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Show HOW TO HEAR MASS AND SERMONS. SER-MONS. To hear Mass is to hear the whole Mass, and consequently the command obliges all who are not legitimately excused ex-cused to be present at the Great Sacrifice Sac-rifice from beginning to end. Whoever, Who-ever, therefore, who is absent from any portion of it, through his own fault, is guilty of sin, and the sin will be greater, the greater the part of the Mass 'be that he is absent from. And if he be not present during any one of the four principal parts of which the Mas? is composed, he sins grievously and) does not comply with the obligation, obliga-tion, no more than if he had been absent ab-sent from tlte whole Sacrifice, so that he wrould be under the necessity of hearing Mass again that day, if he had the opportunity of so doing. To understand' un-derstand' this' we must understand that the celebration of the Mass is divided into four parts. The first is the preparation pre-paration cf the people, which is from tha prayer that the priest recites at the foot of the altar. till the end of the first Gospel. The second part is the preparation of the matter of. the Sacrifice, Sac-rifice, that is. from the Gospel to, the "Sanctus." The third part is the ac tion of the Sacrifice itself, which is from the "Sanctus" to the "Pater Noster." And tine fourth part is the communion, that is, from the "Pater Noster" till the end of the last Gospel. Now, to fulfill the obligation of hearing Mass, we must be present at all these four parts, as they are all necessary for the integrity of the Sacrifice. An important part of the Christian worship is listening to the-word of God from the mouth of the priest. Let no one think himself so wise and learned that he can do without it. Preaching is the means appointed by God to speak to our hearts. Therefore he w'ho will not hear the preaching of the Catholic Church shuts his ears against the voice cf God, and despiseth Jesus Christ, who says: "He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you. despiseth me." Let no one say: I can read the word of God for myself in, the Bible; of what use is preaching to me? What! Are human minds, created, limited, and full of darkness, able of themselves to com-nrehend com-nrehend the minds of tho- v.tornai n-nnf? Beware that yon do not substitute your own thoughts for these of God. No! The Church of the living God alone, guided and enlightened by the Holy Ghost, is able to know the mind of God with infallible certainty, and to interpret the Holy Scriptures without with-out danger or possibility of error. She it iy who announces to us the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, by her Bishops and. their fellow laborers, the priests, and they are teachers to whom'vve must-listen, must-listen, unless we. are willing through a spirit of pride to expose ourselves to the most dangerous errors. But will you say: I have at home excellent explanations of the Gospels, and other good books cf instruction,' these will serve my purpose instead of preaching. To this objection of yours, St. Thomas of Villanvoa has' already replied: "Tell me not. I am learned, I have at home the works of Augustin of Bernard, etc. The letter is dead; the voice is living. The preacher is the living voice of God. He is "the voice cf one crying in tne wilderness." Jesus Christ said: "The letter killeth, the spirit maketh alive." The world. How-was How-was it converted? Throue-h th ri,.v,. Word preached by the Apostle. Listen then to sermons with a pious and humble mind: judge not the preacher; look not for beautiful words-do words-do not apply the sermon to others, but to yourself: alone; consider the word of the priest as ths Voice of God sounding in the ear of your heart, and calling you to penance and often before and during the sermon repeat in your hearts the words of Holy Samuel: Speak, Lord! for Thy servant heareth." |