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.