Download PDF - Saints' Books

. Fulfilment of the Figures. 37
the body of Jesus Christ entirely; that is, the Church triumphant and
the Church militant : in heaven, by the glorious union of Jesus Christ,
of the Blessed Virgin, of the angels, of the saints with God, and
among themselves in the bosom of God in which the sacrifice is per
fect and eternal : on earth, by Holy Mass and Communion, in which
all the faithful partake of the same victim under the Eucharistic veil.
The body of the Redeemer, immolated on the Cross, had, therefore,
to be transformed in a twofold manner ; namely, by the resurrection,
for the consummation of the sacrifice in heavenly glory
;
by the Eu
charist, for the consummation of the sacrifice in earthly combats.
This twofold consummation of the true sacrifice was typified in the cere
monies of the Old Law: the burning of the victim represented heavenly
Communion, and the eating of it represented earthly Communion.
But in heaven, as in Holy Mass, we have not only consummation, but
we have all the parts of the Sacrifice of the Cross and of the sacri
fices of the Old Law. Hence, three kinds of sacrifices, or three
degrees, are to be distinguished. In the Old Law there were figures
without the reality
;
in the New Law we have the reality under the
figures or appearances; in glory we have the reality exposed and un
veiled. Such is, briefly, the thought of Pere De Condren, wisely de
veloped by him who published it. Such is, also, without doubt, the
thought of St. Alphonsus; for otherwise we should not understand
what he says on page 32, where he explains the text taken from
Daniel.
ED.