The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-11-01

w Sacred Heart Church, Dedicat
 This is the reason for every tribute I in which every art abounds that has
 temple of the Living God, to surround
 the sanctuary of the Bloodless Calvary
 with all the beauty the mind can gather
 together. This is the divine, astounding fact that has erected the temples of God | superior to all others, The Divine | Present, thing that is not possessed by | others. The fact that today th1s sacr1- fee exists as it existed in the first cen est proofs of the oneness of the | Catholic church of today with that Holy Church. When our Blessed Savior gathered together His Apostles in the
 upper chamber 1t was that he might
 institute the sacrifice of the Mass.
 When a short time later, the earliest
 Christians of Rome was forced to
 worship their God in the Catacombs,
 called them together that they mig.t
 take part with the priest in offering
 the sacrifice of the Mass. When pagan
 Rome was overcome and the Cross ol Christ rose triumphant over the i'm
 perial city, it was the same church Of
 Christ that gathered together the ch1i-a
 dren of God to share in the sacrifice Ol lllC NldSS. WI OpS the monasteries reared aloft their stately ] edihces 1t was the same church of Christ | that gathered together the nobleman and | the peasant that they might assist in offering the sacrifice of the Mass.
 | Today in every land under the sun are found temples of the Living God, | the beautiful and magnificent cathe- | dralS of Rome, Milan, and Cologne and | magnificent churches in our compara- | lively new land. It is the same church | of Christ that calls the children of | God together to assist the priest in of
 fering the sacrifice of the mass. It IS i the same sacrifice everywhere and al- | ways Thep rieSt pronounceS the 1 words of Christ and in that instant God Himself is present upon all altars. l In those moments of stiffness and calm when only. the soul can speak, every head is bowed in adoration, each different heart sends forth a different cry, but they are all made one in that Divine cry which pierces every heart.
 From one end of the world to the
 other there is daily and hourly offered
 up this sacrifice of Christ bleeding for
 mankind. Whether this world Of ours
 wills it or not it is bound to the heart
 of God and it's Maker with a golden
 chain of uplifted chalices bleeding
 with the blood of the Redeemer.
 Such is the mass that is our mass,
 the sacrifice that is our sacrifice, the
 Di,<.ie gift that we have to offer unto
 God.
 It is for us to realize that grace : which God has siven us, and 1t IS TOT us to realize, whether our church be beautifully equipped or not, all that we can give to honor the presence of our Lord and Makeris small indeed , There is the reason, thee enter. the
 act the Divine thing that is so great
 and so beyond any effort that we make , that whatever we can do whatever we , can give whatever men can gather together in all their tributes with which art aboundS is only too little fol x Him. who is our Lord and our God. .You are indeed to be congratu. lated upon having such beautiful : edifice, such a magnificent church f such a temple that in its outward to your souls and will tend to draw them closer to your Lord in the Tab
 ernacle. It is your church becaus' l you have made it possible, becauS' 5 each of you has joined in its build l ing, because you have sven and help s ed and prayed and filled that i your pastor and ifs assistants, they !. achievement, because they have pu | in efforts, perhaps greater than yours | Your pastor, especially, with thousht j. with study, with the zeal characters tic of him through. the years of iii n priesthood-I have known him man, n years-is to be congratulated = 1 Through all these efforts this churcl e of yours has been made possible, an' o am sure that today your hearts ar l. filled with gladness and joy that i S but. the reflection of that> Heavenl g joy that must be experienced ever n time you come to this church that yo d have erected for the honor and glor Q of God. Come often to this hous . of prayer tha tyou may kneel ofte . and send up your innermost sout: . petitions unto His Throne. Abov Il all, come here to assist in that grea ,, act of worship around which thes l. things are centered. Come her r that you may stand by the Cros e Come here that you may take pal d in that august sacrifice than wl1ic a none could be greater because it = God Himself. Come to this churcl y as the little ones of Judea gathere 3, about the seat of Our Lord. Com II you that are young to be glad an Is rejoice during youth. Come yo ,f that are old to tell God of your lone e Hness. Come you that are sick an e tempted and tried and troubled an the Master, always present, will r, 7. fresh you. Come with your teal 5 and your joys and Christ will tak n them all and unite them in that uni
 cd act of worship that will ascen