The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-01

ID
Ri. Rev. Thomas M. Lenihan.
the Western Watchman, the foremos
catholic paper of America, who was Z
warm personal friend of the late bish.
op. and was one of his classmates al
St Nincents college, Cape Girardeau
NO. delivered the panegyric. DR.. Phe.
Ian spoke as follows:
The Church is designated an army
We are all soldiers-made SO in ON
Coutirmation-soldi of the army OF
The Cross. We are here this morning
IN response to the bugle call that sum-
mons US TO the bier of a dead captain
10 pay the last honors to a fallen chief
tain. For a prince Of the Church is
dead.
There is a hierarchy in the Church.
She is an imperial Church There are
nine choirs in heaven; there are nine
orders in the Church In the beginning
there were only apostles. The apostolic
Office embodied all the powers and jur-
isdiction of Christ's kingdom on earth.
An apostle was an officer of the high
est rank. But the apostles placed bish-
ops over particular churches to govern
and rule within the limits of a diocese.
They also set apart deacons, whom
they ordained with prayer, TO the sub
ordinate work of the apostolic minis
try. So that in the very beginning we
had apostles, bishops and deacons.
Afterward there occurred further sub
divisions The episcOpate was subdi-
Vided and the priesthood became dis
tinct; and the deaconship- was further
subdivided, creating the orders of sub
deacons.
These orders of the hierarchy are
hOnored in the Church. Her princes
are clothed with the purple OF imperial
Rome and crowned with the symbols
or the Shepherd King. The purple robes
show forth what is grandest in earthly
greatness and the crosier indicates the
gentle rule of the shepherd kings of
Israel There is not on this earth any
homage comparable to the homage paid
the sovereign pontiff When he appears
kings take off their crowns; when he
stands kings kneel: when he mounts
kings hold the stirrup of his saddle.
When he moves il is under golden
canopy. and upon a sedia gestatoria
borne on the shoulders of princes The
honors paid q bishop are second only
10 those paid a Pope: for bishop is IN
his diocese what the Pope is in the
universal Church. When he appears all
The faithful kneel for his blessing.
When passing before him the rubrics
prescribe that a genuflection shall be
made. When he enters town all the
neople march out to welcome him; all
The church bells ring, and he Is re-
ceived in the parish church with swing
ing al. censors and the loud acclaim OF
'Ecce Sacerdos Magnus.
But il is not the purpose of the |
Church to make fresh glory in the |
sight of the Lord. Under these trap |
pings of royalty beats heart of hum
lie servitude. Under the purple is Of |
ten the hair shirt. Beneath the mltre
throbs mind Of submission and hum
bleness. once a year the sovereign !
ponrff steps down from his lofty /
throne laws aside his purple robes; /
goes down on his knees. washes the
feet of twelve poor men and kisses
them with affectionate reverence. once
wear the bishop descends from
his throne and on the floor of the sane
tuary takes an apron and basin and
Washes the feet o. twelve poor men,
kissing them affectionately when the
washing is over.
The purpose of the Church is to
honor cod. not TO cXalt men. She
chooses what is most beautiful and
precious to lay at the feet of the King
OF kings She raises men on high
That 10y humblng themselves to the
dust they may add to the glory Of the
majesty on high. She levels the noun
tains of glory she herself has raised.
that the King of Glory may enter in
and all flesh may see the salvation of
God.
But she is not insensibIe of the
Srea tneSs of the donors she bestows
when she raises her sons TO the priest
hood and the episcopate. She makes
close scrutiny into their virtues When |
the young Levite advances TO receive
preStly orders she asks the peopIe in | {
testify as To his character She Sifts
the faithful to find priests for her al
tars: and when she has selected the
young Levite she sets him apart and
gives him a special education of wears.
mat in the shadow OF the sanctuary !
and I'M the incenSe-laden atmosphere
u her affairs he may imbibe the Snir
{ Of the Master. And when imposing i
hands upon him she ends the work of 1
preparation with a prayer. a PRAYER. |
% the young priest, the prayer of a {
o"jher to and for son whom she {
sends forth into the world. she he ;
'eeches him that his life NAV be i
."eet odor TO delight the church Of
100 u is SO important that priests
md bishops should be worthy men [
he world thinks little of theory: if s
las no time TO investigate abstract /
principles. il judges of a religion bv i
ne works and lives of its representa-
Ives. The Lord knew this when He
aid: Let your light so shine before
men that seeing it they may glorifv
he Father who is in heaven You can
i've priests or bishops orders and anv
nan who submits TO the ceremony Of
rdination. But ordination without I
he spirit of holy orders is body :,
ithout a soul The soul Of the priest n
GOD is charity. St Paul says he might n
ave all knowledge; might know an 4
lysteries; might have all power So +,
S TO move mountains; but if he had Il
ot charity he would be only as sound In
" brass and tinkling cymbals. The a
orld wants and expects a priest Ia Il