Imaginary Interview with Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori on the Mass

Cantus

Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, a theologian and Doctor of the Church, offers profound teaching on the value of the Mass and the role of the priest in celebrating it. In this imaginary interview, the saint speaks to us in a more direct and accessible way, explaining why the Mass is the most sublime action a man can perform and how it represents the supreme sacrifice to God.

Interviewer: Saint Alphonsus, why is the Mass so important for a priest?

Saint Alphonsus: The Mass is the greatest sacrifice we can offer to God. No other human action is more sublime or holy. As the Council of Trent says, there is no more sacred act that Christ’s faithful can perform. This sacrifice is the highest expression of God's love for us.

Interviewer: How does the Mass relate to the sacrifices of the Old Testament?

Saint Alphonsus: The sacrifices of the Old Testament were merely shadows of the sacrifice that takes place on the altar. The honors that angels and men have rendered to God, through their works, penances, and martyrdoms, cannot compare to the glory that one single Mass gives to God. The reason is simple: all those honors are finite, while the sacrifice of the Mass, in which an infinitely valuable victim is offered, renders infinite honor to God.