The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-01
THE HOLY EUCHARIST.

The greatest of all the sacraments
is the Holy Eucharist, which is pre-
eminently the Blessed Sacrament, says
the Catholic Universe" The, other
sacraments are all blessed fountains
of grace, but this is the very source
of grace itself. The other sacraments
may be compared to the rays of the
sun; this, to the very sun itself, since
it is not only a sacrament, but the
author of the sacraments-ou Lord
Jesus Christ.
Though our Lord sent His apostles
without any worldly goods to preach
the gospel to all people, nevertheless
they carried a great treasure, His own
real presence in the Blessed Eucharist.
In the days of persecution, when all
the faithful had to hide for their lives,
they carried this great treasure down
to the catacombs, and there they cele-
brated Mass upon the tombs of the
martyrs. Since Isaiah felt unworthy
to preach in the name of God, and
jeremiah trembled at a like mission,
we have to recognize our great
inability and unworthiness to speak
properly of the Holy Eucharist.
This great sacrament naturally
comes after baptism and confirmation
After birth the child needs nourish.
ment, and the soldier requires food
and strength to battle on to victory
Though the Holy Eucharist is the
most sacred of all the sacraments, ii
is not the most necessary, since our
Lord says, UNLESS a man is born
again of water and the Holy Ghost
he cannot enter the kingdom OF
heaven"
The Blessed Sacrament is designated
in-the liturgy of the Church by vari
Gus names. 1t is called the Holy
Eucharist, or Thanksgiving; it is
called the Blessed Sacrament, because
it is the most holy of all the sacra.
ments; it is called the Bread OF
Heaven, because it contains Jesus
Christ, Who came from heaven; it is
called the Bread of Angels, because
it requires angelic purity. in order to
receive it worthily; it is designated
the Holy Mysteries, because Jesus
Christ is hidden from the senses as
by veil; it is called Holy Com.
munion, because our Lord communi
Gates Himself to us in this sacrament;
it is called the Holy Table, because
it is heavenly banquet prepared for
the faithful; it is called the Viaticum
because it is the food of the faithful
during their pilgrimage of life, and
helps them in their journey to eter
nifty The other sacraments exist at
the moment they are impaired, but
the Holy Eucharist is actually exist
ing independent of its reception, and
the burning lamp of the tabernacle
reminds us of the continuous presence
of our Lord
1t was after the miracle of the
loaves and fishes that our Lord prom
ised the Holy Eucharist to his fol
lowers. We take the following texts
from the sixth chapter of st. John:
Labor not for the meat which
perishes but for that which
the Son of Man will give; CID, q
am the living bread" (5D, my flesh
is meat, and My blood is drink" (56),
He that eateth of this Bread shall
| live forever" These promises were
fulfilled when our Lord instituted the
Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday
the day before His crucifixion.
The Holy Eucharist may be con
sidered in two great divisions. First
as sacrament to be received for the
sanctiffcation of man, and second, as
sacrifice to be offered as adequate
worship of God. The Holy Eucharist
as a sacrament is defined as the true
body and blood of Jesus Christ, to
gether with His soul and divinity
under the appearance of bread and
wine. Catholics believe in the real