The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-06-07

species
The Church is home of beauty, a
house of prayer, a place of spiritual
rest, refreshment, instruction, and
especially of sacrifice-a scene of
splendid ritual in which every precious
treasure of nature and every exquisite
work of art and every faculty of the
mind and every quality of the heart
all the best efforts of man and all
the best things in the physical world
-conspire to lead humanity, step by
step, up to the higher plane of thought
and action, up to the worship of the
Invisible.
Our motto is: Let every ceremony,
every sign, every bowling of the head,
every bending of the knee, every pos
ture of the body, be a manifestation
of faith and love and piety within.
Let every sacred edifice be a prayer
in stone. Let every piece of music be
an exhortation to rise into the sun
light of better things. Let all the
arts give glory to God. The invitation
of them all is contained in the pref
ace of the Mass: Sursum corda; lift
up your hearts, lift up your hearts to
God.
Yes, our every church is intended
to be an oasis of consolation along
the pathway of life in which earth S
weary pilgrims, conscious of the up
lifting, spiritualizing influences of
lint nnr,i
ence the truthfulness of the language
of the Bible: 20 how lovely are Thy
tabernacles, o Lord God of hosts"
This is none other than the house of
God and the gate of heaven"
The Fine Arts in the Service of the
Eucharist.
1t was at the central fire of love
Divine on the Catholic altar that the
fine arts were regenerated and trans
The unparalleled outburst of artistic
genius that has characterized the
Christian centuries is a glowing trib-
ute to the influence of the doctrine of
the Holy Eucharist. This great truth
has made the church the synthesis of
artistic achievement
No longer will the fine arts pander
to mans baser instincts but hence
forth their high and holy mission will
be to instruct, elevate, purify, and
sanctify. And grandly have they full
filled it. Around the Holy Eucharist,
the masterpiece of Divine love repos-
ing in the tabernacle, they have
grouped their ideal creations, the
greatest works OF man. 1t is all for
Jesus. For Him architecture, the king
of the fine arts, has flung in air it's
mighty arches and magnificent domes
as if in rivalry with the Builder of the
universe. It's best designs are all for
Him. For Him poetry has sung it's
most inspiring songs. For Him paint
ing has made the walls of His sanctu,
aries throb with the most sacred
truths. For Him music has rolled out
it's sweetest and most solemn har-
monies. For Him sculpture has carved
its most exquisite forms. For Him
eloquence has taken it's highest flights
1t is all for Jesus. Yes, all the arts
and all the crafts, and all the sciences
and all the best things in the visible
creation have formed a league of
forces to glorify the majesty of their
Eucharistic King
The Significance of the Chapel in a
Aorpe IF I aarpinn
Not less remarkable has been the
influence of this central truth in the
domain of science. The most brilliant
lights of science have been lit at the
altar. Foremost in that long list of
luminaries is your sainted patron
Thomas AquinaS. Forever true is the
assurance of Christ: 81 am the light
of the world, he that followeth me
walketh not in darkness, but shall
have the light of life"
AS in the beginning the first Chris.
tians passed from darkness to light in
the Lord and were called the enlight-
ened, illuminate, SO at all times
Christ's followers have received of the
fulness of His light and have reflected
it on the world around them AS the
Holy Eucharist is the center of Cath,
Olic worship, the sun of our system
around which all devotions should
group themselves like satellites, so its
abiding place, the Church in every
community, and the chapel in every
educational institution should be in
the first place always.
Paradoxical as the assertion may
sound to the worldly minded the
chapel is the most important building
in every true home of learning. No
matter what worldliness or material
ism or covetOusness may cause people
to think or to say the chapel should
surpass all the other buildings of this
educational group in magnificence
should indicate by its majestic appear.
ance the heavenly purpose it serves
should emphasize the supremacy OF
the spiritual over the material, and
through the eye should speak to the
heart of the supernatural world of the
realm of truth and happiness beyond
this sphere of struggle and sin and
misery
This chapel will stand on this
campus for ages as the locus illumina
tionis ct virtutis The voice of the
Doctor of doctors that will come from
its tabernacle will convey clearer
and deeper insight into the funda
M fa1 ~,