The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-12-10
Chapel Services.

Catholic services were held in the
prison chapel On Sunday, Rev. Father
Corcoran officiating. Services opened
by the congregation singing the hymn
81 Need Thee Every Hour" which was
followed by invocation and the chap
lain reading chapter from the "Dis-
cipline of Experience" The lesson of
the day, the second Sunday in Advent,
was taken from Romans, chapter XIV,
4-15 verses. After reading of the gos-
pei and singing of solo by member
of the choir, Father Corcoran dis
coursed on penance, dwelling particu-
larly on it's moral value for strength
ening character. He gave brief his
tory of the life of St. John the Baptist,
and said in part:
The burden of John the Baptist's
preaching was penance. He exhorted
the people to prepare themselves for
the coming of Christ, to make their
minds and hearts receptive of the
truths and messages of love and mercy
which He was to bring for their saliva
ton. He enjoined upon them the ne
cessity of hating their past sins, of
humbling themselves before God with
contrition and resolving to give due
obedience to divine commands and
reverence to things sacred. Pure in
heart himself and free from the blind
bigotry of his time, St John the Bap-
fist was, in his life, his preaching, and
the example he set. the fOrerunner of
the Great Teacher who was to burst
upon the world like halo of glory
spreading his divine truths for the up
lifting of mankind and bringing the
world in closer touch with the Creator.
The doctrine of penance is just as
fresh today as it was in the time of
St. John the Baptist Sin is rampant,
concealed Ofttimes under various guis-
es which mask its dangers, its insidious
temptations and power to ruin, but in
whatever form it is found, it is still
sin, the one thing which blights NOR
ais and destroys the soul and makes it
hateful in the sight of God. The peni-
tent spirit that reflects on the past,
with its wasted opportunities, it's neg
lected duties and it's record of wrong,
learns to abhor the influences and as
sociatiOns that shattered the frail flow
er of character and dragged it down
into the abyss of sin. TO be sorry for
that which is regretted is to be guarded
against it's repetition. Faith in value
of virtue gives strength to maintain it
through encouragement and through
difficulty. If Christ had pursued His
mission on earth smoothly and without
vilifcation and Misrepresentation, His
teaching would not have had near the
effect it did, SO it is with us. We
must view our past lives, no matter
how sinful they may be, not as dis
couragement, but as an inspiration to
better them by infusing that moral en-
ergy which is the divine spark that
God has given us to war against sin
His enemy and our enemy.
Penance invigorates the soul, warns
it into new life and renders it accepta-
BILE to God. Conscience constantly bids
US kneel at the shrine Of humility and
confess what is bad in our past, and if
it is not needed the penalty is moral
obstruction. We may try to deceive
ourselves by comparing our characters
with others whom we think are worse
than we are, but they may be doing
the same thing and plying us for our
sins. But there is no deception where
there is sincere penance. 1t raises the
soul from the gloom and wretchedness
of sin to the higher and nobler happi-
ness of virtuous and Godlike life.
Father Corcoran concluded his SER
mon by few remarks anent Christ
mas, advising the congregation to re-
fleet upon it's religious value and op-
Eportunities for considering what is
best for future guidance. Services
ended by the congregation singing the
hymn, yield Not To Temptation"