  Before The Service Begins, While Waiting For The Priest To Come In call to mind the Last Supper, in which Christ instituted the sacrifice of the Mass, and gave Himself to us all to be our food. Oughtest thou not to acknowledge and give Him thanks for this excess of love? Affections. Jesus, “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them unto the end.”—John xiii. 1. “For Thou hast prepared a table before me, against them that afflict me.”—Ps. xxii. 5. “I will sacrifice to Thee the sacrifice of praise, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.”—Ps. cxv. 17. When The Priest Is Descending From The Altar Before Commencing The Mass, consider Christ after the Last Supper going from Mount Sion, where the Supper had been held, to the Garden of Gethsemani. “And His disciples also followed Him.”—Luke xxii. 39. And wilt thou forsake thy God in the time of temptation and trial? Affections. “In what place soever Thou shalt be, my Lord King, ... there will Thy servant be.”—2 Kings xv. 21. “It is good for me to stick close to my God: to put my hope in the Lord God.”—Ps. lxxii. 28. “Lord, I am ready to go with Thee both into prison and to death.”—Luke xxii. 33. At The Confession contemplate Christ praying in His agony, when “His sweat became as drops of blood trickling down upon the ground.”—Luke xxii. 44. Thy sins forced out His blood; and wilt thou not grieve on account of them? Affections. “Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes? and I will weep day and night.”—Jer. ix. 1. “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee. I am not now worthy to be called Thy son.”—Luke xv. 21. “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”—Luke xviii. 13. When The Priest Kisses The Altar, And At The Introit, consider Judas betraying Christ with a kiss. And art not thou also a traitor, whilst thou rejectest thy Saviour to embrace some trifling pleasure? Affections. “Impute not to me, my Lord, the iniquity, nor remember the injuries of Thy servant.”—2 Kings xix. 19. [pg 170]“I know my iniquity; and my sin is always before me.”—Ps. l. 5. Lord, have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me. At The Kyrie Eleison reflect on the threefold denial of Peter, who did not repent until the Lord looked upon him.—Luke xxii. 61. How often art thou ashamed of thy Lord Jesus, and deniest Him before men? When wilt thou repent and return to Him with contrition? Affections. “I have sinned against the Lord.”—2 Kings xii. 13. “Cast me not away from Thy face.”—Ps. l. 13. “Look Thou upon me, and have mercy on me.”—Ps. xxiv. 16. At The Gloria think of the exultation of the Jews at the mocking and sufferings of Christ. And art not thou as one of them, if thou takest pleasure in wicked things? Affections. “What shall we answer ... or what shall we say?... God hath found out the iniquity of [His] servants.”—Gen. xliv. 16. “Convert us, O God, Our Saviour: and turn off Thy anger from us.”—Ps. lxxxiv. 5. “I will be glad and rejoice in Thee.”—Ps. ix. 3. At The Collect, Epistle, And Gradual think of all the accusations, mockeries, blows, and spittings, which Christ endured in the houses of Annas and Caiphas.—John xviii. 22. Christ was silent as a lamb before His shearers; but how easily art thou made angry, and reproachest thine accusers! Affections. “Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience?”—Job iv. 6. “Thou art my patience, O Lord.”—Ps. lxx. 5. “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and a door round about my lips. Incline not my heart to evil words.”—Ps. cxl. 3, 4. At The Gospel meditate how Christ was hurried from Caiphas to Pilate, questioned concerning His teaching, and rebuked.—John xviii. Dost thou value the precious doctrine of Jesus? Dost thou receive it carefully thyself, and hand it on to others? Affections. “Direct my steps according to Thy word: and let no iniquity have dominion over me.”—Ps. cxviii. 133. “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths.”—Ps. cxix. 105. “I will teach the unjust Thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to Thee.”—Ps. l. 15. At The Credo meditate upon Christ sent by Pilate to Herod, and by him sent back again to Pilate (when he obtained not the signs he expected to see), clothed in a white garment, as a silly person not worthy of credit.—Luke xxiii. Art thou among those who, before they will believe, demand of Christ that they may see a sign? Affections. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.”—John xx. 29. “I do believe, Lord: help my unbelief.”—Mark ix. 23. [pg 172]“I live in the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and delivered Himself for me.”—Gal. xi. 20. At The Offertory meditate upon the resignation of Christ and His offering Himself to bear all things for the glory of His Father, and the redemption of mankind.—Ps. xxxix. Art thou prepared to endure adversity and affliction? Affections. “I am ready for scourges.”—Ps. xxxvii. 18. “I will take the chalice of salvation: and I will call upon the name of the Lord.”—Ps. cxv. 13. “Confirm, O God, what Thou hast wrought in us.”—Ps. lxvii. 29. At The Lavabo reflect how Pilate sought to excuse himself for his most wicked deed by washing his hands. But he did not escape the guilt itself.—Matt. xxvii. 24. How often dost thou seek to conceal thy sins, and to make excuses for them? So doing thou dost rather increase than diminish them. Affections. “I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord.”—Ps. xxxi. 6. “O God, Thou knowest my foolishness: and my offences are not hid from Thee.”—Ps. lxviii. 6. “Man cannot be justified compared with God. If he will contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one for a thousand.”—Job ix. 2, 3. At The Orate Fratres meditate upon Christ about to be condemned by Pilate, presented to the people crowned with thorns and in a purple robe.—John xix. 5. What will be thy state, O man, when thou shalt stand before Christ the judge at the Last Day? Affections. “Who will grant me this, that Thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me, till Thy wrath pass?”—Job xiv. 13. “I will let go my speech against myself, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God: Do not condemn me.”—Job x. 1, 2. “For behold I was conceived in iniquities: and in sins did my mother conceive me.”—Ps. l. 7. At The Preface reflect that the very same Jews who, five days before, saluted Christ with hosannas, now cry out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”—John xix. 6. Art thou guilty of similar inconstancy? Affections. “Perfect Thou my goings in Thy paths; that my footsteps be not moved.”—Ps. xvi. 5. “Strengthen Thou me in Thy words.”—Ps. cxix. 28. “Thy hand [shall] lead me: and Thy right hand shall hold me.”—Ps. cxxxix. 10. At The Canon meditate upon Jesus bearing His own cross as He went up to Calvary.—John xix. 17. Dost thou not hear the voice of Christ? “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”—Matt. xvi. 24. Affections. “Draw me: we will run after Thee to the odor of Thy ointments.”—Cant. i. 3. “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Gal. vi. 14. [pg 174]“Let us go forth therefore to Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.”—Heb. xiii. 13. At The Elevation Of The Host meditate on Christ nailed to the cross by His hands and feet, set forth as a spectacle to the whole world.—Luke xxiii. 33. Behold, O man, thy Redeemer! With what affection hast thou hitherto embraced Him, Who here, with extended arms, invites thee to His embrace? Affections. “My Beloved to me, and I to Him.”—Cant. ii. 16. “Tell Him that I languish with love.”—Ibid. v. 8. “Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation? or distress, or famine?... For I am sure that neither death, nor life, ... nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord.”—Rom. viii. 35-39. At The Elevation Of The Chalice reflect how profusely Christ poured forth His blood from His five sacred wounds for the washing away of our sins. Run to Him, O sinner, that thou mayest be cleansed, and “draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains.”—Is. xii. 3. Affections. “Suffer me, therefore, that I may lament my sorrow a little, before I go, and return no more, to a land that is dark and covered with the mist of death.”—Job x. 20, 21. “Perhaps darkness shall cover me.”—Ps. cxxxix. 11. [pg 175]At The Memento For The Dead reflect on the infinite mercy of God towards those who fear Him, and pray for those holy souls who have departed this life according to His justice, and in the one true faith. Affection. O Jesus, “enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.”—Luke i. 79. At The Pater Noster meditate upon the seven words of Christ uttered by Him upon the cross: 1, Christ prayed for His enemies; what dost thou do? 2, The thief, repenting, obtained heaven; learn seriously to repent and do penance, but delay it not to the last. 3, Christ commends His Mother to St. John, and St. John to His Mother; to whom canst thou better commend thyself? 4, Christ complains that He is forsaken; and dost thou expect consolation as thy right? 5, Christ thirsted for thy salvation; and dost thou turn away from it with loathing? 6, Christ announced that all His torments were finished; thus shall all thy good and evil in this world be brought to a close. 7, Lastly, after the example of Christ, commend thy spirit into the hands of thy heavenly Father.—Luke xxiii. 46. Affections. “And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.”—Matt. vi. 12. Make me also to hear, “This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise.”—Luke xxiii. 43. O Mary, “behold thy Son!”—John xix. 26. “Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not Thou depart from me.”—Ps. xxxvii. 22. “For Thee my soul hath thirsted.”—Ps. lxii. 2. “Happy is he who hath finished his course, who hath kept the faith.”—2 Tim. iv. 7. [pg 176]“Into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”—Luke xxiii. 46. At The Division Of The Sacred Host reflect upon the separation of Christ's soul from His body.—Matt. xxvii. 50. It is appointed unto men once to die.—Heb. ix. 27. Affections. “Let my soul die the death of the just.”—Num. xxiii. 10. “Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.”—Rom. xiv. 8. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”—Apoc. xiv. 13. At The Agnus Dei, when the priest strikes his breast, reflect how many of those who saw Christ dying on the cross, striking their breasts returned.—Luke xxiii. 48. And dost not thou strike thy breast in token of true sorrow for thy sins? Affections. Lord, I strike my breast with the publican, and say, “Be merciful to me a sinner.”—Luke xviii. 13. “And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offences, nor those of my parents.”—Tob. iii. 3. “Let Thy mercies speedily prevent us.”—Ps. lxviii. 8. At The Communion Of The Priest meditate upon the burial of Christ.—John xix. 42. He asks from thee thy heart as a sepulchre. Affections. “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.”—Ps. lvi. 8. [pg 177]“Arise, O Lord, into Thy resting-place, Thou and the ark [of Thy holiness].”—Ps. cxxxi. 8. “My heart shall rejoice with Thee.”—Prov. xxiii. 15. At The Last Collect meditate upon Christ's joyful and glorious resurrection.—Mark xvi. 6. “For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”—Colos. iii. 3. Affections. “We look for the Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of His glory.”—Phil. iii. 20, 21. “When shall I come and appear before the face of God?”—Ps. xli. 3. “I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ.”—Phil. i. 23. At The Benediction meditate how Christ, ascending into heaven, blessed His disciples.—Mark xvi. 19. “Unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing.”—1 Pet. iii. 9. Affections. “Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance.”—Ps. xxvii. 9. “May God, our own God, bless us. May God bless us.”—Ps. lxvi. 7, 8. “Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, O Lord: they shall praise Thee forever and ever.”—Ps. lxxxiii. 5. Prayer at the Conclusion of Mass. Accept, O Holy Trinity, this sacrifice of the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which I have offered to Thy divine majesty in remembrance [pg 178] |
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