The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-01
November.

The name of this month is derived from II
Latin norens, nine, it being the ninth month {
the Roman Calendar. 1t corresponds to IL
jewish Chssls which signifies chilled. and W,
also the ninth month of their sacred year.
Is peculiarly interestin to the Catholic BEGAN,
on she first day of the month, the Church CON
memorates the festival Of All Saints On til
| day, the heart Of true Christian should I
filed with mingled feelings of sadness and {
JOY. Joy, because the saints, our brethre,
| have reached the goal, victorious, and wear til
crown OF unfading laurels |; joy, because thea
crowned and blessed souls, look upon MS wit
love, and aid us with their prayers Joy. be
cause God designs to choose His elect from ev
cry age and country, and from every condition
OF life. Sadness, because We realize that W
are exles still in this vale of tears, oaptives il
this far off Babylon, sad travellers towards on
heavenly Jerusalem.
This Feast, established in the Seventh Centu
~ by Pope Boniface w., is intended to honor MI
the saints, but particularly those whose name
we do not know, or who have no specisl da,
assigned to them. While comnemorating thes
favored servants Of God, we should thank Hin
Tor the sraces bestowed upon them, We should
strive to initiate their virtues, and repair, ID
much as lies in our power, all the neglect o,
indevotion shown during the particular Feast
OF each Saint. It is o day which draws to-
gether the souls Of Earth and the sonia in
Heaven which leads our aspirations towards
our true home. whileit brings down the plying
love of those who are ever watching over our
weary pilgrimage.
Like soldiers on the field Of battle, we hear
to-day glad tidings from our comrades who
have won the fight; and their voices ringing
with victory and cheer, come to us across the
din and smoke of battle. We catch the CLEAN
of their shining armor aud hear the music of
their triumph songs.
They stood once where we now stand They
fought with the same weapons, and struggled
against tue same adversary. Like them, we
too can be victorious, and We call upon them
to aid us in our warfare.
The Church bids us, on this festival, excite
in our hearts great disgust for earth, and a
longing desire for Heaven-and, as though to
'how the vanity of all temporal things, she
places the feast of All Souls, or the commence
alton of the dead, on the day following that
# All Saints and by the union of these fes-
ivals, she teaches Us that we are all brethren, |
hildren of the same ADJUST and yet sll-mer- |
iful Father.
From the glorious fields of Heaven, abe turns |
ur thoughts to those silent realms of PurRa |
DRY, where Gods wounded ones await His |
ealing hand. They are friends of God and
onquerors of the world; but they faltered in
he strife, perhaps for one brief instant or
row disheartened as their enemies poured
pom them, or stained their radiant robes in
lie dust of battle, or received a wound in a
onent of incautious rashness.
For these dear souls, the Church offers ND
or prayers daily, remembering them when
Ter the clean oblatioR is offered up to God but
7er since the year 500, when st. odilon, Alb
u of Cluny, instituted the commemoration
all the faithful departed, and made it obi ,
'tory upon all the mopasteries of his Order,
is holy festival has prevailed throughout the
hristian world.
Charity and reason require that we should :,
az for those who are now sin that night in .
hich man Oan work." They can not help :.
emselves, and therefore do they cry out TO
Have pity upon me, have pity Spon me,
least yOus my friends; for ths hand Of Abe
rd hath smitten me-" How can We be deaf
their earnest appeal for help at our hands =
10 Church teaches that they can assist ne by :,
Dir prayers; and therefore our own interest a
ould urge Ms TO give them tho benefit of our ;
ms, good works, and prayers.
sooner, perhaps, than we think, . soul for
lom we have been praying may enter into
, joys Of Heaven and we shall thus obtain
powerful interOessOr before the throne of
d, one whose gratitude and charity being =
win abundsntiy reoOmpense Us for y
r few, feeble prayezs. fs
rhe custom Of decorating the tombs Of the 2
partsd, 4 a truly ChEiatian ems, and springs q,
= our belief ln ere AmnoztaIity n tha nouI, e