Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/174

 holocausts  which  I will  offer  thee  upon  the  altar  of my  heart. Then, excited  by  the  continual  remembrance of  thy  mercies  and  thy  love,  I will  generously immolate to  thee  all  my  inclinations,  all  my  passions. Amen.

F all  the  holy  sacraments,  the  Sacrament  of  the Altar is  the  holiest,  the  most  excellent,  and  the greatest. The other  sacraments  contain  the  graces and gifts  of  God,  but  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar contains God  himself. Hence the  Angelic  Doctor, St. Thomas  Aquinas,  says: 44  The  other  sacraments are established  by  Jesus  Christ,  in  order  to  render men fit  either  for  receiving  or  administering  this most holy  Sacrament,  which  is  the  complement  of spiritual  life,  since  the  whole  perfection  of  our  soul proceeds from  this  same  Sacrament. For, indeed, the whole  perfection  of  man  consists  in  his  union with God; but  there  is  no  more  powerful  means  of uniting  us  with  God,  than  Holy  Communion, through which  the  soul  becomes  one,  as  it  were, with Jesus,  as  he  himself  declared  when  he  said, 4 He that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my  blood, abideth in  me,  and  I in  him.’  ” (John  vi.  57.)

The principal  effect  of  this  most  holy  Sacrament is, to  preserve  in  man  the  life  of  grace. For this