The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-20
THE REAL PRESENCE.

Besides the prescribed Liturgy OF
4 the Church, by which her children
pay eternal honor and reverence to
the God Who created and redeemed
them, there are many forms of pub
lie prayer, instituted or approved by
the Church, which are commonly call
ed devotions, says the Brooklyn
Tablet" These pious practices
depend upon, and are conferred about
some doctrine or dogma of our faith,
of which they are indeed a practical
manifestation They have a three
fold purpose: CD to teach and in
struct the faithful \(2) to serve as a
means by which the faithful may give
evidence Of their internal belief and
| devotion; CD to increase the piety
of the faithful.
/ The greatest of all Catholic deVo-
tons is that which has for its object
the abiding presence of Jesus Christ
in the Blessed Sacrament. The Coun-
Gil of Trent speaks of it in the fol-
lowing words: There is, therefore, no
room for doubt, that all the faithful
of Christ, according to the custom
ever received in the Catholic Church,
should venerate this most Holy Sac
rament with the same supreme wor-
ship which belongs to the One True
God Nor, because it was instituted
| by Christ, our Lord, to be received as
food, ought it on that account to be
any the less an object of alteration
For we believe that in it is present
that same God of Whom, when the Eter
nal Father brought Him into the world,
He said, Let all angels of God adore
Him, Whom the wise men, falling
down, adored,-and Whom, lastly, the
Apostles, as Holy Scripture testifes
adored in Galilee.'
The distinctive and distinguishing
thing about our Catholic Churches,
which makes them essentially differ
ent from the meeting halls OF our
separated brethren in the Real Pres
ence of Jesus Christ in the tabernacles
of our affairs. Our Church buildings
are not mere auditoriums wherein the
faithful gather to pray in common or
listen to the preaching of the GOSPEL.
! Every Catholic CHURCH is home of
Christ. The Son of God is there
dwelling sacramentally, really and
truly present. The little lamp burn
ing day and night before the taber-
mace is a sign to us that a Divine
Person lives in our churches. AS the
Mass is the very soul of our religions
worship, the abiding of God in our
midst is what makes a Catholic
Church building something more than
a cold bare enclosure of brick Of
stone.
The Blessed Sacrament is Christ
continuing to live amongst us, for our
encouragement, consolation and So
lace. 1t is not surprising then that
Catholics today, as in all ages of the
Church's history, never tire of visit
ing their divine Guest so easily &C.
cessible to them. The doors of our
churches are wide open, throughout
the day and far into the night Hard
, ly an hour passes that does not wit
ness at least one faithful soul paying
a visit of love and reverence to the
tabernacled Jesus. 1t may be but a
momentary salutation but it is never.
theless an evidence and an indication
that the Holy Eucharist is recognized
, by all, learned and ignorant, poor and
, wealthy, old and young, as the very
source of all grace, even as it is the
| very center of all religious devotion
{ 1t is edifying and inspiring, indeed, to
, witness the large number of daily
visitors to our Lord in the Blessed
Sacrament.
And yet we cannot say that the per-
| centage of Catholics who pay a visit
to Jesus in the tabernacle of our al.
, tars is what it could and should be
How many pass the church door, per.
: haps twice or three times a day, and
. yet never think to enter and greet
their sacramento Lord. How MANY
men lift their hats respectfully before
the church entrance and yet are salts.
fed with this mark of respect shown
: to Jesus from the outside, never think.
! ing of stopping for moment or two
to tell the Son of God remaining on
| 49, ~ bAtiC eHLnSy lUNS f1lIll
as well as reverence Him. How MANY
graces would be gained; how many
: temptations overcome; how many
. sins avoided if each one of us re.
solved, and kept his resolution, never
to allow day to pass without a
visit, howsoeyer brief, to our Blessed
Saviour Who waits and watches for
us, in every Catholic Church,
II Visits to the Blessed Sacrament
have the nature of private devotion
They may be called our own personal
; alteration of Jesus Christ, who re-
ceives us informally, as friend receives
d friend. There are particular times.
; however, when He gives public aud,
fence to all who come He is en-.
throned on the altar; surrounded with
flowers and lights; solemnly exposed
for the alteration of the faithful. It
is doubtful that, with the exception of
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there
is any devotion of equal solemnity to
that of Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament. And yet is it appreciated
and taken advantage of? Is it not
rather respectfully true that most fire..