The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-16
POWER OF THE ALMIGHTY.
Rev. DIR. ID. j. stafford breaches of
the Resurrection.


At St. Patrick's Church high mass was
held at IL O'Clock yesterday morning. with
most impressive Easter ceremonies. The
altar was covered with palm branches
Easter lilies, and azaleas; the chancel
was brilliant with the light of many hun
bred candles. and the priests were robed
in their most splendid vestmenis of white
and gold.
Long before services began the church
was filled, and the aisles were so crowded
that it was all but impossible for the
Ushers to make way through them for
pew holders.
The elaborate musical programme which
was arranged by Mariana Mama, was rem
dered with splendid effect by a we'll
trained choir OF selected male and female
voices. Solo and Iuet numbers were sung
by Mrs. Blanche Mattingly- Rogers. So
prano; Mrs. Paulina Monegriffo- Mama,
alto; Edward p. Schwartz. tenor, and B.
o. Ryan. basso The organist was Almond
Gumprecht who played the ojiigato for
the Professional as well as the choir
music.
Rev DR. d. J. Stafford preached the
Easter sermon. His subject was The
Resurrection"
The eternal end of SIN" he said.
was preached during the Holy Week.
The eternal triumph OF good is now
TO be elevated. The eternal triumph
of good is heavens to see God. The
human mind is incapable OF cOmprehending
what the happiness of seeing God will
mean. But who has made it possible for
human eye to see the blue vault of heaven
will make it possible for the human soul
to see and understand the greatness of
God Were the Creator, after death, merely
to advance us to a higher plane of ex-
istence, still yelling himself from knowl-
edge. the soul OF man would not be salts
fed nor happy, while it could conceive OF
a something beyond and higher. II must
see God, face to face, and know hal in
fnity. This does not mean a monotonOus-
alteration through eternity. as the intidel
has charged.
ITO know God will be to supply the
requisites of eternal happiness. possession,
and progress. No day of eternity will be
like another day. But each day will bring
a new happiness in seeing God. which will
not be exhausted through all eternity.
We shall know ali things in that heaven
which Christ has promised. And it is the
resurrection that seals the promise of
Christ that We shall see God. face TO face.
Had it no: been for the resurrection
the gospel would never have been preach ed.
The most distinguished OF the disciples
denied Christ at the crucifiXion, yet within
forty days he was preaching the resurrec-
tion of the Christ to Jerusalem and Judea.
and to all the world There were five
hundred men who saw and talked with
Christ after the resurrection. and at the
time OF St. Paul two hundred and fifty
were still living. 1t was this proof of his
power sealing his promises CT life ever
lasting. that produced the ineifaceab!e
conviction in the hearts of his disciples
that he was the Christ, and sent them
abroad to preach the salvation he had
promised. and shown that he had power
to effect by his resurrection. Heaven was
mO,ed by the resurrection; the earth
shook and trembled; hell was agitated. /
1t was the manifestation of almighty /
power"