The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-11-20

ACSNJ 81 OiCll ollu Dtdulllul llt h4iSN
not whether it was with the minds eye
be beheld it or whether in very truth the
blessed vision cleaned on the dimness
of the family Illuminated apartment;
the tender figure of the Savior, even as
he greeted the holy Visitandine in her
convent chapel years ago. And as he
gazed upon that glowing Heart, the
hope of all who mourn the Heart of
the Eternal Shepherd, there fell, as it
were, balm and a strange sweet glad
ness as of paradise upon his wounded
spirit. For within the arms of the Re-
deemer, clad in the shining radiance of
vested priest, there smiled upon him
the soul for whom he had spent himself
in midnight vigils before the Eucharis-
tic heart of God, in austerities and in
ceaseless eXhortations and pleadings-
the soul for whom even then he was in
anguish.
And the voice that had charmed
thousands on the hills and plains of
Palestine fell like silver bell on his
enraptured ear: "Domenico, wouldst
thou gain this soul for Me? It is a
pearl of great price, and he who would
buy it must needs pay highly for it.
What wilt thou offer to win it?"
THE good shepherd giveth his life
for his sheep" returned Padre Domen-
leo simply. Willingly l offer Thee
my life; it is all 1 can, and less can
not"
And the gracious answer came sweet
and soft, like the refreshing sparkling
of a fountain in a parched desert, to
his weary soul: THE gem is thine; l
accept thine offering, true shepherd of
My sheep"
And the servers of Padre. Domenico's
mass next morning marveled at the I'M
earthly radiance of his face, for it was
as if TRANSPORTED, and for the whole of
that day he seemed rapt out of his
usual calm serenity.
Some time later he went to call, with
renewed hope, upon the atheistic law
yer, Signor Luigi ROM, the soul for
whose conversion he had longed so ar
IDENTIFY and labored so zealously, whom
he had known since the young mans
boyhood and had directed while he
might. Somewhat to his surprise, he
was Immediately admitted to the pres
ence of Signor Roni. who had of late
constantly refused him entrance. But
his bright anticipations were doomed to
a summary extinction.
For, without even inviting him to be
seated, the lawyer spoke in cool in
cisive tones, piercing with their icy
finality the gentle heart of the devated
priest.
Good day to you, padre. l have ad-
mittted you to my house this afternoon,
but it is only to inform you that the
insistence wherewith you haunt me
must henceforth cease. and cease ut
terly. 1 will have nothing more to do
either with you personally or with any
of your black-coated brethren. Nay
listen to me- he went on, interrupting
the priests protest with a sudden ac-
cess of fury. his lean sallow face flush
ing fiery red with anger: 81 am de-
termined once and for all to put an
end to your accused interference, and
SO [ warn you that if L ever see your
face again. be it where you will, at my
door or elsewhere, will shoot you dead.
by the heaven above us L swear it, And
now begone" And sharply striking a
small silver handbell he summoned the
servant to usher out his dismayed and
astOunded visitor
Longer than ever were the midnight
vigfls Of good Father Domenico, more
and more ardent the supplications
wherewith he entreated the Heart of
Love and Mercy" and daily the patient
suffering in his worn face became more
pathetic. From time to time, too. he
heard reports of the young lawyer, how
he was advancing in popularity, of the
brilliant promise of his gifts and talents
and he trembled for the future of the
ambitious. deluded soul. And at last
there came a day when his worst fore
bodinSs and fears were only too fully
realized. ROM had boldly espoused the
cause of the Free Masons and socialists,
and was heart and soul an anarchist,
bound up with them in the work of
destroying religion.
Weeks passed into months and
months soon swelled to years. when
again Padre Domenico met the law
yer. There had been of late vague ru-
mers of a grave disruption among the
ranks of the socialist party, and some
even went the length of asserting that
ROM had altogether abandoned them at
last. 1t was in the dusk of an October
evening, and the shades of the Italian
night were falling rapidly. Padre
Domenico had been out on an errand
Of mercy to dying youth and was re-
turning to his little silent room, his
beloved heritage, as he styled it. Turn
ing into the dimly lighted square in
which he resided he passed dark fur
tive-seeming shadow that drew his at
-ention. Before he could we'll distin-
suish aught of it, however, it had ap-
vanished. Perplexed and
doubtful, with an irresolution for which
lie himself could not account, the priest
and stood STILL
At that moment there was a sudden
;purt of flame before him and a loud
'eport. A burning pain in his side inn
nediately followed, caused him to stag
ger and he would have fallen to the
ground had not pair of strong arms
supported him. A well-known
'oice spoke in his ear:
Father, oh! Father, what in the name
If God have you done? Oh, why. why
lid you pause just now That ruffian's |
bullet was intended for me, and if YOU
lad not stopped just then you would |
lave escaped God have mercy on me- |
suilty that 1 am, for whom His priest |
las given his life! Dear Father Domen-
co, do you not remember me; 1 am
luigi ROM, who once swore to kill you,
md now, OH God, you are dying for
ner
What made me pause, Luigi. child |
f my heart" murmured the mortaIly |
but supremely happy priest. |
milling into the face of the lawyer,
whose tears were streaming hot and |
asst; what but the infinite mercy of
iod, the love of the Sacred Heart for us
9th. Irish Messenger of the Sacred
Heart.
he Power of the Confessional in