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A cloud of incense was rising on high; the people suddenly all bowed low; what could it mean? The truth flashed on him, fearfully yet sweetly; it was the Blessed Sacrament - it was the Lord Incarnate who was on the altar, who had come to visit and bless his people. It was the Great Presence, which makes a Catholic Church different from every other place in the world; which makes it, as no other place can be - holy.
John Henry Newman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the significance of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic Church, symbolizing holiness and divine connection.

John Henry Newman captures a moment of reverence and realization as the individuals in a Catholic Church recognize the Holy Eucharist, represented as the Lord Incarnate. This experience evokes a profound sense of awe and respect, emphasizing the unique sanctity of a church where believers gather to encounter the divine. The powerful effect of this awareness transforms the space into a truly holy place, unlike any other environment.

Themes

Blessed SacramentPresenceHolinessCatholicChurch

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a homily to emphasize the significance of the Eucharist during a church service.

More from John Henry Newman

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Now what is it moves our very hearts, and sickens us so much at cruelty shown to poor brutes? I suppose this first, that they have done no harm; next, that they have no power whatever of resistance; it is the cowardice and tyranny of which they are the victims which makes their sufferings so especially touching.
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A science is not mere knowledge, it is knowledge which has undergone a process of intellectual digestion. It is the grasp of many things brought together in one, and hence is its power; for, properly speaking, it is Science that is power, not Knowledge.
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Evil has no substance of its own, but is only the defect, excess, perversion, or corruption of that which has substance.
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How many writers are there... who, breaking up their subject into details, destroy its life, and defraud us of the whole by their anxiety about the parts.
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