The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1892-11-29
THE CHURCH YEAR.
Gathering up The Fragments at
Its Close.

is always solemn day in the Catholic
church and this season il was rendered
doubly 50 at Calvary by the solemn
and impressive sermon which the rec
tor, Rev. Mr.. Allen, delivered. Hi.
text was from the Gospel for the day
and few sermons which were IT. equal
have ever been delivered in this city.
Gather mp the fragments that nothing
I've lost" ~. John. d:l2.
The gospel for the Sunday before
Advent, the last Sunday in the Chris
tian year, has been selected with a
view to its spiritual application. We
are at the close of another cycle of
time. The bell which rings out the
passing year invites Us to a retrospect
of those fragments of the faith which
constitute the symetrical bodyof neces..
sary doctrine.
From the beginning of the Church
year, from Advent to the close of
Trinitytide, the Church has disclosed
the life God would have Us lead. The
first half of the year from Advent to
Trinity Sunday, she took us out Of
ourselves in order TO rivet our atten-
ton upon Gods love; the second half
she taught us how we could respond
to that love. Advent told of the
battle and of the Christian armor;
of the blood red flag of the cross
and of the crown for the victor's
brow. Christmas was ushered
in with heavenly minStrelSy and
brought the glad tidings that Jesus
is with Us. The Star of Epiphany led
us to him with our giftS-to
Christ the king, our gold: 10 Christ
the great high priest our incense; 10
Christ the crucitied, our myrrh, for
the burial. Lent brought Its own
grand lessons of self sacrifice and they
who spent it well, had their joy of
harvest in the rich fruition OF the
Easter feast. And in each successive
Sunday through the seasons of As
cension, Whitsuntide and Trinity we
saw the heavens opened and raining
down gifts, enabling Us to live the life
of Chistian duty.
1t is impossible for any man TO fol-
low Holy Church through her round
of seasons with loving spirit without
being advanced along the heavenward
path.
And vet, how Is ii with Us? How
much remains of the lessons and warn
ings of the past year? How many
have kept their good resolves and
made brave fight for the true faith
How many have turned back in the
day of battle and hurried from the
field?
May not the good we have done in
the past year be fifty called ''frag-
ments," witnessing to the greatness of
past possibilities and the small amount
of achievement.
But to look sorrowfully upon the
past will not redeem it. Tears, even
of repentance will not bring back the
slender grace of a day that is dead
But though gone it has left its warn
ing behind.
The ear of Jesus is still open TO the
tale of our repented sin. He is the
same who looked tenderly and visit
fully upon broken hearted Peter and
with sad but Astounding sympathy
upon the Magtlalene. He is the
Saviour not of the strong will and the
vigorous mind, but of the weak viii
and truant mind also. There are
knightly spurs which may yet be won.
There are battles still to be fought
Our scars may warn us of our enc
my's power and aid us to fight more
warily.
Deem not the irrevocable past
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
Ii rising on its wrecks at last.
To something nobler We attain.
t'The fragments that remain" Some
fragments of time do yet remain ere
Advent shall again sound the bugle
note of warning Behold the king
cometh, Prepare to meet thy God.
Carefully use the moments, the frag-
ments that remain. Begin the Adj
vent season, close at hand, with lamp
burning, cast away the works of dark
ness and put on the armor of light.
We have need to treasure them for,
when a year hence there comes this
call again, some one will not he here
to respond May they have reached
fairer region on Eternity's shore
where there is no temple, neither sun,
for the Lamb of God is the light there
of.
He who stoops to guide the sparrow
in its fall marks each fragment and
will call us to accout for it. There i
no standing still. We are gradually
becoming in character that which we
shall over no