Mere handling of these two volumes—the second edition of Père Mersch’s unique book on the Mystical Body—gives one a good sensual delight through sight and touch. But within the attractive format lies still greater pleasure for the intellect, for not only is it accurate in textual and historical criticism complete with footnotes, bibliographies and indices, it is also written in an easy-flowing style. As the positive treatment of an actual and profound point of Christian doctrine it is a perfect work of its kind. With great skill P. Mersch leads the reader to the authentic sources of the doctrine of the Mystical Body, and once there the reader looks back perhaps to discover that in his previous attitude towards the Church as the Mystical Body he had been veering the wrong way.

We do believe in the Holy Catholic Church. Every time we repeat the Creed we profess our faith in that doctrine. But sometimes we forget what faith means, and try to put forward natural reasons as convincing evidence of the truths we profess. Particularly do we tend to see the total explanation of the Church within the limits of human knowledge, forgetting perhaps that faith is a special grace from God by which we are enabled to assent with utter certainty to divine mysteries, to supernatural truths inexplicable to the human mind. The Church is just such a mystery, ranking alongside of the blessed Trinity, the Incarnation or the Eucharist. Her nature, the intimate union of her members in Christ, cannot be wholly explained with any more convincing natural evidence than those other mysteries; nor shall we be able to analyze her more successfully than St. Paul who piled simile upon simile in his effort to describe this society which requires a divine light to be seen in its true colours.