The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1918. THE CHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 31 October 1918, Page 25

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1918. THE CHURCH

* • O you remember that marvellous passage in which Ruskin describes the view of San Marco as it is revealed to the traveller emerging from the narrow Venetian ways into the sunlight of the Piazza? Let us recall it now: “There rises a vision out of the earth, and all the great square seems to have opened from it in a kind of awe, that we may see it far awaya multitude of pillars and white domes, clustered into a long low pyramid of colored light; a treasure-heap, it seems, partly of gold and partly of opal and mother-of-pearl, hollowed beneath into five great vaulted porches, ceiled with fair mosaic, and beset with sculpture of alabaster, clear as amber, and delicate as ivory—sculpture fantastic and involved, of palm-leaves and lilies, and grapes and pomegranates, and birds clinging and fluttering among the branches, all twined together into an endless network of buds and plumes; and, in the midst' of it, the solemn forms of angels, sceptred and robed to the feet, and leaning to each other across the gates, their figures indistinct among the gleaming of the golden ground through the leaves beside them, interrupted and dim, like the morning light as it faded back among the branches of Eden, when first its gates were angel-guarded long ago.” There, haply, is the most splendid description of the most splendid church ever raised on earth by the genius of man to the , glory of his Creator. The wonderful words bring back a vision of the crowning glory of Venice to him whose eyes have once been gladdened by the sight of the great temple arising in glory over the sea-born city. But they also bring to mind the grandeur and the spiritual loveliness of the Catholic Church herself, that Heavenly Jerusalem, that blessed vision' of peace, ever ancient and ever young, rooted among the dead of the early ages and piercing Heaven with its viewless turrets. San Marco, for all its magnificence, is to be seen and known and measured by the patient traveller; the Church herself can be approached from countless avenues, studied from innumerable points of view, but her beauty

can never be fully realised. nor her charm appreciated. This week we will look at the Church from one avenue, to which the season leads us, and from which it tempts us to contemplate her. * The Church is divided into three great groups of members: the Church Triumphant, the Chtxrch Suffering, and the Church Militant, embracing the grand society of “the noble living and the noble dead.” The members of the three groups are not divided through the blessed Communion of Saints, we who are still on earth, members of the Church Militant, are in touch with the souls of the just who are still passing through that region of Light and Peace and Refx-esh-ment, which we call Purgatory, while they and we are always near the Blessed ones who have beexx made fit for the visioxx of the Splendor of God in Heavexx. At this time of the year our relations with the souls in Purgatory axxd with the Saixxts ax brought hoxxxe to us vividly by the two feasts with which the Month of November opens. When October dies a new month begins with the day which we love to call by its old name of All Hallows, and the Church ixxvites us to join with her in honoring the inxxxixxxerable saints whose names are all known to God alone, commemorated on that day. They are all those who have died iix God's grace and been found worthy to receive the reward resexrved for His faithful servants after the last earthly stain is cleansed from them iix the fire of Purgatory. They include the children who died before they ever knew the malice of sin, whom God took to Himself while they were undefiled and untarnished ; they . include the many sinners who through God’s grace arose from their sins and x-eturned to the house of their Father; they include, sux-ely, many of our own nearest axxd dearest, whose -unselfish lives and sterling piety is fox* us the sweet pledge of their happiness now. All these the Church honors on All Hallows Day. And surely it is well for us to pause and to recall what the Feast means, iix order that we may appreciate better the Communion of Saixxts and derive xxxore benefits from it for the coming year. And when All Hallows is gone another Feast dawns which is, this year, as it has been for the past four years, of special interest for us. It is the day of the souls in Purgatory. All through that morning the churches are filled with Christians who join with the pxdests in the Masses offered up to God for the relief of those who suffer and cannot help themselves any more. In Purgatory axe all the souls of those who died free from mortal sin and who have not yet been made pure enough to enter Heaven and enjoy the Beatific Vision. And which one among us does not feel certain, as far as we can be humanly certaixx of anything, that among those dear sufferers there are many'of our own friends whom we have loved on earth and whom God has taken from us? We have all stood by the grave and seen the clay falling on the coffin that hid from our eyes some who were very dear to —father, mother, brother, sister, wife, friend, oxchild. Not one of us is so young that it has not beexx his lot to feel the aching pain of loss for oxxe of these. Alas ! how maxxy have felt it during the year that is with us now ! How many a home in New Zealand will miss for the long years in the dark future the presence of one or more whom the cruel war has taken ! How nxany more homes will have the saxxxe sad experience before it is over God only knows. With what good reason then ought we to heax'ken to the invitation of the Church to remember our dear dead on All Souls’ Day. And what strength axxd comfort ought we to find in the knowledge that they are not lost to us, that they are but hidden, that they are still with us iix the Communion of Saints through which we can help them axxd through which they can help us. •» Blessed are the dead that die ixx the Loi'd ! When November opens we will remember the blessed dead. We will join hands across the grave axxd through the shadows with those who have gone before us. We will feel that they are united with us and that although divided by invisible barriers the three great groups of

the Triumphant, Suffering, and Militant—■ are always one and indivisible around the Throne of God. Let us remember that the Saints can help us, and let us not forget to ask them. But, .November which is the month of the Holy Souls, let us above all remember that the dear dead whom we loved are calling out to us incessantly :

Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you that are my friends, for the hand of the Lord hath touched me.