Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-04-07

luton to persevere in His grace. And it
is a pleasure to turn from the thought Of
punishment to that Of reward.
The first effect of good life that can
not fail to impress you strongly is the
cheerfulness and joy Oorn o. the testimony
of a good conscience. Instead OF the de.
pressing and overpowerng sense OF guilt
produced by sin, you now experience a
light heartedness and buoyancy which
tells you plainly that terrible, weight
has been lifted from your soul. The dom.
inant note of your life now is peace, that
peace which surpasseth all understand.
ing" the peace that enables you to look
the world in the face unconscious OF pub
lie offense or secret deflement. You were
strangers to this peace while you were
aware that you were not in the friendship
of God. Now that it is yours you will
guard it against all attacks and never
again forfeit it by sin. You will not allow
yourselves to be blinded by the seductive
and feeting pleasures of the moment. You
will be brave and loyal and steadfast in
temptation and remain true to your God
and grateful for His mercies, Evermore
YOU will keep before your minds the prom
ise of our Lord: "Be faithful until death
and ! will give thee the crown of life
And when, at lat, the struggle is about
to close and this dreary world is fading
sweetly reckoning you on, YOU will be able
to lay down your weary heads in peace
and resignation. You will take courage
from the declaration of Christ: "He that
perseveres unto the end, he shall be
saved" Death will have no terrors for
you because you will be able to regard it
as the gate through which all must, pass
to enter upon the rewards Ct eternal life.
The inspired words Of Holy .Scr pture:
q ,yln do in tho
Lord" will find their fulhllment in your
case, for you will go cheerfully with the
seal of faith to the sweet repose of ever.
lasting peace.
Whittier? To God and His heaven. Let
us consider our reward. Let us try to
pierce the skies and catcu glimpse of the
Joys awaiting us. Our mental vision
ranges over the myrads angels md arch
angels. patriarchs and prophets, apostles
and martyrs, coniesSors and virgins, who
bask in the sunshine of the presence OF
God. Our souls are transported beyond
The bounds of the material Dody when we
:hink that we, too are called to JON IN
he praise of God, with the nine choirs OF
,ngels. Our hearts expand with Joy when
We behold those now rejoicing who. ike
Is, have battled with ...e enemies of their
lalvation. They have fought the good
jght, they have finished their course, they
lave kept the faith. Now they are ENJOY
ng the crown of justice which God, the
ust judge, has awarded them for their
ideity. They are placed beyond the
each of trbulatlon. for in heaven God
hall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
md death shall be no more. nor mourn
ing, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any
more, for these things have passed away"
How clearly does their happy state eX.
,mplity the apostle words: The suffer-
ngs or the present time are unworthy OF
being compared to the glory to come
which shall be revealed to us.
And to think that the blessedncss of the
saints is the destiny which God has
marked out for you. This is the final
Listen to st. Paul: 'Iou are come, says
he, "to the Mount Of Zion, and to the city
Of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa-
lem, and the many thousands Of angels,
and the church of the first born who are
written in heaven. and God the Judge OF
All. and Jesus the Mediator OF the New
Testament" Has earth any joys compared
to these? Is there anything under God
which can justify us in FORGETTING tins nm
mortal happiness? Where shall we find
more loving father than God, a s"ecter
friend than Christ, a kinder mother than
Mary, nobler brothers and sisters than the
apostles. martyrs ana virgins already re-
joiclng before the throne of God: On,
what humiliation 1t must cause US to feel
ourselves SO sin stained and unworthy,
and yet to know that we are called to as
sociatc with such purity and splcndor,
Who are we that we should aspire 10 the
companionship OF the blessed; What have
we done that with them we should gaze
forever on the blissful vision OF God. that
we should ntone the CanticleS OF adoTa-
Iva ,tr,r. hat wa
should kneel as children at the feet of
the Immaculate Mary, that we should con,
sort with such saints as Peter and Paul,
that we should proclaim the glory OF the
Lamb of God with John the Baptist, that
we should sing His praises with Holy
David, that we should rcpose III peace and
rest with the victorious martyrs, that we
should attend in the train OF Christ with
spotless virgins that We should behold the
bright radiance of eternal truth and beau
ty with st. Augustine and St Thomas?
All this and unspeakaby more Is the lot
OF those who are numbered among the
saints. And yet it is to this that God
invites lis, calls us and cntreatS us.
Let us listen to His voice and let our
thoughts and affections dwell in heaven.
and let lis serve God as the saint, served
Him. Strive herocaly. consistently and
steadfastly with your passions. Follow
faithfully the means OF perseverance point
ed out TO YOU in he holy tribunal oi pen
ancc. Keep in sight the crown OF glory
land up for you And although Your names
may not be registered among the canon.
lied, nevertheless Il recurrence OF this
happy day will find you rclsnlng in bliss.
The storm will be past. the haven reached,
the inheritance secured Happiness, I'M
spcakable for eye hath not seen. nor ear
heard, neither hath it entered into the
heart of man, what things God hath pre-
pared for those who love Him. May YOU
and | and all who love God one day be
numbered among those who stand before
the throne when God shall wipe away all
tears from our eyes. and death shall lie no
more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sor.
row shall be any more, for those things
shall have passed away