Saint Francis, Holy Name Cathedral Raleigh NC VP
"I also beseech in the Lord, all my brethren who are, or who shall be, or
who desire to be priests of the Most High, that whenever they wish to
celebrate Mass, they be pure, and offer with purity and reverence the
true Sacrifice of the most holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
with a holy and perfect intention; not from any earthly motive, nor for
the fear or love of any creature, as though desiring to please men; but
let every will (according to the grace given) be directed solely to the
most High God, and do you desire to please Him alone, for He alone works
in this holy Sacrifice according to His good pleasure, as the Lord has
Himself said: "Do this in remembrance of Me:" and he who does otherwise
becomes a traitor like Judas.
Remember, O priests, my brothers, how it
is written in the law of Moses, that those who transgressed even in
corporal sacrifices were condemned by God to death, without any mercy.
What a far more terrible punishment will he deserve, who tramples under
foot the Son of God, and treats the Blood of the New Testament by which
he is sanctified as a vile thing, and offers insult to the Holy Ghost! A
man stained with sin despises and tramples on the Lamb of God, when, as
the Apostle says, not discerning the sacred Bread, which is Christ,
from other food, he eats unworthily by being guilty of unworthy actions;
for the Lord has said by His Prophet: "Cursed it the man who does the
work of God with negligence or fraud." And on account of those priests
who will not lay these things seriously to heart, we are condemned, when
Our Lord days: " I will curse your blessings."
Hearken, my brethren.
If the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored, as she well deserves, for having
borne our Savior in her most holy womb; if St. John the Baptist
trembled, and did not dare to touch the forehead of his Lord; if the
Holy Sepulcher in which this same Lord reposed for a short time is so
venerated - how holy, how just, and how worthy ought not he to be who
touches with his hands, receives into his mouth and heart, and gives to
others, this God Who is now no more to die, but Who will live and be
glorified for ever, on Whom the angels desire to gaze! Understand your
dignity, O priests, my brothers, and " be ye holy, because He is holy."
As God has honored you more than all others through this Mystery, do you
love, reverence, and honor Him through this Mystery. It is a great
misery, and a deplorable weakness, when you have Him thus present, that
you should care for anything else in the whole world. Man should be
seized with fear, the earth should tremble, and the heavens rejoice
exceedingly, when Christ the Son of the living God descends upon the
altar in the hands of the priest.
O admirable greatness! O
stupendous condescension! O humble sublimity! the Lord of the universe,
God, and the Son of God, so abases Himself that for our salvation He
hides Himself under the form of a morsel of bread! See, O my brethren,
the lowliness of your God! pour out your hearts before Him and humble yourselves, that you may be worthy to be exalted by Him. Do not keep
back anything of yourselves, that He Who gives Himself to you without
reserve may receive your entire being."
Source: Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi By Saint Francis (of Assisi) 1882
