The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-04-17


| Dedication of
life. This is the grotto of Bethlehem
in which Christ is born, the house Of
Nazareth in which He dwells, the up
per room in which He inaugurated His
sacramental life, the tomb in which
He sleeps. Though the Sacraments,
instituted by Him, are administered
and various religious functions take
place within those walls; though this
church is the house of prayer, the
laver of regeneration, the court of rec
onciliation, the mount and bark from
which Christ's teachings are delivered;
still Its first use and chief sacredness
lie in the fact that 1t is the theatre
of the Sacrifice of the Cross, the
dwelling place of the Sacramental
Presence and hence in real and true
sense the house of God made man.
simply state, do not undertake to
prove that we believe, concerning the
real Presence. Let me draw an illus,
tration from this building. See, the
whole plan runs toward and centers in
the Sanctuary wherein is set the altar
and on the altar the tabernacle.
Blessed Mary and Joseph in their
chapels right and left of the entrance
welcome you and lead you to up Jesus
in the Sanctuary beneath the dome.
To the right and left of Him, like
sentinels of their Lord and King,
stand in their chapels Saint Peter and
Saint Paul, the one with the Cross, the
other with the Sword. Back of Him
and around Him, in the circling
chapels Of the apse, is a noble guard
of the missionary saints, whose spirit
ual children are the strength of this
land. But He, Christ, on the main
altar is the central figure, He is the
reason and last word of all, the life
and the beauty and the glory of the
building. 1t is His house. He is the
atmosphere quivers with the pulsa-
tions of His presence, the light from
the windows is tremulous of 1t, the
lofty walls and the fretted ceiling and
the vast dome speak of His presence.
A feeling OF awe and of love seizes
us as we tread the tesselated pave
ment and learn from the twinkling
Sanctuary lamp that He is here. This
you believe, and this is why you have
done this thing, why you have built
this Cathedral, because you believe it
Is the house of God. Surely the faith
that moves the mountains may we'll
turn the stones and metals of earth
into monumental homage to the AL
mighty and behold this building is
the homage.
"Know you not that you are the
temple of God and that the spirit of
God dwelleth in you." In these words
st. Paul indicates lesson to be
learned from the material temple. st.
Peter expressed the same idea, "Be
you also as living stones built up, a
spiritual house," The material build
ing is symbolic of the spiritual. The
spiritual building is the Church, the
assembly of all the faithful. In the ma
terial there dwells divine Presence,
our Lord Himself, which gives the
building all its meaning, all it's sacred
ness, all it's qualities. Likewise in
the spiritual building, the Church of
Christ, there is divine Presence
which makes the Church what it is,
gives it life, sanctity, beauty and
strength. Christ indeed built the
Church, the cornerstone Peter, the
foundation the Apostles, the living
walls all the faithful; He cemented
and purified His Church in His most
Precious Blood. But it was not, If
may say 80, dedicated, it was not
perfected, 1t was not fitted to begin
It's work, to be an energy in the world,
Until the Holy Ghost had come down
from heaven and taken possession OF
it on the day of Pentecost. "Stay you, -
said the Lord to the Apostles, "in the