22
AN GAODHAL.
DR GALLAGHERS'S SERMONS.
SERMON 1 — ON THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR BLESSED
LADY, THE VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF GOD.
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of
our death.
Words of the Holy Ghost, spoken by the
mouth of the Catholic Church, and which con-
stitute a portion of the Ave Maria.
From this short prayer, which the Catholic
Church utters, it is quite easy for you to un-
derstand how great is the confidence which
she has in the intercession of the Virgin
Mother.
As long as a person is in the vale of tears on
this earth the flesh is continually drawing him
to evil, the devil and the hosts of infernal
spirits daily lay snares for him. “He goeth
about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may
deyour.” 1 Pet., c. r, ver. 8. Man is subject
to many wants in regard to his soul and body.
It is beyond the power of any person to ob-
tain by his innate strength, mastery over the
inclination, and the fondness which man with
his bodily passions has for the world. There
is not on earth any power that can, without
the grace of God, obtain victory over the
devil. How, then, Christians, is it that we can
obtain those graces which are so essentially
necessary for us, in working out effectively
the spiritual advancement of our souls? We
ourselves are not worthy of obtaining grace ;
we in whom there is nothing which springs
from the fountain of nature but evil and inor-
dinate desire; we who are every day violating
God's cammandments and His law ; we who
are covered from head to foot with the leprosy
of sin — how can we go and ask these graces
of Him whom we are daily exciting to wrath?
Oh! what can be done? Who is the friend
or the relative to whom we can turn, since we
have made an enemy of our dear friend,
Christ? Oh! there is one, my friends, the
Virgin Mary. It is in her hands is placed the
power of wresting from us the chastisement
which our sins deserve. It is through Mary's
hands every aid and assistance comes to us
from God. She is the stream out of which
flow in torrents to us the waters of the foun-
ain of grace. It is for this reason the Church
enjoins on us to repeat that prayer frequently.
(To be Continued.)
We regret to learn, through the Morgan
City Review, of the terrible affliction with
which a respected contributor to this Journal,
and a patriotic Irishman, J. A. O'Niell, Esq., of
Franklin, La., has been visited in the brutal
murder of his son. We copy from the Review:
Murder of Young Richard Kane O'Niell,
of Franklin. — No more horrible crime or one
more shocking to the human mind has ever
been perpetrated in St. Mary than the brutal
murder of young Richard Kane O’Niell, fourth
son of John A. O’Niell, Esq., of Franklin, our
much respected Parish Treasurer, which oc-
curred Wednesday forenoon last, near the
railroad water tank on the Bayon Choupique,
a short distance above Franklin.
The child, not quite fourteen years old, had
gone out with a gun to shoot birds, and when
found he was dead, with two gun-shot wounds
in his back, and had been frightfully pounded
over the head, probably with his own fire-
arm. The feelings of all who have heard of
this terrible affair are so intense it is impossi-
ble to fully describe them. Sympathy for the
stricken family is unbounded.
A few days ago we received the annexed
letter from Mr. O’Neill, with whom we sin-
cerely sympathise in his great affliction —
FRANKLIN, La., Nov. 17, 1881.
M. J. LOGAN, Esq., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Dear Sir — I herewith send you 60 cents in
postage stamps, in return for which please
send me THE GAEL for one year.
Whatever I can do to promote the circula-
ation of this curious little journal, shall be
done.
Our countrymen are not numerous in these
parts.
Trusting that this patriotic undertaking
nay be blessed with success and good re-
sults.
I am, dear sir, your obedient servant,
JOHN A. O’NIELL.
WE give this month the translations of the
Fables which appeared in the First No. and
also, the translation of Dr. Gallagher's ser-
mons, and some of the letters which appeared
in the last No. Our reason for not giving the
translation in the same number is, to give
students time to exercise their linguistic cap-
abilities. The Rev. U. J. Canon Bourke's re-
vision of Dr. Gallagher's Sermons, with his
idiomatic translation, we give in this Journal.
This invaluable work should be in the hands
of every Gaelic reader. The reason that we
do not give the translation of the songs is, be¬
cause they are to be found in all editions of
"Moore’s Melodies.” We intend immediately
to commence the Search of Dermott and
Graine — a tale which will be very interesting
to Gaelic readers, in a modernized verbiage
with the translation in each succeeding num-
ber. We have secured correspondence from
all parts of Ireland, which will appear from
time to time in our columns. We invite short
commumications in Gaelic from all sections of
this and the old country. We would call at-
tention to our Dublin contributor's patriotic
letter in another column.
