The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-15
FREQUENT COMMUNION.

In recent L dSIO1 al ACSSOA WIZ
Bishop of Newport, Right Rev. Dr.
Hedley, o. S. B., lays especial stress
on the necessity for frequent Com
munion. THE practice of Holy Com
munion," he says, lis so essential a
feature of Catholic life, and so init
mately connected with the eternal sal
walton of each one of us, that no pas
tor can be excused from returning
to the subject again and again, in order
to deepen the instruction of the hock
and to stimulate their devotion. the
increased frequency of Communion IS
very marked at the present time. IL
is also true that some of our stead1est
and most edifying Catholics have not
vet learnt to overcome a certain hesl-
tation in approaching the Holy Table
which is the result of inadequate
views; views which can be traced to
a time in the past when, in certain
parts of the Church, mistaken sense
of reverence caused pastors and pious
writer's to dissuade the faithful from
frequent Communion"
Let us briefly recall the recent teach
ing of Pope Plus X. No one, says the
HOLY Father, who is in the state OF
grace-that is, free from mortal sin
and approaches the Holy Table with a
right and devout intention, can be
hindered from frequent and daily Com
munion. A right intention, he con-
tinues, consists in this; that one
should approach, not out of routine,
or yain-glory, or human respect, but
for the purpose of pleasing God, OF
being more closely united with Him
by charity, and of seeking this divine
remedy for ones weaknesses and de-
fects. 1t cannot be denied that the
terms of this teaching differ from
those employed by many spiritual
writer's of great authority, among
whom we find even saints. st. Francis
of Sales, for example, has the follow
ing words in that golden book, the
''Devout Life" which has led so many
Catholics to piety and even to perfec-
ton. ITO communicate weekly he
saws. lis it necessary to be without
mortal sin and without affection to
venial sin, and to have a great desire
to communicate; but to receive daily
it is necessary, besides this, to have
overcome the greater part of our evil
inclination-and to have the advice of
our spiritual father"
This teaching continues the Letter.
of SO great director of the spiritual
life must now be considered too severe.
In order to understand
practically the views of our Holy
Mother the Church we must
remember that the Blessed Sacrament
of Our Lords Body has had very
striking and interesting history on
earth-a history which is certainly not
yet terminated.
Four Aspects of the Eucharist.
There are chiefly four aspects in
which the Church has viewed the
Blessed Eucharist, as the pledge and
symbol of unity, as the source OF
strength in trial and temptation, as
an object of alteration, and as the
fountain of sanctifying grace and holy
charity. All these four benehcent
effects have at all I1meS De0h pIO-
duced by the Holy Communion, as all
four were intended and foreseen by
Our Lord when he gave such gift
to men. But not in every period OF
the Church's history have they been
equally realized by the Church's chill
dren. The vital need of the Church IN
Apostolic times and in the early GEN.
turtles was to cling to Christ as one
body; and the Eucharist was meant,
as He told them so emphatically, to
cause and keep up this union: Il in
YOU, and you in Me-" This was His
repeated phrase in the sixth chapter
of st. John. Later on came the age
of the prosecutions, when the Chris
tan people felt the need Of strength
to stand fast to the faith, and the
saints and doctors exhorted all to
partake of the Body of Christ when
ever danger threatened. In those days
the faithful were allowed to carry 1t
to their own homes, and the COMES
sors in prison were visited daily, as
far as possible, by priests and friends
who brought It for their consolation
When the age of fervour and sim.
plicity passed away, and the Chris
tians began to be numerous, infuen'
tial, and organized, then there arose
by degrees in the Church the feeling