"A WISE VIRGIN"

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 18

" A WISE VIRGIN"

- Father M 'Guinness spoke as. follows at the recent funeral, of the late. SistenMaW Agnes^ of the Convent at;WellingtdnrJs- ■ ** My dear sisters— Allowj.me toasay! a good word to yon before' yon s take! your last farewell of all that s remains late sister. . It is hard, ho wevter^to speak of the dead in the presence* of ithe'.idea'd, especially of one whose loss to =us,is all the more sensible. '■ The tdeath ;of< the negligent Christian creates ifl ixs a [certain anxiety, from thetfear. that he, may have been ■ lost ; but the.' death of,- a., good religious person makes , us fedUmore for ourselves— that is, for what is certainly our own loss. This is, perhaps, a pardonable weakness— a pardonable selfishness, in which we all more or less :stiare.> "jfMy brethren, this is a wise virgin,- and f one, of the number of. the prudent, for she chose the "better part, which, shall noiibe taken from her." .In the bloom; ofnher days, when the .world is so fascinatingjfor others less wise, she .seeksca .refuge, from its deceitful charmsjin the t holyjsilehceiof the cloister. „She consecrates the i flower of her life to the service* of, Godi'and'.of religion, well knowing that tit /could not be consecrated to a better or, mbreideserving cause. She ■ consecrated, fcer which proved to be shorter than she! anticipated — to the, service -of the.isickjxand th<?. poor, and- the youngyi according; las obedience, should; direcfe^hegv?-.' Having finished" to satisfaction ■ h_erj probation ias novice, she was pefmittfid i tfco';imak.e.fh.er final consecration God in thes-Order of Mercy; and not mariyj.monthsichave passed away i since we saw, her pronouncing her solemn vows and 1 engagements -before this very altar; : Here, .on^this, hallowed spot, _she. promised v.to*. lead/ia life.».-bf poverty; chastity, and obedience.' s;, Here she took the veil that waslev.er to ; hide her from the' view: of.!thejlworld.r^'Here she received- the ring of i her espoiisalsj .by which she engagediherself;ta Jesus Christ alone. Since c.that ,dayhshe:;has proved herself 'faithful, -to; Jjherj {engagements, faithful ato/fher. .faithful ,spo.use ; and here, she oomea"again.>f6rjth'ef.<laT»t time, bearing, witWher tl^same^Yeil and same ring as pledges oft-her 'faithfulness, to demand a< ratification', for < eternity £<pf the nuptials. she had, so. auspiciously jcelebrated on the; day ,bf : rher profeßsiqn>in this church. . 'Come,: spxfase^dfcjG&rist, and possess the Kingdom/ sthel Lord<hath prepared from eternity.'" -,;,ii a! f> u> -.- A \ [The above sounds very, swjept^/f But let us say, for the encouragement of some of the wives,, and mothers, ; and maidens who may read it-=-and-whoj instead of seeking , a frpm ;dece#ful charms of the world in the holy silence of the cloister," are compelled tcf^fighl: the battle of : life— wives who are serving^ God well, by being true- helpmeets to' J their husbands .in the^sfruggle to' >'*'•", obtain things honest to the sight' of all^meri 5 ;" mothers 1 who,' 'MarthaUike^ "careful for many things— attd who are 'often' Wary with "planning and contriving 'in their effort to Bring up-thieir childreii in the " nurture and admonition of 'the 4 Lord**— that 1 the ' service they^'reiider- is- just*' as acceptable to their God-^and^that they, too, 'shall '-rdst from ' tKehM* labours 'here, and in due time shall hear the dear Master's voice saying to 'thern^-^ Well-done, good, and f aithfuL servant ■, {enter thou into the joy'6fthy v Lord."] ' f * '' "