The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-10-25

| from the truth. How could we believe
that inanimate wood or stone, carved or
fashioned into figures or forms, corld
have power to help us? The assertion
is too preposterous to repute, were il not
that it is so frequently made We have
crucfxes in our houses to remind us vt
the goodness of God we have pictures
Of the saints as examples, constantly be
fore us, to initiate and to follow. They
are books in which the most unlettered
can read; they are books whose pages
teen with lessons the most suggestive
Where is the man whose heart does not
overflow with affection when looking mp.
on the picture Of deceased mother or
wife ; where the woman who is not fill
ed with the tenderest rocollect'ous when
with fearful eyes, she views the mani
mate likeness of the father of her chill
dreu, once her devoted protector aud hus
band, now, liteless form, returned to
his mother Earth ? And who, when
looking upon the symbol Of his redemp.
ton, seeing the dying agonies OF the
Divine face of Him who was fursskc
by all even by His heavenly Father,
au1 almost hearing those agonized nc
cents: "My God, my God, why hast
thou i0rsaken me p can fail to feel re
newed and tenfpld love for Him who died
to save him. This, then, is why we have
images and pictures, not that they nani
mate objects, may help us. hut that they
may inspire Us, by the silent lessons they
teach, to initiate those whom they rep
resent. Let us now proceed to consider
the main part Of our subject. You say {:
But before ask departed SAINTS to
pray for me, wish to know mhefher
Mcy can haze my request. If they can
not it would be absurd to ask them
You admit that the Blessed Virgin Ma
| y iiHC HutHlS "Ouiu IUtCICCut VIII
ing!y for US were they aware that We
wished them to do so. or in other words A:
at they could 'e0r our request II
the saints cannot hear the requests Of the
the faithful upon earth, it is most uu-
doubtedIy a work Of ab,urdity to ask
their assistance and prayers. That they
iD hear Us, think can he established
without difficulty both from the Bible
and FROM other sources; andt hat they NOT
only hear us. but grant us their inter
ce>son and good Offices is equally sus.
ceptible Of proof,
As God is the essence and the primal
source Of all knowledge and of all truth,
as the Blessed in heaven see aud under.
stand Him most intimately, aud as the
happiness of heaven CONSISTS in loving
and knO,ojng God, therefore the blessed
see in Him the knowlsdg which He
possesses of us and and thus understand
our wants aud our desires. Thus in the
first gospel Of St. John, 3 chap. , verse,
we read
Dearly Beloved, we are now the
sons of God; aud it hath not yet sp.
peared what we shall be. We know.
that when He shall appear. we shall he
like to Him because we shall see i'm
as he is" BIT Hhdh not get appror.
tchat ice shall be-" that is, to wha, el"y
or happiness We shall thereby be- cxal
ted hereafter, 4" for neither the eve bath
seen, nor the ear heard, nor hath it en-,
tered into the heart Of man, what things
God hath prepared for those who love
Him" ! Cor, 9 chap. 2 verse; We
only know this. that His elect shall be
like to Him, because they shall see Him
as He is, when they shall enjoy Him in
heaven, and being like to Him who
knows all things ttey shall be cog liant
Of all things concerning as, 1t is proro-
ised that the saints of God shall be Ike
to Him, and shall see Him ani under
stand Him as Heis. Then when the faith
ful upon earth pray to God for favors for
mercy or for pardon, the saints knowing
and seeing Him as lie Is will read in
lis conutenanee the prayer which is
being made ana will add their interces
sion to it; or, in the same manner, Then
a prayer is made to Saint directly that
Saint will read the prayer in the coun,
teuance of God, by virtue OF the gift
which God has given him OF seeing aud
knowing Him as He is, and will imme'
diately add his prayers to it We must
remember, when speaking of the saints
heorjDo us that thev do not hear with