The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-28

deceased parents and relatives. Again, on tie
| Saturday, many declared, amid awe-stricken
groups of listeners, that the unknown land had
sent them its vsitants, in various places, un
der various aspects, to startle the guilty city
which, after killing the Kings messenger
servants, had just killed the Kings Son, who
| had come, as had been q thousand times an
| nounced, in the very fullness, the exact matu-
Iity of days, to deliver the final embassy to
men. "
On that Wednesday evening. there was, in
truth, but one theme of conversation, one sub
ject of thought, all through Jerusalem, and
already far beyond Jerusalem; among poor and
| rich, high and low, natives and strangers, the
robbers of the Syrian hills and Arabian deserts,
the jewellers in the city. the travellers the
roads and at the inns, among Sadducees, Phar-
isees, Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and barba-
rians.
No wonder, then, if the humble serving man
as he watered the flowers, penetrated tho drift
of the mothers aud the sons discussion. For
him and such as he was the message. The
poor Syrian had once, for o while, rendered
occasional outdoor service to the family of
Lazarus; aud he had known Lazarus
in three states had known him liv-
ing, dead. again alive. After days of
death in that fierce climate, where inanimate
flesh putrefies fast, he had beheld Lazarus, at
the call of ono upon whose lineaments he
gazed, at the time, with unconscious alteration
come forth, not merely from death but from
incipient decomposition, back into balmy lif.
back to the "vita serena"
Now, was he who, in that instance, had al
lowed it to be perceived and felt that he was
really the Lord of life, whom death and rot
tenness were manifestly unable to dsobey-
was he himself, as his disciples declared he
was, living again among them, since the morn
ing of the last Sunday, according to his own
public prediction and distinct promise Was
he mott Was he'
Aglais and Paulus had heard more than one
circumstantial account of this, his reappear-,
ance, according to that, his promise. BY this
one and by the other one he had been met
They had gazed upon him, spoken to him.
heard him in reply, touched him, in such
place, on that bridge, that road, in such q
garden. He had walked conversing with them,
had sat with them at meat, had broken bread
with them, rs was his wont, had then van
ishcd.
Where was his body, over which the Phari-
sees had set their guard of soldiers Not in
the grave. No; but wheref Had the Phari-
sees accounted for it Could they tell what
had become of It'll Could the soldierss The
disciples could, and they did
Mother" said Paulus, {" do you know what
those soldiers say One of them once served
in legion which commanded. Do you know
what they say 7"
You mean," replied Aglais, about their
ilal, lity n hinder the hstr
That an act to which they were the only
witnesses could not be stopped by them, be-
cause of it they were not witnesses, being bu
ried in sleep"
Consistent" said the Greek lady. eyes :;
Il but much weightier fact is that expectation
of the disciples, to prevent the realization of
which the Pharisees set their guard"
"What expectation9 And why weightier 7
What can be weightier 7" asked the general
"That their Master would keep his word,
and fulfil his prediction of rising from the
tomb on the third day. If they saw him
again alive within the promised time, they and
the people would worship him as God but, if
the Pharisees could show the body o. the third
day, or could even account for it. that belief
would die"
"Clearly," answered Paulus, "the disciples
expected to see him again on and after the
third day, waiting for his word to be fulfilled"
Now, Paulus," pursued Aglais, suppose
this expectation of theirs not fulfilled sup
pose that not one of those waiting for his
word was conscious of any reason for believing
it to have been realized"
Paulus interrupted his mother
There is only one possible way in which
they could be Induced to believe it realized
namely, that he should be again alive"
"Quite So" she resumed. "But suppose
that he has not been seen suppose that not
one of those who expected to see him again
has thus seen him How would they then feel
on this Wednesday mornIngi"
They would feel that the expectation
which he had solemnly and publicly author
lied them to depend upon was idle and vain :;
they would not and could not by any POSSIBLE
ity feel that they had, in this great particular
reason to consider his word to have been kept
They would be discouraged to the very last
degree. They would, of course, hide them
selves. l wsuld do myself, and believe