Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-08

There was good attendance Tues day evesing at Sacred Heart church when Lenten devotions were held and a stirring sermon was given by Rev William A. Keefe of P1ainz1eld. He said in substance: We oftimes forget the important things of life. that we are children of God. Bringing glory to God on high and doing good to our fellowmen is the mission of the church. In order to fill us with a zeal to fulfill our obligations to God diff ferent means are used by the church special opportunity to seek God, to learn fidelity to duty. This is the season of sorrow for sin, for peni- tence.
 There are examples in the Bible of those who fell short in their obliga- tions. Christ told the story of the Prodiga1 Son. How frequently we turn and say, We demand our share of the inheritance, we are going away. plicated about us. The ideals of Christ, the ideals of honor are cast aside. This story is written every where in the career of the sinner. We should be inspired by it to seek the best and noblest in life. The church holds up for our meditation reflections on sin, hell, on the spirit of penance which should prevade our lives. The church warns us to avoid the danger, the degradation that turks in sin.
 Think of the career of the druniSard, the immoral the dishonest, the thief. Think of the danger sin brings to a community. We may try to polish over sin, but the final result of sin is degradation. You say, What a fool that boy was, he left the high school with ehonor, he learned his trade, he was honest. the pride Of the commu- nifty. Then he left his ideals, he was too proud to call upon God to keep him from evil. he knew it all; he has sot up new ideals, he is going away piffed with pride: next comes sin in one form or another and finally. the portion of the prodisal.
 The church prompts us to ask at tl1is IJenten season, Where do I stand :? God created me to love Him and serve Him here and be happy in the life above. Have I weakened in my fidel- ity to duty during the year? Have left my Fathers house? The prodigal rises and goes to seek his fathers for giveness, where he is welcomed as the repentant son. There Is joy in heav- en over one sinners doing penance. Christ it is Who was truly God, who came as the Way. the Truth. and the Life Christ the Beloved Son.
 When we reflect upon our short comings during the year we realize 9 sks. Why do you talk about punish ment? To which I answer, Why do you punish your boy? Why are crim- inals punished? Christ Who died on
 
 be cast into hell. Did the father in the parable act the tyrant when he eceirved his son? Neither does the representative of Christ act the part of the tyrant when he exercises his power in the sacrament of penance. When we realize our sin, how consolinS 1t is that we can rise and go back to a loving Father. Where in this com munity can I find that pardoning power? There's something in every one Of us that cries out to confess sin. Never has been known one case where a priest has told what was learned in confession. study my Bi- r2ight retain or forgive sin. Unless the story of the sin is presented, how is the priest to know whether he is to re+ain or forgive sin?
 The church urges us to reflect upon sin. the degradation it brings to char we accept the forgiveness of God. We pray to God for strength to resist temptation. to seek forgiveness, re- memnering what Christ has done for us. We kneel with the prodieal and say, Father. forgive. We are bound not only to be sorry. to ask forgive ness. but to forsake our sin and keep the promise to do better. We must realize the importance, the utility of a good confession, the importance of sin, of being loyal and faith ful to the promises made during this Lenten season.
 In showing how punishment ought in justice to follow sin committed. the greatness of the crime of Lincoln's as- was cited. An eloquent chara acterization of Lincoln was given with a description of the wave of sor- row that swept over the country when the news came of his death.