Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-23
EFFECT OF TIE EUCHARIST
The Subject Of the Fifth Discourse by
the Ri. Rev. Bishop DOnahue
Delivered at Vesper Services at st.
Joseph's Cathedral Yesterday.
A Famous Evangelist in the City,
who will Conduct Meetings Here.
Other Religious Matters.

At ST. JOsephs Cathedral, last night,
the Rt. Rev. Bishop Donahue preached
the fifth of his series Of 'discourses on
the Holy Eucharist to a large and very
attentive congregation. The preacher
chose as his text the words of Christ,
John VI. IS: LAS the living Father
hath sent Me and live by the Father,
so ne that eateth Me the same shall live
by Me" He also cited the words OF st.
Paul to the Galatians. Chap. H., V. 20:
And live, now not I, but Christ liveth
in me"
He said in part: Heretofore we have
been considering the Adorable Sacra-
ment as it is in itself. This evening
we will endeavor to mediate upon it
as it is in our regard; in other words,
we shall briefly consider the effects OF
the Holy Eucharist. In the sixth chap
ter Of st. John, upon which we have
drawn so much in these conferences,
we learn from the lips of Divine Truth
the wonderful results accruing from
worthy reception Of Christ's adorable
body and blood. Now Catholic faith is
all contained in this discourse as the
oak with its trunk and limbs and
branches down TO the delicate tracery
of the remotest leaf is contained pOten-
italy in the acorn. The gracious rain
and the sunlight and the chemic yir-
tues OF the soil develop the acorn, or the
grain OF the mustard seed, into the
stately and wide spreading tree. So
have the inherent virtue and potential
ity OF our dear Lords words been de-
velOped into the fullness and clearness
OF the Catholic dogma by many saint,
theOlOgian and council. A new attack
gave rise to greater strength and beauty
of treatment as the oak grows stately
and strong and more deeply rooted
from fierce wrestling with the winter
winds
Passing over. then, all the definitions
and developments of previous ages, we
select as our guide the great Council of
Trent Session XII, Chap. p, and quote
what is germane to the matter in hand:
"(ChrisU instituted this sacrament, in
which He, as it were, poured forth the
abundance of His Divine love for man.
He wished this sacrament to
be received as the spiritual food of
souls. by which are nOurished and
strengthened those living by the life
of Him who said: He that eateth Me,
the same shall live by Me-" and also as
an antidote by which we are freed from
daily faults and safeguarded from NOR
tai sin. Moreover. He wished il to be a
pledge of our future glory and eternal
happiness"
Here, slipped of verbiage. we find
three main ideas: First, The Blessed
Sacrament is the spiritual food OF our
souls. Secondly, IL is an antidote
Thirdly Ii is pledge.
The remainder OF the discourse was
consumed in treating these three points.
The preacher quoted literally from the
theolOgians and doctors of the church
and drew upon the fathers also in sup
port of each point The first text. he
said, contained the promise; he words
of St. Paul showed its ful6llment. He
referred in glowing terms TO the full
ness of spiritual life conferred by the
sacrament. and to the spiritual death
consequent upon It's non-reception.
Unless YOU eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink His blood YOU shall not
have life in YOU" He was also espe-
cially emphatic on the power of the
Holy Eucharist 10 remit lesser sins by
its own direct action as we'll as indi-
recJly. and concluded by depicting it
as the pl5dge of everlasting glory.