Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/319

 Hence it  is  compared  to  the  manna,  which  "  lay  like unto  the  hoar-frost  on  the  ground." (Ex. xvi.  14.) The same  Lord,  Who  is  concealed  in  the  Eucharist,  says by His  prophet,  "I  will  be  as  the  dew;  Israel  shall spring  as  the  lily." (Osee xiv.  6.)

III. The third  misery  to  which  we  are  subject,  is  the corruption of  the  heart,  for  "  there  is  no  just  man  upon earth,  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth  not." (Eccles. vii. 21.)  This  corruption  the  Eucharist  corrects  and  purifies, as the  burning  coal  taken  from  the  altar,  purified  the lips of  Isaias. The fourth  misery  is  the  anger  of  the Creator against  His  sinful  creatures. The Eucharistic sacrifice appeases  His  indignation  and  resembles  the  gift, of which  the  Wise  Man  speaks. " A  gift  in  the  bosom quencheth  anger." (Prov. xxi.  14.)  There  is  no  gift more acceptable  to  God,  than  His  only  Son,  Who  is  received into  our  bosoms,  after  having  been  offered  to  His eternal Father,  in  the  Eucharistic  sacrifice.

I. The  fifth  misery,  which  is  the  consequence  of  original sin,  is  ignorance. Before the  completion  of  creation, "  darkness  was  on  the  face  of  the  deep." (Gen. i. 2.)  So  does  darkness  overspread  the  heart  of  man,  when it is  not  enlightened  by  the  grace  of  God. Hence the prophet observes,  "  The  heart  is  perverse  above  all  things, and  unsearchable,  who  can  know  it?" (Jer. xvii.  9.)  The Eucharist expels  this  darkness,  and  enlightens  the  understanding; as  the  honey  opened  the  eyes  of  Jonathan. " You  have  seen  yourselves,"  he  said,  "  that  my  eyes  are enlightened,  because  I  tasted  a  little  of  this  honey." (1