v/ t 4&€J /J| Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop of New York. New York, January, 1933. Copyright, 1933, by The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle in the State of New York. “I lay down My life for My sheep.” —John x. 15. JOHN REVISED PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U. S. A. BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK 19, N. Y. THE PAULIST PRESS 401 West 59th Street New York 19, N. Y. When the priest says Mass, Jesus offers Himself again to His Heavenly Father for us. FOREWORD Of all the blessings which Jesus Christ has given to His Church the Mass is the greatest. Jesus, dying on the Cross, offered Himself for us to His Heavenly Father. When Christ died on the Cross all present on Calvary could see Him. They could see the nails in His hands and feet; the crown of thorns on His sacred head, the wound in His side. They could see His suffering as life passed from His body and death ended the Sacrifice of the Cross. The Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross. We cannot see Jesus as those on Calvary saw Him. All we can see is the humble appearance of bread and wine under which Jesus hides Himself now from our sight. It was at the Last Supper that Christ [ 3 ] gave us the Blessed Sacrament, and the Apostles were the first to receive Holy Communion. Every time the priest says Mass Jesus offers Himself again to His Heav- enly Father for us. The priest says the very words Christ said: “This is my body,” “This is my blood.” Then the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. When you are at Mass, you should not talk, laugh nor play. Your God is present on the altar. Ask Him to help you, to help your parents, your friends. You must go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. If you miss Mass on these days through your own fault you commit a mortal sin. God wants you to go to Mass as often as you can, even every day. If you do and receive Holy Communion your life will be happy. God will bless you. [ 4 ] The Child’s Mass Book Prayer Before Mass I know, 0 dear Lord Jesus Christ, that long ago You suffered and died on the cross for me. I know that, hanging upon it, You offered Your- self to Your Heavenly Father for the sins of the whole world. I believe You gained pardon from God for all my sins by Your suffering and death, and that You will give me this par- don if I am truly sorry for them. To show Your great love for me, dear Jesus, You wished Your sacrifice and death on Calvary kept always before my mind. As You blessed bread and wine at the last supper, just before Your death, and changed [S] them into Your own Body and Blood, so You gave to Your priests the same power and told them to do as You had done. The priest stands in Your place; speaks in Your name; changes bread and wine into Your true Body and Blood; and through him You of- fer Yourself again for my sins and the sins of the whole world in the sacrifice of the Mass, which I know is the same as the sacrifice of Good Friday on Mount Calvary. At the Beginning of Mass When the priest goes to the altar I think of You, dear Lord, hanging upon a cross, Your hands and feet pierced with nails. If I had been there, I would have wept when those bad men drove in the nails and made Your body bleed so much. I would [ 6 ] have told You that I loved You, and that I was sorry, very sorry, that You had to suffer so much. I was not there, but I am here now, and You are going to offer Yourself again as You did on Calvary. I will not see Your hands and feet, nor Your sa- cred face so full of pain; but I know You will be here just as truly as you were there. Before the Gospel Dear Lord Jesus, come to me that I may think of You now. As the priest prays, so do I pray. I am go- ing unto the altar, unto the altar that alone will give me joy, for, sweet Jesus, I wish to be good and I cannot be good without You. Take away all thoughts of other persons and other things. I wish to think only of You. [ 7 ] dear Jesus, on Calvary. I don’t pay attention when I ought; I let my mind wander. Help me, sweet Jesus, to put all my thoughts just on You. Praise be to You, and glory for ever and ever to You, and to our Father in Heaven, and to the Holy Spirit. The Gospel No longer Prophets and Apostles speak to us but sweet Jesus Himself. I will always be ready to obey Him, will never deny or speak against Him and will always love and follow His commandments until He calls me to Him for all eternity. After the Gospel Dear Blessed Mother, and you, blessed Saint, whose feast the Church celebrates today, watch over me and [ 8 ] help me to understand what a great joy it should be for me to be here at the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary. Dear Jesus, I wish I could tell You how grateful I am, how much I think of Your goodness. I Believe With the priest I say, “I believe in God, the Father, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of the Father, Who is true God with Him. I believe in the Holy Ghost, Who comes from the Father and the Son to give me life, and is one God with Them. I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church.” Help me, sweet Jesus, to have al- ways great faith in all the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church. Those [ 9 ] who followed You to Calvary and crucified You, also denied You, and refused to accept Your teachings. They asked questions; they said You did not tell the truth. I will be true to You, dear Jesus, and to the Cath- olic Faith, as long as I live. { The Offertory The priest offers to God bread and wine. I, too, wish to give You every- thing, dear Jesus. On Calvary You [ 10 ] gave me all You had. For my sake You gave up everything. You even left Your Mother, and went away from home and friends. You were very poor. On Calvary, You were left alone, yes, and even robbed of Your clothes. 0, dear Jesus, I give You all I have. I offer You my soul, my heart, my body, and everything that I own Take them, dear Lord, take them and make them Yours. Whatever love I have for others, may I always share it with You; whatever I learn at school; whatever pleasure or friends T have, may they be Yours also, so that I need not fear to tell You all about them. The Washing of the Hands Take from me, good Jesus, every- thing that is not pleasing to You. [ 11 ] Wash me, as the priest is now wash- ing his hands, that my soul may be clean and fit to look upon You when You come down, as You will do in a very few moments, from Heaven to this altar. Made clean by You, I dare now to offer this holy Mass to the Blessed Trinity, in memory of Your Passion, Resurrection, and As- cension, and in honor of Your blessed Mother, of John the Baptist, and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the Saints, that they may pray for me. May they gain the grace for me always to pay great at- tention at Mass, to keep from sin, and to love You, Jesus, my Lord. Before the Elevation I think of how You love me and died that I might be good and know You in Heaven, and I praise You as [ 12 ] the priest praises You now. I, a little child, lift up my heart to You. I thank You for all Your goodness. The angels bow down before You. The saints of Heaven are happy be- cause they are with You. 1 join my voice with theirs. I also will praise You in my words and in my acts, and honor Your holy Name all the days of my life. Dear Lord, the priest is praying now, quietly thinking of You. I also will draw closer to You for You are coming. Soon there will be only the appearances of bread and wine, and hidden under these appearances You will be there, Your very self, dear Lord, true God and true Man. Before You come, dear Jesus, bless these earthly gifts that are going to hold You. Grant to our Church peace, and prosper our Holy Father, the Pope, our Bishop, and all who la- [ 13 ] The elevation of the Host bor for the spread of the Catholic Faith. I pray, too, for my father and mother; my brothers and sisters, and all those among the living who are my friends, and with whom I play. Bless them, sweet Jesus, and give them also a part in the fruits of this holy Mass. Bless the priest who is celebrating it, and bless all here pres- ent. I will try to remember all those holy people with whom I want to be, because they are with You. They were with You on Calvary; they first preached Your name, or they gave their life in martyrdom. Ask the glo- rious Virgin Mary, Your Mother, the Apostles and Martyrs to pray that I may live close to You, as they did. What they have done, and what all Your good children have done, help ris] me to do also. 0! dear Lord, I want to love You as they loved You. Help me to love my neighbor, not to quar- rel; not to use bad words; but to serve You, that I may not be pun- ished with the wicked, but saved with the good. Grant, dear Jesus, that this, Your sacrifice, may make me better; that Your Body and Blood, soon to be on this altar, may really feed me, and that I may not be like the Jews on Calvary, just a passer-by. The Consecration This very minute, here before my eyes, is repeated what once took place on Calvary’s Hill! The same words You uttered at the Last Supper are now said here. The priest takes the bread into his hands, blesses it, and [ 16 ] says: “This is My Body;” he takes the chalice with wine in it, blesses it, and says: “This is the chalice of My Blood.” After the Elevation Now, dear Jesus, You have come! No longer is there any bread and wine on the altar, but both have been changed into Your true Body and true Blood. You have come from Heaven. You have come for my sake. I adore You, I adore You. Take me, take my heart and soul, and make them Yours. O God, my Father in Heaven, Your beloved Son has given Himself for me on this altar. I am present at His sacrifice. I am also allowed to join in it. You have given us Your own Di- vine Son. Jesus Christ. I offer Him back to You, my Father. The whole [ 17 ] The elevation of the Chalice m i world could not give me so rich and precious a gift. Long ago You blessed the fruits of the field that Abel of- fered; and the lamb that Abraham presented, and the mere wine and wa- ter that Melchisedech gave in sacri- fice. With much more, ever so much more, pleasure will You receive the offering I now make of Jesus, Your own Beloved Son. Neither my heart nor my hands are worthy to hold this offering. Let angel hands bear Him before Your Divine Majesty. O gra- cious God, fill us who share in His sacrifice with His heavenly blessings. May His blessings reach out to those who are dead. [ 19 ] Prayer for the Dead Have mercy, dear Lord, on (here mention the names of your dear loved ones who are dead) who have gone be- fore us to Your Judgment seat. Give them, O Lord, eternal joy with Thee. Prayer for Help I have my life before me. I know I need help to be good, for I have al- ready broken many promises, and [ 20 ] have been guilty of many faults. Make me stronger, dear Lord; help me to live in the company of those holy ones, Apostles and Martyrs, who loved Thee. To You, 0 sweet Jesus, they owed everything. May I also look to You, and be united through You in purity and love to God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, that loving You here I may be led into the eternal home, which You have won for me, with Our Father in Heaven. The Our Father Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name ; Thy Kingdom come: Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tres- passes as we forgive those who tres- [ 21 ] pass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Deliver me, sweet Jesus, from every danger that I may meet. Make me patient, and kind, and pure through the prayers of our Holy Mother Mary, and the Apostles Peter and Paul and Andrew, and all the Saints. At llie Communion On Calvary You were wounded; Your sacred Body was bruised before death came. Hero also the priest breaks the Host to show us that this Mass is really Your sacrifice. 0 sweet Jesus, if I had been on Calvary, I would have told You I loved You. I tell You now because You are on the altar. I need Your help. Make me al- [ 22 ] ways faithful to Your commandments. Help me to avoid not only mortal sin, but also venial sin, and everything and anything that will offend You. Every day You offer Yourself for me in the sacrifice of the Mass. Every day I will offer myself to You. I am willing to give up anything that would keep me from You. I am willing to suffer if it be Your holy will. Take me, sweet Jesus; take me, a little child, but a child who is going to try to love You. I want You to make me all Your own. This is my prayer as the priest receives You, and Your sacrifice for me in the Mass is once more finished. [ 23 ] Before the Communion After the Communion I am very happy because I know I belong to You, my dear Savior. In joy I will go home now to my com- panions, thinking of Your love. It will help me always, and like the Saints, I will be good and true to You. Your blessing comes to me through the priest. I think, with St. John, how wonderful was Your coming to earth, and after Your example I will walk all the days of my life. Prayers After Mass Hail! Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, [ 25 ] “Ite Missa Est” then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Vir- gin Mary, V. Pray for us, 0 holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let Us Pray O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with favor upon Thy peo- ple, who cry to Thee; and through the intercession of the glorious and im- maculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of her Spouse, Blessed Joseph, of Thy Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, mercifully and gra- ciously hear the prayers, which we [ 27 ] pour forth to Thee, for the conversion of sinners and the liberty and exalta- tion of Holy Mother Church through Christ our Lord. Amen. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. We humbly beseech Thee, O God, to command him; and do thou, 0 Prince of the heavenly host, by the divine power thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who roam through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus') Most Sacred Heart of Jesus > Most Sacred Heart of Jesus I Have mercy on us. [ 28 ] DAILY PRAYERS (These prayers should be committed to memory.) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The Our Father Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name: Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil. Amen. The Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among [ 29 ] women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father Al- mighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord : Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suf- fered under Pontius Pilate, was cruci- fied, died, and was buried. He de- scended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead ; He ascend- ed into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic I [30] Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Act of Faith O my God! I firmly believe all the sacred truths which Thy Catholic Church believes and teaches; because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. Act of Hope O my God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to ob- tain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. [ 31 ] Act of Love 0 my God, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Act of Contrition O my God! I am heartily sorry for my sins. I detest them because they offend Thee, Who art so good and worthy of all my love. I firmly resolve by Thy holy grace never again to com- mit sin. [ 32 ] 51