The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-08-09
CConcluded.)

pie rich and poor learned and un-
learned, gather round the holy altar.
all sharing alike in this heavenly BAN
quet.
And in the records of the church it
is deservedly reckoned to the special
credit Of its first ages that 1.-THE null
titude Of the believers had but one
heart and one soul" (Acts iv, SD, and
there can be no shadow of doubt that
this immense blessing was due to their
frequent meetings at the Divine table;
for we find it recorded of them: They
were persevering in the doctrine of the
apostles and in the communion of the
breaking of bread" (Acts ii, 42)
Besides all this, the grace of mutual
charity among the living, which derives
from the Sacrament of the Eucharist so
great an increase of strength. is further
extended by virtue of the sacrifice to
an those who are numbered in the
communion of Saints. For the Com
munion of Saints, as everyone knows,
is nothing but the mutual communica-
ton of help, expiation, prayers bless
ings. among all the faithful, who,
whether they have already attained TO
the heavenly country, or are detained
la the purge torial fire, or are yet eXiles
here on earth all enjoy the common
franchise Of that city whereof Christ
is The head and the constitution is
charity For faith teaches us that al
though the venerable sacrifice may be
lawfully offered to God alone, yet it
may be celebrated in honor of the
saints reigning in heaven with God
Who has crowned them, in order that
We may gain for ourselves their pat
ronage And it may also be offered
in accordance with an apostolic tradi-
tion-for the purpose of eXpiating the
sins of those of the brethren who, hay
inc died in the Lord, have not yet fully
paid the penalty of their transgres-
sions.
That genuine charity, therefore, which
knows how to do and to suffer all
things for the salvation and the benefit
of all, leaps forth with all the heat and
energy of flame from that most holy
Eucharist in which Christ himself is
present and lives, in which he INDUCES
TO the utmost his love towards US, and
under the impulse of that divine love
ceaselesSly renews his sacrifice. And
thus it is not difficult to see whence the
arduous labors of apostolic men, and
whence those innumerable designs of
every kind for the welfare of the hui
man race which have been set on foot
among Catholics, derive their origin,
their strength, their permanence. their
success.
These few words on a subject so vast
viii, we doubt not, prove most helpful
TO the Christian flock. if you in your
zeal. venera BILE brethren, will cause
them to be eXpounded and enforced as
time and occasion may serve. But
indeed a sacrament so great and so
rich in all manner of blessings can
never be eXtolled as it deserves by hu-
man eloquence, nor adequately vener-
Me
sacra ment. whether as the theme of de-
vout meditation. or as the object of
public alteration, or best of all as a food
10 be received in the utmost purity of
conscience. is to be regarded as the cen
ter towards which the spiritual life of
Christian in all its ambit gravitates;
for all other forms of devotion, what
soever they may be. lead up to it, and
IN it find their point of rest In this
mystery more than in any other that
gracious invitation and still more gra,-
cious promise of Christ is realized and
finds its daily fulfillment Come to
me all We that labor and are heavily
burdened. and / will refresh you" est.
Matt. XII, 2S).
In word this sacrament is, as it
we're, the very soul of the church: and
to IT the grace of the priesthood is or
dered and directed in all its fullness
and in each of its successive grades.
From the same source the church
dla US and has all her strength, all her
glory, her every supernatural endow-
ment and adornment, every good thing
that is hers; wherefore she makes it
the chiefest of all her cares to prepare
the hearts of the faithful for an init
mate union with Christ through the
sacrament Of his body and blood, and
to draw them thereto. And to this end
she strives to promote the veneration
Of this august mystery by surrounding
81 with holy ceremonies. To this cease
less and ever watchful care of the
church our mother, our attention is
drawn by that eXhortation which was
uttered by the holy Council of Trent,
and which is so much to the purpose
that for the benefit of the Christian
people we here reproduce 1t in its en-
tiretY:
The holy synod admonishes. exhorts,
asks and implores by the tender mercy
Of our God, that all and each OF those
Who bear the name of Christian should
at last unite and find peace in this sign
of unity in this bond of charity, in
this symbol of concord; and that. mind
ful OF the great majesty and singular
love of Jesus Christ our Lord, who gave
his precious life as the price of our sal
aAlDils dllu MS liEGll LII Jul AOVds INC
should believe and revere these sacred
mysteries Of his body and blood with
such constancy Of unwavering faith,
with such interior devotion and wor-
shipful piety that they may be in con-
dition 10 receive frequently that super
Substa ntial bread. and that ii may be
"a them the life Of their souls and keep
their mind in soundness of faith; so
that strengthened with its strength
they may be enabled after the journey
of this sorrowful pilgrimage TO reach
The heavenly country. there to see ana
feed upon that bread of angels which
here they eat under the sacramento
veils.' ICON. Trld., Sess. XXI, G. viz
History bears witness that the viz
tues Of the Christian life have -four
ished best wherever and whenever the
frequent reception Of the Eucharist has
most prevailed. And on the other hand
Il is no less certain that in days When
men have ceased to care for this heaV-
en,y bread. and have lost their appetite
i1r il, the practice of Christian religion
las gradually lost its force and Vlgor. |
And indeed il was as needtul meas
ure of a complete falling away thal
Innocent III, in the Council OF the Lat
eran most strictly enJoined that no
Christian should abstain from recelv-
ing the communion of the Lords body |
al least in the solemn paschal season. |
But il is clear that this precept was |
imposed with regret. and only as last |
l4Source: for it has always been the
desire Of the church that at every mass
some Of the, faithful should be present |
and should communicate. The holy
synod would wish that in every ceie-
bration of the mass some of the falth-
ful should take part. not only by oe-
routly assisting thereat. but also oy
the sacramentaI reception OF the bu-
aharist, in order that they might NOR
-I,Ir5a,+I,, rartalke of the fruits of this |
= - - :, 49,, T,rid SPss ~