r r m x [ADMiil l-S' D M N E PREACHER ANET TEACHER/NATIONS vrmore ^ fruitfulpreaching and bearing of the Word of God C h r i s t the D i v i n e P r e a c h e r and T e a c h e r of N a t i o n s (A HOLY HOUR) By T H E C R U S A D E R S F O R M O R E F R U I T F U L P R E A C H I N G A N D H E A R I N G O F T H E W O R D O F G O D S T . C E C I L I A ' S M I S S I O N 2 2 3 E A S T I O S T H STREET N E W Y O R K C I T Y Spiritual Director T H E VERY REVEREND P A U L J A M E S FRANCIS, S A . T H E P A U L I S T P R E S S 4 0 1 W E S T 5 9 T H STREET N E W Y O R K , N . Y . W E D E D I C A T E T H E S E H U M B L E E F F O R T S TO GLORIFY " C H R I S T T H E D I V I N E P R E A C H E R AND T E A C H E R OF NATIONS," W I T H GREAT FILIAL LOVE TO— H I S HOLINESS, P O P E P I U S X I , WHO, BY H I S P A U L I N E ZEAL FOR T H E E X T E N S I O N OF T H E K N O W L E D G E OF CATHOLIC P R I N C I P L E S , AND BY H I S GREAT ENCYCLICALS AND COURAGEOUS PREACHINGS, HAS M A D E H I M S E L F A BEACON L I G H T OF D I V I N E T R U T H TO T H E NATIONS, AND, I N SUCCESSION TO BLESSED P E T E R , T H E LIVING E X P O N E N T OF T H E T E A C H I N G A U T H O R I T Y OF T H E C H U R C H . Nihil Obstat: A R T H U R J . S C A N L A N , S . T . D . ' , Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: »FI S T E P H E N J . D O N A H U E , D . D . , A dm., New York. New York, December 25, 1938. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U . S. A. BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK, N. Y. D e a d c J i l t e d V special W ^ Collections ¿Jj ViVshV??' APOSTOLIC BLESSING FATHER PAUL JAMES FRANCIS, S . A . , Spiritual Director of the Crusade for a More Fruitful Preaching, begs the Apos- tolic Blessing on the Crusade and all Members of the Association, who have banded themselves together in a Crusade of Prayer and Catholic Action to pro- mote a fuller accomplishment of the Sav- iour's Command: "Go ye into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature." Vatican—9 Nov. 1938. Signed by J O S E P H M I G O N E , Archbishop Nicomediensis. F r o m the Ambassador of Christ By CARDINAL GIBBONS " I am far f r o m underrating the salutary in- fluence in Christian life and piety t h a t is ex- erted by parental instruction, by the atmosphere of Christian homes, by the catechism taught in the week-day and Sunday schools under the guidance of devoted men and women, by the circulation of Catholic periodicals, and the dif- fusion of sound religious books. "But after giving full credit to these and other valuable auxiliaries, it must be admitted that the waters of grace, flowing through these chan- nels, will generally move sluggishly, and may eventually be dried up, if they are not replenished and quickened by the fountain springing from the pulpit. "Moreover, in almost every large congregation there is a considerable number of members who never receive any refreshment from these minor sources. They breathe no religious air at home, they read nothing but the daily papers, they are engrossed by the labors and solicitudes of daily life. The only opportunity they have of hear- ing the word of God is at the Sunday Mass, and if they are not nourished on t h a t day by the food of the Gospel, they are doomed to a spiritual famine f o r the rest of the week. They are worse off than the children of Israel in the desert, who had to fast all day if they did not gather the manna in the morning." [ 161 History of t h e Crusade f o r a More F r u i t f u l P r e a c h i n g a n d Hearing of t h e W o r d of God O R I G I N In October, 1936, an eminent clergyman recommended that "a moratorium be declared upon preaching." A Catholic priest and a mem- ber of the laity answered to this " N o ! N o t 'Stop Preaching but the opposite—a more fer- vent preaching of the word of G o d . ' " F I R S T STEPS In January, 1937, a few lay men and women met for the first time with a spiritual director— the Very Rev. Michael Heinlein, O.S.B. The Crusade was founded on gratitude for the priesthood, co-operating with them and assuring them t h a t the lay people hunger f o r the word of God. From the beginning it was emphasized at these meetings that the movement is not criti- cal, but helpful and constructive. In September of the same year, meetings were held in New York City, where the Very Rev. Paul James Francis, S.A., of Graymoor, Garri- son, N . Y., gave the "bird a nest" in St. Cecilia's Mission, 223 East 105th Street. From the very beginning the Rev. James M. Gillis, C.S.P., was an inspiring friend. The Rev. Adrian Lynch, C.P., associate edi- tor of The Sign, suggested t h a t The Crusaders have recourse to prayer as the strongest weapon in their work. A Crusade Prayer was written [ S ] and in March, 1937, received the Imprimatur f r o m His Eminence, Patrick Cardinal Hayes. This prayer was sent to all convents in the United States, resulting in requests f o r 20,000 copies. In November, 1937, His Eminence, the late Patrick Cardinal Hayes, permitted the Cru- saders to organize in his archdiocese of New York. E N C O U R A G E M E N T S In November, 1937, the Crusade was brought to the attention of the Administrative Board of the NCWC. Executive Secretary Monsignor Ready in a letter, praised the zeal of the Cru- saders in striving for increased spreading of the word of God, and suggested that they deal di- rectly with the individual bishops. Encouraging letters were received from Arch- bishops, bishops, priests and nuns. Delighted with the movement, many of them urged the Crusaders to go on with this most necessary work, realizing that the preaching of the word of God is vitally indispensable, and seriously regretting its loss in so many places. Three archbishops commented very favorably on the Crusade. His Excellency, Archbishop Rummel, wrote— "Undoubtedly the movement is very commend- able and should find a welcome echo in many quarters among the hierarchy, the clergy and the laity." His Excellency, Archbishop Curley of Balti- more, said that the movement is unique and highly recommended it. [ 161 His Excellency, Archbishop Murray of St. Paul, wrote—"The Crusade for a More Fruitful Preaching brings a challenge to both the Preach- ing Church and the Hearing Church, to inten- sify interest as well as effort in the fulfillment of the commandment of our Blessed Lord: 'Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gos- pel to every creature; he t h a t believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned.' May the Crusade hasten the day when every creature will hear and accept t h e Divine Word." Bishop-Abbot Breher, O.S.B., of Manchukuo, wrote t h a t he will do everything to spread the Crusade in the East. Seeds of the movement have been planted in Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, England, Italy, Canada, Asia, South America and Africa. AN ADVISORY BOARD composed of over 90 distinguished priests was created for the Cru- sade. On the Feast of Pentecost, 1938, Father Paul, S.A., was selected by the Crusaders to be their Spiritual Director. CRUSADE P L E D G E S were printed in De- cember, 1937, and have been signed by over 600 Crusaders. There are no dues. The Financial burden has been borne by a few. R O M E . In July, 1938, the president of the Crusade took two petitions to the Holy Father: (1) For the Crusade; (2) Begging the Procla- mation of Christ, as the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations, and also the Institution of a Feast to honor our Divine Lord under this new title. These petitions were signed by hun- [ 161 dreds of people, members of the hierarchy, clergy, religious and laity. All this was to be presented to the Holy Father, together with a lengthy dog- matic treatise in Latin, asking for the institution of a Feast, written by a famous Professor of Theology, the Reverend Dr. E. Krebs. A high Church dignitary in Rome in three interviews enthusiastically received the Crusade, lauded its objectives and joyfully exclaimed, "that the Crusade was touching the center and heart of Catholic Action." The movement in its entirety was placed before His Holiness, who recommended t h a t it should be studied seriously. The Holy Father wishes t h a t the Crusaders at all times be eager to help the priests in their tremendous responsibilities; they should work for the diffusion of the Gospel through the preaching and hearing of the word of God, so that the movement will be a real work of evangelization; they should emphasize the part of the Church hearing and pray that the f a i t h f u l have a great desire to hear the word of God. Following the guidance received in Rome, the Crusaders changed the title of the movement, calling it f r o m now on "A Crusade for a More Fruitful Preaching and Hearing of the Word of God." O B J E C T I V E S 1. To P R A Y and to WORK f o r increased preaching and hearing of the word of God; it being "the sword of the Spirit" against the anti- Christ; in this way emphasizing the proper dignity, sacredness and far-reaching influence of [ 161 the Divine Command of Jesus Christ, "Preach the Gospel to every creature." 2. To P R A Y and to WORK to arouse devo- tion to Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations, asking Him to strengthen the Church Teaching as well as the Church Hear- ing, so t h a t a world living in darkness may see the Light, and turn away from the anti-Christ. 3. To PRAY and to WORK f o r the Procla- mation of this title for our Divine Lord, and for the establishment of such a feast. S P I R I T Love f o r personal sanctification. Love f o r the word of God; urging the daily reading of the Bible as the Bread of Life. Love for souls. Love for the clergy—and expressing loyalty to the pulpit as the most important channel f o r the imparting of Divine T r u t h . Love for Catholic Action, realizing t h a t knowledge is the base of Catholic Action. Love for all duly constituted authority in the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the willing- ness to be guided by Ecclesiastical authority. If the Church is strengthened f r o m within, why should she t h e n b e afraid of the e n e m y w h o already s o threat- eningly k n o c k s at the d o o r ? [ 161 T H E HOLY HOUR H y m n : "Come H o l y Ghost" O f f e r i n g of the Holy H o u r Most sweet Jesus, Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations, we wish to console Thee and make fervent reparation for the blasphemous insults preached in public by many modern leaders, who, with so much eloquence have proclaimed their pagan- istic ideas, attacking not only the teach- ings of the Holy Catholic Church, Thy Kingdom on earth, but even the most Blessed Trinity. We wish to atone also for any negli- gence of our own in obeying Thy Divine Command: "Go ye therefore into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature." In order to rejoice T h y Sacred Heart, we wish to confess publicly true contrition for our sins and the sins of the world against Thee, the Word made Flesh. We now make a firm resolution to take unto ourselves the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, that with renewed enthusi- asm we may conquer false doctrines with the teachings of Christ. We offer Thee in all humility as an act of reparation to Thy Sacred Heart, the sufferings of so many victims of religious persecutions in our day and age. Mindful of their great trials, we beg that these [ 1 0 ] martyrs may not suffer and die in vain, but that their merits may hasten the day when Thou, O Incarnate Word, may be acclaimed in a Feast, solemnly proclaimed by Thy Vicar, the Sovereign Pontiff, as the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Na- tions. St. Joseph, Watchful Defender of Christ, pray for us. St. Francis de Sales, who by thy gen- tle preaching of God's love converted thousands of souls, pray for us. St. Don Bosco, who in thy first Holy Mass asked for the Power of the Spoken Word, pray for us. St. Ignatius of Loyola, burning to re- vive religious fervor, pray for us. Our Father Hail Mary Glory Be to the Father Prayer of a Crusade f o r a More F r u i t f u l P r e a c h i n g O Jesus! Thou hast said: "Knock and it shall be opened to you." We knock at the door of Thy Sacred Heart burning with love for us. We desire nothing but Thee and T h y greater glory. Jesus, King of all hearts! open the fountains of T h y mercy through the hearts and tongues of Thy representatives [ 1 1 ] on earth, Thy priests. Thou art the Word, made Flesh. Thou hast given the Divine command, "Preach the Gospel to every creature." I t is therefore T h y Holy Will that Thy priests proclaim Thee, who art the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And Thou, Queen of Apostles! who listened to the heavenly sermons of Thy Divine Son, remove every obstacle, and be our powerful helper. Take this Crusade, O Holy Ghost! Thou Spirit of Fiery Tongues, in Thine Own hands. Enlighten T h y priests in their holy mission to seek first the King- dom of God and to preach a well-prepared sermon at every Mass on Sundays and Holydays. Spirit of Heavenly light! guide all our steps and inflame our hearts with a burn- ing zeal for this, Thy Crusade. Little Flower of Jesus, Lover of the Priesthood, pray for us! St. Paul, great Apostle and Missionary, pray for us! St. John Chrysostom, "golden-mouthed, glory of the Christian pulpit," pray for u s ! Nihil Obstat: A R T H U R J . S C A N L A N , S . T . D . , Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: P A T R I C K CARDINAL H A Y E S , Archbishop of New York. March 22, 1937. [ 161 By the Priest: Reading f r o m the Gospel (St. M a t t , xxviii. 16-20), "Going therefore teach ye all nations." Gospel of Trinity Sunday. Short Meditation Prayer t o Christ t h e Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations Dear Jesus, "Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations," we wish to honor Thee under this glorious title and give Thee thanks for having designed to be- come Man in order to teach us the way to Heaven. We long to atone for the outrages ut- tered against Thee and Thy Church by unbelievers and beg Thee to shower Thy blessings on the Church Teaching that they may overcome the false prophets with "the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God." Grant Thy faithful the grace to seek every opportunity to hear Thy Divine Word and receive it into fertile hearts, that this Seed may bring forth much fruit in the Harvest of Souls, and increasing our knowledge of Thee, we may love and serve Thee better. Amen. By the Priest: S e r m o n o n t h e Mount The Eight Beatitudes 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [ 161 2. Blessed are the meek for they shall possess the land. 3. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. 4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice for they shall have their fill. 5. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. 6. Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God. 7. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. 8. Blessed are they that suffer persecu- tion for justice' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Prayer to the Blessed Mother Mother of the Word Incarnate, we beg thee to be merciful to thy children who are hungry for the Word of God which is the Bread of Life. We remember the words of thy Divine Son who said: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth from the mouth of God." In thy motherly love, provide for thy children, young and old, so that they all may be fed Sunday after Sunday with the Word of God, and share in the rich spirit- ual treasures of the Church. Turn also with compassion to thy smallest children, who in our public schools are not fed with Heavenly manna. [ 161 Enlighten their teachers to listen to thy Divine Son, the only Teacher of Truth, so that they will teach Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Pray for all that they may follow thy example and not only hear the word of God, but also keep it and bear fruits in patience. O Mother of the Word made Flesh, for the love of Jesus and in the name of Jesus, we implore thee to take this cause in thy hands and obtain for it success. St. Mary Magdalen, converted and sanctified by His words, pray for us. St. Clare, who eagerly listened to the teachings of St. Francis, pray for us. St. Catherine of Siena, fearless teacher, pray for us. Amen. St. Elizabeth, who spread the Gospel amongst the poor, pray for us. By the Priest: Reading f r o m the Gospel (St. John xviii. 33-38), Jesus before Pilate. Short Meditation Prayer to Christ the Preacher i n t h e Blessed Sacrament O Jesus, who livest day and night on our altars, we know that it is Thy delight to be with the children of man. Thou art the Word made Flesh dwelling amongst us. Thy Heart cannot restrain Its love and mercy and from the abundance of [ I S ] Thy Sacred Heart, Thy Divine Mouth speaketh. I t would be easy for Thee to work a miracle, step from the altar and speak words of comfort and love to Thy chil- dren. But as a true prisoner of love Thou puttest Thyself into the hands of Thy ambassadors, Thy priests, asking them to be Thy mouth-piece. Thou hast solemnly said to them: "As My Father sent Me, so I send you." Therefore Thy priests are the divinely ap- pointed heralds of Thy Sacred Truth. Grant them the grace to give always fer- vent attention and loving preparation to the Spoken Word. May the faithful waiting for the Light which lifts them out of darkness and strengthens them in their fight against the powers of Hell, eagerly listen to T h y representatives. Instill in the hearts of all Thy Divine command: "Be ye doers and not hearers only." St. John the Baptist, who by thy fer- vent preaching prepared the way of the Lord, pray for us. All ye Holy Prophets who spoke of God, pray for us. St. Augustine, converted by the power- ful sermons of St. Ambrose, pray for us. All ye Holy Doctors and Confessors, who by your words defended the teach- [ 161 ing authority of the Church, pray for us. Amen. By the Priest: Seven Last W o r d s f r o m the Cross Prayer of T h a n k s g i v i n g O Jesus, we thank Thee for Thy im- mortal words as found in the Holy Gos- pel which, after centuries, are still price- less treasures of the Church—nourishing, strengthening and consoling millions of souls. We thank Thee for the innumerable preachers, who during centuries have ex- pounded Thy Gospel. We thank Thee for all the priests, mis- sionaries, Sisters and lay people, who, imitating Thy example, and strengthened by the sufferings of the preaching martyrs, go forth with ever new enthusiasm to spread the Gospel in spite of its enemies. O Holy Ghost, by whose inspiration spoke the prophets and Apostles, inflame missionary souls all over the world, and imbue them with Sacred Eloquence so that they will carry the Gospel torch held high, to convert unbelievers, conquer the world for Christ, and gain immortal souls for Heaven. St. Curé d'Ars, who preached every day to thy faithful, pray for us. St. Thomas Aquinas, Great Teacher of the Church, pray for us. St. Joseph, Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us. Amen. [ 161 By the Priest: R e a d i n g f r o m the Gospel (St. Luke viii. 4-15), The Sower and the Seed; or (St. Luke ii. 42-52), Jesus teaching in the temple. Short Meditation F o r T h o s e W h o Sit in Darkness a n d Never Hear t h e W o r d of God O Almighty God, Father in Heaven, Thou hearest the cry of Thy children, liv- ing in darkness. They are blind and cannot find the Light; sick and no one visits them. O Divine Preacher and Teacher of Na- tions, send out thousands of missionaries, who, inspired by the words of Thy Apos- tles that "Faith cometh by hearing," may bring the Catholic truth to these poor pa- gans. Most Blessed Trinity, we implore Thee that the name of the Lord be declared throughout all the earth and reach the lowliest and most hidden souls so that they all may hear the glad tidings of sal- vation. St. Francis Xavier, who saved countless souls through thy fervent preaching, pray for us. St. Anthony, Apostolic Preacher, pray for us. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, zeal- ous for souls, pray for us. Amen. By the Priest: T h e Angelus. [ 1 8 ] Prayer to the Angels All ye Holy Angels., created to adore and enjoy God in Heaven, we thank you for all the consoling messages which strengthened the Church militant. Again and again yoU were the divinely ap- pointed heralds, bringing words of com- fort and enlightenment to human beings. We thank thee, St. Gabriel the Arch- angel, who brought the welcome message of the Incarnation of the Divine Word to the Immaculate Virgin. And when the Eternal Word was born in a stable in Bethlehem, ye Holy Angels, with unrestrained joy, proclaimed the glad tidings to an expectant world. We beg all ye Holy Angels and Arch- angels to pray for the Church, the be- loved Spouse of Christ, in this hour of great temptation and heavy trials through which she is now passing. St. Michael, the Archangel, whose jubi- lant war cry was: "Who is like God?" —proclaim now more than ever through the re-establishment of this feast, the teaching authority of the Church and her right to educate the people, especially the young. Cast into Hell evil spirits who en- deavor by every means to bring young and innocent souls under the poisonous influ- ence of worldly powers and Godless gov- ernments. Strengthen us to resist the devils and their evil teachings. [ 1 9 ] We beg Thee, dear Jesus, to send us Thy Holy Angels, so that they will min- ister to the good cause for which we are fighting and obtain for us the glorious Feast of Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations. All ye Holy Angels, pray for us. All ye Holy Guardian Angels, pray for us. All ye Holy Archangels, pray for us. Amen. By the Priest: R e a d i n g f r o m the Epistle (St. Paul to I I Timothy Chap. iv. 1-8). Prayer t o the Holy Ghost f o r a Feast of Christ the D i v i n e Preacher and Teacher of Nations 0 Holy Ghost, who didst accomplish the incarnation of the Divine Word, we beg Thee to grant that the Eternal Word will be glorified in the Feast of Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations. In our times, when the whole world is bewildered and filled with erroneous doc- trines; when many false prophets lead even well-meaning souls astray, we turn with hope and confidence to Thee,*s-the Spirit of Truth, who governest the Church throughout the centuries. [ 161 Gift of the Heavenly Father, who fillest the whole world, do not permit that im- mortal souls, bought with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, remain in danger- ous ignorance. Strengthen the teaching authority of the Church so that the Catholic principles may be proclaimed to a greater degree from the pulpits, through lay preachers, the radio, the press, movies, the theater, Catholic literature, and especially also through the families, homes and schools. O Spirit of Burning Love, glorify the Word made Flesh in this Feast, so that the world now living in darkness may see the Light, and, turning away from the anti-Christ, will follow with renewed love and fervor the Divine Preacher and only Teacher of Truth. St. John the Evangelist, who, inspired by the Holy Ghost, gave us a better un- derstanding of the Word made Flesh, by thy words: " I n the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God," pray for us. All ye Holy Evangelists, who by the Holy Gospels spread the Word of God, pray for us. . All ye Holy Martyrs, who suffered so courageously while testifying to the truth, pray for us. All ye Holy Apostles, who preached Christ crucified, pray for us. Amen. [ 161 Litany of Jesus Christ, D i v i n e P r e a c h e r a n d Teacher of Nations Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Fiery Tongues, Jesus, Divine Preacher, Who didst deign to become Man to teach us the way to Heaven, Who didst preach to us from Thy cradle by Thy poverty and hu- mility, Who didst preach to us at Nazareth by Thy obedience and subjection, Who at twelve years wast found M among the doctors teaching in the Temple, Whose words Mary kept, ponder- ing them in her heart, Of whom the Father said, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him," Who didst teach "as one having power, and not as the scribes and Pharisees," [ 161 is At whose doctrine the people were Jj in admiration, Of whom it was said "Never did man speak like this Man," Of whom St. Peter said, "To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life," Who didst preach to us even when dying on the Cross, Who didst remain teaching us forty days after Thy resurrection, Who didst send the Holy Ghost to inspire St. Peter and the Apostles, Who preachest to us from Thy tabernacle of Thy Kingdom which is not of this world, Jesus, Teacher of Nations, L Who didst say, "Be ye witnesses of Me . . . even to the uttermost part of the earth," Who didst say, "Blest are they who hear the Word of God and keep it," Who didst say, " H e that shall do and teach shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven," Who didst say, "Every one that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in Heaven," Who didst say, " M y mother and My brethren are they who hear the word of God and do it" (Luke viii. 21), J [ 161 Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, 0 Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. V. And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us. R . Full of grace and truth. By the Priest: R e a d i n g f r o m the Epistle (St. Paul to the Romans, Chap. x. 13-15) Short Meditation Prayer f o r the Institution of a Feast of Christ the D i v i n e Preacher and T e a c h e r of Nations Divine Word, made Flesh for our sal- vation, we beg Thee to allow us to honor Thee in a Feast of Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations. We firmly believe that through the proclamation of this feast Thou wilt shower Thy blessings on the Church Teaching as well as on the Church Hear- ing, and instill in our hearts Thy Divine Command: "Go ye therefore, teach all nations." [ 161 Divine Word, who at twelve years wast found among the doctors teaching in the Temple, we wish to offer Thee this Feast as an act of adoration, thanksgiving, reparation and petition. In proclaiming Thee by a joyful feast as our Divine Preacher and Teacher, we wish to express our gratitude for Thy im- mortal words: "Heaven and Earth shall pass away but My word shall not pass away." Holy Ghost, Spirit of Fiery Tongues, glorify the Word made Flesh by this Feast and let it become a part of the Liturgy of the Church. Mother of the Word Incarnate, pray for us. St. Michael the Archangel, Heavenly Warrior, pray for us. St. Dominic, Founder of the great Preaching Order, pray for us. St. Francis, who sent fervent mission- aries to preach the glad tidings, pray for us. Nihil Obstat: A R T H U R J . S C A N L A N , S . T . D . , Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: S T E P H E N J . D O N A H U E , D . D . , Adm., New York. October 13, 1938. [ 161 BENEDICTION O Salutaris Hostia, Qui coeli pandis ostium. Bella premunt hostilia; Da robur, fer auxilium. Uni trinoque Domino Sit sempiterna gloria, Qui vitam sine termina, Nobis donet in patria. Amen. TANTUM ERGO Tantum ergo Sacramentum, Veneremur cernui; E t antiquum documentum Novo cedat ritui; Praestet fides supplementum, Sensuum defectui. Genitori, Genitoque, Laus et jubilatio; Salus, honor, virtus quoque Sit et benedictio; Procedenti ab utroque Compar sit laudatio. Amen. P. Panem de coelo praestitisti eis. Ch. Omne delectamentum in se haben- tem. [ 161 HYMN TO JESUS CHRIST, DIVINE PREACHER AND TEACHER OF NATIONS Christ Jesus, Thou Incarnate Word, True Teacher of all men, Inflame our hearts and loose our tongues To praise Thy Holy Name. The world in sin and blindness lies Because it knows Thee not, For who could fail to love Thee, Lord, Who knows Thee as Thou art? But many times Thy precious Words Fall on unfruitful soil, O bless all hearts with grace to keep Thy words in daily toil. Thou who didst preach at Bethlehem Of poverty and peace, Oh teach us lowliness of heart And heavenly things to seek. Teacher of Nations, God of Truth, We long to honor Thee, And by a joyful Festival To render thanks to Thee. Be Thou, 0 spirit of Fiery Tongues, Our Guide and Inspiration, And grant that soon all hearts may praise The Teacher of Salvation. [ 161 W h y a Feast of Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations ? 1. Because there is nothing on earth so power- ful to direct the tendency of Catholic thought as the word of the Sovereign Pontiff with which he would proclaim Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher, and nothing so calculated to im- press an ideal on the minds of the faithful as the celebration of the Feast. 2. Because through this Feast the most Holy Trinity would be greatly honored. (a) The Father. Christ said He preached the words of "Him who sent Me." (b) Jesus Christ. Because He is the "Word made Flesh." (c) The Holy Ghost. Because He is the Spirit of Fiery Tongues. Christ said He would send the Holy Spirit to en- lighten men and enable them to un- derstand His words. 3. Because the Blessed Mother would be spe- cially honored in this Feast, as a real example of the Church Hearing, of whom the Evangelist said, "Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart." (St. Luke, ii, 19.) 4. Because in a time when there are so many "false Christs," it is more vital than ever to emphasize the teaching authority of the Church. This feast would foster reverence to the Holy Catholic Church as the custodian of Divine T r u t h and for her priests who are Christ's wit- nesses to the uttermost parts of the world. [ 161 5. Because a Feast would bring to the atten- tion of all the faithful that the world who is seeking Jesus with sorrow in her heart, as did the Blessed Mother when He was twelve, will find Him again with the doctors in the Temple revealing the truth. 6. Because the representation of Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations recalls a constant role in the public life of our Lord. He was always speaking to the disciples and people. Many Gospels begin: "At that time Jesus spoke to His disciples." While the re- demption was the central fact and act of His life on earth, His teaching gave us the key and understanding for it. The Gospels are filled with His words. 7. Because it is fitting t h a t this primary duty should be kept before our eyes in the concrete form oj representation of Christ the Preacher and Teacher; fully explained and sanctioned by the words of the Church, i. e., by the institution of a special feast in honor of Christ the Divine Preacher, in order to stimulate our devotion to His Divine Doctrine and its spread, as well as to make us imitators of Christ's untiring labors "to give testimony to the t r u t h " before all comers, and, that in well-chosen words, stories and vivid examples. 8. Because the Feast would be a joyful re- newal of an old truth, namely, that only Christ and His Church possess the whole t r u t h . It would prove that the Church never grows old, but remains always young and ready to renew its spiritual sources and adapt them to the needs of the time. This would captivate the minds of the young, who like new ideals. [ 161 9. Because a Feast would be a loving adora- tion of the Divine Teacher not only by individ- uals, b u t by the Universal Church. By this Feast we can thank our Lord also for His preachings and teachings, and also show our gratitude to all His successors who expounded the immortal words of the Gospel during the centuries. In deep gratitude the Christians look up to the immortal overflowing source of truth,— to Christ whose words are Life. 10. Because in proclaiming this Feast the Catholic world will voice its protest against the teaching of Satan, the Father of Lies, and will do much to make reparation to our Divine Teacher for the insults uttered against Him and His doctrine by unbelievers. 11. Because through the proclamation of Christ the Preacher we throw our concern f o r the spreading of the Word of God on the in- fallible Preacher Himself, and ask Him to pro- mote more fruitful preaching. We are weak,— He is strong. Therefore we seek help f r o m Him who said, "Heaven and earth shall pass but M y words shall not pass" ( M a t t . xxiv. 35). 12. Because the keynote of the Feast is Joy. When the anti-Christ wants to discourage and worry the faithful, the answer of the Church is a joyful and encouraging Feast, putting all its confidence in the Word made Flesh. 13. Because the Crusade can only scratch the surface. This Feast will, on the contrary, have a wide and lasting influence at all times, and on all nations. How much is being done to pro- mote false doctrines and how little is done to inculcate the t r u t h ! But a Feast would be- [ 161 come a part of the liturgy and as such its ideals will be a f r u i t f u l inspiration for the Church and a constant reminder to the priests of their obli- gation to preach the Word of God and to the faithful of their duty to listen to the teachings of Christ and His Church. 14. Because a Feast would make the Church Hearing more conscious of the heavenly voice on Mount Tabor which said. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him," and the words of Christ saying to the Apostles, "He that heareth you, heareth Me" (Luke x. 16). 15. Because a Feast would reveal to a world living in darkness, the Gospel of St. J o h n : "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. . . . In Him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men" (St. J o h n i. 1 - 4 ) . 16. Because this Feast would make us more conscious that the Word of God has creative power. Through the Word of God the material world was created and through the Word of God preached under the guidance of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost by the Apostles, spiritual life was created in 3,000 souls. 17. Because the Feast would bring clearly be- fore the minds of the parents their great obligation to send their children to Catholic educators, the servants of Christ the Preacher, and would give renewed attention to the careful catechetical instruction of the children by educators and parents. It would emphasize the sacred duties of the parents to be the teachers of God's t r u t h and love in their own homes. [ 161 18. Because a Feast would emphasize Christ Teaching on social justice as a basis of Catholic Social Action. It would clearly show the strong social teaching in the Gospel, the duties of the rich towards the poor. I t would also draw the attention of the Christian world outside the fold of St. Peter,—would strengthen them t o come nearer the Teacher of T r u t h , and would be a strong tie for a united Christian front. 19. Jesus Christ is Prophet, Priest and King. Christ the King is honored in the Feast of Christ the King. Christ the Priest is honored in the Feast of the Sacred Heart because as a priest Christ was a victim f o r our sins and died of a broken heart. Christ the Prophet should be honored in a Feast of Christ the Preacher and Teacher because, since Christ is honored by a special Feast as King and Priest, should He not also be honored in His character as Prophet by a special Feast acclaiming Him to be the Preacher and Teacher of nations? 20. Because God made us not only to love Him and to serve Him, b u t first to know Him. By the Feast of the Sacred Heart we profess our love for Christ, by the Feast of Christ the King we acknowledge His sovereignty, and pledge our service, and by the Feast of Christ the Divine Preacher we would draw souls into the knowledge of Christ. T h e s e three feasts w o u l d represent in a j o y f u l Trilogy, the three reasons for our existence, n a m e l y , to k n o w God, t o l o v e H i m , and to serve H i m , s o that w e will b e h a p p y with H i m f o r e v e r i n Heaven. [ 161 Christ the Divine Preacher In order to promote a more frui t ful preaching and hearing of the Word of God; and to spread devotion to Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations, and to pray t h a t the Divine Word made Flesh for our salvation be honored in a special Feast of Christ the Divine Preacher and Teacher of Nations, I will gladly join the Crusaders in their Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament, on every second Friday of the month, ' (or when otherwise feasible), so that the second Friday will be dedicated to Him whose divine mouth speaks out of the abundance of His Sacred Heart. Name Name of Religious Community Address The H o u r I intend to keep I will implore Christ that the Most Blessed Trinity may accept this movement through the hands of the Mother of the Word Incarnate, as a loving act of adoration, thanksgiving, repara- tion and petition, so t h a t the teachers of Godless doctrines may be put to shame and lose their power over so many misled souls, and that in- stead of their false prophets, the Name of the Lord may be declared throughout the earth. " 3 f n t l f * b r g i t m i t t g t n a a i f y e fflnrìi a i t ò % P o r i » u i a a u n i f y ( S 0 Û . a n i » t i j F ì i o r ì i u i a a ( ê o i i . " —St. John i. 1. KNOWLEDGE IS THE BASE OF CATHOLIC ACTION "¡jgiiSw 01