Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-12
BISHOP WATTERSON
-, DISTINGUISHED CATHOLIC PRELAfB PAYS
O,yOSIOAL VISIT TO BRIDGEPORT.
r.. Administers the Sacrament to q Large Class
Sermons Of Rev. Afford and Rev.
Sweeps Last Evening.

p-ifEeUOrt, was CROWDED ~ all u '"O
..r.,es Yesterday. IL was the occasion
the Canonical Visitation OF
p, Rev. Bishop Watterson Of Colun-
Nm, The Bishop arrived Saturday AZ
..-,oou. aud was the guest Of Kew
rather Weigand, pastor Of the church
The first mass yesterday morning was
...s5ratsd az 1880 o'clock, sad the Rt
r.v bishop delivered brief instruc-
..,os 10 the congregation ana the class
~ thirty children. who received Holy
communion for the first time. At $50
,,..o.k the blessing of the church took
~r,.s. the RI. Rev. Bishop being assist
Fl bv the pastor, Rev. Father Weigand,
Paw Father Anthony OF ST. Alphonsus
C,rr,b. Wheeling, and Rev. Father
Francis Howard, Of the Cathedral Co.
r,m5us. The procession OF priests and
,-4.vtes passed around the church, Snd
,ts services we're solemn and impress
AT bslf-past ten o'clock solemn High
Mass was celebrated and the ed,1ee was
,r,cy4ed. Rev. Father Howard OIL
o.,tsl assisted By the other priests and
s.,-n aeoIytes. Previous 20 the reading
M tbe gospel. RI. Rev. Bishop Waiter
SON explained The object OF his visit.
THE eDiStle for the day and the gospel
were then read aud the BiSnop SAID t0at
rhedav being the feast OF the Maternity
If the Blessed Virgin, lac would dedi-
cate the church 10 Mary, the Mother or
God. He would speak briefly upon the
s-b4ect OF the Blessed Virgin, and
would answer some arguments OF non
Catholics against the attitude of the
Catholic Church toward the Mother Of
God.
On one occasion as we read In the nth
verse of the llth chapter OF ST. Luke,
as God was preaching aud proving his
Divinity by the most wOudrOus miracles,
tie people were in admiration of his
doctrine. but the ScribeS and PhariSeeS
were Offering objections and Interfering
w.rh Him. Some people today are
Going the very same thing trying 20
lessen the influence OF God and His
Church. on the occasion mentioned Ia
the Gospel, a poor woman lifted up her
voice aud iu the fullneSs of her heart,
c-ed out. Blessed is the womb that
bore Thee, aud the breasts that gave
Thee succOr" aud the Lord replied, Yea,
rather blessed are they who hear
tue word of God and keep it,
It is asserted by nOu-CathOlicS
that these words OF the Savior imply
contradiction 20 the words OF the
woman. Our Lords words are some
tines wreSted violently from their prop
er sense. In these attempts TO tarnish
Mary's brightness, they would fain
make US believe that God forgot bis
own commandment OF Honor thy faith
aud thy mother" But far from OPP
posing the good woman, de repeated
tte vows those good lips spoke; yea,
more, He revealed still greater glOrieS
that Mary possessed, Our Lord an
swered, YEA, It's true; blessed, In
deed because she is Ny mother, but
blessed also they who hear the word OF
God and keep il" 10 was proclaimed
that Mary was blessed for her maternity
because she bore the Son of God, and it
was proclaimed that they were blessed
who heard the word of God, and kept IL.
Christ speaks generally of all who hear
ills word and keep 10, but the blessed
ness belongs especially 20 His mother.
Jar then from being a contradiction,
our Lords word is an explanation,
continuation of the words of the good
woman. He says In the Gospel, that
they who initiate His mothers gifts,
should be sharers with her i'm keeping
Is word. SO our Lord in his answer,
is not distinguishing His mother from
others, but is contrasting the two bless
irgs which were united in her. He is
proposing her to as as a model. II We
would be blessed rs her, let us
".elr the word OF God, and
regard the words of the cOOd woman?
Size was praising Him through His
mother. by extolling the mother, she
necessarily eNtOls the Son, and we eau
not honor the mother without honOriug
tae Son: we honor Him through her
The Savior means 20 imply: "IOu cali
MS mother blessed, and tacitly require
q blessing for yourself, and probably
regret that you are not My mother;
but give YOU q better bieSSjug-hesr
Ny word and keep IL. IL You do so, I
ann spiritually conceived In you, so that
u q spiritual sense, every one OF you
can be Ny mother" How great che
dignity Of Gods grace, that he can
make all of us alike unto Mary, dear,
yea most dear, to his Sacred Heart.
On another occasion, when God was
speaking within q house, some one told
H.u that His mother was without aud
wished TO speak with Him. He told
His hearers that the ties of Sanctiiying
grace with which He was united spirit
uaIIy Co His children were far more val
uot.e in His eyes than ties OF kindred.
Then lie said: Behold My mother.
III hat shall do the will OF My Father
.l Heaven Is Ny mother, My sister, and
Ny brother" Do those words mean
any diSrespect TO Ills mother? No.
She was His mother In q double sense,
go q carual and spiritual sense. When
the words of the text are properly I'M
lerSt10d. instead of containing any i'm
pHcgtiou against our devotion to Mary,
they give the strongest grounds for the
honor which the church pays 20 her.
The church asks us 90 have recourse
% Mary. and 20 ask her interceSSiOn be-
fore God in our behalf. She asks US 10
De- dsvout children OF the Blessed Vir-
Sin, SO today shall we not ask her to
take this congregation, and pray for all
Of us, that she may obtain from her
Divine Son the blessings which we need?
And 10 houoring her shall we dctract
from the honor due TO her Divine Son?
No. Mary was creature like our
selves, except she was exempted from
original sin, the curse OF the human
race; so 10 will be easier for US TO imi
tate her virtues than 10 initiate her
Divine Son. But i'm initiating her, we