The bee., 1897-11-25
REV. A. NJ. COENEN
Writes 10 The Bee a Synopsis Of
His Thanksgiving Sermon.
Special Services al the Church Of the In
maculate Conception.


EDITOR or THE BEE:
DEAR SIR;-Replying to your
kind favor of late date, am happy
to say that on the 25th of this month
there will be special thanksgiving
at 1890 a. m, and the people will
be urged to continue the whole day
to offer to God their thanks for all
benefits received according to the
spirit of the proclamation OF Presi-
dent Mckinley, the Church of the
Immaculate Conception will re-
main open the whole day for
that purpose and the parochial
school will be closed for that day.
Besides there will be a sermon on
thanksgiving in general and in par
ticular. A short sketch of the SER
mon is here given.
Ist. Why this day is set apart
and should be kept by all citizens
as a civil holy day.
and, Thanksgiving IN general.
1t is duty incumbent on all Great
ures to thank their Almighty Gre
ator without whom they are moth
ing and can do nothing good. The
good heavenly father demands it
and expects it from his children.
He rewards them for fulfilling that
duty by bestowing greater benefits
on those who are grateful for past
favors. He Furnishes those who
neglect the important duty Of
thanksgiving by Withdrawing from
them the benefits He had bestowed
upon them and Withholding those
which He intended and desired to
confer on them if they were CRATE
full
Sd. Thanksgiving in particular.
For what we should be grateful.
For adversely or rather for what
men call so, as we'll as for what
men call prosperity. For both are
intended by the all-wise and good,
kind, heavenly Father for our great
est good. Adversely is a just and
a merited punishment for our sins,
and prosperity is an encourage
ment to virtue as we'll as a reward
for our good deeds in general. II
is foretsste and a pledge OF the
future and eternal prosperity which
God has prepared for the just IN
the next world. We all desire pros
perity because we imagine it will
make us happy, but Holy Writ as
we'll as reason agree in teaching us
that there is but one road that
leads % happiness, i. c. 10 lead a
7irfHOHs life. Prosperity, it is true,
gives to all the means OF procuring
pleasure, ease, luxury and other
fleeing things, but it can not pro-
cure a good conscience, peace OF
mind or contentment. Virtue alone
can do that. Now what is vlrtue1
1t is the habitual power and energy
that enables man to do good and
to shun evil. What is good1 What
is evil? Good is what God COM
mends. Evil is what He forbids.
To believe in God, to hope in
Him, to love and to obey Him, to
have respect for Him and for His
Holy Name, to keep the Lords day
holy, to love our neighbor as our
selves for Gods sake, are good.
Cursing, false and rash swearing,
murder, homicide, suicide, steal.
ing, lying, backbiting, adultery,
fornication, obscenity, low, vii,
language and all occasions, place:
or company that encourage or al
lure to such evil things, all these
are evil, sinful, criminal; an insul
to our kind Creator, an injury to oul
neighbor who is our brother, OF oul
own family, our own blood, whom
we should love and not hnrt. a:
an example of an occasion of sin
you have all kinds of balls or gath
erings of people gotten up under
the cloak of pleasure, but wha
pleasure? Ask the libertine, the
low, the foul .mouthed biped no
deserving the name of man, mucl
less that of Christian. You, Chris
tian father, who would defend you
wife and daughters honor at tn,
I