The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1878-01-13

-fo11 1ttIffyv- Can eirakty- the united fsFoe-ot
that marvellous organization, united by this
supreue 6eeiding power. |
Neither can it DO said, ladies and gentlemen,
that this Church enslaves tho human lnteilecs
by her magnificent ceremonial and her use OF
the arts in the Worship of Almighty God, be.
cause Catholics d % not believe tnat IN e4ternsi
pnmp aud show Of ceremony religion consSte;
we must worship God "in spirit and IN trutn.
or there 10 no reli gion. The pomp OF ceremo.
ny, the use of the arts, these things may arg
man in worsbipping in spirit aud IN ttotn, ous
| without this, worship is megRihcent pagean-
| try, if you please but psgeantry; now; tne
! object of the use of the ceremonial, the oplecs
| of tho of the arts in the worshtp OF Goe'
10 to aid u An to worship in splTlt SnG In trntn
| First of all, We these things as q suitable
| expression Of the souls allegiance to Aimig guy
| God. Some of the ceremonies OF tns CaSnoie
Church are not seen by the people at all. In |
| the conservation of q Church, dorlng part OF |
| the ceremony, the people are not even ao-
| mitted.
| arily for the Divine Eye; yon bshold the
priest for instance, in the holy sacrifice OF tne
Mass tur ced away from the people. speaking
| to them inaudible. As regards tne srt OF ar
chitecture, Pogin, the great English afchiteoG,
tslls Us that he noticed 10 the old English
Cathedrals of Catholic daye, that the portions
Of these buildings hidden away from she Peo
pie, were as deliberately finished as the most
conspicuous parts. These men bniit Tor the
Divine Presence. But these ceremonies and
these arts were destined, also, to touch the
human heart, and call forth these holy senti.
heart speaks to God, and which are "a really
part of our nature, rs reason itself How even
|, the sileus temple in the dim twltignt when NO
ceremony enliyens it. speaks to the SOUL ana
envokes it's piety and IT'S love OF the beauti-
fol! -,
Hail, sacred tsbsrnacles," cries child OF
, genius speaking on this subject. Hail,
sacred tabernacles, where thou, o Lord, dost
, descend st tue voice of mortal. Hail,
my s,erious altar, where Faith comes to receive
, its immortal food. When the last hour has
, groaned in thy solemn towers; " hen it's last
beam fades away and dies in the dome whom
, the widow, holding her child by the hand, has
q went on the pavement and rstracso ner stepa
like q silent ghost when the Sigh of the dis
1 tanv organ seems lrlied to rest with the day !;
p when the nave is deserted, and toe le7ite AT
y tertive 10 the lamps of tue holy place, hardly
/ CROSSES iG again then i9 the hour " hen go
S to glide under thy obscure vault, aad TO seeE,
: ~hils naturs sleeps, Him that ever wstchee.
. Ye columns that vel! the sacred asy lo;ns which
i ny eyes dare net penetrate, &c the fooS OF your
& inlnovsble tsuuks I oume &c Sigh. Forests OF
r porphsry aud marble The air winch the
h soal bcsa.hes uudsr Your arches - fol! oi
y mystery and peace. Let love and snSlcui
u cares seek shade and solitude IN tha green
J shelter of groyeO to soothe their secret wo0nds
q Ga! Darkness Of fac sanctuary! The eye O.
y religion prefers thee to tho woods which tes
d breezes disturb. Nothing changes thy foliage
b Toy still shade il the Image OF motioalsss eser
.r nifty. E!ernai piliarsI Where are TIE hands
10 tlst formed youf Man dies, but the holy
= thor 5hu sniratss the stone. lave, o Lord
N she oLscarit! of thy temple. inhabited alone
j by thee and by death. One hears from afal
II tae flood OF time which roars on the borders
H. etefnity-"
of As real as reason is the power here appealed
T. to. Ii ia not a question oil tbs slavery OF rea
30 son, bat it s O question of the liberation ant
LIE sanctifcstion of the sense of the beautiful
As real as is that love Of the besotifo
within tho hrmau soul, aud, Therefore, tn
re Chnrch, by appealing TO this, does not sileno
,m reason, does not lead reason captive; but 81
re acts upon another power in the soul-she act
he upon the heart without enslaying the intel
I'D lect-she acts upon and sanctiiies The imazina
Ito ton, ssnotif The love Of the beautiful. Il
no her honor, be it said. that size poes essts TN
in greatest power to call forth these religious SD
rs. sArctirying sentiments.
he Fer uanther reason do we use these arts il
of Gods service, without ensisving the res d
ds You go into Catholic Church; You See
,se number of pictures around the wall you Sc
IN a number OF people passing from picture t
in picture procession. They are performin
l what is called, the Stations of the Cross
IA. They knsel before these pictures. OF coosa
9 I they do not adore them: They show respee
on to the pisture, a similar principle to shat
10 - which you respect oil painting of yoor deG
on father or mother. They are not 80 foolish c
Till to suppose there is life or strength 10 tho:
ion material objects. Bat they kneel before then
because they remind them of the sutterIugs
I've our Divine Lord. In each picture is depiote
ty, y scene of Hts passion. You see the poop
in moving 10 prooeasion you see old men min
ids ling with NLtle children. Tho old men can 1
res, longer reed, pat the ChCrch holds before the
ne the book of the large picture of the Static
ion of the Cross" She has catholicity OF mea
, OF of getting at the human soul, as she has
her catho!icity OF doctrine. She has means, II o.
the sense be closed, by which ahe tells the story
.ess redemption through another. Ghey Deuo
ose these scenes in the ire OF our DiVlne Ao!
ress They are instructed at ouos, aud moved to pi
one and to sorrow for sin. How often, too, 6a
pre- l seen little children LOOKING nv one OF Shs
was "Statious of she Crosse" representing, perha
tle the mailing of the sacred hands Of our Lord
her the gibbet. There were the nails piercing, u
the great hammes lifted up; and have sc
in the eyes of the little children tears Of sy
patby-perhaps tho first teors of sympat
olio they had ever shed They had shed tears
ret, tbai. or snfFarin0s INIT IL ia not often ii
COO little children will weep fat once for the sufI
III iugs of Others. l have often Thought II
rise perhs the frat sweet offeripg, the hIss Q
oufS stall tear of sympathy. from the eyes of
10 little child, was offering to the bleed
dis Tross y
and LJovz baant;fnl how reasonable how nae
ea1e are sll those means of enliGhtening the I'M
. nea lect of man and of touching the heart OF mi
Sn Bat why all the grandeur of your great cat