The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-09-10
1T is GODS HOUSE.

there is thing that we Protestants can learn
from the Catholics it is reverence for the church To
the Catholic the church is place the house of
God-the place where the believer meets his God How
different our Protestant feeling. Theoretically the
church is the house OF God and admit that it is
the place where one should meet God Practically it
is the meeting place of religious organiza tor-the
place where the varied activities center-the place
not so much of worship of work. The auditorium
itself. merely of the various of the build
lns is the place where one twice week to hear
/ man. Whether admit it or not this is the way
! the church is very largely regarded.
The above is not clipped from any Anglican
publication. Neither is it the language of any
Rituaistic editor with an eye to the beauty and
significance of the Roman Catholic ceremony and
an ear for the Gregorian chant. 1t is from Bap-
fist newspaper; the words of plain, everyday
Baptist editor. But from one evidently yearning
for that Something which finds no place in evan
gehcal exhortation; yearning for the Real
Presence deposited in the tabernacle of the Cath
olc altar. 1t looks odd to find such admission of
the worldly shade of Protestant worship in the
Baptist Commonwealth. 1t goes further to show
that the feeling of religious desolation is not con-
fined to those brethren who would be Catholics
could they leave out the pope.
The Catholic church is the house of God How
1t IS so, and why, might be explained by an incl
dent which happened some years ago in the little
church of St. Mary Magdalen in this city A Cath
oilc engaged IN night employment, at about 3
o'clock in the morning of Good Friday sought the
little church to adore the Blessed Sacrament.
which is exposed after the Mass of Holy Thurs
day IN the tabernacle of an altar other than the
high altar Usually the exposition does not end
until the host is again placed in the high altar at
The pious custom of selecting watchers from So
dalltles to remain all through the night and hours
OF the early morning obtains in Eastern cities.
our Cathoi1c friend was recent arrival from
the East
Entering the church, all was darkness except
Tor the little red light before the high altar which
IS never extingushed. No watchers No one pres
ent but himself Yes, one other; and that other.
God God in the Blessed Sacrament. God all
alone and waiting for him. What transcendcnt
privilege was this, he thought, 10 be alone with
sod Even he could hear Him say as He said in
the harden OF Olives when He found the apostles
asleep; What, could you not watch one hour
with me-" With joyful heart, the Catholic re-
pled: i, Lord, will watch beside thee here
And SO this Catholic remained at the exposition
altar IN prayer and meditation until the light Of
lay shone through the windows of the church. He
Id not know that the host he'd already been re-
moved and was even then concealed in the tabcr-
laclc of the high altar.
No matter. His faith beheld the Master be-
ore him as clearly the apostles saw the Savior
Oalllee' Therefore the alteration was just as
ompiete as If the host were really exposed.
Such is the faith which presages the victory
yer the world And this faith it is which makes
he Catholic church the house of God.