Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-09-04
September Feasts Observed by
Catholics.


feasts. Still there are the birthday
of our blessed mother on the 9Th,
the exaltation of the Holy Cross on
the I4th, St. Matthew Apostle and
Evangelist on the 2Ist, our Lady of
Mercy on the 24th, the feast of the
Holy name of Mary and the great
feast of st. Michael the Archangel
(MIchaelmas Day. on the goth.
The birthday Of B. v. M. is a feast
dear to all Catholic hearts. 1t Is
remote preparation for the great
work of the redemption of man.
kind. After the weary four thou
sand years of waiting after the fall
she arose, the Stella Maris (Star of
the Sea- arose in the darkness, the
harblnger of the sun of everlasting
Justice, the Orient from on high
who was to save and enlighten
every man that cometh into the
world The saints vie with one an
other In love and praise of the
sweet babv girl who, when she
grew up, was full of grace, and out
of whose blood was later to be
formed the very blood shed tor our
redemption. Many pious souls ap'
preach the Holy Communion on
this day in thanksgiving to Al
mighty God and In devotion to his
thrice blessed mother.
The lessons In the breviary for
the feast of the Exaltation of the
Holy Cross give brief account of
the solemnity. Chosroe H., king
of Persia, laid waste Jerusalem In
the year GA. taking away all the
relics of the sacred passion, includ-
Ing the Holy Cross. HeraclIus
waged war against him, entirely
overthrowing his forces December
IL A. D. 627. Chosroe persisted
miserably. His son Slroes con-
clu2ed peace with the triumphant
Heraclius and restored the True
Cross, Heraclius brought 1t back to
Jerusalem. In the gorgeous pro-
cession the patriarch Zachary
walked at the side of the Emperor
Heraclius, who bore tie precious
relic on his own shoulders. At The
entrance to the city he suddenly
stopped as though rooted to the
ground. He could not move step.
The patriarch said to the emperor:
"You walk In your gaudy imperial
robes. Christ Is as meanly clad; you
have on your head rich diadem.
He was crowned with thorns; you
go with your shoes Oh, He walked
barefoot" Hereppon the emperor
laid aside his purple and bis crown,
put on mean clothes, went In the
procession barefooted and was able
to proceed to the spot where the
cross was replaced"
Our divine redeemer," contin
ues Allen Butler Lives of the
;Saints) Is the spiritual king of our
souls; and 1t Is by the love and
spirit of his cross that he must
reign In them By this happy In
strument be has rescued US from
the power of sin and conquered
death and hell. But doth not our
sloth and malice still hold out
against Him? Have the boundless
excess of His love and omnipotent
power of His grace yet triumphed
over our hearts? Is His holy cross
planted there? Does 1t daily grow
and spread itself in our affections?
The spirit of the cross or of Christ
cruci6ed, is the spirit of that perfect
humility, meekness, charity, pa
thence and all other virtues which
He breaches to us by His cross. So
long as selflove, pride. sensuality
or impotence find any place In US,
+. we are so far strangers to this spirit
of Christ, and enemies OF His
cross" Let these thoughts or
similar ones be with us on the
, beautiful feast.
We had almost overlooked the
feast of the Impression of the
cred Stigmata on the body of ST.
Francis. September 18th, which
mysterious event occurred on
Mount Blvernius, Italy, In the year
1924. This wondrous favor was
accorded 10 the Saint on account of
his tender devotion to the Sacred
Passion.
The dreadful rent In the side and
feet were reproduced bleeding on
the body of the servant of Cod
Church Calandar.