The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-15
SUMMARY OF SERMON PREACHED
BY ARCHBISHOP IRELAND ON
THE OCCASION OF THE SACRE-
poTAL GOLDEN JUBILEE OF
THE MOST REVEREND JOHN J.
kEANE OF DUBUQUE.

The prelate whom today it is our JOY
to honor has read his mandate which
dare not disobey. 1t is that my dis
course be brief: that it's theme be not
that of praise or eulogy, but simply a
reminder of the favors granted to him
during his long career by the Almighty
God, and of the responsibilities those
favors have imposed upon him.
| follow his wishes, all the more
readily as in my own Judgment jubi-
lees find their proper celebration in
silent communings with the Almighty
God, rather than in listening to noisy
words of congratulations for deeds
done, or supposed to have been done
plaudits for those deeds by fellowmen
whose judgments are often at fault,
whose tributes are of slightest value in
presence of that eternity whose verdict
alone should be coveted by the true
servant of God. For God and in God
we should live: to God be it left to tell
our praises at the supreme moment of
judgment
The favors then, Beloved Friend,
falling upon you from Heaven, l will
strive to tell. Be it the function of
your own conscience to say how far in
thought, word or deed you have re-
sponded to those favors.
The favors are many in number and
weighty in responsibilities. Time it.
self is a valued favor. Yours has been
a career of more than three quarters
of a century. Time is precious mas
much as every hour is an opportunity
to serve God and fellowman-an oppor-
tunity to win merit on the battlefield,
to fit oneself for closer union with God
in eternity, for richer reward in the
possession of Gods own felicity. Be
thankful, then, that the opportunity was
a vast length of years, rich in occa-
sions of selfoblatien and eartr.st ser~r
ice. 1t is sometime said thatzthe good
die young. The good die whenever
God calls them; but those who die
young have missed opportunities of
protracted valor and more intense 10y
atty. The longer the battle, the more
precious the reward to him who has
faltered at no point of the ordeal, on
no part of the overwhelming combat
Well understood and rightly used, time
is one of Gods great favors. This ia
vor has been yours. Then there came
to you blessing reserved to the few
chosen ohes-that of the priesthood
Fifty years a priest; Fifty years in
that intimate closeness with the Mas
ter to which the priest alone is admit
ted! Fifty years of service to fellow
man as the agent, the representative
the apostle of Jesus Christ! Fifty
years of service to immortal souls in
the shedding out upon souls the truths
of eternity, in the pouring upon then
all the graces of Calvary! Of priests
it was once said by Christ Himself
81 will not now call you servants; fol
the servant knoweth not what the Lore
doth. But have called you friends
because whatsoever have heard of m!
Father, l have made known to you.
"Other Christs" is the appellation Civ
en- to priests by an authorized pen
"Other Christs," indeed, priests are 81
far as the agent working within th'
limits of his commission is the same a.
the principal. AS Christ did, so doe
the priest-offering the sacrifice of Cal
vary, preaching as one having author
ity,'' begetting souls to God in Bar
tism: forgiving sins to the penitent
distributing to the loyal Christian tn
food of eternal life, Christ's own bod
and blood. The sublime office, the eS
alted work of the priesthood, Believe
Friend, we're yours for fifty years. Ar
gels themselves would envy you thi
mission. During all eternity it will b
yours to thank God for your priesthood
it is yours today to thank Him with al
the warmth of your love, with all th
fervor of your heart.
And there came to you the episco
pate. For thirty-eight years you hav
been a bishop, the possessor of tn
plentitude of the priesthood, with CO
responding vastness of richest oppo
tunities to do great and good thing
for Heaven and for earth. Yours, NJ
only to fight the battle as one in th
ranks of the army of Christ: but to
the leader, the commander of H
troops; to guide and direct by wor
and noblest example: to draw othel
to self-sacrifice by the continuous ou
pouring of the sacrifice of yourself.
is st. Paul who wrote: A faithf
saying-if a man desire the Office of
bishop. he desireth good work. Ye
truly it is "a good work Office
a bishop, if properly seen and proper
understood in the only sense in whiC
it may be desired, in the only sense
Gods own understanding of it. Wi
the episcopate opportunities open
hundred fold to all the virtues, all Il
bravery, all the victories of the soldi
of Christ. The desire of the episc
pate for the sake of power, of hum;
honor, is a sacrilegious grasping OF ;
Office which God intended only for Il
own service and glory. Sadly m
taken is he who approaches the ep
copate under the inspiration of hum;
motives. The worldly gain that 7