The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-01
SERVICES At ST. MARY'S
Held in Commemoration of the
Feast of the Holy
Trinity.
A First Comm union of Children and
Special Sermon by Father
A. NJ. Clark.

In the Catholic churches yesterday Trim
ity Sunday was characterized by but few
specially solemn features.
At st. Mary's there was children first
communion at 1880 A. NJ, and at IL A. NJ
Father Arthur NJ. Clark preached upon
."Christian Unity"
His sermon, bearing special reference 10
the day, was delivered at the early masses
and occupied only five minutes
Having placed before us, he said, "the
great myteries of our redemption and
sanctifcatlon the church to-day directs
our attention to the first great mystery OF
refigion-the mystery of the Trlnlty-one
God and three divine persons. One Goa,
eternal incomprehepsible, omnlpotent, In
finite, in all his attributes and at the same
time three persons having one and the
same nature, equal in all things,
in perfection glory and majesty =
the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost We cannot comprehend this mys-
terry, for it surpasses our understanding.
We know it not OF ourselves, but by the
light of faith, the revelation of God, and
vet TO know and firmly believe it means
life everlasting and is necessary to its at
tainment. He that is a searcher OF
majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory,
nevertheless the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that
are made: His eternal power, also, and
divinity and it is after the image and
likeness of God, one in essence and three
In person, that we are created. Let US
make man to our image and likeness, ana
BE- the: soul OF man was created one IN being
with the threefold power OF memory un-
fraa Cill-1laPa1 a little
below the angels, as it is written, Thou
hast made him a little less than the
angels
= ."The understanding with which God has
endowed man is as a light-the llghIot thy
-connIenance, Q Lord, is signed upon us
by which lie knows and comprehends the
truth; it could hardly be made without
some knowledge of that being by whom it
WAS called into existence. The human
soul needs no proof of Gods existence, for
taught by reason ii cannot doubt; and
when illumined by revelation IL is brought
into immediate comm union with Its
maker. who in the highest sense is its be-
ginning and its end, God is everything.
He has in himself all realities, all power,
all truth, all goodness, all beauty. He is
the illumination of the intellect and the
object of its vision, at the same time the
light by which it sees. He is the sovereign
goodness, the only true object of the affec-
ton, the only real resting-place OF the
= creatures heart.
F. His beauty when revealed attracts and
transforms the soul, produces in the ere
ated the likeness of the uncreated. And
man was made to give praise to the power,
wisdom and virtue which have been mag
@nified in His visible works. As the sun
pours down It's beams and opens In varied
:. colors all the beauties OF the universe and
p the eye alone sees them, so the splendor OF
. the divine projections shines in all crea-
lures of God, yet the spirit of man alone
perceives them. How fearful is his power
How mprehensible his intelligence!
How overwhelming his beauty, % the
depth OF the riches, of the wisdom and OF
the knowledge of God How in compre-
hensble are his judgments and how in
searchable his ways!
But we were made to serve God as we'll
as to know him, and there is great differ
ence between knowing and serving. There
are thousands of men who know God well
enough, but are far from serving him.
And we must serve him in humility.
What will it avail thee 10 discourse pro-
foundly of the Trinity If through want of
humility thou be so disagreeable to the
Trinitv?' Humility of mind and heart is
the most agreeable homage man can pay
to God. Heaven is my throne and The
earth my footstool. My hand MADE all
things, but to whom shall have respect
but to him who is poor and little and of a
contrite spirit and that trembeth at my
words2 How can we be otherwise than
humble if we realize to him is due glory
forever, For of him, and by him, and in
him are all things"