The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-11-17

joys that ought 10 snrsors %%s ~ g g "
snelr Domestic hearth 3 Not = ycs3Is
sooernees remains NOT veeeire ~
mS zen decency remains. A demora]
nsnG poverty comes, In lie Lowest and no
H.. a ~ ,orm. In its train Il bfinks iii Is
lwr;. :" sno cosrsenees, all the bsstisltt
naisfortune Of experiencing tia io. s .. ~
most degraded form Of poverty. e1'
Bnt far more terrible i. tb;. v,. =,
giaw 1t in mans third reiat;onN.s" ~ ~
goo. 1 need not dwell at verv Urea
,sngcn on this, my friends. And whyf A
Ctnef times when have spoken to you ~
snls sogece, have made it q particula,
I feature OF my lecture. L have told Won.
.;n psoved to you the outrage that the
GA az % . asa9an9kenness puts upon the Aluighty
sapefnsturst image of grace. but the vsrv
nasurai Image Of humanity naturs
IN man the injury that he puts npon GoS
tying his hands, ooliging Hin by foree 10
witanoid His mercy from the drunkard.
Asa snere 10 enc feature of that curse that
1 1:s1 pass upon the drankard that wonId
drunksrds death. We Catholics are t a. ebt
90 regard q sudden and unprovided FOR
Geash as the curse of all curses. Whilst
Saefe 10 lie there are hopes. Oar PRAYER
rom day to day to tho Almighty God to
grant us holy death and resurrection !:
our prayer to the Virgin Mother, "Pray
lSs Hs nov and at the hour of our death,
mary" may be accepted. Nothing Is
more terrible, according to the word of
scripture, than the death of q sinner, saws
the aoiy Ghost, and it is tho worst In
ehat It is the most terrible. Now I, as a
priest, nave often attended death beds for
Tne last twenty years, and / have seen
Death approach in all the terrors of bis
". AI~~k l.
sumo, to lay his icy hand upon the heart
and upon the head of the dying man, and
still 1t into the calmness Of death. I have
seen Linn approach like Q gentle woman,
whose coming was expected, whose face
was wreathed with smiles, who came in or
der 20 take the soul from the body BY an
easy transition, and brisg it into the pres
ence of Jesus Christ and leave it there.
Such death have seen over and over
again. When the young nun was dying, in
she hrst bloom and fervor Of her Young
religious life; when the young heart was
breaking with pain, yet death came so
softiy-came as visitor who was expect
while she surrendered her soul to Him.
who, after all, is but an angel of God. 1
have seen the great king make his statelv
I'D vance to the bedside of the dying sinner
when his approach was despair not, in
deed, the despair of eternity, but the ter.
ror OF time amounting to despair. When
the father of a family, reconciled to God. |
and having made his peace with ali men
hoped, not without substantial reason. for |
= bright future in glory, yet surrounding |
him was the wife and family, whose oulV
support he was, the children, who now
we're crying in vain for bread when the |
land that broke it to them was gone into |
poverty and desolation, the only heritage
,e had reaped for those he loved, OBJ, how |
errible were these scenes! have seen |
ieath approach like q stealthy thief in the |
,ight, stealing behind the strong mani
imply laying his 10y hand upon him, and
q an instant bearing him away without
another thought. But mover, never have
seen the terrible and grim copoueror ma.
ame all the horrors Of hell, and bring
With him In his train, before the very eyes
II the sinner-whose life was passing
way, all the eternity of that hell that
waited him never have seen him an
roach, surrounded by devils, except when
10 came to the bedside of tho drunkard
yiug in his sins. Oh If the greatest
runkard and the greatest sot and slave to
his vice that ever lived on this earth were
My to have heard what have heard. and
0 have seen what I have seen, that man
Tould never taste the accursed drink
gain, even If it was to save his life for a
housand years. 1 remember being called |
. W3u WIZ "&S OyIu& from eXceB0 OIL
rink. I went into the room; indeed. not
,ithout fear. Four men were holding him
own to the bed. The idea that was in I
is delirieus mind was that, in holding .
i'm down in the bed they were SINKING
i'm inch by inch into hell. Ho looked
round him with awful, terror stricken :
zee. He cried, "I'm on bed of FIRE. Oh
cd burn! away ye devils let me rise
ON this bed of tormeuting flames! don't
eep me down I" Whilst his great chest was =,
eaving, and he was raving like ono DOS
,ssed with q thousand devils, he cried
gain, "Go away from there, ye accursed. 4
zee the devils around me.n Then, sink !
q into abjeot terror, he chung to the men
I'd cried, "They are coming for me, save
e! save! save me! there they are, seven 1
lere are. oh God, where shall Ayr ali
I'll is around me here" And TINS was be :
hen / entered the room. Shrieks, terrific
hear, were ringing upon the air; the
,spair of hell was upon his face. 1 laid
y placid hand upon his forehead, and
led If there was any mesmeric influence
me to let that peace pass into him. For .
moment his eyes grew calm, he knew me. \
All Father Tom ]" "Yes, I am here.n
FELL me. have you the Blessed Sacrament .
it'll YOUR eyes" said. "Oh! begone % .
cried "begone, thou and thy God be-