Newspaper Page Text
MAY 21, 1927
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
9
Mary, The Greatest of Mothers
Mother’s Day Sermon by Rev. Harold Barr at Church of
St. Mary-On-The-Hill, Augusta, Ga.
‘Beliold, All Nations shall call me
Blessed.” “No truer words were ever
expressed. From the moment that
Mary came Before the eyes of the
world, when first she announced the
■ great tidings to her cousin, Eliza-
j both, until this present moment, na-
] tion after nation has joined in the
great praise and veneration of the
humble maid of Nazareth.
“Is it. necessary for me to re
count the glories that Mary now en
joys in heaven? Mary has long
since closed her eyes to the troubles
and sorrows of the worK and
1 opened them to the vision of her
I God and her S*n. Exalted above the
•; choirs of Angels, splendid in sanc-
1 tity, dazzling in beauty, exalted in
| power.
“What manner of man and Chris
tian is he that would take away
from her the honor that the omnipo
tent and omniscient God has placed
! upon her. Ye Christians answer me
this: Is Christ God? Is He that
came upon the earth 1,900 years ago,
saw and lived this vale of tears, suf
fered and died an ignominious
death on the cross, triumphed over
death and now follows His divinely
instituted harbinger of truth—is He
I the God that you worship? If not,
then why do you worship Him? If
j yes, then why do you not honor His
Mother, she who gave your God to
you, that God of love who wanted
f to suffer as you suffer, do as you
do, live as you live and be forev
ermore the type for you to follow if
you wish for happiness in this life
and everlasting joy in the world to
come?
j ‘‘Yet it is entirely to her preroga-
! ive of Motherhood that Mary owes
her blessedness. It is especially due
to her correspondence with grace.
Christ Himself has told us when the
woman called from the crowd—
‘Blessed is the womb that bore
Thee’—‘yea rather,’ says Christ,
‘blessed are they that hear the word
of God and keep it.’. ‘Mary kept all
these words in her heart pondering
over them.’ When the world was go
ing its way of folly, when Herod
ruled with a bloody hand, when soul
after soul was perishing for the want
of a Saviour, that future mother of
ours was building for herself a man-
i sion in heaven. Mary heard the di
vine call and her momentous “fiat”
rang out and its echo has not and
will not cease. ‘Be it done unto me
according to thy word.’
“Mary's destiny is a human des
tiny. She reached it. in a human
; way. She laid the foundation of her
heavenly mansion when she worked
i about the temple at Jerusalem. She
1 reared its pillars, when with faith,
purity and obedience to the will of
God, unequaled in time, she received
the message of the.angel. This ‘tern-
pie was adorned wiith ivory and gold
when the Bethlehem, Egypt and Naz
areth, she became the model of the
' Christian family.
“To you, dear children, let me say
that you owe much to our Blessed
Mother in heaven. ’ Do you remem
ber how at Christmas you came and
saw there in the crib a statue of the
, prettiest babe that ever was horn?
. t Do you remember how His little
hands were held up as if He was ask
ing you to take Him and hold Him?
You loved that little Babe and I am
sure you wish that He would have
j spoken to you and said as He said
later, ‘Suffer little children to come
unto Me.’ Well, Mary gave Him
to you. If she had not wished to he
His mother we would never have had
the little Infant Jesus. That is why
you have come here today to sing
to her and tell her how thankful you
are for the Divine Infant.
position in heaven so exalted, that
it appears almost unattainable ? Not
at all. Be human.
“Today is a day set aside to honor
one, whose office was like unto
Mary, whose joys and sorrows are
linked up with the success or fail
ure of those she brought into this
wor d, whose crown in the world
hereafter is all that she can be as
sured of iV>r her life on earth is but
care and anxiety, silent tears whose
flow is stopped but seldom, hut oh
how easily for there is no heart more
appreciative of the smallest of kind
nesses than the heart of a mother
“My children, what is there that
your dear mother has not done for
you? Her tears and her blood were
shed for you even before you were
born. She knew what she had to
suffer for you and as she looked
down through the years, strange
fears brought the first wrinkle to her
fair brow. She saw the many, many
times that you would perhaps he
sick and in pain, the many things
that you would want and she could
give you. Yet braving it all she
brought you into the world and nev
er once has she ceased to care for
you.
‘Many things too numerous to
mention has she done for you and
now how have you repaid her? You
younger children, have you been
obedient at all times? When moth
er asked you to do something did
yon do it and do it promptly? Did
you sometimes take your time and
try to answer hack? O shame on
any girl or boy that would do such
a thing. Then you young men and
women! How many of you have
thrown off the motherly influence
of her that now suffers in silence at
your neglect? Yes, she is old, her
ways and her sayings are not the
gay and flipping words of modern
wisdom but place them side by side
with the wisdom of youth of today
and what you have you? Many have
found to their late sorrow that the
wisdom of mother far cvcelled
theirs.
“How many of you have noticed
the tears that at times flowed for
you because of the lack of courtesy,
much less devotion that you have
shown her? Have you ever tried to
kiss your mother good night and
good morning or have you been awav
so late that mother fell asleep while
waiting for you and you were so
late in the morning that you had no
time ere you copld get to your work
Which of you have tried to learn
the things that her heart cries for
and have tried to procure them for
her? No greater want has she than
appreciation for what she has done
for you—a little mark of respect
once in a while shown to her. How
many of you have tried to look into
the eyes of your mother and see
there whether you have succeeded or
failed? In them you will find like
in a highly polished mirror a reflec
tion of your success and your fail
ure, brightened by her love, soften
ed by her devotion.
“Ah, mothers, at times your lot is
hard. Take courage today from the
mother of all. No reward is too
great for you. You would try to
give your all as she did for your
own—God asked her for her greatest
treasure. He may not ask you to give
your treasure to Him but He does
ask that you do all that you can for
them. You children, if you wish to
honor your mother Mary in heaven
the first honor your mother on
earth. As long as she draws a
breath of God’s air she is still your
mother and to her you owe what you
are.”
“Mary in her day was but a poor
Jewish maiden, lowly and retiring.
Later in life she was a young wom
an thrust aside when she and her
husband asked for shelter; she later
■ received the stigma of the mother
of a malefactor. Porcelain pictures
are rouglr, but when held in the light
reveal beautiful scenes and pictures.
Faith tells us of the heavenly visit
ations, bliss of Mary. Human life
loo is rough but when enlightened
» by faith becomes divine,
“An obedient child, a truthful
j child will have an angel near her at
all times. Just as He said unto
Mary He will say to you, ‘Hail, full
of grace.’ The .youth, boy or girl,
who lives a pure life, is but another
cave at Bethlehem wherein Christ is
born; the Christian family, sensible
j of its obligations is hut another
house at Nazareth. In all these cases
’ we have the guiding influence of God
and a human example in Mary. We
see that enlightened by faith Mary’s
f destiny is the same as ours. She
attained her dignity as wc will at-
I; tain it by correspondence with the
grace of God.
“We honor her, we venerate her,
j because God honored her. Wc pro
claim her glory, we sing her praises.
But are these to come from the lips
alone? As our hearts in back of
them? Shall this be the end of it
all- that we during this hour—we,
in a moment of intense excitement
will make ail kinds of resolutions
and then when calm fail to carry
them out? Mary seems to be far off
from us. Her dignity is so high, her
Ruins of Spacious Catholic
Buildings in Greenland
Several Danish archaeologists delv
ing in the ruins of the ancient cathe
dral of Gardar, the center of Catholic
life in Greenland from the eleventh
to the sixteenth centuries, have made
some very interesting discoveries. In
the course of four months they un
covered the foundations of the en
tire church and part of an adjacent
house. It was found that the epis
copal residence was a mass of build
ings covering about 3% acres. From
the size of these buildings it may
be deduced that the time at which
they were built was a very flourish
ing period.
The church was built of blocks of
red standstonc, with a spacious choir
and many chapels. In one of the
latter were found the remains of a
bishop, well preserved. Lying be
side him was a crozier wrought of
whale teeth. A bishop's gold ring
encircled one of the fingers. The
bishop was of tall and powerful sta
tue. From the objects associated
with the remains, the tomb is be
lieved to date from 1209. It is sup
posed that the remains are those
either of Bishop Sverrcsfostre, who
governed the church from 1187 to
1209, or of a contemporary prelate,
Bishop Anders Luneson.
The Question Box
By Rev. Bernard X. O’Reilly
Q. Do all the lost souls suffer
the same penalty regardless of their
sins?
A. The Catholic doctrine is stated
in the decree of the Council of
Florence: “The souls of those who
depart in mortal sin or only in orig
inal sin, go down immediately into
hell, to be visited, however, with
unequal punishments.”
Q. Is a priest allowed to say mass
for a person who commits suicide?
A. No one can say absolutely that
a person who takes his own life is
lost. He may have been insane at
the time; he may not have been suf
ficiently instructed in religious mat
ters to be morally responsible or he
may have repented after the fatal
act. Mass may be offered private
ly and hypothetic-ally for any soul.
Where there is reasonable doubt of
the moral responsibility o£. a suicide
mass may be offered publicly for
the repose of Ids soul. If it is quite
certain that the suicide was mor
ally responsible the priest will of
fer mass privately and hypotheti
cally for him.
Q. Is there any sin which can
not be forgiven?
A. In the ordinary sense of the
word there is no such tiling as an
unpardonable sin. The sin against
the Holy Ghost which our Lord said
should not he forgiven in this life
or in the next, means the absolute
and final rejection of the grace of
God. No man can be converted
without contrition and contrition
comes from God’s grace.
Q. Under what conditions may a
suicide be buried from the Church?
A. If a person in possession of
his faculties diliberately committed
suicide he would be refused Chris-
tion burial. Since there is always
a doubt in such a matter pastors
refer the case to the bishop and
usually are guided by the verdict
of legal authority. We believe that
the vast majority of suicides are
not in their right mind. The Church
will always exercise charity and
give the benefit of the doubt.
Q. If the laws of nature are im
mutable how can there be a mira
cle?
A. It is indeed true that nature
works according to certain fixed, or
as they are some times called, im
mutable laws. These laws unlike
the truths of mathematics are not
intrinsically or absolutely neces
sary. Experience tells us that, as a
rule, they are unchanging, but
neither reason nor experience as
serts that the omnipotent, free God,
can not intervene at will to prevent
their operation. God in creating
the world did not subject Himself
to the laws of His creation. A mira
cle, however, does not destroy any
law or even suspend its working,
hut merely in a particular instance
supposes the intervention of God to
prevent a certain law from having
its ordinary effect. There is no
danger of the laws of nature being
overthrown, or science disturbed in
the least; for miracles are rare oc
currences, which simply emphasize
the more the ordinary course of
naiure. Were it not for the uni
formity of nature’s laws, one never
could he certain of a miracle, it is
strange that one should grant that
man can interfere with the work
ing of nature’s laws, as for exam
ple, overcome the law of gravita
tion by holding a stone in his hand,
and yet deny that the infinitely
free God can set above and beyortd
the laws of His own framing. 1
Q. What is the reason that a
good Catholic can not belong to. the
Masonic lodge?
A. The Church condemns Free
masonry because it is a sect, with
a code of belief, ritual ,and ceremo
nies, standing for mere naturalism
in religion and for a morality
founded on merely human motives.
The Freemasons of Europe have
claimed Freemasonry as tlie relig
ion of nature. The Catholic Church
is the supernatural religion of Jesus
Christ and therefore one can not
be a Mason and a Catholic at the
same time. The Masonic Review
says: “The God of Freemasonry is
Nature. There is no need of priv
ileged agents making a trade of
their pretended mediation.” It
again says: “Freemasonry is pro
gress under every form, in every
branch of human activity. It
teaches us that there is only one
religion, one true and therefore nat
ural religion, the worship of hu
manity. God is only the product
of a generous but erroneous Concep
tion of humanity.” Speaking of the
Freemasons of Continental Europe,
we maq cite the pledge made by
them in Naples which called for
“the prompt and radical abolition of
Catholicity, and by every means to
procure its utter destruction.” We
do not class the Masons of the
United States in the same category.
For the most part they' are tolerant
and broad-minded and have the
respect for every man’s conscien
tious religious beliefs and practices.
Many further reasons might be
given which would justify the con
demnation of Freemasonry but xvbat
we have given is sufficient for one
who believes in a supernatural re
ligion.
Catholics in American History
James Hay, Jr., in Feature Article in Asheville, N.^ 0.,
Citizen, Recalls That “the Most Notorious Catholic
Baiter of His Time’’ Was the Traitor Benedict Arnold
Wliat kind of southerners are
these, boasting a religious bigotry so
vicious that it denies the right of a
Catholic to bold high public ■ office
in the United States?
Whoever they may be, they are an
swered by what the Catholic has
done for America, and with peculiar
effectiveness by what the southern
Catholic lias done for the south and
tile nation.
Observe the long roll of honor.
The first man to sign tile Decla
ration of Independence was a south
ern Catholic.
Religious freedom was first en
forced as a policy in an American
colony, and a southern colony at
that, by a southerner wtyo was a
Catholic.
Religious freedom was not a fact
in North Carolina until William Gas
ton in 1835 put the necessary bill
thror-b the state legislature. Gas
ton \v„s a Catholic, statesman, jurist
and ideal citizen, one of the heroes
of Tarheel history.
The southerner. George Washing
ton, made the Catholic Stephen Moy-
lan his first muster-master general
(the rank now designated aii u t an t"
general) with the job of forming the
continental army.
The southern Catholic, Lieuten
ant-Colonel John Fitzgerald, was
Washington’s aide-de-camp and sec
retary. And, as a Catholic assem
bled the revolutionary army, anoth
er, Captain John Barry, was made
commander of the first revolution
ary battleship and later headed the
whole continental navy.
Among the great soldiers who, ac
tuated only by their love of liberty,
came over from Europe to help the
colonies win them independence
were such men as Rochambcau,
Count Pulaski, Anselme and De
Fermoy. They were Catholics.
But "the time arrived when the
southern Catholics had to side with
the south or the north. They fought,
bled and died for the south. Their
priests took the field as Confeder
ate chaplains. Their sisters nursed
our wounded.
No more dashing and valiant of
ficer ever rode beneath the Stars and
Bars than General Beauregard, the
Louisiana Catholic, who flashed his
sword at Sumter and proved his bril
liant heroism at Shiloh, Drury’s
Bluff and Petersburg, or Pat Cle
burne, who died leading his army in
a gallant charge.
No individual feat of arms for the
Confederacy eclipsed that of the
Catholic Major “Dick” Dowling
who, with forty-two men, held the
fort at Sabine Pass against a fed
eral fleet numbering 15(51)0 soldiers.
Longstreet died a Catholic. Among
the southern generals who fed mor
tally wounded at the head of their
men or fought through tile war were
the Catholic, Hardee, Branch, Ad
ams Anderson, Jenkins, Hardeman,
Cabell and others. All regiments
and battalions, comprised of Cathol
ics entirely, were decimated by
northern shot and shell.
When the Confederate .“Alabama”
made her famous cruise beginning
at the Azores in 1862 and ending
with her defeat off the coast of
France it 1864, after having captur
ed or destroyed sixty-nine vessels,
she was commanded by the officer
who, previous to taking that assign
ment, liad captured eighteen north
ern ships. That scourge of the seas
and terror of the north was the
Catholic, Raphael Semmes.
The three great poets of the Con
federacy were southern Catholics:
Randall, who wrote “Maryland. My
Maryland;” Father Tabb and Fath
er Ryan, author of “The Conquered
Banner” and “The Sword of Lee.”
Another Catholic wrote the music of
‘Dixie,” and another “The Bonnie
Bine Flag.”
When Jefferson Davis was put on
trial, a Catholic lawyer, Charles
O’Connor the leader of the American
bar of that day, scorning an insane
northern prejudice and calumniation,
was his chief .counsel and his bonds
man with Horace Greeley. One of
the associate defense counsel was
another Catholic, and they fought
the fierce court battle as volunteers
who would accept no fee.
As southern Catholics were in the
forefront of all our preceding wars,
they held similar posts in the World
War. The Georgia Catholic, Ad
miral Benson, as chief of naval op
erations, headed the sea forces. The
first A. E. F. officer to die on the
field and the last to fall in battle
were Catholics.
Two of the ablest of the eleven
chief justices of the United States,
final arbiters of the meaning of the
laws by which we live, were Taney
and White, both southern Catholics,
two of the many who have served
the south—six in North Carolina—
as judges.
The most notorious Catholic bait
er of his time was the liar and trait
or, Benedict Arnold. The political
party that had an anti-Catholic
platform was the Know-Nothings of
brief duration, who were first beaten
and started to oblivion by the vot
ers of a southern state.
Southerners put political proscrip
tion upon the Catholics? If they do,
they are ignorant of their own his
tory and ignorant too, of their own
greatness
The Catholic vision in states
manship, their wisdom on the. bench,
their valor in battle, their leadership
in affairs the songs they have sung
and the deaths -they have died are
part and parcel of all that glory and
guidance which we so proudly des
cribe in the words, “The Southern
Tradition.”
Baptist Paper Commends
Catholic Defense Work
(From the Baptist Advance, Little
Rock.)
Our readers know something about
the Oregon school legislation of a
few years ago which proposed to
send all students in the grades to
attend state schools and which was
directed specially against the Paro
chial schools o! the Catholics. Few
people have any idea of the amount
of money and work that was ex
pended by the Catholics in carrying
on their campaign against this leg
islation. This was done by the
printing and distribution of large
quantities of literature, by paid ad
vertisements in the newspapers, by
personal correspondence, arid by
public lectures and the radio. For
more than three years they carried
paid articles and advertisements in
papers which reached from 100,000
to 200,000 subscribers. Our own no
tion is that the legislation was ut
terly unjustifiable, and we call at
tention to this matter only to show
how the Catholics throw themselves
into the work of promoting their
enterprises and institutions.
Father Moynihan
Rev. P. A. Ryan, S. J.., in the
Spring Hill Magnifcat
The passing of Father Moynihan
deprives Spring Hill College of a
kindly presence. Father Moynihan
was an authentic gentleman and one
of parts. As Vice-President and
President of the College, and later
Master of Novices and Provincial ot
the New Orleans Province, he left
the impression of a man indeflecti-
bly faithful to the trusts given into
his keeping. His life had the se
renity which comes to one who
walks always in the presence of
God. Possessing none of those ob
trusive habits, none of that desire
for personal recognition, so marked
a characteristic of his time, he was
known intimately only to a few, but
by these as a gracious, attractive
and full-sized personality. May his
soul rest in peace.
Mobs Undoing Constructive
Work in State Editor Says
(From the Valdosta, Ga., Times)
It is a deplorable fact that while
there are many enterprising spirits
in Georgia who are giving their life
blood their time and their labors,
to build up the State of Georgia, to
add to values in the State and to
make the people happy and pros
perous there is another clement that
seems to be so obsessed with a dev-
i'ish spirit that they do not care
what may happen to their state or
its people.
Ail over the country the news
papers and magazines are comment
ing upon conditions which are ex
isting in several counties in Geor
gia, where hooded gangs have been
taking the law in their own hands
and committing outrages of the
worst sort. In one case a minister
of the Gospel was taken from a
church and given a flogging. The
State hSs constitucd authorities and
machinery for handling all kinds of
offenses and if any man has com
mitted a crime lie is amenable to
the law and can he easily reached.
Every man has a right to be given
a fair trial, to look in the faces of
those who accuse him and of those
who try him. Otlr forefathers fought
for this sacred right and when this
right is taken from the people, they
become wearers of yokes that will
be more galling to them than the
yoke which is put upon the neck
of dumb driven cattle.
GILBERT CHESTERTON SAYS:
A convinced Catholic is easily the
most hard-headed and logical per
son walking about the world today.
But this old slander, of a slimy sen
timentalism in all we say arid do,
is terribly perpetuated by this mere
muddle about words. We are still
supposed to have a silly sort of de
votion, while we really have a most
sensible -sort, merely because we
have taken a foreign phrase and
translated it wrong; instead of
leaving it in Latin for those who
can read Latin or trusting it in Eng
lish to people who can write Enfi«
lish.