The Irish standard., 1906-09-15
DULUTH NEWS.

morning before congregation which
packed the church to its utmost ca
pacity.
The speaker, who is a. domestic pre-
late and therefore one of the papel
household, wore his monsignorsa robes
in the pulpit.
His subject was THE Feast of the
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin" He
said in part: To-day the Catholic
church throughout the world celebrates
the feast of the nativity of the Blessed
Virgin, the immaculate mother of Cod
I cannot. therefore, speak on a more
appropriate subject than our devotion
to this, the chief of all saints. There
is hardly any devotion inculcated and
approved of by the Catholic church
which has been so strangely misunder-
stood and so persstently misreprcsent-
ed this devotion.
.'rhosc outside the church have seen
in it IL falling away from the purity
of primitive doctrine. They have i'm
agined that the love and veneration
that we show to her is something de-
Quoted from the love and veneration
due to God alone, and that by honor
ing her we dishonor Him. If that were
the case and our love for the Blessed
Virgin tended in the slightest degree
to diminish or to weaken our love OF
God we would be the very first to re-
,pudiate 1t. We would take the images
off of our affairs and level our shrines
to the dust. But a careful consld-
Grafton will show that SO far from:
this being the case, the love of Mary
has it's foundation in the love of Jesus
We cannot love the son without loving
the mother, and it would be imros-
sible for us to love her as much AZ we
do. did we not love Him immeasur-
ably.
The first and most important
thought in the mind of every Catholic
is the greatness, the magnificence. the
uncreated splendor Of God. There is
none like unto Him in heaven or on
earth. He is the beginning and the
end the center and the circumference
of all that is. He alone can claim our
absolute alteration and service. How
ever much we may love Him we can
not love Him as He deserves The
church commands us to love Him with
orr whole heart and soul and with all
our strength.
Now, what follows from this? II
I love Him with all my strength 1t
follows us night follows day that
will love what He loves. hate what
He hates will honor what He hon
ors and condemn what He condemns.
I care not who it is or what 1t Is.
Tell me He loves it ana l will love 1t,
tell me that He hates 1t and I will
hate IL even though my heart goes
with it.
IF. then, God in the plentitude Of
His divine power, has been pleased to
select from the whole race one par
ticular creature and to bestow hon
ors and distinctions and gifts upon
her, why should I question His choice
or criticize his action? My attitude
can only be one of acquiescence and
assent. When, therefore. God resolved
to be made man and selected the Viz
gin Mary to be His mother He be-
slowed upon her an honor. dignity
to which no other can lay claim.
Gle entered into the closest rela-
tionship with her and thereby honored
her beyond the highest of angels.
When the Professionals ask how 1t is
that the Catholics make such dis
tinction between the Blessed Virgin
and other holy women, we are aston
isleh. II is not we, but God, as well
as why the sun Is more brilliant than
the stars, or the diamond so much
more valuable than the flint.
God has done this AMI we merely
recognize what He has done and fol-
low in His footsteps. We honor her
alone above all creatures because He
has so honored her and she will ever
remain an object of greater love to US
because she is an object Of greater
love to Him."
The speaker went on to show the
unique position that the Blessed Vir-
gin holds in the whole economy Of
redemption and set forth many strong
Arguments in support of his position.
MonSignor Vaughan will remain in
the city the guest of Bishop McGol-
rick during the greater part of the
week. From here he will go to St.
Paul, where he will conduct IL retreat.
L From there he will proceed to Chi
I. cago anu New York, returning to Eng
land some time in November
M. j. Sullivan returned Sunday
FROM Princeton where he went on a
business trip Mr.. Sullivan has pur-
chased a hotel in that place. and is
preparing to move there with his fam
lily. He has been the manager Of the
Eslnund hotel in the West End for
some time past. Tom Forrestal will
succeed him at the Esmond.
Miss Frances O'Brien, Twenty-sec-
Ond avenue west. entertained COM
/, panysof friends at a card party last