=WALTER MAMMON,O.F.M=



GUILD PAMPHLETS

By Method C. Billy, O. P. M. Conv.
Life in the Service

By Maire Cotter
A Mother and a Mystic at Home

By Most Bev. B. J. Cushings
The Third Order in Our Day

By William J. Doheny, C. S. C.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

By Victor P. Blmer, O. P. M.
St. Bernardine of Siena

By Pelician A. Poy, O. P. M.
Christ and You — Redeemers
By Bev. Bichard Ginder

Life Begins at Baptism The Christian Nobility
Peace of Mind and Heart

By Prancis J. Greiner, S. M.
Mary’s Work in the World

By Most Bev. William A. Griffin
Peopling Heaven Veni, Sponsa Christi

By Marion A. Hahig, O. P. M.
Man of Peace St. Prancis Solano Vico Necchi

Our Lady of the High^vay

By Walter Hammon, O. P. M.
The Power of Love

By Budolf Harvey, O. P. M.
A New Birth of Freedom The Pursuit of Happiness
This Nation under God What Is Man?

By Augustine P. Hennessy, C. P.
God’s Troubadour and His Lady

By Jeffrey Keefe, O. P. M. Conv.
The Gospel Truth Miracles: Facts or Fantasies

By Gordon Krahe, O. P. M.
What the Mass Is for You

By Giles Lawlor, O. P. M.
Don’t Be Afraid To Go to Confession

By James M. Iiinehan, O. P. M.
A Living Crucifix

By Valentine Long, O. P. M.
The Last Supper Every Day Mothers
On Using the Brain The Way Home

Who Believes in Sin Any More?
Why Not Take God’s Word for It?

Youth— Springtime of Love



THE POWER

OF LOVE

by

Walter Hammon^ O. F. M.

t

Thoughts on love, the bond of our kinship

with the saints; on love as a means of ob-

taining for the dear ones whom God has

taken from us, eternal blessedness, and for

ourselves, a tranquil heart, a peaceful life

and a happy death.

St. Anthony's Guild

Paterson, New Jersey



Copyright, 1954, by

St. Anthony’s Guild

Imprimi potest:

Celsus R. Wheeler, O. F. M.

MINISTER PROVINCIAL

N/A/7 obstat:

Imprimatur

:

May 7, 1954

Bede Babo, O. S. B.

CENSOR LIBRORUM

•J-
James A. McNulty

BISHOP OF PATERSON

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA



THE POWER OF LOVE

IMY friend the architect invited me
to inspect the new church he was build-

ing. Afterward he asked me, "Well, what

do you think of i^?” "Oh,” I said, "I think

it is very fine— a beautiful church.” "And
what about the details?” he asked. "Do

you think it has enough windows? What

do you think of the pillars? How about

those medallions on the ceiling?” I had to

confess I had not particularly noticed the

windows or the pillars— and as for the
medallions, I had but a confused impression

that they were all right.

Afterward the thought struck me: that

was a good example of the way most of us

go through life, not noticing the things

which contribute to its beauty and happiness,

only vaguely conscious of the power to do

tremendous things. From the dawn of crea-

tion the phenomenon of steam existed, and

yet thousands of years went by before one

man, observing steam escaping from a tea-

kettle, put its power to practical use. From

his observations came all those mechanisms

which depend upon steam for power. Again,

the phenomenon of electricity had always

1



been present in the universe, yet it went un-

discovered by countless generations until

finally one man harnessed its power and gave

us those modern inventions which depend

upon electricity.

What is it the saints have caught that

makes them different from ourselves? It is

simply this: they have understood and uti-

lized a powerful force in the world which

the rest of us have taken for granted and

neglected. It is not the power of mighty in-

tellect, nor the gift of tongues, nor the

knowledge of many languages, nor facility

in speaking. It does not depend upon high

birth or political influence. It can be grasped

by the poorest of the poor. It is available to

us all. It is simply the power of love.

We all like to read and speak of love.

The three little words "I love you” have

more power than any other combination of

letters to bring us peace and happiness.

There is no heart so cold that love cannot

warm it, so depressed that love cannot lift it

up, so despairing that love cannot give it

hope. There is no grief love cannot soften,

nor memory of evil it cannot erase; no sin

love cannot pardon, nor wound it cannot

cure. It is the mender of broken hearts, the

answer to most of life’s problems, the anti-

2



dote for most of its ills. Such is its power

that the very omnipotence of God obeys its

dictates, His justice is outweighed, and the

reign of His mercy rules the earth. When

justice demands ''Vengeance is mine!” love

answers, "Much is forgiven because she has

loved much.” Love is the secret of the

saints; and yet it is no secret, for it is part

and parcel of us all.

Immortality of Love

The first love anyone can know in the

normal course of events is love for his moth-

er. Even before he knows of God he knows

of her. As the infant awakens to conscious-

ness of the world in which he lives, his

mother’s face is the first with which he be-

comes familiar, the embrace of her arms the

first warm bed in which he rests content, the

sound of her voice the first of the multitude

of sounds he learns to recognize. As his

awareness of his surroundings slowly in-

creases, so also does his awareness of her

who leads him out of the mists of infancy

into the wider world of childhood, where he

walks and talks and finally grows into a

man.

Many he learns to love. His father early

takes his place in the order of affection.

3



Then other children and grownups are ad-

mitted to that intimate ever-increasing circle.

The idea of God is an easy one for his

young mind to grasp. The idea of belonging

to someone is a familiar one to him; and the

idea of belonging to God in turn gives birth

to the idea of loving God, even as he loves

mother and father and others familiar to

him.

Thus love is born and becomes a dominant

factor in his life. Loves and hatreds, likes

and dislikes, shall dictate the whole course

of his days, pick his company for him,

choose his work, select the ideals and ambi-

tions he will follow. When the span of his

life is complete and his course is run, the

objects of his love shall dictate the eternal

resting place of his immortal soul and the

extent to which he is remembered upon

earth.

Love, therefore, is a thing to be cultivated,

tenderly nursed, and directed into right

channels. Any perversion or misdirection

brings pain and regret. That which we call

our conscience is the yoice of love. When it

tells us that we have hurt that which we

should have loved, it excites remorse with-

in us. There is no truer contrition than that

which comes from the realization that we

4



have been disloyal to love, whether it be

toward God or man. There is no truer love

than that which seeks to repair such faith-

lessness and to prove itself anew. Happily,

there is no fall which love cannot repair, no

coldness or neglect which love cannot re-

deem, no heights or depths or distances

whatsoever which love cannot reach, no

chasms it cannot bridge.

Love, born with the infant, does not die

with the man. It penetrates the veil which

separates time and eternity. Since man is

made to the image and likeness of God, and

God is Love, it is in love that that image is

most clearly seen. Since God is Love and

God is eternal, then love is eternal and that

likeness is eternal. Immortal love, undying

love, is God’s great gift to the creatures

whom His love fashioned. His love for

mankind made Him pour love into the hu-

man heart as into a reservoir from which

others might drink; made that reservoir

eternal so that the saints might be its chan-

nels. This unending love is the foundation

of that association which we call the Com-

munion of Saints, and the reason for our

devotion to the souls of our dear departed

loved ones.

5



Fountain of Love

Life is a thing of joys and sorrows. But

there is one place where joy is sweeter, where

sorrow is less hard to bear— and that is
home.

Home— blessed word that fills the weary
heart of man with peace; blessed place to

which the weary heart of man turns wist-

fully from every quarter of his travels. How

true are the words of the old song,

”
’Mid pleasures and palaces though

we may roam.

Be it ever so humble, there’s no

place like home.”

Whether it be an ivy-covered cottage in the

country or only a few rooms in a crowded

city tenement, nevertheless it is home, the

place where loved ones dwell. Though the

world has many highways, and the seas of

the world are wide, still across miles of earth

and across restless seas the eyes of the trav-

eler look fondly back to the warmth of af-

fection, the understanding and peace, that

are to be found at home.

What is the foundation of the home? A

man and a woman before the altar of God

pledge to one another their lifelong trust.

6



They pledge their vows of love for better or

for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness

or in health, until death shall part them.

And then they establish the home in which

their children will grow up around them.

How blessed is that little spot— how dear
the memories which gather around it! The

mother, with loving and solicitous eye,

watches her babies grow and change. The

ailments of their infancy, the joys and cares

of their busy school days— these and every
other circumstance of their lives become to

her the very breath of being. The father,

laboring out in the world, labors the more

willingly, and with contentment and peace,

because of the ever-present thought of home.

In the evening when work is over, tired but

happy he turns toward that loved spot. His

eyes light up, a new spring comes into his

step, the cares of the world and the prob-

lems of life seem small and far away as his

children rush to meet him and throw their

arms around him. Day by day home be-

comes more blessed and more dear— a holy
place, not only man’s castle but his heaven

upon earth.

Then the children grow up and go out

into the world. One perhaps will achieve

wealth and honor, to the delight of the par-

7



ents’ hearts. Fondly they follow his progress

from success to success. And for that one

who has attained success, beyond the satis-

faction which comes from ambitions realized

or the adulation of the crowd, there is a

tenderer and deeper satisfaction in the

knowledge that the folks at home are

pleased, that he has made some return for

their love. Between heart and home the old

sacred union persists. The memories of that

blessed place remain undimmed by time, un-

tarnished by success.

Perhaps there is another, too, the black

sheep of the family, yet dearest to the

mother’s heart. Tliat one most of all is in

her prayers. With what joy she welcomes

his every return to her— with what love and
solicitude she follows his footsteps wherever

they may turn. She broods over the thought

of him, and from her bruised heart there is

forced by her sorrow not so much the bitter

essence of disappointment as the sweet nectar

of love and compassion.

Death enters the home and some are taken

away. Still their memories cling to the very

walls; and to those who remain, home be-

comes ever more dear.

Blessed is the home; dear the memories

that cling to the associations of childhood;

8



magic the spell that love weaves around the

growing family. Home is a fountain of love.

Yet the tie of aflFection which binds the

members of a family together is a mere type

of a still stronger bond, a still higher affec-

tion, a more perfect love— the love which
does not cease with time or die with things

of earth.

Brothers and Sisters of the Saints

To His Beloved Disciple, God granted a

vision of heaven. St. John, in the Apoc-

alypse, describes it for us thus: ''I saw a

great multitude which no man could number,

out of all nations and tribes and peoples and

tongues, standing before the throne and be-

fore the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and

with palms in their hands” (Apoc. 7:9).

On the feast of All Saints that vision is

placed before us that we may recall the

birthright that is ours. The Church Tri-

umphant in heaven, the Church Militant on

earth, and the Church Suffering in purga-

tory form one great organic body, of which

God is the head. We are the branches of
the Vine which is Jesus Christ.

The Communion of Saints means the fam-

ily circle of the Church, whose members are

bound together by bonds of undying love.

9



Into that circle we are bom by Baptism. We

become brothers and sisters of the saints in

heaven, of the poor souls in purgatory, and

of the faithful on earth. In that circle we

grow up and are educated. Our holy

Mother the Church follows our progress

with loving and solicitous eyes. Even as

every good mother nurtures and cares for

her child, so Mother Church nurtures and

cares for us. When our fallen nature begins

to assert itself, she strengthens us by Con-

firmation. As children run to their mother

to have their little bruises treated, so we run

to her maternal arms and are made sound

again in the Sacrament of Penance. She

feeds us with the very Bread of Life in the

Sacrament of the Eucharist. She blesses our

union in marriage or in the religious life.

She kneels by the bed of death to calm our

fears and fill our hearts with hope. From

the cradle to the grave she is our Mother,

loving, devoted, tender, true.

Some of her children grow up to saint-

hood, and their memory is kept ever green

upon her altars. Others of her family must

pass through the pains of purgatory until

they are purified and cleansed, made worthy

to enter the presence of God and live, a

5aint with the other saints, forever. But for

10



all her children this holy Mother cherishes

an equal love. Her great heart turns with

pride and joy and satisfaction to those who

have achieved success and rest with God; it

turns with pity and compassion to those who

linger in the pains of purgatory; it encour-

ages, with a constant solicitude, those who

still fight on toward their goal.

What a beautiful example of undying

love, of love that stretches beyond the limits

of time into eternity, is given to us by our

kinship with the saints! There are many

birthdays which our nation celebrates, such

as that of Washington, the champion of

liberty, and that of Lincoln, the martyr for

the preservation of our nation’s ideals. But

the feast of All Saints is a family birthday,

a day when we remember with affection all

our brothers and sisters who have fought

for and won the crown of eternal blessed-

ness. Their glory is our glory; their holy

example is the model after which we strive

to construct our lives; their intercession is

our strength; their reward awaits us; their

love reaches out to lift us up and shield us

lest our birthright of glory be forever lost.

The example of the saints shines as a

beacon light, illumining our path through

life. They were men and women of flesh and

11



blood like ourselves. For them, too, the

world, the flesh and the devil held out false

promises of pleasure. They suffered the

same temptations, the same trials, the same

sorrows. By faith and hope and charity, by

love for God and man, they merited to hear

the blessed words: ''Enter into the joy of thy

Master.” What they have done we know we

too can do; where they have gone we know

we too can go, by following the footsteps

they have left clearly printed on the earth.

Their powerful help is ours for the asking.

While they are the friends of God and live

before His face, they are at the same time

our brethren, filled with the greatest charity

toward us. Not only St. Teresa, but all the

saints wish to let fall a shower of roses upon

the earth. When we need that inspiration

which love can give, we can find it within

the bosom of our own family, from these,

our own brothers and sisters.

Above all things, the saints remind us of

the glorious destiny that is ours. "Do not

give way to doubt,” they say. "Do not de-

spair; have faith— have hope! Lift up your
hearts!” Their robes of eternal blessedness

will yet be ours. We need not be dismayed

by any wiles of the evil one, nor discouraged

by our own weaknesses. We are the brothers

12



and sisters of the saints, and they will help

us through the trials of life and past the

gates of death. The death of the body shall

be forgotten in the victory of the soul, and

we shall sing with them the glad song of the

victors: Death, where is thy sting? O

grave, where is thy victory?” Such is our

sure hope, founded upon undying love in

the Communion of the Saints.

Heaven Opened by Love

What is heaven? ''Eye has not seen,” says

St. Paul, "nor ear heard, nor has it entered

into the heart of man, what things God has

prepared for those who love Him” (I Cor.

2:9). So far superior to the ordinary con-

cepts of the human mind are the things of

God that any attempt to portray them must

ever fall short of reality. Beauty of earth,

however, does give us some ground for com-

parison and thus helps us to get a faint idea

of the beauty that is with God.

We hear a magnificent piece of music—
perhaps a symphony played by a famous or-

chestra— and it fills us with enchantment.
We close our eyes and give ourselves up to
the transporting experience. The cares of

the world and the things that trouble us

seem far away and of little consequence.

13



For the time being our souls are bathed in

delight and we say, ''Ah, this music is

divine!’’

We see a beautiful painting, a master-

piece of art, and pause to admire it. We

feast our eyes upon it and again we exclaim,

"Ah, this is perfect— this is heavenly!”
Or again, we climb to the summit of some

lofty mountain to view the scene before us.

Rolling hills disappear on the far horizon.

Valleys far below are checkered with the

outlines of farmlands and dotted with tiny

homes. White clouds sail like ships across

the clear blue of the sky. The very air

sparkles like wine as we drink it in. We are

thrilled to the depths of our souls by the

loveliness of it all. Like Peter, James and

John standing upon the summit of Mount

Thabor to witness the Transfiguration of

our Lord, when His face shone as the sun

and His garments became as white as snow,

and the voice of God spoke from the heav-

ens like a mighty benediction, "This is my

beloved Son,” we long to cry out and say,

^'Lord, it is good for us to be here.” We are

entranced by the vision and wish we could

enjoy its beauty forever.

Or we travel upon a ship, and as it cleaves

the blue waters of the deep, and brilliant

14



sunshine pours down upon us, we say, ''How

sublime— I could go on like this forever!”
Why do we speak so? Why do we feel

so? It is because the heart of every man

craves for beauty, and harmony, and perfect

order, and happiness that has no end.

Long ago, before sin came into the world,

there was a time when Adam walked and

talked with God in paradise. Then the ser-

pent entered the picture. The will of man

was weakened, his intellect was darkened,

and there took possession of his mind and

body the first fever in the history of our

race— the inclination to sin.
When these things are ended, when that

weakness of the will is gone, when that

darkness of the intellect is removed, and that

inclination toward sin no longer exists within

us, when we return to walk and talk with

God in paradise— that is heaven.
Things of earth may indeed give us pass-

ing moments of happiness, when they possess

a spark of that harmony and peace and

beauty which we seek. But the music ceases;

the song ends; we turn with regret from that

beautiful painting; we come down from the

mountain peak; the ship returns once more

to the shore.

15



Heaven is where our desires are fed with

beauty and harmony and order and peace

that has no end, that will continue on into

the endless ages of eternity. Heaven is love

without fear of change, love that shall never

die.

What are the strong desires filling every

human breast? Certainly, to the Christian

heart, these are very powerful desires: to

know God completely without the veils of

time or space; to love God without fear; to

serve Him without the possibility of sin; to

enjoy the constant presence of our loved

ones without the dread of sickness or death;

and to have their constant esteem and affec-

tion without the possibility of loss.

Heaven is all this and more besides. No

beauty of earth nor any earthly art, no

wildest dreams of the mind of man or great-

est longings of the saints, has ever yet ap-

proached comparison to the things God has

prepared for those who love Him. Beyond

calculation is the power of love to make

our dreams come true.

Love prompts us to desire for our loved

ones those same good things we desire for

ourselves. The beloved souls in purgatory

were also made for God; their souls were

fired with the same spark of divinity as our

16



own. They, too, thrilled at the sight of

beauty here on earth and longed to have

their desires fulfilled. Now they are closer

to that realization. Nothing separates them

except the debt they still must pay. All fear

is gone, all anxiety is gone^ the possibility of

sin exists no more. They yearn only for the

bliss of complete forgiveness, for the enjoy-

ment of undying love. It is within the power

of our love to open the gates of heaven for

them. God may take our loved ones out of

this world, but He does not take them out

of our hearts. He does not put them beyond

the reach of our love, nor render that love

impotent to help them. Love answers to love,

and the vast power of Him Who created the

world out of love bends down to answer the

pleading prayers which come from human

hearts.

A Franciscan hospital chaplain tells of

witnessing an eye operation by a famous

surgeon. A young man had been blind from
birth and the doctor hoped to give him

sight. After the operation, the patient lay

for many days in his hospital bed, his eyes

swathed in bandages while the healing proc-

ess went on. What hopes and fears, as he

lay there waiting, must have surged through

his mind! For years he had lived in black-

17



ness. The loving care of the hands which

guided him he could appreciate; but the

hands themselves he could not see. Would

his whole life now be changed? Would that

unknown power called sight be given to him,

or would he continue to the end in darkness?

The whole hospital staff waited with him in

tense concern.

At last the great day came. Slowly, care-

fully, hopefully, the wrappings were un-

wound. The moment was at hand. His eye-

lids fluttered. He dared to open them. A

cry of exultation and happiness burst from

his lips: God, I see! I see!”

It was a marvelous miracle which the skill

of that surgeon had wrought. When the

happy man tried to thank him, however, the

doctor said simply: ''Thank God, not me.

All the credit belongs to Him.”

God had given a wonderful gift, but He

had given it through human hands.

Even more wonderful is the miracle which

our love can perform for the souls of our

dead.

Now, by their perfect faith, they realize

as they never could before the infinite beauty

and holiness of God. Now, thrilled with

hope, they are close to the enjoyment of

18



never-ending happiness. That moment, de-

sired since first they dreamed of love, is near

at hand. They long with a single desire to

begin the eternal years of peace. They yearn

with the fullness of yearning for deliverance

from pain. The pure ardor of charity burns

within them for that moment when their joy

will be complete.

The merciful love of God has made it

possible for loving human hearts to help

them, so that the veil which separates them

from pardon and peace can be removed.

Love urges us to hasten to their relief by

our prayers, to remove the bands which bind

their eyes, that they may open on celestial

light. Then they can cry exultantly at last,

''O God, I see! I see the heavenly throne,

with God the Father Who created me, Jesus

my Blessed Lord, Who redeemed me, the

Holy Ghost, Who sanctified me! I see the

Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, the choirs

of angels, the Apostles and Evangelists, the

confessors, the bands of martyrs, the white-

robed bands of virgins, all the company of

the saints of God! And I sing with them

at long last that song which they alone can

sing who have been washed in the Blood

of the Lamb!”

19



Love Reaches through the Veil

St. John, in his vision of heaven, tells us:

''There shall not enter into it anything de-

filed . . . but those only who are written in

the book of life of the Lamb” (Apoc.

21:27). In other words, none can enjoy

eternal life with God until they have been

cleansed from every trace of sin.

The need and the suffering of the de-

parted souls, who must be cleansed through

pain, gives opportunity for one of the truest

manifestations of love: the rendering of

help. The urgent necessity and the great

value of our help are taught in the doctrine

of purgatory.

What does the Church teach?

First, that there is a purgatory. We find

this great truth in both the Old and the

New Testament and in the constant tradi-

tion of the Church. It is clearly evident,

too, by the light of reason.

In the Old Testament we read that Judas

Machabeus, one of the leaders of the chosen

people of God, ordered that offerings should

be sent to the temple in Jerusalem and sac-

rifices offered there for his soldiers who had

died in battle; for, says Holy Scripture, "It

is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for

20



the dead, that they may be loosed from sins”

(II Mach. 12:46). Offerings for the dead

and prayers for the repose of their souls

were common practice among the Jews.

Our Lord found this a customary practice

during the years He traveled from place to

place teaching eternal truth. He did not

rebuke it or condemn it, even though of

other things He said, "Were it not so, I

should have told you.” Indeed, He Himself

speaks of sins that shall not be forgiven,

"either in this world or in the world to

come” (Mt. 12:32). Since nothing defiled

can enter heaven, and it is evident from

Christ’s words that sins can be atoned for

and guilt washed away in the world to come,

there must be a place where this is done;

where the souls of the dead are detained to

be purified and made worthy of the presence

of God.

Such has been the constant tradition of

the Church since the time of the Apostles.

The early Church Fathers speak of the

necessity and the practice of praying for the

dead. St. Augustine says: "Funeral pomp

and a gorgeous tomb, without being the

least service to the dead, may indeed offer

some kind of consolation to the living. But

that which cannot be doubted is that the

21



prayers of the Church, the Holy Sacrifice,,

and almsgiving bring them relief and obtain

for them mercy.”

It is not a case of the wish being father

to the thought. Besides the testimony of

Holy Scripture and tradition, there is the

conclusion of reason itself. For these ad-

missions must be made in reason: that while

those who die in mortal sin, outlaws against

their God, deserve the punishments of hell,

and those pure souls who die without the

least stain of sin deserve to be admitted to

the company of the blessed and live in the

presence of God, there are others, neither

so bad nor so good, who still deserve His

loving compassion. While ''nothing defiled

can enter heaven,” it befits God’s mercy that

there be a place of reparation where slight

imperfections and the punishment due to

forgiven sins can finally be washed away.

The consoling doctrine of purgatory,

therefore, teaches us: first, that there is such

a place; second, that after the remission of

the guilt of sin and of the eternal punish-

ment due to sin has been obtained from God

in the Sacrament of Penance, there still re-

mains some temporal punishment due; third,

that when one has not made due satisfac-

tion in this world, he can and must make it

22



after death in purgatory; fourth, that the

prayers and good works of the living can be

useful to the dead, can soothe and shorten

their sufferings; fifth, that the Holy Sacri-

fice of the Mass has the effect of satisfying

divine justice for both the living and the

dead.

We can, then, reach beyond the grave by

the power of our love, and bring relief to

the souls of our dear ones by prayers and

good works, by having the Holy Sacrifice

offered for them, by gaining indulgences for

them.

This beautiful doctrine, which offers such

an outlet for the exercise of love, is a source

of twofold consolation to us: it makes us

more assured of our own salvation, and gives

us an opportunity of helping, even through

the veil of death, those who were dear to

us in life.

It is infinitely consoling to know that we

can help our dead. So often we regret the

hasty word, the unkind act. So often our

grief is haunted by the memory of our cold-

ness and indifference toward those who

should have felt our love. We think of the
kindness we might have shown, the good we

might have done, the comforts we might

have provided. We say over and over again

23



to ourselves, "If only I had the chance to

do it over. If only they could really under-

stand that I loved them.”

Yet the remembrance of our dead need

not be haunted by these ghosts of wasted

opportunities. Change those tears and re-

grets into prayers for that soul. Follow your

dear ones past the portals of death, and by

your prayers and good works show that you

love them. Love gives us the power to

soothe their pain and to bring them more

speedily before the face of God in the eter-

nal blessedness of the saints, by applying to

them the infinite merits of Jesus Christ,

divine Lover of souls.

True Love Remembers

Prayer for the souls of the faithful de-

parted is not only an act of love, it is an

act of gratitude. It is a continuance of that

bond by which we have been joined, for

many years perhaps, to others. It is an ex-

pression of the debt which love would pay.

True love remembers. We see again the

faces of those whom God has taken from

us; memories, sometimes painfully sweet, re-

call their affection for us, the happiness they

gave us, the sacrifices they made for us.

True love does not forget.

24



From many pulpits priests have preached

to us, on many altars celebrated Mass. Now

they have gone before the judgment seat of

God. Some we knew very well. They were

our intimate friends. Many a time we saw

them ascend the altar steps; but now they

are gone, numbered among the faithful de-

parted, among those who have died in the

Faith but are still perhaps separated from

eternal peace. With them may be many

others who were once most dear to us—
mother or father, brothers or sisters, husband

or wife or children— many who were once
entwined in our heartstrings.

There was a time when we thrilled at the

words of that priest, when our heavy hearts

were made glad by his words of absolution

in the confessional, when peace flowed into

our souls as he raised the Sacred Host on

high and we bowed our heads in adoration.

There was a time, dimmed now by the

march of years, when our mother was our

whole world. Now we have many friends,

but once we had only one. Now our world

may be as wide as the seven seas, but once

it was as small as the shadow our mother

cast, limited by the embrace of her arms, and

warmed by the strength of her love. She

was the sun about which our little universe

25



revolved. Do we remember? Yes, for love

cannot forget. Even as the river whispers

ceaselessly of the spring that gave it birth,

so memory holds fond recollections of the

days when the world was small and mother

was its center.

There was a time when that dear father

was the best and most beloved companion,

when that loved husband shared every joy

and sorrow, when that cherished wife made

every joy sweeter and every sorrow easier to

bear, when parents and children were one

happy family together.

Now many of these bonds are broken.

Some of those we loved have left our side.

When they died, and we saw their bodies

laid in the darkness of the earth, from our

sorrowing hearts came many a fervent prayer

that they might rest in peace, that God

might have mercy on their souls.

When the tempest of grief is over and

the parting is soothed by time, then, too,

love will remember and offer the gift of

prayer.

Let me tell you of a most touching act of

love performed one Christmas Eve in a

Catholic hospital. As anyone knows, it is

bad enough to be confined to a hospital at

any time; but to be there on Christmas Eve,

26



when the rest of the world is rejoicing, is

hard indeed. Those who have had the ex-

perience will recall how the long, lonesome

hours dragged by.

To this particular hospital came a choir

from one of the neighboring churches. They

sang the old familiar Christmas songs—

-

^'Silent Night,” ''Adeste Fideles,” ''O Little

Town of Bethlehem.” What a change came

over the faces of the sick! It was touching

to see them brighten, to see so many wreathed

in smiles. One little child in her tiny bed

laughed aloud in glee. They had not been

forgotten! A simple act of charity had dis-

pelled the lonesomeness and brought radiant

peace instead.

And what of those who sang? Their own

hearts were the lighter because of the hap-

piness they brought to others. It is doubtful

if any other thing on Christmas Day, either

gifts received or greetings exchanged with

friends, gave them greater joy than the

knowledge of their kindly deed.

This simple little episode is a good illus-

tration of the power love possesses to bring

joy. Even after death has taken our dearest

from us, we can move the heart of God to

mercy by going in prayer to their aid in

27



His hospital— purgatory— where they are
detained.

We call them "poor souls,” but it is with-
in our power to make them rich. They are

truly poor in that they can do nothing for

themselves. Knowing now, better than ever,

the delights of heaven, they cannot gain it by

their own eflForts. Wretched indeed are those

poor souls for whom no one prays.

We call them "holy souls” because they

can never more sin, never suffer eternal loss.

But there is none there so holy that he does

not need our prayers. Their very holiness

only makes their suffering more keen. Their

perfect faith makes them realize God’s holi-

ness, His love for them, and the blessedness

of heaven. Their wonderful hope makes

them thirst after heaven, for perfect union

with God and His saints. They suffer bit-

terly the pain of separation. Burning charity

only intensifies their bitter grief for past of-

fenses against God and their present un-

worthiness of Him. It only increases the

pain of their frustrated love.

Solitary and homesick, separated on the

one hand from us whom they loved on earth,

and on the other from God Whom they love

in heaven, they look longingly to us for the

help our prayers can bring, and cry out in

28



the words of holy Job: "Have pity on me,

have pity on me, at least you my friends,

because the hand of the Lord has touched

me.

"Have pity on me!” that holy priest en-

treats, "you who joined with me at Mass,

you to whose hearts I so often brought

peace, on whose tongues I so often laid the

Bread of Life.”

"Have pity on me!” many a mother and

father cry to their children. "Have pity on

me, you for whom we worked and watched

during the daylight hours, and through the

lonely watches of the night.”

"Have pity on me, my husband!” "Have

pity on me, dear wife! Be still my joy in

sorrow, my comfort, my companion. Show

now your love.”

"You whom I loved so much, you to

whom I often gave good counsel, you who

were more dear to me than life itself, you

for whose sake perhaps I suffer here, have

pity on me, have pity on me!”

Not only will our prayers, springing from

pity and love, help to bring eternal happiness

to our loved ones, but they will bring peace

to our own hearts in the knowledge that we

have not forgotten the debt of love we owe

our dead.

29



Love Pleads at the Altar

One of the most touching stories in the

annals of our Faith is the story of St.

Monica and her son St. Augustine. The

youthful Augustine led a most sinful life.

Then came a change. He gave up his evil

ways, repented of his sins, underwent com-

plete conversion. He is one of our greatest

saints and a Doctor of the Church. In the

famed Confessionsy the story of his life, he

relates that it was the devotion of his mother,

her wonderful example of virtue, her cease-

less prayers for him, that saved him from

eternal ruin.

A short time before her death, this mother

and her son sat together talking of heaven.

''Son,” she said, "what I do here, for what

purpose I remain, I do not know. All my

hopes in this world are accomplished.” Only

a few days after this conversation she fell

mortally sick. She was far from her native

land and from the tomb of her husband, be-

side whom she had always wished to be

buried. But to the surprise of her two sons,

who knelt beside her deathbed, she gave

these instructions: "Here you shall bury

your mother.”

They reminded her of her years-long de-

sire to be buried beside her husband. But

30



Monica turned her eyes upon Augustine and

uttered her dying wish: 'Xay this body any-

where. Let not the care of that in any way

disturb you. This only I request, that you

remember me at the altar of God wherever

you may be.’’ Then she was still, in the

sleep of eternal peace.

St. Augustine tells us that at first he did

not weep. Neither at the funeral Mass nor

at the grave did he shed a tear. Only later,

in the quiet hours when the memory of her

sweetness and unceasing devotion overcame

him, were the springs unsealed within him.

And then he poured forth tears of a differ-

ent kind— prayers for her soul. Holy as he
knew her to be, he would not say that she

did not need prayers. Writing of his mother

and their beautiful devotion, he concludes

with the words that down through the cen-

turies have been the prayer of sorrowing

love: '^May she rest in peace.” And he begs*

all who in later times shall read the story of

her life and death to remember his mother’s

soul: ''that so, through the prayers of many,

my mother’s last request may be more

abundantly fulfilled.”

As St. Monica besought her son to rem.em-

ber her, so do our own departed and all the

holy souls entreat us to remember them, at

31



the altar where the Body and Blood of our

Redeemer pleads for them, that God may

grant them remission of their penitential suf-

fering and a speedy union with Him. By

means of the Holy Sacrifice our love is able

to hasten their release from purgatory, thus

augmenting the number of the blessed in

heaven, to God’s greater glory. For the Holy

Sacrifice is a repetition of the sacrifice on

Calvary; even as on the cross the good thief

won the glorious promise, "This day thou

shalt be with Me in paradise,” so through

the Sacrifice of the Mass heaven is thrown

open to souls.

The best gift our love can offer for the

souls of the departed is to remember them

at that moment when their Crucified Re-

deemer immolates Himself upon the altar

for the sins of all mankind. When the priest

raises the consecrated Host to be adored by

the faithful, he raises It too to plead as a

suppliant before the throne of the Most

High. When he elevates the Chalice with

the Precioils Blood of Christ, he offers It

too, as Christ did. "For this is the Chalice

of My Blood,” he says, "of the new and

eternal covenant; the mystery of faith, which

shall be shed for you and for many unto the

forgiveness of sins.” After the consecration.

32



when the Body and Blood of the Saviour

are present on the altar before him, there in

the very presence of God, the priest prays

for all who have preceded us, who, marked

by the sign of faith in Baptism now sleep in

the sleep of peace— that to these and to all
who rest in Christ may be granted a place

of refreshment, light, and peace.

Human love pleads with divine Love, and

obtains its reward from the merciful love

of God.

In this lies the great power of love— that
it can obtain for those whom God has taken

from us a speedier entrance into the joys of

eternal life, and obtain for us a tranquil

heart, a peaceful life and a happy death.

33





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