1. The Christian people usually call the Eucharist by the name of BLESSED SACRAMENT, thus professing in simple language a profound theological truth; for this indeed is THE sacrament by excellence, the most perfect of sacraments, as the Council of Trent teaches, borrowing its language from the Holy Fathers, who call it the sacrament of sacraments, the Great Sacrament?

 

2. The divine Eucharist is more excellent than the other sacraments, because it is the only sacrament possessing the dignity of sacrifice, and because of its many other high prerogatives. In the other sacraments we are united to Jesus Christ by an ineffable contact with his human nature; the Eucharist not only unites, but incorporates us with Christ, thus establishing blood relationship between Him and us.

 

In the other sacraments Christ exercises, in a transitory manner, his life-communicating energy; but under the Eucharistic species, the Person of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, abides and dwells permanently by His real presence, so that we can truly say, that there is " no other nation, however great, which has its gods so near to it, as our God is nigh unto us" (Deur 4:7).

 

The other six sacraments, moreover, all gravitate towards the Sacrament of the Altar, like planets round their sun; in other words, they are its crown and complement.

 

Baptism begins the spiritual life, the Holy Eucharist perfects it.

 

Confirmation strengthens us to resist evil, the Holy Eucharist makes us strong in the exercise of good works.

 

Penance disposes us to receive without unworthiness the Holy Eucharist.

 

Holy Orders confers power to consecrate the Eucharist.

 

Matrimony typifies the union of Christ with his Church, and, consequently, the union of the faithful with the Eucharistic body of Jesus Christ.

 

Extreme Unction, finally, is the last farewell kiss which the spouse bestows on the pilgrim soul before introducing her pure and spotless to eat of the bread of Angels.

 

3. Not unfrequently the Holy Scriptures use the word sacrament to indicate things veiled in sacred secrecy (Tob 12:7, Wis 2:22, Eph 1:9, 3:9). Now, where does there exist in our holy religion any work of God more hidden and mysterious than the Eucharist?

 

Divine Omnipotence descends on that morsel of bread, and on those few drops of wine, appropriates them, penetrates them through and through, and uplifts them above their nature, and, lo! there present no longer bread and wine, jut the God-Man.

 

Here God seems to dispense with every law of nature in order to be profuse with His prodigies—prodigies transcending the wonders of creation, prodigies of an Almighty love.

 

An unseen band of angels adores in devout silence those forms so humble, yet so glorious, of bread and wine.

 

And we, what shall we do? We ought to fall on bended knee and with face in the dust raise our hymn:—"Tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui." ("Down in adoration fulling, Lo! the sacred Host we fail)