d who, for love of
us, remains ever with us in the Blessed Sacrament. Let us ask that our
faith and love may persevere to the end; that loving and adoring Him
here in the Blessed Sacrament of His love, _we may be united with Him
forever hereafter_.

III. Holy Communion

"He that eateth this bread shall live forever" (_John_ vi. 59)

HOLY communion is receiving the body and blood of Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament. The clergy when saying Mass, except on Good Friday, receive
under both forms. When not celebrating Mass, they receive only the one
kind, the consecrated bread. In the early ages of the Church communion
was given to the people under both forms.

The faithful, however, could, if they wished, dispense with one form and
receive under the form of bread. This shows that the Church always
taught that Christ is entire both under the form of bread and under the
form of wine. At one time the faithful received under both forms; now
they receive under one form, the form of bread. It is merely a matter of
discipline, which the Church could change, if circumstances demanded it.
Whether you receive under one form or both, you receive whole and entire
the body and blood of Christ. This is clearly taught by St. Paul in the
11th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says:
"Whosoever shall eat this bread, _or_ drink the chalice of the Lord
_unworthily_, shall be guilty of the body _and_ blood of the Lord."

How could a person eating that bread unworthily be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord, unless the body and blood of the Lord were there
under the form of bread?

Since Jesus Christ is whole and entire under the form of bread, as well
as under the form of wine, the practice of the Catholic Church of giving
holy communion under one form is reasonable.

Good Christians frequently receive their Lord and their God in holy
communion. He inspires them with feelings of love, gratitude, and
adoration. He reminds them to think frequently of their Creator--to give
Him their first thoughts in the morning and their last in the evening.
He gives them strength to restrain their guilty passions.

Holy Communion is the seed of immortality. "He that eateth this bread
_shall live forever_."

IV. Confirmation

"Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost"
(_Acts_ viii. 17).

BEFORE the coming of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost, the apostles were weak
and vacillating. One of t