Here I might tell you what Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is.  The priest sometimes consecrates at the Mass two large hosts, one he consumes himself, as I have told you, and the other he places in the tabernacle in a little gold case.  When it is time for Benediction, he places this little case—­made of glass and gold, about the size of a watch—­in the gold or silver monstrance which you see on the altar at Benediction.  It is made to represent rays of light coming from the Blessed Sacrament.  After the choir sings, the priest says the prayer and goes up and blesses the people with the Blessed Sacrament; that is, when he holds up the monstrance over the people Our Lord Himself blesses them.  Should we not be very anxious, therefore, to go to Benediction?  If the bishop came to the church, we would all be anxious to receive his blessing; and if our Holy Father the Pope came, everybody would rush to the church.  But what are they compared to Our Lord Himself?  And yet when He comes to give His blessing, many seem to care little about it.  Because Our Lord in His goodness is pleased to give us His blessing often, we are indifferent about it.  The holy teachers and fathers of the Church tell us that if we could see the sanctuary at Mass and Benediction as it really is, we would see it filled with angels all bowed down, adoring Our Lord.  These good angels must be very much displeased at those who are so indifferent at Mass or Benediction as not to pay any attention; and above all, at those who stay away.  The large silk cloak the priest wears at Benediction is called the cope, and the long scarf that is placed over his shoulders the humeral, or Benediction veil.  At the words of consecration, you must know, the priest does not say “This is Christ’s body,” but “This is My body”; for at the altar the priest is there in the place of Our Lord Himself.  It is Our Lord who offers up the sacrifice, and the priest is His instrument.  That is why the priest wears vestments while saying Mass or performing his sacred duties, to remind him that he is, as it were, another person; that he is not acting in his own name or right, but in the name and place of our Blessed Lord.

I have given you in a general way a description of the Mass:  let me now mention its particular parts by their proper names, and tell you what they are.  At the foot of the altar the priest says the Confiteor, a psalm, and other prayers as a preparation.  Then he ascends the altar steps—­praying as he goes—­and says the Introit, which is some portion of the Holy Scripture suitable to the feast of the day.  He next says the Kyrie Eleison, which means:  Lord, have mercy on us.  He then says the Gloria, or hymn of praise, though not in all Masses.  After the Gloria he says the Collect, which is a collection of prayers in which the priest prays for the needs of the Church and of its children.  This is followed by the Epistle, which is a part of the Holy Scripture.  Then the Mass-book is removed