Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-20
TELLS OF
THE ASSUMPTION
ST. VlNCENT'S COMMANDMENTS
HEAR SERMON
Rev. g. J. George Closes Feast Of
Our Lady Of Angels With
Beautiful Tribute to
Holy Mother

AS q close to the feast of Our Lady of
Angels, which was celebrated in Los
Angeles with special ceremonies during
the week, Rev. @. ]. George, G. NJ,
preached an eloquent sermon yester-
day morning at the Church Of st. Vim
cent de Paul, taking for his topic, "The
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Into
Heaven" Father George said in part:
ION last Wednesday the church cele-
brated a festival most dear to every
Christian heart, the Assumption Of our
Blessed Lady into heaven. After the
ascension of our Lord the blessed Vir-
gin went with St. John to Ephesus,
where she lived in the strictest retire.
ment. Years rolled on in that peace
full retreat until finally the summons of
death came. She was now In her
seventy-second year. Tradition tells us
that seeing the end of her earthly
career at hand st. John took her to
Jerusalem, for 1t was Mary's earnest
desire to die where she had seen her
divine Son pay the bitter price of mans
redemption. Here, surrounded by all
the apostles except one, she gave up
her stainless soul into the hands of its
Maker.
after few days the absent apostle,
st. Thomas, arrived. Hearing of the
death and burial of his queen he was
filed with grief and begged that he
might once more look upon the loving
face of Mary. When the apostles en-
tered the tomb they found instead of
the body of the Virgin only the linen
and all bore witness to the nliracu-
lous fact and ever since the church cele-
brates the glorious event, the crowning
festival of Our Lady, her assumption
into heaven, where now she reigns
queen of the angels and of the whole
heavenly court
Let us today renew our devotion to
Mary, and often in the words of the
archangel address her in those beauti-
full words. Hail. full of grace!'
Tells Little of the Mother
For two thousand years they have
resounded in the ears of peoples and
nations and unto the end of time they
shall be the words of salutation of
every Christian soul to Mary, the queen
Of heaven. Little do we find in the
holy gospel concerning the great
mother of God; yet of all creatures she
is the most noble, the most holy, the
most exalted.
I'VE honor Mary because God him.
self, the creator and supreme ruler of
all creation, has thought 1t fit to honor
her more than any other creature In
view of her divine maternity he pre-
served her free from Adams stain. OF
all creatures she alone was immaculate
in her conception, she alone 1t is of
whom the church sings: Thou art all
fair, oh Mary, and there is no spot in
thee she alone 1t is of whom the poet
says: She is our fallen natures soli-
tary boast
"In the second place we honor her by
reason of her exalted dignity, for Mary
is queen of heaven. Jesus her son is
king and she his mother is queen.
High above the angels and archangels,
thrones and dominions, princlpalities
and powers, cherubim and seraphim,
high above all these is Mary-yes, her
throne is next to th-t of Christ our
Savior. There with outstretched hands
the queen of mercy pleads the cause of
poor sinners. Her dignity is great be-
cause she is the mother of God priv
ilege which she merited by her marvel
GUS virtues. by her humility, her obedi-
ence. her purity. She is the queen of
saints and angels, virgins and martyrs
in fine, she is queen of the whole
heavenly court. Fit, then, 1t is that we
should honor her."