Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-03
WITH THE CHURCHES
Father BRAKES Sermon on the
Suffering of Christ.
His Earnest Appeal to tho Congregation
of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Passion Sunday Notes of tho Services
at Other Churches.

THE surerIngs Of Christ" was the
subject of a sermon preached by Rev.
Father Drake. at tho Sacred Heart
Catholic Church. Sunday morning.
The sermon was taken from the Cos
pei of the day. Passion Sunday. Faith
err Drake spoke of the sufferings Of
Christ from the time of His blood
sweat in the Garden Of Gethsemane to
His death on Mount Calvary. The
speaker urged his hearers to take unto
themselves the cross of Christ in this
holy season of Lent. so that by His
sufferings they might apply their own,
for their sanctification. do not be
like the crowd of people who stood un-
der the cross and jeered at our Divine
Lord said Father Drake, but assume
the part of Mary and the other holy
women who prayed to Christ. elevated
on the cross. His hands and feet pierre
ed with nails.
ut is necessary that every one of us
should carry the cross of Cod" said
the preacher. land we should do it
without Il murmur Our sufferings
compared with His are nothing. II
we have n headache. toothache, or the
least pain of any kind, we fret and Of
ten say things that are sinful in the
sight of God.
LOOK at Christ on the cross. dying
for our sins, His hands and feet pierre
ed by cruel nails, and his precious
blood flowing from n wound In His
side. while beneath Him stands His
crusifiers. laughing and jeering. And
what is He doing? Suffering in ST.
| lence. not word escapes His lipS be-
! You'd Il prayer to His Father in Heav-
mn eli In ~ fnt thnco WI
| crmucified Him. saying, Father, for
| give them, for they know not what
| they do"
Father Drake appealed to his con-
| Grcgaltion to use the penitential sea-
| son in purifying their souls by prayers.
| fasting and contrasting their sins. in
| order that they might be with Christ
| hereafter.
I'VE must be like the thief who was
| crucified with Christ. and who had
| faith in our Divine Lord. Remember
! his words to Christ. He said: Lord
| Thy Kingdom" and the answer of our
Lord: son. thou shalt be with Me this
day in Paradise Pray TO God that
He will remember you when you come
to die. and by faith in Him. may hear
Him say: This day thou shalt be
with Me in Paradise
| Father Drake did not sneak from
manuscript. but simply spoke from
memory. He is a good speaker, and
| knows how to reach the hearts of his
! hearers
The Vespers at the Sacred Heart
Church. Sunday evening, were sung
without music. and the new change
seemed to please the large congrega-
ton.
PASTOR INSTALLED.
Sunday was field day with the con-
| . flr, <Nf lao
Church. and the people at all three SER
| vices Toasted on spiritual food given out
by Rev. DR.. G.. r. Strickler, D. d., of
Union Theological Seminary. Rich
| mond.
At $3.50 o'clock in the afternoon the
regular installation of Rev, ]. Ernest
| Thacker as pastor of the church took
place, Rev. Edward Mack, d. D., OF the
| First Church, presiding. DR.. Stricken
preached the sermon. He selected rs
his text Luke S-1S-"Take heed how he
hear" Subject, Dangers to the Hear
| ers of the Gospel" The learned divine
ably discussed his theme under the fol-
| lowing divisions:
| ]. We are not to hear simply to be
entertained. because its Gods message,
| and we must receive ii as from Him
and not dictate to Him how it shall
| come.
| 1t is dangerous to dlstatc how 1T shall
be delivered. It's Gods prescription
for the cure of sin. The physician gives
| the prescription and we are to take 1t,
OF miss the healing power
| 1t is dangerous to dictate how it shall
| fancful way. A man dying, If Christ
| doesn't dictate as to what kind of cup
| the water of salvation shall be given
| him in. he will be lost. The gospel Is
| to Quench our spiritual thirst.
| III. We are to take heed lest we be not
in earnest about hearing: It's just as
much your duty to be in earnest about
| hearing as it is the preachers duty Ia
| be In earnest about preaching. Every
reason for earnestness On the part of
| the preacher is equally n good reason
for you to be earnest about hearing.
| III. Lest we hear without prepare
tion-we are to prepare by prayer and
| scripture reading to come before God
| in the sanctuary.
w. Lest we hear without purpose
| We are to have the purpose TO hear and
| to do BE We doors of the word and
| not hearers only"
| Rev. L. b. Mcclure was necessarily
absent and the charge to the people
| was delivered in most fitting manner
| by DR.. Mack. Rev. Geo. w. Lawson
delivered the charge to the pastor
which was specially appropriate The
| entire service was very impressive and
| will long be remembered by the large
| congregation.
Mr.. Thacker has had twenty-five ac-
| cessions to the church since he has be-
come it's pastor. and the congregation
| is steadily increasing in numbers. A
| music league has been organized with
| twenty-five members and the church
| societies have beeen revived and have
| begun work with renewed zeal. The
contributions TO the various enterprises
have materially increased
OTHER DENOMINATIONS