A story for every day...

St. Elizabeth of Hungary had the greatest desire to hear Mass, but when she attended she put down her crown, removed the rings from her fingers, and stripped of all her ornaments she stood in the presence of the altars, covered with a veil, and in such a modest attitude that she was never seen to turn her eyes to the right or to the left. This simplicity and modesty pleased God so much that He wanted to show His satisfaction by a striking sign. During the Mass itself, the Saint was surrounded by such a radiant light that the eyes of those present were dazzled, and she was taken for an angel descended from heaven. Take advantage of such a beautiful example, and if you do so, be assured that you will make yourself agreeable to God and to men, and that your sacrifices will bring you immense benefits in this life and in the next.

The great Constantine was not content to hear Mass every day in his palace; even when he marched at the head of his armies and into the midst of the camps, he was followed by a portable altar, and never failed to have the holy mysteries celebrated. It was his piety that earned him the notable victories he won over his enemies. – Lothair, Emperor of Germany, constantly observed the same practice: in war as in peacetime, he wanted to hear as many as three Masses every day. – The pious king of England, Henry III, also heard three Masses every day, to the great edification of his entire court. His devotion was rewarded by God, even temporally, by a reign of fifty-six years.