The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-05
SERMON BY REV. FATHER WALSH.

IsPEmAL rHoNoeRAPHIc REPORT FOR rHE EVEN.
ING TELEGRAPH
! The Devotion OF the Forty Hours in honor
Of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the mos,
solemn and editylng in the ceremonial OF the
catholic Church 1t was first introduced in
Milan, in 1884, in memory of the forty hours
III which the sacred body OF our Lord reposed
ID the sepulchre. The pIous practice after wards
spread to other cities of Italy, and by the in.
strumentality of St. Philip Neri, was cele-
brated at Rome, especially, with much
solemnity, A. ID. 154S, in the Church of
the Most Holy Trinity OF the Pill.
srims. on Ithe first Sunday of every
month, and s. d. 1851 on every third
Sunday of the month, in the Church of the
Blessed Virgin Mary of Prayer. In other
churches also this pious exercise was practisej,
that the devotion of the faithful towards this
Most Holy Sacrament might be satisfied.
Finally, in the year 1892. Clement VlII., in his
Constitution (GrdUes et dsufe'BR), seeking
heavenly remedy Tor the public cala!1ties OF the
Church, ordained that this devotion OF the Forty
Hours, beginning from the first Sunday OF Adj
vent, on which day 1t would be celebrated every
year in the chapel of the Apostolic palace should
proceed from one church of the city of Rome to
another successvely, so that through the whole
course OF the year the faithful should be able
70 visit somewhere their Lord in the Most HOLY
Sacrament, exposed TO public yeneration and
should embrace the occasion of pouring forth
their prayers day and night before Him. and of
craving His mercy in their necessities The
same PontiH conceded, morever, many lnduI
gencles to all the faithful who should pray de-
Voutiy before the Most Holy Sacrament thus
exposed. Pope Paul confirmed the same, and
made them perpetual.
The indulgences which may be gained by the
Catholic faithful during this pious devotion OF
the Forty Hours are as fOlloWs:--
First. A DlpQO,IJ iu6ulrnnpn n u,bo
after confession and Holy Communion, devoutly
visit, 1or becoming space of time, the church
where the Most Holy Sacrament is exposed.
Second pdrtt0t indulgence OF ten years,
and as many quarantines 10 those who visit the
church in which the Most Holy Sacrament is
exposed, with firm resolution TO make a good
confession, to be gained every time they make
such visit. Both of these indulgences NAV be
applied by way OF suffrage to the souls in purga-
Lory, according 10 the rescript OF Pope Plus VII.
The following Document of the Communica-
lion OF the Indulgences from the present Pope,
Plus TX, and preserved in the archives of the
Bishop OF Philadelphia, will prove interesting:-
Most Holy Father John N Newman Bishop
ci PhladeiphIa, humbly prays that your dohness
Will be pleased to grant to him the Communication
Ot the induigences conceded to the churches OF
Rome tor the Forty Hours Devotion. This Deyo-
non has for two years past been celebrated in hls
Diocese with great go emnlty ana concourse of the
laIthul."
To this the following reply was received:--
'In an audience, he'd July % 1866, his Holiness
ly Divine Providence Pope nus TX at my instance
as Secretary or the Propaganda granted the grace
Given at Rome, from the Propaganda, on the day
and year before mentioned. Gratis on1nino.
GAL. BARNABo, Secretary.
The devotion was commenced Yesterday morn
ing al ST. Mlchaels Catholic Church, Second
street. above Master, one of the handsomest
church edihces in Philadelphia. The congrega.
tloL attending was unusually large, and the
altar and sanctuary presented magnificent ap-
peaIance. The sacred host reclined thereon,
and was surrounded by flowers and many burn
ing tapers.
At iOI o'clock solemn High Mass was cele-
brated by Rev. 7. W. Powers, assisted by Rev.
p. A. Treacy date of St. Mchaels), as Deacon;
and Mr.. Rowan, of the Seminary, as Sub
Deacon.
The sermon was preached by Rev. Maurice A.
Walsh, Pastor OF st. MichaePs Church, from the
following TEXT
''At that time, when Jesus entered into the boat
bis disciples followed Him. And behold a great
oeyaSed w ;ns but He asleep they
came to Him, land awakened Him, saying, Lord,
save US, We perish. And Jesus sayeth 70 them,
Why are We fearful, ye OF little faith Then
rising up lie commanded the winds and the sea,
and there came great calm But the men won
dered, saying What manner OF man Is this, Tor the
wind and the sea obey MIN t'--if. Matthew vii,
q The speaker said:-To the vain Christian, to the
infdel, to the lukewarm Catholic, the scene pre-
sented here to-day may seem strange. More
than the ordinary number of lights are upon
the altar-other decorations maniesting the
authority OF the DlSn priest, anu lucSuSe going
up-the priests decked in their most costly robes,
altogether tell that festival of more than ordi-
nary importance is being celebrated here to-day;
and so II is, beloved friends. The festival OF
Forty Hours Devotion" a special grace given
by Almighty God Himself to all of,you, when He
cOndescended to come from heaven above, and
10 be IN your midst for the space of forty hours.
The Forty Hours Devotion IS an old institution.
II was instituted at Milan, in the year 1884. II
was introduced into Rome about eighty-two
years afterwards by the great modern Apostle
Saint Philip, and framed that same year by
Pope Clement VIII. Of all the festivals we
celebrate there is none like the Forty Hours
Devotion. We celebrate some divine festivals,
such as the Nativity OF our Divine Lord, when
riIy towards the Lord. We celebrate
His Resurrection. We celebrate the fes-
tiVals OF the Blessed Virgin. What are all these
festivals without the blessed sacrifice If we
only think for d moment we will be struck
with the greatness and the dignity of that most
s1orable sacrifice.
Only to think, thatsGod Himself, who created
everything; who created us; who sustains the
world; who gives us the present nte and exist
Inna and everything we haye-io think that He
comes TO us in the humble form OF bread and
wine, is the most astounding and astonishing OF
allRmiracles, Our blessed saviour was porn IN
an humble condition of life, and like unto the
rest of mankind; growing up IRON ooyuood "a
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ana man-god-and lhen SUI
fering and dying on the cross 10 reoeeIh anu
sSve us: but He said, "Betore He went To
Heaven He would leave us pledges: and that
nIedoe was no other than His sacred oody and
when persons are about TO die they mean
what they saw They make what IS generally
called a testament, or last will, declaring tnen
last words to their friends, wnom they are
m xyaRu wi