The price of the Holy Mass is infinite.

I recently learned about six holy masses celebrated for the dead, called clementines. Where can they be served? We receive the fruits of the Holy Mass all the more intensively; the more we protect ourselves from sin, the more we open our hearts to listening to God. 

Your question refers to the almost unknown custom of celebrating six masses as a sign of respect for Christ’s suffering, from his capture, condemnation, humiliation, and crucifixion to resurrection, which can be offered for the dead as well as for the living. This practice is based only on private revelations allegedly approved by Pope Clement XII and certainly does not belong to the Church’s official and guaranteed spiritual treasure. I would like to point out the essence of offering the holy Mass for the living or the dead before touching anyone who has heard of these masses or wishes to celebrate them.

ALWAYS AGAIN

The community of believers in Christ accepted his Easter gift of the Eucharistic sacrifice from the apostles and, from the beginning, perceived that by celebrating the Eucharist, they not only fulfill his command to “do this in remembrance of me” ( 1 Cor 11:24) but also participate in his sacrifice, which is always renewed, made present, and brought to God also as a sacrifice to the Church.

It includes all its members, both living and dead, and can also be offered as a Eucharistic sacrifice for specific believers.

Its value was known to Christians a long time ago, as beautifully expressed by St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, who told him before her death: “Bury my body anywhere, don’t worry about it.” I only ask you to remember me at the altar of the Lord, wherever you may be.”

INFINITE PRICE

The most important effect, sometimes called the “fruit” of every Holy Mass, is union with Christ. We can perceive this in two ways. On the part of the Lord Jesus, it is always about the infinite price of his passion, death, and resurrection and his complete desire to sanctify us humans.

We believe that we receive this fruit of the Holy Mass all the more intensely the more we protect ourselves from sin, open our hearts to listening to God, pray, live the Holy Mass with concentration, and long for Jesus. The most profound manifestation of this is receiving Holy Communion.

However, from our side, the ability to receive God’s blessing, the gospel of Jesus, and to experience faith is always limited because we are imperfect. From this follows the fact that although the price of the Holy Mass is infinite, we can offer it for the living and the dead many times, repeatedly.

GREGORIAN MASSES

In the case of the deceased, it is an ancient custom of the Church to celebrate Mass when the death is announced, on the day of the funeral, or various anniversaries. Of course, we can also mention the so-called Gregorian Holy Masses, part of the Church tradition.

However, the effect of the Holy Mass for the dead does not depend on where, when, or by whom the Mass is celebrated because its fruit results from the redemptive death of Jesus Christ.

From our side, the offering of the Holy Mass for the deceased is mainly a sacrifice, a prayer, and an expression of love, as expressed by Saint Ambrose when he said about the deceased: “We loved them during life, let us not leave them even in death until we lead them to the Lord’s house with our prayers.” “

SPIRITUALLY PREPARED

It is scarce if we not only “celebrate” the Holy Mass for our dead, but if possible, we also participate in it as a family and receive the Eucharist or, before that, the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

If Holy Mass is offered to us, let’s try to live it actively, religiously, with concentration, and do everything to be spiritually prepared to receive Holy Communion.

So we don’t have to worry about who and where will serve us, Clementine or Gregorian chants. Let’s focus on living the Holy Mass in faith as the most holy sacrifice of Christ and adding our sacrifice to it as a fervent prayer for our living and dead.