The San Francisco call., 1906-05-14
O'RYAN
DRAWS A MORAL
Lesson Taught by Earth
quake and Fire in San
Francisco.
Gfeat Calamity to the Golden
Gate City Brings Forth
Charity.
Rev. Pntnp oRyan mads tho an.

houncement yesterday IN the chapel Of
St Mary's Cathedral that on week DAYS
during the month OF May mass Will be
celebrated at one OF the side affairs on
the main moor At 6. and o'clock in
the morning. Masses on Sundays win
De celebrated in the chapel In the base
men at 8. Z, s. 8. 10 and II q m. The
~ a m service will be O childreu,s
mass. Sunday school will be taken up
at ,. m, and half an hour later there
VIII be special service Of prayer, short
instructions and bensdiction Of tha
biossed sacrament
I In referring to tho Sun6zy acoool.
Father Organ said that since the ara
the children had been scat<areN
throughout the unburned district and
that 1t had not been feasible until the
present time to open the school He
desired to notify all Catholic parents
that the school was open aagin.
Inc speaker made the cheering an
nouncement also that COMMITTEES Of
architects and other building EXPERTS
nao examined the Cathedral. and had
reported that IT was not Injured struo-
tura1ly, and that the only damage done
was the fall OF a few bricks and some
injury 10 the main altar.
EVERY BEST GBT.
Father Organ took his text from the
Epistle Of St James. Every best rift
and every perfect gift is from above.
coming down from the Father of love.
With whom there is no change nor
shadow OF alteration"
The reverend father began by saying q
tnat In such times as these we realized
the truth Of the apostles words that
every best gift and every perfect gift
was from above. -
We have seen this beautiful city
swept away by a most terrible catas.
trophe," he added. I'VE saw the work
and the savings Of fifty years crumble
INTO ashes, and we assemble before the
a4tar nfung our hearts In prayer 70
God and know that the best and most
perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father OF love. In whom
there is no change nor shadow of al.
teration- We now realize what a CON,
trast there is between the gifts of earth
and the gifts OF heaven. We built to
resist the ravages Of fire, and behold
the proud edifces Of invincible granite
steel and stone crumble before the ter
rible monster. while we were driven in
terror to the hiIsides for food and
shelter.
CHANGE WROUGHT.
And what an awful change It wasi
We went to bed one night without care
or trouble, and IoI we are awakened
and made to feel that we were In the
hands Of the almighty and eternal God.
We saw all those things that We had
glorifed in our great and beautiful
structures OF which we were so proud.
and which we were eager to point out
to visitors-we saw them go down be-
fore those terrible flames in one or two
days.
Now, when the work OF years has
been swept away, when the poor man
and the millionaire are on an equal
footing, when, thank God, we are al
poor, we realize that only those things
that come from the hand of God ere
the best and most perfect gifts. Thank
God, we have still left the gift Of faith
In God and that noble charity through
out the civilized world that so gan
erously and promptly came 10 our re-
lief Thank God, we still have faith,
hope and charity left!
"On that dreadful morning when we
were awakened by that fearful shock
the first words that sprang to our lips
were prayers to God the Savior; our
first thought was, Are we prepared to
face our Maker7' If we felt secure
that we were without the stain of NOR
tai sin upon our souls we were at a
great advantage to bear up against
ity. How much satisfaction and con-
ISOLATION came to him when the stiu,
small voice of conscience within toi3
him that all was well between aim
and Cod
CHARITY THAT KNOWS NO CREED
Therefore. a good conscience, the
grace Of God. hope in the world to
come-the paradise which the earth
quake cannot shake, which the fires
OF earth cannot consume-these things
In the long run, especially In times like
these, are the things that tell. These
are the best and the most perfect gifts
of God, with whom there is no change
nor shadow OF alteration.
Therefore, let US give thinks TO God,
dear brethren, that, though this awful
calamity has visited US, we have more
perfect gifts in that faith which Is
preached to US Sunday after Sunday, In
that hope that comes into our hearts
that when this world vanisheA when It
is consumed by fire, we realize the
blessings OF the best and most perfect
gift. Let US give thanks to God for
that great charity which binds US to
one another; which does not recognise
creed, nor religion, nor nationality,
which was so literally poured out
among all OF us, and which was, after
all, the most wonderful thing in this
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