The New York herald., 1871-01-09
ST. FRANCIS xAvIER,s CHURCH.


Sermon by the Rev. Father ROnun-The Life
Of Christ Not the Life OF tho World.
The Rev. Father Roman preached the sermon at
the high mass services in ST. Francis Xaviers church
yesterday. He took for his text the gospel Of the
day, which treated or the finding Of the child Jesus
In the temple among the doctors by the Virgin Mary
and her holy spouse Joseph. Such . life "a that Of
the Saviour the reverend gentleman said the worid
II asked to decide upon it, would call waste or
time, for the views Of the world were directly op-
posed to the views of God. 1t loved honor. glory
and power. Hrevelled In notoriery. the spendor Of
wealth,
THE GLlMMER OF A NAME.
These were the thoughts OF the world and with them
men were amused as children with toys. 1t wished
to ignore the natural dignity Of man. to conceal
from his sight the immortal destiny which awaits
him, and to shut out from view the great economy Of
mans redemption. Its great object was to bring
the supernatural things OF God down to its own
level; TO make men live according to Its own notions
and principles God calls to every heart, speaks to
every soul and awakens 1t to the beauties ana at
fractions OF the life TO come enlages the horizon OF
mans mental vision, and IN the secrets OF his heart
whispers to him the price that was paid for his
asks him to reflect what he lives for, where he is
going, and 10 think Of this life and to remember by
WHAT A SLENDER THREAD
he holds 1t. The life OF the Saviour, according to
the view OF God contained all that is great and good
IN the composition OF man; but to the world 1t was
puzzle, nay u waste OF time and a lO2s of labor.
The Saviour, the Creator Of all, In whom was
tired all glory, power and grandeur, was unnoticed
and unknown in that little town OF Nazareth. No
talked OF HIM in the great Roman empire, as
He lived alone with His good, holy mother III Naza-
reth We, by observation and study, have to master
knowledge, and Oy similar methods have to acquire
virtue alded OF course, by the grace Of God. But
there was no such need for the Saviour AT the mo.
ment OF His conception all virtue and knowledge
We're infused into Ills soul. lie knew everything
ana possessed knowledge Infinitely greater than
s Go Yes e nSr rom s
gaze OF man that great light which was hidden
the distresses and Weaknesses Of chd
upon the care ana nursing OF His own immaculate
mother. When He became youth there was an in
describable halo OF vrtue, grandeur and obedience
about Him-an unknown something that
HALF REVEALED THE DIVINITY
that was concealed within HIM. Why did He live
p0rtant objecs He came into the world not only to
redeem man and to give him sacrifice BY which
the way Of life. And Just here, between
the old and the new dispensation, rose His beaut-
taught man what to do and how to live, and i'm
pressed the nature OF virtue OF his heart The life
summed up by the Evangelist VINO defines 1t as
nsthing but obedience ASK Him what He did dur
what were HIS manners. how lie spent His days,
and the Evangelist only responds "Obeuience.n -
This obedience was the key TO His whole life, and
they VINO follow Christ have to oDey-Obey the teach
ings OF Heaven, TO submit tner minds and practl ce
obedience sf their intelligence, obey the Church
OF God which was founded by Him to IN
struct mankind Obedience being the sum-
mary OF the life OF Christ, obedience to
moral principles. moral power promulgated by the
Church. was the duty OF every Cnristian. Inc reve-
rend speaker then went on to show that the Saviour
had particular object In view n spending the days
OF His hddcn life with HIS mother and 1oster father.
1t was, he sald TO give lesson to all men OF what
q tue FAMILY should be; to give
DIGNITY TO THE FAMILY CIRCLE
Christ was a model Son and He gave in His own
liic pattern TO every Christian child 10 copy. From
this point the reverend father proceeded argue
TO the duty eacn member OF family owed to Inc
other and gave scathing reUuke 10 those ..chil-
dren OF the PERIOD who, alter certain age, al
lowed their aged parents to die IN iudigence wnlle
they enjoyed the best that life cOuli give aud to
those parents VINO did not do their wnoie duty to
their children.
OF this cherch Is always OF very high order Of
merit The choir Is select and well trained, and the
Organst, William Berge, stands at the head OF his
profession in his intimate knowledge OF the music
OF the Catholic Church and his skill III the direction
OF a body OF singers. Yesterday his Third Mass
very elaborate, well conceived and brilliant cOmpo-
stiOn, was sung. The solos were rendered by
Misses Teresa and Mary Werneke and Messrs. Ia
marc and BaceliL The characteristic of Berge's
1t illustrates The sublime words OF the Gtogfa.
CTedo Sdnctus, and Ag7lts Del are expressed by
music so admirably that IL may be called dramatic
In the proper sense OF the werd. We surprised
that the worthy fathers OF this church persist in
keeping the antlquated GregOrian chant Tor vesper
and is suitable only tor monastic institutions. ke-
glOuS music should be Capable OF expressing every
variety OF emotion, JOY, fear hope sorrow, but the
Gregoran chant certainly can never accomplish this
tnaler, ana Rev. Father Roman preached at the
GoSpel,