant of a Palsey and when Christ said I will come and cure him he with a lively faith answered Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter into my house neither is it necessary that thou come in person for by thy word alone thou canst cure him thy word therefore will suffice St. Chrysostome in his Liturgie makes here a large discourse saying O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under this sordid Roof of my Soul but even as thou hast vouchsafed to be in the Cottage and Manger and hast been received in the house of Simon the Leper and didst receive even a Harlot like unto me coming unto thee so also vouchsafe to enter into the Cribb of my house void of reason and into my defiled dead and leprous body and as thou didst not abhor the foul mouth of the strumpet kissing thy feet So O Lord do not despise me a sinner but as good and clement vouchsafe to make me partaker of thy most holy Body and blood Q. Why does the Latin Church make use of the Centurion's words A. Our holy Mother the Church for the most part makes use of the sentences and words of holy Scripture and in this place applyes these words as much conducing to her purpose for although the words were then spoken on another occasion yet for their piety wherein they abound she appropriates to the sence of this present act of Communion for the words have great energy and force For first Lord is a name of fear and dread in him that invocates it the Prophet saying in the person of God If I be the Lord where is my fear with fear therefore and trembling we ought to come to this dreadful Sacrament This name Lord also is a name of Power and Majesty and therefore challenges all Reverence and Honour correspondent and therefore we may justly say we are not worthy And with St. Peter on our knees before the blessed Sacrament say Go forth from me because I am a sinful man for he thought himself unworthy of his presence because he was a sinner The sacred Text gives a reason why Peter thus humbled himself saying for he was astonished at so great a miracle have we not before our eyes the most wonderful work of Christ who Transports and Transforms himself in this stupendious manner to be our food That astonishment caused in Peter fear reverence and an humble acknowledgment of his own unworthiness what shall this immense love of Christ cause in us Secondly we are not worthy that Christ should enter into the Roof of our house which Palasius explicates thus Our body is worthily called a Roof most unworthy of Christ's entrance for as the Roof and covering of the house hinders us from seeing Heaven so the body aggravates the Soul that it may not see the light of Heaven nor be carried to supernal things or openly to see the things which are near us making our unbridled senses to domineer and rule over the faculties of the Soul and hinders the motives of the holy Ghost whence it is manifest that the body is not worthy of Christ's entrance into it for the body without all doubt is the root and fountain of all vice yea a Dunghil and a sink of sins where the Devils have left their ordure and filth and as it were exonerated their Bellies how loathsome a house is this for Christ truly Hell it self were a more fitting place for God if sin were not there than the house or Roof of a Sinner Q. Being he hath been at Confession before Masse why is it so fearful here A. St. Paul advises us To work our Salvation with fear and trembling for divers reasons First for the uncertainty of grace for we know not whether we be in grace the Ecclesiastes sayes No man knows whether he be worthy of love or hatred And Job Although I shall be simple the self-same my Soul shall be ignorant of St. Bernardine said Although my Conscience do not accuse me yet it does not secure me nay the Wise man adds if sins forgiven be not without fear for we do not see the depth of our heart not knowing whether some secret vice lies hid there or whether our good works were depraved by some perverse intention Secondly Because the judgments of God are secret whence Job said If I will justifie my self mine own mouth will condemn me If I will shew my self innocent he God shall prove me wicked Hence St. Augustine Woe even to the laudable life of Men if God withdrawing his mercy examins it And St. Hierome All the World stands in need of Gods mercy none can go securely to the Judge without it And therefore Job sayes again Although I have any just thing I will not answer but will beseech my Judge Thirdly Because man by his corrupted inclinations is in a manner necessitated to sin which by his frailty proneness and inconstancy he cannot avoid which as St. Leo sayes is the cause that holy men do fear and tremble lest puffed up even with works of piety they lose the help of grace and remain in Natures infirmity Fourthly Because we have cruel and strong Enemies who cruelly and secretly use all means imaginable to circumvent and intrap us So we read that when the Sons of God were come to assist before our Lord Satan was present among them amongst other his malicious attempts he is then most busied when men are imployed in Gods Service even in their most pious actions Lastly Because our perseverance in grace is altogether uncertain for although one be just and fervent in Devotion yet indulging to his appetite by little and little he may wax tepid frail and fall which even St. Paul did apprehend when he said I chastise my body and bring it into servitude lest perhaps when I have Preached to others my self become a Reprobate Well said St. Chrysostome if St.
it another obligation for it ordains the Sanctification of the Sunday which is Holy and with sanctity of prayer and praise to be observed whence St. Gregory sayes we ought to rest from all earthly labour and insist in prayer that if we have negligently spent the Six days it may be expiated by prayer on the Sunday St. Clement avers that we can have no excuse before God if we do not come on Sundays to hear Sermons Sacrifice of the Masse and Communion And the Counsel of Forejuliense sayes that we ought first to abstain from all Sin and from all Terrene work and to give our selves to nothing but prayer and have recourse to the Church with great Devotion of mind with charity and love to bless God the Father and with all our hearts to praise him whence the Church willing to provide for the good of Souls hath determined this Act of hearing Masse as being most proper for such days and most profitable for our Souls for we can do nothing more pleasing to God nor wherein God is more delighted and our prayers more assuredly heard Q. Is it good to hear Masse daily A. Yes surely for it is a manifest sign of great indevotion to do only those things which are commanded precepts indeed were made to prevent Sin and may be performed out of a servile fear but good Christians must observe them out of a filial fear which is an effect of love The Child who only fears the Rod is seldome pleasing to his Parents at least deserves not their love and not to hear Masse but on days of Obligation argues great defect of the love of God and want of true Devotion Moreover if we did reflect on the good we lose in not hearing Masse or on our spiritual necessities we would be at least as careful and solicitous to crave help in them as in our corporal necessities nay of superfluities If we feel any Ach Dolour Infirmity or Sickness we are careful to have Plaisters Purgations Section of veins or whatever remedy is requisite no labour no industry no diligence is spared no procrastination or delay is grateful and is not our Soul which is infinitely more to be esteemed in need of help at all times not only on Sundays and Holy days but in each day of the week For though they were Saints yet they have an Emulation of greater vertue and progress in perfection But alas we are sinners and feel the burthen of our Sins our Souls are sick and infirm through the Corruption of out Nature not only prone to sin but are actually infected therewith none are without sin and consequently we stand in need of help daily and hourly have we not then great reason to go more frequently to this health-giving Sacrifice whereby as is said before we may be purged cleansed and spiritually cured Again if there were great Treasures and Riches to be had in any place for all those who should come and take them would any forbear to run to that place sure they would make no delays spare no labour take no rest nothing could hinder them Now in the Masse there is a Treasure of spiritual Riches or Heavenly Benedictions and Celestial gifts more to be valued than the whole World and all its Gold and Silver what stupidity then is it to neglect what we may so easily by the mercy of God obtain In fine do we not daily want mercy and grace or the encrease thereof let us hear Masse daily both are there to be had are we grateful to God as we receive benefits daily so let us thank God daily and we cannot do it in a better place Do we want any thing either in Spirit or in body the Masse is the sure means to obtain it our wants are quotidian it is convenient to seek a quotidian help and remedy Although our Holy Mother the Church doth not command it yet she plainly and piously invites us thereto ordaining that Masse should be said daily that all good Christians might be present thereat and praise God with the Priests the Church doors are open the Priests attend you at the appointed hour the Bells ring to awaken and call us thereto Honorius well said the Church reiterates the Sacrament or Sacrifice daily that those who labour in the Vineyard may be refreshed daily The Holy Council of Trent Sess 13. cap. 2. sayes before Christ was to depart out of this World to his Father he made this Supper wherein he poured forth the Riches of his Divine love towards us which St. Bernard termeth love of loves love which is truly love love drawing love love exceeding all love and our St. Bernardine Furnace of love and in another place he cries out O how viscerous is the charity of Christ O ardent love of his heart O admirable immensitie of so great love O incomprehensible latitude of so great a favour he would be inflamed with so great ardour of love towards our littleness as to bestow on us so abundantly his flesh for meat and his blood for drink as if it did not suffice our amorous Jesus for the shewing of his inebrited love that he did once really shed his sacred blood on the Cross unless he should pour it out for us in the Sacrament Now I believe there is no good Christian so tepid and cold but would with all his heart he had been present there and doth not our faith teach us that the Masse is the same with Christ's Supper which Christ himself continues in the Church and so will do to the end of the World he himself is present he himself is the principal cause of the Holy action and here he gives the same which he gave then there is no difference but in the visibility of the one and the invisibility in the other Faith which ought to command and rule both sense and reason tells us it is so Good God! how is it possible that any Christian can neglect to correspond in some way to this great love which is actually every where offered and presented unto us in the Sacrifice of the Masse he comes daily to seek us and shall we think much to go to him daily Q. My Soul is much comforted in what you have said and I will endeavour to apply my mind to this consideration henceforward but if you please have we no other cause of Devotion A. We read in the Evangelists that many Women did follow Jesus to see his passion and all his acquaintance stood by his Mother and two Maryes and St. John out of their tender love to their Master Our Faith also teaches that this Holy Sacrifice is a renewing of Christ's passion in our memory nay as hath been said before it is the same with the Sacrifice of the Cross and is made in the remembrance of Christ's death and passion shall then our senses be more prevalent than our understanding enlightned by Faith which teaches us that the Masse is a continuation of the same
passion unto the end of the World wherefore it becomes us to hear Masse in the same manner as if we were present at the Cross and beholding our Saviour suffering thereon the rather because thereby the effects of the passion are applyed to us I will end this Subject with an example of St. William sometimes Bishop of Burgos who being present at Masse was so devout that Tears did flow from his eyes as waters from Fountains and being asked the reason thereof he answered because when I think that Jesus Christ Sacrifices himself every day I have no less Dolour or Sorrow then if I did see him immolated on Mount Calvary certainly on this consideration any devout heart would have a feeling of Christ's passion which is lively represented in all the Rites and Ceremonies of the Masse as in the second part will more amply appear Q. What other Consideration will you give me A. All Histories do testifie the great Devotion of the primitive times how fervent the Christians were to Communicate daily and consequently to hear Masse and when they could not they carried the blessed Sacrament to their houles and this principally in time of persecution St. Chrysostome gives the reason for saith he Devout Souls do return from this Table that is from the Sacrifice of the Masse as it were breathing fire become terrible to the Devils And St. Cyprian he cannot be prepared for Martyrdom who is not armed by the Church The mind fails which is not raised up and inflamed by receiving the Eucharist those therefore who are in places of persecution ought more frequently to receive the holy Sacrament and at least hear Masse daily that so they may be prepared against their Enemies and be the better disposed to suffer for Christ Q. Have you no examples for this hearing of Masse daily A. St. Augustine testifies that his Mother did hear Masse daily Our St. Anselm when through old age he could not say Masse daily heard it St. Thomas of Aquin knowing the vertue thereof was wont even in his deepest studies to say Masse and to hear another and oftentimes did serve thereat And St. Wenesellaus Duke or King of Poland on whose day I write this did every day hear Masse and many times did serve the Priest therein But what do I go to forreign examples our King Henry the Third was so devout in this kind that Fox sayes of him that he spent his days in hearing of Masse And Bishop Smith in his Flores cites many Authours affirming that he was wont to hear Three high Masses every day The answer that he made to King Lewis is remarkable for when the Holy King said that he ought not to apply himself alwayes to hearing of Masses but sometimes to hear Sermons he answered that he had rather see a friend oftentimes then hear another speak of him The same St. Lewis affirmed that Psalms and Masse would deliver from all dangers and shame to this we may add the great Devotion of King Alfred who notwithstanding that his Enemies approached yet being at Masse he would not depart until the Masse was ended and thereby as it is believed he gained a signal Victory But what do I stand to relate such examples known to all who read the lives of Saints scarce any Saint or Devout persons have been defective in this kind of Exercise and such is the practise of almost all Catholick Countries where not only the Masters and Mistresses with their Children but servants also labourers and Travellers for the most part do hear Masse every day Memorable is the example of blessed Raymond a Dominican Fryar who was wont to say I cannot rejoyce or take comfort that day wherein I am forced not to say Masse Devout persons will find the same effect in their Souls if at any time they be barred or hindred from hearing Masse Imitable is the example of St. Elzear Count of Arian in France who amongst other of his precepts given to his Family in the first place saith I command that all those of my Family be present every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Masse for as long as God is served by me I fear not that any thing will be wanting to me The like care we may read in the life of that famous D'Rentes and what is more the Catholick Commanders even in the Field are careful that their Souldiers hear Masse daily 2. Of the manner how to hear Masse Q. What reverence is to be used at Masse A. St. Chrysostome complains that some are so unadvised and foolish and dissolute that not only in the time of Masse they stand and talk I fear some will plead prescription thereby and so defend their standing and talking there marking or noting others and going up and down and trifling most part of the time if not worse some there be that for shame sake with some difficulty kneel at least with one knee at the Elevation and that scarce done will rise up again The plea is strong and too much accustomed in many places But the Holy Fathers in condemning these abuses as vitious and detestable amongst Christians do highly commend due Reverence to the Holy Sacrifice I cannot say but the Devotion of good Christians in this behalf is more solid and grounded upon better motives yet according to the exteriour we come short of the fervour used by the Jews and Infidels for if we remember in the old Testament we shall find that the Israelites did exceed us in exteriour Devotion Reverence and Worship during the time of their Sacrifices which nevertheless were but figures of this Sacrifice And in a book of the Ottaman Empire set out not long ago we read that the Turks in their prayers do perform that action with very much Reverence and Devotion and hold that they ought to be so intent and freed in their thoughts on this Religious act towards God that no business of the World though the execution of the Sultan's decree should at the same time be commanded or fire should burst forth in the very Chamber where they remain or an armed Enemie within their Gates or Camp ought not to be diverted or break off abruptly their prayers to extinguish or oppose themselves against their inevitable destruction It is much that Infidels should be possessed with such excessive awe and fear of the divine Majesty in the time of their prayers And we Christians be so easily distracted in time of so great a Sacrifice and upon slight occasions with-draw our selves from it to the great distraction and dis-edification of oothers It is reported that the Aethiopians although aged do never sit in the Church but out of Reverence alwayes kneel or stand leaning on their Staves Memorable is the example of the Emperour Theodosius who would never enter into the Church to hear Masse with his Arms or Crown but left them at the door alleaging that such Reverence ought to be given to such places wherein the divine Majesty of God did