The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-05-24
"(Ubltber Gcest Cbcu?''
At st. Mary's of the Assumption
Sermon by Rev. w. F. Morrissey.


There was a large attendance at all
the exercises at St. Mary's of the AS
sumption on last Sunday. Masses at
o'clock and 10 were celebrated by Rev.
Father Morrissy of the Cathedral, Salt
Lake City. A large number received
holy communion at the o'clock mass.
At the 10 o'clock mass Father Morris
sy delivered an eloquent and highly
appreciated sermon. Rev. Father is a
fluent speaker. who uses exceedingly
choice language conveying his ideas in
such manner as TO hold the attention
OF his bearers throughout. A large con-
Gregauon, in the evening. listened to
an eloquent and beautiful sermon by
the above named speaker who took for
his text: Il go to Him that Sent Me:
and None of You Asketh Me; Whittier
GOeSt ThOU2"
The sermon delivered at the 10 o'clock
mass is as follows:
Because l have spoken these things
to you, sorrow hath filled your heart,
words taken from the gospel of st.
John. The apostles, my dear brethren,
loved their Divine Master and when he
foretold to them in this days gospel,
the near approach OF his departure
from amongst them. they were over
whelmed with sorrow. Because | have
spoken these things to you. sorrow
hath filled your hearts, The affiiction
which the apostles experienced at this
announcement of their Divine Master
proves that their love of him was too
human: for it was not altogether his
interests as much as their own they
had in view. our Blessed Savior re-
preached them for this. kindly, how
ever and at the same time he affords
us an occasion TO examine the nature
of the love which we should have Of
him A certain holy religious says
nothing is more simple than love. and
still it contains three acts in the unity
of its movement namely. preference.
devotion and unity" Man. my dear
brethren, however vast his heart may
be cannot attach himself to everything
with the same ardor. Surrounded by
objects, which in different degrees have
the impress Of beauty. he shall find
shades of difference in the attractions
which hold him. Very often we can
not give reason for our preference;
but what is certain is that we have our
preferences. and that love begins in us
at the first moment the selection of the |
object is made. At the moment when |
we make our entrance into the life of !
affections we naturally love those |
whose age or studies or position are |
similar to our own, and still our heart |
has already made its preferences. AL |
most without knowing il a choice is |
quickly made of one who shall be for
Us more than fellow student: he shall
be our friend, the confidani of our sor-
rows and our joys, of our fears and our
hopes: his memory shall not be effaced
but shall remain with us during our
whole life. Later on our entrance into
the world. thousand objects armed
with all the attra ctions which seduce
and captivate come to knock at the
door of our heart and to ask for our
preference. Jesus on his part with his
cross in one hand and his gospel in the
other calls US by the voice of con-
science and by the voice of his church.
by all that he has done for us and by
his titles to our love and gratitudee.
We must make our choice. On this
choice our earthly future depends and
also our eternal destiny. If the heart
ot man always inclines towards the
most worthy object of its choice, surely
our preference shall not be doubtful !
For what being is more lovable than !
he Savior? But unfortunately instead
)f permitting ourselves to be guided | {
by reason and by faith we allow our |
selves to be influenced by the passions {
ma we choose blindly. shall we be for {
innate enough to be proof against such !
he one side. and the world and perdi- {
lon on the other-which shall we I
'hoose2 Let us choose Christ and Sc \
ure our eternal happiness. But love Y
ny dear brethren. is not satisfied by I
he mere act Of choice it demands de- S
-otion from the one chosen. To choose [
S TO prefer one before all others: but TO L
'e devoted is TO prefer the object of Y
eEotion even to yourself. Devotion is a
OF self to the object loved il
nd whoever does not go thus far does il
.oi love. We find this condition in all a
he directions IN which virtue mingles h
he divine balm of her presence. 1t is :
nat which inspires the mother bend +
ne day and night over the cradle of Y
eI enid, II Is that which fills the heart p
z the soldier and prompts him to face <
eath boldly for his country. it is that !
yhlch strengthens the martyr against !.
ne threats OF tyrants, and gives him r
reatest solace in all his punishments. a
'hese are the traits of love which the .
-orld. all corrupted as it is. recognizes :
nd admires. And if love has not had :.
L all times an opportunity to manifest >
self by noblest sacrifice it constantly "
hows by lesser sacrifices that .
1T carries within it the germs which :,
lalle ii as strong as death is ii thus y
~ brethren, we have loved Jesus? y
fter having chosen us from all eter- -
ity and made us the children of pre- y
Election. he has called Js to his ad- :
lila BILE light. He has devoted himself y
, us, and as a proof of it he vowed "
lmself to death and to ar ignominy =.
lore frightful than death. to redeem ?
Ir souls and to open heaven for us =
ence st. Paul says: Jesus has loved -
e and delivered himself for me-" And ~
luS Id is that all tba saints lot-ad Ia.
spending to his devotion with their y
Nn devotion. Listen to St. Paul: :,
What shall separate us from the cnav- q
Y Of Christi Shall tribulation. suffer- u
e, hunger or thirst? Shall danger III
'rsecution or the sword? But we are W
ronger than all these fears for the |, u
Ike of him who has loved US. am Id
rtain that neither life nor death nor u
ings present nor things tG come nor III
~ creature can separate us from the @
larity of God, which is in Christ our oI
ord" tn
Behold what st. Paul thought and pi
,oke and what all the saints thought Je
I'd spoke as well as he. Can We hurl ne
e same defiance TO every ,,rea+I, rral5 yc
9t us consult our own heart and then W
lswer. There still remains. nv dear
ethren, the third act which crowns N
e marvellous drama, and in which our
III is at once the theatre and the In
.tress. After we have chosen the oh
ct of our preference and after we
I'VE given ourselves in fulles- Geyo-
on, there still remains something TO LIZ
done. Union is necessary. This is
e end and the limit of love i'm the
art Of God and in the heart Of the