ELZÉAR-ALEXANDRE TASCHEREAU

By the grâce of God and of the Apostolic See, Archbishop of Québec,

To tJic Clerg)\ Seciilar and Régula r, to the Religions Comnmnities and to ail the Faithfiil of the Ai'chdiocese of Québec, Greetiiig an.d Bénédiction in Our Lord.

The dévotion to, and confidence in Our Saviour Jésus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the EucHarist. which prevail amongst you, Our Dearly Beloved Brethren,

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give us reason to believe that you will accept with joy the goocl and happy tidings which we willingly announce to you to-day.

We read in the sacred scriptures that Our divine Saviour went through the cities and villages of Judea, preaching every where the gospel, and confîrming his teachings by miracles without number. Blessed the eyes which hâve beheld the Redeemer promised and expected since the beginning of the world ! Blessed the ears which hâve heard the words of truth spoken by the lips of the Divine Word niade flesh ! Blessed, a thousand times blessed, the people in wdiose midst God luas seen zcpon earth, conversiîig with men (Baruch, 3. 38.).

That happiness, O. D. B. B., you are about to enjoy : Our Lord is in your midst in the Holy Eucharist, "and he is about to show Himself to you successively in ail the parishes of this diocèse, during the beautiful and salutary dévotion of the Fortv Hours for the perpétuai adoration, which we establish by this our présent pastoral letter.

Amid the calamities which afflict the earth, ''our '' consolation and our hope should be, as Pope Clément '' VIII expresses it, in prayer which obtains for us ail '' kinds of blessings, pénétrâtes the heavens, appeases '' God's wrath, averts plagues, and gives us a share in '' the abundance of His mercy." (Z?//// of the 25M Nov. 1592/6»;' the estaôlishing of the 40 //. in Rome)

It is true, this Divine Saviour will not be seen by the eyes of your body, but the infaillible light of faith shall show Him to you really présent beneath the eucharistie veil. His divine word will not resound in your ears in a sensible manner, but He shall speak to youalanguage

:8o APPENDICE

which, coming forth from His adorable heart, will go strait to your heart to console it, to nourish, to fortify, to enlighten it. That you may the better hear His divine voice, a profound, a solemn silence should reign in the church where He is exposed.

According to the catholic dogma, the Eucharist contains truly, really and substantially, under the appearance of bread and wine, the body, the blood, the soûl and the divinity of Our Lord Jésus Christ, Who has Himself instituted it to be the food of our soûls. The substance of the bread and of the wine is chano-ed into the bodv and into the blood of Jésus Christ, so that after consécration, there remain of the one and of the other but the kinds, or appearances, which strike our sensés as before the célébration of the holy mysteries.

This adorable sacrament is in the catholic church like the centre and the heart from which springs forth the grâce that animâtes this mystical body. By an admirable disposition of the divine wisdom, ail the other sacraments are related to this one ; some prépare us to receive it, the others help us to préserve and to increase its grâce. From the Holy Eucharist spring the blessings of the supernatural order, which prépare us to a glorious résurrection and to the vision of God face to face, as Hc is (I. John, 3. 2) and in His light (Ps. 35. 10.).

It is also a true sacrifice, that is, an offering made to God as a sign of our dépendance and of our submission. From this sacrifice the sacrifices of the old law derived ail their virtue : they hâve ail disappeared to make room

APPENDICE 2ÔI

for this clean oblation which, as a prophet foretold it, zuas to be offered front the rising of the sun even to the goi?ig doioii of the saine, to shozu every lu/iere hoiu great is the name of the Lord (Malachias, i. ii.). In effect, nothing shows so clearly his power, his goodness, his charity, his infinité wisdom. It is as the adridgement of ail the zuonderful opérations by which the rédemption of the human race has been consummated.

'' What bread and wine effect in our body, the Eucha- '' rist produces, in an infinitely more perfect manner, for '' the good and salvation of our soûl. It is not the '' sacrament which is changed into our own substance, '' as bread and wine are changed into the substance of " our body, it is ourselves, on the contrary, who are " changed into the nature of the sacrament." (Catechis?n of the Council of Trent^j

Such is, O. D. B. B., the catholic dogma on this divine mystery. Prefigured by the sacrifices of the old law, foretold by the prophets, promised and afterwards instituted by Jésus Christ, the Holy Eucharist has been handed down by the teaching of the Apostles and of the Fathers, and perpetuated by the gênerai and constant belief of the Uni versai Church. Heaven and earth shall pass aiuay (Mat. 24, 35.), but this belief shall not pass away, for it is grounded upon the clear and infallible Word of the Almighty.

Listen to St. Cyril : " Since Christ Himself déclares " of the bread : " This is my body," who shall dare to " doubt it ; since He déclares, '' This is my blood," who " shall présume to doubt its being really His blood ? "

Let heresy enjoy the said privilège to ask after the unbelieving Jews (St. John, 6, 53.) : Hoiu can this man

give tes his Jîesh to eat / F'ourteen hundred years ago St. Ambrose gave this unanswerable reply : "In God, to *' will, to speak and to act are one and the same thing. '' one and the same infinité power. The sacrament '' which you receive is called forth by God's own words. *' You hâve read of the words of création : Hc spokc, '' and it zuas doue. He comnianded and the zuhole ivorld '' wimediately existed. Now the words of Christ which '' made of nothing that which was not, are they unable '' to transform that which already is. into that which it '' 'cL'as not ! It is no less a work of omnipotence to call '' new things into existence than to change the substance '' of those already existing."

As for us, O. D. B. B., we shall say with the wellbeloved apostle : We kave knozu7i, and hâve believed tJie charity, zuhich God hath to ns (I. John, 4, 16.) ; with the prince of the apostles : Lord, thon hast the zuoi'ds of eternal life, we hâve believed and we hâve known that thon art the Christ, the son of God (St. John, 6, 69, 70.) ; with the royal prophet (Ps. 91, 6.) : O Lord, Hozv great are thy zvorks ! thy thoug/its arc exceeding deep !

Jésus Christ, really présent in the Holy Eucharist, communicates Himself to us in varions ways. On the altar, He sacrifices Himself ; at the holy table, He gives Himself as our food ; in the tabernacle, He résides day and night to receive our homage and to hear our pétitions.

In the holy sacrifice of the mass, He immolâtes Himself in our présence mysteriously, but truly. Jesusçhrist is there both the pontift" and the victim : His ail

powerful Word is the sword of which He makes use ; His love for us is the fire which consumes Him. On the cross, He has offered up His own blood to obtain to us etcTual rcdcniption, and by the sacrifice of Hiinself He hath exhaîLsted the sins of many (Heb. 9, 12, 28.).

On the altar, He renews, ever and every where, this one sacrifice, to give us ail at once a glowing mark of His love, a means to render to God an homage worthy of His infinité majesty, and an inexhaustible source of grâces by which may be applied to us, in the holy communion, the fruits of the rédemption consummated upon Calvary.

The présence of Our Lord in our midst does not end with the sacrifice. His deliehts are to be zuith the cJiildreri of vieil (Prov. 8. 31.). He vonchsafes to be zuith us ail daySy everi to the consiiimnation of the zuorld ÇSldX. 28. 20.). The holy Catholic Church is that neiu J emsalem sJiining' with the splendors of Her divine sponse ; froni the tJirone of God is heard a great voice saying : BeJiold the tabernacle of God zuith vien. His children are God^s people and God Himself is zuith them (Apoc. 21.3.). In the poorest chape^ as well as in the most gorgeous basilica, Jésus Christ is really présent to receive there both the poor and the rich, the ignorant and the learned, the sinner and the just man. Ail are His children and hâve a share in His love.

On certain days He comes out of His tabernacle and remains exposed to our homage. " Then, says the holy '' Council of Trent (Sess. 13, ch. 5.), although instituted '' to be the spiritual food of the faithful, the Holy ^' Eucharist does not less deserve our adorations, for we

" believe to be présent there the same God, ofwhomthe " Eternil Father bas said, when introducing Him into '' the world : Le^ ail the Angels of God adore Him. It " is the same whom the M agi, fallinor down, bave *' adcred ; the same in fine wbo, according to boly '' scripture, bas been adored by the apostles in Galilée . . . '' It is just that festival days be established, that ail '' christians may, by some particular démonstration, show '' their gratitude for the benefit altogether divine of the " rédemption."

You thus see, O. D. B. B., that the hearing of mass, the holy Communion, the visits to the Blessed Sacrament, especially when it is publicly exposed, are so many means by which we may receive the ineffable treasures which Jésus Christ vouchsafes to shower down upon us. Bless the Lord, O iny soûl, ought we to say with the prophet, and never forget ail He hath doue for thee ! He forgiveth ail thy iiiiqidties, redeemeth thy life front deslrnction, crozunetk tJiee luitJi nicrcy and compassiouy satisfieth thy dvesire luitJi good things. According to the height of the heaven above the earth, He hath strengtJiened His 7nercy toiuards thnn that fear Him . . . As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on ns . . . (Ps. 102.).

Gratitude, O. D. B. B., is not our only duty towards Our Lord, for the immense benefit of the Holy Eucharist. You are not io-norant of the outrages to which He has exposed Himself for your sake, not only during His passion, but during ail âges in the sacrament of His love. To the blasphemies of impiety and heresy hâve been

superadded the horrible sacrilège of unworthy communions and the indifférence, alas ! too fréquent among the christians of our âge.

You Avill therefore come, O. D. B. B., during the solemn exposition, you will come and repair by your acts of faith and of piety, of love and of gratitude, ail thèse outrages offered to your God. Let each parish, each family, each faithful endeavor to console the adorable heart which has loved men so much. You will for a time interrupt your labor to come and give yourselves up to Him and enjoy the ineffable sweetness of His présence. His mercy keeps Him captive in your midst, you will not abandon Him to a solitude which would prove your want of faith and condemn your lukewarmness.

You will vie with one another in zeal for the adorning of your church. God undoubtedly does not ask of you a richness which you cannot afford to give ; heaven and earth, with ail their treasures, are His, but He requests above ail you heart, and He values much more the mite offered with great good will, than the gorgeous décorations presented with coldness and indifférence.

And do believe, O. D. B. B., that this divine Saviour, luho is rich in viercy (Eph. 2. 4.), will not allow himself to be overcome in generosity. In the Blessed Sacrament, as in heaven, He his ahuays living to 7nake intercession for 7is (Heb. 7. 25.). From His throne, He shall cast looks of beneficence upon each one of you ; His hand shall not cease to bless you ; His inexhaustible treasures shall be opened unto you. My people, Hesaid to Jeremiah (31. 12.), shall come and shall give praise in Mount Sion : and they shall floiu together to the good things of the Lord. . .Izuillturn their monrning into joy, and will

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conifort ihcjji, and inake theni joy/iil a/ter thcir sorroiu. You will therefore ail corne and adore Our Lord during the solemn exposition. Let ail, in each family, who can repair to the church, make it a duty to corne and présent their homage to Him Who hath delivered 7ts front the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdoni of the son of His love, in Whoni zue hâve rédemption throngh His ôlood, the rémission of sins ; Who is the imaoe of the invisible God . . . thronoh Whom ail things hâve been reconciled ttnto God (Coloss. i.

You will corne, old men already hanging over your

grave, and adore in His temple Him who shall soon

console your agony in the holy viaticum, before appearing

to you in the majesty of the suprême judge.

You will corne, Christian parents, who désire to draw down upon you and upon your family, the blessings of God. You will bring with you ail your children, who are your joy and your croivn (Philip. 4. i.), that the look of the Divine Saviour resting upon them, may for ever confirm in their tender hearts, the lessons and examples of faith and of piety which you give them.

You will come, just and faithful soûls, and pour out your heart before Him Whom you love, for Whom you labor and sustain so many combats ; at the feet of Jésus the divine oracle shall be veritîed ; He that is Just, let him be jiistified still : and he that is holy, let him be sanctifed still {X'poc, 22. 11.).

You will come also, poor sinners, who drag along sighing the claim of your iniquities. Approach with confidence : We hâve a great high-pricst that hath passed into the heavens, J esns the Son of God : who has

compassion on onr iujiriiiities, for He lias beeii tenipted in ail tJiinos like as zoe are, withont sin : let tes 00 tlierefore lùitli confidence to the throne of grâce : that zue may ohtain niercy, and fiiie grâce vi seasoîiaôle aid (Heb. 4. 14.). YoLir soûl lias been so dear to Him that He bas. shed for its sake even the last drop of His blood ; why woLild you dread coming in His présence to ask Him the strength you need to obtain eternal happiness ?

And 3'ou, poor sick and infirm, who cannot corne out of your dvvellings, be consoled. Turn your looks towards the Church ; transport yourselves in heart to the feet of Jésus to adore Him, to love Him and to beseech Him as you would before His altar ; and Jésus wiil bless your heart, hear your prayer, give you His grâce, His strength, His light to guide you, His patience to bear your infirmities, and you will thus hâve no reason to envy those who shall hâve gone to the Church.

You will not confine yourselves, O. D. B. B., only to this visit to the Blessed Sacrament exposed ; you will also approach the tribunal of penance with a sincère contrition and the holv communion with a heart burnine w^ith love and gratitude. It is the désire of Our Lord Himself Who has given His body and His blood under the eucharistie kinds, to be united to you as intimately as possible. Your happiness will then be complète because you shall hâve refused nothing to this God of love.

The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue a sufficient time for ail the parishioners to come to the Church and offer up their adorations. And thus shall be exactly verihed that saying of a prophet, who, after having enumerated ail the gâtes through which the varions tribes of Israël might enter into the new Jérusalem,.

announces that the naine of the city fi'om that day was : The Lord is there ; et nonien civitatis : D omîmes ibidein (Ezech. 48. 35.).

Happy the parish of which it may be said, Dominns ibidem, The Lord is there to visit, to sanctifiy, to bless it !

Happy the family which, after having adored Jésus, shall take back to its dwelling, however poor and humble it may be, the grâce, the love, the blessingoftheSaviour of the world ! As at Bethléem, the angels shall sing over that house, the canticle of Glory be to Godin thehighest ; and on earth peace to men of good zuill (Luke 2. 14). The Lord is there ; Domimis ibidem.

Happy every one of the parishioners who shall hâve fulfilled with faith and piety this duty of gratitude, of réparation and of love ; it will be said also of his heart that it has become the sanctuary of Jésus. Dominus ibidem !

You will not be content, O. D. B. B., with praying for yourselves and your families. The Holy Catholic Church, our mother, is passing at this moment, through one of the most agitated epochs ofher long and laborious career ; the Suprême Pontiff, our father, is exposed to persécution : the sanctuaries of the holy city are in the power of the enemies of our religion ; the œcumenical council of the Vatican is suspended ; Europe is at every moment threatened with frightful catastrophes ; secret societies are being every where organized to conspire in darkness ; one would almost think that humanity is writhing in a last and painful agony.

Our own dear country, although comparatively more calm and happy, is not secure from ail commotions, and from one moment to the other the counter-blow of the

evils which afflict other countries may fall upon our own.

Charity, which should unité us to ail our fellow beings and more particularly to the children of the Holy Church, does not permit us to remain unconcerned in présence of so many evils. You will therefore pray Our Lord ; you will say, like the apostles terrified by the tempest which threatened to ingulph them ; Lord, save tes, we pe^'ish (Mat. 8. 25.), Lord, save ail we hold most dear in this world ; protect the Church, the Sovereign Pontiff, the sanctuaries of the Holy City ; restore peace to the agitated world ; give to our dear country the peace, union and concord which alone can secure her welfare and her happiness.

Thus, O. D. B. B., if you acquit yourselves well of your duties towards Our Lord, no^ crime will remain without expiation, no outrage without réparation, no sacrilège without amends, no public or private evil without a cry uttered towards the throne of the divine majesty which is also the throne of the divine mercy.

Given at Québec under our signature, the seal of the Archdiocese ,

on the feast of St. Joseph, Patron of the Catholic Church, nineteenth March, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.

t E.-A. ARCH. OF QUEBEC.