The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-12-11
THE WAY OF
REPENTANCE
(rrom Mondays Advertiser.)

| opened the second week of the mis-
sion in the Catholic cathedral.
The question box was a special fea
ture. At the door of the church DO,
is placed. and into 1t non-Catholici
are cordially invited to deposit theii
difficulties and questions concerning
the Catholic religion. They are an
swered by the Fathers in the evening
from the pulpit.
Last evening the much discussed
doctrines of Indulgences. Baptism and
Holiness were asked and very clearl!
answered.
The Paulist Fathers have adopted
tfifs- novel method in the States, ant
much good has been accomplished II
teaching the public interested the be
lief of Catholics.
BY this means the lecturer learns the
mental troubles of his particular audi
ence. and liz able to answer In fair,
kindly manner. The object is to inter-
est fair-minded inquirers in the study
of the claims of the catholic church
The attendance was the largest since
the commencement OF the mission.
Father II. II. Wyman, who delivered
the sermon, which was OF exceptional
interest. took his text from Apocalypse,
chap. 3, verse 20:
Behold l stand at the gate and
knock. II any men shall hear my
voice and open unto me the door.
will come in to him and will sup with
him and he with me-"
The preacher said In part:
Nothing can equal this picture of
God. 1t is too wonderful to be are
thing but divine. 1t ia only divine
faith. light from God himself. that
can reveal God to US in such an atti-
tude as this.
1t is one OF infinite condescension to-
ward poor miserable sinners. God In
vites sinners to come to Himself and
sinners can accept Of this invitation.
Generosity is not reserved to the
saints; sinners can be generous as well
as saints. The spark or the dull EN-
bers may be all which now remains
OF what was once a burning love for
God in a sinners heart; but that spark,
those embers are not dead
The gentle breath OF Gods grace may
rekindle the flame.
Faith teaches us that Gods mercy
Is over all his works. 1t is true that
we cannot, strictly speaking, say. that
any one of the attributes of God is
greater than another, because all of
them are infinite, inasmuch as he is
God. Yet If we consider them In their
application to ourselves we may say
in a certain sense. that one of them is
greater than the others.
The holy psalmst says THY JUS
tice. Lord, is as the mountains. but
thy mercy is in the heavens"
The first thing, 1t seems to me. which
strikes us as wonderful in the mercy of
God is the manner and the way in
which God waits for the sinner.
We think 1t enough and so it Is, If a
gift is once offered, but we do not ex-
pect that he who offers a gift will
wait for another to receive 1t.
A generous benefactor offers rich
inheritance to a poor beggar. See the
eager JOY with which the poor man
receives that which will place him for
ever above want. But restrain your
establishment when / tell you that he
'efuses to receive it and does not seem
-
S impossible. but tell you 1t is moth
ng compared with that of the sinner
who refuses, not the gift of a fellow
nan, but the grace of God. his creator
/ have something still more wonder
Pul to tell you. God not only waits
for the sinner but pleads with him
10 accept forgiveness. Behold" he
says. Il stand at the door and knock.
ha 10, ct. bod
forth my hand to people that be-
ieveth not and contradicteth me. For
he hath made IA vintage of me as the
Lord said in the terrible day of his
wrath"
Yes, | seem to see him now standing
At the door of hearts which sin has
ong since closed against him. His
ocks are wet with the dews of night.
His hair is drenched with blood. What
mas kept him. waiting there SO long?
All, his love. God loves the sinner
with love which cannot bear re-
fusal, even when that love has been
spurned and despised.
Finally, how does God receive a
sinner? We are not left to conjecture
his, for he has revealed to us, In the
wonderful parable of the Prodigal Son,
he welcome which the sinner finds in |
ls fathers house.
God sees the sinner when he Is yet
ifar off in the far country of mortal
sin and as soon as he sees him turn
ng his back upon the husks of sin
and retracing his step to his fathers
mousse, so great is his JOY that he goes
,ut To receive him, he brings hither
The best robe and puts 1t on him. and
puts a ring on his hand and shoes on
MS feet.
Sin, God says. has robbed him and
starved him and reduced him to ut
.er beggary, but he shall see how
great Is my love.
The services of the mission will con-
lnue every evening this week at 1880 |
There Will be masses every morning |
nd an instruction at . o'clock. Spe-
ial services for children will be held
Turing the day.
-.s$.s.-