The Irish standard., 1909-10-16

acts OF injustice Of over twenty years
standing. t.a6
Il am persuaded that the confess
sional is one of the most powerful
moral levers ever designed by a mer.
ciful God for raising man from the
pool Of despair and the miro of sin.
1t has more weight in withdrawing
people from vice than even the pul.
pit. In public sermons we scatter. tho
seed OF the word of God; in the cons
fcssional we reap the harvest. In sers
mons, to use a military phrase, we firo
at random: in the confessional we
take Il sure aim. The words Of tho
priest go home to the heart OF the
penitent.
"The copfessor exhorts the penitent
according to his spiritual wnnsy ana
besetting sins. He Is cautioned against
the Reorganization OF dangerous conl-
pnny and other occasions of sin, or he
piety suitable to his condition. Hence
missionaries are accustomed to esti-
mate the fruit OF IL mission more nv
the number of penitents who have ap.
preached the sacred tribunal than w.,
the crowds who have listened to their
sermons. .. .. Y sfis3s
"Of all the labors that our ministry
imposes upon us there are none more
arduous or more irksome than the
work OF the confessional. 1t fs no
easy task to sit six or eight hours on
hot summers day listening to
stories Of sin and sorrow and misery.
and it is only the consciousness Of
the immense good he is doing that sus.
tains the confessor in the sacred trl.
bunal. &. He can have compassion on
the ignorant and erring, because he
himself is also encompassed with in.
trinity.
Il have seen the man whose con-
science was laden with the accumu-
lated sins of many years. Upon his
countenance was stamped guilt and
shame, remorse and confusion. There
he stood by the confessional with
downcast mien, ashamed, like the
publican, to cast his eyes to heaven.
He glided into the little mercy seat.
No human ear will ever learn what
there transpired, because the revela.
tions in the confessional are q sealed
book.
But during the moments spent with
his confessor a resurrection occurred
more gracious and miraculous than
the raising of Lazarus from the tomb
1T was the resurrection Of a soul
that had long lain worm-eaten in. the
grave Of sin. During these precious
moments a ray from heaven dispelled
the darkness and gloom from that
self-accuser's mind, and the genial
warmth Of the Holy Spirit melted his
frozen heart, and the purifying In
fluence Of the same spirit that had
come upon the apostles like a mighty
wind from heaven scattered the pois-
onous atmosphere in which he had
lived and filed his soul with divine
grace. And when he came out there
was quickness in his movements and
joy in his countenance and a new light
in his eyes. And had you asked him
why this change, he would have an
swered, Because I was lost and 1 am
:. found; having ben dead, I am como
| to life again. e
Dearly beloved, why should you LIE
deprived, as prodigals, Of your FatlnPs tlnP:,
ers embrace when you have so easy.
| means of reconciliation? Instead OF
. disputing the power of Christ and His His
| ministers, as the&scribes did in thlss.
days Gospel, let it be your blessed
privilege to initiate the. devout multl..
tude who feared and glorified Cod
who had given such power to men.
He-She is very clever Woman.
You ought to have her call. si.
she-she did. She called over half