Incense
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 11, 2025 at 12:00AM in Quotes
Incense, which ever mounts in clouds of perfume up to heaven, is symbolical of prayer: "Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight." The fire, without which incense cannot be used, is the symbol of the Holy Ghost, of Jesus Christ, without whom we cannot pray and gain access to God. The altar is incensed because it represents the divinity of Jesus Christ; and the priest, the ecclesiastics, and the congregation are incensed to honor Jesus Christ, who dwells within the members of His Church in order to render them participants in His eternal life; and the priests are incensed a second time to honor also the Divine Priesthood of Our Lord, in which they share by their sacred character. During this time all should recollect themselves, and renew their resolutions to be ever worthy of their holy vocation.
The Sacrifice of the Altar
by VP
Posted on Sunday December 07, 2025 at 12:00AM in Quotes
Traditional Latin Mass, Sacred Heart Raleigh NC
"All the ancient sacrifices, by which God was so much honored, were but shadows and figures of our sacrifice of the altar. All the honor that angels by their adorations and men by their good works, austerities, and even martyrdroms, have ever rendered or will ever render to God, never could, and never will, give Him so much glory as one single Mass; for, while the honor of all creatures is only finite, that which accrues to God from the holy Sacrifice of the Altar is infinite, inasmuch as the victim which is offered is of infinite value.
The Mass, therefore, offers to God the greatest honor that can be given Him; subdues most triumphantly the powers of hell; affords the greatest relief to the suffering souls in purgatory; appeases most efficaciously the wrath of God against sinners, and brings down the greatest blessings on mankind."
Source: Sacerdos sanctificatus; or, Discourses on the Mass and Office by St. Alphonsus Liguori
