Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

THE

CATHOLIC MELODIES.

NO. I.

THE subject illustrated in the following beautiful lines of Moina, is that article of Catholic faith which regards the honor and invocation of the saints; a doctrine so consonant to the best feelings of our nature, that were we even unenlightened by revelation in reference to it, the heart would spontaneously dictate the sentiments which it authorizes. The muse, prompted by the innate power of truth alone, has thus represented a deceased daughter, addressing her mother on earth, and pouring forth her feelings of devotedness to a father whom she had quickly followed to the land of spirits.

"O mother!-He is here

To whom my soul so grew,
That when death's fatal spear
Stretched him upon his bier,

I fain must follow too!

His smile my infant griefs restrained—
His image in my childish dream
And o'er my young affections reigned,

With gratitude unuttered and supreme.

But yet till these refulgent skies burst forth in radiant glow,

I know not half the unmeasured debt a daughter's heart doth owe.

Ask ye, if still his heart retains its ardent glow? Ask ye, if filial love

Unbodied spirits prove?

'Tis but a little space, and thou shalt rise to know. I bend to soothe thy woes,

How near-thou canst not see

I watch thy lone repose,

Alice doth comfort thee;

To welcome thee I wait-blest mother! come to me."

Notwithstanding the sanction which the Catholic belief on this point finds in the unbiassed promptings of nature, it is certain that none of her principles or practices have been more misrepresented than that which relates to the honor and invocation of the saints. And what is her doctrine after all? Simply that they who have reached the haven of eternal life, and are associated with the celestial spirits are entitled to our respect; that they who by their unwavering and

zealous pursuit of virtue in this life, have attained to the bright recompence of the just, are worthy of our imitation. Is there anything objectionable in this, or at variance with the teachings of the gospel? Equally unexceptionable is the practice of invoking the assistance of those who dwell above. In teaching us that it is useful to implore their intercession, the Church is careful to instruct us at the same time, that we should invoke their aid "in the same order of fraternal connexion with which we solicit each other's assistance in this world;" that as they are more agreeable to the Almighty than we are, we beg of them to obtain for us, what perhaps would be refused to our own unworthiness; and consequently that to have recourse to the saints is perfectly consistent with the fundamental principle of our faith, that there “is but one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim.) He is the great and sole mediator of redemption. The saints in heaven and our brethren on earth, are mediators of intercession. In addressing ourselves to the saints, we say, pray for us, while to God alone we properly say, have mercy upon us. In whatever terms the prayers addressed to the saints are couched, the intention of the Church and of the faithful always reduces them to the form just mentioned, and hence no attribute is given to the saints which may not be predicated of the creature. But how can they hear our prayers? It might as well be asked, how can "the angels in heaven rejoice upon a sinner's doing penance." That the repentance of man does awaken a lively joy among them, is expressly stated in the inspired volume, and this truth abundantly shows that the spiritual welfare of those on earth is an object of deep solicitude for the saints in heaven. Hence the practice of the Catholic Church in all ages has been, as it is now, to implore the assistance of their prayers, and at the present day she still makes men

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

SUGGESTED BY THE PERUSAL, AFTER HER DEATH, OF A LETTER FROM A WIFE TO HER HUSBAND.

St. Louis, Mo.

VOL. II.-No. 2.

WHERE is the hand that fondly traced

Affection's language here?

Where the warm heart by feeling graced―
The anxious bosom,-where?
The eye that dwelt in trustful love
On each fresh written line,

The parted lip just seen to move
Breathing its prayer divine,—

Where are they now? that hand, that heart,
That lip, and beaming eye :—

"Twere vain to bid the thought depart,

They live, they act on high.

Death's curtain like a shade may fall,

And hide what God has given,

But still, triumphant o'er all,
The spirit soars to heaven.

The ray that lights a woman's life
Is kindled from above,
As sister, daughter, mother, wife,
Still burns the lamp of love;
Immortal fire! though all beside,

Were quenched, or cold, or dim,

Still wouldst thou glow! thus when she died
Thy light shone bright for him.

And now, in realms beyond the sky,
Where guardian spirits move,
"Tis sweet to think that watching eye

Still beams on him in love;

'Tis sweet to know that sainted one,
His fond desires may hear,

And kneeling at the Saviour's throne,
Repeat for him her prayer.

Thrice blessed is the faith which brings
Hope's sunbeam to the soul,

And still its brightening radiance flings,
Where grief's dark billows roll;
Soothing the tempest where it falls,

Like oil upon the waves;

And when despair the heart appals,

Cheers, sanctifies, and saves.

MOINA.

13

From a Puseyite work.

SS. GERVASIUS AND PROTASIUS.

T the time when St. Ambrose was re

Asisting the heretical designs of Justina

and Valentinian, he was proceeding to the dedication of a certain church at Milan which remains there to this day, with the name of "St. Ambrose the greater;" and was urged by the people to bury relics of martyrs under the altar, as he had lately done in the case of the basilica of the apostles. This was according to the usage of those times, desirous thereby both of honoring those who had braved death for Christ's sake, and of hallowing religious places with the mortal instruments of their triumph. Ambrose in consequence gave orders to open the ground in the church of St. Nabor, as a spot likely to have been the burying place of martyrs during the heathen persecutions.

Augustine, who was in Milan at the time, alleges that Ambrose was directed in his search by a dream. Ambrose himself is evidently reserved on the subject in his letter to his sister, though he was accustomed to make her his confidant in his ecclesiastical proceedings; he only speaks of his heart having burnt within him in presage of what was to happen. The digging commenced, and in due time two skeletons were discovered, of great size, perfect and disposed in an orderly way; the head of each, however, separated from the body and a quantity of blood about. That they were the remains of martyrs, none could reasonably doubt, and their names were ascertained to be Gervasius and Protasius, how it does not appear; but certainly it was not so alleged on any traditionary information or for any popular object, since they proved to be quite new names to the Church of the day, though some elderly men at length recollected hearing of them in former years. Nor is it wonderful that the saints should have been forgotten, considering the number of the apostolic martyrs, among whom Gervasius and Protasius have a place.

It seems to have been usual in that day.

to verify the genuineness of relics, by bringing some of the energumeni, or possessed with devils to them. Such afflicted persons were present with St. Ambrose during the search; and, before the service for exorcism commenced, one of them gave the wellknown signs of horror and distress which were customarily excited by the presence of what had been the tabernacle of divine grace.

The skeletons were raised and transported to the neighboring church of Fausta. The next day, June 18th, on which they were to be conveyed to their destination, a vast concourse of people attended the procession. This was the moment chosen by divine providence to give, as it were, signal to his Church, that, though years passed on, he was still what he had been from the beginning, a living and a faithful God, wonderworking, as in the life time of the apostles, and true to his word as spoken by his prophets unto a thousand generations. There was in Milan a man of middle age, well known in that place, by the name of Severus, who, having become blind, had given up his trade, and was now supported by charitable persons. Being told the cause of the shoutings in the street, he persuaded his guide to lead him to the sacred relics. He came near; he touched the cloth which covered them; and he regained his sight immediately.

This relation deserves our special notice from its distinct miraculousness and its circumstantial character; but numerous other miracles are stated to have followed. Various diseases were cured and demoniacs dispossessed by the touch of the holy bodies or their envelopments.

Now for the evidence on which the whole matter rests. Our witnesses are three; St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, and St. Paulinus, the secretary of the latter, who after his death addressed a short memoir of his life to the former.

St. Augustine, in three separate passages

in his works, two of which shall be here quoted, gives his testimony. First, in his City of God, in an enumeration of miracles which had taken place since the apostles' time, he begins with that which he himself had witnessed in the city of St. Ambrose.

"The miracle," he says, "which occurred at Milan, while I was there, when a blind man gained his sight, was of a kind to come to the knowledge of many, because the city is large, and the emperor was there at the time; and it was wrought with the witness of a vast multitude; who had come together to the bodies of the martyrs Protasius and Gervasius; which, being at the time concealed and altogether unknown, were discovered on the revelation of a dream to Ambrose the bishop; upon which the blind man was released from his former darkness, and saw the day."-xxii. 8.

And next, in his sermon upon the feast day of the two martyrs :

"We are celebrating, my brethren, the day on which by Ambrose the bishop that man of God, there was discovered, precious in the sight of the Lord, the death of his saints; of which so great glory of the martyrs, then accruing, even I was a witness. I was there, I was at Milan, I know the miracles which were done; God attesting to the precious death of his saints; that by those miracles henceforth, not in the Lord's sight only, but in the sight of men also; that death might be precious. A blind man, perfectly well known to the whole city, was restored to sight, and ran: he caused himself to be brought near, he returned without a guide. We have not yet heard of his death; perhaps he is still alive. In the church where their bodies are, he had vowed his whole life to religious service. We rejoiced in his restoration, we left him in service."

The third passage will be found in the ninth book of St. Austin's Confessions, and adds to the foregoing extracts the important fact that the miracle was the cause of Justina's relinquishing her persecution of the Catholics.

Now let us proceed to the evidence of St. Ambrose, as contained in the sermons which he preached upon the occasion. In the for

mer of the two, he speaks as follows of the miracles wrought by the relics:

"You know, nay, ye have yourselves seen, many cleansed from evil spirits, and numbers loosed from their infirmities, on laying their heads on the garments of the saints. Ye see renewed the miracles of the old time, when, through the advent of the Lord Jesus, a fuller grace poured itself upon the earth; ye see most men healed by the very shadow of the sacred bodies. How many were the napkins which passed to and fro! what anxiety for garments which had been laid upon the most holy relics, and made salutary by their very touch! It is an object with all to reach even to the extreme border, and he who reaches it will be made whole. Thanks be to thee, Lord Jesus, for awakening for us at this time the spirits of the holy martyrs, when thy Church needs greater guardianship. Let all understand the sort of champions I ask for, those who may act as champions, not as assailants. And such have I gained for thee, my people, a benefit to all, a harm to none. Such defenders I solicit, such soldiers I possess, not the world's soldiers, but soldiers of Christ. I fear not that such will excite envy; because the higher in their guardianship, the less exceptionable is it also. Nay, for them even who may envy me the martyrs, do I wish they may be patrons. So let them come and see my body guard; I own I have such arms about me. These put their trust in chariots, and these in horses; but we will exalt ourselves in the name of the Lord our God.'"

"Elisæus, as the course of the holy scripture tells us, when surrounded by the Syrian army, said to his frightened servant, by way of calming him, "There are more for us than are against us." And to prove this, he begged that Gehazi's eyes might be opened; upon which the latter saw innumerable hosts of angels present. We, though we cannot see them, yet are sensible of them. Our eyes were held as long as the bodies of the saints lay hid in their graves. The Lord has opened our eyes: we saw those aids by which we have often been defended. We had not the sight of these, yet we had the possession. And so, as though the Lord said to us in our alarm, "Behold what mar

273807

tyrs I have given you!” in like manner our eyes are unclosed, and we see the glory of the Lord, which showed itself once in the passion of the martyrs, and now in their efficacy. We have got clear, my brethren, of no slight a load of shame; we had patrons yet we knew it not. We have found this one thing, in which we have the advantage of our forefathers; they lost the knowledge of these holy martyrs, and we have gained it.

"Bring the victorious victims to the spot where is Christ the sacrifice. But he upon the altar, who suffered for all; they under it, who were redeemed by his passion. I had intended this spot for myself; for it is fitting that where the priest had been used to offer, there he should repose; but I yield the right side to the sacred victims; that spot was due to the martyrs. Therefore let us bury the hallowed relics, and introduce them into a fitting home; and celebrate the whole day with sincere devotion !"

In his latter sermon, preached the following day, he pursues the subject:

"This your celebration, they are jealous of who are wont to be; and being jealous of it, they hate the cause of it, and are extravagant enough to deny the merits of those martyrs, whose works the very devils confess. Nor is it wonderful; it commonly happens that the faithlessness of unbelievers is more extreme than the confession of the devil. For the devil said, 'Jesus, Son of the living God, why hast thou come to torment us before the time?' And, whereas the Jews heard this, yet they were the very men to deny the Son of God. And now ye have heard the evil spirits crying out, and confessing to the martyrs, that they cannot bear their pains, and saying, 'Why have you come to torment us so heavily?' And the Arians say, 'They are not martyrs, nor can they torment the devil, nor dispossess any one;' while the torments of the evil spirits are evidenced by their own voice, and the benefits of the martyrs by the recovery of the healed, and the proofs of the dispossessed.

"The Arians say, 'These are not real torments of evil spirits, but they are pretended and counterfeit.' I have heard of many things pretended, but no one ever could succeed in feigning himself a devil.

How is it we see them in such distress when the hand is laid on them? What room is here for fraud? What suspicion of imposture?'

[ocr errors]

They deny that the blind man received sight; but he does not deny he was cured. He says, 'I see who afore saw not.' He says, 'I cease to be blind,' and he evidences it by the fact. They deny the benefit, who cannot deny the fact. The man is well known; employed as he was, before his affliction, in a public trade, Severus his name; a butcher his business: he had given it up when this misfortune befel him. He refers to the testimony of men whose charities were supporting him; he summons them as evidence of his present visitation, who were witnesses and judges of his blindness. He cries out that, on his touching the hem of the martyr's garment, which covered the relics, his sight was restored to him. We read in the gospel, that when the Jews saw the cure of the blind man, they sought the testimony of the parents. Ask others, if you distrust me; ask persons unconnected with him, if you think his parents would take a side. The obstinacy of these Arians is more hateful than that of the Jews. When the latter doubted, they inquired of the parents; these inquire secretly, deny openly, as giving credit to the fact, but denying the author."-Ep. 22.

We may corroborate the evidence of those two fathers with that of Paulinus, who was secretary to St. Ambrose, and wrote his life, about A. D. 499.

"the

"About the same time," he says, holy martyrs Protasius and Gervasius revealed themselves to God's priest. They lay in the basilica, where, at present, are the bodies of the martyrs Nabor and Felix; while, however, the holy martyrs Nabor and Felix had crowds to visit them, the names as well as the graves of the Martyrs Protasius and Gervasius were unknown; so that all who wished to come to the rails which protected the graves of the martyrs Nabor and Felix were used to walk on the graves of the others. But when the bodies of the holy martyrs were raised and placed on litters, thereupon many possessions of the devil were detected. Moreover, a blind

« PredošláPokračovať »