The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-24
A Receptlon-The Order Of Mercy.

| Convent of Mercy at O. M. Miss Mary Theresa
Lynch of Vicksburg, in religion, Sister Mary
Bridget, and Miss Susan Mcdonald, of Fer
mangle, Ireland, in religion Sister M. Martha
made their profe sion according to the Rules
and Constitutions of the Order Of Mercy, (Con'
frmed by His Holiness, Pope Gregory XVII
On the same occasion, Miss Lily Drome, in re-
| lision, Sister NJ. Mercedes, received the Habit
and white veil. TIE BE Verend F. Girardey fiji
oiated.
Although this Reception was held at an
early hour Of the morning, and was strictly
private. only few friends being present, it was
o sight never to be forgotten, whose beauty
YVES less of earth than Heaven, and whose sub
lime siguifoance, to be properly understood,
should have been witnessed by angels instead
Of men.
Catholics themselves do not value as they
ought the priceless gift of true vocation, and
Protestants as q general thing, are pitiably
ignorant of the whole meaning Of the religious
life; hence both Catholics and Protestar IS miss
the divine loyeliness and supernatural glory
which make the reception ceremonial a vision
of beauty and of peace akin to that seen by the
Seer of Pstmos when he wrote "He that shall
overcome shall thus be clothed in white gar.
ments. and will not blot his name 90 of the
Book of Life, and will confess his name be-
fore my Father and before His angels"
st. Paul says of Demss nHe left me, loving
the world" These few pathetic words reveal
all the grief of the great Apostle at the loss of
his disciple, and show at the same time, the
full motive of this desertion. OF all the gentle
ladies who enter the cloister- walls, the con-
verse of these words is true "They loved mot
the world" and hence We find them flying to
the Sanctuary and hiding their lives within
the shelter of the altar. But the cause of this
lack of love for the W orld, is the greater love
they bear to Him who has promised upspeak-
able peace to all 10 follow Him in ways on.
known to the world and dificult to human
nature.
If the spectator at q religions reception,
thoroughly understood the general end of every
Order and the special end of the one before
him, he would feel deeper thrill of admira-
ton for its heroic members, and purer sense
of gratitude to God for those better gifts which
tend to improve the world at large by perfect
ing tie lives of few of its noblest crea-
tures.
The general end of every Order in the Church
is frst the sarc:i6cation of its N embers by the
Observance, not Of the commandments only,
UuN VI thS NObSsSIp oleO hLup eeCOLuIy, Inc
of society in all its varied as pects
either actively By good works or passively by
silent prayers. In a word, the glory of God
and tie service of man, is the ruling motive of
every true Religious heart, and the abiding in.
,eutive u renewed and daily sacrifice.
Besides this general end, each Order has it's
OWN special objects and peculiar requirements.
Many are engaged in active service to the
world, Others are making reparation by silent |
prayers for the sins of men, but all are impe-
rating graces both spiritual and temporal for
the entire universe.
Bat while all the Orders are thus divinely
supernatural in their inspiration and
sublime in their vocation, the Order of Sisters
IF Mercy is remarkable for combining the act
We and oontemplative lives, and for forming
IF the wo precepts of the Master, work and
pray" one complete and perfect illustration.
The fair young maidens who stood before
tie altar last Wednesday week, and meekly
declared themselves "ahjects in the house of
their Lord" were rather heroes in the eyes of
the angels, for while they renounced all the
vsnites of the world, they re-
tanned all its sorrows aud spfferings by bind
ing Themselves to Poverty, Chastity and
OOeolouCS, buo tue b0ENiCo OL Tue OOE OiCh
and Ignorant"
That is, they are to go into prison cells,
iuto houses of the poor, into wards of the hos
pisa's, into abodes Of ignorance, in order to
help in the great work of humanity and love;
but at the same time, they are to return to the
evening prayer, and the vesPer hymn and the
silent cell, to mediate upon the duties of their
holy calling snd to contemplate the infinite
mercy of God in His deslipgs with men. THE
Sisters of Mercy combine the siler oe, reoollec-
tion and pray Of the Carmelite with the active
zeal of Sister of Charity"
Few who looked upon those delicate Sisters
in their bridal robes, fully realized that they
were to lay aside all that one naturally associ-
stes with youth and grace and beauty, in order
to enter upon labors from which many brave
heart might quail. Every oDe knows that
Sisters OF Mercy are bound to the laborious
duties of instructiug the ignorant, visiting the