Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-27


Steere. Mr.. Jno. +. Francis, who has
lately become convert to Catholicism
was also an interested spectator. Father
Stockmann said:
My Lord Bishop, worthy Mayor OF the
city of Los Angeles, very Rev. and Rev.
Fathers, Ladies and Gentlemen: The
ceremony which yon have Just wit
messed OF blessing this beautiful structure
dedicated now forever to Almighty God,
the eternal principle of all charity and
all Christian virtues, is not an empty
ceremony, having no other merit than
tns example ??f antiquity.
The iustratlons OF the Mosaic
ritual as we'll as the Christian
dedlcations of our temples Of public
worship, and even the simple blessing
of our homes, schools and chapels have
meaning and an object based on mo-
tives which alone can assure us success
and give to our actions heavenly merit
and a divine character. We all know
that il we wish to construct spacious
and lofty edifce, deep and broad must
be it's foundations. Likewise the good
Sisters who enjoy today the pleasure of
seeing this beautiful structure finally
completed and now dedicated to God,
know full well that the success of their
endeavors depends especially on the pro-
found humility with which all their
actions are performed, for true humility
is the broad and deep foundation OF all
other Christian virtues.
A building that has for incentive only
the pride of man will necessarily become
very tower of Babel, work OF con-
fusion, which sooner or later will stand
before the world as an example of the
futiiity OF mans efforts unaided by God.
The ceremony, then. of invoking the
blessing of God on this masterpiece of
human ingenuity and upon all present
and future inmates thereof, is based
upon our knowledge of our nothingness,
of our dependence on God alone, on the
futility of all our unaided efforts is
based also on that Christian faith and
hope that is certain of help from on
high when we invoke the divine aid in
all humility OF heart. We recognize,
then, by this ceremony that God alone
is great and powerful and almighty.
We scorn fhe impotency OF our OWN
ambitious efforts, and we cherish the
hope that God in His might and power
will not allow Satan and his
spirits of evil to embarrass the work
of his faithful servants, and we trust
that the same mighty Lord and Father
of all will cause His ministering angels
to watch constantly over all the inmates
within the precincts of this spacious
edifce, and who will so mark the lintels
and doorposts thereof that no spirit of
evil shall enter therein.
But this is not all. This blessing en-
mobiles the object of this institution and
gives it Christian scope and character.
The noble citizen who for love of country
braves the dangers of war, marches fear
lessIy to battle, scorns the roar OF the
cannon, the br!stling array OF the ene-
my's bayonets, the bursting OF the death
dealing shells, tears not the defamation
of the ranks in which he fights, but
lays down his life without word of
regret, is true hero, and the
memory of such deeds are worthy of the
soul stirring strains of bard and poet,
but is he Christian hero?
The rich man who, seeing the mis-
cries of the sons and daughters of Eve,
moved by compassion for his fellow-men.
distributes all his wealth to the poor, is
worthy OF the admiration and praise of
his fellow-beings and of the eternal graf
itude of suffering humanity, but il such
noble deeds are prompted by mere COM
passion, are they not simply and purely
acts of human benevolence? Is that
not, according to st. Paul, a mere sound,
an empty name, tinkling cymbal or
sounding brass?
All! you have understood me. 1t is
the motive that ennobles our most in
actions. The noble and heroic
workers who devote their lives to suffer
ing humanity from pure love of God,
become Christian heroes; their senti-
ments of compassion for the ailments
and suffering and wants of their fellow
beings are not merely sentiments of
but epnobled by that
divine motive, the love OF God, not only
their works but their very inspirations
and desires become acts of charity. BY
this powerful incentive the civic hero
becomes the Christian hero, hence as
we'll, the man of benevolence becomes
the man of charity.
Christian love and charity has its
origin in the bosom of the Eternal,
a virtue essentially divine which made
the creation of the world and its regen-
GRAFTON by the blood OF the Son of Man
q fact confounding the wise of this
earth and confounding even the angels !
in heaven. On earth it is fame en-
kindled by the breath of God, a virtue |
that makes light Of our greatest sacri- |
fees, a virtue that sends the Sister Of |
Charity to the thickest of the battle to |
bend with compassion over the bleed
ing soldier. virtue that makes woman |
strong and enables her to brave the
pestiferous diseases of our hospitals, a
virtue that makes institutions like this
not only possibility but consoling
fact; in one word it is virtue which
encourages and strengthens man and
woman alike to spread that fire which
our divine Lord came to enkindle in
this world.
Animated with these sentiments you,
the worthy daughters of st. Vincent de
Paul, have nothing to fear; God
being with you who shall be
against you? Go then forth
true Christians hercines, to your
and self-sacrificing task. to
your work of charity. You rely on God
and on God alone for the success Of your
noble enterprise, and success will surely
crown your efforts. Well may you
despise my praises and the adulations
OF the world. We can only envy your
heroic resolution TO labor for God and
for Him alone. We have not all the
courage to give up, as you have done,
IN f.. Al, co1a of God AfrsarIe Ill