The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-04-17
Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday.
| To-day, Easter Sunday, the anniversary
Of the Resurrection Of Our Lord, is ever
looked upon in the Church 40 q day Of
great joy. On Friday, Good Friday, the
day of his cruciixion, the great mission
which he came on earth to fulfil, the re-
demption of mankind, was .consummated.
The following Sunday he arose from the
dead, and commenced the organization OF
that Church, which was to carry down and
apply the blessings of that Redemption to
future generations, and which, conse-
quently, was to exist until the end of
time. In the four Gospels, though the gen.
eral principles Of christianity are laid down
and the authority of our Blessed Redeemer
proved by the greatness of his miracles,
and, though the church which he was to
establish is specially referred to, and the
one selected who was to be the rock on
| which it was to DO built, to whom were
promised tho keys of the kingdom of
heaven, with the power of binding and
loosing, nowhere is there any special plan
laid down for the organization of that
church, nor is there nything that would
give us an idea of the shape or form which
which it was to operate. 1t is evident that
the Apostles, though they had full faith in
his being the Son of God, never fully real
lied his mission until he arose from the
dead, neither did they fully realize their
own mission, or the power conferred upon
them until the Holy Ghost descended upon
them on the day of Pentecost. But we are
told in the Gospels that our Blessed Re-
deemer remained on earth after his resur-
rection, and maintained constant converse
with his disciples for the space of forty
days before his ascension. In the closing
chapter of st. Luke, we are told that he
spoke to them of what was written in the
law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the
psalms, concerning him, and "Then he
opened their understanding, that they might
understand the scriptures. In the first
chapter of the Acts we are told: "To
whom also he showed himself alive after
his passion, by many proofs, for forty days
appearing to them, and speaking of the
kingdom of God" No doubt it was during
those forty days that our Blessed Redeemer
spent in constant converse with his disci-
pies, that he explained to them fully the
principles of the Old Law as taught by
Moses, and the Prophets, and how those
principles were to be carried out in his
name, and gave the necessary instructions,
how, and in what manner his Church was
to carry out his mission to the end of time.
He promised to be with them all days until
the end of the world, and moreover, that
he would send the Holy Ghost, the Com
forter, the Spirit of Truth, to direct them
for all tim. Since then the march of his
Church has been ever onward. She has
never refrigerated, never lost ground, for,
though there have always been heresies
from the very beginning, those who left |
her, properly speaking, were not of her.
Now that the penitential season of Lent |
is over, during which we have no doubt
many have proved the sincerity of their
faith by their obedience to the prescribed
regulations of the diocese, not only by
duly fasting, except where exempt by dis
fensation on account of labor, sickness or
age, but also, by approaching the sacra-
ments OF the Church, and preparing them
selves for proper com4emoration of the
suffering of Christ, still no doubt there are
many who, too much given to indifference
or procrastination in everything relating
to religion, have hesitated to do the right
thing at the right time. The Church, fully
aware of the weakness of our nature. and
anxlously DESTROYS in the tenderness of her
mercy to gather all her flock within her
old, has extended the season of penance to
Pentecost, SO that in the fitness of the
lime there may be no excuse for the neglect
If duty. Let those who have not yet per-
ormed the duties prescribed by the Church
Turing the holy season of Lent remember
hat Christ, Himself, has threatened to
His grace from those that will ]
lot hear the Church. w.
We have received communication this l
asst week referring to communication I
published in our paper two weeks ago, and !;