Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/683

 God, it  is  fitting  that  she  should  every  year  solemnly  commemorate  the institution of  this  most  holy  mystery. Now, since  we  cannot  keep Maundy-Thursday as  a feast  of  joy,  because  it  is  a day  of  fasting,  and devoted to  the  memory  of  our  Lord’s  sufferings,  the  Church  has  selected another Thursday,  the  Thursday  after  the  Feast  of  the  Most  Holy  Trinity, to be  observed  as  a solemn  Feast  of  thanksgiving  for  the  institution  of the  Blessed  Sacrament. This glorious  Feast  is  called  the  Feast  of  Corpus Christi, or  of  the  Body  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.

The love  of  Jesus  as  shown  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament. Jesus, having loved  His  own  unto  the  end,  bequeathed  Himself  to  them  in  this Sacrament of  His  love,  as  the  most  priceless  of  memorials,  to  dwell always with  them,  to  be  sacrificed  for  them,  and  to  be  united  to  them in the  most  intimate  way  by  Holy  Communion. As a solemn  testament He gave  to  us  His  Body  and  Blood,  His  Humanity  and  Divinity,  in short  Himself,  with  all  His  graces  and  merits; thus  the  Holy  Eucharist is the  abiding  memorial  of  our  Lord’s  infinite  and  inconceivable  love. The circumstances  under  which  our  Lord  Jesus  instituted  the  Blessed Sacrament reveal  His  unbounded  love. He instituted  It  “the  same  night in which  He  was  betrayed”  (1  Cor.  11,  23),  and  therefore  at  the  very time when  the  hatred  of  His  enemies  was  at  its  highest  pitch,  and  when they were  actually  making  their  preparations  to  put  Him  to  death. He instituted It,  though  He  knew  that  there  was  a vile  traitor  among  His chosen followers,  and  that  many,  many  Christians  would  despise  and dishonour Him  in  this  Sacrament. Neither the  deadly  hatred  of  His enemies, nor  the  ingratitude  of  the  faithful,  could  deter  Him  from  giving them this  final  and  enduring  proof  of  His  love. Oh, how  mighty,  how deep is  the  love  which  our  Lord  and  Saviour  has  for  ungrateful  man! The Sanhedrim  had  met  to  resolve  upon  the  death  of  Jesus: the  soldiers were all  ready  to  seize  Him:  His  traitor  apostle  was  about  to  betray Him. Surely all  this  will  abate  His  love  even  at  the  last  moment! Yes, if His  love  be  human,  it  will;  but  His  love  was  the  love  of  God,  and it was  not  quenched. He responded  to  the  hatred  and  treachery  of men  by  the  institution  of  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament,  thus  giving  to  the human race  a proof  of  love  so  intense,  that  it  never  could  have  entered into the  hearts  of  men  to  conceive  it. And — as  St.  Paul  says — this wonderful love  was  shown  by  our  Lord  on  the  night  when  He  was betrayed. At the  very  moment  that  faithless  men  were  betraying  their God, He  invented  a new  means  of  proving  His  love  for  them. While they were  preparing  for  Him  a most  cruel  death,  He  gave  to  them  the means of  attaining  eternal  life. Just when  human  hatred  was  doing  all it could  to  remove  Him  from  the  world,  He  discovered  a new  way  of remaining  always  in  the  world. He wrought  the  most  astounding  miracle of Omnipotence,  that  He  might  remain  with  them. Even as  He  went forth from  the  Father  without  leaving  Him,  so  did  He  go  forth  from the world  without  leaving  it. And this  He  did  “on  the  night  when He was  betrayed”,  just  as  if  nothing  had  occurred  to  quench  His  love,