By ANTHONY MULLEN
Special to The CS&T

With the “Passion of the Christ” movie still lingering in the minds of many Catholics, St. Leonard has much he can teach us.
Born in 1676 near Genoa, Italy, Leonard Casanova entered the Franciscan seminary at age 21. He spent most of his life preaching missions throughout Italy, living an austere life, putting God first in everything. He founded several pious confraternities, including one of the Sacred Heart. He died at age 75 in 1751, and was beatified just 45 years after his death.
St. Leonard may have been the first to spread the use of the short prayer, My Jesus, mercy.
He constantly preached on the way of the cross and perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He also fostered devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin. He attributed to her intercession all the good he ever did or received. However, St. Leonard may be best known for his outstanding book, “The Hidden Treasure: Holy Mass.”
Mass, St. Leonard says, is “the greatest treasure which glorifies and enriches the Church of God, [but] it is still a hidden treasure, and known to few. Ah, if this jewel of paradise were but known, who would not give up all things to obtain it?”
Why such a sublime treasure? The Catechism teaches us: “The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice. ... In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the Cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner.”
The Catechism continues: “In the Eucharist, the Church is as it were at the foot of the Cross with Mary, united with the offering and intercession of Christ.”
This is why Mel Gibson’s movie of the Passion is so extraordinarily valuable. It helps us envision the enormity of the sacrifice that is repeated at every Mass without the shedding of Christ’s blood. Yet, the Sacrifice is no less valuable in the Mass than at Calvary.
St. Leonard explains: “The bloody sacrifice was the instrument of redemption; the unbloody sacrifice is that which puts us in possession: the one threw open the treasury of the merits of Christ our Lord; the other affords the practical use of that treasury. …
“Observe that Mass is not … a simple commemoration of the passion and death of the Redeemer, but there is performed, in a certain true sense, the [same] most holy act which was performed at Calvary. It may be said with all truth that in every Mass our Redeemer returns mystically to die for us, without really dying,” St. Leonard says.
He then quotes from the Book of Revelation: “I saw a Lamb standing as it were slain.”
The great Father Paul O’Sullivan, in his book, “The Wonders of the Mass,” had this to say about Catholics who don’t attend Mass on Sundays: “How is it that so many Catholics don’t go to Mass? The great Sacrifice of Calvary is offered in their very neighborhood, almost at their very door, and yet they are too lazy to assist at it.”
In that question we hear an echo of the admonition of St. Leonard: “Now, tell me … when you enter the Church to hear Mass do you thoroughly well consider that you are going up as it were to Calvary to be present at the death of the Redeemer? If so, would you go with behavior so nonchalant, with dress so flaunting?”
St. Leonard goes on to say, “Recognize the true celebrant to be not so much the human priest as the adorable person of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... Behold, then, the chief privilege of holy Mass, to have for a priest God made man.”
St. Leonard reminds the lay members of the Church of the enormous privilege granted them to co-offer the sacrifice of their lives at the Mass, adding: “Will you dare, from this time forward, to be at Mass … talking, looking here and there, perhaps even sleeping, or content yourselves with reciting some vocal prayers, without at all taking to heart the tremendous office of priest, which you are exercising…?
“How is it possible,” he asks, “that anyone should remain before the altar with a mind distracted and a heart dissipated at a time when the holy angels stand there trembling and astonished at the contemplation of a work so stupendous?”
For us, Mass is also the remedy for the sins we have committed since birth. To explain this further, St. Leonard refers us to the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, who said that in Mass we owe four special obligations to God.
According to Aquinas, our first obligation is to “praise and honor God’s infinite majesty, worthy of infinite honor and infinite praise.
“The second [obligation] is to repair for so many sins committed against that infinite Majesty,” Aquinas said. “The third is to thank Him for so many benefits and graces received. The fourth is to supplicate Him for more as the Giver of all graces. …
“Let us take care to attend many Masses, to attend with all the devotion possible, and to cause them to be celebrated everywhere as frequently as we can; and thus all our debts will be fully paid,”Aquinas advised.
Next time you are about to think or complain about the length of Mass or the priest’s homily or the music, remember the great question of St. Leonard: “Does the connection sink deep within us, when … assisting at the adorable sacrifice, that Jesus is renewing, in our presence, the mysteries of His life and death?”
The great contribution of Mel Gibson’s movie is the vivid painting for our imaginations of the Passion and the sacrifice that are renewed in every Mass. This is the truth that draws many to Mass everyday, and causes them to become upset when they can’t be there. May God bless you with this grace of graces.

Anthony J. Mullen is Chairman of the Children of the Father Foundation.