blood the first of all. The saint charges us (ib. p.
787) not to question or contradict the words of Christ, but to captivate
our reason and understanding in obeying him, and believing his word,
which cannot deceive us, whereas our senses often lead us into mistakes.
When, therefore, he tells us, _This is_ {266} _my body_, we must believe
him, and consider the mystery with spiritual eyes; for we learn from
him, that what he gives us is something spiritual, which falls not under
our senses. See this further on the same subject, Hom. 50, (olim 51,) in
Matt. pp. 516, 517, 518. Hom. de Baptismo Christi, t. 2, pp. 374, 375.
Hom. in Laudem Martyrum, t. 2, p. 654. Hom non esse ad gratiam
concionandum, ib. pp. 658, 659. Expos. in Ps. 46, t. 5, p. 189, and in
Pd. 133, p. 382. Hom. 5, in illud: Vidi Dominum, t. 6, p. 143. Hom. de
St. Philogonio, t. 1, p. 498, besides the passages quoted in this
abstract. In the same comments on St. Matthew, t. 7, Hom. 82, p. 788, he
vehemently exhorts the faithful to approach the holy table with a
burning thirst and earnest desire to suck in the spiritual milk, as it
were, from the divine breasts. As children throw themselves into the
bosom of their nurse or mother, and eagerly suck their breast, so ought
we with far greater ardor to run to the sacred mysteries, to draw into
our hearts, as the children of God, the grace of his Holy Spirit. To be
deprived of this heavenly food ought to be to us the most sensible, nay,
our only grief, (ib p. 788.) Nothing can be more tender than his
exhortations to frequent communion; he even recommends it daily, (Hom.
de St. Philogonio, t. 1, pp. 499, 500,) provided persons lead Christian
lives, and bring suitable dispositions. But no solemnity can be a reason
for those who are under the guilt of sin ever to approach in that state.
(Ib,) No terms can be stronger than those in which he speaks in many
places of the enormity of a sacrilegious communion, which he compares to
the crime of Judas who betrayed Christ, of the Jews who crucified him,
sud of Herod who sought to murder him in his cradle, (Hom. 7, in Matt.
p. 112, &c.,) and frequently explains the dispositions requisite to
approach worthily the holy table, insisting chiefly on great purity of
soul, fervent devotion, and a vehement hunger and thirst after this
divine banquet. (Hom. 17, in Heb. t. 12, p. 169. Hom. 24, in 1 Cor t.
10, p. 218, &c.) He denounces the most dreadful threats of divine
vengeance against u