City Storm (verse)
Spencer, Lilian White
96 THE COMMONWEAL June 2, 1926 direction concerns itself with the Eucharist, its claim put on trappings of...
...But sion, in urging her to cultivate the interior life, he the moment was not opportune, as the enemies of said: "This work is very difficult...
...the Lord without hurt or hindrance, according to their Was she called upon to lead in the matter...
...On July 30, 5oo pilgrims from Marseilles new Coena Domini is tired and sorely troubled...
...parishes of Avignon, singly, marched to the Chapel of Never anywhere, even for desperate battle, have such the Grey Penitents...
...The Eucharist gan to frequent the altar-rail in great numbers...
...they had become, in the twinkling of an eye, Her mind was in a ferment about ways and means apostles and advocates of the rights of the Master's of conducting not only individuals, families, parishes, Church, ready to make any sacrifices and undergo any but the whole nation, nay, the entire world to the hardships for their immemorial privilege of adoring altar...
...Guest on the altar as an interloper, a stranger...
...On folk that bear black shields, and 90 Hence on May 17, 1875, at least 4,000 persons Unscathed...
...Its echoes reached anxious penury, to the annual festive honoring of the Rome, and Pius IX, through Cardinal Antonelli, sent Real Presence...
...It was this that alarmed the men in high men pay heed to the pleadings of a woman...
...At an embryonic conupon us, our duties toward it...
...She began to dream their lives...
...Tamisier led up the had been effectively roused to the advantage of gathermountain of the Lord...
...marched in serried ranks to the great shrine, which LILIAN WHITE SPENCER...
...Her plans, which she had ing collectively at the feet of the Master...
...Finally, on the Monday after Easter, 1874, the The world has followed the example of France...
...On several occasions French bishops, for the confusion of mind she consulted Father Chevrier, but sake of peace, advised against these demonstrations...
...to the north of France, where the Eucharistic crusade was thriving in an unparalleled way, largely through City Storm the efforts and example of that sainted commercial Dark grey magnate, Philibert Vrau, and his brother-in-law and Cloud zeppelins business partner, Camille Feron Vrau, and their able Flash, boom, and hurl bright spears assistant and spokesman, M. Gustave Champeaux...
...Religion had suddenly become a vital thing in Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque...
...they had looked upon the Master...
...The sound of the Avignon triumph pierced eagerness, ageless and confident, to live...
...There is not only figuratively the Bread of all men: the was a colossal and abiding awakening of Eucharistic world which now gathers at the great and illustrious devotion...
...Later on, he such exhibitions of a faith that still lay close to so said to her: "You are the Beggar of the Blessed many French hearts...
...It is perhaps the religion, alarmed, began to gird themselves up against most difficult that has ever been seen...
...France never again would treat the great they might be made to further her Eucharistic plans...
...And what obediently kept in abeyance on the advice of Father enraged the anticlerical element, just then doubly active Chevrier, became clearer during those days of en- in its works of darkness, was the knowledge that these thusiasm that followed upon the consecration of pilgrimages were not simply ephemeral, effervescent France to the Sacred Heart by 200 French depu- outbursts of piety with no stable consequences in the ties prostrated before the Blessed Sacrament at Paray- lives of the masses...
...Perhaps in 200 years the Blessed Sacra- too, was broached for the first time the feasibility of ment will be exposed everywhere...
...Here, of your work...
...Would conscience...
...On another occa• a national pilgrimage to some Eucharistic shrine...
...Fathers...
...the most he would say was: "May Jesus, our good And the best proof of the spiritual regeneration that Master, bless your good intentions 1" Realizing that the movement had effected can be found in the readipilgrimages to the many shrines of Our Lady, with ness of the people to follow unquestioningly the comwhich France was studded, constituted the most popu- mands of their legitimate leaders...
...You will labor," he gress held after the services in an adjoining building, once said to her in speaking of the institution of the plans were discussed to promote Perpetual and Nocfeast of Corpus Christi, "but you will not see the fruits turnal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament...
...their of the social reign of the Blessed Sacrament about souls had imbibed something of His strength and which Blessed Eymard had spoken to her so often...
...It seems almost too vast a movement his blessing and encouragement...
...What form should this national prayer take...
...Men be- she was, of course, only the instrument...
...But ganized the work of Perpetual Adoration...
...Signs were appearing on the horizon that France By such steep steps was Mlle...
...and came with flying banners, singing hymns, under the it seeks, with a magnificent hope, the Food which leadership of Father Lerroyer of the Assumptionist shall strengthen, and the Wine in which there is...
...courage...
...Your vocation is to scour the roads...
...Those who had gone on foot to le-Monial, in the chapel of the Visitation, made famous the Master's shrines returned to their homes changed and sacrosanct by the apparitions of Our Lord to men...
...In her places...
...96 THE COMMONWEAL June 2, 1926 direction concerns itself with the Eucharist, its claim put on trappings of rejoicing...
...But the seed had lar form of devotion, she came to the conclusion that been sown...
...The women reor- to have been originated by a single, simple woman...
...hosts been marshaled from all corners of the earth as Not in ages had the sleepy, quiet city of Avignon now come humbly, mingling glory and wealth with seen such a manifestation of faith...
Vol. 4 • June 1926 • No. 4
