The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1878-01-20

fl cured with blood, and gore, and gaping
wounds. We wish we had been beside Him
on the hill of Calvary, that we might have
cooled His parohiDg lips and comforted HE
sorrowing heart. And yet We can serve our
Lord in His poor. We can minister to HE
needs in the person of the sfiicted, and ease
His bitter thirst by giving drink to the forlorn
and destitute.
1t 10 related of st. Catherine Of Sienna that
one day beggar asked her for alma when she
had mono to give. He was emaciated with die
ease and feeble with starvation, and plead
with her for something with which to buy
crust of bread. Tho saint had no money, and
although anxious to assist tho poor man, abe
knew not what to do. The beggar, noticing q
costly jewel that hung around her neck, asked
her to give him that. There was q moments
hesitstior-A young Rirrs natural love for her
precious trinket, struggled with q Christian's
love for the repre- tative of o suffering
Lord. In an instant Catherine had decided,
and taking eff her jswelcd oross she gave it to
the beggar.
That night, while kneeling in her room,
wrapped in an ecstasy of prayer, the saint
perceived a bright light filling all the place,
and in its midst stood Jesus Christ holding her
jewel in his hand. "My Child, :" he said, you
thought you gave this jewel to q beggar; but
it " as to Me You did this deed, and will keep
| this Cross until the day of judgment, as to
show to all tho world how much my Catherine
loved Mel"
Our good deeds towards the poor, our aims
which we have perhaps forgotten, all our
gentle charities will be one day jewels in our
Lords dear hands to show how much we loved
Him. The aentenoe reserved for every Chris
tiau on the foal day is made to depend upon
the charity shown towards the poor. Our Lord
assured US Of this with His own divine lips,
81 was hungry and ye gave mo to eat. was
naked and ye clothed me. I was o stranger
and ye took me in" And when We shall say,
"Lord, when did We see thee hungry and fed
thee, naked and clothed thes ~ then We shall
learn that every poor creature to whom we
gave an aims, every afflicted person whom we
relieved, every suffering one whom we assisted,
we did to the least of these was done unto
Himself. Bot the
STRONGEST ARGUMENT
car nee in behalf of the exercise of charity
an argument immessurably beyond all others
is tho example of our Lord himself!
See His kindness to the little ones, permit
ting them to be Brought to Him in the midst Of
His dscourses. An arrogant end ponpous map
would have been annoyed by such intrusion.
But rs all the women focked to Him with their
children, He reyroyed those who would have
driven them away, eaying: Softer them to
come unto me-" Vino 81 tender, SO meroitnl.
so forgiving3 Wherever He went He hesled
the sick, restored the bliud, strengthened the
weak and conforted the afflicted. Did He meet
funeral procession on His. way, it was only
necessary to tell Him that thu dead child was
tho orly son of widowed mother. when He
raised him from tho bier and gave him back to
his mother.
All, you say, it was easy for onr Lord to do
all this, for He was God, and He had but to
speak and all was done. But is is more diff.
cait to forgive injuries it is harder to be kind
to those who seek TO do us harm. This is
something We cannot understand. Alb, my
friends, although our Lord was God, He "ss
also truly man. He had heart like ours, and
was in all things, sin excepted, subjected to
the same feelings we are. Ard yet what
iDjores He pardoned! What Insults He for
gavei
No wonder it 10 related of St. John Gualber-
tus, that having one day met his brothers
murderer, unarmed and unattended, be deter-
mined to revenge his death. The young NOBLE
| mans heart was full of vengeauce-revenge
WAS sweet, and the hour he had longed for wss
his own at last. The murderer knew that
there was little hope for him, he read it in
| Gussbertus' cruel eye, he saw it in the drawn
and flashing blade, he felt it in the help ess
condition in which he was placed. just then
the bells of the distant city rang out the call
to prayer. 1t was Good Friday, and the muir
derer begged for life in His name who died
| that day.
Guaibertus heard the prayer and recognized
it's mighty power. Could he not forgive his
| brothers. murderer, when his Master had for
given those who split His own most precious
| blood7
Gaalbertus listened to the plea, huog> bis
sword far from his rsvengeful hand and rushed
away up the mountain side, where, before q
cruciix, he bent his knee and bowed his head
! in auch humility and contritiun that the fierce