Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-04-10
Discourse Of Fr. Tragesser
At the Funeral of John H. HOke
at St. AnthOny's Church, on
Sunday, March Both.
published by request.)
published by request.)

identified with Mt. St. Mary's College.
1t would seem, therefore, that | should
have invited one of the Fathers OF the
College to express to you the apprecia-
ton of that institution for the long and
valued services of the deceased, its es-
TEEN and admiration of all that was good
in his character, it's intense sorrow at his
tragic end and its profound sympathy
with his wife and daughter in this hour
of painful distress. But have felt,
brethren, that as pastor of this commu-
nifty, | have towards you on this occasion
a special duty, one which may not cas-
lily shirk and assign to another.
God strives by divers means to raise
US up from the evil and misery of our
surroundings. At one time He fills Us
with deep remorse for our sinfuiness; at
another time He favors US with the ad-
vice and counsel of devoted friend.
Now you receive the word of God from
the mouth of His ministers or from salu-
tary reading, and again the hand Of God
strikes hard by sickness or by the loss Of
dear ones or of temporal possessions.
And when all these things fail to bring
US to our senses, God permits some shock
ing disaster that stuns the whole COM
munily, and throws it into mourning.
We are in the presence Of such dire
visitation to day, and words should not
be necessary TO make the object lesson
sink deeply into our hearts. What appeal
can be imagined more forcible and elo-
uuent than look into the lifeless feat
ures of HIM who moved in your midst
only lew hours ago, and whose career
Was so suddenly brought to close by a
tragic and fatal accident? 1t is SAD
comment on human frailty that We should
be so very slow to sound the depths OF
our soul and to discern the purpose OF
provitential dispensations which regard
as. In the face of appalling calamllr~
we are unable to read their Significance.
We are like little children Whu have J,.st
1st precious mother and who are too
Young to realize their sad plight. Sorrow
and gloom are depic.rd ON The iacea o.
all in the house Of mourning; they alone
remain unconcerned.
st. James says: "lf man be a nearer
of the word, and not a doer, he shall be
compared TO man beholding his own
countenance in a glass. For he beheld
himself, and went his way, and presently
forgot what manner of man he was. y
st. Jas. !. %, "a. Now, it happens that
we look into the lifeless face of one who
was suddenly stricken and presently turn
away without adverting to the fact that
God has permitted the blow to arouse us
from our lethargy and to make US awak-
en- to our duties towards the weak and
the struggling.
In the book of Daniel we read that
king Baltasar made a great feast and or
dered that the vessels of gold and silver,
which his father had seized from the tenn
pie of Jerusalem, should be brought for
ward so that all might drink from them.
In the midst of the banquet hand was
seen to write on the wall mysterious
words. After much research Daniel was
the only one to be found in the kingdom
who could interpret the mysterious writ
ing. He announced that the words sig
nfied the impending doom of the king
and the division of his kingdom. So.
brethren, like King Baltasar, we are fire.
quently at loss to understand the mighty
object lessons that divine Providence pre-
sents, and We need an interpreter.
This life which has come to so speedy
close was like an open book, from which
all could read. John Hoke was an honest
man and his whole life was above board
The good and the evil in his character
was apparent to all. The words OF holy
Job were verified of him as of every hu-
man being: 'rhe life of man upon earth
is warfare. Man born of woman,
living short time, is filled with many
miseries. Who cometh forth like flow
er, and is destroyed, and heeth as shad-
ow and never continueth in the same
state" Like that of every other man
the life of John Hoke was not smooth
sailing. 1t was marked by the alterna-
tions of rise and fall, it had its successes
and it's reverses, its gains and losses, its
joys and sorrows, it's victories and its de-
feats. There were found in his life temp
tations yielded to and temptations over
come. Storms and tempests and rocks
Deset his pathway, and though his outer
life was apparent to all, his inner life
vas not generally manifest. You knew
when he had fallen, but you could not
appreciate how intensely he deplored his
weakness, and how great and earnest
were his endeavors towards self-conquest.
Only few days ago, he received at this
railing, for the last time, the Body and
Blood of his Saviour, and he was accus-
toned to approach the sacraments more
frequently than the ordinary man. Early
on Good Friday morning he was seen
making his hours alteration at the repos-
tory in this church. If the same earnest
and sincere efforts were employed by US
to overcome our failings, believe many
Of us would make greater progress in
well-doing.
When this poor man realized the dam
ger that beset his life, he was heard to
cry out for help; and, report has it,
that he was heard to pray. cherish
the fond belief that, mindful of all that
was good in John Hoke, and of his