any of this disrespect to go unpunished
in this world or in the next. Knowing this, some holy persons offer up
their prayers and Holy Communions in reparation for these insults, and
try to atone for all the insults offered to Our Lord in the Blessed
Sacrament. They have united in holy society for this purpose, called the
Apostleship of Prayer, or League of the Sacred Heart, now established in
many parishes. If you do not belong to such a society, you should make
such an offering yourself privately.

In the Old Law the people brought to the temple whatever they wished the
priests to offer up for them--sometimes a lamb, sometimes a dove,
sometimes fruit, etc. The offering or sacrifice was theirs, and they
offered it up by the hands of the priests. In the early ages of the
Church the Christians brought to the priests the bread and wine to be
consecrated and offered up at Mass. Now as the bread and wine used at
the Mass must be of a particular kind, namely, wheaten bread and wine of
the grape, there was some danger of the people not bringing the proper
kind: so instead of the people bringing these things themselves, the
priests began to buy them, and the people gave him money for his own
support; and thus you have the origin of offering money to the priest
for celebrating Mass for your intention. The money is not to pay for the
Mass, because you could not buy any sacred thing without committing sin.
The priest may use the money also for the candles burned, the vestments
and sacred vessels, etc., used at the Mass. To buy a holy thing for
money is the sin of simony--so called after Simon, a magician, who tried
to bribe the Apostles to give him Confirmation when he was unworthy of
it. To buy religious articles before they are blessed is not simony, nor
even after they are blessed, if you pay only for the material of which
they are made; but if you tried to buy the blessing, it would be simony.
When the Holy Mass is offered, the fruits or benefits of it are divided
into four classes. The first benefit comes to the priest who celebrates
the Mass; the second, to the one for whom he offers the Mass; the third
benefit to those who are present at it; and the fourth to all the
faithful throughout the world.

*270 Q. Which is the best manner of hearing Mass?
A. The best manner of hearing Mass is to offer it to God with the priest
for the same purpose for which it is said, to meditate on Christ's
sufferings and death, and to go to Ho