The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-19
FORTY HOURS AT MlNOOKA.
Sermon Last Night Preached by Rev.
ID. j. .MacGOldrick

Forty hours devotion began at St.
Joseph's church. Minooka, yesterday
morning after the 10 o'clock mass. The
sermon in the evening was preached
by Rev. d. ]. MacGoldrick, president
of st. Thomas college. The litany Of
the saints was chanted by Rev. John
Loughran. pastor: Rev. d. w. McCar-
thy. assistant, and Rev. j. A. Moffitt, Of
st. Johns Church.
Rev. Father MacGoldrick addressed
the congregation with a few practical
remarks on the nature of the forty
hours devotion. and the use the faith
full ought to make of it. He said in sub
stance: THE devotion of the forty
hours has again commenced and you
are urged to prepare your souls for the
abundant graces and blessings that our
Lord is anxious to communicate in this
hour of prediction. Our Lord Is taken
from the humility and mystery of His
concealment In the tabernacle, and
placed upon a throne. where He is visi.
BILE to all. surrounded by such orna-
ments and decorations as our piety can
afford, and is best calculated to move
us to an affectionate surrender of our
poor hearts to His, to an unberdening
of our souls before Him, to the laying
bare of the wounds we have received in
the struggle of life, and to demand
grace and strength and perseverance
to serve Him faithfully despite the
dangers that beset us and the difficult
ties that strew our path.
ITO many who were here at the Forty
Hours Devotion last year the event
may teach another lesson. To those
who enjoyed the privileges of the sac
red season then, who were reconciled to
our Lord in the sacrament of confess
sion, and who received our Lcrd's prec-
ious body and blood in the sacrament
Of the eucharist. as the pledge ofrecon-
ciliation, our Lord will surely ask:
What use have you made Of the q ace 5
] gave you last year? Is 1t possible
that after obtaining my forgiveness for
the sins of the past, and after par
taking of My precious body and blood
you have sinned again? Can ii be that
after such exhibition of his love for
you, you have gone over to the SER
vice of My enemy? Is it possible that
you have sullied your soul with mo, tai
sin. and driven out My grace as II it
were something inconvenent or irk-
some in your life? The answer to
these questions each one must make
for self in the hidden depths of each
Individual soul and in the same hid
den depths must be effected the re-
solves ana determinations that bind us
to the love of God for time and etc n
ity, or that frees us from that swe t
yoke for which we were created. and
without which we are incapable of
lasting joy. a reasonable pleasure, a
happiness in any way"
After this the reverend speaker eX-
planned how from q proper use of the
sacraments during this time the aged
may become models for the young, the
young may model their lives. on that
of our blessed Lord and be to thsir
parents all that He was to His. How
Gil may through the desire to please
our Lord be to one another all that
correspondence with grace can make
them, and thus requits our Lord for
His coming into our hearts by con-
secrating those hearts entirely to Him.
The sermon ende the Litamus Il tn ,
Saints were beautifully chanted by
Rev. Father Moffatt. Rev. Father
Loughran and the choir, and the ben-
ediction of the blessed sacrament
brought the first days ceremonies to q
clC2e.