Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-10-31
Tomorrow the Church Will Gel
citrate the Feast of All
Saints.
All Souls Day Occurs Monday
and VIII BE Solemnly
Observed.
SAINTS ARE OUR BRETHREN

What sense of fitness is shown
by the Catholic church when she
appoints the month of November as
the time when we should recall in a
special manner the memory of our
dead, as a time above all times when
we should pray for their departed
souls and for the souls Of all Gods
faithful who have gone before us
with the sign of faith and repose in
the sleep of peace. What other
month would be more in harmony
with our present thoughts and feel
ings? Summer has just left us,
leaving behind her a trail of GRIM
son and gold and blaze of October
| glory. On all sides we see the wreck
and ruin of leaf and flower. The
once luxuriant trees, now naked and
bare, are but ghosts of their former
selves as they stand atrembling in
the moaning gale, lifting up to
heaven their withered arms. With
reason these bleak November days
have been called "the saddest of the
year" AS we look out Of our win
dow these mornings we see desolate
nature slowly drawing around her
naked form the mantle of death.
And as we go along the way the
rustling of the dry dead leaves be-
meath. our feet awakens within us
solemn thoughts of some one gone
before and of our own going forth.
At this season more than at any
other we are impressed with the
fact that in the midst of life we are
in death, and that mans days are as
grass which today is and tomorrow
is not. Truly the church made no
mistake in selecting this month as
the month of "All Souls" for now it
is most natural thought, a consol-
ing thought, as we'll as holy and
wholesome thought, to pray for the
dead that they may be loosed from
their sins.
The feast of All Saints is observed
on November 1. On this day the
church invites us to the two-fold
sentiment of Joy and sorrow. In the
Epistle she encourages us by show
ing that there are in heaven saints
of every country and every age.
In the Gospel she marks the virtues
we must practice in order to arrive
there. In the Preface she tells us
that the saints are our brethren,
that they look upon us with love
and aid us by their powerful pray
ers. At vespers she reminds us that
we are exiles, and teaches us to
sigh, like the captive Israelites at
Babylon, for the heavenly Jerusalem,
our true country. The feast of All
Saints commenced in the seventh
century. 1t was established in Rome
by Boniface w., and then passed
into all the churches. II was estab-
lished to honor all the saints, to
thank God for the grace bestowed
upon his elect, to excite us to
initiate the virtues of the saints. and
to give us an occasion to repair the
faults committed in the celebration
of the particular feast of each saint
Monday will be All Souls day and
will be marked by solemn ceremony
by Catholics throughout the world
As for the doctrine of Prayers fol
the Dead" antiquity is loud in con.
firmation of it. Surely Tertullian
who was born about 100 A. D., and
died after 220 A. D., surely he who
boasted of conservatism was moi
lnventing new doctrine when ht
wrote: "The Sacrament OF the Euch-
artist, which was commanded by the
Lord to be received by all at mea
; time, we take in our meetings before
dawn and from the hands of none
except the presidents; We make
offerings in behalf of the dead. foi
their anniversaries. Again speaking
of the dead husband OF certain
woman he writes: "For his soul ths
wife offers prayers and meantim,
begs refreshment for him ant
makes an offering on the ami
versary of his decease." Cyprian
who flourished about the year 24'
A. D., is even more clear and EN-
, phatic when II is question OF pray
ers for the dead and more especial,
masses for the dead. Remark tina
! his grandfather was probably yer.
, close to the apostolic age. which fac
: lends considerable importance TO tn
! declaration OF Cyprian that Chris
, himself was the teacher an,
! founder of the sacrifice" which h
, (Cyprian) offered for the dead. II
! Is but following tradition, which a
! his time comparatively did not g
! back very far. Some" he sayl
! through ignorance or simplicity 4
! 'onsecrating the cup OF the Lord d
,ot that which Jesus Christ, ou
. Lord and God, the Teacher an
Founder OF this sacrifice. did an
aught." OF the evil conduct Q
omeone he declares: "If any on
; hould do this no offering should
,ade for him nor should any sacr
: Zee be celebrated for his repos'
'or he does not deserve 10 b
smed at Gods alter In the prayer