The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-02-05
THE PAULIST MISSION
Opened at the Sunday Morning
Mass,
VERY EMINENT PREACHERS
Sermons by the Paulst Fathers,
Hedges and Hopper. A Striking
and Earnest Discourse on
Sin. Wonderful Inter-
est Manifested.

Tho first sermon of tho mission
being conducted by the Paulist
Fathers Hedges and Hopper, was
preached Sunday morning by Father
Hopper.
Beautiful st. Mary's ia crowded at
each service and even at the 5 O'Clock
n. III. mass the largo structure is
filled with devout worshipers who
mind not the Inconvenience of such
early rising.
On entering the Church, au i'm.
pressive scene is presented. In the
chancel stands Colossal black cross
typical of the suffering of our Lord
for our sins. Across It's arms hangs
snow white drapery emblematlc of
forgiveness. Standing IN front of
this cross tho commanding figure of
the priest constitutes d striking and
impressive scene.
AT the Ii O'Clock mass beautiful
sermon was delivered by Father
Happier, and at the night services
REV. FATHER HODGES
preached and took for his text,
''Seek ye first the kingdom of God
and his Justice and all else shall be
added to YOU" During the course of
his remarks he said:
"a man has often in his mind
when he thinks of the future what
the day may turn out to be, he is
puzzled concerning it, he knows not
the future. God has kept it from
him. and yet, l say, there is not an
intelligent man who has not Mt some
time or another thought seriously
of the day that is not yet born, more
especially the younger people. SO
with young man who Ia attaining
his majority and begins to realize
and to think on the future. He has
started into business or sought
profession and who, when he con
siders the future says, & won
der how 1T is all going to turn out
or Il wonder how | am going to
succeed. Nor is it otherwise with
the man who has already reached
midway in this life, who knows
the dlsnppointments, the sorrows,
tho pains, aud also something
of the enjoyments and hap.
piness of it. Nor is it other.
wise with that man whose hairs is
TURNING TO SILVER,
who has reached the summit O life's
mountain and now begins to take
the downward course. Why, nv
friends, we would see when we come
to consider all that God has done
for us in the way for fitting us with
the means OF salvation that we could
not fail IN our destiny. He has left
10 US the sacrament of baptism. BY
baptism we are cleansed OF SIN and
tho guilt of the sin which we have
lnherlted from our first parents is
taken away in baptism. God has
given lis another baptism, the bap-
tism of Penance, the baptism of
love. The minister of God in this
tribunal only says the words OF alb
solution when the penitent is truly
sorry for has sins, and God forgiyes
the sins.
The sacrament in which the
FAITHFUL PERSON
receives the gilt OF Gods greatest
love and mercy, tho sacrament of
the altar, the great sacrament of the
love and mercy of God. SO that when
man comes to the communion lie
receives the body and blood of our
Saviour, whereby his soul is sancti-
lied and made holy. Why, my dear
trends, as often as | have knott be.
fore the image of my Christ, Re-
deemer and Savior and sec how his
hands were torn by the cruel nails.
how his head, lAcarated by that
bloody crown of thOrns, drops down
n q p
hear HIM utter those words, 1T
Is consummated, then l know that
he has died and died for me, God
has died that might live and died
that | might be saved. And yet, my
trends, Notwithstanding His death
on the cross, / may not enter into
that eternal life for which he has
died without the help of Gods
grace, and this grace is obtained NV
making the mission. Ours is a rell-
Glon OF the dying, cruciiied Christ.
Let the mission be "a time of sacri
flee. let it be time of penanco to
God"
Last night Rev. Father Hedges
chose for his text the passage from
ISAIAH, "know thou and see that IT
is an evil and bitter thing to de.
part from the Lord thy God" lie
SAID: 1t seems to me that the pro
phetlc VISION Of the writer OF those
words leeped across Intervening ages
and beheLd our own days and our
own fair land.
| desire to say to you on earnest
word abont sin. The object of our
creation is all eternal union with
God. Were to ask one of the little
SANCTUARY boys why Ae was created
he would answer, 81 was made Tor
God TINT | nlrht .snrun LIZ, 81