The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-07-26

not look upon him so holy, that the A.:
bend low in silent wonder; endowed w;S
glorious destiny, that the Church reio;.'
a canticie Of praise, when the sinless chill,
called unto its rich Inheritance.
Philosophy teaches us nothing so NM.
e]evating, SO ennobling as does this simn,,,
of Baptism. 1t speculates upon our ir,'
tally, but does not surround it with h,,'
unfading light. 1t reasons upon the att,ih.
of God, but does not assure us His b,es..s
compense awaits us beyond the tomb. Rams
lays the crown itself upon or forehead :.
sets our feet upon the pathway of etss
happiness.
| And now a third scene broke upon On, ,
sultory thoughts, and centered them all in /
sad procession of the living bearing the 4.
to the house of God. 1t was the funera, j
wife, mother, daughter, called in the non,
life from all her household duties, s.,i.,
down in the golden season of her usef,,.l
silenced in her gentle teachings when ss.,;.N
~ most needed for her little, helpesst,us1
An aged mother, devoted husband .,I..
weeping children followed the dear rem,;,.
while a host of friends surrounded the ,s.1
ed family with their sympathy and-tean
How many ties bound her~to earth . Nm
severely nature must have struggled ap,i,s
the stern decree!/We imagined ourselves Ia
side her death-bed, following those earnest
loving eyes as they dwelt upon the past, rbo..
form stood near her, in the person of te,,rd
sorrowing mother; as they fingered on d.
happy present, represented by her good, dev0,
ed husband; as they looked out into the futp,.
whose light shone round the foreheads of h.
little, loving children And yet she murmured
not, but even d" went in peace" at her Master,
bidding, strengthened by the promises Of her
faith and consoled by the graces of the sac,,.
ments.
Philosophy, indeed, consecrated the ashes h
the dead but did it ever, except once. md
pare the sonl for the voyage on that unknor
sea whose waters seem SO chill and drea
An imperial crown of flowers has been pac
upon the bier, and it symbols all the wos
well done,' all the victory nobly womb
IestIties to the beauty of her maternal charaH
ter to the fragrance of her domestic rir.us
20 the charm and grace of all her happy lie
Al lase the words of prayer are spoken, th
incense floats like veil around the bier, III
Jews OF holy water begem it's flowers. tn
PRIEST OF God blesses the inanimate remains
Ind then the mournful procession passes on
rom the church porch, and we are left TO WOE.
ler at, and to admire the perfections of tia
'hurch-our Mother, Teacher, Comforter!
In every circumstance of life, she is near on,
lde. AT every season of our existence, she al
here to sustain and provide. In every chang.
4 our being, she is there to mould and fornI
right. The future owns her care how kindly
ne taught Its duties to the newly welded pair II
he present needs her watchfulness how
she bestowed the pearl of price upop
ne helpless babe The future needs her helpE
ow lovingly she gave her prayers to the dead
no mas just passed out to the grave consecrst
by her holy rites. And even there, abo7s
1e tomb, the hand of Faith will write The s
wed ones name, and ask q prayer for ths (
pulls repose.
linus passed away all the scenes under til +
1urch porch; but how changed seemed The
umole edifce It was, to us, "a vast temple
nose portals reached from Earth to Heaven, f
nose colonnades extended from the dimre
sses OF the past to the still DINNER boua
aries of the future; at whose threshold
ood the mysteries of Birth and Death, and +
'ove whose gateway watched the angels of +
ardon and Peace. Its steps were holy ground, +
'er which a countless throng had entered Oh
C way of truth and heroic virtue or ea
'ssed out into the truer life beyond the stan
we may have entered it's sacred precinc al
wise Philosopher, we turned away an hun
3, grateful Christian.