The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-29
THE TWO PATHS TO HEAVEN.
Few MOrtalS Follow That OF
Innocence.
REPENTANCE THE COMMON ROAD
lllustrious Examples of Expiation.
Various Glasses of Christians
and Time of Services.

~ Ia Didck cTOSS WIFI Wnlto SnTOuQ
hanging froE the arms in the Church of
st. Paul, corner of Church and Twenty
ninth streets, bore witness to the fact that
mission was being held there. Missions
are constantly being given all over in the
Catholic church, their object being TO bring
back sinners from their evil ways and lead
them to better lives.
The mission is given by the Rev. Edward
B. Brady and the Rev. Fl. Wyman,
members of the Paulist congrega.
ton. of purely American Catholic
origin. During the past fall they
have been laborng in Illinois and Iowa,
principally at Chicago and Davenport and
for the coming months until the end of
June they are preparing to hold mi ions
in California.
The Catholic church seems to possess
the secret of inducing people to attend re-
llgous services, ana yesterday morning
when the mass comm enced from sanctuary
to door every seat was filled, as also were
the aisles and other passages. This mis-
sion opened with what is known as
Missa caniata, the music being the third
mass OF Mercadante, with the exception
of the offertory. "Sit Nomen Del Bene-
dic;um," composed by CaglierO. All was
we'll and devOtionally rendered
Inc center OF interest, however, was the
preacher, the Rev Edward b. Brady, who.
after stating the hours fixed for the special
exercises, preached an appropriate ser
mon. Mass will be celebrated at 5 A. NJ
each morning, after winch will be given an
instruction, followed by another mass at
6 a. NJ. For those who are unable to at
tend SO early there will be mass and in
struction at A. NJ. Evening service, con-
sisting of a sermon on some point of
hay nAt Oti mill
be held at Z 80 p. NJ.
Taking for the text of his sermon the
words OF ST. Paul, second epiStle to the
Corinthians, I'VE then as workers to-
gether with him beseech you also that We
receive not the grace of God in van."
continued: These words wherein the
great Apostle preached TO the Corinthians
penance and The remission of sins are most
hitting Tor US to use to you this morning.
fnr we have come to preach penance ana
the remission of sin and offer to you the
grace OF reconciliation TO our Lord Jesus
Christ. This will be the burden of our
thoughts. words and efforts during all the
exercises.
Mission, as far as we are concerned,
means the sending forth with the sanction
of lawful authority people to labor for the
conversion and Specification of souls.
Such missions are as old as fallen hu-
maDity. We might claim the prophets of
the old dispensatiOn as our predecessors
in this work or John the Baptiste than
whom none greater was born of woman"
AS the standard of our cause we have
raised that tall black cross " hich signifies
penance, for the preaching of the mission
means the preaching of penance.
There are two roads that lead TO eternal
life; the first Of innocence, the other of
penance. Few belong to The former class,
few that have reached TO mans estate can
claim exemption from grievous sin. To
fhnra il, ,Irrn D. z
repentance. God has given US free will,
by which we can Cooperate with him in
working out our immortal destiny. He
has told us to choose good and reject evil,
and to aid US herein he has given us GER
tain rules of conduct. Besides this writ
ten law he has endowed us with the
natural law of conscience, hich In every
juncture of life warns US thou shalt" or
thou shalt not" The man who deliber-
ately violates these laws is cut off from
Christ and becomes a rebel. Does not
every intelligent man recognize this, and
that to regain Gods friendship only one
possible way remains, that sin and saliva
lion are incompa tibIe, since the one means
separation, the latter union with the
creator?
The salvation of most men Depending
on repentance, Almighty God has IN all
ages made special provision for proclaim
ing IL. Nineveh gave example of a whole
penance and acting on it. The command
OF God TO every soul is the same as his mes
sage TO Nineveh, Repent or perishv' No
matter what a mans life has been. il he
has sinned once grievously, the only hope
OF mercy and salvation lies in repentance
David is another ilIustrious example. A
man, prObably-tne nearest to God of all
men-he committed two sins, and after
GOd's message through Nathan be repen ted
and exDiated them. Nay, his repentance
lasted to the end of his days; his harp
strings were often wet by his tears and his
psalms bear the press of sorrow.
People may say that under the new law
of mercy and redemption repentance and
eXplatloD for personal sin are unnecessary.
Well, in the Magdalen we have a proof to
the contrary, q proof, too, of the efficacy
OF repentance. You see that in coming to
preach the gospel of repentance aud expia-
ton we offer nothing new. There have
always been missions and missionaries to
proclaim Gods mercy and the experience
OIL our brethren for twenty-five years in
giving missions testifies to the marvellous
means he uses to bring men back to him.
There are three broad classes OF Chris
tlanS among us-the earnest, the indffer-
ent and the depravad. In this last class it
would seem as il the most extraordinary
graces were given.
-Four things are required on the part of
the people to receive the full benefit of the
mission, to cease to commit deadly sin, to
attend the mission services, to prav to God
for its success and to become IN some way
missionaries by bringing others here.