The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-03-05
INSTRUCTION BY
FATHER ALLARD
DEVOTION TO THE VIRGIN MARY
AND SAINTS" THE suRJEcTc
or SERMON AT ST. MtcHAEL's
CHURCH LAST NIGHT.

Father Aiiaro Ilis uosoct was. DE-
votlon 90 TIE virgr Mary and saints.-
BY far the gseater part o. the pop
ulaF objections ~ the Catholic rell-
sion," said the Rev Missionary ARE
based upon a complete and utterly
misleading misconeeption Of what that
religion really is."
such doctrines as PapaI infani-
hility, The forgiveness ~ sins. indul
Rences or pursat0ry. denote 90 the
minds o. multitueea of non-Catholics
something 50 monstrous, un-scriptural
and unChristian. that no sane man. not
10 speak 81 the largest and oldest
! Christian Church. could possibly be-
lieve them. The deadliest Zoe 81
Catholicity Is Ignorance Of her teach
in8s. the hardest task ~ tho Catholic
missionary j. 20 remove the misunder-
I standings which have been growing up
I ia his hearers minds all their life. and
TO open their eyes 60 a just view of
I the Catholic religion. Concerning the
7 ChuFchs teaching as % the blessed
I Mother 81 Christ an dthe saints, there
/ 6 an especially prolific and peculiarly
persistent and unfair amount af such
Misunderstanding The common idea
/ Win those outside the Church is that
hy honorinE the saints ia heaven
| Catholics interfere with the one medi-
atorship Of Christ. put obstacles be-
I tween the human soul aud Cod, and
/ give 60 creatures the worship which
\ the Deity alone should receive. This
idea is absolutely contradictory -
/ Catholic doctrine. The Church's strict
| and uneompromfsing doctrine 6 that
i Christ our Savior IL the one
/ sole and single source u salvation;
I that there is no other name in heaven
CT on earth By which men may be
| saved that no saint that ever lived or
ever viii live has any sanctity. good
ness or virtue except by the Redeem
/ ers merits and free gift. and that
every grace and favor vouch-safed BY
God 20 men comes from the fncar-
nate Lord The saints are simply the
/ holy friends % God now in the joys
81 Paradise. and Il Is good and useful
! so says Catholic doctrine-for us
70 ask them to pray for as before
the throne % God There Il tho
| church's doctrine. and far from inter-
fering in the slightest with out Lords
mediatorship, Il brings II ont into
! greater prominence. For only re can
! give us what we ask: the saints are
only fellow suppilnnts with ourselves
In asking
This doctrine rests upon common
sense and sacred scripture. Every
body Acknowledges that Il Is coed.
helpful and consoling 70 ask the pray
ers of devout people on earth. Every
/ church has prayers Of invocation for
the brethren, fer our rulers. etc. Now
II II Is not wrong 10 ask person
stu living. still liable 20 sin. still
subject to temptation and inhrmRy
90 pray for u.s. how can q possibly be
wrong 20 ask Gods saints IN heaven
who are no longer subject 70 sinful
ness. % pray FOR u also7 Can q llv-
ing person pray FOR as and yet when
that person Is before Gods sight Ira
heaven, = be suddenly pnraiyEed In
his power 81 beaeachinw for uvg
Common sense sufficiently anHv ers
that question. II earthly auppllca-
tons FOR one another are good. inn
meaaurahiy better must be the heav-
emily applications u cur brethren ~
the church triumphant who share our
Lord solicitude for cur sautffication
and salvation.
The Scripture on this point > clear
jacob asks the blessing az the angel
with whom he wrestles: our Lord
says there II Joy before the angels Of
God over one sinner that repants.
Revelations declares that the four and
twenty anclents IN heaven bear golden
Walls fun 81 odors which are the pray
eFs 81 the saints. Moses ~ his tn
vocation obtained victory for the Ia.
raelltes Is he any less powerful n
heaven 81 Paul constantly asks his
converts % pray for him. Would h.
ak them less earnestly II he knew
they were with God7 So clearly 4
this helpful duplication OF the saints
an historic Christian belief. that In.
Their himself says: II with the whols
Catholic church hold that the saint,
are 10 be honored and invoked ~ "
Nov II Il - meet and just 10 honai
the great and holy friends ~ God
= eminently worthy 81 cur voneratio1
Is she % whom Cod Vouchsafea seav,
eniy dignities and graces given 90 IA
other e His creatures. Mary. Christi
mother. II honored beyond AN afhal
} saints, becausa none was SO close n
[ Christ as she Christ was God. ~,
was chosen 20 he His mother Foi
} thirty years sac lived under me sans
: roof with Jesus. the Deity incarnate
That awful Intimacy with the aourc,
! OF holiness must have hlled her sou
! with q sanetity unparalleled IN AM
other % the children % men. shi
. must have been what tAe Protestan
Wordsworth called her. Our talnte,
natures solitary boast" BY honnrlnt
. her We honor God, who made her wha
! she was and We honor her Son q
. whom Ills mothers name = - aFee
! tionateiy sacred. Unhappy that soul
, and miserable that religion that has D,
I love. no praise, no sympathy for a.
! gracious hRndmaiden ~ God whon
! an angel addressed with veneratior
|. whom nineteen centuries Of Christian
!. have exalted. whom Jesus Christ ~
: ally obeyed
Father DeVerys sermon on "Th
; Friendship of Christ vas one 81 an