The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-08-02

constant purpose of ViTginity which
even in an age enervated by luxury. il
daily multiplied and spread abroad in
the Catholic church. with those advan-
taees to religion and to human society.
Wherever 1t is found. which are plain
10 see.
TO this it must be added that by this
same sacrament our hope of everlasting
blessedness, based on our trust in the
divine assistance, is wonderfully
strengthened. For the edge of that
longing for happiness which is so deep
~ rooted in the hearts of all men from
their birth is whetted even more and
more by the experience of the deceitful-
ness of earthly goods, by the unjust
violence of wicked men, and by all
those other Affections to which mind
and body are subject. Now the Yener-
able sacrament of the Eucharist is both
the source and the pledge of the bless
edneSs and of glory, and this, not for
the soul alone but for the body also.
For it enriches the soul and an abund-
ance of heavenly blessings and fills it
with a sweet joy which far surpasses
mans hope and expectations; il sus
tains him in adversely, strengthens
him in the spiritual combat, preserves
him for life everlasting, and as a spe
cidl provision for the journey accom-
panies him thither. and in the frail
and perishable body that divine host
which is the immortal body of Christ
implants a principle of. resurrection, a
seed of Immortality, which one day
must terminate. That to this source
mans soul and body will be indebted
for both these boons has been the con-
slant teaching of the church, which has
i'm, faF
Christ: He that eateth my flesh and
drinketh my blood hath everlasting life,
and | will raise him up at the last
day" (St.\John vi, $50.
In connection with this matter 1t is
of Importance to consider that in the
Eucharist, seeing that it was instituted
by Christ as "a perpetual memorial OF
his passion (Opusc. lvii. OffiC. de fes-
to Corporis Christ), is proclaimed TO
the Christian the necessity of a salu-
tary self Reinstatement. For Jesus said
to those first priests of his: DO this In
memory of me- duke xxi, lS); that
is to say, do this for the commemora-
ton of my pains, my sorroWs my
grievous Affections, my death upon the
cross. Wherefore this sacrament is at
the same time sacrifice, seasonable
throughout the entire period of our PEN
ance; end it is likewise a standing ex-
hCrtation to all manner of toll, and a
solemn and severe rebuke to those car
nal pleasures which some are not
ashamed so highly to praise and eXtol:
LAS often as We shall eat this bread,
and drink this chalice, ye shall an
nounce the death of the Lord, until
he come" Il Cor. xi, 26).
Furthermore, if any one will diligent-
ly examine into the causes of the evils
of our day, he will find that they arise
from this, that as charity toward God
has grown cold. the mutual charity OF
men among themselves has likewise
cooled Men have forgotten that they
are children of God and brethren in
Jesus Christ; they care for nothing ex-
cept their own individual interests; the
interests and the rights of others they
not only make light of, but often at
tack and invade. Hence frequent dis
turbances and strifes between class and
class: arrogance, oppression. fraud on
the part of the more powerful; misery,
envy and turbulence among the poor
These are evils for which it is vain to
seek a remedy in legislation, in threats
of penalties to be incurred. or in any
other device of merely human prudence.
Our chief care and endeavor ought to
be according to the admonitions which
siderable length, to secure the union of
classes in a mutual interchange of duti-
full services, "A union which, having its
origin in God. shall issue in deeds that
reflect the true spirit of Jesus Christ
ana a genuine charity. This charity
Christ brought into the world. with 1t
he would have all hearts on fire. For
it alone is capable of affording to soul
and body alike. even in this life, fore
taste of blessedness since it restraints
mans inordinate self-love, and puts a
check on avarice, which lis the root
of all evil q Tim. vi, 100. And where
as il is right to uphold all the claims
OF justice as between the various
classes of society, nevertheless it is only
with the efficacious aid of charity,
which tempers justice, that the equal
ity'' which St. Paul commended @ Cor
viii, 14). and which is so salutary for
human society. can be established and
maintained. This then is what Christ
intended when he instituted this ven
cradle sacrament. namely, by awaken
ing charity toward God to promote
mutual charity among men, For the
Ia tier. as is plain. is by its very nature
rooted in the former. and springs from
it by a kind of spontaneous growth.
Nor is it possible that there should
be any lack of charity among men, or
rather it must>needs be enkindled and
flourish, if men would but ponder well
the charity which Christ has shown in
this sacrament For in it he has not
only given a splendid manifestation of
his power and wisdom, but has in a
manner poured out the riches of his di-
vine love toward men," Conc. Trid.,
Sess. xiii, De Euch. c. I'D.
Having before our eyes this noble eX-
ample set us by Christ. who bestows
on us all that he has, assuredly we
ought to love and help one another TO
the utmost, being daily more closely
united by the strong bond of brother
hood And to this that the outward and
visible elements of this sacrament sup
ply singularly appropriate stimulus
to union. On the topic st. Cyprian
writes: I'm a word the Lords sacrifice
symbolizes the oneness of heart, guar
anteed by a perseVering invio'able
charity which should prevail among
Christians For when our Lord calls
his body bread a substance which is
kneaded together out of many grains,
he indicates that we, his people, whom
he sustains. are bound together in close
union: and when he speaks of his blood
as wine in which the juice pressed
from many clusters of grapes is min
gIed in one fluid he likewise indicates
that we his flock are by the comming-
ling of multitude of persons made
one" CEp. 90 ad Magnum n. al. 60
in like manner the Angelic Doctor,
adopting the sentiments of st. Angus
tine (Tract. xvii in Joan. mn. 13, Id.
writes: Our Lord has bequeathed to
US his body and blood under the form
of substances in which multitude of
70.
one of them. namely bread, consisting
as it does of many grains, is yet one,
and the other that is to say wine. has
its unity of being from the continent
juice OF many grapes; and therefore St
elsewhere says % sacra-
ment of mercy, o sign of unity, O bond
of charity" (Summ. Theol. P. III, q.