Wednesday, 14 December 2016

THE EUCHARIST AND THE CHRISTIAN HEART. part 73.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF MONSEIGNEUR DE LA BOUILLERIE, Archbishop of Perga, Coadjutor of Bordeaux.


VI.

Washed in the Blood of the Lamb, the righteous soul is united to God for ever. But I would especially consider, in this divine union, the soul devoted to the Eucharist. Celestial beatitude is certainly the same for all the elect in this sense, that, rejoicing in the clear vision of God, they are all equally satisfied, according to the expression of the Psalmist, with the contemplation of His Glory. 

Still Jesus Christ Himself teaches us that the mansions are various in His Father's House ! t According to the works, the virtues, and the merits, and, if I may add it, the pious inclinations of each soul, heaven varies infinitely.

Thus, for example, different is the happiness of Martyrs, different that of Virgins, different that of Doctors; and the Church designates by the name of aureole the particular glory reserved for these Saints.

Well, then, in the same way, I love to think that the soul devoted to the Eucharist will have its heaven and its beatitude apart.

One of the greatest joys of holiness is the clear vision of the mysteries of Christianity. Thus, in heaven, the Three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, will appear to us perfectly distinct in one substance, that of God. We shall see clearly into the Trinity. :

Similarly, it is the language of S. Paul, one of the privileges of the Saints is to understand what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth of the love of Jesus Christ for men. This love He proved to us by His Incarnation, by His Life, by His Death. But the culminating point of His tenderness is the Divine Eucharist.

Well, then, I imagine that in heaven the holy soul will at length be able to measure the breadth, and length, and height, and depth of the Eucharist.

On earth, when we spoke of the delights of the tabernacle, we could hardly even lisp them! The soul only in heaven begins to sing and praise worthily the august sacrament, which is above all our praises and all our canticles.

On earth, in recalling our memories, we could only have a faint glimpse of the incomparable graces which descend upon us from the altar.

The blessed soul reads as in an open book all the history of the Eucharist since the institution in the Upper Chamber.

It sees the Church which, little by little, becomes penetrated by the Eucharistic sap and draws from it its life, its strength, its duration. It sees the Corn of the Elect nourish all the Saints, the Wine of the Chalice bring forth all the Virgins !