Thursday, March 28 : Saint John-Mary Vianney

If men really knew this mystery they would die of love. God has to spare us because of our weakness. The Holy Sacrifice is the same as that which was offered once on Calvary on Good Friday. The only difference is that when Jesus Christ was offered on Calvary, the Sacrifice was visible. That is to say, one saw with one’s bodily eyes that Jesus Christ was offered there to God His Father by the hands of His executioners, and that He shed His Blood; that is to say that the Blood flowed from His veins and one saw it flow on the earth. But in the Mass Jesus Christ offers Himself to His Father in an invisible and unbloody manner. Would you like to know the greatness of the merit of Holy Mass? It will suffice for me to say with St. John Chrysostom, that the Holy Mass rejoices the whole Court of heaven, relieves all the souls in purgatory, draws down on the earth all kinds of blessings, and gives more glory to God than the sufferings of all the martyrs, than the penances of all the solitaries, than all the tears that they will shed until the end of the world. If you ask me the reason, it is quite clear. All these actions are done by sinners, more or less guilty, whilst in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, it is a Man-God equal to His Father who offers the merit of His Death and Passion. All these works are the works of men, and the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is the sacrifice that man makes to God of his life, and the Mass is the sacrifice that God makes to man of His Body and of His Blood. You see then that the Holy Mass is infinitely precious.
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team