The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-01-08
THREE ABLE D|SCOURSES
Jesuit Missialt at the Chapel Of
the Sacred Heart.
WELL. ATTENDED SERMONS.
Rev. Fathers O'Kane and Him
mil Conduct Highly Instruct
i've Services. Profound and
Able Sermons by Emil
nent Preachers.

The mission at the chapel Of the
Sacred Heart. conducted by tho
Jesuit priests, Fathers O'Kane and
Himmil, began Sunday morning at
| O'Clock. that being the hour of the
first Mass. The Rev. Father Him.
mil otlciated at the services. At
the 10 o'clock service there was
High Mass, at which Rev. Father
Mccarthy, the pastor, olIiciated.
There was large attendance. The
first sermon of the mission was
preached during this service by the
Rev. Father O'Kane. his subject
being "Hhe Love of God" 1t was a
very impressive and beautiful dis.
course. The reverend father cited
instance after instance why Gods
creature, man, should be filled with
| intense love for the Creator. Man
was tho noblest work of God, and in
his state OF Innocence was marvel
GUS being. But man rebelled
against the goodness of God, and
like Luclfer, the Prince of Angels,
fell from his high estate and sin en-
tered into the world. Mortal ain.
that kills the soul and deserves hell.
| God, however, was merciful to man.
He promised the Redeemer, in the
person Of His son, who came upon
earth and died from his love for
mankind. How great, then, should
be mans gratitude.
| AT the evening service, held at 8
o'clock, the chapel was thronged.
and the Rev. Father O'Kane again
preached. His subject was "Mortal
SIM" lie pictured the horror of
stu and the punishment that follows
| sin, should the sinner 60 unrepent-
ant before the throne of God. He
pointed out how the soul was de.
stroyed, blackened, by this heinous
crime against Gods goodness aud
mercy. He pictured with an earn.
estness and directness how mortal
SIN should be summed, aud he i'm
| plored all who were so afflicted as to
| be In state of mortal sin to quickly
relieve themselves of its burthens
by reconciliation with God.
Last night at the 1880 service
Father O'Kane again delivered a
most Instructive aud helpful dis.
course upon the effect of mortal sin.
| lie chose as his text the words of
Holy Scriptures: "Ihe Fear of the
Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom"
He said: 1.-The greatest foolish
ness that man can fall into in this
life ie the commission of mortal sin,
which. as surely as carried into tho
presence of God, will receive His
curse. The only cure for such fool
ishness 10 the fear of God. The
wise man recognized this fact when
he penned these words.
| mo matter how much inclined to
sin man may be, so long as there
Is In that mans heart fear of God,
80 long as he knows something to
fear. there Is some hope of his saliva
ton. When that fear is removed
the man becomes reckless. He may
become nu intidel, and denying the
existence of God, sink deeper and
deeper into tue abyss of lis own
SIN. The hrst lesson the sinner must
learn Is that God is q Just God.
This is essential 10 belief IN His
| goodness.
9Th ogreatest difficulty in treating
this subject Is the absolute refusal
OF some to fear. They say it Is q
weakness unworthy of man. And
yot sin IS the essence of selishne
and the only way to make u selfish
man tractubie is to threaten HIM
with punishment. TO such the lear
OF God is Statutory measure Of
safety; OF protection against them
selves.
but some say there is no hell.
God is too good, they affirm, to thus
punish his creatures. Such people
see only the goodness OF God with
ont recognizing his justice.
- Again, Christ being God, must
have seen what he described in the
parable of Dives and Lazarus. That
parable proves that Gods curse once
being pronounced is final.
Some people console themselves
by saying, oh. thereIi be lots of
other people in hell They don't
consider the fact that the only feel.
ing retained there will be that of
hatred. All the denizens of tor
ment will be enemies to each other.
Hell is truly terrible place, more
to be feared than anything else con
celyable, and this fear Holy Writ
strives to impress upon us con.
stantly.
God has given Us our faculties,
ana II we use them rightly We may
impress our eternal souls with a
sense OF beauty and purity which
Will last through eternity, but If
wrongly used we stamp our souls
with vile and loathsome forms,
which will forever last.
Let us then use every faculty and
everything the dear Lord has gwen
us 10 develop that fear OF God which
Is the beginning Of all wisdom"
The sermon was preceded by an
| interesting ''iDstruction 3al,no,o !