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UNLESS a Priest esteem the Holy Sacrifice as it deserves, he can
never celebrate it with suitable devotion. Assuredly there is no
action, which man can perform, so sublime, so sacred, as the
celebration of Mass. God himself could not enable a man to perform
anything greater than the celebration of Mass. All the ancient
sacrifices, by which God was so much honored, were but shadows and
figures of our sacrifice of the altar. All the honor that angels by
their adorations, and men by their good works, austerities, and
even martyrdoms, have ever rendered or will ever render to God,
never could, and never will, give him so much glory as one single
Mass; for, while the honor of all creatures is only finite, that
which accrues to God from the holy Sacrifice of the Al tar is
infini te, inasmuch as the victim which is offered is of infinite
value. The Mass, therefore, offers to God the greatest honor that
can be given him; subdues most triumphantly the powers of hell;
affords the greatest relief to the suffering souls in purgatory;
appeases most efficaciously the wrath of God against sinners, and
brings down the greatest blessings on mankind. Hence St.
Bonaventure says, that in the Mass God manifests to us all the love
which he has borne us, and includes in it, as in a compendium, all
his benefits. On this account the devil has always endeavored to
abolish the Mass througbout the world by means of heretics, making
them the precursors of Antichrist, who before all things will
endeavor to abolish, and in fact will, in punishment of the sins'
of men, succeed in abolishing the holy sacrifice of the altar,
according to the prediction of Daniel: "And strength was given him
against the continual sacrifice, because of sins: and truth shall
be cast down on the ground, and he shall do and shall prosper."
This work contains Novenas for the seven great feasts of the
Blessed Virgin Mary from Saint Alphonsus. These feasts are the
Immaculate Conception, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her
Presentation in the Temple, the Annuniciation, the Visitation, the
Purification and finally the Assumption. A novena for the Feasts of
the Seven Sorrows and in Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
have been added. Also the 54 Day Rosary Novena, which is popular
among those devoted to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Several other
devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary are also included. These
include a devotion by Saint John Eudes for bringing about a
conversion. Also included is the devotion of fasting on Saturdays,
which is neglected in these days. Following this is a short
instruction on First Saturdays. An instruction from Saint Alphonsus
on the Brown Scapular is reproduced. This is followed by his
instruction on Visits to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which he
recommends be made daily. We close with the prayer of the
Franciscan Crown and the story of its origin. We open with an
instruction on the devotion of Novenas from Saint Alphonsus and an
instruction on how to make a Novena from Father Girardey. We pray
this book will help all who read it obtain a deeper devotion to the
Most Blessed Virgin Mary, our Co-Redemptrix.
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