The Irish standard., 1891-03-14
WHAT ISEXTREME JUNCTION,
Father Byrnes of the Immaculate Con-
ception Church Tells Us
What It Is
LAST BLESSING OF THE CHURCH.
Negligence of Christian Duties May Pay
the Penalty of An Unworthy Disposi-
tion at That Moment

Regllganoe OF UnTlStlan DuGles MAY ray
the Penalty of An Unworthy Disposi-
tion at That Moment
at lO:30 o'clock mass, last Sunday
morning, Rev. Father J. G. Bvrne, pas
tor Of the church Of the Immaculate
Conception, delivered the following
sermon in answer to an attack recently
made by Rev. ID. j. Burrell, Of this city
on the sacrement OF extreme unctlon
Father BYrne said:
Our divine Savior was wont, quietly
and with august dignity, to answer the
absurd and oftentimes unfealirg
charges brought against Himself aud His
doctrine, and altogether tG overlook the
sln, the satire or the insigniticance of
the persons who made them. lis most
explicit affirmation Of his divinity was
in answer to the dreadful sdjuration Of
Eaiphas, and His most profound say
ings were replies to the silly and seal
low atte npts of designing persons TO
catch Hun In His speech.
The obligation therefore devolves up
ON ns, if we would follow in the Say
ior's footsteps, to hasten to the defence
Of His doctrine in case it is attacked,
and to unfold 1t with clearness and Dre~
cisiOn and with the same dignity that
He showed, regardless whether the at
tack is pointed with the ssntentious
fullness of the scientist or the 1rreverent
emptiness of the buffoon.
I'm these days when the fundament-
al truths of faith and the race honored
dictates of reason are set aside with Sc
rene composure. it is not surprising
that doctrines Of relatively mir or worth
should be attacked. but it is surprising
that the same Old method Of misrepre
ssntation should be employed We
thought that the days Of unfair treat
ment had passed, but they seem 10 be
on us worse than ever, For, in The
line of suppress1ng Scriptine, ignoring
the ueages Of the first Christians, dis
torting the meaning and gnisrepres ent.
ing the practice of a Catholic rite, the
recent attack On extreme junction. is
monumental.
but with regard to these misrepre
sentations there are two things that
console us: First, the hearers use their
common sense. Recently + asked
young gentleman what he had thought
of these savage 0nslaugbts on the Cath
olic church when he was outsid the fold
and he said they never produced any
impression upon him. He was cpnyin-
ced that so many millions, the majority
of whom seemed to be meeker, holier
and more charitable than their malign
ers, could not be guilty either OF COM
mltting the crimes in virtue of their
faith, or Of holding the absurd beliefs
ascribed to them. The second thing
that consoles us is this: That to attack
Catholic doctrine with any show Of sue
cess it seems they must always first
misrepresent it. This is evidence that
we possess Che truth. and we can we'll
afford to make these attacks the occa-
sion of lucid explanation Of the Cath
ollc dogma, as TO explain tenet Of the
Catholic church is always equivalent to
demonstrating ii. Let us then this
morning dwell on the sacraments in
general and on extreme unction In par.
ticular.
The crowning and the most essential
act in obtaining great results IS geaer
ally the simplest and the least lab0rious.
As al instance let us take the signature
which is required for the completion OF
q law. 1t is a small matter for the gov
ernor of q state to write his name to a
document. vet his signature is absolute
ly essential to the laws of the state.
Without it, no matter how reasonable |
and just and beneficial and necessary
they may be, no matter how much time
NAV have been consumed in their dis
cussion, they are mere ESSAYS, not laws.
and they have no binding effect. The
signature is appended and Immediately
the most prodigious results ensue, The
attitude of individuals may thereby De
changed, the relations of commerce af-
fected. oppressive imports levied or
abolished. and whole people made
wretched or rendered happier and bet
ter. Yet Notwithstanding this, it
would be shallow and inexperienced
person who would say 1t is easv to make
a law that is far reaching in its effects. |
EVERYBODY knows that behind the gov
ernor's signature there is the laborious
election Of a governor who will not veto
the law; behind the document present.
ed TO him. there is the laborious debate
Of LEGISLATORS and the more laboriousl
election Of men who will frame such q
law, In q word, although d the crowning t
and the most essential act is easy, it