The Perennial Holy Mass for the dying
by Raffaele Comaschi
When, freed from the slavery of Egypt, the Jewish people had to clash with the Amalekites, who were much more numerous and stronger, the Lord promised them victory as long as Moses, on the top of the mountain, kept his hands raised towards the sky in a supplicant attitude. The episode, narrated in the book of Exodus, is for Christian tradition a prophetic reference to the crucified Jesus who, stretching out his arms towards Heaven, with his supplication brings mercy down upon men: «Prayer goes up and blessing comes down ».
Don Guanella wrote: «If it is great charity to help the poor, to support the deceased, how much greater will it be to help the dying in danger of losing eternal life and deprived of any human help in the decisive moment of death».
On 19 March 1912, the solemnity of Saint Joseph, Don Guanella inaugurated the church dedicated to the Transit of Saint Joseph which immediately had an exceptional diffusion not only in Italy but also abroad; in fact, through the work of PIME missionaries, the Jesuits, the Salesians and other congregations, the Pious Union reached as far as the Far East such as China, Japan and the Solomon Islands. In the following years also in Syria. In the city of Aleppo there were thousands of members of the Pious Union.
Saint Pius The year following his birth, the Pope proclaimed the Pious Union of the Transit of Saint Joseph as "primary", that is, "mother" of many branches that would be established throughout the world.
The successor of Pius in favor of the dying, the Pope immediately agreed, committing himself to celebrate a Mass on the first day of every month for the dying, in particular for young soldiers on the war front.
In the letter of adhesion Benedict this charitable purpose, the holy Sacrifice of the Mass; and we will do this on the first day of each month, or the second, when the first is a public holiday." And he went further, stimulated by the countless deaths caused by the massacre of war, especially on the battlefields, granting "to those pious Priests who annually perform some Holy Mass for the dying poor" some faculties for Apostolic indulgences and plenary indulgences in some liturgical holidays and on the anniversary of their priestly ordination.
In a recent interview broadcast by TV2000, Pope Francis, quoting Saint Therese of Lisieux, recommended praying for the dying and said: «The Saints were tempted until the last moment. Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus actually said that we must pray a lot for the dying because the devil unleashes a storm of temptations at that moment. And she too, Saint Teresa, was tempted to distrust, to lack faith. She with a soul as dry as a stone... But she managed to entrust herself to the Lord, without feeling anything, to find relief against this aridity and so she overcame the temptation. And Saint Teresa said that for this reason it is important to pray for the dying. “Man's life on earth is a battle”, says the book of Wisdom. Our life is a continuous struggle to overcome the temptations that will always accompany us."
The battle becomes more acute especially at the end, when our humanity finds itself disarmed, the person with the baggage of his history is engulfed by extreme and solitary poverty and therefore needs spiritual help to avoid abandoning himself into the hands of Evil.
The "Perennial Mass" is this special and formidable chain of prayer in which the salvation of souls who leave the earth behind and knock on the door of eternity is entrusted to Jesus the Redeemer.
The role of Saint Joseph in the service of souls
The apse of our basilica reproduces the mosaic of the Transit of Saint Joseph in a serene attitude raising his eyes to Heaven, surrounded by Jesus and Mary, clasping his right hand in that of his Son. The Church, divinely inspired, with motherly concern, decided to make him the protector of her children in this culminating moment of life, on which our entire eternity depends. And we know, also from the experience of many saints, how Satan in those decisive moments launches his final attacks to prevent eternal happiness.
Saint Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and father and guardian of the souls of the dying, watches over their agony and dispels their discomfort and fears, revealing to them the open Heavens above and pronouncing with reassuring authority the invitation: « Come on, go up to Heaven!".
The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes it as follows: «The Church encourages us to prepare for the hour of our death by invoking with the ancient Litanies of the saints to free us from sudden death and to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us "at the hour of our death ” and so also in the recitation of the “Ave Maria” and to entrust ourselves to Saint Joseph, patron saint of a good death” (CCC, 1014).
In the heart of the First World War, faced with so much mourning and tears for the death of young people at the front, «The Holy Crusade in honor of Saint Joseph» invited priests to register on the list of this chain of mercy so that the turning of the clock hands with a perennial cry for help from heaven for the dying.
But there was more, the Management of the Primary Pious Union of Transit expressed the desire to achieve a number of celebrations that would allow it to cover the entire hours of the entire year. In fact, Don Cesare Pedrini, the first director of our magazine, wrote: «Let the long-awaited day be hastened in which every half hour, both day and night, a priest places the infinite price of the Redemption together with the prayers of millions of faithful for the eternal health of our dying brothers." A desire which, as can be seen by scrolling through the various monthly issues of the periodical, has gradually come true and which today is abundantly satisfied.
In that season of the "useless massacre", as Pope Benedict it is something divine... Saint Joseph must grant it soon!".
In this initiative, the commitment of the Jesuits stood out as they spread it in their missions in every part of the world, so that, due to the difference in time zones, «even when it is night here and the churches are dark and silent, in other places there it is he who offers the holy Victim."
The tradition of the Church
The liturgical books of the time offered a Mass form for the dying: «Missa votiva pro uno vel pluribus infirmis morti proximis», but a more explicit reference to the patronage of Saint Joseph was desired. A Marist father, missionary in Oceania, had composed a Mass essay, which, in a private audience, had been presented to Benedict XV by the Director of the Pious Union of Transit. The Pope had sent the text to the Sacred Congregation of Rites. However, he had not approved this, but had modified the prayers of the previous mass. Now in the missal of the Roman rite as in the Ambrosian rite there is a ritual of the mass for the "dying".
Current affairs of the perennial Mass
Today, unfortunately, the habit of calling the priest to assist the dying in their last moments is being lost. It is the most important fraction of time in existence: it is a new birth.
In that moment life is not erased, but the gift of earthly existence enters a new dimension. With the Holy Mass, the priests, but also the lay people, can not only pray but all become missionaries of charity who bring sure help in the most serious and decisive moment of human life and ensure that where the work of the priest does not reach, it makes up for the Mercy of God urged by our supportive prayer.
And here is the great project of the holy «Perennial Mass»: «just as the earth uninterruptedly presents its meridians to the sun, so a priest, at every moment, presents the immense value of the Divine Sacrifice to the Father, accompanied by the supplication to Saint Joseph to millions of faithful."
Saint Maximilian Kolbe was not only registered for the "Perennial Mass", but invited priests to register. God gave Father Kolbe, martyr of charity, the concrete task of giving his life and accompanying his nine companions condemned to die of starvation to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Father Kolbe thus "concelebrated" with Jesus the ultimate sacrifice of his existence.
Heroes always have prophetic insights; for this reason we must pray that these intuitions of solidarity for those who reach the bottom of human poverty can have a generous response.