The Washington herald., 1914-06-28
Photo By Cainedinst.

eternal sacrifice, the daily sacrifice OF
the Church Catholic throughout the
world imaging that eternal sacrifice by
which the worlds were made, and by
which they are evermore sustained.
This great function OF Christian wor-
| ship loses its force and meaning when II
is regarded as nothing more than a mere
commemoration Of a past sacrifice, as q
pictorial allegory without a deep ensoul-
ing truth. as a breaking Of bread and a
pouring out OF wine without a sharing In
make 1t a mere shell. a dead picture in
stead Of living reality.
THE cup OF blessing which we bless, Is
II not the communion OF Ohe communica-
ton Of, the sharing IND the blood Of
| ChristT' asks the apostle. The bread
which we break. is 1t not the communion
Of the body of Christi" Il Cor. x:ls). And
he goes on TO point out that all who eat
OF sacrifice become partakers OF a COM
mon nature, and are Joined into a single
/ body, which is united to, shares the na-
ture of. that being who is present in the
sacrifice. A fact OF the invisible world is
| here concerned.
| share n Common Nature.
Invisible beings pour Of their essence
into the materials used in any sacra-
mental rite. and those who partake Of
those materials-which become assimi-
lated in the body and enter into its in
gredients-are thereby united TO those
whose essence is in II. and they all share
a common nature.
To summons the spiritual intelligencieS
the occulists of the past put together GER
tain words. the intonating Of which would
produce certain definite sounds causing
definite color forms. which would act as q
summons to the Invisible agencies. Per-
meating the bread and wine Is ether. in
itself the finest physical part Of both, and
the medium OF magnetic energy. 1t Is
this etheric portion OF the bread and wine
werein the transmutation occurs; 1t is
through 1t that the force from the high
est planes passes. The words and sign Of
power throw the particles Of each sub
stance into a certain definite rate of vib-
ration. which Is a preparation OF the ma
terial that II may act as channel or
bridge across which the power from OH
high may pass. The bread and wine Is
not actually changed into flesh and blood,
as many are superstitious enough to be-
lieve. but is merely the occult means Of
bringing gre abteings into closer touch
with humanity.
Suppose We take a clairvoyant view
with the occulist OF what happens after
the ceremony of "concecration" has been
performed.
The church is filled with invisible
spiritual presences, and those OF such
beings who take active part in the ascra-
ment concentrate their energies, say, on
the bread. This bread, previously con-
secrated by the priest. begins to glow
like the sun, and two magnificent effects
are produced. The first Is a light which
radiates through the whole church.
touching every person, shining on the
Just and unjust, and. permeating the
walls Of the church, passes out into the
surrounding locality, refining, vivifying,
uplifting all that 1t touches.
The second effect is like unto the suns
corona. Streams of light radiate from
the heart of the sacrament brighter ana
more effulgent than the first. a supernal
light which touches only those who ap-
proach the sacrament with a devout
mind and pure heart. These beams &C
out to the spiritually minded, attracted
only by those whose bodies vibrate in
harmony with the Christ-Iife. touching
possibly a lonely but devoted communi-
cant, imparting a spiritual uplift. 1t
may raise the ordinary vibration rate of
the devout person to such a height as to
place him in direct communication with
theI invisible worlds This electric fire
gives an impulse which furthers evolu-
ton, and. properly understood, one can
see that in instituting this sacrament
the Christ, out Of His compassion ana
love for humanity, gave 1t as the means
OF approaching nearer to Him as well
as an aid in the development OF the
Christ-life and the evolution Of the soul
Legend of the Holy Grail.
In days long past. when the Esoteric
teachings passed away from the church
for lack of true deciples and because of
the institution Of man-made dogma fort
a true Interpretation of Christ's teach |
ings, the legend of the holy grail made |
Its appearance in Europe. Behind the |
bread and wine, typifying the body and /,
blood of Christ, was the cup in which |
II is said that once a year glowed, brill |
liant and pure, the blood OF the Christ. A
veiled legend truly. but given by the oc-
culists of that age to those who could |
understand. and were ready for lllumina- !
ton, as indicating that the path Of per-
fection was still open and might be trod |
by those who would. To stand in the
holy presence OF this symbol of the d.
vine meant a life of struggle with the
lower nature and a development of the
inner faculties. Thus a successful knight
of the grail was one who, by his own ef-
forts, had raised himself by the ladder
of initiation.
The sacrament of marriage shows out
the marks Of a sacrament as clearly and
as definitely as do baptism and the eu-
charist Both the outer sign and the in
ward grace are there The material is
the ring-the circle which is the symbol
Of the everlasting. The word of power
is the ancient formula, I'm the Name OF
the Father, and of the Son. and of the
Holy Ghost" The sign of power is the
joining Of hands, symbolising the joining
Of the lives. These make up the outer
essentials of the sacrament
The inner grace is the union of mind
with mind of heart with heart which
makes possible the realization of the
unity Of spirit, without which marriage
Is no marriage. but q mere temporary
conjunction of bodies. The giving and
receiving of the ring. the pronouncing OF
the formula, the joining Of hands, these
form the pictorial allegory; IL the inner
grace be not received. II the participants
do not open themselves to 1t by their
wish for the union Of their whole natures, L
tho sacrament for them loses its benefi-
cent properties and becomes a mere form.
But marriage has a yet deeper mean
Ing; religions with one voice have pro-