The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-01
Cardinal Mercial
Urges His People
to Greater Faith
fContinued from Page rs

A moment OF aIuCClOn now, SO
spoke st. Paul to the Corinthians,
land above, for recompense, an over
flowing wealth Of glory forever, on
condition that we do not look solely
to things visible, but to things invis-
ible, for that which is visible passeth
and that which is invisible Is eternal"
Such is, my brethren in short, the
fundamental solution of the essential
problems of the life OF an individual
and Of nations;, Passion before the
Resurre ction, death in order to get
eternal Ife,l the Cross in order to en-
ter into glory. s. %
Under the old order God spoke to
His chosen people by the interme-
diary OF prophets. Under the new Or
Ger, says ST. Paul, He speaks to us di-
rectly by His Son, who, after having
purified us in His blood, has taken
Ills place. King Eternal of centuries,
at the right hand Of God, His Father.
The Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel Daniel, Nahum, Habakuk,
and the others had the mission to re-
call the chosen people and their OPP
pressors, the Egyptians, the Assy-
rians, and the Chaldeans, and the
Babylonians to the Law of Right.
They announced to them continually
that they would find both in the ruins
OF >their cities and in their own blood
both their punishment and the prln-
ciple Of their regeneration. God does
not punish except to heal and to save.
Humanity guilty has need to die in
order to live again. If the grain of
wheat did not die in the ground there
ton.
yo1YN zfe fv6f hn
Apostle st. Paul says again. Depend
solely on the Cross for your regen-
Grafton in Christ Jesus and you will
find there forgiveness and peace for
you and for all the sons Of the true
people Of Israel"
If the Belgians take these stern
teachings to heart, they will make
these, two tragic years they have just
passed through the foundation of a
more vigorous future, a renewal of
energy and greater condence in the
limitless resources Of Christian ma
ton
In the secret moment Of the mass.
when the priest and the faithful are
about to partake Of the body of
4 Christ, what is the prayer that the
Church puts on their lips? Once
again she recalls to us the beginning
and the end Of life.
ssHere,' says the Church, s'the
Heavenly Father, with the co-opera-
ton Of the Holy Ghost, executes His
! plan to make the source of life which
is to. WITTY the world flow from the
death of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Son OF the Living Cod
And those holy Popes, Plus the
Ninth, and Plus the Tenth, do they
not request us to say every day after
mass this touching prayer: IT pray
Thee, my beloved Jesus Christ, that
Thy death shall be a source of eternal
1ife to- me and that Thy Cross shall
he forever my glory" -
Third Part
Take an active part in the sacred
eacrifce of the mass. Worship the
works OF God; also expiate your sins.
thank God, and pray.
Cone,- my brethren, to mass; re-
vivify POUR religious life. Come every
day IL you can. but at least never fail
in your Sabbath obligation to the
I Church met recently some young
persons. young daughters Of the peo-
! pie. who no longer dared to appear
! at church because they had nothing
/ but sab0ts to wear on their feet. My
children. understand your hunti1ia-
ton, and am touched with compass
! sion But you may be sure that our
Divine Saviour Is not like the passers-
by whose regards make you hang
Your heads He made HimSeH poor
OF HIS OWN free win, SO as better to
bring You to Him: the moro your con-
dition resembles utter nudity the
moro you resemble Him and the more
He loves you
Oh, my brethren. honor the poori
And yon, my dear confrereo Of the
priesthood, accord them the first
place in your esteem and In your soil
cftude. would Hike to SEQ them in
the first row Of the temple Of Jesus
of Bethlehem and Nazareth. Before
Him and before the Church they are
greater than you or us, and OF higher
va1ne- IL they accept their condition
with good grace and faith. they do
more for the salvation Of humanity
than those whose fortune and success
make Jon enviOua.
As for you. mesdames. If you
should make. q showing Of your
nothing but sabots and rags, you
would offend both God, the father
lard. and the dignity Of the poor.
Come, then, all. all men and all wo-
men, and worship at the church.
Come in modest dress, do not blush to
come IA you are, even though poor.
Come principally with the intention
of the worship, Of wofshipping God.
To Worship God il to proclaim that
God 10 God, that He - the Master to
whom you owe obedience, that all
He does - wei done. Gather with
tho priest at the altar, not only TO re-
cite prayers more or less similar to
his, but to assist him in the ce1ebra-
ton OF the mass. You also, priests,
you have heard the Apostle st. John
say to you I'm the Apocalypse, that
the blood Of our Lord Jesus Christ
was shed for all, kings and priests;
for the priests Of God and the priests
OF Christ. he says elsewhere. st. Peter
expre9sed himself In the same fash
ION: Christ is the living stone ON
Witch 1s built the Church AS for
yor, you are the living stone erected
upon Elm, with the effect Of forming
q aptr1tMal family, q consecrated race,
with the mission to offer by Jesus
Christ the; spiritual host which
p1aassth God.
TO the priest VINO Il officially
charged with the public ministry in
the Church, the Bishop gives this adj
Vice. Understand what you do. Be
! insptped in your acts by the mystery
that you touch with your hands and