THE HOLY EUCHARIST 131 



ness of faith, with such devotion of soul, with 

 such piety and worship, as to be able frequently to 

 receive that supersubstantial bread," 23 which, ac- 

 cording to the same holy Synod, is "an antidote 

 whereby we may be freed from daily faults and 

 preserved from mortal sins," "the spiritual food 

 of our souls," by which we are "fed and strength- 

 ened." 24 



2. Since frequent Communion is so ardently 

 desired by Jesus Christ and His Church, the 

 way to the altar railing should be open to all the 

 faithful without distinction of rank, class or con- 

 dition. No one should be turned away who is in 

 the state of grace and approaches the table of 

 the Lord with a right intention. The right in- 

 tention demanded by the Church consists in the 

 desire to receive the Eucharist, not as a matter 

 of habit, or out of vainglory or human respect, 

 or for some other earthly motive, but for the 

 purpose of pleasing God, of becoming more 

 closely united with Him by charity, and of seek- 

 ing this divine remedy for one's weaknesses and 

 defects. 25 



23 Cone. Trident., Sess. XIII, c. tnunion Quotidienne, Roulers and 



8; Sess. XXII, c. 6 (Denzinger- Bruxelles, 1904; Ch. Madridius. — J, 



Bannwart, n. 882, 944). — Cfr. the P. Bock, De Frequenti Usu S. Eu 



decree of Innocent XI, "Quum ad charistiae Sacramenti, Vienne 1909 

 aures" (Denzinger-Bannwart. n. 24 Cone. Trident., Sess. XIII, c 



1 147 sqq.); St. Thomas, Summa 2 (Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 87s). — 



Theol., 3a, qu. 80, art. 10; Lejeune, Cfr. Cat. Rom., P. II, c. 4, qu. 69 



La Pratique de la Sainte Commu- F. Meffert, Der hi. Alfons, pp. 253 



nion, Paris 1900; F. X. Godts, CSS. sqq. 



R., Exagerations Historiques et 25 Decree of the S. Congr. of the 



Theologiques concernant la Com- Council, Dec. 20, 1905, "Sacra Tri- 



