E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE FIRST PART OF THE PRAYER.
The words Thy holy people refer to the grace of
Baptism. Those assisting at Mass, though
not all
perhaps in grace, are presumably all baptized and in
that sense have faith, the beginning, foundation, and
root of all holiness. St. Peter speaks of Christians
(i Peter ii. 10) as "
the
holy people of God."
Calling to mind the blessed Passion of the same
Christ Thy Son our Lord, His Resurrection from
the dead and glorious Ascension into Heaven. The
three great works of God Incarnate are His blessed
Passion, His Resurrection and Ascension. The first
kindles our love, the second is the great proof of our
faith, the third strengthens our hope. Offer unto Thy
most excellent Majesty, of Thy gifts and grants.
By the expression gifts and grants we may consider
the bread and wine which formed the matter which
were converted into the Body and Blood of our Lord.
The words may also be referred with Bellarmine in
the Mass (Bk. ii. ch. 34) to Christ Himself as existing
in the Eucharist, the noblest Gift and Grant of God
to the world. Compare
the words in the Church s
hymn, Nobis datus, nobis natus ex intacta Virgine
" Given to us, born for us from a spotless Virgin." We
offer to God a Pure^Victim, a Holy-^Victim, an
Immaculate^Victim, the HolyJ-Bread of Eternal
life, and the Chalice^of everlasting salvation.
"
Bread is used in our Lord s sense. vi. I
(John 48.)
am the living bread." The Chalice of everlasting
salvation means the Blood in the Chalice which is spilt
for our everlasting salvation.
These words are accompanied by five signs of the
Cross. The meaning of these five crosses is variously
explained. They cannot mean a blessing conferred
by the priest who is a sinner on Jesus Christ infinitely