The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-22
INSPIRING TRUTHS.
Walk Worthy of the
Vocation Which
You Enter.
WE ARE INDEED SONS OF GOD. ="
STIRRING Baccalaureate Be-
fore Holy Cross College
Graduates.
WE ARE INDEED SONS OF GOD.'

Holy Cross college graduates of to-
day listened yesterday morning in the
college chapel to a stirring sermon
preached as the baccalaureate by Rev.
John f. Boland, assistant at the
Church of the Holy Rosary in Holyoke,
member of the class of 80.
FIR. Boland in his remarks to the
young men made a most favorable i'm
preston by the force and character of
the sterling advice and direction
which he gave them. He found his eX-
emplar for the student entering the
world in the great apostle of charity,
st. Aloysius, whose feast day was OBJ
served yesterday with all the solemn
splendor of the Catholic ritual.
The students assembled in the eel
lege chapel at S.45 o'clock and at .
o'clock a solemn high mass in COM
memoration of the saint was begun,
Rev. C. c. Jones, S. j., being the cele-
brant, assisted by Rev. j. V. Kelly.
S. j., and Rev. H. A. O'Leary, S. j.,
deacon and sub-deacon, respectively.
The college choir assisted, responding
to the celebrant during the mass.
the deacon of the mass, FIR. Boland as
cended the steps of the altar and he
gan his sermon, which was addressed
to the graduating class in particular,
though some of the remarks were ap-
plicahle to all students in general. His
text was taken from st. Paul's epistle
to the Ephesans, iv:1, Il, therefore, a
prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that
you walk worthy of the vocation in
foI, In, INr RO-
land said:
Responsive to the urgent and inspir-
ing appeal of the apostle to the Cen
tiles-our apostle-the best eXempiar
the centuries afford us of the life and
teachings of the crucified multitudes OF
men and women of every rank and
station of life; of every race under the
heavens and in every age, have gladly
yielded their willing necks to the sweet
yoke of Christ and their submissive
shoulders to the sanCtified burden OF
his holy cross, that they might wa Tx
worthy of the vocation in which they
and we alike have been called.
We can point you, gentlemen, the
royal names of kings and queens, prin-
ces and princesses who have stepped
down from the dais Of royalty ana
ease to embrace the humble lot OF the
master of men. We can show you tae
lordly courtier and valiant knight, the
crafty statesman and polished dip'o-
mat, with poet, sage, seer orator ana
rhetorician and masters of, ivery ART
yol1ed with and like sturdy Cyraneaus
sharing the burden of his cross-a
sweet and all pervading Joy WITHIN
each heart as on to the Calvary OF
self-extinction from palace and Eut
they come. from the halls OF legisla-
ture and the schools Of learning-yea
from the prisons and dens OF vice ana
infamy they rise mysterousiy unutr
the subtle invisible influence OF the
APOSTOLIC JUNCTION of grace to swell the
lordly hosts striving, struggling, hght-
ing day by day like Titans, Ito walk
worthy the vocation" to which tire
anostles' words tell them they belong
We challenge you, gentlemen, TO take
fine scoll of time and unfold the CEN
turtles, golden year by golden year, ana
point out the name, humble or sublime
oF him or her whose little life spent UNI
gone out with a sigh of regret.
AS we who are charged with the mis-
sion of perpetuating the priestly office
of the crucified stand at the bed
side of the sick and dying humanity,
the universal experience is that the
thought of fidelity to the service or
the inundated lamb of God is the soil
tArV aD1Ql0R SOURCE VI iNdl NpAiAAbiN 80
that hour of gloomy uncertainty, when
the eternal years hang like pail about
the couch of death. At that same ira
eic scene we learn that the memory OF
a rejected and a scorned vocation Is
the most poignant grief human heart
can know--and the epitome of all hu-
man misery is to enter the gloomy De-
yond with difiident step and tremulous
heart. with blanched face and cover
ing gaze, with the despair of an Is
CARROT. Il, therefore, prisoner in the
Lord, beseech you walk worthy or the
vocation in which you are called"
A more lofty or inspiring vocation
God himself could not conceive ana
impart.
"You are a chosen -people-a kinglyI
priesthood-the people of God by whom
you are called unto the fellowship Of
His Son Jesus. our Lord"
Behold what manner of charity the
father hath bestowed upon us that we
should be called and should be the sons
of God. Dearly beloved, we are now
the sons of God and it hath not yet APP
peared what we shall be. We know
that when he shall appear we shall be
like to him"
For the spirit himself giveth testl-
mony to our spirit that we are sons Of
Cod; and see gentlemen, the reality
of that sonship, for Immediately comes
"And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed Of
God and joint heirs with Christ"
This, gentlemen, is the dignity Of our
vocation: Sons of Cod" Gentlemen.
let this thought sink deeply into your
hearts. Let your soul grasp it and so
tenaciously hold 1t that never for one
hour shall it be absent from your me-
mory. 1t is the greatest truth, the
most awful and yet the sweetest truth
your minds, your hearts, can grasp.
And gentlemen. be assured it is a
truth, because holy scripture teaches it,
and despite the superhuman efforts of
the Internal powers of darkness to ov-
erthrow its authority the sacred vol
ume still abides as inspired Of God.
Believe, gentlemen, that you are sons Of