Then Pascal answered: "If it really is as you say,
the brave knight who bore my semblance must have
been my guardian angel, for I assure you I have not
been out of the church to-day. Praise God with me
and give thanks to Him from your hearts for having
sent you an angel, through whose assistance you were
enabled to vanquish the foe. But learn from this how
pleasing it is to God that we should assist at Mass, and
how profitable it is to us, for I am convinced that had I
not heard those Masses my angel would not have ap-
peared to you and led you on to so signal a victory."
In these and other words he exhorted the soldiers to be
very fervent in hearing Mass.
It is to be hoped that this incident will have a like
effect on those who read it and make them for the fu-
ture more diligent in their attendance at Mass. Above
all, great sinners who have done little penance should do
this. We know that so strict is divine justice no sin
will go unpunished; it must be expiated in this world or
in the next. Far better is it for thee, O sinner, to atone
for thy sins of thy own accord in this world than to
leave it to the just Judge to chastise ihee for them in the
next. And if thou canst not undertake difficult pen-
ances, choose the easy one of hearing Mass^ whereby
\hou canst pay off all thy debts.
2i8 Mass thi Most Sublime Work of the Holy Ghost.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE HOLY MASS IS THE MOST SUBLIME WORK OF

THE HOLY GHOST.
