The Newtown bee., 1899-02-10
LOCAL. AFFAIRS.
Sacred Concert at St Roses.
LARGE AUDIENCE PRESENT DESPITE
 THE THREATENING WEATHER.

I A LAnTE AuDlENCE PRESENT DESPITE
 THE THREATENING WEATHER.
 Despite the threatening weather, <,
 large audience was present at St Rose'
 church on Sunday afternoon to eni " ths
 excellent musical program given by S
 Rose's choir and talent from the Part
 City. Members of local councils of ths
 Knights of Columbus attended the con
 cert ln body, occupying seats in the
 western aisle. The galleries were wei
 filled with children. The violin solos
 and duets by Mrs Gordon and Arthur
 Platt were fine, in fact they have seldom
 been heard to better advantage. The en.
 tire program was praiseworUhy, and re
 fl 9cted aigh credit on those who partici.
 patedt as we'll as the pianist and musical director, Sister Berchman. The solo by
 Miss Hartigan of Bridgeport deserves special mention. She possesses & voice O great compass, which showed the re.
 ut of study. She sang, Fear not ye,' and had the SO 0 been sung elsewhere than in the sanctuary, encores would have been demanded. Richard Reilly'e ] promising tenor voice was heard to good advantage in the solo, Ave Maria" MT
 Reilly is member Of St Roses choir. and his singing has improved under the able instruction of Sister Berchmap Tae order of service was as follows: Prelude, Violin duet.
 "Ave Maria," Mir Clabby, Bridgeport.
 "The Holy City," Miss Callahan. ! Violin solo, Arthur Platt. I "Fear not ye," Miss Hartigan Brifgenort "Ave Regina," Mrs Kilbride, Miss E Lynch "Ave Maria," R. Reilly. Violin solo, Mrs J. Gordon. "Holy Mother"
 "Justus ut Palma," Mir and Miss Callahan. "Veni Creator.''
 Sermon.
 Violin solo.
 Bent tdiction
 70 Salutaris.'
 "Tantum."
 "Laudate."
 Selection on violins from Mozart.
 The sermon was by Father Smith, who spoke elcquently, and without notes. He chose his texG from Prov. g PC, My son, give me thine heart." In opening he expressed his gratitude to those who had braved the weather to be present, as we'll as to the singers who had SO delight fully entertained them. These words. My son. give me thine heart," said the preacher, contain an invitation to give our hearts with all their affections to Almighty God. When our Lord was on earth he went about doing good. He early established church, and promised always to be with that church. The church has been assailed by persecution, but Christ will be with his church till the end of time.
 Man has wandered away. sometime collectively, and sometimes individually, by the imta orality of their lives, by the denial of the faith that was in them. But God desires not the death of the sinner. And although man was rebellious, God thought to regain them through his faith. full servants. God favored their works by miracles. He also sent His Chosen Mother.
 However, all these efforts seemed fruit less, and Our Lord thought to make one last effort to reg 4in man. Father Smith then gave history of the establishment of the devotion of the Sacred Heart. In the Catholic church, said the speaker, there are two classes of worship, su- preme worship to God only, and relative worship, through His tavorite servants, to God. The motives for practicing the devotion of the Sacred Heart, are three: 1st, on account of Christ's love for man: Ed, on account of the sufferings he sus-- tained; and 3d, because of the beautiful lessons that he teaches us. For the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart. The heart is considered the seat of affection. If this is so, how infinitely more must it have been with Christ himself. His heart was like ours, save that 1t was free from the taint of sin. He then admonis1ed his hearers not 10 offend the Sacred Heart. Learn to love the Eucharist, Tor Tn it you have the body and blood of Christ.
 We must love and honor the Sacred Heart, also, on account of the suffsrings He sustained for us. When we take the crucifix in our hands we contemplate His external sufferings, but when we make the stations of the cross we think of His internal sufferings. We cannot begin to comprehend His sufferings for you and for me. But from them we should learn that in the hour of our trial we must not murmur or complain. The third reason for contemplating the Sacred Heart is beca use of the lessons it would teach us. We are to come as near perfection as we can. One lesson we learn in making the stations is where they are stripping the garments from Our Lord. Let us remem- Der that if we do anything to offsnd vir- tue we offend Christ. Let us remember 60 be temperate in all things. Mediate frequently on the love of the Sacred Heart for men. The devotion is not for women and children only, but for men, 'sMy son, give me thine heart" He closed with an appeal to his hearers to take in the full significance of the sacra- ments and teachings of the church.
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