Norwich bulletin., 1916-04-10
KEEP FAITH, BE
 STRONG AND VIRTuoUS
So CcunseIed Passionist Father al
 St. FaIricks Lenten Service.

Father Malachy. Passionist priest, gave an inspiring ana 1orceIuI ser1 mon at St. FaCricks cnurcn. sun oay evening before a large congre- SaLion.
 The speaker took his text from the EpistIe 10 Philippians Dy St. Paul. or how St. Paul reJOlced amid hIS great sunerIngs. The chOlr sang Merca- danlees Nespers. and Slrs. r. l.. Far rel, III excellent voice. renuereu Oeni Creator.
 will take my text from the EpIstIe to the PhiLIiplans, said rather SIaI- achy. me EpIstle was written by St. Paul, whiIe prisoner in dun geon at Rome. written under cir cumstances ot misery and sunerings, we would expect hlm to give manlreS- tatiOnS Of the harushlpS winch ne underwent, put stranSeiy enough, he does not. lie gives Just the opposite. lis Imprisonment, his suilerlnSs. were not narusnIps. put joy. How Is It brethren, that St. tauI Louno Joy In sunerIngs, glory m illumination ,ny is IL ne Dlds us 10 rejoice al | Way 5? How can We whose nVeS are Iuu or sUtIerings. rejoice always mere are many reasons why We have | and why we should rejoice. And II We do not, 1t Is because our taltn Is | growing cold.
 l One reason why is that in this very l EpISue, St. Paul says. T have suffered | the less Of everything. 1 count my | losses as nothing" The realization oI | the power Of existence does not term | mate with this lite. There is anoth- | CT life 1un or happiness which Is In- | deed enough 10 nII our hearts with joy | To some seaven Is theory, and | something that Is lar On. They looh | at life on this earth Of great import 1 ance. They-SeI a high treasure up l nFn .n rnIa nT
 | = The speaker told or the saints who gave up friends, fortunes and homes | because Of IheIr realization. They realized that life soon ends and alt. l CT it they will come to the eternity
 or bliss. The realizaIion filled then | hearts with courage 10 make the sac | IInces they made
 taIher ,MaIaChy told of a hunter 1T | the forests OI Germany, who in som' l manner got away from the party an( | was lost. lie wandered on and hear Ing singing he followed the sounds
 and soon Iound man stricken witt
 leproSy, with the flesh leaving tn
 bones. He approached the sIrickeI
 one and asked why he sang. The mal
 replied that now for forty years hI
 soul was imprisoned in the body O
 clay and he realized that before loni IL would be set free.
 This is the view of life we shoul take. We should not forget the fac
 that we are merely pilgrims in tor | elgn land, exileS. We should not Tor get that we travel through lire with
 determination that our nome is |
 eternal heaven.
 We should not be discouraged O , saddened by our lot though it may b . hard on this earth. We should no
 be discouraged for the day 500 comes when it will all be over an
 our soul will be with God. If W , would take this vIew how differen
 the world would be. If we only re member we are exiles. You have n ; reason unduly concerned of tn salvation of your immortal soul. Ther , Is no man or woman alive who can
 not save his or her immortal sou
 This is another reason why you
 hearts should rejoice. In order
 gave your soul. lead good lives. kee
 the commandments, of God. Think ( all the help God gives us to save ou soul. We have the gift of faith. H tells US there is a heaven and hell. an
 He points out the road for us
 heaven.
 Faith is a searchlight showing u the Snares inc which we might tal and showing up the way heavenwar' l Then again think of the great source
 of strength faith opens up to us.
 human nature weak? Is your ten dency towards evil too strong? Com l
 sacrament and then you will not fin . 1t hard to resist temptation.
 By the sacraments of the churc
 God gives us strength to save oU | souls. Therefore you cannot say 1 2 lead a good life is hard, it is not 8 If it is you do not use the mear 1 which God has placed at your dis z | posal. If you are = juggling break the chains of N-se and find f a hard one. you have needs of u < sacraments. There Is still anoth' 2 reason why we should rejoice, grea - CT in a way than the others. Thel
 IS a heaven that awaits us. Mort
 over every moment we can increa; ,, our joy and happiness to experient
 in the Kingdom of God.
 a St. Paul tells us that every ms
 will be rewarded according to h
 works. If he soweth sparingly. if will reap sparingly. The more goo 4 works we do, the greater the happ q ness. One degree of eternal 1ory d greater than all the wealth of q
 world. It is unspeakable happines = This brings home the value of etern h glory. Here are reasons why St. Pa a rejoiced in his sufferings and why ] bids us.
 Keep your faith, be strong al