Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-11-23
IRUTh'0F DOCTRINE Of REAL PRESENCE
EXPLAINED BY FATHER |. j. PURCELL
IN SERMON At St. JOHNS CATHEDRAL

So OOsubo 80
the day, but they disobeyed God and
he withdrew His visible presence then
was mans reason darkened, his will
weakened, and this longing desire was
tcTn. So anxious were men to have
God with them that they carved for
themselves Gods of wood and stone
and gold and silver and set them up
In their tents and villages that they
fright say they had God with them.
kut that you will say was idolatry. but
true, what is idolatry but the changing
OF God into the likeness of corruptble
things. The result of this idolatry was
the destruction of the true idea or con-
ception of God and His Unity. God,
however, chose some men among the
Jewish race to preserve the true Faith
and He promised that He would be
with them. will dwell in the midst
of the children of Israel and 1 will be
their God who brought them out of
the land of Egypt that I might abide
with them. l. the Lord, their Cod
GOD vISIBLY PRESENT
"During the journey of the Israelites
FEM Egypt to the promised land, God
was visibly present at their sides, and
the Lord went before them to show
them their way. by day in a pillar Of
clouds, and by night in a pillar of fire,
that He might be their guide at both
times Exod XIII, ~.
when God gave command to Moses
to organize His worship He again
promised His special presence There
was to be tabernacle, the central por-
ton of which was to be occupied by
the Ark. over the Ark was to be
placed the Mercy Seat and over that
and covering it a Cherubim. OF the
Mercy Seat God said. Thence will 1
give orders and l will speak to thee
over the Mercy Seat and from the
midst Of the two Cherubims which
shall be on the Ark of Testimony. I
will speak all things which will COM
marfd the Children of Israel by thee
SPOKE TO SOLOMON
1.-THE promise of a special presence
is found again in, third book of Kings.
Solomon promised to build suitable
rlace for temple for the housing of
the Ark of the Covenant and speaking
of it God said to Solomon concerning
the house which thou art building, if
thou will walk in my statutes then will
] perform my word with thee which
spake unto David thy father Third
Kings, Chap, VI, 10. When the
Temple was completed and the Ark of
the Covenant brought in that the cloud
filled the House of the Lord Third
Kings, Chap viii. 10.
TRUTH PROVEN
"These passages and many others
which may be quoted prove that be-
sides the omnipresence of God that
God was specially present according
to His promise with the people of Is
rael from the call of Moses down TO the
birth of Christ.
"These relations of God with man
have prefigured more and more glor-
ous relations which were to exist after
the coming of Christ, our Emmanuel
God with us.
Christ did not live long on earth.
During His life on earth, it was there
fore no doubt of the real presence Of
God among men for Christ is God.
When His work was done, He returned
to the Father who sent Him. Did all
the relations between God the Creator.
and men. his creatures, then cease?
Had God come on earth, united himself
with human nature, gone back to the
Father again, leaving the world with
only memory of Him SO that in the
days of the incarnation and hencce to-
day we are worse off than In the days
of prophecy?
such is the case If Christ during
His lifetime did not mean what He said
what He said when He stated to the
Apostles, I am with you all days, ETC.
GOD STILL WITH US
But we believe that the dealings of
God with men. His real presence has
been continued. We believe Christ
that came on earth to be man, left His
body and blood, soul and divinity to
be His abiding presence in the church
He established. That He is to us IN
Ills church not only what He was to
the Israelites in the journey to the
promised land, their guide, but He al
so is the companion of our exile and
the food of our souls; that as of old
when He sat on the Mercy Seat over
the Ark of the Covenant, He is today
really and truly present in the taber-
nacle and that they who come to Him
in sorrow will find there consolation
and love greater than the heart of
II an can conceive.
'"rhe question of the Real Presence
is not a question of theory but
question of fact, not a question as to
whether Christ can be really present
but whether there is evidene in Sacred
Scriptures to show that He wished to
be present, promised to be present.
and that He took the means to carry
out His promise.
HIS SACRED PROMISE
The sixth chapter of the Gospel of
ST John proves that Christ promised
70 remain with us and that His pres