E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE OFFERTORY. 71
Suscipe, sancte Pater, omni- Accept, O holy Father, alpotens
aeterne Deus, hanc mighty, eternal God, this imirnmaculatam
Hostiam, quam maculate Host, which I, Thy
ego indignus famulus tuus unworthy servant, offer unto
offero tibi Deo meo vivo et Thee, my living and true God,
vero, pro innumerabilibus for mine innumerable sins
peccatis et offensionibus, et and offences, and neglinegligentiis
meis, et pro gences, and for all here
omnibus circumstantibus, sed present ; as also for all faithetpro
omnibus fidelibus Chris- ful Christians, both living and
tianis vivis atque defunctis ; dead, that it may be profitable
ut mihi, et illis proficiat ad for mine own and for their
salutem in vitam aeternam. salvation unto life eternal.
Amen. Amen.
EXPLANATION OF THE PRAYER.
Accept, O holy Father, to God the Father, the
Sacrifice of His Son is offered, not to the Blessed Virgin,
nor to Saint, or Angel to the Father from whom all
paternity descends : Almighty, the epithet is very
suitable, since the Sacrifice of the Mass is to show
God s supreme dominion and power over all creatures,
eternal, is the attribute of the true God only, always
was, is, and always will be; this immaculate Host, the
bread by anticipation is called the Spotless Host
on the
"receive," says Benedict XIV. (Bk. ii. c. x. n. 2)
Mass, "this Spotless Host into Whom this bread is soon
to be converted," which I, Thy unworthy servant,
offer unto Thee, my living and true God, God is the
source of all life, without Him only death ;
innumerable sins, mortal and venial, which the priest
may have committed by thought, word, deed, and
omission ; offences are involuntary faults which,
through human weakness one commits, which with
for mine
greater care might be avoided. You hurt your foot by
knocking against the table; take greater care not to
knock against the table and you will not hurt your foot.