The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-05
s.ROsARY AND PEACE'

1 Rv Rev. Dr. R. F. Moore, rector or the Church of the Sacred Heart-) Dearly Beloved Brethren:-1n oped- 1 fence to the dual voice or the C~hurcn ~
 ana nation we celebrate toaay r~Sose1iy ~ and Peace sunday Prayer and peace tara int;roateIy related. It is there t1ation of cause and effect. The rosary 1 prayer so sublime in it's nature anu so marvellous in it's effects, mas DeeH signalized by the Church With a prop CT festival The first Sunpay or VI Itober has been set apart as Rosary ] Sunday: and in these warning times i by a happy coincidence, the same day 1 has been designated as Peace Sunpay 1 by the President of these United states 1 oh which the citizens of the country are urged to pray to God for the es- tablishment of peace among the na- I tions At this time 1t is meet to re- call that the feast of the rosary han l it's origin in times of war.
 In the thirteenth century when the
 AIbigenses were rebelling against the i doctrines of the Church and were 8 menace to society. they were defeated, I after centuries of struggle, through the ! power of the rosary as preached by St. | Dominic Two centuries later. in the year 1571, the famous battle of Lepants was fought and won by the Christians, lat very great odds, against the Turks
 While victory seemed must come 10 i the Moslens on account of their pre- l pond erating nupbers, the conffatunl- ties of the rosary were telhngl tnelr beads as they marched In procession through the streets of Rome. The i power of the rosary turned the tide I of battle in favor of the Christian Jarny; and as memorial of that heav- IenIy event, Plus ". ordered that here after on the first Sunday of October a comm aemoration of the rosary should ] be made in the liturgy of the Church There was still another victory over Il the Turks in 1716 through the same divine efficacy of the rosary; wherenp- on Clement XII, as a grateful memor- ial commanded the Feast of the RoB-
 ary to be kept by the universal Church on the first. Sunday of October Leo XIII, of blessed memory, finally raised l this feast to the rank of the second
 class and added to the litany of the Queen of the mot holy rosary 1 It is the verdict of history that the rosary has been an instrument of power in the world. It is indeed, an instrument of power because it is the instrument of earnest prayer.
 CHRISTIAN PEACE
 F. There is need today, more than ever. means of intercession. No greater calamity ever came upon the world than the calamity of this almost uniN versa1 warfare To beseechS God to 1 take away that calamity is our Chris tan duty, as the followers of the 1 Church that we pray for peace. It i is the last will and testament of Plus 1 K. It is the salvation of Benedict XIV. And it is the wish of our President to set aside a day of universal prayer
 for peace.
 These great heads of the Church and nation know that peace, like all good gifts, comes from above; and nothing comes from above, except 1t be drawn down by prayer. Prayer, earnest and true, is the purchase-price of peace. Without Christ there can be no real lasting peace. The peace-movenaent,
 as we see it in the world today, is absolutely inadequate. To try to es- 1 tabHsh peace without Christ may be Iphilanthropfc-but a philanthropic peace cannot subdue the passions of men The Peace Conference at the Hague was 8 farce and a failure be- cause the only man who could estab- l fish peace was excluded from it's delib- erations
 l He was Plus x. the spiritual ruler of three hundred millions of souls and the vicar of Christ, the Prince of Peace. Before Christ left the world 1 He beaueathed this message e peace ! to His infant Church in the power of
 the apostles. My peace I leave you;
 my peace I give you; not as the world siveith do I give to you" ''The peace Of Christi says St. Paul. "surpasse.h 1 all understanding.' .'' The peace of
 Christ alone can establish any per
 maflent concord between men and na- l tions; because Christian peace is found ed on the Knowledge and love of God.
 At once, let that knowledge ana love l be removed from the heart eff men 1 and nations; and their most brutal passions loosed from their bondage will rage like so many dogs of war. WAR-A DIVINE sCOURGE. It is we'll to remember-even whilst we ablor and deprecate the horrors of war-that the God of peace is also the God of battles. He is the uni versaI Lord and Master of creation, as He is the living Father of His chil- dren. He holds the vast universe, as a tiny ball, in the hollow of His hand. Every creature is subject to Him; 1 while man. the masterpiece of crea- lion owes Him intelligent love and worship and service These are his prenial, religious duties.
 Before this war was begun, men, 1 through lust of power and the pride of life. had diseoncerted God in the affairs Of this world Men of science