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THE CATHOLIC HERALD
18 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
' M. FITHIAN,
“No. 72 North Second Street, Philadelphia.
'
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—_—_—_—_—— ss
. Poetrp.
, From the Cutholic Expositor. ,
THE RESURRECTION | OF CHRIST.
They nailed that body to the tree,
The Son of God assumed :
Behold, O sinful. man for thee
To death the Saviour doomed.
But, of bis body not a bone~
(For'so the Prophets sung.)
Shall be broken ;—witha loud groan,
His dying head he hung.
‘That body then did Joseph crave,
Nor Pilate dared deny ;
And laid itin his own new grave
|.) Hewa from the rock hard by.
But in the solitary tomb
‘Three days alone shall be 3
"Phat body—nor in death's dark. wom!
“Corruption shall it see. ‘
“py: As broke the first morn of the week.
‘To embalm. their Lord again
The tomb the pious women seek,
” But seek that tomb in vain.
For, lo! the monumental stone
Was marvellous! rolled away;
‘The venerable body gone,
And terrified were they!
But why thisterror? ere his doom,
He pledged his holy word:
‘That all the sorrows of the tomb
Should not enchain their Lord.
*Desiroy this temple," did he say,
“Your efforts will be void:
1 will rebuild, on thethird day,
‘That temple, thus destroyed.””
Yes, though that temple so august
In ruins dark was laid,
Itsprang more glorious from the dust»
‘And reared to heaven its head.
Angels upon the tomb-stone sat.
In robes of white arrayed:
Announcing to the women, that’
He rose—us he had said.
The Apostles sought him too j—in vain 5
No longer there he lay:
The realms of Night could not detain
Tho Master ofthe Day.
Christ risen now the Apostles preach
‘ToGeniiles and to Jews:
‘The traths he taught, they boldly teach,
And spread the gospel news.
‘The ground work. and the test of Faith
Christ risen from the grave;
‘Triumphant over lite and death.
Our fallen race to save.
Christ risen never more shail die,
We too from earth shall spring :
© Grave! where is thy Victory!
: © Death! where is thy sting?
rE
“Peter, to whom the: Lord “entrusis the
feeding and care of His sheep,‘on whom’ Ile
placed and founded the church, says that He
has neither silver or gold, but that he is rich
in the grace of Christ, rich in His faith ‘and |
power, whereby he can miraculously perform
many. admirable (works.—St. Cyrrain de}
Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18,
From the Catholic Advocate.
THE TRUE CATHOLIC: SPIRIT,
Prayers for the. Dead—Peculiar usages of
Ttaly—Ceremonies of All Soul's \Day—
Decorating Cemeteries. v
When Judas Machabeus, the valiant cham-
pion of Israel, had achieved a glorious victory
over his enemies, the first thing he thought of
was to make a collection and to send twelve
thousand drachms to Jerusalem, in order to
have sacrifices offered up for the repose of the
souls of those who had fallen in batile. He
was not satisfied with merely ‘dropping the
manly tear of sympathy over their tombs; he
thought wisely of the resurrection—of their
condition in the other world into which they
had passed, and of the probability that some
of them at least might need purification ere
they could be admitted to the presence of God.
And the inspired writer who relates this pas:
sage in the life of the great hero aud organ of
God’s people concludes his account with these
remarkable words: “It is therefore a holy and
a wholesome thought to pray for the dead,
that they may be loosed from’ their sins.’”’(a)
‘The book of Machabees, in which this thril-
ling incident is recorded, has always been held
by the great body of the christian church as
inspired: and its canonical authority rests on
precisely the same basis as that of the other
books of scripture—church authority.' But
even waving the question of the inspiration of
this book, and viewing it merely as an authen*
tic historical record, we gather from the fact
of Judas Machabeus, and from the commenta;
ty on the fact, thatthe practice of praying for
the dead was common among the people of
God, for centuries before the Christian era.
Christ and his inspired Apostles, not only did
not rebuke this practice as a superstition—as
they certainly would have done’ had it been
such—but they encouraged it rather, and often
alluded to it in terms of approbation.’ ‘They
tell us of a prison from which the debtor shall
not escape, until he shall have paid the last
farthing,’(6) of asin’ which ‘shall not be for-
given neither in this world nor in the world to
come’(c)—clearly intimating that some sins of
minor grievousness may be forgiven in the
world to come; they speak of some persons
| who shall **suffer loss, but shall be saved, yet
soas by fire:’” (d) and they lay down the
broad principles of Divine jurisprudence, that
“God will render to every one according t his
works,"’(e) and that’ **nothing defiled shall
enter heaven.”’(f) — From these last principles
itis clearly deducible, that as sins differ in
magnitude and heinousness, so also the pun-
ishments of sin should vary. in intensity an
duration; and that whereas grievous sinners
who die in their sins, will go into’ eternal fire,
those, on: the contrary, who die guilty ‘of
smaller offences, ‘will suffer luss, but will be
saved yet so as by fire.’’: It would notsurely
be rendering to every one according to his
works, to send every class of offenders indis-
criminately to an eternal hell. | A manner of
punishment so sweeping would te deemed
unjust in the legislation of any civilized com:
munity on earth, and are we more just than
God? .. How dare we impute to him, what we
would censure asatrociously unjustina fellow
Yes, both reason and revelation proclaim
the fact, that besides ‘an eternal ‘heaven
and an eternal hell, there is an intermediate
place of temporal punishment, where minor
offenders shall be punished *taecording to their
works;” and where those who have not yey
fully stoned for former transgressions must ac-
complish the great work of expiation, ere they
can be adinitted into the presence of that God
who judgeth ‘justice itself, and into whose
kingdom nothing defiled cam enter.’ Such'a
principle is ‘fully consonant’ both with the
rigorous justice and unbounded mercy of God;
and we can meet the objections of the Univer-
salist against the eternity of hell’s torments
on no other ground.
‘The christian church has ever been deeply
imbued with this truth. : She has ever taught,
that “itis a holy and a wholesome thought to
pray for the dead that they may- be loosed
from their sins. From the very earliest period
of her history. she has acted on. this principle.
(a) 2 Mag
habees: ¢. xii.
(b), St. M 26.5,
jal
habitu virginum.
or public service.(g) |
» Prayers for the
row fell thick and fast upon its lid, we may
yet discharge an office’of christian friendship
so grateful to our hearts, by pouring forth an
of our departed friends! Alas! for the cold
and dreary Protestantism, which would fain
dry up the fountains of or sympathy for the
dear friends ‘who ‘are no more, and would
heart!
prayer for ‘the ‘repose of her soul.
harm,”
brings such a balin to the afflicted soul. Would
tries; had. the lively faith and adopted the daily
practices, on this subject, of their Catholic
-bretbren in. those countries, which the. refor-
mation has never blighted with its, breath!
Would that we could here see daily and hour-
ly evidences of this tender and abiding sy mpa-
cared for even
trine of Purgatory, and in the utility of pray-
clear and decided in its teachings on this sub-
ject—but their general practice presents a sad
evidence of the weakness of their, belief.
Some exceptions there are to this remark; but
they are only exceptions to a general rule.
‘There is much, too much listlessness and in-
difference in this matter.
behind Catholic countries ‘in our practical
In Italy, for instance, searcely any one dies
without having previously made ample provi-
sion for having prayers and the Holy Sacrifice
repeatedly offered up for the repose of his soul.
And should he neglect it, hiv friends are sure
to promptly. ° The wealthy ofien’ endow
chapels where the august mysteries may be
centuries: the poorer classes make other pro
visions on a less extensive scale.
and of having the Holy; Sacrifice frequently
offered up for the repose of their souls. In
these, bodily and spiritual charity are admira-
bly combined, Besides all this, many charita
ble persons have established chapels in whieh
the Mass is so be daily offered up for the re-
ose of all the faithful departed. —Thus all
classes, high and. low, rich and peor, are
thoroughly imbued with this great principle,
and constantly reduce it to practice... With
them, the teachings of faith are mot a mere
dead letter—they are constantly acted on, and
are imbodied jn the very manners and customs
of the people.
As every Catholic knows, the second of
November is the day in our ealender, sacred
to the commemoration of the dead. In Rome
this day is aholiday: and in all the principal
Churches, the Mass for the dead is solemhly
chanted. Mozart's Requiem, and Baini’s Dies
Iigare there performed .in, full choir, while
the most august mysteriesof the altar sre cele-
braied, Immense throngs crowd the church-
es during all the raorning hours. © Ivis a favo-
rite day with the Romans, . In those noble
(g) See “Faith of Catholics" for abundant
15.
(ec) Apocalypse xxi 27. ~
(f) St. Matb. xvi, 27,
proofs of this.
he smoke of the incense of her prayer has
‘ever-ascended from the altars of her sacrifice, t
to propitiate heaven, and to obtain reet and re- | on this day sacred to the remembrance of death
freshment for the souls of the deparied. From
the Apostolic days themselves, prayers for the
dead have been an essential part of her liturgy,
. dead! How consoling the
thought that death cannot sever the bonds
which united us to our earthly friends, and
that. we may still be of service to them! that
the tomb does not cutus off forever from the de-
parted; and that while the warm tears of sor-
infervoured prayer for the rest and happiness
check and smother the emotions of a generous
It is related of the stern Dr. Johnson,
that, while weeping over the tomb of his de-
parted mother, he was heard to utter an ardent
Upon
being chided by. his’ friends‘ for indulging in
this Popish practice, he answered: A prayer
for my departed mother, while it is so conge- | GaY+
nial to my own feelings, will sacely do her no
Yes, we cling’ with fond affection: to this
time-honored practice of praying for the dead,
which is so consonant with reason, aod which
that Catholics whe livé*in’ Protestant coun-
thy» for,.the dead, and of the eagerness which
springs from this feeling, to have the Holy
Sacrifice frequently offered up for their reposey
Alas! in this, as in many other respects, chari-
ty hath here grown cold: this world's interests
engross every thing, and the dead are often un,
by their nearest and’ dearest
friends! Catholies believe firmly in the doc;
ers and sacrifices for the dead—their’ faith is
e.are yet far
piety in this, as well as in many other things.
to have this most important concern attended
daily offered up, for this purpose during long
And there
are pious and charitable confraternities every-
where established for the double purpose of
decently burying the dead among the’ poor
Whole Number 588 |
ehurches, princes and beggars may be see?
mingling together on terms of equality; and
which will level all distinctions in the common
dust, that commingling of all "ranks is most
appropriate. | )
in those thronged churches, all may be seen
deeply impressed with the pathos of that so-
lemn and stirring musie which vividly paints
death and the judgment to come: allis hushed
silence—the high and the low, the’ princess
and the poor peasant girl, ail kneel side by
side on the same marble pavement,~ and all
pour forth their prayers in unison of heart and
of faith. Itis perhaps the most solemn and
soul stirring day in the: whole cslendar! - It
leaves an impression which the busile and tur-
moil of a whole year cannot obliterate!
‘Throughout this whole day the Roman
people have before them’ continual mementos
ofdeath. “Th various parts of the city, espe-
cially in the gardens and retired places near
the principal g:eat monasteries and ‘reposito-
ries ofthe dead, groupes of: wax figures are
exhibited, generally representing some death
scene described in the Holy Scriptures, ‘The
figures aro generally well executed, and: the
impression they. create is) spppropriate to the
Immense multitudes throng to these ex~
hibitions, to which all. are-admitted. free :of
charge. , Those, who visit-these places have
their minds ‘riveted on scenes of death, and
return to their homes with a feeling of contempt
for this world with. its transient’ pomps and
vanities, and with a deeper sympathy for the
deceased, Gott tea?
In fact a tender feeling for the dead is the
natural result of the Catholic practice of pray-
ing for. them; and this sympathy is nourished
by all the popular customs -of: Catholic coun-
tries, especially on: the: feast: of All Souls.
Hence the tender reverence felt in Catholic
countries for the tombs of the departed; hence
the beautiful. practice of scattering flowers”
over their graves; | hence the great eare with
which the places of interment.are:kept and
decorated, ; What a difference between Catho-
lic and Protestant. cemeteries! »:‘The former
are neatly fitted up, are adorned with flowers
and evergreens, and are frequently visited by
the friends of the deceased, who may be often
seen reverently kneeling by the grave, and
offering up the fervent prayer of faith: the
latter are, with but few honorable; exceptions,
naked and undecorated, as, well as wavisited;
they presenta melancholy and dreary. waste,
which it chills ‘the very soul even to look
upon. Here and there perhaps you will see
asepulchral monument of rtone-or: marble;
but the rest of the cemetery is abandoned and
desolate; no one is seen visiting the tombs of
his fathers; no one is beheld tearfully linger-
ing, or devoutly praying. there!, Catholics: in
this country. would do- well to examine wheth-
er they have not copied the examples of their
Protestant neighbors, rather than adopted the
touching practices-of Catholic countries,
We are aware, that the beautiful practices
of Catholics in France, Italy, and Spain, es-
pecially on the seeond of , November, have
been misunderstood .and sneered at by Pro-
testant tourists. . "These: will not. appreciate,
because they, cannot or will not understand the
beauty and simplicity of those, observances,
and their admirable influence. on the human
heart. . ‘They have not,, and therefore cannot
relish, the faith if which those admirable cus-.
toms originated. , They). would. : fain judge
every thing by their own heartless standard of
unbelief.—To them, those practices are duil,*
inanimate and full of. superstition, because
they have not the faith which imparts Ife and.
animation to them. Saltau sata 24
Bat is the Catholic to be influenced more
by the taunts of the skeptic, than by the beau-
tiful and life-giving -principles of his own:
cherished faith? Will he submit to be laughed.
out of some of the most beautiful and touching
practices of his Religion?.. Should he prove,
thus wanting in moral courage, he will most
assuredly gain. nothing by his. time-serving:
policy. - His scoffers will laugh at the waver--
ing they have caused, and will use every con-
cession he may. make, to impugn; still more
effectually. the principles of: his church. «In,
faith, we-repaat it, nothing is to be gained by
compromising principle: the best.as- well, as;
the most honest policy, is, to yield nothing,
especially when you feel and know: that you
are right, | er
No. Let the adversary laugh at she doe-
trine of Purgatory: let him sneer at praying
souls out of that place ofexpiation; a taunting
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