The New York herald., 1870-08-22
THIRTEENTH STREET CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The Feust of ST. Bernard--sermon by the
Rev. Father O'Farrell, Of st. Peters.
The Feast OF st. Bernard was celebrated In the
little Catholic church in Thirteenth street. Tenth
avenue. yesterday, by grand High Mass. The pas
tor, the Rev. Father Healy, was the ceebrant. He
was assisted by u deacon and sub-deacon. The
church is not very large one. The congregation Is
made up from the poorer classes OF the neighbor-
hood, and Is as consequence, not quite so gor-
geously fitted up as are certain OF the Catholic
churches IN other parts Of the city which attract the
etHe to their services every Sunday. The church
a small organ Of good tone. The choir consists OF
volunteers from among the young folks who belong
to the congre gatlon and although they do their best
to render the masses they sing accep,ably they do
not make any erorts to outrival any good choir
about town. That win take time.
The Rev. Father OFarrel preached the sermon.
after the gospel OF the cay had been read The rev.
ere ID gentleman took for his text st. Paurs First
Epistle to the Corinthians, H., 2"For l have
judged that know nothing among you save Jesus
Christ, and Him crucided." After alluding IN gen.
eral way to St. Paul and to the being the Chris
tan's book he said that 81. Paul. who had witnessed
'ne things which G01 hath prepared for them tnat
love him. which no other mortal "eye had seen or
ear heard" considered tho cross his book, and
preached nothing but what that book taught him.
The cross was book, the reverend gentleman said
whose pages contain most wonderful Instructions
and unless we know how TO read them we could not
prohI oy its teachings. Paul had seen things that
NO OTHER MORTAL HAD SEEN,
| yet ne knew nothing but Christ crucined. It was
| the same with ST. Bernard. He knew no other book
| than the cruciix. AT the foot OF his Master he
studied the incompatible mysteries OF Chrlsts re-
lg0n. The cross was the book OF all Christians. on
the the Lord taught US what the vanity OF
all worldly things. He who was equal TO the Father,
the Joy and delight or the angels, who created all
things by His word, became like unto us. lie was
not content simply to live III we iye but he calmly
! submitted TO hardshps, and allowed blasphemies
and ouIrages to be iavished upon nim without
.vnfnn loin nn fba
could see the Son OF God the consubstantial
| image OF his father, maltreatcd and heaped
| with contempt and cOntumely; and when we
| contrasted ali this with the way men live in
the world we could see how little the world really s
and how unworthy II Is & Of mems love and toll.
His father and mother were relatives OF the then
reignlng family. He was gifted, noble talented,
arniabie, accomplished. The most brilliant future
| was before him. All the temptations which are
aluring to young man beckOned him to the world.
| 1t was Just at the age when young mans hopes
are the strongest that the grace OF God came to
triumph over his heart AT twenty-five years OF
age ne was called to leave the world. at that age
the world Is all
ATTRACTIVE TO A YOUNG MAN
he has had no experience TO tell him how deceitful
Is the world. In hls eyes everything that shines
ie had not yet tasted the bitterness that si Is In
drinks freely and often to the very dregs.
When he has gone on for II few years,
his heart becomes disguised and he begins feel
alas but too often when his best years gone
the Gospel IS Wheu lt tells Gn3t all
below is vanity and affection OF spirit Indeed when
climbing the hill OF this life every dream
r0a.ity to the young man; but when We get on the
top find the past gone without recall, the future
with but FEW charms, whle The present Is escaping
day by day. 1t is not difficult Tor the old to give
UP the world The summer is gone for them, but In
the beginning Of lie the flowers are budding and
everything n nature wears its most attractive dress
Foolish loves, disslpatons, when all his best hopes
for the future are drowned in the cup of pleasure
how often are they the shame OF the young mans
family and the despair and rum OF himself Young
me yNe ern
for years we had TO bewau their loss, AZ dId the
father OF the prodgal son his child, and await their
return in the future, when they should become
DlsENCHANTED WITH THE WORLD.
! ST. Bernard was in the prime OF life when he
strict religious orders In existence IN the twelfth
century and devoted himself to the salvation OF his
monastery he should leave his body outside, and he
acted as though he had no BODY. Food and drink
became insupportabe to him. and when oil was
given 10 nIm instead OF water he knew not the DIFF
ference, His austerities alarmed even his austere
OF bis superors. He could not understand now the
head should be crowned with thorns and the mem
bers suner nothing-how Christ could die the
cross for. US and we 1--we HE OF pleasure. The
world was dead TO him ana he TO the world. The
reverend gentleman tnen went on at great length to
family to a religious lIle fought for the Church
against schisms and preached tue cross to thousands
who ocked 10 near him. and then closed mis- sermon
with the earnest exhoraton for his hearers to imi
tate the example Of the saint. Nowadays, he said,
people calling themselves Christians. instead OF
dong good ST. Bernard did, allowed themselves
20 DRIFT along with the stream OF The worldly In
stead OF striving to have the world forget US we liked
to have II believe were somebody-that the world
was something worth working for. II a man found
the cross In hts way he put 10 aside trials TO test
him allowed by Providence were disagreeabe TO
him, ana TO be In anywise likeness OF Him cru
cifed for the world distasteful TO him. The true
Christian was the man VINO taxes up his cross and
follows Christ up the h OF Calvary, who drinks OF
the cup oi His passion and cares not for the sneers
Of the world.
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SEVENTH STREET MEgn0IiST EP!sGGPsL