The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-09-04

~ ~ 4AAG 11AA wv Wv
was now the property Of the Divine
Master. At early morn he took his
place beside the altar OF the Lord
around. which he assembled his peo-
pie to share his Offering Of the Eter-
nal Sacrifice shrouded In those beau
tiful prayers Some for the living
and some for the dead" Then fol-
lowed the Gospel story, the unfolding
of the Nazarene life, the imparting
of the Saviour's message. How vi
wildly the quaint chapel before
u.s. How real become the %entranced
worshippers! How amazed their
faces! How mellowed their hearts
softened with the dew Of grace Di-
vine How cheered their very exis-
tence by the heavenly blessings with
unstinted hand conferred!
Then the fatherly heart to heart
converse. who shall presume to justly
weigh or limit its value! That In
~tercourse which passing through the
portals of the body attains the i'm
most recesses of the soul, clarifies
the duties and obligations of life,
gives man that vision of his respon-
sibilities which can come In no other
way. From the individual in the
rude chapel, the way led to the cabin
home, to that primitive family hearth,
, where the sick, the convalescent. the
robust, met. as 1t were, on common
ground. 1t was here that the zeal
Gus priest made the personal applica-
ton of the morning instruction. bring
ing home to each family the practical
side of life, its real value in the light
OF divine truth.
A SLAVE TO OPPORTUNITIES
With morning prayer in the chapel.
with the offering of holy mass. with
the daily familiar instruction. with
the visit to the families in their
homes, one would naturally think that
Rale's day was already filled with
works of sanctiication and hat he
could then retire to his humble cabin
for personal repose and recreation +;
but it would seem that ever within
this sacred enclosure he was still the
slave to their constant opportunities,
for as he tells us, he found it neces-
sary to make a rule. Not to speak
to any person from prayers in the
evening until the time of mass in the
next morning"
Notwithstanding his meagre fare,
his privations. separation from loved
ones, that sense of loneliness which
Graves association with ones equals,
We cannot help feeling how sweet
must have been every moment of
Rale's busy day, how soothing his
~well-earned repose when he sought
in hiG hun h1n 10 hin nat1Irafu rDJpnA U
for the restoration of our exhausted
powers. TO awaken morn by morn,
with the Lords work awaiting as it
were on the shore of time, the renew
al of his servants energies; surely a
deeply consoling reward for the man
who seems never to have grown
weary in the masters vineyard. who
held as vain every warning of inn
pending danger which would remove
HIM from the midst of his beloved
people.
To understand Rale's persistence in
remaining at Narantsouac when it be-
came evident hat his very life was
in danger. that his superiors were
anxious to have him retire to a place
of safety, we have only to remember
that the close. the intimate relation
ships created during a pastorate of
thirty years in a Catholic parish,
make one bone of their bone, and life
of their life, so much so that the exis-
tence OF one seems dreary. II not i'm
possible without the other. Such was
the case with Sebastian Rale.
WELL DONE"
He had mingled so closely with his
people in the chapel. in their homes.
at the seaside or on the hunt. that
he could not bear the thought Of sep
. aration. He had seen most of them
grow from the tender years OF child
hood to mans estate: he had seen
their advent from Plagiarism to Chris
tianity; he had seen their growth in
holiness, in many a case, in the sub
FINEST heights OF Christian p%erfec-
tion-so that We need not wonder at
his inability to sever ties which had
grown stronger than life itself. With
Rale's conception of the duties of a
true shepherd. with the fact Of his
faithful compliance with his high
ideals, we easily grasp his determine
ton to remain at his post, like the
faithful commander. or the captain Of
the sinking ship. until the humblest
had passed the plank of safety, or I'M
til he should hear in Gods own time
the voice of the Master calling forth.
We'll done, good and faithful ser
want, enter thou into the joy of the
Lord"
As Father Rale stood on ages van
tage ground of nearly three score and
ten. we Cannot help feeling that as
he looked back over the years of his
long pastOrate, so filed with duties
faithfully performed, the hope that
he had attained some small measure
of success, that he had at least been
instrumental in leading many a soul
to God, must have swelled up within
the walls Of his noble heart. to give
birth to just one wish. that he be per
mitted to continue his work in peace.
This was perhaps the greatest boon
that was denied him, for during his
long pastorate at Narantsouac there
was hardly a day during which he
was really secure from the enemies
of his people.
DESIRE FOR PEACE
Rale's hatred of war and his de-
sire fpr Opapn have haaO o5p,irab1yy