Tuesday after Trinity-Sunday — Of the Manna, and the Bread of Elias

Consider, first, that the manna, with which God fed the children of Israel, for forty years in the wilderness, from their going out of Egypt till their entering into the land of promise, was another prophetic emblem of the true bread of heaven, which we receive in the blessed Eucharist. He commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, says the Psalmist, (Ixxvii. 23, 24, 25.) And he rained dawn manna upon them to eat; and gave them the bread of heaven; man did eat the bread of angels. And yet this miraculous food, formed by angels, and sent down from the clouds, and therefore called the bread of heaven, and the bread of angels, was but a figure of that bread of life which we receive in the blessed sacrament; an illustrious figure indeed, but nothing in comparison with the truth. Moses did not give you bread from heaven, says our Lord to the Jews, John vi. (for the manna only came down from the clouds,) but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven — I am the living bread which came doom from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. — As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever. ver. 32, 51, 52, 58, 59. O my soul, see thou embrace this living and life-giving bread.

Consider, secondly, that the manna was the food upon which the people of God lived, for forty years, in the wilderness, but which ceased as Mon as they came to eat of the fruits of the land of promise; to give us to understand, that the bread of heaven, which we here receive, veiled under the sacramental species, in the blessed Eucharist, is to be the food, nourishment, strength and life of our souls, during our mortal pilgrima ' • « wilderness of this world, till we come to the true iand of promise, and there eat of the happy fruits of that blessed land of the living, by the beatific vision and contemplation of the Divin'ty; and that then all sacramental veils shall be removed, and we shall see and feed upon Life and Truth itself, face to face for all eternity. Christians, if you hope to arrive one day at this happy 'and of promise, see you neglect not to gather for your journey the manna of heaven, by the frequent and worthy approaching to the bread of life in the most holy sacrament; without this support, you will perish in the wilderness, and never reach your journey’s end. But, if you would truly relish this heavenly manna, you must take care not to let your palate be depraved, like the carnal Jews, by an affection to the onions and flesh-pots of Egypt.

Consider, thirdly, another figure of this heavenly food, in that hearthrcakt of the prophet Elias, with which he was fed by ui angel in the wilderness, when he was fleeing from the persecution of Jezebel, (3 Kings xix,) in the strength of which food, he walked forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb, (v. 8,) where he was favored with the vision of the Deity, as far as man is capable of seeing him in this life. Arise, eat, said the angel to him, (v. 7,) for thou hast yet a great way to go. All w'hich expresses to us, that, retiring from the dangers and the contagion of a wicked world, as from the impious Jezebel, in order to make our journey to the mountain of God, the mountain of eternity, we must have recourse to this bread of heaven for our support in our way; for we have yet a great way to go, being far off from that perfection which is required before we can come to the vision of God; and this barren wilderness, through which we are to travel, affording us no proper food, for our sustenance in the way, but what we must have from heaven.

Conclude, my soul, if thou aspirest after this mountain of God, and the happy vision of him, diligently to procure this bread of life, in the strength of which thou mayst also walk, during the forty days of thy pilgrimage, to that blessed mountain. But remember that this bread was only given in the wilderness, that is, in retirement and solitude; and that the manna was net given till the people had left Egypt; and learn from thence, that a spirit of recollection, and a purifying of the heart from the affections to the Egypt of this world, are the best dispositions for the bread of heaven.