sign of the cross, who assists without
constraint at the public services of the Church, who observes an exterior
decorum in the house of God, who gives to the needy according to his means
and duly attends to the other practices and ceremonies of religion, will
generally be one whose heart is united to God, and who yields to Him a
ready obedience. Show me, on the contrary, a man who habitually neglects
these outward observances of religion and charity, and I will show you one
in whose soul the fire of devotion, if not quite extinguished, at least
burns very faintly.

The ceremonies of the Church not only render divine service more solemn,
but also rivet our attention and lift it up to God. Our mind is so active,
so volatile, so full of distractions, our imagination so fickle, that we
have need of some external objects on which to fix our thoughts.

Almighty God considered ceremonial so indispensable to interior worship
that we find Him in the Old Law prescribing in minute detail the various
rites, ceremonies and ordinances to be observed by the Jewish Priests and
people in their public worship. What is the entire book of Leviticus but
an elaborate ritual of the Jewish church. Not, indeed, that external rites
are to be compared in merit with interior worship, but because they are as
necessary for nourishing internal devotion as food is necessary for our
animal life.

Our Savior, though He came to establish a more spiritual religion than
that of the Hebrew people, did not discard the outward forms of worship.
He was accustomed to accompany His religious acts by appropriate
ceremonies.

In the garden of Gethsemani "He fell upon His face"(411) in humble
supplication.

He went in procession to Jerusalem, accompanied by a great multitude, who
sang Hosanna to the Son of David.(412)

At the Last Supper He invoked a blessing on the bread and wine, and
afterward chanted a hymn with His disciples.(413)

When the deaf and dumb man was brought to Him, before healing Him, He put
His fingers into his ears and touched his tongue with spittle, "and,
looking up to heaven, He groaned and said: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou
opened."(414)

When He imparted the Holy Ghost to His disciples, He breathed on them(415)
and the same Apostles afterward communicated the Holy Ghost to others by
laying hands on them.(416)

The Apostle St. James directs that if any man is sick he shall call in the
Priest, who will anoint him with oil.(417)