The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-09-30

supernal regions, grasping in despair
at hazy legends of one such, who
should bend the Creator to the crea-
ture, and in human converse whisper
to the creature truths from the Crea-
tors lips, love from the Creators
bosom.
The Creator did hearken to the de-
spairing cry of the creature. "At sun
dry times and in divers manners He
spoke, in past times, to the Fathers. "
Yet in the Mosaic dispensation He
remained distant and hidden: His
words came to men through the lips
of men. At last His eternal love broke
forth in plenary effusion: Behold !
come" exclaimed the Word: "And
the Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us: and we saw His glory, the
glory as it were of the only-begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. /
The Incarnation was fact: God so
loved the world, as to give His only
begotten Son"
In the Incarnation the Almighty
sought closeness to humanity CLOSE
ness even unto Identification. So
urgent was the love impelling the
Word to become Incarnate, as we
learn of it in the revelations of Jesus,
that according to some eminent doc
tors of Christian theology, while com
ing to a sinful humanity the Word
came as Saviour and Redeemer, He
still would come had humanity re
tanned the original righteousness OF
Eden-coming then as the friend, as
the lover-so intense His love for
those whom He had made to His own
image and likeenss.
The Eucharist Continues the Mystery
of Divine Love.
'And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among u.s." The condescension
of the Almighty dazes human thought:
so measureless it's downward leap: yet
infinite love is unsatiated. All very
we'll, for the sons of men who roamed
through Palestine a score of centuries
ago, who met, heard Jesus and were
the witnesses of His illusions OF pow.
er and love. All very well, too, sc
far as remembrance of a great fact
once entered into history, may leave
impress along the ages, and be able
to shape and direct the destin1es OF
humanity. Divine love, however, GOV
eted personal union with the living
soul of each one willing to be near
Him, personal converse, personal EN-
brace. Love to the race at large
means too little to the individual, ano
all the less as the day of the nantes
tation recedes through the hazy mist
of the passing ages. What then will
the Incarnate do? What new mystery
will He unfold in order to be mine
today, as l live remote in space from
Palestine, remote in time from the
morning when angels babe the shep
herds hurry to the lowly crib where
lay the newborn Saviour? Behold
Jesus at the Last Supper: hear Him:
'This is my body-This is the chalice
of the new testament-Do this in
commemoration of me-" The new
mystery of divine love, the new mar
vel of divine power was the mystery
the miracle of transubstantiation
and of the institution of the Chris
tian priesthood.
Cross the threshold of the temple o.
the Church of Christ, be this the state
ly Cathedral, or the lowly hut, be this
the rude Arabian tent across Sahara
sands, or the bower of bough and lea
in American forest: an altar is there
on it Jesus descends from the righ
hand of the Father as the priest re
peats the mystic words of the conse
!, Grafton: tabernacle is there and be
meath it's canopy Jesus is enthroned
Draw nigh: it is Bethlehem: it is the
chamber of the Last Supper: it is Cal
vary Draw nigh: pour out WORSHIP
and love: higher yet: take Jesus al
, your very food. At the Last Supper
: Jesus did say: "This is my body;
and also did He say: ''Take We ant
eat" Not only is Jesus upon the ALTA
and in the tabernacle: He is with yol
in your heart, very part of yourself
much more to you, than to shep
herds and Magi, to disciples seeins
Him raise the dead to life, even tt
His close intimates, the apostles them
selves, before the solemn moment O
the Last Supper. 30 the depth of the
riches of the wisdom and of the knowl
; edge of God! How incomprehensiblt
are His judgments, and how unsearch
able are His ways!" All this, because
"God so loved the world
The Eucharist Repeats the Sacrifice o
3 Calvary.
In the Eucharist Jesus defies time
and space to put Himself into imme
: date and closest contact with the chill
! dren of men. The Incarnation pursue'
!: them, wherever they may be, to pou,
! out upon them it's mysterious wealth
Z of grace and favor. Farther still, the
) Eucharist: farther still the love of tht
l Almighty. The Eucharist perpetuate'
7 the Incarnation in the supreme act o
the visible nresence of Jesus