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V «hr V .?. «i' Jii -1 (Continued frompage i THE HOLY EUCHARIST. There are other instances without number -which might be adduced to show that the early Christians sur rounded the Holy Eucharist with the best external marks of honor at their command, but let the foregoing suf fice. In the Middle Ages. As our minds sweep over the mid dle ages and as we view the thou sands of stately Cathedrals, great churches and gorgeous chapels in every land of Christendom, those arch itectural monuments with which Cath olicity crowned the earth as with a diadem of richest gems, we cannot but be impressed with the luminous fact that our forefathers deemed it their highest privilege to be allowed to er ect beautiful houses of God and to adorn them with the choicest gifts of the visible creation and with the noblest productions of human genius. The evidences of their zeal in the construction, decoration, and multi plication of cathedrals, churches and chapels are legion. No other work was so popular with all classes of society as the erection of a house of God. All the people from the lowest to the highest were deeply interested in building, beautifying and enriching the "tabernacles of God with man." Titled personages and kings and queens vied with one another in mak ing God's sanctuaries brilliant with their richest gifts. Uppermost in the minds, of "all the faithful was the query, what can we render to the Lord that is worthy of Him? and magnanimously did they answer it by rearing in His honor those countless, wonderful fanes which were superior to all other contempor ary structures in beauty, majestic pro portions and wealth of splendors. "All from the great minsters and Cathedral churches down to the poor est litte village sanctuary were in those days simply overflowing with wealth and objects of beauty which loving hands had gathered together to adorn God's house and to make it the best and brightest spot in their little world and so far as their means would allow the very pride of their hearts." (Gasquet: The Eve of the Reformation, p. 332). Who does not stand in admiration of those artistic triumphs of other lands and of other ages, which still today, after centuries of pillage and of spoliation, are unsurpassed? If they are still the wonder and delight of human genius, though in some cases disfigured and despoiled of many of their glories, what must they have been when they came from the hands of their master-builders and beauti fiers! The Explanation of Their Zeal. As this edifying panorama rises be fore us out of a glorious past we na turally ask the cause of it. What was the secret of their enthusiasm? What was the source of their zeal? What was the controlling motive of their willingness to make such sacri fices for the beauty of God's house? Say that it was a popular expression of love for religion and particularly for the Holy Eucharist that produced those monuments and you give the answer. What was the rationale of their beautiful churches? If you seek the reason why they built their houses of God so magnificently and adorned them so richly, my answer is that their in spiration came preeminently from the Holy Eucharist. Was there any other influence powerful enough to bid those mediaeval churches lift their wonder ful domes and mighty arches and graceful spires into the skies as if to bear the homage of earth to the "One that sitteth upon the throne" in Iteav en? Emphatically no. The Church, the Home of the Blessed Sacrament. Though churches had other purpos es then as now they were above all else homes of the Blessed Sacrament. "They were built," wrote the Vener able Bede in the Eighth Century, "as houses of prayer where the Body of the Lord is consecrated and where as we cannot doubt the angels are ever present, since, where the mysteries of the Lord's Body and Blood are wrought we cannot but believe" that there are the hosts of heaven." That was the idea. The church was a ter restrial heaven. Penetrated through and through with loving reverence for the Real Presence realizing vividly the near ness to them of their Incarnate God and feeling strongly that the best they could offer Him would be but the least unworthy of Him, they gen erously devoted to His service the most beautiful, the most precious, the best things they possessed in nature and in art. It was their belief in His special presence within the precincts of the church that was the source of such marvelous results. "The church is full of God," is an ancient writer's expression of the sublime truth that permeated the faithful of the Pre-Reformation ages. To them the house of God had a spir itual meaning all its own. It meant more than a meeting place more than a house of prayer more than a mon ument more than a temple. Their faith brought heaven near U0 them and' made their every church a Beth lehem, a Nazareth, a Calvary, a Sacra mental home of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, their incarnate God, who delighted to dwell in the midst of the children of men. To them, it was the house of God, because it was the dwelling place of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It was their Saviour's house. It was In tended ae an abode to shelter Him. They loved it and as a proof of their affection they strove to make it a fit symbol of the Jerusalem that is above. The Holy Eucharist was its Divine Tenant, its soul quickening and ennob ling it. The fact that within its walls the holy sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated and that there the Real Presence found an abiding place gave meaning and purpose and dignity to everything. It was their thorough appreciation of the residence of Jesus among them that prompted them to lavish their treasures on His dwelling place in order that he might have as good, as beautiful, as becoming, as splendid a home in every community as they were able to provide. They desired to prove themselves worthy hosts of their heavenly Guest. The magnifi cence of their sacred edifices, the pro fusion of their decorations, the rich ness of their vestments, sacred ves sels, and furnishings, the splendor of their ceremonial resulted from their exalted idea of the grandeur befitting the earthly home of Him to whom St. Peter said: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." To their minds the religious temple however grand, the altar however pre cious, the sanctuary however embel lished, the furniture however costly formed but a setting for the pearl of infinite price, their heavenly Guest present with them under the sacra mental species. The Altar of Sacrifice. Within the hallowed precincts of those peferless edifices, those palaces of the King of Kings, it was the altar for the sacrifice of the Mass which was made the center of attraction. Why was it thus if not because they believed with St. Thomas Aquinas of the thirteenth century that "the sacri fice which is offered daily in the church is not other than the sacrifice which Christ Himself offered." The church grew out of the altar and the altar found its raison d'etre in the Holy Eucharist. "It is the altar to honor which each church is dedicated," wrote Archbishop Winchelsea of Canterbury in his "Constitution." It is not surprising that the altar in the palace of their Eucharistic King was made as attractive as the costliest metals, the most precious stones, and the most skilled workmanship could make it. Was it not the throne of their hidden God before whom they bowed the head and bent the knee in adoration? Did they not kneel before it and pray in the lines of St. Thomas Aquinas: "Adoro Te devote latens Deitas quae sub his figuris vere latitas." "Hidden God devoutly I adore Thee Truly present underneath these veils." The marvel would be if it were otherwise. The marvel would be if art and nature and science and wealth and genius did not lavish their stores on it in order to make it in some way worthy to receive the Lamb of God, the infinite victim All the beauties of the Christian temple converged to ward "the throne of the Lamb all its symbolism pointed to Him. "No wonder that the religious ar tist of the Middle Ages devoted him self to the decoration of that altar with a holy enthusiasm. He felt that he was working within a few steps from the tabernacle in which abides the Divine Redeemer, who counts the drops of sweat as they fall from his brow and records in the book of life every stroke of his chisel." The Fine Arts in the Service of the Eucharist. It was at the central fire of love divine on the Christian altar that the fine arts were regenerated and trans formed into a new and a higher life. The unparalleled outburst of artistic genius which characterized those cen turies was a glorious tribute to the influence of the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist. No longer will the fine arts pander to man's baser instincts, but hence forth as religion's handmaids their high and holy mission will be to instruct, elevate, purify, sanctify. And grandly did they fulfill it. Around the masterpiece of divine love reposing in the tabernacle they grouped their ideal creations, the greatest works of man. It was all for Jesus. For Him architecture flung in air its grandest designs for Him poetry sang its most soul-inspiring hymns for Him painting made the walls of His sanctuary throb with the most sacred themes for Him music rolled out its most solemn melodies for Him sculpture carved its most ex quisite forms for Him eloquence took its highest flights. Yes—all the arts and crafts and best things in nature conspired to glorify the majesty of their Eucharistic King. "You' wonder at the magnitude of the Pantheon, that masterpiece of pagan architecture," said Michael Angelo, "You are surprised that the earth could support it but will place It in the air." And he did it. The dome of St. Peter's Basilca in Rome is of the same dimensions as the ancient Pantheon. His Catholic mind, imbued, with correct ideas of the beauty, solemnity and majesty be fitting the sacramental home of his Eucharistic Lord conceived the great project and his lofty genius carried it into execution. Thus was built St. Peter's matchless dome—"that vast and wondrous dome to which Diana's marvel was a cell." So it was in those ages of faith. The greatest minds planned splendid abodes for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the faithful with willing hands and generous, sympathetic hearts erected them and filled them with grandeur in every detail, grandeur which often remained unobserved by the eyes of man, but which was always pleasing to Him for whose glory alone it was intended. 1. 4, „*J Jn The Eucharist and Modern .Church Building. We are actuated by the same faith as they. We also believe that the one building on earth that can never be too well constructed nor too richly adorned is the house of God, the dwell ing place of Jesus Christ among men. Unbelievers and economists may claim that there is.jio need of so great an expenditure of wealth in church building and in church orna mentation but our faith answers that nothing can be too good, too rich, too beautiful for the home of our Em manuel, our God with \js. In the mad rush for worldly prizes in our age and country people are apt to become forgetful of the claims of God upon their lives—upon all that they are and all that they have. In our materialistic atmosphere there is danger that even Catholics may lose sight of this great principle and may begrudge their Eucharistic King rich, palatial surroundings, such as their Pre-Reformation ancestors afforded Him. It is sometimes said that fine churches belong to Mediaeval times— to the days when feudal castles were in vogue. To those who are governed by utilitarian standards, who estimate the values of things by the material profit derived from them, such a re mark sounds plausible but to those who are animated by the truly Catho lic spirit it is thoughtless and ma terialistic. It is true that the days of feudal castles are gone, but the Heavenly Occupant of our churches remains to be honored and glorified in the present and in the future as well as in the past. When did His Pres ence depart from the tabernacle and what superseded it? We have inher ited glorious houses of God from the generations that have gone before us and there is no valid reason why we should not erect in our new cen ters of wealth and population churches as nearly equal to them as the limita tions of our generosity and of our modern genius will permit. We who live in this land, and in this century, have as much right to enjoy fine churches, epics of architecture, as the people of any land or of any century. Let us bring this thought home to ourselves. As our Holy Father is the Pope of the Holy Eucharist, so should we be the people, the priests and the bishops of the Holy Eucharist. Are we imitating the example of our fore runners in religion, who did such mag nanimous things for the honor of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? Are we fostering the old Catholic spirit of sacrifice for God? Are we doing our best according to .ar ability to "pro vide for Him homes of splendor in which all man's best efforts will give glory to Him, and in which earth's weary pilgrims gathered around His altars and conscious of the uplifting, spiritualizing influences of their sur roundings cannot but exclaim: "How lovely are Thy tabernacles O Lord of Hosts! This is none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven!" EXPERT WORKMfciN Absolutely the Best of Material 85 EAST fOURTH ST. Tri-State 922 N. W. Cedar 1547 Long Distance 'Phone N- W. 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