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Show THE GENERAL INTENTION. Recommended by His Holiness, Plus X. THE SACRED LITURGY. Catholic liturgy is the public service of God, and embraces all those ceremonies ceremo-nies wherein priest and people unite in prayer to the Most High. But pre-eminently, sacred liturgy is Identified with the Holy Sacrifice of the mass. In the beginning the word "liturgy" meant nothing el?e; and for the saints and doctors of the early ages, the liturgy was the one awful act. symbolic yet real, whereby "the whole round world was bound by gold chains to the throne of God." But how has the present day departed from that first charity! Holy mass is the same now as then: it is offered on myriad altars froiri the rising to the setting of the sun; but where are the myriads who should he gathered round those altars? Yet upon the people rests the solemn obligation of honoring God publicly as a people, in addition to the promptings of private devotion. Our intention, therefore, and the aim of our actions this month should be j that the sacred liturgy become in reality real-ity what its name signifies, the prayer j of the people: and that presence at daily mass may be not the exception, but the rule, do we sometimes complain com-plain that we ask God for so much, yet receive so little? Perhaps it is that we ask alone; perhaps it is that we have never tested the efficacy of prayer per-eeveringly per-eeveringly poured out not where two or three are gathered in Christ's name, but a whole people and Christ in the midst of them! Do we feel that our faith is weak, and that at its command the mountainous difficulties in our way do not remove themselves? The Eucharist Eu-charist is the sacrament of faith, and its liturgy the voice of the faithful. We see everywhere today the need there is of Catholic spirit; yet how Is Cath-olle Cath-olle Knfrlt to errow. unless the source of its growth be the Catholic altar? The language of the liturgy is itself a bond of union and stability, venerable In its age, honored in its origin, glorious in its memories. Let us pray, then, that the sacred liturgy lit-urgy may be known and valued better by all Catholics; that devout attendance attend-ance at mass may grow in frequency, and that, far from being a mere performance per-formance of duty, it may mark the beginning be-ginning on earth of those divine praises which eternity will make familiar. |