Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-28
THE PRIVILEGED FEW
Who May Leave the World for a
Convent Seclusi0n.
The Duty of Some is to People the World,
and the Privileged Few Worship God
in the Sanctuary Of the
Cioister.
FATHER CULps CATHEDRAL SERMON.

| Joseph in the Convent Chapel. The ladie
were: Miss Mary Hamilton, of Jerse!
City, n. J., now knewn as Sister Mar!
Cyril; Miss Mary Clark, OF Allegheny City
Pa, now Sister Ma ry Paul Miss Kate Muir
Y, of Nashville, Tenn, now Sister Mary
rancis de Chantel; Miss Kate Healy, o
Wheeling, now Sister Mary Amelia. Mis-
Murray is cousin of Bishop Kain, and
MisA GIsFtoots 9 sister Of Mother Bssil, ,lpey
Supert0res fur The Comm unity, but vel
known to our citizens as the amiable Sister
in charge for so many years of the Wheel
ing Hospital.
Right Rev. Bishop Kahn presided at the
exercises. Rev. jeremiah Murray, of Chill.
licothe, o., brother of one of the new sis,
ters, celebrated the mass at half past seven.
Rev. Fathers Gull of Bellaire, who preached,
and Deehan of the Cathedral, were present
to its utmost with the sisters and their
friends-Catholics and Protestants. We
have delayed mention OF it all to this date,
in order to secure the sermon by Father
Gull of Bellaire, which We now present in
full:
Right Rev. Bishop, Rev. Fathers, good
sisters and favored novices:
An incredulous person once addressed an
individual who had entered religious
community, in words something like these
You people who enter converts and mon
ssteries do not so much good after all
True, you spend most of your time in
prayer, meditation and good works, bat
you have nothing else to do. You mortify
your senses by abstinence and many fasts,
but in Lent and on fast days your tables
are lightly laden. You spend but few
hours in slumber, because your rule bids
you rise at 4 o'clock. You waste no time
because none is allowed YOU. You never
sin, because you have no occasion. You
always think of God, because all about you
reminds you OF Him. Sin takes no hold on
you, because of the good example and the
graces you receive here In fact there is no
merit in being good in a convent or a
monastery, for the very air is pious, and one
can not help being good in such a good
place. But We of the world, we who come
IN such close contact with sin and its in
ducements; We who night Satan in his own
field, who fall so often, yet always come up
smiling to again renew a combat; We are
they who deserve most merit; we are the
true members of the church militant on
earth.
The answer of the religious was know
deserve very small credit for the little good
i do. Yet it was that might do that little
good have come TO this holy Sanctuary OF
God, where, far removed from the cares and
distractions and pleasures of the world, /
might be able to live for God alone. In
coming here, consecrated to God unresery-
edly all that l am and all that / have.
Neither is much, but thoy are my all.
Long ere l came knew the holy rule
that guided the good people who make this
tbnir homo I knaU lnuu nra 7 nama ba
early hours of rising and the long day of
prayer and work, and still came. knew
of the abstinenCes and frequent fasts, and
/ accepted them. / knew how my self
fS,efd %ytdGfSs, dTGfEla yssf cSoGsSenfed. Long ere
came | knew the tolls of the schOol-rOom,
the labors of the hospital and the cares of
the orphanage, and | made the sacrifice
willingly. ! came to spend and be spent
for the love OF God. Each day adds to the
happiness of my choice; each day renew
from my heart of hearts my VOWS OF pow
erty, chastity and obedience.
The religious had spoken wisely. In
these few words the spirit of monasticism
had been explained.
While il is the duty Of the many to re-
main in society and increase an d multiply
and fill the earth, it is the privilege OF the
few to be among the virgins who follow
the lamb withersoever he goetb." (ApOc.
xiv.4( One has this duty in life, another
that, or as st. Paul says, Every one hath
his proper gift from God: one after this
manner, another after that" IL Cor. vii. y.
God necessarily gives to those whose lot is
cast among worldlings, graces and op.
portunitics enough 10 be saved. He does
not permit them to be tempted above that
which they are able. Persons Of wealth
may. be saved who "use the world as if they
did not use 1t" and who buy as if they
were not possessing anything" Il Cor. wiz
Persons may marry and people the earth
and be saved, for il is better to marry than
to burn" And persons may be OF great
authority and consequence and still be tie
''great faith in Israel"
All these may serve Godin their station,
vet they have not reached in this world the
perfection OF Christian life. In what, then,
does Christian perfection consist? Our
blessed Lord tells us precisely, in Matt.
xix, q: IF thou wilt be perfect go sell
what thou hast and give 10 the poor and
come follow Me-" This, then, is the per
feet following of Jesus Christie leave all
things and follow Him. To-
But to all this is not given Us com.
mand: "All receive not this word,' says
our Lord, Matt. xix: IL, ~, but they 10
whom il is given He thatcan receive 1t,
let him receive it,"
This perfection you have chosen, good
sisters. You, by your VOWS of poverty,
chastity and obedience have left all things
to follow your Christ.
By YOUR VOW of poverty you disclaim
title to anything in the whole world.
by your vow OF chastity, you consccrate
to God all the powers OF your mind, all the
affections of your heart, all the service of
your body. BY your VOW OF obedience, you
4. L. ii Il ,f. hFsft 10
Sert, abandon and sacrifice your very selves
for the love of God.
st. Gregory says it is not, perhaps, so
hard to abandon ones goods,
but il is hard to abandon ones self.
1t is q small matter 10 sacrifice ones
goods, but it Is a great deal to sacrifice
what you are. To the world your choice
and your life is an enigma. That youth,
beauty and talents and love should bury
themselves behind convent walls, seems
past comprehension that all is happiness
behind these dismal walls is incredible.
That youth in its bloom, beauty in its
zenith, talents in their vigor, and love in
its feryor, do consecrate themselves 70 re-
ligion needs no proof in Wheeling. .-..
But the enigma is how and why loes this
Il happens because there are still noble
| souls whoa can like ST. Peter say, Matt.
| XXX. "Behold We have left ali things
| and followed Thee" But why does this
| happen in the Catholic Church alone?
| Because she alone can eanonize saints and
| nurture religious orders The churches in
| the sixteenth century have no saints names
| upon their rolls that were not on the Cal
| endar of the Holy Roman Catholic Church
at the time Of that great rebellion. The
| 800 years of their existence that were bar
| rem TO them have been prolific in canon
ization of saints to her.
| She fostered the religious orders and she
alone continues them. She alone afford:
| Won the facilities whereby you can exclsim
behold We have left all things and follow
ed Thee"
To some your choice Of life will be sub
iect of scorn. And these things they will
do to you," says our Lord, "becsuse they
have not known the Father nor Me-
John xvi. 3.
To Others, be they Catholics or not YOU
| choice will BE- a source Of edifeation ans
deep thought. HAPPY their lot will b
cried on every side. @fheir hearts are fas
tened to q love that is eternal and unchans
ing; they are espoused to one that appre
I ii; .,1 4hasr far-ar Ia