"The Holy Eucharist (literally "thanksgiving") is the Mystery (Sacrament) in which the bread and wine of offering are changed by the Holy Spirit into the True Body and True Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then the believers receive communion of them for a most intimate union with Christ and eternal life. This Mystery (Sacrament) is composed, thus of two separate moments: 1) the changing or transformation of the bread and wine into the very Body and Blood of the Lord, and (2) the Communion of these Holy Gifts. It is called "the Eucharist," "the Lord's Supper," the Mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ."

Forty days after His Resurrection Christ ascended into heaven, where He had been previously, according to His own words to the Disciples before His Passion: "Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? (St. John 6:61-62). Of course, this does not mean that Christ, as God, was not in heaven during the time of His incarnation, but that He would go up even with his human flesh. Moreover, His coming down from heaven is meant as Divine condescension and not as a change of place.

On this Memorial Day celebrated in the United States, our beloved country, we honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, justice, and love of country. It is also a day of remembering the great courage with which they performed their duty to God and country. What a splendid example for young and old to emulate and to cherish. We are indeed inspired by their selflessness, devotion, and patriotism.

It was also at that time that Saint Constantine the Great was vouchsafed a vision. For this reason, he sent his blessed mother Helen to Jerusalem that she might search for the Precious Wood of the Holy Cross. It was still buried or rather hidden away out of malice (hatred) in the Holy Land where our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and buried, by the ungrateful people of the Jews. Socrates and Sozomen mention that the haters of Christ had covered the spot of the crucifixion. By design, they were instrumental in the construction of a temple to Aphrodite (Venus) that they might blot out the memory of Jesus. When the location came to be known to the St. Helen, she ordered the temple cast down and the earth removed.

In July of 315 A.D., Rome celebrated the Decennalia, the tenth anniversary of Constantine since he had been proclaimed Augustus in Eboracum in the British Isles. He had, during the last ten years, lived in Mediolanum, August Treverorum, Arelate, and Sirmium. Constantine went to Rome and accepted all of the honors bestowed upon him, with one important exception. He refused to make the traditional sacrifices to the pagan gods.