The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-11-14
Our DUTY TO TIE DEAD.
lave Maiia.l

| Nature has again put on her garb OF
mourning. Chill winds whistle sadly
through the ieafiess trees, whose naked
branches sigh in the breeze. The birds and
flowers are gone. Cold gray clouds are
spread over the sky, like mantle, and the
Everything speaks OF death. Even the
| church bells seem to ring with melancholy
sound as il joining in the universal lament.
Like the poor exile who lies down to rest
and dreams of friends and home, of his
fathers hOuse and the loved ones far away,
and awakes to find that he is in foreign
land, stranger and alone, 30 we have been
sleeping and dreaming, and we awake at
the sound Of Natures voice, which speaks
to Us from all her works: "This is not your
country nor your home you are in exile,
far from your Fathers house; you are pass
ing away to join the myriad throng who
have gone before"
Appropriately does the Church choose
this season for the remembrance of the
dead. She invites her children to descend
in spirit into the prison of Purgatory that
we may be moved with compassion for the
souls there detained, and learn while con-
temptating their sufferings to dread even
venial sin, which can bar for time the por-
tai of heaven.
or all onc practices of piety there is none
more coDsoing than prayer for the dead.
1t is the true solace of q bereaved heart and
the most fitting tribute of affection We can
pay to the dear departed. The practice, as
everyone knows, comes down to US from
the earliest ages of Christianity, and has
ever been cherished and defended by the
Church. Faith dictates it, charity demands
it, and nothing can be more natural to the
human heart. Even Pagens honor the
dead. We read that the ancient Greeks
once condemned six of their bravest gene
rails to capital punishment for having ne.
elected to celebrate the obsequies of those
who had fallen in battle. The impious
Luther dared not at first, attack doctrine
so venerable, 80 reasonable, 30 consistent
with every article of faith.
The custom of praying and Offering the
Holy Sacrifice for the dead was general, as
we have said, in the Church in the fret
centuries, as st. Cyril, st. Cyprian and
Tertuiiian testify. The great st. Angus
tine, who lived in the fifth century, tells us
in his Confessions" that his mother, St.
Monica, just before her death charged him
wherever he might be Ito remem Der her
did so, and continued always to pray for
her.
Many passages In the Old and New les
lament prove the doctrine of Purgatory,
and prescribe prayers for the dead. Restrain
not grace from the dead. (Eccles, vii, 81.
thought to pray for the dead; that they
may be loosed from sins." I'll Mac-xii
46.
Evidently the most worthy objects of
charity are those who are in greatest dis
tress without being able to help themselves.
This is precisely the case with the soule in
Purgatory their time for meriting has
passed-they can no longer do anything
for themselves; they are, go to speak, at
our mercy, and their distress is greater
than we can understand. st. Thomas says
that the pains of the suffering souls exceed
those which the martyrs endured. The
ways we have for ransomiDg these holy
captiVes ara manifold. Not to speak of
the Holy Sacrifice, which is, of course, the
most eficacious suffrage we can Offer,-or
almsdeeds, fasting, and other meritorious
works, we have the inexhaustible treasury
of indulgences, open to every child of the
Church. Who can number the indulgences
which are applicable to the souls in Pur-
gatOry2 Those attached to the Rosary and
the WaY~0f the Cross alone are almost in
Vulnerable. With such abundant means,
shall we refuse to succor the dead, who
call upon us in the name of gratitude,
charity, end justice to come to their reliefP
Our Blessed Lord will reward what We
do for the suffering souls in Purgatory as
done to Himself. What joy to hear on
the last day from our SavioHr's lips the as
surfing words 81 was in prison, and you
visited Ne"
There are other personal motives which
SuOulu induce US TO DO u6VOGo0 TO tue souls
in PuTgatory. We thus make friends and
intercessOrs for ourselves at the throne of
Justice for can we doubt that those who
have been released from cruel torments by
our prayers will forget US when they are
admitted to the presence of Godf By
praying for the dead we are constantly re-
minded of our last end, and thus preserved
from sin, as the sacred text declares
Remember thy last end and thou shalt neUer
SIN. We thus realize too the malice of sin,
and soon acquire a deep horror for what
could prevent our union with God, and are
furnished with a powerful iuducement for
leading a holy aud penitential life, that we
fidelities. Yes, in performing our duty to
the dead, we do good to them, heap mp
treasures for ourselves, and have apledge
of our salvation. Blessed are tie mercifWI,