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Show CONFIRMATION AND FIRST COMMUNION. The children of the parish received the sacre-rhents sacre-rhents of Confirmation and First Communion last Sunday. The sight presented by such a large class of boys and girls as seen at the altar rails was soul-inspiring soul-inspiring and edifying. Confirmation, which is one of the seven sacraments, is conferred by the bishop of the diocese. Imprinting, as it does, on the soul an indelible character, it can be received only once. Its effects are to strengthen the faith and make the recipient a soldier of the cross. In conferring con-ferring the sacrament the bishop, dressed in his pontifical robes, solemnly says: "I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm' thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and 'of the Son, and of the Holy fihost." Chrism, mentioned men-tioned in the above form, is a mixture of olive oil and balm, .consecrated by the bishop on Holy Thursday. Its application to the forehead in a crucial form means that the confirmed, who share in the gifts of the Holy Ghost, should openly profess pro-fess and practice their faith, nevjer be ashamed of it, or deny it. Aided by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, those confirmed can carry out the injunction injunc-tion of the Savior, by not being ashamed of or3 denying their Master, and escaping the penalty attached to both. "They who are ashamed of me before men, I will be ashamed of them before my Father in Heaven. They who deny me before men, I will deny them before my' Father in Heaven." Xo belter or stronger proof of the effects "of Confirmation Con-firmation could . be given than -the huraculoui change produced in tho apostles by the descent of . .the Holy Ghost upon them in the feast of Pente- First Communion day is always for the Catholic Cath-olic child one of the happiest landmarks to which he - looks back with joy. It means for him that he receives for the first time the sacrament of the Holy - Eucharist, which contains the body and blood, soul and divinity di-vinity of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread. Ko grander event in the' life of the child than when for the first time the soul in its innocence inno-cence is united in the closest manner to Christ. It is related of tho Emperor Napoleon I, when at the zenith of his fame, that one of his generals asked him what was the happiest day of his life. Was it the day in which he gained some great victory vic-tory No. His reply is significant. "The day of my First Communion," answered Napoleon, "was the happiest day of my life, for then I was brought nearest to my God." Such were, doubtless, tho feelings feel-ings of the large class of boys and girls who received re-ceived ibc 'First Communion last Sunday. The expressions ex-pressions of joy which beamed in their countenances counte-nances indicated their happiness; also the good dispositions and readiness-which they displayed in becoming members of the League of the Cross, a society established for children by Bishop Scan-Ian. Scan-Ian. ' The object of the society is to keep the memory mem-ory of First Communion always fresh in the minds of t lies-children, by good habits and the practice of their religion. After the services, all the children chil-dren assembled in the sacristy and listened to the paternal advice of their shepherd. Bishop Scanlan, after pointing out 'the evils which surround them and the temptations that beset their journey in life's pathway, asked his little flock if they would not promise to abstain from alcoholic drink and tobacco in every shape till they reached the age of 21 years. All cheerfully responded "Yes." Tho bishop, mingling and chatting with his little innocent inno-cent family, was the happiest in the crowd. When he' saw all joyful and ready to comply with his wishes, as their chief pastor he could truly say: "Suffer the children to comp to me, for of such is the Kingdom of God." The Intermountain Catholic congratulates the bishop of the Catholic- diocese on his zealous efforts ef-forts and great success, and hopes that the pledge given by him to the little ones will be carefuly and faithfully carried out. . |