The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-08-09
Pope Les N the Blessed Eucharist.
Conclusion OF the FAMOUS Encycca with Quotations from
the EARLY Fathers OF the Church.

!
stance, that the domination Of God our
Creator and Preserver over all men,
| whether in their private or in their
public life, is supreme and absolute;
that our whole being and all that we
possess, whether individually or as
members of society, comes from the di-
vine bounty; that we on our part are
bound to show TO God, as our Lord. the
highest reverence, and, as he is our
greatest benefactor, the deepest graft
tude. But how many are there who.
at the present day, acknowledge and
discharge these duties with full and
exact Observance? In no age has the
1 spirit OF contumacy and an attitude OF
defiance toward God been more preva
tent than IN our own; an age in which
that unholy cry of the enemies of
! Christ: we will not have this man to
RUE over us Duke xix, 40, makes it
self more and more loudly heard, to-
gether with the utterance of that
wicked purpose: Let us make away
with him der. XII. ID; nor is there
any motive by which many are hurried
on with more passionate fury than the
desire utterly to Danish God not only
from the civil government. but from
every form of human society. And al
though men do not everywhere proceed
TO this extremity of criminal madness,
II is lamentable thing that so many
are sunk in oblivion of the divine mai
esty and of his. favors, and i'm particu-
lar of the salvation wrought for US by
Christ. Now a remedy must be found
Tor this wickedneSs on the one hand,
and this sloth on the other. in a gem
eral increase among the faithful of fer
Vent devotion toward the Eucharistic
Sacrlilce, than which nothing can give
greater honor, nothing be more pleas
ing TO God. For 1t is divine victim
Which is here inundated; and accord
lngly through this victim we offer to
the most blessed trinity all that honor
which the infinite dignity of the God
head demands: infinite in value and in
finitely acceptable is the gift which we
present TO the Father in his only-be-
gotten Son; so that for his benefits to
us we not only signify our gratitude,
but actually make an adequate return.
Moreover, there is another two-fold
fruit which we may and must derive
from this great sacrifice. The heart is
Saddened when ii considers what a
food Of wickedness, the result-as we
have said-of forgetfulness and con-
tempt of the divine majesty has mum
dated the world 1t is not too much to
say that a great part Of the human
race seems to be calling down upon it
SGll AiiG anger u uCeLNGil lliOuSI III
deed the crop of evils which has grown
up here on earth is already ripening to
a just judgment. Here then is mo-
tive whereby the faithful may be stirred
to devout and earnest endeavor to
appease God, the aVenger of sin, and to
win from him the help which is so
needful in these calamitous times. And
they should see that such blessings are
to be sought principally by means of
this sacrifice. For it is only in virtue
of the death which Christ suffered that
men can testify, and that most album
dainty, the demands of Gods justice, |
and can obtain the plenteous gifts of
his clemency. And Christ has willed
that the whole virtue of his death, alike
for eXpfation and Importation, should
abide in the Eucharist, which is no
mere empty commemorate ton thereof, |
but d true and wonderful though blood |
less and mystical renewal of it.
To conclude, we gladly acknowledge |
that it has been "a cause of no small |
JOY to us that during these last years |
a renewal of love and devotion toward |
the Sacrament of the Eucharist has, as
it seems, begun to show itself in the |
hearts of the faithful: fact which en-
courages us to hope for better times
and a more favorable state of affairs. |
Many and varied. as we said at the |
commencement are the expedients !
which an inventive piety has devised: |
and worthy of special mention are the !
confraternities instituted either with |
the object of carrying out the Euchar-
istrc ritual with greater splendor, or for |
the perpetual alteration of the vener- |
able sacrament by day and night, or
for the purpose of making reparation |
for the blasphemies and insults of |
R-11inb iC 10 nhiapf
nor you. Venera bic brethren, can allow |
ourselves to rest satisfied with what |
has hitherto been done: for there re- |
main many things which must be fur /
Their developed or begun anew, to the |
end that this most divine of gifts this |
greatest of mysteries. may be better |
understood and more worthily honored i
and revered. even by those who al |
ready take their part in the religious !
services of the church. Wherefore, |
works of this kind which have been |
already set on foot must be evermore
zealously promoted; old undertake |
ings must be revived wherever per- |
chance they may have fallen into |
decay; for instance, cOnfraternities of |
the holy Eucharist intercessorv |
prayers before the Blessed Sacrament |
exposed for the veneration of the faith
full, solemn professions, devout visits |
to Gods tabernacle, and other holy and |
salutary practices of the same kind: |
nothing must be omitted which a pru-
dent piety may suggest a 5 suitable. But |
the chief aim of our efforts must be |
that the frequent reception of the Eu- |
charist may be everywhere revived |
among Catholic peoples For this is the |
lesson which is taught us by the exam |
pie already referred to. of the primitive |
church, by the DEGREES of councils by |
the authority of the fathers and CT the |
holy men in all ages. For the soul, !
like the body, needs frequent nourish- |
ment; and the holy Eucharist provides |
that food which is best adapted to the |
support of its life. Accordingly all hos |
tile prejudices. those vain fears to |
which so many yield. and their specious
excuses from abstaining from the Eu-
charist. must be resolutely put aside: |
for there is question here of a gift than |
which none other can be more service
able to the faithful people, either for |
tho. redeeming of time from the tyran-
nv of anxious cares concerning perish /
able things. or for the renewal of The |
Christian spirit and perseverance there
in. To this end the eXhortations and |
example of all those who occupy a
prominent position will powerfully con-
tribute, but most especially the re-
sourceful and diligent zeal of the
clergy.
For priests. to whom Christ our Re-
deemer entrusted the office of conse
Grating and dispensing the mystery of
his body and blood, can assuredly make
no better return for the honor which
has been conferred upon them. than by
promoting with all their might the
glory of his Eucharist, and by inviting
and drawing the hearts of men to the
health giving springs of this great sac
rament and sacrifice, seconding thereby
the longings of his most sacred heart.
May God grant that thus in accord
ance with our earnest desire, the excel
Ter fr1iits Of the E,ilcha riSf NAV daily L