Man's Four Obligations & the Four Ends of the Mass
St. Thomas Aquinas has identified four obligations that every man owes to God:
To praise and honor His infinite majesty.
To satisfy for the many sins committed against that infinite majesty.
To thank Him for so many benefits received
To supplicate Him as the Giver of all graces
These four obligations correspond to the Four Ends of the Sacrifice of the Mass, which are:
Adoration
Atonement
Thanksgiving
Petition
The four ends of the Mass are the same four obligations that we owe to God. This is why St. Thomas identified the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as the most efficacious method of paying the four great debts owed by us to God.
St. Peter Julian Eymard explains, “The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most sublime prayer. At Mass Jesus Christ offers Himself to His Father, adoring Him, thanking Him, making reparation to Him, and petitioning Him in behalf of His Church, of men His brothers, and of the poor sinners. Jesus continues this august prayer unceasingly through His state of Victim in the Eucharist. Let us unite our prayer to that of our Lord; let us pray as He does according to the Four Ends of the Sacrifice; this form of prayer sums up religious worship and entails the practice of every virtue." (The Real Presence, p. 19)
How the Four Obligations are Paid in the Mass:
1. The Mass Offers Infinite Honor to God: Jesus is the true celebrant of the Mass. The High Priest, Jesus Christ, offers Himself as the Victim, to God. In this act of profound humility, Jesus offers infinite honor and homage to God. God is honored as He deserves through Christ's offering.
2. The Mass Has the Value to Satisfy for Sin: Sins committed against an infinite God are infinite. We are finite creatures and cannot atone for infinite sins. All the good works of all of humanity combined would never satisfy for sin. The holy Mass has the infinite value to satisfy for all sins because it is the same holy act as Calvary; the same sacrifice with infinite merit. Since we cannot atone for sin, we depend on Jesus Christ, which is why it is necessary that we unite ourselves to His sacrifice on the Cross in every Mass. The Mass has infinite value by reason of the Victim Who is offered, Jesus Christ, and also by reason of the primary Offerer, Who is no other than the same Jesus Himself. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we have what is of infinite value — the precious Body and Blood of God's beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
“But since all your satisfaction and penances are too petty and deficient to atone for so many crimes, unite them to those of your Savior Jesus, lifted up on the Cross. Receive His Divine Blood as it flows from His wounds, and offer it up to appease Divine Justice. Take His sufferings and His prayers on the Cross and, through them, beg the Heavenly Father for pardon and mercy for yourself and all sinners.” - St. Peter Julian Eymard, The Real Presence
3. The Mass is an Offering of Thanksgiving to God: We owe gratitude to God for the immense benefits He bestows on us; we owe Him gratitude for literally everything. How can we ever sufficiently thank Him for everything? How can we repay the Lord for all His goodness? David asked this very question in the Psalms, and we repeat it in the holy Mass: "What return shall I make to the Lord for all the benefits which He hath bestowed upon me?" David answers, "I will raise the chalice of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord." In other words, I will offer a sacrifice. The word Eucharist means Thanksgiving; it is an offering of thanks. The Eucharist itself is perfect thanksgiving. At the Last Supper, the first holy Mass, Jesus "raised His eyes to heaven and gave thanks to His Heavenly Father."
4. In the Mass, Jesus Obtains Our Needs from the Father: To "supplicate" God means to have recourse to Him for assistance. Supplicate means to ask or beg, earnestly and humbly. In the Mass, Jesus is the pacifying Victim and supplicatory sacrifice for obtaining our needs from the Father. Jesus recommends our cause to the Father. Jesus prays for us. Jesus is our advocate. Therefore, we can have very great confidence when praying at Mass.
There is not only one method for us to assist at the Holy Mass. Some people pay the utmost attention to their missals, following along with every movement and prayer of the priest. This is a fine and excellent method. However, others prefer to dispense with the missal altogether and pray in a more meditative way, gathering the sweet fruits of Mass through pure contemplation. This is also a profitable and excellent way of assisting at Mass. St. Leonard of Port Maurice, the author of The Hidden Treasure, explains a third method of assisting at Mass that blends these two methods and divides the Mass into four spaces of time that correspond to the four obligations.
St. Leonard’s Advice for Assisting at Mass:
Part 1: Adoration. Starting at the beginning of the Gospel.
Here is where you pay the first obligation: honor and praise the majesty of God Who is worthy of infinite honor and praise. Humble yourself with Jesus by plunging into the depths of your nothingness. This is a time to thoroughly humble yourself, internally and externally, before such an immense majesty.
Part 2. Atonement. After the Gospel until the Elevation.
Glance over your sins and recognize your debts to Divine Justice. Repeat many acts of contrition.
Part 3. Thanksgiving. From the Elevation to Communion.
St. Leonard beautifully urges you to "Stir your soul to wonder at the overflowing torrent of great and good gifts bestowed on you or designed for you by God." Here you can offer in return a gift of infinite value: the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Invite all the angels and saints to thank God on your behalf. Offer sincere prayers of Thanksgiving.
Part 4. Petition. From Communion to the end of Mass.
"Look upon the God who is within you..." now is the time to summon up the holy courage to ask God for many graces. This courage comes from Jesus: He has united Himself to you in the Eucharist, He is praying with you on your behalf. St. Leonard says, "Do not ask for small things - ask for great things!" and "Do not ask with lukewarmness, ask with great confidence!" If your prayers are united to those of Jesus, they will indeed be heard. Ask for help for all your needs, spiritual and temporal.
“All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man.” - St. John Vianney
Mass is the highest and holiest act, and the greatest prayer of the Church – but not because of anything man does. It is because it is the action of Christ Himself. When we unite ourselves and our prayers to Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary during every Mass, truly that is the most efficacious method of prayer. This is why participation in the holy Mass is the best way for us to fulfill the obligations we owe to Almighty God. What more efficacious means can we possibly employ?
