Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/524



518 THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST.

in a manner compels Us to add one thing more, in order to fill up the measure of what We have already conceived and carried out. This is, to commend to all Christians, more earnestly than heretofore, the all-holy Eucharist, forasmuch as it is a divine gift proceeding from the very Heart of the Redeemer, who "with desire desireth" this singular mode of union with men, a gift most admirably adapted to be the means whereby the salutary fruits of His redemption may be distributed. Indeed We have not failed in the past, more than once, to use Our authority and to exercise Our zeal in this behalf. It gives Us much pleasure to recall to mind that We have officially approved and enriched with canonical privileges not a few institu- tions and confraternities having for their object the per- petual adoration of the Sacred Host; that We have en- couraged the holding of Eucharistic Congresses, the re- sults of which have been as profitable as the attendance at them has been numerous and distinguished ; that We have designated as the heavenly patron of these and similar undertakings St. Paschal Baylon, whose devotion to the mystery of the Eucharist was so extraordinary.

Accordingly, Venerable Brethren, it has seemed good to Us to address you on certain points connected with this same mystery, for the defence and honor of which the solicitude of the Church has been so constantly en- gaged, for which martyrs have given their lives, which has afforded to men of the highest genius a theme to be illustrated by their learning, their eloquence, their skill in all the arts ; and this We will do in order to render more clearly evident and more widely known those special characteristics by virtue of which it is so singularly adapted to the needs of these our times. It was towards the close of His mortal life that Christ our Lord left this me- morial of His measureless love for men, this powerful means of support for the life of the world} And precisely for this reason. We, being so soon to depart from this

' John vi. 52.