Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-05-02

nssh its Soue 50 ul&n tnem rs tne
Lord, orr God, 10 present to all
our petitions"-with how greater
reason can We repeat the same words
and praise the Lord for all that he
has done for ns. Because to Israel
He was . hidden God, but to us
His mysteries have been revealed.
To Noses aud Abram and the LONG
line OF Patriarchs and Prophets lie
appeared in veil and cloud and sym
Dol; but for us the veil has been
withdrawn--the symbol has disap-
peared in presence of reality, EN-
manuel-"God with us"-is liter.
ally true. God Is With rs in our
lenpiss; Tor wbs isysy arise HE Al
tar and Els Temple there is Hia
abiding place. God is~ith us when
We approach the Holy Table, and
He comes in person to visit as.
By the words of conservation God
descends daily on our altars, and
the Priest" Minister of Christ aud
dispenser Of the mysteries Of God"
exercises the tremendous power,
which he conferred when he said !:
"Do this in membrauee Of me. ;"
Our Blessed Lord, in many places
of Sacred Scripture, describes him
self under the figure of Shepherd; !;
He calls Himself The Good Shep.
herd, and he has every mark of the
character, every quality that be.
comes the Office. His Pastoral care
is shown especially in the case of
the sinner, for, whenever We Of
Tended God by sin, We had to ex-
claim 81 have gone astray like q
sheep that is lost" Aud how does
the Good Shepherd behave towards
rs, when We have sinned? He has
told rs, in the parable of the lost
sheep-we have all experienced it
over and over again In the Sacra-
ment Of Penance. For, although
the erring one may have gone as
tray by its own fault, yet the shep-
herd does not abandon it /; he goes
in pursuit of it. and, when found,
he bears it home rejoicing. Pre-
cisely in the same way does our
loving Lord act towards as for al
though He hate sin, He loves the
poor sinner. He gave his life to
redeem this soul, and can he be in
different to its loss? Can He see
it rushing to the brink of destruc.
ton, and not stretch forth His
hand to save? Not so ! and, there
fore, He goes in search Of the lost
one; He floods His mind with
heavenly light; He uses loving vio-
lence to force him, as it were, back
into the right way, and, when all
these efforts have been crowned
with success, then there is JOY be-
fore the Angels of God over the
sinner who does penance then the
Prodigal who was lost, but is found
is welcomed back to his Father q
house with all that Fathers bound.
less love.
And the Priest 10 the Sacrament
Of Penance reproduces the proto.
type, and ellis the Office of the Good
Shepherd, as he reconciles man ia
mans offended Maker. As the
Minister Of God, he is always read y
to fulfill the sweet ministration oi
forgiveness. and rejoices to be the
instrument of reconciliation and
pardon.
IL is part Of the Priestly Office to
preach the word Of God, to instruct.
exhort, denounce, il it be necessary
Ito be the exponent of Catholic
faith and conduct. For twenty
Eve years, Father Lancaster hai
fulfilled the duties Of the Christian
Priesthood, and we may congratu
late him on this day. which 10 1
Memorial Day in bis life-and sin
cerely wish, that when his Who'll,
course is run, he may hear from th,
Masters lips: "Well done, gooC
and faithful servant, enter into th,
joy Of thy Lord.
i And for ourselves, let as resoly,
TO hold fast by the Catholic faith
ani to live up to its teachings. d.
We appreciate the high prerogativ
which 10 ours as Catholics, the ex
ceptional prediction shown to u
who share in the continued effect
OF Redemption, 90 applied to rs il
the reception of the Sscraments o
, our Holy Church Can you or
can any man grasp the full mean
] ing Of Gods heneficence towards q
, | "A indiviJuals whan wa annroaol