Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-08-13

any or ebony, IL seemed to have &C
QuIred the specific gravity Of lead. 1t
was red-letter day in that altar boys
career when he carried the mighty load
all round the sacrtsty to demonstrate
his ability thereafter to "change the
book"
Until his fourteenth or fifteenth year,
there is little In the life of the future
priest TO distinguish il from that
OF the ordinary school boy. Apart
from his habitual presence at daily
mass, his more frequent intercourse
with the pastor Whom he occasionally
| accompanies TO some country misslonl,
his greater regularity in the reception
OF his sacraments, and his more pune
tual attendance al school and catechism
class-our altar boy is much the same
as other light-hearted, fun-loying lads
OF his age. What he will be when ne
grows up is matter to which. In oil
probability. he has not given very mnch
OF even such Immature consideration as
Is possible to his DoyiSh mind. 1t is
question too far removed as
yet from the domain OF the
practical TO occasion him anxious
days and sleepless nights" or even a
passing hours care. An unconscious
actor on the principal that sufficient
for the day is the evil thereof" he is
far more taken up with the contest for
school prizes, or the prospects OF bis
baseball nine, than with remote con-
tingeneies regarding his career In maa-
hood. His constant association with
his pastor and the frequent part he
takes In all the services OF the Church,
can hardly fail in time TO suggest TO
him the priesthood as the goal Of his
ambition. The idea first comes to him
In the guise OF vague day dream, a
castle In the air rather than q real
possibility or genuine hope, and IL Is
probably secuted as preposterous on
the ground that be is not good enough
to be q priest.
When from II to 16 years OF age the
altar boy enters upon new phase OF his
development. Recognizing the more
than ordinary brilliancy OF his parts his
teacher and pastor advise his parents 10
give him the benefit OF complete course
OF studies; and the schoolooy becomes a
college student. AS knowledge and
piety, according to ST. Francis OF Sales,
are the two eyes OF the perfect ecclesl-
aStc, so talent and virtue are two re-
quisites essential to the youth predes-
tined to the priestly dignity; and In
point OF fact, our typical altar boy is not
more surely the good boy OF the parish
than he is the smart boy Of the school.
The change from home 10 e college is In
mary respects a revolutionary one.
Our grown-up altar boy begins the
third and last stage OF his development
he enters the seminary. The most
important epochs In the seminarlah's
career are his hali-yearly examination,
and his ''call" for orders, or his receiv-
ing notice that he Is 10 advance another
grade az the Christmas or Trinity or
dlnation. The branches Of ecclesiastical
science are sufficiently numerous and
difficult 10 warrant his feeling some.
what nervous at the approach OF the ex-
animation. Not until he has pored
in turn over Holy Scriptures,
DogmatIc aud Moral Theol-
dgI caG5n Law, Ecclesiastical
History, Tue NouuCilSi 1hNiNu AiofHNhSet
the Liturgy. aud RuorIcs, and reviewed
them all with unhaggIng industry, can
he face the ordeal without fear or appre-
hension? His ''calls," on contrary, are
Joyous events, fiji subjects for the con-
gratulatlons of friends and bis own acts
of thanksgiving. His promotion to the
subdeaconship is the real cllmacteric
OF his career, for the reception OF that
sacred order sets him apart from the
world aud its business, consecrating
him for life to the service OF God and
His altar.
Deaconship follows. with fuller powers
and higher privileges; and finally dawns
the day OF days when the long-tired as
pIrant receives the plenltude OF Holy
Orders. With impressive solemnIty the
ordination rite proceeds, until at length
the Bishop pronounces these words OF
tremendous import: Receive power to
offer sacrifice 10 God and TO celebrate
mass, as we'll for the living as the dead.
Amen"-and our alter boy Is a priest
forever. II Is no eXaggeratlon 10 say