3. The peace-offerings were made in thanksgiving for blessings received, and perhaps, also, to beg fresh favours.

Those ancient sacrifices had no power or efficacy of themselves; they derived all their virtue from being partial types and representations of the sacrifice of the cross, and consequently also of the altar; hence the latter singly fulfils all the ends for which the former were severally offered.

1. It is a sacrifice of adoration, in which infinite homage is paid to God; for He who is equal to the Father stoops therein to offer that transcendent act of humiliation by which, in becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross, He acknowledged God's supreme dominion over life and death.

2. It is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; for in the body and blood of His Son a most adequate return is made to God for all He has done for us.

3. It is a sacrifice of propitiation; Christ therein, by the oblation of His death, mediates between His Father and us, appeases God's anger, and satisfies the rigour of His justice.

4. It is a sacrifice of impetration or prayer; for a price is there offered sufficient to relieve our utmost needs.

Observe, the sacrifice of the Mass does not remit the guilt of sin as the sacraments do. The latter take away sin by immediately causing sanctifying grace in the soul; the former induces God to grant actual grace, by which the sinner is moved to repent and seek the sacraments; and in the same way it obtains increase of grace for the just; but it directly and by itself satisfies for the punishment due to sin, and impetrates other spiritual and temporal blessings. The sacrifice is effectual in virtue of its own action, on account of the dignity of the victim and principal offerer, Christ our Lord, independently of the worthiness of the priest who says the Mass; hence the fruit of the Mass, as a sacrifice, is the same whether it be said devoutly or indevoutly; although the personal holiness and devotion of the priest add efficacy to the accompanying prayers, and call down a further blessing.

A word must be said on the application of the sacrifice.

The Mass is offered in a general way in behalf of all the faithful, and is directed specially to the benefit of those who are assisting at the sacrifice, of whom mention is made in the prayers. Again, a particular advantage must redound to the priest who says the Mass in proper dispositions.* And further, the priest has the power of applying the sacrifice to any good object he pleases; and thus one Mass may differ from another in the purpose for which it is offered.

The Mass may be offered, not only for the faithful, but for heretics and schismatics, that they may return to the unity of the true faith; for Jews, pagans, and infidels, that their eyes may be opened, that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, and receive forgiveness of sins.

It is also offered for the souls in Purgatory, to make satisfaction to God for them, and shorten the time of their exile. There are certain Masses, called "Requiem Masses," set apart by the Church for that purpose; not that the sacrifice as such is of more avail for the dead in a Requiem Mass than in any other, for the sacrifice is one and the same in all Masses;-but the prayers in the "Requiem" are all directed to the relief of the suffering soul, and in this way the dead derive a special benefit from them. The Mass cannot be offered for the blessed in heaven, except to thank God for the graces and glory bestowed on them, to obtain their greater honour and veneration on earth, and their intercession for ourselves in heaven,— "that it may be available to their honour and our salvation, and that they may deign to intercede for us in heaven, whose memory we celebrate on earth:" neither can it be offered for the lost souls in hell, because they cannot be helped thereby.

*In offering up the paten with the unconsecrated Host, the priest says, "Accept, O Holy Father, Almighty, Eternal God, this immaculate Host, which I, thy unworthy servant, offer unto Thee, my living and true God, for my innumerable sins, offences, and negligences, and for all here present; as also for all faithful Christians, both living and dead; that it may be profitable for my own and for their salvation unto life eternal,"

CHAP. CVII. On those who offer the Sacrifice.

1. CHRIST is the principal offerer; not only because He instituted the sacrifice, and commanded it to be offered in memory of His death, but because He instituted it to be offered in His name by priests who should act as His ministers and vicars, and because He actually concurs with His priests in offering.

2. Any priest rightly ordained, even though he be excommunicated, is, after Christ, the chief offerer.

3. The faithful offer through the priest; hence the latter says: "Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty." They do so in three ways: (1) inasmuch as the priest offers in the name of the Church;* (2) by assisting at the sacrifice and uniting their intention to that of the priest; (3) by contributing to the service of the altar, giving alms for Masses, furnishing necessary materials, &c. And here it may be well to notice, that when money is given for saying a Mass, it is not given as a price for the Mass, -for this would imply simony,-but it is contributed by way of alms for the support of the priest, who, as "he serves the altar, has a right to partake of the altar" (1 Cor. ix. 13).

CHAP. CVIII. On the Sacrament of Penance: its Nature, Institution, and Matter.

GOD, when He created us, was not satisfied with supplying us with the means of gaining food and support for the preservation of life, but because He knew that we were liable to a variety of sicknesses, He provided remedies against the infirmities of our nature. What His goodness moved Him to perform in the order of nature He has

* In offering up the chalice," We offer unto Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation;" and again: "In the spirit of humility....let us be received, and grant that the sacrifice we offer in Thy sight.' Receive, O Holy Trinity, this oblation 'which we make." And in the canon: 66 We therefore beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously to accept this oblation of our service," &c.

66

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likewise accomplished, but with a far greater excess of love, in the order of grace. He was not content that we should be born again by the waters of Baptism, but because He knew our frailty would make us fall into fresh sins, He has provided us with the means of recovering His grace and friendship, by the institution of the Sacrament of Penance. For as baptism is necessary to cleanse us from original sin, so likewise is the Sacrament of Penance necessary, to blot out the sins which we commit after baptism. In the same way, therefore, as no one can enter the kingdom of heaven who has not received holy baptism, either in reality or desire, so no one can be saved when he has lost his baptismal innocence, without the actual reception, or, if that be impossible, at least the implicit desire of the Sacrament of Penance, joined with perfect contrition.

Baptism and penance have both been instituted for the remission of sin; still they form two distinct sacraments. Baptism is intended for the remission of original sin and of the actual sins committed before its reception; penance is the divinely appointed remedy for the sins committed after baptism. Baptism, if received worthily, remits the guilt as well as the whole punishment due to sin; penance takes away the guilt and eternal punishment, but generally leaves a debt of temporal punishment, as will be more fully explained in treating of satisfaction. He who died immediately after baptism would go straight to heaven; he who died immediately after the Sacrament of Penance would generally have to go to Purgatory to discharge the debt of temporal punishment. In baptism our sins are more easily forgiven than in the Sacrament of Penance, as in baptism less is required on our side than in penance. Hence penance is sometimes called a la

borious baptism.

The word 'penance' is used in three different senses : 1st. As a moral virtue, which leads us to hate and avoid sin, and in this sense penance has at all times been absolutely necessary for the remission of actual sin.

2dly. As the penalty which we endure in punishment of past sin. Thus we speak of persons submitting to the

reverses of this life, or undertaking acts of mortification as a penance for their sins.

3dly. As a sacrament of the new law, by which the sins committed after baptism are forgiven. It is in this sense that it is now to be considered.

It is a true and real sacrament because it possesses all the essentials of a sacrament, viz. 1st, the outward sign, which consists of the acts of the penitent joined with the absolution of the priest; 2dly, the institution of Christ; and 3dly, the power of giving grace, that is, the remission of sin. These two last conditions are clearly implied in the words of our Blessed Saviour, in which He promised His Apostles the power of forgiving sins: "Amen, I say to you, whatsoever ye shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven" (St. Matt. xviii. 18); and also in His still more expressive words which record the fulfilment of this promise: "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. When He had said this, He breathed on them, and He said to them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained" (St. John xx. 21-23).

The outward sign of the Sacrament of Penance consists of the acts of the penitent, viz. contrition, confession, and satisfaction, together with the absolution of the priest. Contrition, confession, and satisfaction are said by the Council of Trent to be, " as it were, the matter of the Sacrament of Penance." There is this difference between the matter of this sacrament and that of the other sacraments, that in the latter the sensible or outward thing, which we call the matter, is something material in its nature, as, for example, water in Baptism, and chrism in Confirmation; but in the Sacrament of Penance the acts of the penitent take the place of the matter, and hence are called, "as it were, the matter of this sacrament.” In another and different sense, the sins of the penitent are also said to be the matter of the sacrament, in the same way as wood or coal is called the matter of a fire; for as the fire burns and consumes the wood or coal, so the acts of