TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF MONSEIGNEUR DE LA BOUILLERIE, Archbishop of Perga, Coadjutor of Bordeaux.
In the first place, the Eucharist perfects the bands of the family, and unites it more closely.
"Jesus Christ, S.Paul tells us, "is all in all;" omnia in omnibus and it is especially in the Eucharist that, although living of His own life, He assimilates Himself more perfectly to us. Meditating on these words of the Apostle, I seek to know what Jesus Christ is in the family. Is He. Spouse ? is He Father? is He Mother? is He Brother is He Child? And I answer, with S. Paul, Jesus Christ is at the same time all that, in every member of the family: omnia in omnibus.
O consoling thought, which it would take too long to develop here, but which, if only glanced at, furnishes abundant applications.
In the heart of the spouse, Jesus Christ becomes Spouse; in the heart of the father, He is Father; in the heart of the mother, He is Mother; in the heart of the brother, He is Brother; in the heart of the child, He is a Child; and thus, when He is received by the whole family, He loves in it, He acts in it; He manifests the sentiments and the virtues which suit each of its members.
Consider, O Christian soul, what perfection is by this means given to all the relationship of the family. The husband and wife will be faithful if, united to Jesus Christ, they cherish each other, as the Saviour has cherished His Church. The father and mother will accomplish all their duties, if : they draw from Jesus Christ the lesson and the example of the most august paternity and the most tender maternity; the brothers will love each other if they are only one in Jesus Christ, Who Himself so loved men that He would only be amongst them as the Firstborn amongst many brethren; all the children will be docile, if, living of the life of the Child-God, they are submissive to their parents, as Jesus was to Mary and to Joseph.
In the first place, the Eucharist perfects the bands of the family, and unites it more closely.
"Jesus Christ, S.Paul tells us, "is all in all;" omnia in omnibus and it is especially in the Eucharist that, although living of His own life, He assimilates Himself more perfectly to us. Meditating on these words of the Apostle, I seek to know what Jesus Christ is in the family. Is He. Spouse ? is He Father? is He Mother? is He Brother is He Child? And I answer, with S. Paul, Jesus Christ is at the same time all that, in every member of the family: omnia in omnibus.
O consoling thought, which it would take too long to develop here, but which, if only glanced at, furnishes abundant applications.
In the heart of the spouse, Jesus Christ becomes Spouse; in the heart of the father, He is Father; in the heart of the mother, He is Mother; in the heart of the brother, He is Brother; in the heart of the child, He is a Child; and thus, when He is received by the whole family, He loves in it, He acts in it; He manifests the sentiments and the virtues which suit each of its members.
Consider, O Christian soul, what perfection is by this means given to all the relationship of the family. The husband and wife will be faithful if, united to Jesus Christ, they cherish each other, as the Saviour has cherished His Church. The father and mother will accomplish all their duties, if : they draw from Jesus Christ the lesson and the example of the most august paternity and the most tender maternity; the brothers will love each other if they are only one in Jesus Christ, Who Himself so loved men that He would only be amongst them as the Firstborn amongst many brethren; all the children will be docile, if, living of the life of the Child-God, they are submissive to their parents, as Jesus was to Mary and to Joseph.
