| The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass 
"For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, My name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to My name a clean oblation: for My name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts." ~Malachias 1:11 "The wonders of the Mass are as many as there are stars in the heavens and grains of sand on the seashores of the world." ~ St. Bonaventure What is The Mass? In the Mass, the Son of God becomes man again, so that in every Mass the stupendous Mystery of the Incarnation, with all its infinite merits, is repeated as truly as when the Son of God first took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. "What a sublime dignity is that of the priest, in whose hands Christ once more becomes man." ~St. Augustine The Mass is the birth of Jesus Christ. He is really born on the Altar each time that Mass is said, as He was born in Bethlehem. 
"If anyone wishes to know how the bread is changed into the Body of Jesus Christ, I will tell him. The Holy Spirit overshadows the priest and acts on him as He acted on the Blessed Virgin Mary." ~ St. John Damascene "God, when He descends upon the altar, does no less than He did when He became man the first time in the womb of the Virgin Mary." ~ St. Bonaventure The Mass is the same as the Sacrifice of Calvary. It has the same infinite value of Calvary, and brings down on men the same priceless graces. The Mass is not an imitation or a memory of Calvary. It is identically the same sacrifice and differs from Calvary only in appearance. In every Mass, the Blood of Jesus is shed for us again. 
Nothing on this earth, nothing in Heaven itself, gives more glory to God and obtains more benefits for us than a single Mass. By the Mass, we offer to God the greatest praise, the greatest glory He could possibly desire. We give Him most perfect thanks for all the benefits He has bestowed on us. We make more reparation for our faults than by the severest penances. "The Mass obtains for sinners in mortal sin, the grace of repentance. For the just, it obtains the remission of venial sins and the pardon of pain due to sin. It obtains an increase of sanctifying grace, as well as all the graces necassary for their special needs." ~St. Thomas Aquinas 
On the night before He died, Our Lord gave the precious Gift of His Body and Blood to the Disciples, instructing them to do also, offering the Bread and Wine, now become His Body and Blood, which He told them "will be shed for you." That same Body and Blood was offered up for our sins on the Cross at Calvary. "Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it: and gave to His disciples, and said: Take ye and eat. This is My Body. And taking the chalice, He gave thanks and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. For this is My Blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto the remission of sins." ~ Matthew 26:26-28 On Holy Thursday, at the Last Supper, our Savior offered the Sacrifice of Calvary in anticipation. He also consecrated His Apostles as Bishops, and commanded them to offer this selfsame sacrifice as His commemoration in order that He might leave to His own beloved Spouse the Church, a visible sacrifice such as the nature of man requires. Whenever this visible sacrifice is celebrated, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present. 
When we assist at Mass we are present at Calvary. | 
