The origin, basis and essence of sacrifice.
1. Before speaking of
sacrifice, it is indispensable to speak of priesthood, because priesthood
precedes sacrifice as cause precedes effect, or, in other words, sacrifice
presupposes priesthood and is dependent upon it.
2. We must consider
priesthood firstly in its most profound aspect and most sublime end, which
is the glorification of God. In this broad and not strict sense, we can attribute to the
Divine Word a kind of priesthood exercised from all eternity. In order to
understand this eternal priesthood of the Word, we must ascend to the very
essence of God. In that
infinite ocean of perfections we shall find the most beautiful and sublime
expression of the deepest essence of the priesthood, - that is, the glory
of God. And the glory that is
within God consists precisely in the knowledge and joy that the Divinity
has and receives of His infinite full-ness in the expression of His love
for Himself. In this glory is
understood the eternal procession of the Divine Word, whose very being is
the glory of the Father, splendour of eternal light, image of the
invisible God. And this He is
by nature and incessant act. Here
is discerned the essence and origin of all priesthood in its most sublime
aspect, in its deepest root, in its most primord-ial facet and in its most
singular, most ample and simple meaning.
3. In this knowledge
and joy of God in His infinite perfec-tion, is included the conception
from eternity in the mind of God of the Most Divine Soul of Christ,
glorifying and adoring God, as eternal adorer of the Father and object of
all His pleasure. And here
already is moulded the Eternal High Priesthood, which through union with
the Word will become existent in the moment of the creation of the Most
Divine Soul.
4. The internal
expression of the love of the Three Divine Persons becomes in any
ineffable and sublime manner external through the creation of the Most
Divine Soul of Christ united to the Word of God. Thus is constituted and annointed a Soul which is priestly in
essence and which, besides the glorification of God, assumes the mission
to be mediator between God and all creation, - that is, to be priest in
the strict sense. From the
very first moment, He commences to render to the Father the most beautiful
and perfect homage of infinite adoration, gratitude, love and entire
submission, offering Himself as Spiritual Victim for the future fallen
humanity. This first spiritual sacrifice of Christ, Eternal High Priest,
corresponding to an interior act of the most perfect virtue of religion,
is the exemplar of all sacrifice and priestly action.
5. Also in the mind of
God from all eternity, we find already conceived as worthy Companion of
God, the Divine Soul of Mary espoused with the Most Divine Soul of Christ.
And this too glorifies God eternally, - this expression of the
happiness and joy of the Three Divine Persons, this magnet of the infinite
love among them. The glorification of God in the eternal conception of Mary
and the participation of Her Soul in the Soul of Christ include implicitly
the priestly character of Mary.
6. Hardly had there
been externalized the love of God in the creation of the Most Divine Soul
of Christ, when He claimed the immediate creation of the Divine Soul of
His Spouse, which, at that very moment, issued from the Divinity as the
sublime comple-ment of the masterpiece of creation, already vested with
the highest dignity of Co-priest of Christ in virtue of Her divine
espousal. With indescribable
acts of love and adoration, She expressed immense gratitude for the
exalted gifts received, and offered the most complete submission and self
surrender as Spir-itual Co-victim united with the Divine Victim in a
mutual first offertory.
7. Let us penetrate
more deeply into this unfathomable abyss of submission, generosity and
self-sacrifice which is implied in the anticipated offering of these two
Souls as Spiritual Victims, in true, grandiose and continual spiritual
offertory of the eternal sacrifice to be consummated thousands of years
later in the Sacrifice of the Cross, that bloodstained Altar of the Divine
Victim Christ Jesus in union with Mary.
8. With this mystical,
anticipated Calvary, God the Father finds infinite satisfaction and
complacency, since the infinite love of the two Divine Souls espoused,
comes to replace the disastrous want of love, of the first pair who
sinned. Neverthe-less their of offering will continue to lack meritorious
value until their yearning souls be clothed in flesh and consequently be
able to suffer and merit.
9. Nor was fallen
mankind left abandoned, but rather received copious benefits of the
supernatural effects that flowed from the Divine Espousal, which is the
Mystical Soul of the Church, - effects that were fruits of the intimate
union of these two Victim Souls, who exercised a true, real and most
fruitful pa-ternity over the Church already spiritually conceived, - as we
later shall see when we follow their path, activity and interven-tions
among the Chosen People.
10. Although this
continual offertory and spiritual sacrifice would have been more than
sufficient to accomplish the work of reparation and redemption, it was
fitting, according to the divine plan, that the Most Divine Soul of Christ
and the Divine Soul of Mary be clothed in their own bodies, - and this,
not to speak of their own ardent desire to consummate on Calvary their
mutual oblation.
11. Since the Virgin
Mary was destined to be Mother of the
future Redeemer, it was natural that She be the first to assume, a human
body; for in Her most pure womb, through the work and grace of the Holy
Ghost, would be formed the body of the Son of the Most High, - and in Her
womb through the Incarnation of Divine Word, would be effected the sublime
incarnation of the Divine Espousal of Jesus and Mary, as well as the
extension to Christ's body of the hypostatic union, which union is the
Eternal High Priesthood of Christ, - and in Her womb also would take place
the priestly action of Mary vesting the Divine Word in Her own Flesh and
Blood, as well as the incarnation of the Church, fruit of the fertile
mystical union of the two Sacred Hearts, - not to speak of other profound
mysteries.
12. All the life of
Jesus was a continual immolation preceed-ing the Sacrifice of the Cross,
in union with His Mother, - an oblation that culminated on Calvary.
There the supreme act of their mutual and respective priesthoods
was accomplished, the total and majestic immolation of both, resulting in
infinite reparation to the Father and in the redemption of men.
Calvary was constituted as inexhaustible reservoir of Christ's
redeeming Blood, which has of necessity to be canalized and distributed by
Holy Mass, which is the perpetuation of the Sacrifice of the Cross,
offered by the Ministerial Priest representing Christ, the Eternal High
Priest, and the Co-priestly mission of Mary.
13. Therefore we must
emphasize the imperative need for the presence of Saint John the
Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, as indispensable collaborator and
first ministerial priest. In
virtue of his priestly character, he accomplished on Calvary the union, or
sublime espousal of the Infinite Sacrifice of Christ and Mary with the
finite Sacrifice of the Church, making them in-to one, namely the infinite
and bloody Sacrifice of the Cross. He
thus made possible that the fruits of Redemption be applied to mankind.
And this is what continually takes place in the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass. What prodigious
fecundity of the sublime espousal, moment supreme which the whole Church
on bended knee vehemently desires! What
majestic intercommunication of innumer-able graces between the blessed of
Heaven, the just of Purgatory and the faithful militant on earth
14. It was Christ
Himself, Priest of the Most High, who in Person celebrated the First Mass
on the eve of His Passion, when He most admirably-instituted this master
work of redeeming love, and by anticipation applied the fruits of His
bloody sacrifice on Calvary. In
virtue of this application, He also instituted the ministerial priesthood,
which would make possible the perpetua-tion of the Sacrifice of the Cross.
15. Therefore the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass is absolutely necessary for salvation, because it is
the connecting link and intimate communication between God and mankind. The priest is he who gives life, who moves and maintains this
mystical heart of the universe, which is the Mass, - since without
this, the uni-verse could not exist.
