CATHOLIC MISSION

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 144, 22 May 1925, Page 2

CATHOLIC MISSION

Though Sunday was made the great Eucharistic day of the St.. Patrick’s mission, the Marist custom of observing the Thursday as a day specially consecrated to adoration was observed. Crowds of adorers visited the Church during the day and the altar of Exposition was most artistically and devotionally arranged. The synchronising of the Festival of the Ascension considerably helped the celebration, which opened with a record week-day Communion at all the Alasses. In tlio evening Father Heffernan preached a most impressive sermon on the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The subject was treated in a masterly manner and the large audience followed the closely reasoned discourse with intense interest. From the text, “Amen, Amen, 1 say to you, except you eat the flesh aiid drink the blood of tho Son of Man you shall not have life in you,” the Catholic doctrine was educed. From Ihe promise of the Eucharist at Copliarnaum to its fulfilment at the host supper every feature •of Christ’s teaching was developed. St. Paul lmd accepted the teaching that Christ was really present in the Eucharist in the sense of the Catholic interpretation. Who was more competent than he to judge)' An official interpreter inspired by God. who declared accursed the acceptance of teaching other than his, who better to declare Christ’s meaning? Human expectations were exceeded sometimes by divi io miracle; surprise must cede to God’s emphatic word. Mystery in religion was of necessity, else where was the merit in believing? “With God all things are possible” was the answer to every seeming impossibility. The fai.h of the Church for 1000 years was unchallenged. No historian is named and no date is set down for the introduction of tho Eucharistic doctrine. Could it have come in unnoted? Was it in the 12th century? The fathers of the 11th fast to the present Catholic belief. Was it in the Util ? Augustine and his contemporaries taught the Real Presence in the Util. The Protestant interpretation, he said, was never given by Christ, Who could have saved thousands of. followers who rejected the miracle—meaning literal one. The sovereignty was held out to Christ when plain and obvious miracle confronted his lasting followers Ho sacrificed their allegianco \yhen after allaying their hunger by miracle Ho spore of the Bread that was His Flesh which would nourish for life everlasting. Tn earnest tones, Father Heffernan in powerful peroration pleaded lor the frequent reception of Holy Communion —a Catholic privilege, ard the best and greatest means of honcuring Christ and securing tbe Grace of Salvation.