The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-04-25

not but ask each one of us, "Dost thou
think these bones shall livew and say
to us, "Prophesy concerning these
bones" What then shall we answer n
With resolute mind and unfalterfng ac-
cents we shall answer: t'Yes. All these
bones shall rise again, for the Church of.
Jesus Christ, to which they belonged,
can never perish. The Church must last
even to the consummation OF the ages"
These runs Will indeed have their
resurrection, but before that they will
| have also their commotion. Et ecce COM
motto. And this commotion Is even now
apparent. We may perceive IT IN your
coming hither as obedient children to
their father. We may perceive 1t IN the
movement of Catholic nations III So
many deyout pitgrimages. we may
trace this commotfun in the echo Of tqe
feryia prayers which ARISE unto God IN
the sacred temples. The crowded tri-
bunals of penance and The thronged el-
cuaristic tables prove also that thele is
| movement among the ruins. OF the
Church of Jesus Christ.
But it may be said the bones are not
vet returning to form their ancient bod
| les. All, my beloved sons, recoflect that
the Church OF Jesus Christ is founded on
rock, and pretigured in tue rugged
cliff which is to-day on all sides invested
by the fury of the winds and the raging
of the pillows. The movement within
the church exists, but as yet the scat
tered bones return not to their places,
because prevented by the whlriwlnds
and the tempest, which receive their mo-
tion from on high, and will not cease to
smite the rock until it shall
have been cleansed and purged from
every stain. Stains there ares
The rock of the Church is still fouled
by the timid and base souls which would
sacrifice even their conscience in order
to enjoy peace which is most bitter.
tits soiled by thoughtless souls which
have hitherto failed TO recognize in these
vicissitudes the hand OF God which pun
ishes and scourges US for our sins, and
sets before US the saddest warnings, in
spite OF which they continue with iold-
ed arms to live in pitiable Indifference.
just as though they were living in times
the fairest and most flourishing. The
Church is polluted by souls sold unto
Satan, which with tongue ana hand work
together for the destruction of the
Church, and blaspheme her holy doc
trines. When these foul stains shall
have been purged away, then will God
console us, ana then to the present. move
ment will succeed the future triumph.
But at thai time what will be the fate
| of the impious who are prosecuting the
Church? A book was few. days ago
presented to me, o book which has ap,
peared in Catholic kingdom in Europe.
| In it are narrated with exact fidelity all
| the facts relating to the end of the per-
secutors of the church. Nor was
erably his days. The list commences
with Herod, PLATE and Gaia
phas and continues to our
days, describing the fatal end
| which they all, from first to last, expert
enced. We therefore have the right to
| believe that the present prosecutors oi
| the Church will have no other end than
that OF their predecessors, and that in
the time ordained by Providence, God
will stretch out His favoring hand over
the Church. We may expect that when
the Church shall nave been completely
purged and set free from the chains with
which her foes and prosecutors now bi nd
her, God will cover her with yes stment
of gold, and cause her to Sit as a queen
at the right hand of her Divine Founder.
Astita Regina a de1tris. tuiS in VeStita deaat-
| ratio. .,.,. .... ..s4.. t!.
Meanwhile, my sons, during our time
| OF waiting for deliverance, what should
be our attitude? We must persevere in
prayer and in all the other good works
| which you assure me are in progress al
this moment. And as it is now the sea.
son of Lent, we should exercise our.
| selves in notifications and fastlngs,
We should abstain from food. and far
more from sins. Jeiuae0,uS a vittts. Tn.
4 deed, modification is much too infre-
quent in the Catholic world. Yet NOR
ttieation is the surest guide to lead us
back to the bosom OF God our Father.
Proceed then in the path you have
4 entered on, and, under the diraetion O.
your chief pastors, continue to show
1yourself ever averse to the pretensions
OF the innovators. They, the pastors,
Twill extend to you the guiding hand.
1You will cooperate with them in main.
| tanning the Inalienable rights of the
church of Jesus Christ. And inasmuch
as all of us have need Of the aid OF God
4 let us seek from Him his blessing. May
| lie confirm you in your holy resolutions
to defend these rights, may Hebless YOU
i in your good dispositions and in youl
! mind and bodies. May He give to the
body the robustness needful for the con
tests, and to the mind constancy in re-
slsting all the attacks Of the revolution
May He bless you in your families, in al
your interests, and may His benedictior
be extended to all those to which you be
long. May HELPLESS you In life and q
| the point of death, and make you worthy
Of His blessing for ever and ever in para
Idioa -st