The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-03
MISSION AT THE CATHEDRAL
A Jesuit Father Conducting a Retreat
for Blessed Virgins Sodality.
SERMONS MORNING AND NIGHT
Morning Services VIII Begin with Mass
at o 6O'clock-Evening Sermon at
7.30 Mission Conducted by
Rev. E. Bucholtz, s. j.

A retreat or mission for the members
of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin
began yesterday afternoon at st.
Peters cathedral and will continue dur
ing the week. 1t Is in charge of Rev.
l.. Bucholtz, of Cleveland o., who will
preach each morning at o'clock and
again at 7.SO In the evening. The mis-
sion will be continued next week for the
benefit of the women Of the parish in
general, but will be in charge of local
priests, as Father Bucholtz leaves next
Sunday for Waterbury, Conn, to open
a similar mission there.
He preached the sermon at the 1880
mass at the cathedral yesterday morn
ing, taking his text from the gospel Of
the day. He is both an intellectual and
physical giant, standing IT. and in.
In height. His command of language
Is easy and he has an eloquent delivery,
although his speech Is touched notice
ably with the German ascent. Yester-
day being the first Sunday of Advent
the gospel of the mass was on the sub
ject of preparation for the coming of
God.
Opening of the Retreat
At 8 o'clock in the afternoon the
church was filled with the members of
the Blessed Virgins Sodality. Father
Bucholtz addressed them for an hour
in an Introductory sermon, the tenor OF
which was an appeal to them to make
the mission well. He urged each one
to make resolution now that she
would attend each day on both occa-
sions and derive the grace which God
promises to all who show disposition
to hear His teachings. He said that
when our Savior looks down from the
tabernacle in the altar and sees q soul
that Is sick. he yearns to extend the
hand Of grace and heal that soul just
as He did when He raised Lazarus from
the dead. Lazarus had been in his
grave and the odors Of decay and de-
composition were eXhaling from his
flesh, but Jesus raised him to life.
Whoever Is in the state of mortal sin
is spiritually dead AS soon as the first
mortal sin is committed 1t kills the soul,
when succession of sins is recorded
against the soul 1t Is dead absolutely
and buried like Lazarus with the vile
odors Of vice emanating therfrom. Ii
Is sealed up In the sepulchre of bad
habits and nothing but the grace of
God can infuse new life into that soul
and lift the stone of sin from the tomb.
The mission is the channel that Gods
graces flow through and on such occa-
sions there Is bountiful store of mercy
ready for those who wish to partake OF
the invitation to be spiritually healed.
Father Bucholtz said that II was un-
necessary for him to remind his hearers
that this was season of penance. The
fulfillment of Gods commands always
is not an easy task. The way of piety
and sanctity is narrow and travel along
1t entails self-abnegation and self-cru-
cifixion.
The Evening Discourse.
Last night the cathedral was crowd
ed to hear the sermon on the sugject,
THE End Of Man." Father Bucholtz
shaped his eloquent discourse to prove
that there is GodJ To begin with, he
said, religion teaches us that there is
hand above our world that controls
the universe, in fact when we look
about US and observe the handiwork of
nature We cannot force away the
thought that this work Is the work OF
a divine creator. The omnipotence OF
God Is ever present to us and We should
cultivate religious disposition to God
the honor that is due him.
Our religion teaches u.s." he contin.
ued, that God created mankind for a
purpose Of his own; we were placed
on this earth to adore and serve oui
Master and in the end to be happy with
Him forever and ever in the kingdom
Of heaven. That Is the end of oul
creation. But God so constructed US a.
free moral agents and we are to choose
, our own path in this life. We mus
{ work out our own salvation. Our re
ligious teachings are to guide US aht
/. on our own actions as we follow thost
e teachings will depend our future sal
= walton or damnation.
, without the fear of hell at all W,
j, should be pious Christians. In siI
I there Is only misery and wretchedness
a 1t Is better to lead a good life than {
, wicked one, the satisfaction Is create
j. and when We stop to consider tina
. every time a sin is committed God 4
= offended, we should pause before com
mitting that sin! Why should we Of
3 fend God whose mercy is 80 bound
: less, and who died on the cross 70
= US that we might be saved from perdi