,transcriber's notes3 ,this production is based on https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/sermonso fstpaul#jfunknuoft_/page_/n#f ,many footnotes have additional citations indicated by ,,usccb1 based on the ,united ,states ,conference of ,catholic ,bishops ,bible found at http3_/_/usccb4org_/bible_/books-of-the- bible4 ,most differences appear to be typographical errors not detected in proofreading or minor changes in verse numbering4 ,quotes from the book of ,sirach were attributed to ,ecclesiasticus4 ,double underscores are used to indicate text that is both bolded and italicized1 e4g4 bolded italics4 ,end of ,transcriber's notes4 #a ,sermons ,by ,the ,fathers ,of ,the ,congregation ,of ,st4 ,paul ,the ,apostle1 ,new ,york ,volume ,,vi4 ,new ,york3 ,the ,catholic ,publication ,house1 #i ,warren ,street4 ,boston3 ,patrick ,donahoe4 ,baltimore3 ,john ,murphy ,co4 #ahga4 #b ,entered1 according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahga1 by ,rev4 ,i4 ,t4 ,hecker1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 #c ,preface4 ,the publication of another volume of ,sermons by the ,fathers of the ,congregation of ,st4 ,paul the ,apostle1 is due to the encouragement already given by the extensive sale of the former ones2 and to the frequent solicitations for the continuance of their publication kindly made by many of the ,reverend ,clergy1 at home and abroad4 ,st4 ,paul's1 ,fifty-ninth ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,feast of ,st4 ,john of the ,cross1 #ahga4 #d #e #f #g ,contents4 ,sermon ,i4 ,remembrance ,of ,mercies4 ,isaiah lxiii4 #g4 ,i will remember the tender mercies of the ,lord1 the praise of the ,lord for all the things that the ,lord hath bestowed upon us4 ,page #ae ,sermon ,,ii4 ,the ,three ,gifts ,of ,the ,magi4 ,st4 ,matt4 ii4 #aa4 ,and going into the house1 they found the child with ,mary ,his mother3 and falling down1 they adored ,him3 and opening their treasures1 they offered to ,him gifts2 gold1 frankincense1 and myrrh4 ,page #cb #h ,sermon ,,iii4 ,how ,to ,pass ,a ,good ,lent4 #b ,cor4 vi4 #b4 ,behold1 now is the acceptable time2 behold1 now is the day of salvation1 ,page #db ,sermon ,,iv4 ,pretended ,and ,real ,christians4 #b ,cor4 vi4 #a4 ,and we do exhort you that you receive not the grace of ,god in vain1 ,page #ef ,sermon ,v4 ,the ,sins ,and ,miseries ,of ,the ,dram-seller4 ,habacuc ii4 #ae4 ,woe to him that giveth drink to his friend1 and presenteth his gall1 and maketh him drunk4 ,page #fi ,sermon ,,vi4 ,communion ,with ,jesus4 ,st4 ,john vi4 #eg4 ,,usccb3 ,john vi4 #ef4 ,he that eateth ,my flesh and drinketh ,my blood abideth in ,me1 and ,i in him4 ,page #hi #i ,sermon ,,vii4 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 ,the ,comforter4 ,st4 ,john ,,xiv4 #af4 ,i will ask the ,father1 and ,he will give you another ,comforter1 that ,he may abide with you for ever4 ,page #ajd ,sermon ,,viii4 ,the ,duty ,of ,upholding ,the ,pope's ,temporal ,sovereignty4 ,zach4 vi4 #ac4 ,he shall bear the glory1 and shall sit and rule upon his throne2 and he shall be a ,priest upon his throne1 ,page #abb ,sermon ,,ix4 ,the ,living ,god4 ,jer4 x4 #aj4 ,the ,lord is the true ,god3 ,he is the living ,god4 ,page #ada ,sermon ,x4 ,the ,real ,presence4 ,st4 ,matt4 i4 #bc4 ,they shall call ,his name ,emmanuel1 which1 being interpreted1 is ,god with us4 ,page #aee #aj ,sermon ,,xi4 ,st4 ,paul1 ,the ,divine ,orator4 #b ,cor4 xii4 #i4 ,gladly1 therefore1 will ,i glory in my infirmities1 that the power of ,christ may dwell in me4 ,page #afi ,sermon ,,xii4 ,the ,value ,of ,faith4 ,i ,cor4 xvi4 #ac4 ,watch ye2 stand fast in the faith2 do manfully1 and be strengthened4 ,page #ahc ,sermon ,,xiii ,the ,supremacy ,of ,st4 ,peter4 ,st4 ,matt4 xvi4 #ah4 ,and ,i say to thee3 ,that thou art ,peter2 and upon this ,rock ,i will build ,my ,church4 ,page #aie ,sermon ,,xiv4 ,the ,roman ,pontiffs ,the ,successors ,of ,st4 ,peter4 ,st4 ,matt4 xvi4 #ah4 ,and ,i say to thee3 ,that thou art ,peter2 and upon this ,rock ,i will build ,my ,church1 ,page #bad #aa ,sermon ,,xv ,the ,thought ,of ,heaven4 ,heb4 iv4 #i4 ,there remaineth therefore a rest for the people of ,god4 ,page #bcj ,sermon ,,xvi4 ,the ,clergy ,the ,teachers ,of ,the ,people4 ,st4 ,matt4 vii4 #ae4 ,beware of false prophets1 who come to you in sheep's clothing1 but inwardly they are ravening wolves4 ,page #bdd ,sermon ,,xvii4 ,humility ,in ,prayer4 ,st4 ,luke xviii4 #ac4 ,o ,god1 be merciful to me1 a sinner1 ,page #bee ,sermon ,,xviii4 ,preparation ,for ,a ,good ,death4 ,isaiah xxxviii4 #a4 ,put thy house in order1 for thou shalt die1 and not live4 ,page #bfi #ab ,sermon ,,xix4 ,the ,king's ,marriage ,feast4 ,st4 ,matt4 xxii4 #ad4 ,for many are called1 but few are chosen4 ,page #bhc ,sermon ,,xx4 ,good ,use ,of ,sickness4 ,ecclesiasticus xxxviii4 #i4 ,,usccb3 ,sirach xxxviii4 #i4 ,my son1 in thy sickness neglect not thy self1 but pray to the ,lord1 and ,he shall heal thee4 ,page #bib ,sermon ,,xxi4 ,thoughts ,for ,advent4 ,philippians iv4 #h4 ,for the rest1 brethren1 whatsoever things are true1 whatsoever things are modest1 whatsoever things are just1 whatsoever things are holy1 whatsoever things are amiable1 whatsoever things are of good repute2 if there be any virtue1 if there be any praise of discipline1 think on these things4 ,page #cjf ,sermon ,,xxii4 ,fraternal ,charity4 ,i ,epistle ,st4 ,john ii4 #aj4 ,he that loveth his brother abideth in the light1 and there is no scandal in him4 ,page #cbb ----------------------------- #ac #ad #ae ,sermon ,i4 ,remembrance ,of ,mercies4 7,for ,new ,year's ,day47 ,isaiah lxiii4 #g4 ,i will remember the tender mercies of the ,lord1 the praise of the ,lord for all the things that the ,lord hath bestowed upon us4 ,in the midst of our mutual congratulations at a time like this1 whilst we are wishing a happy future year to those we love1 we cannot wholly forget the year that is past1 and all that it brought to us for good or evil4 ,i would not1 my dear brethren1 cast a shadow upon the bright pathway of our hopes2 ,i would not dampen in the least the ardor with which we joyfully set out upon another year's journey of life4 ,may it be as happy in its realization as we could wish it to be6 ,but ,i fear for the future happiness of him who forgets the happiness of the past4 ,the anticipated joy of life yet to be lived is linked with those other joys that are past--joys over blessings whose richest fruit should be the lessons of experience they have taught us4 #af ,would we like to enter upon a new year wholly ignorant of the past one8 ,i think not4 ,we have learned many things while it has been passing--lessons of wisdom upon which we rely to make the future better and happier4 ,much there may have been to regret4 ,alas6 how much for some of us2 but the remembrance of even that shall be good for us4 ,there are many of the same stones lying in the roadway ahead of us that we stumbled upon last year4 ,now we shall not come upon them unawares4 ,there are many of the same beautiful but poisonous flowers growing in the valleys of repose where we shall stop to linger for a while1 as we did in days gone by4 ,we shall recognize them1 and the beauty that deceived us before shall not deceive us again4 ,blessed is the man who remembers4 ,but there is so much good to remember6 ,and in that remembrance so much to make the heart thoughtful1 cheerful1 and hopeful4 ,it is this thought which ,i wish you1 my brethren1 this morning to reflect upon3 the duty and pleasure of remembering the mercies of ,god--,his tender mercies1 as the prophet so aptly calls them4 ,it has always been a wonder to me how soon we forget benefits conferred upon us4 ,it is too true4 ,the joy we had when the gifts were new wasted itself away as quickly as music melts upon the air4 #ag ,the keen sense of grateful love toward the giver grows dull1 and passes into indifference1 before the treasure is spent or the beauty of the gem is tarnished4 ,drink to the health of your friend and praise his bounty1 if you will1 but have a care-- ingratitude and forgetfulness are the last drops which lie at the bottom of the cup4 ,and we treat ,god no better1 if as well as we treat men4 ,his gifts are such as man could never give1 and given with a depth of love as unfathomable as the mystery of ,his own being and divine life4 ,and yet we can forget6 ,oh6 why is it8 ,did ,he who made the human heart make it ungrateful8 ,did ,he who so loves us make those ,he loves selfish8 ,did ,he who has said1 ,son1 give me thy heart1 ask for a corrupt and treacherous heart8 ,such a thought may become that gloomy religion which thinks to exalt ,god by debasing ,his creatures2 but it is not so that we have learned ,him4 ,no1 this cannot be4 ,it cannot be that the heart of man is naturally ungrateful1 or is unmindful of good for which it is debtor2 that by virtue of its very nature it is selfish toward man1 and treacherous to ,god4 ,he who made us has not made us to be of necessity the very opposite of what ,he wishes us to be4 ,what explains this cold forgetfulness1 this heartless indifference1 that steals over us so soon8 ,there is but one explanation4 ,love and gratitude must have a test4 #ah ,the words of thankfulness1 the pressure of the hand1 the look of the eyes and the aspirations of the heart which are forced from us in the first flush of happiness when the gifts are showered at our feet1 are all good and just testimonies--but they are not enough4 ,gratitude and love must have the true test of merit1 and that is endurance4 ,there must be freedom to forget1 that the false be distinguished from the true4 ,that we claim this enduring memory at the hands of others1 and are disappointed if it is otherwise1 is a proof not only that such a test is naturally called for1 but that we at the same time deem it possible4 ,how many gifts pass from hand to hand during this season of rejoicing1 with the words--,remember me6 ,god ,himself bestows ,his most ,precious ,gift to man with the same request1 ,do this in remembrance of ,me4 ,yes1 now we understand it4 ,the true heart will remember2 the false one will forget4 ,the faithful soul delights in cherishing a lively remembrance of benefits received2 and the further back in the past the moment lies that saw our brows crowned with the tokens of love1 the sweeter and more tender become the memories of them4 ,judge by this test1 my brethren1 if you have a true heart to ,god4 ,oh6 the deep meaning of the prophet's words1 ,i will remember the tender mercies of the ,lord4 ,time is a refiner of the thoughts4 #ai ,the love of the gift itself1 the mere sensual complacency in its enjoyment is mixed up in the beginning with the thankfulness we feel for its bestowal4 ,but time will wear off that dross1 and only the pure gold of the heart's gratitude will be left4 ,it is not the love of the gift that need last4 ,we do not care for that1 neither does ,god4 ,but we and ,god want the love of the giver to remain1 and the giving of our gift1 that act by which we tried to prove our love1 not to be forgotten4 ,look back1 my brethren1 look back4 ,what does your memory tell you of ,his gifts whose mercy has followed you all the days of your life1 whose hands have been stretched forth full of new blessings every morning8 ,here it might become me to enumerate some of these gifts1 but where would ,i begin1 or where could ,i end8 ,besides1 it is you who ought to remember1 and remember well4 ,you must have a cold heart if you can forget4 ,you see1 my brethren1 what ,i desire by these words4 ,i wish you to know whether you are grateful to ,god or not1 to that ,god who has so loved us and crowned us with mercy and loving kindness4 ,at a time like this1 when you are asking others to remember you1 and when you are thinking of all the dear old friends you have had in bygone years1 and of the sweet mementos that came from their hands or were spoken by their lips1 ,i would compel you to see if you have remembered the oldest1 the best ,friend of all4 #bj ,alas6 if you must say--,he has been the last and the least in my thoughts4 ,that would be sad to hear1 and1 above all1 from the lips of those who1 by their very faith1 with all its blessed consolations1 live so near to ,god4 ,if there be any by whom ,god wishes to be remembered1 and ,his mercies brought to mind1 it is by us who are ,his chosen people4 ,i know ,god loves all men1 and more than we can imagine2 but there can be little doubt that those whom ,he has so honored as to make them the brethren of ,his ,only ,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 upon whom ,he has bestowed the inestimable gift of the ,catholic faith1 are the objects of ,his special affection4 ,oh6 it is a great thing to be one of the household of faith6 ,that is one of those tender mercies the very thought of which should make our heart bound in our bosom4 ,sweet and ever present1 dear ,catholic brethren1 should be the memory of the day of your baptism1 the day when you crossed the threshold of ,god's own home1 the ,church1 and there became ,his child4 ,you know well what light has beamed upon your pathway in life ever since4 ,you know what fountains of refreshment have sprung up to satisfy your thirsty soul4 ,when you contrast your own knowledge of religion1 and peace in it1 with the ignorance and restless distrust of the blinded world without1 then you know how truly wise ,god has made you4 #ba ,it is true for all who own the ,catholic name1 but what a tender mercy is that to be ever cherished in the heart of a convert6 ,o day of joy to remember6--proud1 loving1 humble joy like that which stirred the heart of ,mary when the words broke forth in tumultuous rapture from her sacred lips1 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord1 and my spirit hath rejoiced in ,god1 my ,saviour4 ,for ,he that is mighty hath done great things unto me1 and holy is ,his name4 ,o day of peace to remember6--peace like that which fills the soul of the wanderer upon whose longing sight breaks the vision of his native shore1 when1 with hands outstretched1 as if to embrace the dear land1 and in a voice choked with emotion1 he murmurs--,home at last6 ,o day of freedom to remember6 ,freed is the caged bird that beat its wings against bars more cruel than iron--freedom that says to the soul1 ,fly1 for between thee and ,god no hand shall be found to stop thee4 ,cleave the skies with thy wings1 and go sing at the gates of ,paradise1 and thou shalt hear the voices of angels responding to thy notes of happiness from within4 ,and who has done all this8 ,o kind ,god6 it is ,thou4 ,it is ,thou who hast regarded the humility of ,thy servant4 ,let all generations call me too blessed from henceforth2 for ,thou1 even ,thou1 hast also blessed me4 ,te ,deum ,laudamus6 #bb ,but it behooves us to ask ourselves the questions--,what it is to remember ,god's mercies1 and who are they that do it4 ,he who does not prize the ,christmas or the ,new ,year's gift 7however humble may be the offering7 for the sake of the giver1 has already forgotten it4 ,here is something that ,god has too good reason to complain of us4 ,we do not make much of ,his gifts1 as we ought4 ,we receive them1 perhaps after many prayers4 ,prosperity smiles upon us1 temptations lose their power1 our sins are forgiven1 the impending calamity is averted1 death departs from our doors1 our wishes are granted a thousand times beyond our expectations1 and now that the blessing has come1 does it look much in our eyes8 ,does it seem to us1 as it is1 a great thing--a precious gift8 ,we are proud to display the gifts of friends4 ,oh6 who is proud of the gifts of ,god8 ,we plume ourselves upon our success1 and glorify creatures for their aid1 but too often ,god complains of us1 as ,he complained of ,his ungrateful people of old1 ,they were filled1 and were made full2 and they lifted up their heart1 and have forgotten me4 ,footnote #a ,footnote #a3 ,osec xiii4 #f4 ,,usccb3 ,hosea xiii4 #f4 #bc ,but ,he has not to complain of all4 ,there are some who recognize the source of their blessings1 who wonder1 in their humble1 grateful hearts1 that ,one so high could stoop to one so low4 ,my friends tell me1 said a recent convert1 that ,i never looked so bright and happy in my life4 ,they think it is on account of a piece of good news ,i have heard2 but it is not that4 ,i am all the time thinking how good our dear ,lord has been to me4 ,after so many years1 to be permitted to come to ,him1 seems almost too great happiness for me4 ,there is a soul remembering the tender mercies of the ,lord4 ,too great happiness for me4 ,such ought to be the expression of all our hearts at the thought of the very least of ,god's gracious gifts4 ,a bunch of withered flowers stood upon a table near the foot of the bed of a poor1 dying woman4 ,the flowers were many days faded and scentless1 yet every morning fresh water was brought to fill the old cracked china vase 7the best in the cottage7 that held them4 ,i love to have them there1 she would say1 where ,i can see them1 for they were brought to me by him1 and they shall be laid upon my breast when ,i am gone to ,god4 ,by him6 ,no need to tell the name4 ,it was like the supplication of ,mary ,magdalen1 ,if thou hast taken ,him away1 tell me where thou hast laid ,him1 and ,i will go and take ,him away4 #bd ,he who brought those flowers in his hand brought her also the holy sacraments of the dying1 and was often at her bedside during her long illness4 ,she loved him with that tender1 holy1 and trusting love which so enchains the hearts of the ,catholic poor to their dear priest4 ,and the gift had come from him4 ,that1 was enough4 ,to her the dry1 withered stems were daily strengthened by the freshly brought water1 the shrivelled flowers looked bright1 and shed their fragrance still around the poor chamber4 ,not to her senses4 ,no2 but to her soul4 ,why should they not8 ,other flowers might not3 but these--these were brought by him4 ,oh6 when the heart remembers1 how priceless becomes the gift1 what shining beauty adorns it1 what magic charms does it not possess6 ,thus1 beloved brethren1 let our hearts remember ,god for ,his manifold mercies4 ,they come from ,him4 ,they come from the ,best1 the ,holiest1 the ,truest1 the ,everlasting ,friend4 ,but ,i speak in vain if you do not understand me4 ,if the ,giver is not all that and more to you1 never will ,his gifts be in your eyes as precious and as dear as they should be1 and not long will you remember them4 ,it is the question of the ,psalmist1 ,who is wise1 and will keep these things in mind1 and will understand the mercies of the ,lord8 ,footnote #b ,footnote #b3 ,ps4 cvi4 #dc4 ,,usccb3 ,psalms cvii4 #dc4 #be ,to remember the mercies of ,god is to make good use of them4 ,to what end has he blessed us with the gift of faith8 ,that it should simply distinguish us from those who do not possess it1 and to lie idle and fruitless in our soul8 ,vain ornament1 indeed1 that honors neither the giver nor him who receives it4 ,you are a ,catholic in name1 and you do not forget it4 ,is it enough to remember that8 ,oh6 answer ,god to-day4 ,do you remember when ,sunday morning comes1 and the priest is ascending the altar1 that you are a ,catholic1 and where a ,catholic should be found then8 ,do you remember when the ,church is calling her children to the confession of their sins1 and to the ,holy ,communion at the joyful ,easter time1 that you are a ,catholic1 and what it behooves a ,catholic to do then8 ,do you remember when obscene and blasphemous language is used in your presence that you are a ,catholic1 and think what part a ,catholic should take in that8 ,tell me1 can you lift your heart to ,him to-day1 and say in truth--,my ,god1 ,thou knowest that ,i have not forgotten ,thee8 ,i have chosen the way of truth3 ,thy judgments ,i have not forgotten4 ,footnote #c ,footnote #c3 ,ps4 cxviii4 #cj4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 cxix4 #cj2 ,the way of loyalty ,i have chosen2 ,i have set your edicts before me4 #bf ,you got over that illness4 ,i know that you said1 ,if ,god spares my life1 ,i will be a changed man--,i will be an altered woman4 ,no more will ,i be seen staggering in drunkenness4 ,no longer will ,i keep a grog-shop1 and stain my hands with the hard-earned and wickedly-squandered money of my neighbor--blood-money1 cursed by the cries of the brutally treated wife and the moans of the naked1 starved children4 ,no longer will ,i be a nominal ,catholic1 a standing scandal to unbelievers1 and damning my own soul by my criminal neglect of ,god and contempt of ,his ,holy ,church4 ,i will give up all that spite and malice in my heart1 and go and be reconciled with those who have injured me for the sake of ,him who said1 ',forgive1 and you shall be forgiven4' ,do you remember all that8 ,yes2 but what avails such a heartless remembrance as yours has been8 ,even ,he has reminded you of your promise and of ,his mercy from time to time1 as ,he now again reminds you by my mouth4 ,oh6 mock ,him not4 ,better1 far better1 would it be had you wholly forgotten both promise and mercy4 ,it would not be generous1 ,i allow2 but now you are false and treacherous1 for the mercy was granted1 but the promise remains unfulfilled4 ,in the sorrow of your stricken spirit1 and with the grievous burden of sin lying heavy upon you1 your guardian angel took you one day1 trembling1 anxious1 fearful1 harassed by the stings of remorse1 to the confessional4 #bg ,there you poured out your griefs1 and told all the shameful guilt--griefs that seemed eternal1 and guilt that no oceans might wash away4 ,and yet1 ,o tender mercy of ,god6 down falls the veil of darkness1 and your soul is bathed in light4 ,you1 who a moment ago were stumbling in despair at the portals of hell1 are now standing before the gates of heaven4 ,you1 who had that in your soul which almost drove you to madness1 now are in such peace that words fail you1 and you weep for very joy4 ,yes1 of a truth ,god has been very merciful1 tenderly merciful to you4 ,ah6 what would you not then do for ,god--what sacrifices would you not make--what life long resolutions were you not ready to form6 ,do you not remember8 ,ah1 yes6 now ,i remind you of it4 ,but how long did you remember it to any profit to yourself or praise to ,god8 ,and tell me1 how now8 ,what of your present remembrance8 ,an ,east ,indian having been shown all about the beautiful city of ,paris1 through its royal palaces1 its galleries of art1 its manufactories of wondrous scientific and mechanical instruments1 manifested1 it was observed1 but little enthusiasm4 ,the ,indian was too proud to show any emotion at sight of the works of strangers4 ,one day he was taken to the ,jardin des ,plantes1 where are cultivated trees1 shrubs1 and flowers of every clime4 #bh ,suddenly he stopped short before a tropical tree1 fell upon his knees1 clasped it lovingly and kissed it1 and1 as the tears flowed fast down his swarthy cheek1 cried out1 in his own language1 ,o tree of my own land6 ,o tree of my own native land1 so far away6 ,let us go back home again4 ,there are some of you1 my brethren1 to whom ,i have shown the picture of a mercy you cannot but remember well4 ,how does the sight of it affect you8 ,are you moved with that deep emotion such a memory should awaken8 ,do you hug the memory of that hour of peace to your bosom1 and does your heart cry out1 ,o tender mercy of my ,god6 ,o sweet hour of peace now so far away6 ,let me go back to thee again6 ,blessed remembrance1 as happy for yourself as it is dear to ,god4 ,you are wise because you keep these things in mind1 and have understood the mercies of the ,lord1 and the praise of the ,lord for all the things ,he hath bestowed upon you4 ,but can you look at it with indifference1 seeing there nothing to stir the depths of your soul1 nothing to call forth a grateful aspiration from your breast8 ,then ,i think of that uncivilized ,indian1 and must say3 ,he loved his country better than you love ,god4 ,he was quick to remember that2 you have been quick to forget ,him4 #bi ,i am not asking too much1 my brethren1 am ,i8 ,i am not forcing upon your notice a subject out of place at this joyous season1 am ,i8 ,when the absent one returns to the old homestead to spend the ,christmas holidays1 you who have been the kindest to him1 the most lavish in your gifts--you who have been sending him time and again sweet tokens of your remembrance--you do not look for him to think the last about you4 ,oh6 no4 ,you are tempted to hide yourself in sport before he has seen you1 that you may enjoy listening to his anxious and hurried questions about you1 and his wondering where you are1 and a thousand eager expressions1 which show that he has been thinking about the pleasant meeting he would have with you all the way home1 and that his joy is not full till he can run into your embrace4 ,oh6 his every question almost drags you out from your hiding-place4 ,but suppose you listen in vain for the mention of your name2 that in the midst of his joyous congratulations and happy wishes he does not ask where you are1 and evinces by no sign that in your absence anything is wanting to him4 ,oh6 the ugly pain at your heart as you steal away to your chamber1 unwilling now to be seen1 hurt by his forgetfulness1 and stung to the very quick by his silent ingratitude4 #cj ,brethren1 ,i am speaking for ,god2 for the best ,friend1 who of all must be the nearest and dearest1 and the first in your thoughts4 ,looking down from ,his throne in heaven1 he watches1 to see who have been making preparations to meet ,him2 who are renewing at this time their grateful remembrances of ,him4 ,ah6 there are some who remember1 and they have already gathered about ,his holy ,table1 and feasted at ,his heavenly banquet4 ,though no earthly friends may have been kind or thoughtful enough to send them a holiday present1 they have still had a ,merry ,christmas and a ,happy ,new ,year's for all that4 ,they have met the ,friend of all friends with the kiss of peace and the embrace of welcome1 and that has been more than enough4 ,but there are some who never said a word about ,him1 never thought of ,him1 never remembered all ,he had done for them4 ,nay1 there are some who never came at all4 ,not that ,he forgot to invite them1 not that ,he neglected to prepare ,his ,christmas feast4 ,no4 ,he is the ,friend who never forgets4 ,what shall ,i say8 ,does ,god not feel that heartless coldness and neglect of theirs8 ,oh6 the sad1 tender1 complaining reproaches of ,good ,friday are heard in heaven at ,christmas4 ,my people1 what have ,i done unto thee1 or in what have ,i grieved thee8 ,answer me4 ,put me in remembrance1 as he said to his people of old1 and let us plead together4 ,tell me if thou hast anything to justify thyself4 #ca ,yes1 answer ,him1 you of whom ,he is speaking4 ,answer to that ,god who has never wearied of heaping blessing after blessing and mercy after mercy upon your head4 ,tell ,him what ,he has done to you that you have forgotten ,him4 ,too well you know1 however1 that in ,him you shall find nothing to accuse4 ,so1 then1 let us rather turn to the exciting in our hearts a lively remembrance of ,his manifold mercies1 and to make that memory to good purpose4 ,let us seek to know1 if possible1 why ,god has so blessed us2 what object ,he had in view2 what ,he expected of us2 what promises we made when we received them1 and now resolve that ,he shall be no longer disappointed in the fruits ,he looked for from them4 ,it will help us to acquire that spirit of humble gratitude which so enlarges the heart1 and helps us to do great and generous things for ,god4 ,with the ,psalmist1 then1 let us say1 ,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul1 and never forget all that ,he hath done for thee4 ,who forgiveth all thine iniquities3 who healeth all thy diseases4 ,who redeemeth thy life from destruction1 and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion4 ,footnote #d ,so shall the ,new ,year begin with praise and thanksgiving1 to end with blessings new and better than the last4 ,footnote #d3 ,ps4 cii4 #b-d4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 ciii4 #b-d4 ------------------- #cb ,sermon ,,ii4 ,the ,three ,gifts ,of ,the ,magi4 7,for ,the ,feast of ,the ,epiphany47 ,st4 ,matthew ii4 #aa4 ,and going into the house1 they found the child with ,mary his mother3 and falling down1 they adored him3 and opening their treasures1 they offered to him gifts2 gold1 frankincense1 and myrrh4 ,these wise men1 who are supposed by many to have been kings1 were led by the appearance of the miraculous star in the heavens1 and the secret inspirations of the ,holy ,ghost1 to ,bethlehem1 in order to find out and adore the ,child who was born king of the ,jews4 ,after a long search1 they found ,him1 lying in a manger1 and1 in spite of the poverty and the straw1 they recognized in ,him the ,king of souls1 the ,creator of heaven and earth4 ,with a deep faith they adored ,him1 and1 opening their treasures1 offered to ,him gifts of gold1 frankincense1 and myrrh4 #cc ,and we are all1 in like manner1 drawn to do the same thing4 ,the light of faith directs us to the poor stable of ,bethlehem1 where we behold the ,lord of ,glory disguised in the form of an infant1 and it becomes us also to offer ,him our treasures of gold1 frankincense1 and myrrh4 ,and1 first1 what is the pure gold which is acceptable to our ,god and ,creator8 ,by gold is understood charity or the love of our ,god4 ,and by this charity is understood the pure intention of pleasing ,god by which we should be governed in all our works4 ,the love of ,god does not essentially consist in a tender feeling of affection or in a sensible devotion of tears1 which we are not always able to elicit1 much as we might desire it1 but in a good and pure intention4 ,that this is so should be a great consolation and encouragement to us4 ,we have no right to say1 as many do1 ,i cannot love ,god1 for this is an untruth4 ,it lies in every one's power to love ,him1 if he only desires sincerely to do so4 ,we might say with truth--,my heart is cold1 and ,i am grieved because ,i cannot experience that warm love of ,god which ,i desire so much2 but ,i would reply to all such--,set your fears at rest2 make a good intention to please and love ,god to the best of your ability1 and you have1 at once1 the real1 true1 and solid love of ,him which will bring you by the shortest route to the kingdom of heaven4 #cd ,it is related that one of the old heathen kings had an avarice so great that he desired that all he touched might be turned into gold4 ,his request being granted1 he perished of hunger4 ,avarice for spiritual treasures has no such evil effect4 ,on the contrary1 our ,lord says1 ,blessed are those who hunger and thirst after justice1 for they shall be filled4 ,now ,i wish that1 in like manner1 what ever you touch with your hearts--that is1 what ever you long for or desire--might1 by a good intention1 be turned into the gold of the purest charity4 ,our ,saviour has said1 ,you cannot so much as give a cup of cold water in ,my ,name--that is1 with a good intention--without receiving a reward for it4 ,the treasures of grace and merit lie in immense heaps all around us1 and we can help ourselves4 ,whatever we do1 then1 let us do it in the name of the ,lord1 following out the injunction of ,st4 ,paul1 ,therefore1 whether you eat or drink1 or whatsoever else you do1 do all things for the glory of ,god4 ,footnote #e ,i hope1 then1 you will all1 on this blessed festival1 determine to direct all your thoughts1 words1 and actions to the glory of ,god to the very best of your ability1 and thus open your treasures1 and offer to the ,infant ,jesus lying on the straw a great heap of pure1 bright gold4 ,footnote #e3 ,i ,cor4 x4 #ca4 #ce ,the wise men of the ,east offered not gold only1 but also frankincense4 ,what does this signify8 ,it means devotion4 ,you have often seen incense put into the censer at ,high ,mass or ,vespers1 and the smoke from it immediately arise straight upwards4 ,it is a figure of the prayers and burning wishes of the soul ascending up to heaven4 ,the ,scripture says3 ,and another angel came1 and stood before the altar1 having a golden censer2 and there was given to him much incense1 that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar1 which is before the throne of ,god3 and the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before ,god1 from the hand of the angel4 ,footnote #f ,footnote #f3 ,apoc4 viii4 #c1 #d4 ,,usccb3 ,revelation viii4 #c1 #d4 ,the act of true prayer or adoration by which we acknowledge1 with our whole heart the infinite mystery of ,god and ,his complete dominion over us1 our own entire nothingness of ourselves without ,him1 and by which we declare and protest that we desire nothing else but that ,he should govern us and dispose of us and all our affairs as ,he pleases--this is the highest and noblest act of our own reason4 ,for what could we do so real and true as this8 ,how could we realize in a better way the simplest and at the same time the most sublime of all truths8 ,our prayers ought to go up from our hearts as from a censer which contains a fire that no created thing is able to put out4 ,the smoke of it should continually arise1 and all we do should be done in the way of a prayer and supplication to our ,last ,end and ,chief ,good4 #cf ,alas6 we have incense enough to offer to idols4 ,we swing the censer to wealth1 honors1 and pleasures2 we bow the knee1 and worship houses1 and lands1 and cattle1 and fine clothes1 and sumptuous fare1 and sell our very souls for a few pieces of gold2 but we have but little incense for ,god--no pure and sincere homage for ,him1 the eternal1 uncreated ,source of all our good4 ,and when you offer the incense of your adoration to ,god1 offer pure and clear incense4 ,do not mix with the frankincense resin or other foul-smelling drugs4 ,and what are they8 ,those desires of the heart by which you cling to the creatures of earth with a passionate eagerness4 ,clear your heart of such desires1 so that you may say1 ,my ,god and my all4 ,my ,god1 if ,i possess ,thee and lack all else1 ,i am rich in deed4 ,if ,i have the whole world1 and all it contains1 and have not ,thee1 ,i am poor1 and blind1 and miserable1 and naked4 ,then will your prayer arise as a sweet odor from the golden altar before the throne of ,god1 and in numerable blessings descend upon you1 not only for eternity1 but even in this present life4 #cg ,offer frankincense1 or you will have no gold to offer4 ,when you open your treasures1 if there is not plenty of incense--that is1 prayer--you will find the chest1 in which you thought there was much gold1 to be empty4 ,for without prayer there is no charity or love of ,god4 ,prayer is the food by which you nourish and keep charity alive and on the increase4 ,prayer is the capital in trade by which you are to make your fortune in the charity of ,god to enrich you for eternity4 ,and having offered your gold and frankincense1 do not forget the myrrh4 ,and what is signified by myrrh8 ,it means self-denial1 or1 as it is more commonly called1 mortification4 ,i wish we all understood the value of self-denial better than we do1 because nearly all the miseries which afflict the soul come from the fact that we do not deny ourselves as much as we ought4 ,we give the reins to our natural desires and inclinations1 and they run away with us4 ,just as if we were driving a span of spirited horses1 and instead of putting a curb-bit upon them and holding them in1 we should throw the reins down upon their necks and let them go without restraint4 ,when they once begin to go fast1 they break into a headlong race1 and never stop until they have dashed everything in pieces4 ,thus we let our desires for amusement and pleasure run away with us1 until we find our pious resolutions and the spirit of devotion entirely gone1 and drowned in the sea of forgetfulness4 #ch ,how can we love ,god if we be absorbed in a love of good eating and drinking8 ,can ,god come and take up ,his abode in a soul which occupies itself and is taken up with the satisfaction of sumptuous fare1 rich meats1 and choice wines or liquors4 ,such souls are vividly described in ,holy ,scripture3 ,for many walk1 of whom ,i have told you often 7and now tell you weeping7 that they are enemies of the cross of ,christ2 whose end is destruction2 whose ,god is their belly2 and whose glory is in their shame2 who mind earthly things4 ,footnote #g ,footnote #g3 ,philip41 iii4 #ah1 #ai4 ,how can ,god give ,himself to the man who is absorbed in money-making and heaping up possessions8 ,it is impossible for such a soul to enjoy the presence of ,god4 ,neither can ,he divide the empire of the soul with worldly honors1 nor even with a passionate human love of wife or children4 ,he is ,god1 and they are creatures1 the mere work of ,his hand4 ,they shall pass away and be gone1 and ,he shall remain4 ,such inordinate love is like disgusting vermin in the mansion of the soul1 and all such vermin must be swept out4 ,what ever we love must be loved on account of ,god1 and in subordination to ,his love1 or ,god will not come and take up ,his abode with us4 ,this is the plain dictate of our reason4 #ci ,we must deny ourselves1 and that not merely in forbidden things1 but in those which are lawful4 ,if we go to the limit of what is lawful in self-indulgence1 depend upon it we shall soon pass the limit4 ,we shall fall into sin1 and very likely into mortal sin4 ,many a one has fallen in this way4 ,he has said to himself1 ,i can do this thing1 for it is not forbidden4 ,again1 ,i can do that2 it is not certain it comes within the letter of the law4 ,i can indulge myself in this respect1 for1 even if sinful1 it is a matter of small consequence4 ,thus he goes on in a downhill progress1 until he becomes utterly selfish1 and virtue has died out in his soul4 ,our ,saviour has laid down the rule for a ,christian2 ,he that will be ,my disciple1 let him deny him self daily1 and take up his cross and follow ,me4 ,again1 ,he that loveth father or mother1 wife or child1 houses or lands1 more than ,me1 is not worthy to be ,my disciple4 ,we must deny ourselves1 and1 if we would be great friends of ,god1 we must deny ourselves a great deal4 ,the fact is1 in order to become possessed of ,god1 we must deny ourselves in all things1 at all times1 and in all places4 ,we must repress and bring into subjection our desires1 so that they may not occupy and fill our hearts4 ,the ,scripture says1 ,think not for the morrow what ye shall eat1 or what ye shall drink1 or wherewith ye shall be clothed2 but think of the kingdom of ,god and his justice4 #dj ,now1 reflect on this3 we cannot be thinking on both these things at the same time2 one thought will crowd the other out2 therefore you must drive out of your hearts those eager desires of the world1 and temporal things1 and anxiety about the future2 you must deny yourselves these earthly desires1 or you will never become spiritually-minded4 ,could we only banish all care and solicitude for these things1 and discharge our duties and our business in life without anxiety1 for ,god1 and for the ends ,god has appointed them1 we should be recompensed a thousandfold in this life1 and we should be filled with gratitude to ,god for inspiring us with such sentiments4 ,offer myrrh1 offer plenty of myrrh to ,god4 ,offer it with gold and frankincense--that is1 with the intention of cleaning and sweeping out from your hearts all vain and useless love1 that they may be ready and prepared for the ,divine ,love1 and with many prayers and good wishes2 and ,god will accept it4 ,it will be most pleasing to ,him4 ,without this1 your self-denial will be in vain4 ,self-denial1 without the right intention1 is superstitious1 and nourishes an empty pride2 with it1 the least act of self-denial renders you like to ,god1 and more fit to receive the impressions of the ,holy ,ghost within your souls4 #da ,begin1 then1 to offer myrrh with the gold and frankincense4 ,deny your eyes what they like to look upon1 that the eyes of your souls may look on ,god more steadily4 ,deny your ears what they like to hear2 news and gossip1 not to speak of detraction and evil talk1 that you may more readily hear the still1 small voice of the ,holy ,ghost gently speaking within your hearts4 ,deny your sense of smell2 the gratifications of perfumes and sweet odors4 ,deny your palates delicate and luxurious food1 that you may relish better the plain and solid meat of the ,gospel4 ,deny yourselves all around1 whenever you can bring yourselves to do it cheerfully1 for the sake of ,god1 for ,he loves not the unwilling1 but the cheerful1 giver4 ,this is what the saints did1 and it is what made them saints4 ,impelled by the strong desire to love ,god more1 ,i dare to say that self-denial was the sweetest pleasure to them in this life4 ,having food and raiment1 and wherewith to be clothed1 they were content therewith2 the superfluous and the unnecessary they abominated1 for they knew they would only lead them away from ,jesus ,christ4 ,present these gifts not only now1 but every day of your lives4 ,god will give them to you1 and then you must give them back faithfully to ,him1 and in a short time ,he will give you a present which excels anything you ever thought of4 ,he will give you ,himself1 and inundate your happy soul in an ocean of inconceivable joy and unspeakable happiness1 never to be lost for all the ages of eternity4 ------------------------ #db ,sermon ,,iii4 ,how ,to ,pass ,a ,good ,lent4 7,for ,ash ,wednesday47 #b ,cor4 vi4 #b4 ,behold1 now is the acceptable time2 behold1 now is the day of salvation4 ,this morning1 my brethren1 we knelt before this altar1 and received from the ,holy ,church the ashes from which this day takes its name4 ,why did we do so8 ,was it merely because we had done so in past years8 because it is a ,catholic custom8 because others did so1 and we were expected to do the same8 ,to receive them for such reasons would be better than not to receive them at all2 but better still would it be to feel the meaning1 and enter into the spirit of this sacred rite4 ,in the early ages of the ,church1 those whose sins were such as to require 7in the severer judgment of those days7 a public penance1 received the ashes on this day from the bishop1 and were then1 after some other ceremonies1 expelled from the ,church1 and not allowed to assist at ,mass till ,holy ,thursday4 #dc ,as they were being driven out1 the words4 ,memento1 homo1 quia pulvis es1 et in pulverem reverteris--,remember1 man1 that thou art dust1 and into dust thou shalt return--which were repeated to each one of us as we received the ashes this morning1 were said to them4 ,their exclusion from the ,church1 often during a much longer time than the few weeks of ,lent1 was by no means the only penance to which many of them were subjected1 besides those which they voluntarily undertook2 but it is enough to mention so much1 that we may understand what are the feelings which we1 who are to-day in the place of these public penitents1 should have4 ,receiving the ashes was for them a sign of the most profound humiliation and repentance4 ,they were in disgrace1 separated from the rest of the faithful as unworthy to partake with them in the sacred mysteries2 and they expressed by their submission a firm purpose to amend their lives1 and repair the scandal they had given4 ,now it is to us no disgrace to receive the ashes1 but even the contrary2 and we are not1 perhaps1 understood as expressing sorrow for our sins by the act1 but humiliation and penance are really meant by it1 and it is in this spirit that the ,church wishes us to perform it4 #dd ,this meaning is also contained in the very ashes themselves4 ,for what can more completely express humiliation than ashes1 which are the mere remains of their former substance1 without beauty1 strength1 or any of its qualities8 ,and what can better represent repentance than the fine dust of which they are composed8 ,for this reducing to dust or powder is the real meaning of contrition3 the contrite heart is that which is not only broken1 but even ground to dust with sorrow4 ,the ashes1 also1 as we are reminded in receiving them1 represent the dust of death to which we must sooner or later come1 and in which all the distinctions upon which we pride ourselves so much now will be confounded1 nothing being left of us in this world after a short time but a few handfuls of dust1 and our souls having gone to another1 where their claims to consideration will have been judged according to a very different standard from that which prevails in this life4 ,the thought of death1 then1 which they suggest1 ought to fill us with humiliation on account of the vanity of our worldly distinctions1 and with repentance now while we have time1 because after death repentance will be impossible4 ,but ,ash ,wednesday is not a day by itself4 ,it is the beginning of a season in which the sentiments which it suggests are to be continued and even strengthened4 ,it is of the right way of passing this penitential season of ,lent that ,i wish to speak to you to-night4 #de ,and1 in the first place1 let us try to have a firm purpose to pass it in the right way4 ,with a good resolution1 the battle is half won4 ,it is well worth our while to spend a good ,lent2 heaven is1 as it were1 nearer now1 and grace is more abundant4 ,now is the acceptable time1 now is the day of salvation4 ,yes1 my brethren1 the ,church does not give us ,lent merely as a penance1 but to help us in saving our souls4 ,what1 then1 shall we do to spend ,lent well8 ,the first thing to do is to cease from sin1 and obey those commandments of ,god which are binding at all times as well as now4 ,to one who will not resolve to quit mortal sin1 nothing else that he can do will be of any use except so far as it helps him to make such a resolution4 ,all who have lost grace know well enough what sins are ruining their souls2 and these they must give up1 or their ,lent will have been of little or no use-- perhaps even worse than useless1 being another of those graces of the good ,god which they have thrown away and trampled under foot1 and which ,he will reproach them with at the last day4 ,though ,he is always entreating us to give up sin1 yet it is now specially that ,he urges us1 as we are about to commemorate the bitter sufferings which ,he endured to redeem us from its power4 #df ,and though we are always bound to give it up1 yet are we specially now so bound1 because everything reminds us so strongly how hateful it is to ,god4 ,leave off sin1 then2 that is the great thing4 ,i do not say that nothing else must be done till this is2 but this must be done sooner or later1 and the sooner the better1 for it is very dangerous to wait4 ,this night1 this very hour1 may be the last that we shall have4 ,this naturally suggests a special precept that comes to us at this time4 ,whether we have sinned or not1 we must make our ,easter duty4 ,at other times1 our ,lord invites us to come to ,him2 now1 ,he commands us to come1 under pain of a new and great sin if we refuse4 ,obey1 then1 this loving command as soon as possible2 do not delay1 especially if guilty of mortal sin2 for1 besides running a great risk1 you will lose the merit of all you may do in this holy season as long as you remain unforgiven4 ,it is not so hard as it seems2 and the moment of absolution will be the happiest one of life4 ,another positive precept at this time is1 of course1 the fast1 as prescribed by the rules of the diocese4 ,this we must keep as well as we can1 not considering that we are exempted from it merely because it is difficult2 but only allowing such reasons against it as make a strict observance really imprudent--remembering1 of course1 the exemptions given in the regulations1 but trusting to the judgment of a confessor or physician1 rather than our own1 if there be any doubt about the matter4 #dg ,and let us not make the sacrifice unwillingly1 merely because we are obliged to1 but as cheerfully as we can1 so that we may please ,god1 as well as avoid offending ,him4 ,in this way we may gain more merit1 perhaps1 than by anything else we can do in the course of the year1 on account of the difficulty of the work1 and because at other times we should hardly be justified in imposing such a penance on ourselves4 ,besides1 obedience is better than sacrifice2 and fasting in ,lent is an act of obedience4 ,so1 if we cannot fast1 we lose the opportunity of doing something a little difficult1 and which we know will please ,god2 which should make us sorry rather than glad4 ,now1 to come to things not absolutely required1 but which nevertheless ought to be attended to in ,lent1 and which must be done1 if we wish really to pass it well4 ,they may be classed under the three eminent good works1 as they are called2 namely--fasting1 prayer1 and alms4 ,it may seem as if the subject of fasting had been already disposed of4 ,and so it has1 perhaps1 in the usual sense of the word2 we are not required1 nor would it probably be advisable1 to keep a more rigorous fast than the ,church prescribes1 at least in point of quantity2 but we may give up some things in the way of food1 which are not forbidden1 practising some voluntary mortification or self-denial1 as far as the strength of our souls and bodies will allow4 #dh ,it rarely does us much harm to deny our taste something2 to give up or limit ourselves in something which we like particularly1 if we do not really need it1 and there be plenty besides4 ,and though abstaining from the sin of drunkenness is not probably a mortification1 but a most severe obligation at all times1 yet1 as in this penitential season this vice seems to acquire new malignity1 still greater precautions ought to be taken in those occasions which might lead to it4 ,but the word fasting really means more than abstaining from food and drink4 ,it implies self-denial in other ways2 and there are a great many ways in which we can deny ourselves besides eating and drinking4 ,the tongue1 for example1 can be restrained in speaking1 as well as in its sense of taste4 ,we can talk a good deal less than we might without sin1 as well as eat less1 and yet be none the worse for it4 ,then we can restrain our curiosity for news1 both public and private2 we can refuse to gratify our sight1 hearing1 and other senses--in short1 there are plenty of ways for one who has the will4 #di ,but if we have no will for such voluntary mortification1 we can at least take patiently what we have to suffer from cold1 fatigue1 or any pain of body or mind2 and not complain of those grievances which come to us from the neglect or carelessness1 or even from the bad will1 of others1 and of which it might seem that we have1 in some sense1 a right to complain4 ,we may well consider that we have forfeited our rights by sin1 and that though sometimes we are bound to claim them1 yet often it will be better to give them up4 ,but what are the motives for all this self-denial8 ,there are many4 ,one is to make up1 in some degree1 for having gone beyond what was allowable by now stopping somewhat short of it2 that is1 to atone for our sins4 ,but besides this1 it makes us love ourselves less1 and ,god and our neighbor more2 and it makes us a great deal more free really than if we were all the time having our own way1 for it takes away a thousand cares and anxieties which are all the time distracting us1 and keeping us from attaining the end for which we were created4 ,nor can we be happy without self-denial1 strange as it may seem2 for we cannot be happy unless we are contented2 and the only way to become contented is to cease to care about the many things which we are always desiring but often cannot have2 and the only way to do this thoroughly is sometimes to give them up when we can have them4 ,besides this1 ,god is pleased and gives us grace when we deny our selves2 for it shows our love for ,him4 #ej ,and at this time ,he seems specially to ask these sacrifices from us4 ,now is the acceptable time2 and if we do not make them now1 there is not much chance that we will at any other season of the year4 ,then we must make more prayer now than usual1 employing in this way the time that we cut off from other things4 ,try to come to early ,mass on week-days2 of course1 nothing can be better than to assist at this1 the greatest act of ,christian worship4 ,also1 come to ,vespers on ,sunday1 and say the beads at home1 in common if possible1 and as many other prayers as there is time for1 especially such as are indulgenced1 for these are1 of course1 more powerful in satisfying for sin4 ,and in this time of special trial for the ,church and the ,holy ,father1 we will not forget to pray that the triumph of our ,faith1 which is sure to come sooner or later1 may be speedy2 that the plans of the persecutors of the ,holy ,see may be utterly defeated2 and that they may return as obedient children to their ,mother and ours1 the ,holy ,catholic and ,roman ,church4 ,but1 besides these devotions1 which we can practise at any time1 there are also others peculiar to this season3 those in the church on ,wednesday and ,friday nights1 which will be the same as in previous years1 and which will1 no doubt1 be attended as well as or even better than they have been heretofore4 #ea ,there will be a sermon every ,wednesday1 and the ,stations on ,friday4 ,next to repenting of sin and confessing it1 one can hardly do anything more pleasing to ,god in the time of ,lent than to assist at the ,stations1 and help to commemorate ,his bitter sufferings and those of ,his ,blessed ,mother4 ,he was wounded for our iniquities1 ,he was bruised for our sins2 the chastisement of our peace was upon ,him1 and by ,his bruises we are healed4 ,surely1 the least we can do at this season1 when the ,church presents ,his ,passion to our minds1 is to come and go with ,him over the way of sufferings by which we were redeemed4 ,you will notice1 also1 by looking at the table of festivals at the door1 that the ,church commemorates1 on every ,friday during ,lent1 some one of the mysteries of the ,passion4 ,these mysteries we will do well to think of specially4 ,try to come every ,wednesday and ,friday1 and not miss a single evening from this to ,good ,friday2 and also persuade others to come who are not here to-night1 or who have not been in the habit of coming2 and come not for amusement1 or even principally for instruction1 but for the honor and glory of ,god and the good of your souls4 #eb ,much hardly needs to be said about alms1 the last of the eminent good works4 ,it is evident enough how pleasing it is to ,god1 and what a rich reward it secures for us4 ,in the office of next ,sunday the ,church reminds us specially of this1 saying1 in the words of ,holy ,scripture1 ,break thy bread for the hungry1 and bring the needy and wandering into thy house2 then shall thy light shine forth as the morning1 and thy justice shall go before thy face4 ,and1 during the following week1 she repeats3 ,give alms to the poor1 and it shall pray for thee to the ,lord2 for as water quenches fire1 so do alms extinguish sin4 ,that is1 if we have repented of our sins1 almsgiving will satisfy for them2 and if we have not1 almsgiving will help us to have contrition to repent1 and will move ,god to give us abundant grace2 ,he will be obliged1 as it were1 by gratitude1 to give it to us2 for ,he has said1 ,as long as you did it to one of these ,my least brethren1 you did it to ,me4 ,almsgiving will not save us without repentance1 but it will help us very much to have repentance2 and1 to impress us with its importance1 our ,lord seems1 in ,his own description of the last judgment1 to make our salvation depend upon the charitable works which we have done in this life4 ,and if1 by ,his grace1 we have repented of sin and confessed it1 almsgiving will give us a degree of merit and amount of reward which we may1 in one sense1 call unjust and excessive1 so great is the mercy of ,god4 #ec ,fasting1 prayer1 and alms2 self-denial1 devotion1 and charity2 these are the principal good works at this and every time2 but they are more urgent and necessary now than usual1 if we wish to obtain the special fruit of this holy season4 ,and1 besides these1 we must not put away the spirit of humiliation and penance expressed in receiving the ashes this morning4 ,these are not for ,ash-,wednesday alone1 but for the whole of ,lent4 ,we must abandon1 in spirit at least1 the vain distinctions by which we are trying to raise ourselves above others1 and follow1 at a great distance1 the example of our ,god and ,saviour1 who1 being our ,creator and absolute ,master1 became the servant of servants for our sake4 ,and we have an immense number of sins which are not yet fully expiated2 for these we must do penance sometime or other1 before death or after it1 in this world or in purgatory4 ,we can do it better now than at any other time2 first1 because we are obliged to do some difficult things1 which can be made to pay this temporal debt if they are done with the right spirit and intention2 and1 also1 because penance is the spirit of the season1 and we can come to the church oftener1 and do of our own accord other things which are a little inconvenient and put us to some trouble1 without any danger of attracting attention or of getting proud about it2 for others will be doing the same4 #ed ,finally1 my brethren1 in the words of the ,apostle1 ,we exhort you that you receive not the grace of ,god in vain4 ,this may be our last ,lent2 it certainly will be for some of us2 but1 at any rate1 we shall not feel sorry to have spent it as if it were so4 ,god's love for us is immense2 ,he is continually giving us fresh graces1 which we are trampling under our feet2 but there will come a time when ,i will not say ,his patience will be exhausted1 but when1 in the course of ,his providence1 we must be taken from this world1 and grace for us will be no more4 ,then1 when we lie on our death-bed1 we shall look back--if1 indeed1 we are able to collect our thoughts--upon the gifts of ,god which we have thrown away1 and wish most earnestly for a day1 or even an hour1 of the time that we have wasted4 ,then1 if we have spent this ,lent badly1 we shall remember it and the others that we have neglected1 and bitterly repent our neglect when it is too late4 ,then we shall fear and tremble at the thought of the awful judgment of ,god1 before whose face we are so soon to appear2 or1 if we have confidence that by ,his mercy the guilt of our sins has been taken away1 we shall still feel how unfit we are1 after a sinful life1 to remain in ,his sight1 and shall see the flames of purgatory prepared to expiate those offences for which this ,lent and the others we have wasted might have atoned4 ,perhaps years of suffering will await us there instead of the few days of penance which we have refused in this life4 #ee ,and1 even if we have spent this time well1 we shall then see clearly how we might have spent it better2 and every good work which we could properly have done1 which we had the grace and opportunity for1 and yet did not do1 will give us more sorrow than its omission gave relief4 ,but let us hope better things4 ,there is no reason why this ,lent should not be for us all that ,god meant it to be4 ,that it may be so1 the first thing to do1 and the most agreeable of all1 is to get into the grace and friendship of ,god1 if we are now in sin2 and then we have only to go on and do what we can1 not in a grudging or weary spirit1 but cheerfully and with our whole heart1 to please our good ,god1 who loves us each as much as if we were ,his only creature1 and has done infinitely more for us already than we can ever do for ,him4 ,his ,blessed ,mother and the saints1 especially ,st4 ,joseph1 under whose patronage the greater part of ,lent almost always comes1 will help us1 and we shall have joy enough in our souls to fully make up for all that is unpleasant or tiresome4 ,and all the while we shall1 by penance1 be shortening the road that lies between us and our true home in heaven1 where our ,creator1 ,redeemer1 and ,sanctifier1 the ,blessed ,trinity1 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 is waiting to have us come and be happy with ,him for all eternity4 ----------------------- #ef ,sermon ,,iv4 ,pretended ,and ,real ,christians4 7,at ,special ,lenten ,service47 #b ,cor4 vi4 #a4 ,and we do exhort you that you receive not the grace of ,god in vain4 ,what is the reason1 my dear brethren1 that you are all here to-night8 ,i know very well what it is4 ,there are very few who have not one and the same reason4 ,you came because you wish1 when you are removed out of this world1 to reach the kingdom of heaven4 ,you came because you would secure yourselves from the punishments denounced by ,god against the sinner4 ,you came here to-night because you feel a strong interest in the salvation of your souls4 ,it is the grace of ,god which stirs within your hearts and impels you to come4 ,now you are here1 ,i say to you1 with ,st4 ,paul1 ,let not this grace of ,god be in vain4 ,it is not enough to come within the church-walls and hear the voice of the preacher1 unless you arc also willing and anxious to follow out his instructions4 #eg ,i want to tell you what it is to be rightly and truly called a ,christian1 and to have a well-grounded hope of salvation4 ,a vast number of absurd notions are afloat in the minds of many as to what it is to be a ,christian4 ,where they came from1 ,i cannot tell4 ,it is not from the ,church1 for she never has taught them1 and never can teach them4 ,it is not from good sense and right reason1 for they teach exactly the contrary4 ,it must be from the devil1 for he is said1 in ,scripture1 to be a liar and the father of lies1 and these lies are the very ones which are the most destructive of the soul4 ,one of these lying notions is that outward communion with the ,church of ,god renders a man a true ,christian1 and makes him sure of his salvation4 ,the ,pharisees had this idea4 ,are we not children of ,abraham8 they said4 ,but what did ,st4 ,john the ,baptist say8 ,say not to yourselves1 ,we have ,abraham for our father2 for ,i say unto you that ,god is able of these stones to raise up children unto ,abraham4 ,bring forth1 therefore1 fruit worthy of penance4 ,footnote #h ,footnote #h3 ,st4 ,matthew iii4 #i4 #eh ,and our ,saviour said unto them1 ,if you be the children of ,abraham1 do the works of ,abraham4 ,if there are any ,catholics foolish enough to build their hopes of salvation on the mere fact of being ,catholics1 without having the spirit and the works of the ,catholic religion1 let them consider the fearful denunciation of our ,lord against them4 ,take the parable of the wheat and the tares4 ,the kingdom of heaven is like to a man who sowed wheat in his field1 and by-and-by1 when it came up1 a quantity of weeds1 or tares1 came up with it4 ,the servants asked their lord1 ,shall we not go out and pull up the tares8 ,no1 he replied2 lest1 pulling out the tares1 ye pull out the wheat with them4 ,suffer them to grow together until the harvest1 and then the wheat shall be gathered into my barn1 and the tares shall be bound up into bundles to be burned in the fire4 ,the question is not--,am ,i growing in the field of the ,church8 but--,am ,i the wheat8 or the tares1 fit only for the burning8 ,our ,lord never seems to grow tired of denouncing this doctrine4 ,listen to ,his description of the last judgment3 ,and when the master of the house shall be gone in1 and shall shut the door1 you shall begin to stand without1 and knock at the door1 saying3 ,lord1 open to us2 and he answering1 shall say to you3 ,i know not whence you are4 ,then you shall begin to say3 ,we have eaten and drunk in thy presence1 and thou hast taught in our streets4 ,and he shall say to you3 ,i know not whence you are2 depart from me1 all ye workers of iniquity4 ,footnote #i ,footnote #i3 ,st4 ,luke xiii4 #be-bg4 #ei ,you see1 then1 the plea of being familiar in the house of ,god1 of eating and drinking in ,his presence1 is of no avail4 ,others1 who are not in the outward ,church of ,god1 though in it in heart and soul1 may enter the kingdom of ,god1 but all the wicked in the ,church shall be thrust out4 ,there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4 ,when you shall see ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 and all the prophets in the kingdom of ,god1 and you shall be cast out4 ,and they shall come from the east and from the west1 and from the north and from the south1 and shall sit down in the kingdom of ,god4 ,it is no doubt of immense and incalculable benefit to be within the pale of the ,church1 and within reach of the ,sacraments1 but if you presume on this alone1 instead of getting any benefit1 you will only make them the occasion of your damnation4 ,you have received this great grace1 but remember that you are thereby rendered responsible for the right use of it4 ,brethren1 beware lest you receive this grace of ,god in vain4 ,now1 there is another false idea of what it is to be a ,christian1 and ,i am convinced that this prevails much more extensively1 for1 after all1 few are foolish enough to build their hopes of salvation exclusively in the mere fact of being outward members of the ,church of ,god4 #fj ,this idea is1 that1 if a man belongs to the ,church and does some good and religious acts1 he can indulge himself to some extent in mortal sin1 and still be a ,christian and expect heaven4 ,i know very well there are many sinners who know better4 ,when they sin1 they are aware of what they are about3 they know well that they lose heaven1 and that they renounce all pretensions to be true ,christians1 and this salutary knowledge drives them back to repentance and their duty2 but are there not some who persuade1 or half persuade1 themselves to the contrary8 ,they drink in sin like water1 and make themselves out to be pretty good ,christians notwithstanding4 ,do they not go to ,mass8 ,do they not appear occasionally in the tribunal of penance8 ,do they not cry1 ,lord1 ,lord1 and beat their breasts1 and call to mind that there is such a being as ,god1 and that they must do something now and then to please ,him1 or else ,he will get angry with them8 ,and then they go off and sin as hard as they can1 until they come to ,mass again1 and beat their breasts once more1 and cry out1 ,lord1 ,lord1 again4 ,the ,chinese do very much the same thing4 ,they set up a huge1 ugly idol in their temples1 and now and then go and prostrate themselves before it1 and burn incense1 and make some offering4 ,this is the sum and substance of religion with them1 and ,i fear it is the idea some ,catholics1 in their ignorance of their holy religion and through their evil disposition1 have formed to themselves1 too4 #fa ,sin all the week1 and try to appease the anger of the ,almighty on the ,sunday by some false and hypocritical acts of worship6 ,why1 they must think ,god to be something like the idols of the heathen1 instead of being1 as ,he is1 the ,god of in finite power1 and wisdom1 and goodness4 ,what is the story of such people in the confessional8 ,sin1 mortal sin1 is a matter of course with them4 ,have they undertaken to deny themselves anything they had a strong desire for1 in order not to commit mortal sin8 ,no indeed6 ,they think it quite excuse enough that they were tempted4 ,i could not help it1 ,i was tempted4 ,are you determined not to commit this sin again8 ,i do not know2 ,i will not unless ,i am tempted4 ,the power of ,god is held very cheap by such people4 ,they stand ready to sell it for little or nothing at any time3 for a filthy gratification1 for a drunken debauch1 for a dollar or two4 ,judas sold our ,lord for thirty pieces of silver4 ,they would sell ,him for two or three4 ,such a person comes to confession after an interval of a year or so4 ,what is his story8 ,guilty of frequent absence from ,holy ,mass without any excuse--guilty of repeated drunkenness--guilty of cursing1 swearing1 and indecent language--guilty of unchaste conduct4 ,such has been his life for many years past2 and such1 it is to be feared1 will be his life until death closes it4 #fb ,his purposes of amendment are only on his lips1 and not in his heart4 ,they are made1 not to be fulfilled1 but to be broken4 ,and yet such men persuade themselves that this kind of religion is acceptable to ,god1 and that it is going to bring them to heaven4 ,of what value are your prayers it you lead such a life8 ,the prophet ,isaias tells you3 ,offer sacrifice no more in vain3 incense is an abomination to me4 ,the new moons1 and the ,sabbaths1 and the other festivals1 ,i will not abide2 your assemblies are wicked4 ,my soul hateth your new moons1 and your solemnities2 they are become troublesome to me3 ,i am weary of bearing them4 ,and when you stretch forth your hands1 ,i will turn away my eyes from you2 and when you multiply prayer1 ,i will not hear2 for your hands are full of blood4 ,wash yourselves1 be clean1 take away the evil of your devices from my eyes2 cease to do perversely1 learn to do well4 ,footnote #aj ,footnote #aj3 ,isaias i4 #ac-ag4 ,now1 ,i have placed before your eyes the picture of a false and hypocritical religion1 on the one hand2 ,i will hold up before you1 on the other1 the idea of a real1 true1 genuine ,christianity1 which will certainly lead the soul to heaven--the idea of our ,lord ,himself in the holy ,gospels4 #fc ,he invariably represents the true ,christian as one thoroughly converted from the evil of his ways4 ,he compares him to a tree-- ,a good tree1 ,he says1 cannot bring forth bad fruit2 neither can a bad tree bring forth good fruit4 ,why not8 ,because there is good sap in the good tree1 which goes alike into all the fruit of the tree1 and makes it all of a good quality1 whilst the harsh and sour sap of the bad tree affects all its fruit1 and makes it all bad4 ,a real ,christian has a thoroughly good disposition4 ,he fears ,god1 and keeps ,his commandments4 ,this principle of his affects all his actions4 ,the whole tenor and course of his life is good4 ,he no longer brings forth evil actions4 ,he may have been bad once1 but he has turned once for all and finally from the evil of his ways1 and has become good4 ,once he had a bad disposition2 he committed sin1 and gratified his unlawful passions1 in spite of ,god and ,his commandments1 and his fruit or actions were corrupted by his bad dispositions4 ,they were all worthless for eternal life4 ,but he turned to ,god with his whole heart2 he was grafted into ,christ1 and it is the sap and nourishment of ,christ that flows through his soul1 rendering him a new man1 and his actions meritorious of an everlasting reward4 ,to be a ,christian is represented also under this very figure4 #fd ,st4 ,paul says3 ,but you have not so learned ,christ1 but you have been taught in ,him to put off1 according to the former conversation1 the old man1 who is corrupted according to the desire of error4 ,and be renewed in the spirit of your mind3 and put on the new man1 who1 according to ,god1 is created in justice1 and holiness of truth4 ,footnote #aa ,footnote #aa3 ,eph4 iv4 #bj-bd4 ,and then we have a beautiful summary of the practical uprightness and candor of the thus newly-created man1 and of the excellent fruit of virtue which should proceed from him3 ,wherefore putting away lying1 speak ye the truth every one to his neighbor1 for we are members one of another4 ,be angry1 and sin not2 let not the sun go down upon your anger4 ,give not place to the devil4 ,let him that stole1 steal no more2 but rather let him labor1 working with his hands that which is good4 ,let no evil speech proceed from your mouth4 444 ,let all bitterness and anger1 and indignation and clamor1 and blasphemy be put away from you4 444 ,and be ye kind and merciful and forgiving1 even as ,god has forgiven you in ,christ4 ,footnote #ab ,footnote #ab3 ,ibid4 iv4 #be-cb4 ,these are1 indeed1 golden words1 which deserve to be read over time and again1 and pondered in our hearts1 and embodied1 every one of them1 in fervent prayers and ardent desires1 arising like incense out of our hearts to ,god1 that we may have the grace to realize in ourselves the pattern of the true ,christian which they present to us4 #fe ,let us listen once more to the holy apostle1 threatening us if we fail to conform to this measure and standard of the ,christian life3 ,the night is past1 and the day is at hand2 let us therefore cast off the works of darkness1 and put on the armor of light4 ,let us walk honestly as in the day2 not in rioting and drunkenness1 not in chambering and wantonness1 not in contention and envy2 but put ye on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences4 ,footnote #ac ,footnote #ac3 ,rom4 xiii4 #ab-ad4 ,again3 ,know ye not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of ,god8 ,be not deceived4 ,neither fornicators1 nor adulterers1 nor the effeminate1 nor sodomites1 nor thieves1 nor the covetous1 nor drunkards1 nor railers1 nor extortioners1 shall possess the kingdom of ,god2 and such some of you were1 but you are washed1 but you are sanctified1 but you are justified in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and in the ,spirit of our ,god4 ,footnote #ad ,footnote #ad3 ,i ,cor1 vi4 #i-aa4 ,you see that unless one puts away all these things he has no right to the hopes of a ,christian4 ,a ,christian is a follower of ,christ4 ,do we follow ,christ when we go to places of drunkenness and debauchery8 ,do we follow ,christ when we refuse to forgive our enemies8 ,do we follow ,christ when we are covetous and hard hearted8 #ff ,look at the first ,christians4 ,they were ,jews2 but when they heard the news of the ,gospel of ,christ1 they turned with their whole hearts to conform to it4 ,they burned their bad books4 ,they quit their evil ways4 ,they confessed their sins4 ,they were even willing to sell all their goods1 and throw the proceeds into a common fund1 because this religion appeared to them of more value than all the world besides4 ,they were one in heart and soul4 ,they were steadfast in prayer1 and blameless in their lives4 ,you might say of them1 without hesitation1 that they were of such as should be saved1 and their names were written in the ,book of ,life4 ,look at the martyrs4 ,when it was a question of obeying ,god1 they laid down their lives rather than disobey4 ,they did not commit mortal sin1 and say1 ,oh6 it is nothing4 ,i will just swing the censer to that image1 or offer that sacrifice1 for the fire is too hot1 or the sword is too keen1 but ,i will still remain a ,christian in my heart4 ,no1 indeed6 ,they were not ,christians of this sort2 but they suffered by the fire1 and by the sword1 and from the wild beasts1 and all kinds of cruel deaths1 and thus manfully they earned the kingdom of heaven4 ,these were ,christians2 and they teach us what that sacred name of ,christian means4 #fg ,what kind of ,christians are we8 ,let each one ask himself this question3 ,do ,i come up to the standard8 ,am ,i worthy of the name8 ,have ,i any real1 well-grounded hope of salvation8 ,am ,i1 this moment1 in a state of salvation or of damnation8 ,have ,i the principle1 the fixed1 well-grounded principle1 which ought to govern all the actions of a ,christian8 ,have ,i considered this matter1 and looked it steadily in the face8 ,these are important questions1 and now is the time to answer them4 ,if you have been ,christian in name heretofore1 but heathen in life1 do not let this ,lent go by without a thorough change4 ,arise out of this miserable state1 and put on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,devote the whole of this ,lent to this purpose4 ,say--,i have a most important business to transact1 and it must be done at once1 before the ,lent is over4 ,turn away from all sin with horror1 and to ,god with your whole heart4 ,drop all foolish amusement4 ,drop all sinful company4 ,drop all excess in eating and drinking4 ,drop1 as far as possible1 all anxiety about business1 or any worldly affairs1 and give your attention to your poor soul4 ,think1 oh6 think of eternity1 of death1 of judgment1 of the punishments denounced upon sinners4 ,do not let the thoughts of these things leave your minds4 ,force yourselves to think upon them--it is all-important to you4 ,and pray3 cry to ,god for mercy4 #fh ,the promise is sure3 ,ask1 and ye shall receive2 seek1 and ye shall find2 knock1 and it shall be opened unto you4 ,make such a use of this season of penance as ,god and the ,church wish you to1 and you will find it the best1 the most profitable1 the most joyful of your whole life4 ,you will exclaim--,i was poor1 wretched1 blind1 now ,i see1 now ,i am rich in grace1 now ,i am indeed happy1 for ,god has spoken the word of peace to my soul4 ,never1 never more will ,i be so ungrateful as to offend ,him again4 ------------------- #fi ,sermon ,v4 ,the ,sins ,and ,miseries ,of ,the ,dram-seller4 ,habacuc ,,ii4 #ae4 ,woe to him that giveth drink to his friend1 and presenteth his gall1 and maketh him drunk4 ,i once made a journey to a strange country2 and so utterly at variance did all the social customs and personal lives of its inhabitants seem to be with the ordinary habits of people of this world1 that ,i thought for a moment ,i must have stumbled upon beings who had been transplanted from some other planet4 ,among other remarkable features in their character1 ,i noticed that1 instead of being as ambitious of obtaining a high reputation amongst their neighbors as men generally are1 the inhabitants of that country were striving1 as it appeared to me1 during every leisure hour they could spare from their daily labor1 to lower themselves in the estimation of others and become degraded4 ,instead of riches1 they sought poverty2 instead of learning1 ignorance2 instead of health1 disease2 and a premature death rather than a long life4 #gj ,the means to which they resorted to bring this about seemed equally strange4 ,by a sort of general consent1 a certain number of them were chosen to absorb all the respectability1 property1 and comfort of the rest4 ,these individuals distributed themselves about in different quarters of the towns1 and you could easily have recognized their habitations from the rest for being the finer buildings1 which increased in size as the surrounding dwellings of their neighbors became the more squalid1 desolate1 and uninhabitable4 ,they1 with their wives and children1 also added the more to their comfort and luxury as the families about them became the nakeder and the hungrier4 ,so far was all this carried1 that1 ,i observed1 not a few1 after having given up all their own1 would often go and steal from others1 and carry not only money1 but even articles of furniture and clothing1 to these men1 who seemed also to be very popular persons and great favorites1 if ,i might judge of the number of their clients and the pleasure apparently derived from long visits to them1 to the loss of the company of their friends and families1 and of their natural rest after wearisome days of toil4 ,i wondered greatly at all this1 and asked my guide to explain it to me4 ,do you not see1 said he1 that these rich and powerful persons are in possession of a wonderful elixir8 #ga ,it is said to produce happiness for those who may obtain a little of it1 and these people are so anxious to be happy that they eagerly give up all they have1 and all they hope for in this world and the next1 in order to get some of it4 ,i do not see1 ,i said1 that it makes those who use it happy2 on the contrary1 they seem to me to be really bartering all their means of happiness away1 and getting nothing but misery in exchange4 ,you need only look around you upon those comfortless homes and diseased men and women1 and glance at their daily lives1 to confirm the truth of your observation1 he replied4 ,then these poor1 misguided souls are only grasping at shadows of happiness1 and losing the reality in the meanwhile8 ,you have spoken the truth1 said he2 and you need not be surprised at it1 for the country you are in is called the ,land of the ,shadow of ,happiness4 ,i will tarry no longer here1 said ,i1 for the sight sickens me4 ,i will return quickly to my own country4 ,so you may1 said my guide2 but the seller of the shadow of happiness lives and thrives with you also4 ,does he8 ,i asked4 ,and what may he be called8 #gb ,the ,dram-seller4 ,i awoke from my reverie1 and found myself standing1 not in a strange land1 but in the streets of my own city1 before a fine brick building1 ornamented with cut stone1 proudly rearing its showy front1 and looking down with contempt upon the humble homes of the poor that surrounded it2 and glittering in the sunshine shone the gilded sign-board over its doors1 ,,imported ,,wines ,,and ,,liquors4 ,yes1 the dram-seller lives and thrives with us1 too--the vender of the shadow of happiness1 and dealer in ignorance1 disease1 degradation1 poverty1 ruined reputations1 strifes1 jealousies1 insanity1 delirium tremens1 and dishonored and early graves4 ,the drunkards whom he makes are wretched enough1 and commit1 through their intemperance1 the most grievous of crimes2 but ,i know not if the sins and miseries of the dram-seller be not worse and far more hopeless of reparation than theirs4 ,for in one it is often the result of weak and uneducated minds1 unable to use ,god's gifts in moderation1 or to bear up against the trials and temptations of this life2 but the other must be a cold1 heartless1 calculating1 money-worshipping soul1 who can thus fatten himself upon the sinful appetites of others1 and from year to year defraud his neighbor by the sale of his vile1 adulterated trash1 and take the hard-earned dollars of his customers in exchange for it without a blush4 #gc ,the dram-seller and his traffic is a well-known and prominent rock of scandal in the community1 whether it be the secret sale from one barrel of beer or liquor in the earth-floored shanty1 or the flourishing business of a well-stocked and gilded saloon4 ,what are the sins of the dram-seller8 ,he sins against justice and against charity4 ,he sins against justice4 ,to all who have examined the matter1 it is a well-established fact that in every case this business is necessarily connected with the sale of false1 adulterated articles1 and with an unreasonable1 unrighteous1 and usurious profit4 ,and the only excuse any one connected with it has ever been able to offer is1 that they are obliged1 if they sell at all1 to keep cheap liquors for poor people1 or that1 if the article is adulterated1 it is none of their business1 for they sell it1 either just as they purchase it from large dealers1 or1 at the worst1 only add a certain modicum of water1 as they say the raw spirit might do the poor people harm6 ,but they know the fact as well as ,i know it1 that scarcely one drop is dealt out by them that is not more or less adulterated2 that their so-called wines never saw the juice of the grape2 that their brandies1 and rums1 and cordials are all composed of proof spirit1 coloring matter1 drugs of the most poisonous character and deadly strength1 and water4 ,i am in possession of a document circulated privately among these manufacturers of imported wines and liquors1 which purports to give recipes for making any kind of wine1 liquor1 or cordial you can name1 with the address of certain houses where the drugs ,i have alluded to may be obtained4 #gd ,a friend was invited by a dram-seller to visit his vaults4 ,taking out the bung of a large hogshead1 he drew up from the liquor by a cord a gauze bag of very small dimensions1 and1 with a peculiar wink of his eye1 remarked1 ,you see1 that's the way we manage it4 ,oh6 that's the way you manage it1 is it8 the friend replied4 ,i am very glad to know it4 ,the cheap materials from which the drink ordinarily sold is manufactured1 and the large adulteration with water made on their own premises by the retailers1 enables them to make the most exorbitant1 usurious profits4 ,the popular wonder is1 how so many can carry on the business and make money by it4 ,that is the reason4 ,if the character of the drink sold1 or the adulteration of it1 were always harmless to the consumer1 there might be a semblance of palliation to this iniquity1 though no just excuse even then2 for in such a case the consumer does not get either what he supposes or the worth of his money4 #ge ,but when we see the dreadful effects produced by these liquors1 the morbid cravings which they engender in those who partake of them1 the extra-ordinary prostration of mind and body caused by a fit of intoxication on them1 the physical and moral degradation resulting from their constant use1 there can be no excuse for the dispensing of such noxious articles1 and he who practises it is guilty of a fraud--a fraud of the basest and most criminal character upon the people1 and makes himself a fit object for the scorn and righteous indignation of a just community4 ,am ,i not right in saying that the dram-seller sins against justice8 #b4 ,the dram-seller sins against charity4 ,he sins against himself1 his spiritual and temporal good1 and that of his family4 ,the business is a proximate occasion of sin1 and good morals can never allow one to remain in that state4 ,in the first place1 it is a proximate occasion of the sin of drunkenness for himself and for the members of his household4 ,the necessity of pleasing and attracting his customers obliges him often to treat and be treated during the day4 ,the effect of this constant tippling is very visible in the persons of those who have been some time in the business1 and the number of those who fall into the sin of drunkenness from the proximity of the occasion furnished by the sale is very great4 ,it is not an unfrequent occurrence for them to take the pledge1 in order to prevent themselves from drinking with their customers4 #gf ,their wives1 children1 and clerks are exposed to the same occasion of sin4 ,the language and character of the frequenters of the dram-shop are demoralizing to the last degree1 not only to the man1 but to the wife and children1 and pave the way to every conceivable crime4 ,how many a young man has engaged in this vile traffic1 who commenced it sober and virtuous1 but who1 by the occasions it presented1 soon became a degraded and irreclaimable sot6 ,and when he first thought of going into it1 how his conscience reproved him1 how often he reflected that this was not a fit thing for a good ,catholic and practical ,christian4 ,when he met the priest in the street the day or so after the opening of his store or saloon1 how he reddened up to the eyes1 and was glad if he perchance passed him without observing him his pastor1 whose nod1 and smile1 and shake of the hand1 and cheery ,god bless you6 he used to be so anxious and happy to have from the hour of childhood4 ,but now his uneasy conscience keeps him away altogether from the ,sacraments1 and often from ,mass4 ,if people enquire what has become of him lately1 or wonder that he is seen no longer at the altar1 the answer that he has opened a liquor store is deemed a sufficient one4 #gg ,and knowing the wrongs from it1 ,i thank ,god that there is such a sense of ,christian propriety and rectitude in the public conscience left amongst us1 that will deem such1 a response a sufficient one4 ,i know that1 as time goes on1 and the greed of gain takes possession of them1 the conscience gets less clamorous3 but it is scarcely ever completely blunted4 ,they are always rather ashamed of the business1 and never mention the fact of their being engaged in it in an open1 frank manner4 ,a person1 whom ,i did not know1 called upon me once to consult me upon an affair1 and ,i had occasion to ask him his profession4 ,he replied1 evasively1 ,i am a member of the ---- ,convention4 ,but your business is-- ,oh6--ah6 7hesitating7 a grocery and liquor store4 ,but the sin which adds the last and most grievous stain upon the dram-seller and his traffic is the heinous breach of ,christian charity against his neighbor4 ,he wrongs his neighbor in his property1 his person1 his soul1 his family1 and in all his social relations4 ,he makes bad husbands1 bad wives1 immoral children4 ,and all good citizens and practical ,catholics will bear me out in the assertion that the dram-shop is the gulf which swallows the hard earnings of the laboring classes2 the health1 property1 happiness1 life1 and well-being of thousands of the community2 and is the responsible first cause of the increase of pauperism1 and crime1 and the consequent burden of taxation upon the ,state4 #gh ,recent statistics show that1 in the cities of ,new ,york and ,boston1 there is a dram-shop for every one hundred inhabitants2 and that1 in ,boston alone1 the arrests for public drunkenness in one year were equal to one in ten of the entire population4 ,this is a horrible state of things4 ,as a contrast1 ,i remember preaching a mission in a certain town where1 by the exertions of the parish priest1 all ,catholics1 save one1 had given up the traffic4 ,we found the sin of drunkenness in that place comparatively rare4 ,no one who has examined the matter will pretend to dispute the fact that drunkenness increases in the same ratio with the multiplication of the dram shop4 ,it is therefore a public nuisance1 a crying scandal amongst us1 a proximate occasion of sin1 an iniquitous trade in which no good ,christian can engage without putting the salvation of his soul in peril4 ,such or such a man and his family whom you could name were happy enough before he got enticed into the dram-shop4 ,it was a sight to make the angels smile to witness the clean1 bright home that man found on his return from business4 ,every thing was there to cheer him4 ,the wife welcomed him with an unclouded brow4 ,the children dropped their playthings to run and embrace him4 ,if he had not luxury about him1 he had plenty and comfort4 ,plenty of furniture1 plenty of clothes for his work1 and a new suit for the ,sunday morning4 #gi ,the table wanted nothing but the blessing upon the food whenever the meal time came4 ,the doctor's bill never came so very heavy1 and1 if one of the family happened to be ill a little longer than common1 he felt a worthy pride in being able to go and pay the doctor at his office1 and exchange thanks4 ,his name was good in the bank whenever he wanted money2 and1 as year by year rolled by1 he was getting up in the world4 ,men talked of his good luck1 as they called it4 ,friends whispered1 about election times1 that he would make a capital fellow for this or that vacant office in his township4 ,no family stood higher in respect1 if they did in wealth1 at the parish church than his4 ,happy and beloved at home in the bosom of his family2 honored and respected abroad2 at peace with ,god and man2 what fiend will dare bring his foul presence within the circle of so much joy8 ,alas6 for the dark day that he was bidden by the dram-seller to be neighborly and come in and take a friendly glass4 ,alas6 for the fatal hour when the tempter invited him to come round of an evening1 and be sociable1 and not to be such a man-baby tied to his wife's apron-strings4 ,now it begins the oft-told1 woeful tale4 ,a hurried supper1 and out for the evening4 ,later and later he returns1 with the signs of liquor on him4 ,he used to try to hide it at first by washing his mouth with water and taking a smart walk4 ,but he takes too much now to care for ,appearances2 nor is he able for the walk4 #hj ,in order to smooth over matters1 he takes an opportunity on his wife's birthday1 and brings out the bottle and proposes her health1 and makes her drink with him2 and then a little taste of the sugared drops at the bottom of the glass for the children4 ,it is brought out every day now2 and when the night comes1 the wife sits up late1 goes often to the window1 watching his return1 and there's a heavy weight at her heart that forces from her eyes many a bitter tear4 ,the plague marches fast4 ,he is drunk every ,saturday night1 and seldom goes to ,mass4 ,work or business is neglected1 and the time spent at the bar-room4 ,the money leaks away extraordinarily fast4 ,articles of furniture are pawned--first for food1 soon for drink4 ,the wife helps on destruction by trying to drown her sorrow in a glass of liquor now and then4 ,the best ,sunday suit and the new bonnet and shawl are no longer in the wardrobe4 ,the children's bare feet peep out of old shoes1 and a strange sadness and silence has come over the once merry little group4 ,they seem to be getting old-fashioned in their ways1 and less like children4 ,is that the reason1 ,i wonder1 why there are no new toys and presents now at ,christmas or at ,easter1 as in the days gone by8 ,soon comes debt4 #ha ,he had to go in debt to procure the necessaries of life1 but spared a little of the borrowed money to get his daily drams at the grog-shop4 ,but debt must be paid1 and1 as he has nothing to discharge it with1 a few days of delay1 and there is a sheriff's execution in the house4 ,all the furniture swept1 away6 ,from bad to worse1 from one step to an other3 down goes the family to beggary and vice4 ,frequent quarrels1 blows1 and curses pass between husband and wife1 the children and their parents4 ,he gets an odd job to do now and then1 for he is turned out of his regular situation1 and drinks a part of the wages1 not at his old friend's1 but at a low beer-shop2 for one night1 after the sale of his house and lot1 he demanded trust for liquor2 but1 as he had spent his last dollar1 his friend1 the dram-seller1 told him1 he kept a decent place1 and wouldn't have any drunkards around him1 and kicked him out of doors1 bidding him go home and take care of his wife and family6 ,the wife begs around for broken victuals1 with a downcast face1 and her old hood pulled far over her forehead to hide a black eye and her untidy hair4 ,the boy1 his eldest boy1 that was to be sent to college1 was sent up last week to prison for shoplifting2 and the girl--where is she gone8 ,answer me1 dram-shop1 where is the girl gone8 ,and now ,i have more to ask of you1 ,o mouth of hell6 ,where is the house and lot gone to8 #hb ,where is the furniture gone to8 ,where now are the good husband1 the happy father1 the thrifty wife1 the faithful mother1 the innocent children1 the food on the table1 the fire on the hearth1 the comfort and joy and good name and trust and neighborly confidence1 and the good ,christians1 the pious ,catholics1 that used to be at ,mass every ,sunday morning in their places8 ,answer me4 ,do you not hear a righteous ,god1 your judge1 demanding in tones of wrath1 ,dram-shop1 where are my children8 ,you--you have robbed me of my beautiful flock6 ,o cruel dram-seller6 ,o dram-shop6 scandal of our times1 look upon the ruin you have wrought6 ,see the black cloud which hangs over your dwelling4 ,it is a threatening mass of darkness and woe1 made up of heavy curses1 of sighs from broken hearts1 the gloom of grievous bitterness of spirit2 and that cloud is pregnant with hidden lightnings and thunders of the wrath of ,god descending upon you4 ,woe to him that giveth drink to his friend1 and presenteth his gall1 and maketh him drunk1 that he may behold him stripped and naked4 ,thou art filled with shame instead of glory2 drink thou also1 and fall fast asleep2 the cup of the right hand of the ,lord shall compass thee1 and shameful vomiting shall be on thy glory4 ,footnote #ae ,footnote #ae3 ,habac4 ii4 #ae1 #af4 #hc ,your sin is the sin of ,ephraim1 whom the prophet reproved4 ,you make to yourself an idol of gain4 ,and ,ephraim said1 ,but yet ,i am become rich4 ,i have found me an idol3 all my labors shall not find me the iniquity that ,i have committed4 ,footnote #af ,to that idol you have sacrificed men1 women1 and children1 and brought upon many a wretched soul temporal and eternal ruin--robbing heaven of saints1 and filling up the caverns of hell4 ,footnote #af3 ,osec xii4 #h4 ,,usccb3 ,hosea xii4 #i4 ,hear what ,god answers to ,ephraim3 ,i will meet them as a bear that is robbed of her whelps2 ,i will rend the inner parts of their bodies1 and ,i will devour them as a lion2 the beast of the field shall tear them4 ,footnote #ag ,footnote #ag3 ,osec xiii4 #h4 ,,usccb3 ,hosea xiii4 #h4 ,your very daily walks must be misery to you1 one would suppose4 ,for how can you put on those fine clothes1 and see your children clad in warm coats and caps and shoes1 and your wife parading that beautiful new silk dress and expensive jewelry1 when you know that they were bought with money that ought to have been used to clothe a family that goes about our streets in destitution and nakedness so pitiable that it makes the heart ache8 ,how can you sit down and ask ,god's blessing upon your plentifully supplied table1 if you ever do it now1 when the hand that gave you the money to purchase all these luxuries snatched the piece of bread from the mouths of his starving1 hungry children8 #hd ,how can you dare go to sleep in your soft1 warm bed1 listening to that cutting winter's blast as it goes howling past your windows down the street1 and forces its way in the open crevices of the drunkard's shanty1 freezing the half-clad forms of his neglected little ones1 huddled in the corner upon a filthy wisp of straw8 ,have you a human heart yet left beating in your bosom8 ,do you know anything of a husband's affection or of a father's love8 ,oh6 then you must be a miserable man4 ,how do your neighbors speak of you8 ,oh6 he's a rum-seller4 ,and the tone in which it is spoken is a plain index of the contempt they attach to the name4 ,your wife is designated as a rum-seller's wife1 and of your children it is remarked1 ,their father sells liquor4 ,and it is a common reply of many of the most degraded drunkards1 that although they have drunk pretty hard1 they thank ,god they never sold liquor4 ,can ,i ask you to quit it8 ,yes1 ,i can demand of you to quit it4 ,you admit1 and the common sense of the entire community admits1 that those low groggeries1 in which drunken bacchanalian orgies are of daily and nightly occurrence1 ought to be stopped1 and that no man who keeps such a place is fit for absolution--that is1 none such can claim the right to the sacraments of the ,church1 living or dying2 in a word1 cannot save his soul if he be not ready to abandon it4 #he ,but you tell me that your establishment is not of such a character2 you keep a decent house4 ,i would like you to bring me one single liquor-seller who does not say the very same4 ,the business is notoriously vicious and hurtful1 and success in it is dependent upon an increase of sin and misery among the people4 ,it is a stumbling-block in the way of the salvation of men addicted to drink1 and woe be to that man who dares assume the responsibility for the loss of a soul6 ,i have a right1 then1 in the name of the general well-being of the community1 in the name of ,christian charity1 by virtue of the warning of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that it were better for a man to have a mill-stone hanged about his neck1 and he be cast into the depth of the sea1 rather than scandalize one of the children of ,god1 ,footnote #ah to demand of every man who aids1 abets1 or by his own act takes part in this abominable scandal1 to quit it on peril of damnation4 ,footnote #ah3 ,st4 ,matt1 xviii4 #f4 ,i tell you1 moreover1 that the holy ,catholic ,church1 which some of you pretend to belong to and to obey1 has solemnly declared1 in the twenty-second canon of the ,third ,council of ,lateran1 that all priests are absolutely forbidden to give absolution to those who remain in any employment1 profession1 or business which they cannot pursue without sin1 because they remain in the occasions of sin4 #hf ,but you insist that such is your business1 bad as it is1 and you have been brought up to that4 ,yes1 ,i know it is a bad business1 and will be your destruction4 ,and ,i wish to know if a man must remain a thief because he has been brought up a thief1 and never learned an honest trade8 ,but the loss1 father2 ,i cannot afford it4 ,do you not hear the words of ,jesus ,christ thundering in your ears3 ,if thy right eye offend thee1 pluck it out4 ,if thy right hand offend thee1 cut it off4 ,for it were better for thee to enter lame and blind into life everlasting1 than1 having two hands or two eyes1 to be cast into hell-fire8 ,footnote #ai ,where is your ,christian faith and trust in ,god8 ,seek first the kingdom of ,god and ,his justice1 and all these things will be added unto you4 ,footnote #bj ,footnote #ai3 ,st4 ,matt4 v4 #bi4 ,footnote #bj3 ,st4 ,matt4 vi4 #cc4 ,no1 no1 there is not a single excuse which will avail you4 ,i wish ,i could find one4 ,many and many a time ,i have wished ,i could frame an excuse for it1 when the fact has been thrown into my face that so many of our people are engaged in this diabolical1 unchristian traffic1 and1 as a consequence1 have propagated amongst us the vice and miseries of drunkenness4 #hg ,do you love your good name as a citizen8 ,have you any manly pride left8 ,do you love your religion8 ,would you shrink from being the instrument of damnation to your neighbor's soul1 or of tying the hands of the priest and preventing the spread of the true faith in our country8 ,do you love your own immortal soul8 ,do you hope for heaven8 ,would you like to hear the approval of your ,divine ,lord and ,master on the ,last ,great ,day of ,account8 ,oh6 rise up to the dignity of the ,christian vocation to which you are called4 ,stir up within your hearts that fire of generosity which is never totally extinguished in the ,catholic breast1 and learn to sacrifice something for the love of ,god and for the salvation of your neighbor's soul4 ,believe me1 brethren1 ,i have drawn no exaggerated picture of this evil1 nor deduced any unwarrantable conclusions4 ,so lamentably true is it all1 that1 were ,i to preach this sermon in almost any town or city in the country1 there would be found among my hearers some who might imagine ,i was describing the character and life of their own brother or father1 near relation or intimate acquaintance4 ,i appeal to you1 therefore1 loyal ,catholics1 to set your faces against the traffic2 to aid the priesthood1 in company with all who love ,god and have the social advancement of our people at heart1 in denouncing and laboring to extirpate this scandal from our midst4 #hh ,to you who have hitherto been engaged in it1 from whatsoever motive1 ,i appeal2 and beseech of you1 with all the fatherly affection of a ,christian priest1 and with the supplicating tears and sighs of many a broken heart1 for ,god's sake1 for the ,church's sake1 for your soul's sake1 to resolve now1 and make that resolution good1 that hence forth no man shall point the finger of scorn at you and say3 ,woe to him that giveth drink to his friend1 and presenteth his gall1 and maketh him drunk4 ------------------ #hi ,sermon ,,vi4 ,communion ,with ,jesus4 7,for ,holy ,thursday47 ,st4 ,john vi4 #eg4 ,,usccb3 ,john vi4 #ef4 ,he that eateth ,my flesh and drinketh ,my blood abideth in ,me1 and ,i in him4 ,it is right1 my dear brethren1 that1 on this ,holy ,night we should meditate upon and speak of the solemn and wonderful scene which is commemorated by the ,holy ,church1 the sad farewell which our dear suffering ,master took of his disciples before giving ,himself up to be crucified1 and the institution of the sacred memorial ,sacrifice1 through which ,he intended to remain with us always1 to be an ever-present ,lover and ,friend1 the ,divine ,victim for our altars1 and the ,supreme ,offering of thanksgiving for the whole world4 ,kind ,lord1 ,i would ,i had the tongue of angels to tell the story of all ,thou didst on this night for me and all who truly believe in ,thee1 for human speech is feeble where ,thou1 my ,god and my ,saviour1 art the theme4 ,help me by ,thy grace4 #ij ,help these ,thy people1 whose hearts are yearning to hear what ,thou hast done2 help them1 that they may know and understand it better than ,i can tell them6 ,the ,gospel tells us that our ,lord made an appointment with ,his disciples to meet them1 and to eat the ,paschal ,supper alone with them4 ,and when the hour was come1 ,he sat down1 and the twelve disciples with ,him4 ,they met in a large upper chamber1 far from tumult and noise4 ,look in1 my dear brethren1 upon that group4 ,jesus you cannot fail to choose from among them all4 ,there is a strange beauty about that face1 a beauty which at once attracts and awes the beholder1 and1 what is more1 the countenance tells of the hidden beauty of his soul4 ,there is revealed at one glance the beauty of ,holiness itself1 the most spotless of all innocent lives1 the supreme perfection of all virtue1 the mirror of all truth4 ,what kindness beams from out of those gentle eyes6 ,what a sweet expression plays about the half-parted lips1 as a harbinger of some holy words soon to be spoken6 ,what a calm majesty rests upon that broad1 pale forehead1 needing no crown of gold to tell its royalty6 ,nor would any one mistake who is ,master here4 ,one is the object upon whose word1 look1 or movements the eyes of all the others wait4 ,they call ,him ,master4 ,well they may4 ,he is truly ,master of all hearts4 ,they call ,him ,teacher4 ,well they may4 #ia ,he is the source of all ,truth1 the ,eternal ,wisdom1 the ,word of ,god4 ,they call ,him ,lord4 ,well they may4 ,he is ,lord of lords1 and ,king of heaven and earth4 ,it is ,jesus4 ,seated there1 only a few know ,him yet as ,he is4 ,but the world will soon know ,him1 and curse its ignorance and blindness on that day4 ,around ,him are a few disciples1 of whom living men1 in ignorance of their worth1 despise1 but when they are dead their tombs will govern the world4 ,no sooner are they assembled than they know that ,jesus has brought them together to bid them farewell4 ,with desire ,i have desired to eat this pasch with you before ,i suffer4 ,yes1 on the morrow ,he was to be betrayed into the hands of wicked men1 and to die in expiation of the sins of the world4 ,but why this desire8 ,the events will show4 ,it was the time of the great feast of the ,passover1 which the ,jews kept every year to commemorate the miracle which took place when that whole nation was in bondage in ,egypt--a miracle which brought about their deliverance4 ,their ,egyptian masters refused to set them free1 in spite of many warning plagues which ,god sent upon them2 and at last1 one terrible night1 the angel of ,god passed through that doomed land1 and in the morning the first-born in every ,egyptian house lay dead4 #ib ,the ,israelites had been commanded by ,almighty ,god1 through ,moses1 to prepare for this1 and what they did became1 as ,god intended1 a ceremony typical of the greatest mystery the world has ever known--the death of ,jesus ,christ on the ,cross1 the deliverance of the world from the slavery of sin and hell by that death1 and the institution of a sacrifice which1 should be an ever-present1 continual1 and lively memorial of that act4 ,this is what they did3 ,they killed a lamb without spot or blemish2 ate it with unleavened bread2 and sprinkled the door-posts of their houses with its blood4 ,i am the ,lord4 ,the blood shall be unto you for a sign in the houses where you shall be1 and ,i shall see the blood1 and shall pass over you1 and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when ,i shall strike the land of ,egypt4 ,footnote #ba ,footnote #ba3 ,exod4 xii4 #ac4 ,the performance of this solemn commemorative ceremony was obligatory upon every ,jewish family1 and this was the occasion which brought our ,lord and ,his disciples together1 and you see how exactly the sacrificial death of the ,paschal ,lamb1 the sprinkling of its blood on the door posts1 typified the death of ,jesus1 the ,immaculate ,lamb of ,god1 whose blood was sprinkled on the wood of the cross4 ,but there is something else for us to note4 ,a part of the lamb was to be eaten1 and with unleavened bread4 #ic ,what was that a type of8 ,was ,jesus1 the ,lamb of ,god1 slain for our sins1 to be eaten1 and with unleavened bread8 ,listen to what ,he said some time before this night3 ,i am the living bread1 which came down from heaven4 ,if any man eat of this bread1 he shall live for ever3 and the bread which ,i will give is my flesh for the life of the world4 ,footnote #bb ,footnote #bb3 ,st4 ,john vi4 #eb4 ,,usccb3 ,st4 ,john vi4 #ea4 ,now1 after the ,paschal ,supper was finished1 ,jesus took the unleavened bread1 and gave thanks1 and brake1 and gave to them1 saying--,this is ,my body which is given for you4 ,do this for a commemoration of ,me4 ,in like manner the chalice1 saying1 ,this is the chalice1 the ,new ,testament in ,my blood1 which shall be shed for you4 ,here then1 is a perfect fulfilment of the ,old ,testament4 ,here is the real ,paschal ,sacrifice of the ,new ,testament4 ,the supper-table becomes an altar2 ,jesus becomes1 under the forms of unleavened bread and wine1 the victim1 and ,he is at the same time the priest4 ,what ,he did ,himself1 he tells ,his disciples to do4 ,do this for a commemoration of ,me4 ,then and there ,he ordains and consecrates them to be priests1 and gives them the awful power of sacrificing ,his body and blood under the forms of bread and wine4 #id ,from that supper-room they go forth to do ,his words1 and to receive the fulfilment of ,his promise3 ,i dispose to you1 as ,my ,father hath disposed to ,me1 a kingdom3 that you may eat and drink at ,my table in ,my kingdom3 and may sit upon thrones1 judging the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,footnote #bc ,footnote #bc3 ,st4 ,luke xxii4 #bi1 #cj4 ,what was all that for8 ,why this sacrifice of the body and blood of ,jesus ,christ8 ,why should this be repeated all over the world8 ,listen once more3 ,he that eateth ,my flesh and drinketh ,my blood abideth in ,me1 and ,i in him4 ,the reason was that his disciples and all others who should partake of that sacrifice might be united to ,him in the closest manner possible--should abide in ,him1 and ,he in them4 ,we call that sacred act ,communion--communion with ,jesus4 ,that is what it is1 brethren4 ,our souls and bodies are united in a mysterious manner to the ,divine ,person of our dear ,lord and ,saviour1 who became man and died on the cross for our salvation4 ,he calls us to this communion1 and gives ,himself to us as the sweetest pledge of ,his ,divine ,love1 as the most precious means of our sanctification1 as a comforting food1 as a holy offering by which we may praise and give thanks to ,god1 as a feast of joy and the kiss of peace to the forgiven sinner4 #ie ,if the ,cross be1 as it is1 the measure of sin by which we offend ,jesus1 ,communion is the measure of the love with which ,jesus loves us4 ,love is measured by sacrifice4 ,one loves another only a little if he is content to give up only a little in the other's favor4 ,his love is perfect if he willingly gives up all4 ,this is what our ,lord does in ,holy ,communion4 ,he sacrifices all for us1 because ,he sacrifices ,himself4 ,what do ,i mean by this sacrifice8 ,he makes ,himself so utterly nothing for us1 that ,he does not keep even ,his appearance4 ,he hides ,his divinity1 ,his blessed and beautiful ,person1 under the veils of bread and wine1 and in that state ,he abandons ,himself so utterly to our power that we can do what we will with ,him4 ,the life of ,jesus in the ,blessed ,sacrament is a life of total self-abnegation4 ,he does not even protect ,himself from ill-treatment1 from the contempt and scoffing sneer of the unbeliever1 from the mockery of silly children1 nor from the horrible sacrileges committed against ,him by bad ,catholics4 ,he can suffer all that1 and does so without a murmur1 in order that ,he may approach us1 and that we may receive ,him in such a manner as shall be the best for our comfort1 for our joy1 for our soul's peace4 ,we know by experience1 ,i hope1 what a good1 happy communion is4 #if ,is it not the moment of supreme happiness1 and of such happiness that nothing else is like it in the world8 ,then we cry ,lord1 now that ,thou art mine and ,i am ,thine1 ,i am all blessed4 ,there is no chord in the heart that does not vibrate with thrills of love at the presence of ,jesus4 ,he makes us feel then1 more than we can express1 how much ,he loves us2 and cold must be the heart that does not respond with some emotion to the sweetness of ,his loving embrace4 ,the love of our dear ,saviour for men is more ardent1 more constant1 more1 shall ,i say1 anxious than our love can ever be2 and the reason is1 because ,his love is wholly unselfish4 ,the life of ,jesus in the ,blessed ,sacrament proves it4 ,he does nothing there apparently for ,himself1 nor takes any thought of ,himself that we can divine4 ,it is for us that ,he lives so4 ,for our love ,he has given up all4 ,you may say that it was by dying for us that ,he proved ,his love the best1 as ,he ,himself said1 ,greater love hath no man than that he should lay down his life for his friend4 ,yes2 but do you not see that it is just in the ,blessed ,sacrament that ,he brings that proof home to us8 ,it is a memorial of ,his passion and death4 ,he has linked the two together1 so that they make only one act4 ,the sacrifice of the ,mass1 in which the bread and wine are consecrated into ,his body and blood1 and the sacrifice of ,calvary1 are one essential act4 #ig ,it was in the night in which ,he was betrayed that ,he instituted it4 ,on this night4 ,what did ,he say8 ,this is ,my body which is given for you4 ,this is ,my blood which shall be shed for you4 ,do this for a commemoration of ,me--of ,me1 upon whom the shadows of death are already falling--of ,me1 who even now begin to be sorrowful and sad at heart1 knowing that ,my hour is come--of ,me1 who to-morrow will be spit upon1 and scourged1 and crowned with thorns1 and nailed to a cruel cross1 and suffer the bitter agonies of a horrible death for you1 ,my beloved--you for whom ,i came into the world--you for whom ,i live--you for whom ,i die4 ,a little while ,i leave you1 and a little while ,i come unto you4 ,remember that1 when we shall meet again4 ,when ,i come to you in ,holy ,communion1 then you will receive ,one who you know loved you to the end4 ,i will come to you1 and be the surest pledge of what ,i have done for you1 and how much ,i have loved you4 ,holy ,communion is one of the most powerful means of sanctification granted to us4 ,what shall the presence of the ,all-,holy be unable to do8 ,what other light and grace could we desire both to detect and shun all evil1 and to delight in what is pure and true8 ,oh6 when ,jesus comes to the willing heart1 and finds a welcome there1 all is easy4 ,no tempest of passion or of doubt is to be feared when the ,master is with us4 #ih ,my dear brethren1 this world is very foolish when it sneers at the sanctification of the soul1 or bids us follow its guidance in getting rid of the power or shame of sin1 and in our strivings after higher and better things4 ,little it knows about the true progress of the soul4 ,jesus1 the ,eternal ,wisdom1 is the sole teacher4 ,a fervent communion with ,him will do what the world cannot do4 ,it will make us holy4 ,it will make our souls sacred to ,god--more sacred to ,him than the altar before which we bow1 or the precious vessels upon it that hold ,his ,body and ,blood4 ,if you would confirm that sanctity1 come often to the source of sanctity4 ,come so often that ,he may be said to abide with you2 then will you surely live and die a saint4 ,in the next place1 ,communion is an act which possesses a peculiar significance for the forgiven sinner4 ,it should have4 ,it was sin that made ,him die1 and ,communion is a memorial of ,his death4 ,but why is it that a contrite sinner1 burdened with the memory of the many outrages he has committed against ,jesus ,christ by his bad life1 by his cursing1 his profanation of the ,holy ,name1 his drunkenness and debaucheries1 his lies and thefts1 his dark crimes1 it may be1 that make even his brother men shun him as they would a poisonous reptile--why is it1 ,i ask1 that even such an one1 coming1 heartily sorry1 to ,confession1 ready and eager to amend his life and do better1 and so receives absolution1 should have such a strange longing1 as all forgiven sinners do have1 to get ,communion1 and that as soon as possible8 #ii ,one would think they would rather fear to approach ,him1 and dread to be confronted with the awful memorial of their crucified and so cruelly offended ,lord4 ,not so4 ,their hearts are ,christian after all2 and ,he draws them to ,him closer and closer by the strong cords of love the moment they turn to ,him4 ,true1 ,he appoints ,his priest to forgive them in ,his name4 ,but that does not satisfy the desire with which ,he desires to be reconciled with them in person4 ,come to ,me1 ,he cries from the altar2 come to ,me now4 ,my poor lost one4 ,come1 get ,my kiss of peace4 ,come1 we have been separated too long4 ,i have been watching you4 ,i have heard you praying4 ,i saw you go into the confessional4 ,i heard you tell your sins4 ,i saw the tears course down your cheeks4 ,i felt every throb of your heart4 ,my hand1 too1 gave you absolution and full forgiveness for all4 ,you went there one of the devil's own4 ,now you are ,mine4 ,come1 now1 take ,me to your heart4 ,we will be friends again1 and ,i shall have only one reproach to make you2 ,oh6 why have you stayed so long away8 ,the forgiven sinner knows ,jesus is saying all this4 #ajj ,do you wonder that he goes home from confession a happy man2 that he counts the hours until he can come back1 and thinks the time long until he can go up to the ,holy ,table1 and there clasp his long-forgotten and neglected ,lord to his bosom8 ,oh6 the earnest1 upturned face1 radiant with joy1 which makes the priest's hand tremble with sympathetic emotion as he gives him the ,holy ,sacrament4 ,you have seen friends long separated and divided come together and make up4 ,you know what a touching scene it is4 ,there are smiles upon your lips and sparkling tears in your eyes at the same moment4 ,so it is often here when ,jesus meets and makes up with old hardened sinners4 ,blessed1 a million times blessed1 be the kind and loving heart of ,jesus1 which1 once laid open by the spear1 is never shut to any one who will enter in and abide there4 ,holy ,communion is a ,feast of ,thanksgiving4 ,that is the meaning of the word ,eucharist--thanksgiving4 ,it is one of the names of the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,you remember that when ,jesus first broke the bread on this night ,he gave thanks4 ,he meant that we also should use it as a worthy and precious thank-offering for all ,he has done for us2 for having created us2 for having redeemed us2 for having died for us2 for ,his great love in this ,holy ,sacrament2 for all the benefits with which ,he has crowned our lives4 #aja ,who is there that can approach here without crying out with the ,psalmist1 ,what shall ,i render to the ,lord for all that ,he has rendered to me8 ,i will take the chalice of salvation1 and call upon the name of the ,lord4 ,footnote #bd ,footnote #bd3 ,ps4 cxv4 #c1 #d4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 cxv4 #ab1 #ac4 ,no word of thanks at your ,communion--not a grateful thought in your heart8 ,oh6 how is this8 ,have you really come back to make up with ,him1 or have you come--,o horrible thought6--only like ,judas to betray ,him8 ,does ,he say to you as ,he said to that lost disciple1 ,friend1 dost thou betray the ,son of ,man with a kiss8 ,are you1 then1 half-minded to go back to your old sins8 ,have you not1 after all1 given up the devil and his works8 ,then ,i do not wonder that you are thankless and ungrateful4 ,then ,i do not wonder at that cloud upon your brow1 nor at the indifferent manner in which you presume to receive the ,body of your ,lord4 ,friend1 that cloud is the shadow of impending damnation4 ,for says the apostle1 ,he that eateth and drinketh unworthily1 eateth and drinketh damnation to himself1 not discerning the ,body of the ,lord4 ,footnote #be ,footnote #be3 ,i ,cor4 xi4 #bi4 ,oh6 no2 let me hope ,i am mistaken2 that it is far otherwise with you2 that if indeed you may have ever done this before1 you are not come to repeat it now4 #ajb ,now you have utterly cast off all sin and all intention to sin4 ,now you wish to belong only to ,jesus4 ,seeing from what a pit of hell ,he has delivered you1 and knowing to what a height of grace and glory ,he has raised you1 ,i feel sure you are only anxious about one thing1 and that is1 how you can give expression to the gratitude of which your heart is so full4 ,shall it be in long1 devout prayers1 full of emotion and tender feeling1 telling the ,lord over and over again that you are so thankful for what ,he has done for you1 for ,his great condescension and surpassing love8 ,well1 brethren1 you may do that if you like1 and ,i think ,jesus will be pleased with it4 ,but that is not the only test of a thankful heart4 ,if you can say truly--,o my ,jesus6 my dear ,lord6 ,i love ,thee above all2 for ,thee ,i love all that ,thou hast loved1 even my enemies1 and ,i forgive them all the offences they have done to me1 as freely and fully as ,thou hast forgiven me2 and now it is my firm purpose never to commit another sin while ,i live--then1 dear brethren1 ,i am sure you will praise ,him aright4 ,let your prayer be such as ,blessed ,henry ,suso made in his communion4 ,his words are far better than mine1 and they will be more profitable to you4 ,let me end my discourse with them3 #ajc ,lord1 if my heart had the love of all hearts1 my conscience the purity of all angels1 and my soul the beauty of all souls1 so that by ,thy grace ,i should be worthy of ,thee1 ,i wish to receive ,thee to-day so affectionately1 and so to bury and sink ,thee to the bottom of my heart and soul1 that neither joy nor sorrow1 neither life nor death1 could separate me from ,thee4 ,amen4 -------------- #ajd ,sermon ,,vii4 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 ,the ,comforter4 ,for ,the ,feast ,of ,pentecost4 ,st4 ,john xiv4 #af4 ,i will ask the ,father1 and ,he will give you another ,comforter1 that ,he may abide with you for ever4 ,to-day is the ,church's grand high festival of the coming of that other ,comforter1 who abides for ever with those whom ,jesus loves4 ,we are tempted to wonder why ,he1 who had done so much for the peace of the world1 whose coming was the pledge of every joy to the human heart1 whose words are a healing balm for every wound1 a solace for every misery1 and through whom comes all forgiveness for sins1 should not have remained ,himself to bless and comfort ,his own with ,his ,divine presence4 ,what other ,comforter of our souls would we ask or could we need than ,him8 ,oh6 that ,he had stayed with us6 ,had we not all in having ,him8 ,when the ,father in ,his love sent ,him to us1 did he not send all ,he could give8 ,what other ,comforter is there in heaven to give that will be better than ,he8 #aje ,truly1 brethren1 we would not be able to imagine that anything more or better could be done for us than that our ,blessed ,lord should remain amongst us1 had ,he not ,himself said3 ,it is expedient for you that ,i go2 for if ,i do not1 the ,comforter will not come to you2 but if ,i go1 ,i will send ,him to you4 ,footnote #bf ,footnote #bf3 ,st4 ,john xvi4 #g4 ,there is a mystery here which we cannot fathom1 because we are not able to fathom the works of ,god4 ,our ,lord knew that it was best for ,him to depart1 and that the ,holy ,ghost must come1 as ,he said1 to bear testimony of ,him1 to teach all truth1 to fill the hearts of the faithful with grace1 and kindle in them the fire of ,divine ,charity1 so that they might strive manfully for the faith1 and win the crown of everlasting joy set before them4 ,it is not in vain that our ,lord called the ,holy ,ghost the ,comforter1 which signifies the strengthener4 ,we are weak1 vacillating1 full of wandering desires1 led away from ,god and heaven by trifles1 easily cast down and disheartened1 in constant danger by temptation1 discouraged by doubts1 crushed quickly beneath some present sorrow1 and fearful of the coming storms of adversity and grief2 and grace1 which it is the office of the ,holy ,ghost to bring to us1 is the life-giving force which leads and directs us1 which enlightens1 strengthens1 and comforts us in all4 #ajf ,it is this which inspires the ,holy ,church1 in the sequence of the ,mass for to-day1 to cry ,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus1 ,et emitte coelitus ,lucis tuae radium4 ,veni1 ,pater pauperum1 ,veni1 dator munerum1 ,veni1 lumen cordium4 ,consolator optime1 ,dulcis hospes animae1 ,dulce refrigerium4 ,in labore requies1 ,in aestu temperies1 ,in fletu solatium ,o ,lux beatissima1 ,reple cordis intima ,tuorum fidelium6 ,i cannot do better than explain these words of the ,holy ,church1 which express in so many beautiful forms the comforting grace of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,who is this ,divine ,comforter8 ,god the ,holy ,ghost4 ,not an attribute of ,god1 such as ,his omnipotence1 ,his omnipresence1 ,his justice or mercy1 but the ,person of ,god ,himself4 ,god lives in ,himself an eternal1 infinite life2 a mysterious life to us1 in that ,he needs no other object besides ,himself to give ,him life4 #ajg ,god is but one being2 and hence the ,holy ,ghost is the same ,god as the ,father and the ,son2 but ,god possesses1 as it were1 a threefold personal life1 which1 being mutually dependent and united1 is but one4 ,the ,father is the ,infinite ,personal ,cause of ,his own ,divine ,life2 the ,son is the ,personal ,life of ,god1 begotten of the ,father2 and the ,holy ,ghost is ,god personally enjoying1 living the ,divine ,life1 begotten by ,himself4 ,think of it6 ,this is what we invoke when we cry1 ,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus6 ,this is what was promised by our ,lord1 when ,he said3 ,i will ask the ,father1 and ,he will send you another ,comforter4 ,the ,life of ,god6 ,life full beyond human imagination1 of ineffable joy1 and of peace that passes understanding6 ,life full of beauty1 sublimity1 and majesty6 ,life of omnipotence and of glory6 ,o ,lord1 my ,god1 exclaims the enraptured ,psalmist1 in one of the ,psalms of to-day's matins1 ,thou art exceedingly great6 ,thou hast put on praise and beauty1 and art clothed with light as with a garment4 ,footnote #bg ,footnote #bg3 ,ps4 ciii4 #a1b4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 civ4 #a1b4 #ajh ,the sun rises in his splendor1 and no man may look with unblenched gaze upon it2 but who shall describe the dazzling brightness of ,him who dwells in light inaccessible6 ,and it is a ray of the light of the ,life of ,god we crave for our darkened souls1 when we say1 ,veni1 ,sancte ,spirtus1 et emitte coelitus lucis tuae radium6 ,come1 ,o ,holy ,spirit1 and send forth upon us a ray of ,thy heavenly light6 ,the coming of the ,holy ,ghost to man is the completion of the mysterious union between ,god and us4 ,by the ,father ,almighty we are created4 ,something of the hidden essence of ,life is given to us in creation4 ,and the ,lord ,god formed man of the slime of the earth3 and breathed into his face the breath of life1 and man became a living soul4 ,footnote #bh ,footnote #bh3 ,gen4 ii4 #g4 ,in creation1 we are united to the ,life of ,god the ,father4 ,by the ,incarnation of the ,word1 the ,son of ,god1 we became1 as ,st4 ,peter declares1 partakers of the ,divine nature4 ,humanity became united to the ,life of ,god the ,son through ,jesus ,christ2 and now the ,life of ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,spirit of ,love1 descends and fills with ,divine grace the hearts of the faithful children begotten to ,god through the creation and ,incarnation2 the union between ,god and man is complete1 and the love of ,god to man is exhausted4 #aji ,truly1 the ,father ,almighty was a ,comforter1 to bring us out of nothingness1 and bestow upon us the boon of being and the joys of an eternal existence4 ,god the ,son was a ,comforter in redeeming us1 and regenerating us1 and giving us the right1 which angels might envy1 to call our ,creator our ,father2 but the ,holy ,ghost was yet another ,comforter1 and ,he would not deny ,himself to those whom the ,father had loved to create1 whom ,he had yet loved more so as to send ,his only-begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in ,him might have life1 and might have it more abundantly2 and thus the life of man becomes exalted and deified by its union with the ,eternal1 ,infinite life of the ,triune ,god4 ,look down from the deck of a ship in mid-ocean1 and pierce the mighty depths of waters with a glance4 ,look up into the blue vault of heaven1 and with unaided vision scan the uttermost bounds of space1 far beyond the dizzy distances where roll the last stars in their lonely course2 but fathom if you can the height1 the depth1 the immensity of that ,infinite ,life of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost1 in which1 as in a boundless and fathomless ocean of comfort1 and as in a measureless firmament of glory and of rapture1 the soul of man is swallowed up and lost in the love of his ,god4 #aaj ,but who among men belong thus entirely to ,god8 ,to whom does the ,holy ,ghost come in ,his fulness8 ,not to all2 for ,i read that our ,lord said that the world cannot receive ,him1 because it seeth ,him not1 nor knoweth ,him4 ,footnote #bi ,to whom1 then8 ,let ,st4 ,john answer us3 ,as many as received ,him 7,jesus ,christ1 who is the ,word of ,god71 to them ,he gave power to become the sons of ,god1 to them who believe in ,his name4 ,who are born1 not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 ,footnote #cj ,footnote #bi3 ,st4 ,john xiv4 #ag4 ,footnote #cj3 ,ibid4 i4 #ab1 #ac4 ,it is not enough1 then1 to be a creature of ,god1 to be born of the flesh1 or of the will of man4 ,the soul who would receive the ,holy ,ghost1 to see and have ,god in ,his fulness1 must be born of ,god4 ,except a man be born of water and the ,holy ,ghost1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,footnote #ca ,as the ,son of ,god became incarnate by the ,holy ,ghost of the ,virgin1 so the sons of men must be born again of water and the ,holy ,ghost in ,baptism1 to become the sons of ,god4 ,then1 and then only1 can we call ,god ,father4 ,then1 and then only1 do we receive the spirit of adoption of sons1 as ,st4 ,paul declares1 whereby we cry1 ,abba 7,father74 ,footnote #cb ,we must believe in the ,word made flesh1 in ,jesus ,christ1 else that other ,comforter will not come unto us2 and hence the ,church invokes the ,holy ,ghost to come down into the hearts of the faithful1 or the believers in ,jesus ,christ4 ,footnote #ca3 ,ibid4 iii4 #e4 ,footnote #cb3 ,rom4 viii4 #ae4 #aaa ,come1 ,o ,holy ,spirit6 fill the hearts of thy faithful1 and kindle in them the fire of thy love4 ,alas6 for those who do not realize this great truth4 ,by their rejection of ,jesus ,christ and the new birth unto ,god in ,baptism1 they remain for ever in the lower sphere of the simple creature1 with no hope of the enrapturing vision of the ,blessed ,trinity when their souls shall have passed beyond this human life1 in which the choice of that higher destiny is given to them4 ,this is the first thought suggested to us by the opening invocation of the sequence of the ,mass4 ,and now the sentiment of the sequence suddenly changes4 ,though we be so exalted by the ,divine relationship1 though the light of ,heaven's glory is beaming upon our footsteps as we advance towards it1 and our loosened tongues cry out with ,st4 ,paul1 ,o the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of ,god6 ,footnote #cc yet what is our human life now compared with the ,heavenly ,life in ,god6 ,it is a blessed truth to me1 some of us say1 and a hope that ,i would not part with for life2 but though inexhaustible riches1 and crowns and harps of gold1 are waiting for me in the kingdom of the ,heavenly ,father1 here ,i am poor1 here my heart is too sad to sing4 ,footnote #cc3 ,rom4 xi4 #cc4 #aab ,though there ,i shall possess wisdom1 to which the wisdom of this world is foolishness1 yet here ,i am ignorant4 ,there shall be no want1 ,i know2 but here ,i am ever in want4 ,i cry1 ,give1 give1 and my soul is never satisfied4 ,there1 in the light of glory1 shall be peace1 rest1 and victory2 but here is toil1 strife1 temptation1 defeat1 and my heart is oft darkened within me1 even to forget my ,god4 ,hark what the ,holy ,church inspires you to say3 ,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus1 ,veni1 ,pater pauperum1 ,veni1 dator munerum1 ,veni1 lumen cordium6 ,come1 ,o ,holy ,spirit6 ,come1 ,o ,father of the poor6 ,come1 ,o giver of every gift6 ,come1 ,o light of every heart6 ,are you poor8 ,repine not1 for ,jesus has said it is a blessed state4 ,god loves you1 and has given you poverty1 that through it you may receive the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,comforter4 ,money is the riches of man1 but the comforting grace of the ,holy ,ghost is the riches of ,god2 and the poor may have that easily if they will4 ,god has deprived you of the things of this world that you may set your heart on ,him4 ,wonder not that thousands of ,christians have left all1 and vowed themselves to poverty1 that they may get the grace of ,god easily1 like you4 #aac ,ask for grace1 then1 poor man1 and your requests shall be quickly granted4 ,cry with the ,holy ,church--,veni1 ,pater pauperum6 ,come1 ,o ,father of the poor6 and the ,comforter will come1 and pour out upon you a flood of graces that shall make your heart sing for joy4 ,then you will say with the ,psalmist1 enjoying nothing here below1 ,the ,lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup2 it is ,thou who wilt restore my inheritance to me4 ,footnote #cd ,footnote #cd3 ,ps4 xv4 #e4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 xvi4 #e4 ,are you in ignorance of what is best for you here and hereafter8 ,is it hard for you to think of ,god8 ,lift up your heart1 and say--,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus6 ,veni1 dator munerum6 ,come1 ,o ,giver of every good and perfect gift6--and you shall receive the ,comforter's gift of ,divine ,wisdom4 ,are you ignorant of the truths of faith1 or do they seem difficult to you and beyond your grasp8 ,pray--,veni1 dator munerum6--and the ,comforter will bestow upon you the light of the gift of understanding4 ,are you ignorant of the ways of ,god's providence8 ,do you look around1 and see the wicked prospering1 the good suffering1 the widow oppressed1 and the orphan deserted1 while wickedness and injustice are enthroned in high places1 and are you tempted to doubt if ,god careth for ,his own8 ,pray with the ,church--,veni1 dator munerum6--and the ,comforter will bring you ,his gift of knowledge4 #aad ,are you wayward in heart1 now overzealous and now too lukewarm1 oftentimes grieved and cast down at the ill-success of your undertakings or your prayers1 and disappointment and disgrace make you feel as if you would almost give up trying to be good8 ,cry to the ,giver of every good gift1 and say--,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus6 and that ,comforter will enlighten you with ,his gift of counsel4 ,are you hard-hearted1 stubborn1 and resentful1 easy to take offence8 ,do the sins and offences of others destroy your peace of mind1 and dry up within you the fountains of mercy and pity for sinners8 ,do you wish you could feel more like ,god1 kind and long-suffering1 and less like ,satan1 watching for the falls of others1 and exulting over them8 ,oh6 cry to the ,holy ,ghost1 and that ,comforter1 the ,spirit of perfect charity1 will soften that dry heart of yours with the grace of ,his gift of piety4 ,are you timid and shamefaced in your service to ,god8 ,are you a victim to human respect8 ,are you a ,christian who is ashamed of ,christ1 and do you draw back from a bold1 consistent profession of your holy faith when the wicked scoff and sneer8 ,or1 are you one who dares do great things for the ,god who has done so much for you8 #aae ,does your heart burn to offer ,him a glorious and complete sacrifice1 and yet you can not summon up the courage to accomplish it8 ,put up your supplication1 and say--,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus6 ,veni1 dator munerum6--and the ,comforter1 the ,divine ,strengthener1 will come with ,his grace1 and cover your weak soul with the armor of ,his gift of fortitude4 ,are you proud8 ,does the demon of intemperance1 of anger1 or of lust creep stealthily into your breast1 and leave foul traces of his presence there8 ,is the majesty1 the power1 the holiness of that ,god to whom you belong forgotten8 ,do you tremble no more when you hear of justice1 of chastity1 and of the judgment to come8 ,pray1 for your danger is great4 ,put up a strong and earnest cry1 and say--,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus6 ,veni1 dator munerum6--and the ,comforter will be with you1 bringing the help you need in your peril1 with the grace of ,his gift of the fear of ,god4 ,these seven good and perfect gifts it is the office of the ,holy ,ghost to impart to those who ask for them4 ,we prize the simple gifts of friendship and affection which serve us in our daily life for our comfort or protection4 ,oh6 that we but knew the gifts of ,god1 the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,comforter4 ,friends bestow their gifts and depart1 but the ,almighty ,friend abideth with ,his gifts for ever in the faithful soul4 #aaf ,the gifts of men wear out and tarnish1 and the rust and moth corrupt them2 but the gifts of ,god are as incorruptible and as unchangeable and as eternally bright and beautiful as ,his own divine1 unchangeable life4 ,the sequence now invokes the ,holy ,ghost as the ,light of every heart4 ,the soul of the innocent child1 of the pure-minded youth and maiden1 of the upright man and pious matron1 of the aged ,christian1 whose locks are whitened in the service of ,god1 is bright with this heavenly ,light2 but even these know their hours of heaviness of spirit4 ,though one may have rejoiced in many years1 as says the ,scripture1 he must remember the darksome time1 and the many days1 in which the passed things shall be accused of vanity4 ,footnote #ce ,footnote #ce3 ,eccles4 xi4 #h4 ,there are times to the merriest soul when the heart is dark4 ,the hour of sorrow will come sooner or later--sorrow for earthly losses and disappointments1 grief for the misspent years1 anguish for our or others sins and misfortunes2 the grave will open at our feet and rob us1 the house will be hung in black1 the mourners will go through the streets1 the clods will fall upon the coffin1 and we shall return to the home that has been despoiled1 and cover our faces against the light of day1 and sit in loneliness and gloom with our own darkened hearts4 #aag ,speak not to us now1 nor smile upon us when our hearts are dark4 ,leave us alone4 ,alone with what8 ,alone with my own wretchedness and comfortless thoughts1 says the unbeliever4 ,leave me alone1 says the ,christian1 with my ,god4 ,yes1 the ,christian has his ,god to go to in his darkest hour4 ,he has always abiding with him that other ,comforter1 the ,light of every heart4 ,sinner6 now contrite and sorry for the bitter past1 who1 weeping with the penitent ,psalmist1 say1 ,my heart hath expected reproach and misery4 ,i looked for one that would grieve together with me1 but there was none2 and for one that would comfort me1 but ,i found none ,footnote #cf--you have a ,comforter to go to4 ,raise your drooping head1 and cry--,veni1 lumen cordium6 ,come1 ,o ,light of every contrite heart6 and the seeds of the grace of contrition1 which ,he has already planted in your soul1 will spring up1 and bear the sweetest fruits of peace and pardon4 ,go to thy ,god1 and confess thy sins to ,him1 and when the ,holy ,ghost shall give thee the grace of absolution1 thou shalt return lighter of footstep and comforted in spirit4 ,footnote #cf3 ,ps4 lxviii4 #ba4 #aah ,christian mourner and sufferer1 ,i know that the brightest days are obscured by the clouds of sorrow which hang over your bereaved head1 and the nights are oppressed with a thicker darkness than comes when the sun goes down2 but a ,light is shining ever in heaven1 behind the dark clouds which hover over this world--the comforting ,light of every sad heart4 ,call to ,him--,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus6 ,veni1 lumen cordium6--and though the tears cease not to flow1 yet comfort will steal in upon you1 and the spirit of holy resignation to that higher and better will in which you trust will descend1 and abide with you for ever4 ,while ,i am speaking1 there is one1 now lying in a poor1 humble cabin1 whom ,god has been pleased to afflict with a lingering illness1 which must soon end in death4 ,as she told me of the long1 weary days and sleepless nights she spent1 ,i said to her3 ,you must be very lonely4 ,not so lonesome1 she replied2 for1 after all1 ,god is not far away4 ,on another occasion1 ,i said3 ,this world is but short1 my poor child2 but1 short as it is1 it has pleased ,god to give you many dark days of suffering in it4 ,ay1 priest dear1 she answered1 it is ,his blessed will1 glory be to ,him4 ,but1 then1 when once ,i am on the bright side of the cloud1 it is not much thinking of the dark side ,i'll be4 #aai ,oh6 surely you1 and all who invoke that ,divine ,comforter1 will be ready to exclaim1 in the words of the sacred song1 ,consolator optime6 ,dulcis hospes animae1 ,dulce refrigerium6 ,o ,thou of all consolers the ,best6 most welcome ,guest of every soul6 ,o sweet ,refreshment to the weary heart6 no labor for either earth or heaven tires when ,thou art near4 ,no burning heats dry up the welling springs of grace whilst overshadowed by ,thy dove-like wings4 ,no sorrow wrings the breast to which ,thou canst not bring a solace1 and wipe the tears away4 ,in labore requies1 ,in aestu temperies1 ,in fletu solatium6 ,in all that concerns our happiness1 here and hereafter1 there is the ,holy ,ghost1 the giver of all happiness1 the heavenly ,comforter4 ,whichever way we turn1 there is the ,god of love beforehand with us1 waiting with ,his gifts of peace4 ,look at the ,holy ,church herself4 ,is she not our pride1 our glory1 our comfort8 ,why is she holy8 ,because the ,holy ,ghost dwells within her4 ,if we have any comfort from the security and surety of our faith1 it is because the ,holy ,ghost keeps that faith pure and unchangeably true4 ,if we have any comfort in her words of wisdom1 her good instructions1 her guidance of our souls in a holy life1 it is because the ,holy ,ghost keeps her pure in morals4 #abj ,if we have any comfort in the ,sacraments1 those blessed means of grace1 it is because the ,holy ,ghost is the life-giving power in them all4 ,if we think a good thought1 or speak a good word of prayer1 of kindness or advice2 if we do a good deed of mercy or of charity1 it is because the ,holy ,ghost is the ,inspirer of them all4 ,through ,his influence all conversions are made1 whether of sinners or of unbelievers4 ,he is the ,infinite ,goodness1 the ,source of all holiness1 and there is nothing that is good but cometh from ,him4 ,nay1 more1 my brethren4 ,if ,god the ,father was good to us in creating us1 it was because of the love of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,if ,god the ,son was good to us in redeeming us and bringing us to salvation1 it was because of the same ,holy ,spirit2 and now ,he ,himself1 ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 fills up the measure of ,his mercies1 and ,god ,himself can do no more4 ,o ,lux beatissima6 exclaims the ,church4 ,o most blessed ,light6 fill the depths of the hearts of ,thy faithful4 ,break forth1 ,christian soul1 into singing1 and with rapture praise the ,holy ,ghost4 ,yes1 ,holy ,spirit1 ,heavenly ,dove6 may we never cease to invoke ,thee in our needs1 and praise ,thee for the comfort ,thou dost bring us4 ,the words of the ,psalmist are upon our lips3 ,oh6 how ,thou hast multiplied ,thy mercies1 ,o my ,god6 ,the children of men shall put their trust under the covert of ,thy wings4 #aba ,they shall be inebriated with the plenty of ,thy house2 and ,thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of ,thy pleasure4 ,for with ,thee is the fount of life2 and in ,thy light--,o ,lux beatissima6--we shall see light4 ,footnote #cg ,footnote #cg3 ,ps4 xxxv4 #h-aj4 --------------- #abb ,sermon ,,viii4 ,the ,duty ,of ,upholding ,the ,pope's ,temporal ,sovereignty4 7,preached ,on ,the ,feast of ,pentecost1 #ahgj1 ,when ,a ,collection ,was ,made ,for ,the ,holy ,father47 ,zach4 vi4 #ac4 ,he shall bear the glory1 and shall sit and rule upon his throne2 and he shall be a ,priest upon his throne4 ,we celebrate on this day the foundation of the ,catholic ,church4 ,for it was on this day that the ,holy ,ghost came down on the ,apostles to bestow those gifts of grace which make the ,catholic ,church a reality4 ,this descent of the ,holy ,ghost was the fulfilment of prophecies made by the ancient prophets of the old law1 who1 under the figures of ,sion and ,jerusalem1 have described the ,holy ,roman ,church1 and the universal ,church under her obedience1 diffused through out the world4 ,in their inspired visions respecting the building of the second temple1 among others1 they have foretold the foundation1 the extension1 and the glory of this true and everlasting ,church and kingdom of ,christ upon the earth4 #abc ,as1 for instance1 the prophet ,zacharias1 sent by ,god to build the walls of ,jerusalem and the second temple1 has foretold the institution of the sovereign pontificate of the ,bishops of the ,roman ,church1 the ,vicars of ,christ1 who unite the priestly and the royal dignity in their persons1 in the words of my text4 ,and thou shalt take gold and silver3 and shalt make crowns1 and thou shalt set them on the head of ,jesus the son of ,josedec the high-priest4 ,and thou shalt speak to him1 saying3 ,,behold ,a ,,man1 ,,the ,,orient ,,is ,,his ,,name3 and under him shall he spring up1 and shall build a temple to the ,lord4 ,yea1 he shall build a temple to the ,lord2 and he shall bear the glory1 and shall sit and rule upon his throne2 ,,and ,,he ,,shall ,,be ,a ,,priest ,,upon ,,his ,,throne4 ,this is the kingdom of ,jesus ,christ1 called by the prophet ,,the ,,orient1 which he exercises through his ,vicars1 the ,roman ,pontiffs1 and which is a spiritual sovereignty1 with a temporal sovereignty annexed1 as is shown by the words1 a priest upon his throne1 as well as by the emblem of the two crowns1 one of gold and one of silver4 ,the prophet also foretold that the new ,jerusalem1 the city of this priestly monarch1 should be built of a size so great that it could not be enclosed by walls4 ,i will be to it a fire round about3 and ,i will be the glory in the midst thereof4 ,jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls1 by reason of the multitude of men4 ,footnote #ch ,footnote #ch3 ,zach4 ii4 #d4 ,,usccb3 ,zechariah ii4 #i4 #abd ,this is the ,holy ,roman ,church1 considered in its ,catholic extension as the mother and mistress of churches in all parts of the world1 which are bound together in one ,holy ,catholic ,church by their obedience to the supremacy of the ,roman ,pontiff4 ,the ,holy1 ,catholic1 ,apostolic1 ,roman ,church includes the whole vast number of the faithful in her fold in fact1 and all mankind in right4 ,no walls--that is1 no bounds short of the limits of the earth--can be set to her rightful jurisdiction4 ,and beyond this1 the prophet teaches us that her strength does not consist in fortifications and bulwarks of stone1 or1 in other words1 is not derived from any material resources1 whereas it is spiritual in its origin and nature4 ,god is a wall of fire round about her1 and her glory in the midst of her4 ,the ,roman ,church is made glorious by the gifts of the ,holy ,ghost1 by spiritual might and force1 by truth1 grace1 and sanctity4 ,these same divine gifts and powers pervade the whole ,catholic ,church by virtue of communion with the ,see of the ,vicar of ,christ4 ,the burning light of faith1 the burning fire of charity1 are concentrated within1 and diffused all around the ,catholic ,church1 constituting all her glory and all her power1 and by these she illumines and inflames the whole world4 #abe ,the ,church is really and truly a kingdom1 that is1 a stable and perfect society1 established upon a permanent constitution1 with a hierarchy having power to make laws and exercise jurisdiction1 and bound together in unity by a monarchical regimen4 ,this kingdom is spiritual1 because it is established for the spiritual and eternal welfare of men1 and because it is founded on ideas and principles which belong to the supernatural order4 ,that is1 it is founded on faith in ,divine revelation1 in truths and doctrines made known by ,divine inspiration1 and on a right and authority conferred immediately by ,jesus ,christ1 acting in his quality of ,redeemer and ,regenerator of mankind4 ,moreover1 it is by supernatural and ,divine grace1 by ,divine1 life-giving sacraments1 that men are constituted members of the ,church and of the hierarchy4 ,the ,church overcomes the minds and hearts of men by truth and grace1 by inward conviction and conversion1 and thus1 through both mind and heart1 subdues them entirely to herself4 ,she makes individuals and nations her subjects1 by making them parts of the ,church1 and thus amenable to her laws4 ,they are subject to her jurisdiction1 as the spiritual kingdom of ,god1 in everything which relates to doctrine1 sacraments1 and morals2 and1 therefore1 in everything1 even of the natural and temporal order1 so far as it relates to religion and morality4 #abf ,it is1 therefore1 necessary that the ,church should be completely independent of all human authority1 and supreme in her own sphere4 ,her rights1 her property1 and the persons of her hierarchy must be sacred and inviolable4 ,she must have full and unrestricted liberty to exercise the powers and fulfil the mission committed to her by her ,divine founder1 without any interference of kings1 rulers1 or the people2 of lawless individuals1 or any usurping1 tyrannical state4 ,it is most necessary of all that the ,supreme ,see and ,sovereign ,ruler of the ,church--that is1 the ,roman ,church and ,pontiff--should possess this perfect liberty and independence4 ,the ,pope is the ,vicar of ,christ1 the supreme judge of all questions of doctrine and morals4 ,so far as the rights of religion are concerned1 he is the judge of all sovereigns and states1 and they owe him obedience4 ,he is the judge1 also1 of the justice and morality of laws1 whether national or international1 and of all practical cases in which conscience and the divine or ecclesiastical law are concerned4 ,for this reason1 he ought not to be the subject of any temporal prince or state4 ,and1 in point of fact1 ,jesus ,christ has given him the rights and privileges of a sovereign4 #abg ,when tribute was exacted of our ,lord1 before paying it1 ,he stated distinctly to his disciples that ,he ,himself was above all human jurisdiction and law1 and insinuated1 in an equally unmistakable manner1 that ,he designed to communicate this privilege to ,st4 ,peter4 ,and when they were come to ,capharnaum1 they that received the didrachmas came to ,peter1 and said to him3 ,doth not your ,master pay the didrachma8 ,he said3 ,yes4 ,and when he was come into the house1 ,jesus prevented him1 saying3 ,what is thy opinion1 ,simon8 ,of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute or custom8 of their children or of strangers8 ,and he said3 ,of strangers4 ,jesus said to him3 ,then the children are free4 ,but1 that we may not scandalize them1 go thou to the sea1 and cast in a hook2 and that fish which shall first come up1 take3 and when thou hast opened his mouth1 thou shalt find a stater3 take that1 and give it to them for me and thee4 ,footnote #ci ,footnote #ci3 ,st4 ,matt4 xvii4 #bc-bf4 ,,usccb3 ,st4 ,matt4 xvii4 #bd-bg4 ,the argument used by our ,lord is very plain4 ,the son of a king is exempt from tribute4 ,i am the ,son of the ,king of kings1 and1 therefore1 owe no tribute to the servants of ,my ,father4 ,but1 if our ,lord owed no tribute to any temporal ruler1 ,he owed no kind of obedience or subjection4 ,and as ,he paid tribute as a free act of condescension1 in order to uphold the authority of kings1 so1 for the same reason1 ,he respected that authority in other things4 #abh ,his emblematic action in providing1 miraculously1 a coin for the tribute-money1 which ,he ordered ,st4 ,peter to pay in the name of ,christ and for himself also1 insinuates in the most significant manner that ,st4 ,peter was to obtain from ,him a like privilege with that which ,he possessed by natural right as the ,son of ,god4 ,christ is a sovereign in ,his own native right4 ,the ,vicar of ,christ is a sovereign by a delegated privilege4 ,the obedience of ,christ to temporal rulers and laws was not due by the obligation of a subject1 but a mere voluntary conformity for the sake of the common good4 ,so1 also1 the ,vicars of ,christ1 independent of all temporal rulers and laws1 should be bound to ,god alone1 and not before men1 to subject themselves to the authority of an earthly sovereign1 only so far as times and circumstances might require them to do so for the well-being of the ,church4 ,for several centuries it was1 in fact1 necessary for the ,popes to submit to the sovereignty of the ,roman emperors1 pagan and ,christian4 ,during this period they maintained their spiritual independence and supremacy chiefly by an incessant conflict with the imperial power--frequently ended only by their martyrdom4 ,it was partially secured by the voluntary respect and obedience of the ,christian emperors to the spiritual authority of the ,vicar of ,christ4 ,but this was an imperfect state1 suited only to the beginnings of the ,church2 and therefore the providence of ,god gave to the ,popes the temporal sovereignty over ,rome4 #abi ,the personal sovereignty and independence of the ,pope was given him by a divine right1 and conferred on him immediately by ,jesus ,christ4 ,this divine right did not1 however1 convey an immediate title to the possession of any temporal kingdom of subjects4 ,it only gave the right to acquire such a kingdom by human right1 and made this human right1 once acquired1 sacred and inviolable4 ,the title of the ,popes to the sovereignty of ,rome is1 therefore1 in its origin human1 and based on principles of human law and justice2 but in regard to its inalienable1 inviolable sacredness1 it is of divine right4 ,it is not essentially contained in that sovereignty which ,christ gave to ,st4 ,peter and his successors1 but it is its natural and necessary consequence4 ,it is annexed to it for its maintenance and protection4 ,ever since the civilized nations became ,christian1 this sovereignty has been necessary1 and it still continues1 and must remain in future1 necessary for the due exercise of the spiritual supremacy of the ,roman ,church and ,pontiff4 ,the sacredness and inviolability of the temporal sovereignty of the ,pope over the ,roman kingdom1 and the necessity1 under the present condition of things1 of this sovereignty to the well-being of the ,church1 have been repeatedly and solemnly declared by the sovereign pontiffs and by the ,catholic episcopate4 #acj ,it is impossible for any true and loyal ,catholic to think otherwise2 and the events which have occurred and are now occurring make it clearly and plainly manifest that this judgment is just4 ,god has given to the ,roman ,pontiff a temporal throne and kingdom1 a country and a capital1 that it might be a ,christian ,sion and ,jerusalem1 a holy and inviolable sanctuary1 in which the ,vicar of ,christ can possess and exercise in sovereign freedom and independence all the rights of his spiritual supremacy over the universal ,church4 ,from what ,i have thus far said1 which is the expression not of my opinion merely as an individual1 but of the common belief of the whole body of sincere and faithful ,catholics throughout the world1 ,i draw the following evident conclusion3 ,in that combat which the ,holy ,father has been so long waging1 he has defended only what ,god has given him for the spiritual and eternal welfare of the human race4 ,this determined and glorious conflict with unprincipled governments and the detestable horde of revolutionists for the defence of the temporal princedom of the ,roman ,pontiff1 is a combat between infidelity and faith1 hell and heaven1 ,satan and ,jesus ,christ4 #aca ,the real and final aim of those who have conspired together to overthrow the temporal sovereignty of the ,pope has been and is the subversion of his spiritual supremacy1 and of the freedom and independence of the ,catholic ,church2 the abolition of the kingdom of ,christ upon the earth2 and the emancipation of human society1 together with all the individuals who compose it1 from the law of ,god4 ,it is true that many of those who have taken part in this conspiracy have not clearly foreseen or intended this final and inevitable tendency of their movement toward communism and atheism4 ,but these are merely the purblind followers and accomplices1 the servants and tools of more clear sighted and desperate leaders1 who make use of them1 and who despise them4 ,all together are but the instruments and agents of one who is far more clear-sighted and more desperate than any of them1 the great enemy of ,jesus ,christ1 the original author of all rebellion1 the apostate archangel1 ,lucifer4 ,the ,holy ,father and his devoted adherents have been fighting for the principles of truth1 justice1 and morality1 for the welfare of society1 the laws of ,god1 the cause of religion throughout the whole world4 ,rome is the sanctuary where these precious jewels are treasured4 ,those good1 brave men who have died in defence of the ,holy ,see have died as martyrs for the faith and law of ,christ4 ,all ,catholics owe them reverence and gratitude1 and ought to be stirred up by their glorious example to an equal zeal and loyalty in the sacred cause of ,god and the ,pope4 #acb ,all ,christians have sworn allegiance to ,jesus ,christ as their ,king4 ,the ,pope is the ,vicar of ,jesus ,christ1 and1 therefore1 no ,christian can pay allegiance to ,jesus ,christ without paying allegiance to the ,pope4 ,this allegiance is spiritual1 but1 by its very nature as a spiritual allegiance1 it binds every ,catholic to support and assist the ,pope by all possible and lawful means to defend and preserve those temporal rights1 which are necessary to him and to the ,church1 as the condition and the guarantee of the freedom and well-being of both4 ,it is also the interest of all ,catholics1 as well as their duty1 to stand bravely and loyally by the ,pope in his struggle against the enemies of the ,church and of religion4 ,what is there so precious to the ,christian as the faith1 the holy and divine religion into which he has been baptized2 the ,church1 which is his ark of safety2 the adorable ,sacrament of the ,altar1 which is the link between heaven and earth2 the ,communion of ,saints1 through which he remains still united to the faithful departed whom he once loved on earth2 the hope of future glory and blessedness in the kingdom of ,god8 ,health1 wealth1 pleasure1 honor1 science1 art1 home1 country1 the whole wide world itself1 are of no value in comparison4 ,but the treasure which each one possesses in his religion he holds only by virtue of that charity which binds him to all other members of the ,catholic ,church1 and to its ,head4 #acc ,our interests are in common1 and if any member1 but especially the ,head1 be wounded1 the whole body and all the other members must suffer with it4 ,each one has an interest in the well-being of the whole ,church4 ,we have an interest in the preservation of the sacred deposit of faith and grace in all nations2 in the salvation of our neighbor1 in the spiritual good of our posterity2 in the prosperity of ,christendom2 in the conversion of the world2 in the triumph of ,jesus ,christ2 in the glory of ,god4 ,all these are bound up in the cause of the ,holy ,see1 the ,roman ,church1 the ,sovereign ,pontiff4 ,it is only by the ,catholic ,church that mankind can be saved and that ,god can be glorified4 ,peter is the ,rock on which this ,church is built4 ,the successors of ,peter hold the golden keys by which hell is shut and heaven opened4 ,the ,see of ,peter is the centre of unity1 light1 life1 and strength1 for the whole ,church throughout the world4 ,it is against the ,rock of ,peter that the forces1 proceeding from the gates of hell to make war on religion1 morality1 society1 the spiritual and temporal well-being of the human race1 direct their most fierce and obstinate assaults4 ,the downfall of this citadel would cause the destruction of the kingdom of ,god on earth1 and give the victory to ,satan in his warfare against ,christ4 #acd ,the gates of hell shall never prevail against it4 ,god will preserve the ,roman ,church until the end of the world4 ,but ,he will not do it altogether by miraculous and supernatural means1 or by ,his own immediate intervention in human affairs4 ,god ordinarily works through secondary causes1 and by means of human agencies4 ,he has established the civil princedom of the ,roman ,pontiff as the bulwark of his spiritual supremacy1 and this bulwark must be defended by the loyalty and valor of all true ,catholics against the assaults of the gates of hell4 ,if faithless sovereigns and wicked conspirators despoil the ,sovereign ,pontiff of his lawful patrimony1 rob the ,roman ,church of her possessions1 and thus weaken and embarrass the functions of the supreme government of the ,catholic ,church1 duty and interest alike require of the faithful to repair this injury1 and to succor the distress of the ,mother and ,mistress of all churches by their generous and abundant contributions4 ,this is the obligation of the poor and of the rich alike1 though not in equal measures4 ,upon those who are relatively poor1 by comparison with the wealthier class--that is1 those who are dependent upon their own hard labor for a modest livelihood--it is not necessary to press this obligation in urgent terms4 ,they make up the great body of the faithful1 and by their zeal and charity it is in a great part that the enterprises of the ,church are sustained4 #ace ,to those of you1 my dear brethren1 who belong to this class1 what ,i have said already will be enough--that is1 to the greater part4 ,for there are some who waste in the service of the devil what they can save from their earnings1 and1 therefore1 have little or nothing left to give to ,god and the ,church4 ,those who give themselves to excessive drinking--as some unhappily do1 to their own shame and ruin and the scandal of religion--waste their hard-earned money in the service of the devil4 ,so1 also1 those who give their money to unlawful societies1 and to foolish1 wicked enterprises1 which are forbidden both by the laws of the ,church and of the country1 waste it in the devil's service4 ,all such persons are bad subjects and rebels in the kingdom of ,god4 ,therefore1 ,i exhort them to return to their fidelity and allegiance1 to renounce the service of the devil1 and to give a part of what they have devoted to his wicked works to the holy cause of ,god and the ,church4 ,let those1 also1 who are led away by foolish vanity to spend more money than is suitable and right upon the decoration of their person1 sacrifice those ornaments which are not in keeping with the modesty of their state in life1 that they may have more to give to our ,lord1 and may merit more precious and lasting jewels1 which will never lose their lustre4 #acf ,those who serve the meek and lowly ,saviour of the world1 who put on the form of a servant for our sakes1 in humble labors and offices1 are ennobled by their ,christian charity4 ,imitate1 therefore1 the zeal1 self-denial1 and generous liberality of your forefathers and brethren in all ages and countries1 who1 out of their poverty1 have made such great gifts to ,god and their fellow-men1 and whose alms have swollen from small rills to such an abundant stream1 fertilizing and blessing the earth4 ,it will come back to you a hundredfold1 especially when it is bestowed on the ,vicar of ,christ1 who is1 like his ,divine ,master1 in a special sense the father of the poor4 ,the obligations of the rich in respect to giving are far greater than those of the poor1 but not generally so well fulfilled4 ,the spirit of the ,catholic religion ought to inspire them with a generous and lavish charity4 ,the spirit of ,god is a princely spirit2 and in the early and middle ages this princely spirit was manifested in a princely munificence4 ,there are not wanting1 in our own times1 many signal instances of this same generous and noble magnanimity of ,christian character in the great and wealthy4 ,the present needs of the ,holy ,see have called forth1 in numbers of those who are noble or rich1 a manifestation of that same piety1 devotion1 and liberality which has adorned the history of happier epochs1 and given a purer lustre to so many illustrious names4 #acg ,but our age is one of luxury and self-indulgence4 ,the rich are exposed in an unusual degree to those temptations which have always made their state so dangerous4 ,therefore1 they need special admonitions to administer well the goods entrusted to them by ,almighty ,god1 and beware of that excessive love of money1 that pride1 selfishness1 and extravagance1 which are so contrary to the spirit of ,christianity4 ,they need to be stirred up to give in proportion to their wealth to the sacred cause of ,god1 and not to stint themselves to the small measure which1 for the poor1 is generous and honorable1 but which for them is niggardly and disgraceful4 ,to the rich1 therefore1 ,i say that they should imitate the example of those holy and noble persons who have consecrated their wealth to ,god4 ,you serve an exacting ,master4 ,you are placed in a position which is beset with responsibility and danger4 ,it is a responsible position1 because of the great and important duties and obligations which are annexed to it2 dangerous1 because of its great difficulties and temptations4 ,those who are favored and elevated above their fellows by ,divine ,providence1 have not received these blessings in order that they may make a display of themselves or indulge their passions1 but in order that they may glorify ,god and do good to their fellow-men4 #ach ,if they wish to be safe in the midst of the allurements and seductions of this world1 to derive real and lasting advantage from their wealth1 and to save their souls1 they must consecrate their riches to the service of ,god4 ,there is but one end for which one can live in this world which is worthy of a ,christian--the exaltation of the kingdom of ,jesus ,christ4 ,princes1 nobles1 men of power and influence through their talents1 learning1 station1 or wealth1 if they do not devote themselves heart and soul to the advancement and extension of the ,catholic ,faith and the ,catholic ,church1 are recreant to their trust4 ,it is this treason of the great and rich in ,catholic nations to the sacred cause of ,christ and ,his ,church which is the chief cause of irreligion and vice among the people1 of rebellion and revolution1 political and social disorder1 and which threatens to produce convulsions still more extensive and terrible1 in which the privileged classes will become the victims of a conflagration which their own folly and wickedness have kindled4 ,the throne of the ,roman ,pontiff is the keystone of the arch of political and social order1 public peace and prosperity1 civilization and good government4 ,those who have the greatest stake involved in the social commonwealth have the greatest interest in maintaining the rights of that august and sacred throne4 #aci ,it is a disgrace to ,christendom that the ,sovereign ,pontiff of the ,catholic ,church should be left to struggle almost alone and single-handed with enemies who have plotted the overthrow of the ,holy ,see and of religion4 ,it is shameful that he should be left to bear the burden of debts and embarrassments which have been created by those who have unjustly invaded and despoiled the patrimony of the ,church4 ,the majestic figure and attitude of ,pius ,,ix4 is a condemnation of the nations of ,christendom in this nineteenth century before the tribunal of conscience and of ,almighty ,god4 ,only those can free themselves from this condemnation who are found on his side1 sustaining his cause by word and deed1 proving their loyalty to ,christ and ,his ,vicar by their open renunciation of all sympathy and complicity with the enemies of the ,holy ,see1 and by their zealous and active support of the spiritual supremacy and temporal princedom of the ,roman ,pontiff4 ,by the grace of ,god1 my dear brethren1 we will not incur that condemnation4 ,we are true and faithful members of that ,holy ,catholic ,church which was founded on the day of ,pentecost4 ,although remote in the distance of space from the ,see of ,peter1 the ,holy ,roman ,church1 we acknowledge with pride and joy that the ,mother and ,mistress of ,churches is the ,mother and ,mistress of the ,church of this ,western world4 #adj ,we are the loyal and devoted children of our ,holy ,father1 ,pius ,,ix4 ,his rights we will sustain while life shall last4 ,our prayers shall never cease to ascend to heaven for his success and triumph2 our generous contributions to his temporal necessities shall never fail him4 ,we rely on the unfailing word and almighty power of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ to give victory and triumph to the cause of ,his crowned and anointed ,vicar and of ,his ,holy ,church2 and we will1 therefore1 do our duty zealously and faithfully to promote that victory1 that we may share in its glory and reward4 --------------------- #ada ,the ,sermon ,,ix4 ,the ,living ,god4 7,for ,trinity ,sunday47 ,jer4 x4 #aj4 ,the ,lord is the true ,god3 ,he is the living ,god4 ,to-day the ,church makes a solemn profession of faith in the mystery of the ,holy and ,undivided ,trinity4 ,it is true this is a profound1 inscrutable mystery1 which we could never have discovered1 and which1 even now that it is revealed1 we cannot fully grasp with our reason2 but it is not so absolutely impenetrable that we may not reason about it in so far as to see a fitness in it1 and to recognize its truth and conclude its necessity from its perfect harmony with the other mysteries of the ,christian faith4 ,we can see how the whole system of religion1 which shows us ,god as the ,creator of the universe1 and the ,redeemer and glorifier of the human race1 finds its fittest sanction and most reasonable explanation in its truth2 while the rejection of it would leave the mind oppressed and bewildered with a thousand difficulties impossible of solution1 and of such a nature as to lead us to abandon the belief in ,god as a living personal ,being1 and seek for their explanation in some theory of ,pantheism or ,polytheism1 the first of which denies the personality1 and the second the unity1 of ,god4 #adb ,if ,i needed an apology for endeavoring to show the reasonableness of this doctrine1 it would be that in our day it is famentably true that the great body of so-called ,christians1 who have cast off the primary authority of revealed truth1 and set up the destructive theory of private judgment in its stead1 are fast losing their faith in this necessary truth of ,christianity1 and falling away into ,rationalism and ,infidelity4 ,it becomes the ,christian preacher1 therefore1 to raise his voice in defence of this fundamental doctrine of ,christianity4 ,christianity is true only because the ,trinity is true4 ,abandon that1 and belief in ,christ the incarnate ,son of ,god is impossible4 ,let us consider1 then1 with all due reverence1 the mystery of the being of ,god1 and express the reasons which our own mind can present to confirm the faith of the ,christian1 when1 signing himself with the sign of ,christ1 he adds the solemn declaration of his belief in ,god1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 #adc ,first of all1 it is proper to state distinctly what the doctrine of the ,trinity is4 ,we believe that there is one infinite1 eternal ,being1 whose nature is in no way divided1 nor can be conceived of as partly one thing1 and partly another thing4 ,we believe that ,god1 though one in being1 is a ,trinity in person4 ,this ,trinity of person in ,god does not separate ,his being into parts any more than ,his attributes1 such as ,his wisdom or ,his justice1 could divide ,him1 making ,his wisdom or justice one thing1 and ,himself another thing1 which is not wisdom or justice4 ,it is ,god who is both wise and just1 and ,his wisdom and justice have no existence but in ,him4 ,so it is ,god1 one ,being1 who is ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 and these three ,persons1 taken together1 or one by one1 are not something else besides the being of ,god1 but they1 each and all1 are ,god4 ,god is the ,trinity4 ,so that the ,father cannot regard the ,son1 or the ,holy ,ghost1 as some other being--some other ,god1 because the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost are the same ,god as the ,father is4 ,in being ,god is not three1 but one4 ,nor does the fact of there being three ,persons add anything to the being of ,god1 or lessen the absolute perfection of ,his unity1 by introducing an element of division3 on the contrary1 we shall see that a perfect being must exist in three persons1 and a being with only one person1 such as we are1 is necessarily an imperfect being4 #add ,and when we say that the three ,persons are distinct one from the other1 so that the ,father is not the ,son1 nor the ,son the ,holy ,ghost1 that again in no manner can affect the unity of the ,divine ,being1 which in all three is identically the same4 ,god1 whose being is one1 lives in three persons1 and we can address ourselves to any one of the three separately1 to ,god living as the ,father1 to ,god living as the ,son1 or to ,god living as the ,holy ,ghost2 but the ,being who lives1 either as ,father1 or as ,son1 or as ,holy ,ghost1 is ,one1 and cannot be addressed in any manner as if ,he was double or triple4 ,this very reasonable distinction between a being and the person of that being seems to be something which many wise and learned men appear either unable or unwilling to understand4 ,the being of ,god lives4 ,he is the living ,god1 and the three persons are ,his life4 ,not that ,god has three different lives2 that as ,father he has one life1 and as the ,son a second life1 and as the ,holy ,ghost a third life4 ,there is but one life in ,god1 and it is the three persons that live that life4 ,this appears to me to be the most reasonable explanation of the ,trinity which our minds are capable of conceiving1 and ,i will develop this thought in a few words4 #ade ,god is a living being4 ,let us ask ourselves whence does ,god receive the life of ,his ,divine ,being8 ,who is the author of ,his life8 ,plainly1 from no one but from ,himself4 ,he is the first1 and only1 and complete cause of ,his own life4 ,there was nothing before ,him from which ,he drew ,his infinite being1 nor upon whose prior existence ,he depends for life4 ,there is nothing now that can sustain ,him or support ,his life1 neither can there be anything after ,him4 ,he is the eternally living ,god4 ,he is1 then1 the eternal cause of ,his own life4 ,what is ,he as cause1 and what is this divine life of ,his being which is the effect of that cause8 ,as cause1 ,he is the ,father1 the ,parent1 the ,progenitor1 the ,producer1 the ,begetter of ,his own life4 ,and that life1 which is begotten in ,himself1 is the ,son4 ,he is the eternally living ,god1 and hence the ,son is eternally begotten of the ,father4 ,the ,person of ,god who begets ,his own life is the ,father4 ,the ,person who is the ,life begotten is the ,son2 and is a ,person1 because it is ,god who says by the mouth of the ,son--,i am the ,life begotten4 ,both the ,father and the ,son are equal1 because it is the same ,divine ,being who is both ,father and ,son1 as we profess in the ,creed--consubstantial with the ,father4 ,both are eternal4 ,the ,father does not exist before the ,son1 because it is the same ,divine ,being which is the life as ,son1 as well as ,giver of life as the ,father4 ,god is the ,father1 because ,he begets a ,son--,his ,life4 #adf ,god is the ,son1 because ,he is the ,life begotten of the ,father--the ,divine ,progenitor of the ,life of the ,eternal ,godhead4 ,god is the eternally living ,god4 ,he lives the life which ,he gives ,himself4 ,his life is infinitely perfect1 infinitely lovely1 infinitely good4 ,he enjoys the life ,he has4 ,we possess life1 not like the life of ,god1 it is true1 because it is limited in duration1 imperfect in action1 subject to change1 and incapable of absolute happiness2 but1 such as it is1 we live it1 we enjoy it4 ,the enjoyment or living of our life proceeds from two sources4 ,first1 from the cause of our life--from that which makes us live2 and1 secondly1 from the life we possess4 ,and we say--,i enjoy my own life4 ,but1 mark it1 we cannot say as the ,father can say--,i give myself life2 nor as the ,son of ,god can say--,i am the life4 ,we can only say--,i enjoy the life which is given to me4 ,hence we are only one person--the person living1 enjoying the life which is not from ourselves1 but from ,god4 ,so ,god enjoys with an infinite beatitude ,his own life4 ,it is the ,person of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he says not--,i give myself life4 ,it is the ,person of the ,father which says that4 ,he does not say--,i am the life4 ,it is the ,person of the ,son who says that4 ,but he says--,i am ,god1 living ,my life2 ,i am ,god1 enjoying ,my life4 #adg ,yet it must be kept in mind that all this is one simultaneous act in ,god3 the eternal giving of life to ,himself2 the life itself eternally springing into being1 and the eternal enjoyment or fruition of life4 ,these are not separate acts1 but one1 single1 inseparable act of the ,triune ,god4 ,the ,being which acts is ,god1 and ,god is not one or two of the ,trinity1 but the ,trinity itself4 ,the principle of the act is attributed to the ,person2 the act itself to the ,god head4 ,hence1 again1 the ,son does not live a different life from the ,father1 or the ,holy ,ghost a different life from the other two ,persons1 but the life they live is all one4 ,to the ,holy ,ghost is attributed the living or enjoyment of life1 as we attribute the living of our own life to our own person2 and1 therefore1 our person is1 in a remarkable manner1 an image of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,we speak of our spirit as living1 rejoicing1 etc41 and when we die or yield up the living of our life1 we say--,we give up the ghost4 ,in ,me1 says the ,holy ,ghost1 are all possible perfections2 ,i rejoice in them4 ,my life is all good1 wherefore ,i love ,myself with infinite love4 ,my life is all beautiful1 wherefore ,i admire it1 and am well pleased1 and take an infinite delight in it4 ,my life is all holy4 ,i am the supreme object of ,my own adoration4 ,my life is all true1 wherefore ,i contemplate all truth with unspeakable bliss4 ,in ,my life is no conflict1 no change1 no anxiety1 doubt1 or sorrow1 wherefore ,i am in eternal peace4 #adh ,my life is all that is or can be1 wherefore ,i seek not for ,my happiness outside of ,my own happy being4 ,such ,i am1 and such ,i live1 the ,holy ,ghost1 who proceed from the ,father and the ,son1 who1 together with the ,father and the ,son1 am adored and glorified1 the great ,i ,,am1 the ,ancient of ,days1 ,alpha and ,omega1 the ,beginning and the ,end1 who was1 and who is1 and who is to come1 the ,almighty1 ,good1 ,wise1 ,just1 and ,true1 the eternal1 living ,god4 ,dear brethren1 such thoughts1 ,i know1 are bewildering1 and leave our poor human intellects stupefied in presence of that ,majesty1 the simplest idea of whom is beyond all power of expression4 ,but we know that ,god is1 and that we know ,him1 great as ,he is1 incomprehensible as ,he is1 so far transcending all grasp of our feeble minds2 yet even in ,his mysterious ,being ,he is no stranger to us4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity of ,persons in ,god is wonderful1 but it is not a strange doctrine4 ,it is a truth full of light and consolation4 ,it is a revelation of ,him1 who is all in all1 that draws us1 if ,i may say so1 nearer to ,him4 ,starting with this view of ,him1 enlightened with this truth1 all that ,he has done for us in the world of nature and of grace1 becomes clear1 plain1 reasonable1 and consequent4 ,all the other mysterious truths of ,christianity1 as ,i have said before1 suppose the truth of this1 and1 indeed1 would be unmeaning without it4 ,the consideration of one or two of these will confirm the view ,i have taken of it4 #adi ,look at creation4 ,this is fully as incomprehensible to our minds as the mystery of the ,trinity itself4 ,but without a revelation of the ,trinity1 it would be more difficult of belief1 further away from our grasp1 baffling more utterly all our attempts to form a reasonable conception of it4 ,what is it8 ,it is that ,god1 who is all that is or can be1 yet can create and has created something which is not ,god4 ,it looks like a contradiction4 ,those who have rejected the ,trinity and yet believe in ,god so regard it1 and are led to imagine that the created universe and all that is in it and of it is ,divine4 ,we read that1 when ,god created man1 ,he said1 ,let us make man to our image and likeness4 ,footnote #dj ,footnote #dj3 ,genesis i4 #bf ,the creature is1 then1 an image of the ,creator4 ,creation is not ,god1 but is an image of ,god2 that is1 the being and life of creatures1 analogous to the being and life of ,god1 is not of themselves1 but is a reflected image of ,god1 which we may compare to the reflected image of ourselves in a mirror4 ,the image we behold is not our own being1 but an imperfect likeness of it4 ,so the creation which ,god beholds imaged in ,his own ,divine mind is not ,his own ,divine being1 but an imperfect likeness of it4 #aej ,and now it is not the image of an abstract being--of an ideal being--but of a living being4 ,the living ,god is the ,trinity1 as ,i have shown4 ,the mystery of creation is illuminated by this truth1 as you will see4 ,we say in the ,creed1 ,i believe in ,god the ,father ,almighty1 ,creator of heaven and earth4 ,he is the ,personal ,cause1 the ,progenitor of all creation4 ,yet we also say1 with ,st4 ,john3 ,the ,word was ,god4 ,all things were made by ,him3 and without ,him was nothing made that was made4 ,footnote #da ,and with holy ,job3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord made me1 and the breath of the ,almighty gave me life4 ,footnote #db ,and again1 with the ,psalmist3 ,thou shalt send forth ,thy ,spirit1 and they shall be created3 and ,thou shalt renew the face of the earth4 ,footnote #dc ,footnote #da3 ,st4 ,john i4 #a-c4 ,footnote #db3 ,job xxxiii4 #d4 ,footnote #dc3 ,ps4 ciii4 #cj4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 civ4 #cj4 ,we speak of creation1 then1 either as of the ,father1 of the ,son1 or of the ,holy ,ghost1 because it is of the ,trinity--one act of the ,godhead4 ,but we attribute creation properly to the ,father1 because ,he is the ,infinite ,personal ,cause4 ,we attribute it to the ,son1 because ,he is the ,infinite ,personal ,life4 ,in him was the life1 says ,st4 ,john1 in the next sentence after that in which he says all things were created by the ,word1 and1 he adds1 the life was the light of men4 #aea ,so chant we in the ,credo3 ,lumen de lumine--,light of light4 ,it is the first word spoken by ,god at the creation--,fiat lux6 ,admirable conception6 ,light is1 as it were1 the ,creator of the image reflected in a mirror1 and the ,divine ,word is the light--the ,creator of the creature who is the image and likeness of ,god4 ,st4 ,paul calls our ,lord1 who is ,man united to the ,word1 the image of the invisible ,god1 the first-born of every creature4 ,in ,him were all things created in heaven1 and on earth1 visible1 and invisible1 whether thrones1 or dominations1 or principalities1 or powers3 all things were created by ,him and in ,him3 and ,he is before all1 and by ,him all things consist4 ,footnote #dd ,because our ,lord was the ,word of ,god1 the same thing is declared of ,him1 as the ,eternal ,wisdom1 by the inspired prophet3 ,i came out of the mouth of the ,most ,high1 the first-born before all creatures4 ,footnote #de ,the creative act is1 then1 an image of the ,son of ,god being divinely begotten by the ,father2 and creation in existence is an image of ,him who truly said1 ,i am the ,life4 ,footnote #dd3 ,coloss4 i4 #ae-ag4 ,footnote #de3 ,ecclus4 xxiv4 #e4 ,,usccb3 ,sirach xxiv4 #c4 ,we attribute the creation to the ,holy ,ghost when we say in the ,creed1 ,and ,i believe in the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,lord and ,life-giver4 #aeb ,recall what ,i said about the ,holy ,ghost1 that ,he is ,god living1 enjoying ,his ,divine life4 ,creation is the image of ,god living1 and hence of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,when man was created1 the ,sacred ,record says1 ,god breathed the breath or spirit of life into his face1 and man became a living soul4 ,with man1 everything lives and enjoys its being with an enjoyment which is a reflection of the supreme living beatitude in ,god4 ,thus exclaims the writer of the ,book of ,wisdom3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord hath filled the whole earth3 and that1 which containeth all things1 hath knowledge of the voice4 ,footnote #df ,footnote #df3 ,wisdom i4 #g4 ,it is the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,spirit of ,god1 the ,lord and ,life-giver1 who1 as holy ,job declares1 hath adorned the heavens with their radiant beauty1 who hath filled the whole earth1 and vivified it1 so that it is not a dead but a living image of the ,eternal1 ,omnipotent1 ,living ,god4 ,did ,i not say well1 my brethren1 that the mystery of the ,holy ,trinity is an illumination of the mystery of creation8 ,look1 again1 at the ,mystery of the ,incarnation1 in which are included the other ,mysteries of the ,regeneration and ,redemption of man4 ,we can not understand its manner4 ,we cannot see how it is1 any more than we can understand how the ,son is begotten of the ,father1 or how the ,holy ,ghost proceeds from them both4 #aec ,but the ,trinity illuminates that also1 and enlightens us to see and believe it1 now that it is revealed to us4 ,like ,creation1 it is an act of the ,trinity1 because it is ,god uniting ,his ,divine ,person of the ,son to humanity1 ,his created image4 ,this is why our ,lord1 as ,man as well as ,god1 calls ,himself the ,son of ,god4 ,this is why the ,apostle calls us1 who are ,his brethren in the flesh1 sons of ,god4 ,it is the act of ,god as the ,father4 ,god so loved the world1 as to give his only-begotten ,son4 ,footnote #dg ,it is an act of ,god as the ,son4 ,in ,his last discourse1 ,jesus says to ,his disciples3 ,i came forth from the ,father1 and am come into the world3 again ,i leave the world1 and go to the ,father4 ,footnote #dh ,it is an act of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,as we say in the ,creed1 and as the ,scripture testifies1 ,he was conceived by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,footnote #dg3 ,s4 ,john iii4 #af4 ,footnote #dh3 ,ibid4 xvi4 #bc4 ,,usccb3 ,john xvi4 #bh4 ,the mystery of the ,trinity thus enables us to recognize the ,divinity of the ,person of ,jesus ,christ1 as also the sublime character and object of ,his ,incarnation4 ,it reveals to us the true destiny of man1 and shows us how the very reason of creation is in ,god ,himself1 and is to find its end1 its accomplishment and fruition in ,god4 ,for1 as you see1 the ,incarnation was an act1 of which the ,person of ,god ,himself was the object4 #aed ,it was ,god communicating ,his ,divine ,life to the creature1 and thus all creatures1 through ,jesus1 who is the ,first-,born of them all1 are to find their destiny1 the end of their creation1 in eternal union with the ,divine ,life4 ,i am the ,life1 said our ,lord1 and because ,i live1 you shall live4 ,footnote #di ,he and the ,father are one4 ,but1 ,o wonderful revelation6 ,in that day you shall know that ,i am in ,my ,father1 and you in ,me1 and ,i in you4 ,footnote #ej ,footnote #di3 ,st4 ,john xiv4 #f and #ai4 ,footnote #ej3 ,ibid4 #bj4 ,god hath sent ,his only-begotten ,son into the world1 says ,st4 ,john1 that we may live by ,him4 ,footnote #ea ,ye are the temples of the living ,god1 ,footnote #eb exclaims ,st4 ,paul4 ,we are made partakers of the ,divine nature1 ,footnote #ec says ,st4 ,peter4 ,and ,st4 ,paul again designates us1 first1 as the partakers of ,christ1 ,footnote #ed and next as the partakers of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,footnote #ee ,footnote #ea3 ,ep4 ,st4 ,john iv4 #i4 ,footnote #eb3 #b ,cor4 vi4 #af4 ,footnote #ec3 #b ,ep4 ,st4 ,peter i4 #d4 ,footnote #ed3 ,heb4 iii4 #ad4 ,footnote #ee3 ,heb4 vi4 #d4 ,once more1 our ,lord bids us fear not the apparent annihilation of death4 ,i am the ,resurrection and the ,life4 ,he that believeth in ,me1 though he be dead1 shall live4 ,and every one that liveth1 and believeth in ,me1 shall not die for ever4 ,footnote #ef ,footnote #ef3 ,st4 ,john xi41 #be1 #bf4 #aee ,how clear1 how consistent is every word6 ,as we contemplate the truth of the ,incarnation in the light of the revealed ,trinity1 our faith must grow stronger1 and the hopes and aspirations of our hearts be confirmed1 and our love wax the deeper2 for this brighter view of ,god must draw us nearer to ,him by sight and by love4 ,we1 too1 burn to answer our ,lord as did ,martha1 when ,he asked her if she believed ,his words3 ,yea1 ,lord1 ,i have believed that ,thou art ,christ the ,son of the ,living ,god1 who art come into this world4 ,footnote #eg ,footnote #eg3 ,st4 ,john xi4 #bg4 ,we set out1 my dear brethren1 to look at the reasons which ,christian philosophy is able to show us of the reasonableness of the mysterious doctrine1 of which we make acts of profession oftener1 perhaps1 than of any other1 for we do it every time we make the sign of the ,cross2 and in honor of which we are to-day keeping solemn festival4 ,we have been talking and thinking like philosophers on this deep mystery1 and to us might be very properly addressed that pertinent remark of ,thomas ,kempis3 ,what doth it avail thee to discourse profoundly of the ,trinity1 if thou be wanting in humility1 and1 consequently1 displeasing to the ,trinity8 ,if thou didst know the whole ,bible by heart1 and the sayings of all the philosophers1 what would it all profit thee1 without the love of ,god and ,his grace8 ,footnote #eh ,footnote #eh3 ,imit4 ,christi1 book i4 ch4 ,i4 #aef ,truly1 a question of no little import to us all4 ,today the ,church brings us1 as it were1 face to face with the awful ,majesty of the ,ever-,blessed ,trinity1 the ,living ,god4 ,it is a fearful thought to be in that ,presence1 for it must compel us to ask ourselves--,are we indeed the image and likeness of the ,living ,god8 ,and not only that1 but are we1 as we should be1 living images of ,him8 ,are our souls living in ,his ,divine grace1 or are they standing before ,him to-day dead in sin8 ,to be wise in the knowledge of the ,blessed ,trinity is well1 but to love ,him is better4 ,to be ignorant of the ,blessed ,trinity is a misfortune2 but to sin against ,him in whom we live1 and move1 and have our being is a crime against the ,life of ,god4 ,wonder not that to lose ,god is to lose eternal life1 and fall into hell1 the eternal death4 ,to sin is1 in the language of ,st4 ,paul1 to trample under foot the ,son of ,god1 and offer an affront to the ,spirit of ,grace4 ,footnote #ei ,filled with horror at the thought of this crime against the ,holy ,trinity1 he exclaims3 ,it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the ,living ,god4 ,footnote #fj ,footnote #ei3 ,heb4 x4 #bi4 ,footnote #fj3 ,heb4 x4 #ca4 ,therefore1 brethren1 let us adore with profound humility the ,ever-,blessed ,trinity1 full of gratitude that ,he has vouchsafed this revelation of ,his mysterious ,being to us1 and thus enlightened our minds that we may know ,him1 and love ,him1 and serve ,him better4 #aeg ,but let us so live1 as children of the ,heavenly ,father1 as brethren of ,jesus ,christ our ,lord1 and as sanctified temples of the ,holy ,ghost1 that1 when the veil of this life be rent in twain1 and we shall stand face to face in eternity before the glorious majesty of ,god1 and in presence of the glittering hosts of angels who surround ,his throne1 we may be able to present the record of a life which has truly been an image and likeness of the ,life of the ,living ,god--the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost2 to whom be glory now and for ever throughout eternal ages4 ,amen4 ----------------------- #aeh ,sermon ,x ,the ,real ,presence4 7,for ,the ,feast ,of ,corpus ,christi47 ,st4 ,matt4 i4 #bc4 ,they shall call ,his name ,emmanuel1 which1 being interpreted1 is ,god with us4 ,we conclude the seasons of ,easter and ,pentecost with the ,feast of the ,blessed ,trinity1 following in thought our ascended ,jesus up to the right hand of ,his eternal ,father4 ,from ,christmas to ,ascension we commemorate the mission 7as it is called7 of the ,second ,person of the ,trinity3 how the ,father sent the ,son to become ,incarnate1 to accomplish our redemption1 and found the ,church4 ,at ,pentecost we celebrate the mission of the ,third ,person3 how the ,father and the ,son together sent the ,holy ,ghost1 to become incorporate in the ,church1 and abide with and in it through all time4 ,then1 on ,trinity ,sunday1 the ,church1 in her turn1 bids us remember that1 although the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost were sent down to earth1 yet they never left heaven2 where they had dwelt from eternity1 and will dwell to eternity1 consubstantial and coequal with the ,father4 #aei ,but the ,church is the kingdom of the ,incarnation2 and the ,incarnation is ,god made visible4 ,therefore1 as a true spouse1 living only for her ,beloved1 she does not leave us contemplating the invisible ,god1 but quickly sets before us the ,incarnation again--the end of her yearly song no less than its beginning4 ,for the feast of ,corpus ,christi is to ,christmas as the end to the beginning of a chain of mysteries which centre in the ,incarnation4 ,it is1 indeed1 a sort of second ,christmas--the sacramental life of our ,lord bearing striking resemblance to ,his helpless infancy4 ,again1 lest we should forget that our ascended ,lord left behind ,him the very body ,he carried into heaven1 the ,church does not let us stand gazing up after ,him with the group on ,olivet1 but invites us to turn and rejoice with her in the mystery of ,his perpetual presence here below--a presence not the less real because supersensible1 nor the less consoling because veiled4 ,i shall speak1 then1 of the ,blessed ,sacrament1 first1 as a reality2 and1 secondly1 as a consolation4 #afj ,first1 as a reality4 ,you are aware1 my dear brethren1 that no article of our faith excites so much the wonder of those who are not ,catholics as the doctrine of the ,real ,presence4 ,they are forced to acknowledge1 too1 that we actually do believe in it1 and take it as a matter of course4 ,their wonderment is natural enough3 for they judge of it only by the senses2 and certainly we cannot conceive of any mode in which it would have more apparent unreality4 ,if1 however1 they believe that the ,christ who was born in a stable1 lived in obscurity for thirty years1 was rejected by the ,jews as the carpenter's son1 and1 at last1 died a felon's death1 was ,god1 they must allow that the ,godhead in ,him had very much apparent unreality1 and that its surprising concealment can only be accounted for by design4 ,again1 if they are familiar with the ,bible1 they know that in several passages a certain adorable secrecy and shyness are ascribed to ,god as characteristic of ,him4 ,as1 for instance1 in the ,psalms we are told that ,he makes darkness ,his hiding-place4 ,footnote #fa ,in ,job it is asked1 ,peradventure thou wilt comprehend the steps of ,god1 and find out the ,almighty perfectly8 ,he is higher than heaven1 and what wilt thou do8 ,he is deeper than hell1 and how wilt thou know8 ,footnote #fb while ,isaias breaks out with the exclamation3 ,truly ,thou art a hidden ,god1 ,thou ,god of ,israel1 the ,saviour6 ,footnote #fc ,footnote #fa3 ,ps4 xvii4 #ab4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 xviii4 #ab4 ,footnote #fb3 ,job xi4 #g4 ,footnote #fc3 ,is4 xlv4 #ae4 #afa ,as far1 then1 as the hiddenness of the ,real ,presence goes1 it ought rather to commend our doctrine than otherwise1 and create a presumption in its favor4 ,but the radical difficulty with the stranger to the truth lies in his not understanding the ,incarnation and its object4 ,it is nothing to him1 ,i may say4 ,he professes belief in it1 indeed1 but has utterly lost its meaning 7as dear ,father ,faber says74 ,let him once begin to realize the ,incarnation1 and he will find he is taking the road to ,rome3 he will find that there is such a thing as a visible ,church1 and such a person as the ,mother of ,god4 ,to the ,catholic1 on the contrary1 the ,incarnation is everything4 ,it is the fount of the whole system to which he glories in adhering4 ,the ,church exists for nothing else4 ,the world exists for nothing else4 ,the world for the ,church1 the ,church for ,christ1 and ,christ for ,god4 ,now1 the object of the ,incarnation was briefly this3 ,the establishment of a visible kingdom1 in which the ,creator should receive an adequate worship from the creature1 and the creature be raised to the highest possible union with the ,creator4 ,we say1 then1 that the ,church is this visible kingdom--to wit1 an organic body1 of which we are made members by ,baptism 7an outward and visible rite72 and that the twofold end of worship and union is accomplished by the perpetual presence of the ,incarnation here on earth1 as at once a sacrifice and a sacrament4 #afb ,a sacrifice in which the creature offers to ,god a divine victim--the only adequate worship ,he can receive1 ,god being offered to ,god--and in a created nature4 ,a sacrament1 in which the assumed humanity in ,christ1 hypostatically united with the divinity1 is made to blend with our humanity in a union so close as to render us1 in turn1 partakers of the divine nature4 ,footnote #fd ,moreover1 we say that the form of food1 in which our ,lord chose to impart to us ,his deified and deifying humanity1 was 7so to speak7 the most natural form ,he could have chosen3 since food becomes one substance with its recipient--the difference between ordinary food and this divine food being that the latter1 instead of being changed into us1 transforms us into itself4 ,footnote #fd3 #b ,st4 ,peter i4 #d4 ,therefore1 to us1 who1 by the grace of faith1 understand the ,incarnation and its object1 the doctrine of the ,real ,presence is simply the supplement to the doctrine of the ,incarnation4 ,the one is the consequence of the other4 ,we behold in the ,church1 with the ,blessed ,sacrament on her altars1 the mystical ,mary with the ,divine ,babe on her lap3 and when we kneel to her1 that she may give ,him to us1 or bless us with ,him1 we have no more feeling of unreality than the ,shepherds and the ,magi had in the cave at ,bethlehem4 #afc ,the feast of ,corpus ,christi1 then1 my brethren1 is one of a blessed reality3 a reality which ought to make us thank ,god every day of our lives that we are ,catholics4 ,for can anything be more dismal1 more barren1 more pointless1 than a ,christianity in which the ,blessed ,sacrament and the ,blessed ,virgin have no place8 ,but1 secondly1 it is a feast of peculiar consolation4 ,it is this which most endears the ,blessed ,sacrament to us4 ,for as long as we are in exile from our true fatherland--the patria of the ,o ,salutaris--we shall always be wanting consolation1 and prize it as a foretaste of our rest4 ,this consolation1 then1 this foretaste1 is abundantly vouchsafed to us in the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,and1 first1 as regards our ,lord ,himself4 ,it is impossible to love ,him without sorrowing for all ,he once suffered2 without grieving at the thought of the world's sins1 and our own share of them1 which drenched ,his soul with anguish1 and steeped ,his heart in woe4 ,and what pains us most is the melancholy fact that ,his love was thrown away on the majority of mankind1 and is so at this hour4 ,it is1 therefore1 indeed a consolation that now ,he dwells on earth without the condition of suffering--impassible for evermore2 that1 at last1 ,he comes unto ,his own1 and ,his own do receive ,him2 that ,he is enthroned ,king of ,his elect in the kingdom ,he so dearly purchased2 that ,he can now take unmixed delight in being with the children of men2 that if ,his ,sacramental ,presence is still to the heretic a stumbling-block1 and to the sceptic foolishness1 yet to millions upon millions1 who believe and love1 it is the power of ,god and the wisdom of ,god2 and1 further1 that whatever degeneracy may come upon ,christ's kingdom1 however widely the love of many may wax cold1 yet1 even in the worst times1 those whom the ,father hath given ,him will unfailingly confess ,him their ,emmanuel4 #afd ,again1 the ,blessed ,sacrament is full of consolation as regards ourselves4 ,in the first place1 because it is our ,emmanuel--,god tabernacled with men2 and because the veiled ,presence here is an earnest of the unveiled hereafter4 ,also1 because it is an abiding propitiation for our sins1 and the perpetual oblation of infinite merit to obtain us all good things4 ,again1 it is the food in the strength of which we travel1 like ,elias1 through the wilderness of this world unto the mount of ,god3 ,footnote #fe the medicine of our spiritual diseases1 the balm of our sorrows1 and1 sweetest thought of all1 perhaps1 our viaticum in death4 ,footnote #fe3 #c ,kings xix4 #h4 ,,usccb3 #a ,kings xix4 #h4 #afe ,if ,god could thus address ,his people of old1 how much more meaning have ,his words for us3 ,fear not1 for ,i have redeemed thee1 ,i have called thee by thy name3 thou art mine4 ,when thou shalt pass through the waters1 ,i will be with thee1 and the rivers shall not cover thee2 444 for ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 thy ,saviour4 ,footnote #ff ,footnote #ff3 ,is4 xliii4 #a-c ,but especially ought we to take comfort in the ,blessed ,sacrament in times of trial for the ,church1 such as that which is on us now4 ,you remember how the ship of ,peter was tossed one day on the lake of ,galilee1 and the disciples got terrified and awoke their ,master1 who was asleep on a pillow4 ,footnote #fg ,footnote #fg3 ,st4 ,mark iv4 #cf-ch4 ,and ,he rebuked them for their want of faith2 because1 let wind and sea rage as they might1 could that vessel have perished with the ,lord of the elements on board1 though ,he was asleep on a pillow8 ,now1 that ship is a striking figure of the ,church1 with the ,blessed ,sacrament reposing on her altars4 ,she has ridden out many a heavy gale as yet1 and no matter how many more are in store for her1 weather them she must while she carries the ,almighty ,saviour4 ,instead of losing heart1 then1 our aspiration should be that of the sacred poet3 ,amid the howling wintry sea1 ,we are in port if we have ,thee4 #aff ,and even if there should come a time1 as many think1 when the daily sacrifice shall be taken away1 when it shall be death to say ,mass or to hear it1 and the ,church has to fly into the wilderness--if the final persecution thus exceed even those of the ,csars1 yet ,mass will be said and ,communion will be given2 and still1 at the words of the priest1 even as the lightning cometh out of the east1 and shineth unto the west1 so will be the coming of the ,son of ,man to ,his altar2 and still1 wheresoever the ,body shall be1 there will the eagles be gathered together4 ,footnote #fh ,footnote #fh3 ,st4 ,matt4 xxiv4 #bg1 #bh4 ,in conclusion1 my dear brethren1 let me remind you how apt we are--we who are so favored with the faith--to neglect the ,blessed ,sacrament1 to be irreverent in its presence1 to show it ingratitude by receiving it too seldom1 and to betray our forgetfulness of its presence by never coming to visit it4 ,i would dwell a little on this last point4 ,when we meet with misfortune or trouble of any kind1 we often brood over it at home1 and get impatient and fretful1 and make mischief in consequence to others as well as to ourselves1 instead of coming to tell the ,sacred ,heart all about it1 and draw on an ever-ready help4 ,so1 again1 we are constantly complaining how cold the world is1 what a want there is of sympathy1 how selfish and thankless people are4 #afg ,and what are we but cold and unsympathizing1 selfish and thankless1 toward our best ,friend8 ,he is here love's prisoner--our prisoner2 and how few of us take any notice of ,him as such6 ,were an earthly dear one in prison for our sake1 we should move heaven and earth to get to him4 ,but here is the ,lover of all lovers1 the infinite beauty1 accessible all day long1 and how many come to visit ,him of those who are not reasonably prevented8 ,i wonder that more of us are not haunted by those words1 ,i was in prison1 and ye visited ,me not4 ,footnote #fi ,footnote #fi3 ,st4 ,matt4 xxv4 #dc4 ,let us endeavor1 then1 my brethren1 to realize more the treasure we possess in our ,emmanuel1 our ,ges ,sacramentato 7,sacramented ,jesus71 our ,dios ,sagramentado 7,sacramented ,god71 as the happy ,italian and ,spanish languages can word it4 ,if we could only accustom ourselves to think a little more of the ,blessed ,sacrament1 it would soon have a perceptible influence on our lives1 on our domestic relations1 on our intercourse with society1 on our dealings with the world of business4 ,and this influence would be anything but oppressive1 as some of you may think4 ,it would exercise a wholesome restraint1 indeed1 for which we should often be deeply thankful afterwards1 but would give us a true cheerfulness and an abiding sense of calm4 ,oh6 that all our words and actions might harmonize in one ceaseless chorus of praise-- #afh ,blessed and praised every moment ,be the most holy and most divine ,sacrament6 --------------------- #afi ,sermon ,,xi4 ,st4 ,paul1 ,the ,divine ,orator4 7,for ,the ,patronal ,festival47 #b ,cor4 xii4 #i4 ,gladly1 therefore1 will ,i glory in my infirmities1 that the power of ,christ may dwell in me4 ,the ,church and the world are agreed in the estimate formed of ,st4 ,paul as a preacher4 ,by a common judgment1 the name of this great apostle has been inscribed at the head of the illustrious list of teachers of doctrine4 ,his renown increases as time goes on1 and in our own day his personal character1 life1 and writings have been made the subject of an extraordinary amount of discussion1 and have elicited newer and higher eulogiums4 ,there is this difference1 however1 in the judgments formed by the ,church and the world of the prince of ,christian preachers4 ,the world's panegyric is illogical1 being made in direct contradiction to its principles and the lessons which it has ever inculcated as necessary to an orator's success4 #agj ,the ,church alone1 by the aid of the supernatural principles of faith1 is able to explain the true secret of the wonderful power he wielded in life1 and the miraculous influence of his words upon the nations of the earth during the many centuries which have elapsed since he ceased to speak face to face with men4 ,what1 indeed1 are these words of his1 ,i will glory in my infirmities1 that the power of ,christ may dwell in me1 but foolishness to human wisdom1 or1 at best1 an enigma without solution6 ,but it is precisely these infirmities of which he boasts that gave him the power he possessed1 and laid the foundation of all his glory4 ,when ,i am weak1 he says again1 then am ,i powerful4 ,nonsense to human reason1 but divine wisdom to faith4 ,if1 therefore1 ,i would praise ,st4 ,paul1 as is befitting on this day1 ,i must praise hid infirmities--weaknesses which the world calls misfortunes1 and deficiencies upon which none but saints ever rest their hopes of success4 ,to judge after the manner of man1 we would ordinarily expect to find in one who is an orator of great power certain personal qualifications which1 in the very nature of things1 would serve to impress and win his audience4 ,we would seek for great polish in the style1 and consummate art in the preparation and delivery of his discourses4 #aga ,for one who aims at swaying not only a chance multitude who1 for the moment1 comes within the sound of his voice1 but at conquering their souls1 and winning them to the point of making most heroic sacrifices2 who not only preaches to his hearers1 but commands them with the air of one having authority1 we would look for the favorable1 popular verdict shown in honors and dignities showered upon him1 in credit and influence1 and his having reached that summit where men vie with one another in giving him place1 and when even his enemies fear to gainsay or persecute him4 ,such1 indeed1 are the orators whom the world crowns with its laurels4 ,but in all these ,st4 ,paul was lacking2 and yet1 by the world's own confession1 he has surpassed them all4 ,to meditate upon this mystery of ,divine ,providence1 which makes use of the weak things of this world to confound the strong1 and the foolish to confound the wise1 cannot fail to enlighten and edify us4 ,we who1 like the world in general1 have known the great ,apostle chiefly from the sublime picture which his unparalleled success presents1 have doubtless imagined him to be a person of tall and majestic stature1 of pleasing address and magisterial deportment2 being1 as we say1 a man of fine presence1 whose appearance was alone sufficient to bring forth plaudits from his auditory1 and enforce at once a respectful and submissive hearing4 #agb ,such are1 indeed1 the ideal portraits of him with which we please ourselves1 and such have the masters in art represented him4 ,but from various allusions he makes in his writings to himself1 it is certain that he was frail in body1 of a diffident and submissive bearing1 and altogether wanting in that air of decision and self-assertion which naturally overawes the multitude4 ,when he1 with his companion apostle1 ,st4 ,barnabas1 healed the cripple at ,lystra1 the people imagined them to be gods2 but in calling ,st4 ,barnabas1 rather than ,st4 ,paul1 ,jupiter1 it is evident that other apostle far surpassed ,st4 ,paul in the dignity and majesty of his person4 ,he can write boldly1 he says1 but in presence is lowly2 ,footnote #gj and1 again1 he affirms the truth of what people said of him1 that his bodily presence is weak1 and his speech contemptible2 and the frequent contrasts he draws between his personal infirmities and his spiritual power and graces1 leave the fact beyond doubt that he was by no means a man of dignified aspect or commanding mien4 ,footnote #gj3 #b ,cor4 x4 #a ,we might be tempted to think he would feel this infirmity most keenly as a serious drawback to his success as an orator1 as we ourselves would judge it to be4 ,but no4 ,he will rather glory in his infirmities as the source of his power2 and here at the outset we get an insight into the whole spirit of this champion of the ,gospel4 #agc ,from the instant of his miraculous conversion1 he appears to be wholly absorbed in the contemplation of the sublime mystery of the voluntary abasement of ,god in concealing the awful majesty and splendor of his ,divine ,being in human nature1 that what he1 with apostolic hardihood1 calls the foolishness of ,god and the weakness of ,god1 might subdue and atone for the sinful pride and vainglory of men4 ,he rejoices1 therefore1 that he has nothing in himself which might cause the admiration of men and make void the humility of ,jesus and ,his cross--a thought which so fills his soul that he says he knows nothing else besides4 ,the less he has in himself to glory in1 the greater is his consciousness of the power of the ,gospel of the ,crucified1 which he only lives to preach4 ,power is made perfect in infirmity1 was the revelation made to him when caught up to the third heaven4 ,i will glory1 therefore1 he exclaims1 in my infirmities4 ,i am glad that ,i am weak in bodily presence and contemptible in speech4 ,freed from this temptation of human vanity1 which in turn would divert the souls of my hearers from the ,gospel to the preacher of the ,gospel1 the power of ,christ will dwell more fully in me4 ,when ,i am weak1 then am ,i powerful4 #agd ,when ,i1 ,paul the ,apostle1 am nothing1 then will the victory of grace be complete in the souls who1 through me1 believe and are converted--when ,i have nothing in me to please and attract the sight1 men will see only the ,cross which ,i hold up to their gaze4 ,so fearful was he of attracting to himself any personal affection1 that he avoided baptizing his own converts and receiving them into the church1 lest they should say--,i am of ,paul1 ,i belong to the ,church of ,st4 ,paul the ,apostle1 instead of acknowledging1 as he was always doing himself1 ,by the grace of ,god1 ,i am what ,i am--a ,christian saved from hell by ,god's mercy4 ,let us look now at his second and greater infirmity--his weakness as an orator4 ,he had a strange1 difficult1 shocking1 and what he terms a scandalous doctrine to preach--the redemption of the world by a crucified ,god4 ,surely1 this man1 who is so lacking in the external qualifications of an effective speaker1 possesses at least the magic power of sublime eloquence4 ,he who has such a repulsive truth to announce will seek the most polished phrases1 and cover up the hard things which he has to say by flowers of rhetoric1 and1 with studied art in his tones of speech1 will charm his unwilling audience to receive and obey the austere lessons of the ,gospel4 #age ,by no means4 ,such was his infirmity in this respect that his disciples called his speech contemptible1 and he acknowledged the truth of their judgment1 and reminds his beloved ,corinthians that he was with them in weakness1 and in fear1 and in much trembling1 adding1 ,my speech and preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom4 ,footnote #ga ,footnote #ga3 ,i ,cor4 ii4 #d4 ,not only do we see in the discourses recorded of him the most simple and unadorned phraseology1 but even his writings1 full as they are of the most profound and heavenly doctrine1 are the most inartificial1 disconnected1 and poor in imagery that could well be imagined4 ,what a misfortune for an orator6 cries the world4 ,what a glory is mine infirmity6 responds the ,apostle of that ,gospel which is wisdom hidden from the self-sufficient rich and the insolent magnates of a depraved world1 but a revelation of divine truth to babes4 ,and ,i1 who praise ,st4 ,paul1 will praise this infirmity of his as well1 knowing that he has not rested his power as an apostle and his hopes of success upon it in vain4 ,if ,st4 ,paul be unable to use1 or disdain in his preaching all rhetorical flourish and tricks of oratory1 if his language is almost rude in its plainness and harsh from the total absence of brilliant metaphor or well-rounded period1 it is because he has nothing to preach but ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified4 #agf ,all those harmonious cadences which flatter the ear1 all that fanciful imagery in which the orators of human doctrine and science deal so largely and are paid with clapping of hands1 are at best but showy tinsel1 unworthy of the ,incarnate ,wisdom1 and a vain mockery of the lowly speech and simple words of the ,man of ,sorrows4 ,what we adore in our ,lord's person is ,his lowliness and humility1 mingled with a certain divine and grand simplicity of character4 ,so are all ,his words1 plain and simple2 spoken evidently without passionate gesture1 and in no loud or clamorous tone4 ,simple1 because all that is divine is simple2 all else is human pride and sensuality4 ,such is what ,i may call the divine instinct of the ,church1 the ,body of ,christ1 who also disdains1 when she lifts her voice in prayer or praise1 all the effeminate and meretricious ornaments of harmony or melody1 which are the sources of attraction and admiration in worldly music1 and adheres to what is simple in its enunciation1 grave in movement1 and moderate in tone1 as one who reveals divine thoughts1 and not the dreamy1 overwrought imaginations of impassioned genius1 which minister rather to the senses than to the soul4 #agg ,behold1 therefore1 the great ,apostle1 inspired by this simplicity of ,divine truth1 going out upon his great mission to become the preacher of that truth to the whole world1 but so thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the meek and humble-hearted ,jesus that he speaks in weakness1 in much fear and trembling1 yet with such power that even ,greece1 that mother of philosophers and orators1 forgets the fervid eloquence of her ,plato and ,demosthenes to drink in the divine lessons of the ,gospel from the lips of this unskilled orator2 and ,rome herself1 the mistress of the world1 at his word overthrows her idols and consecrates her majestic temples of glory to the worship of a ,man crucified at ,jerusalem4 ,o glorious ,apostle6 well mayest thou glory in that which before men is thy weakness6 ,thine infirmity is thy power4 ,without human power1 thou abandonest thyself wholly to the divine power of ,christ1 and that--that is more than enough power to conquer the world4 ,that world in its pride will criticise you1 and ridicule your want of polish and lack of rhetoric1 and your trembling1 hesitating gesture1 but it will believe in ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified whom you preach4 ,its orators will not follow you as a model1 but they themselves will beat their breasts1 and confess their sins1 and do penance at your bidding4 ,but1 powerful as he is in the infirmity of his speech1 to fully convince the world of the truth of his awful and austere doctrine1 he has yet to measure his strength against a more obstinate and unyielding enemy to the ,gospel of the ,cross4 #agh ,the mind of man cannot long blind its sight to the illumination of the truth2 but who shall subdue and win the hardened heart8 ,o wondrous science of the saints6 ,o divine enigma which no one shall understand who does not write its solution in his own blood6 ,regnavit a ligno ,deus6 ,god hath reigned from the wood of the cross4 ,even ,god cannot reign in the kingdom of the hearts of men until ,he is a crucified man1 whose streaming blood cries aloud and pleads1 with the irresistible torrent of the eloquence of suffering1 to heaven4 ,yes2 to heaven must the voice of suffering preach2 for ,paul may plant1 and ,apollos water1 but ,god alone can give the increase4 ,from ,god alone can come the grace that achieves the consummation of the triumph of the truth1 and completes the labor of the ,apostle4 ,when was ,jesus ,christ the ,master of the world8 ,where was it that ,he drew all things to ,himself by the cords of ,adam and the bands of love8 ,was it when ,he went about doing good1 working miracles1 preaching ,his divine doctrine8 ,ah no6 ,it was when ,he was lifted up the pleading ,victim1 whose blood and wounds spoke better things than the blood of ,abel1 and whose requests could not be denied4 #agi ,well does the ,church say1 ,regnavit a ligno ,deus6 ,and what shall we expect1 if even ,jesus is only powerful from ,his cross1 but that ,his chosen vessel of election1 who shall carry ,his ,gospel to the whole world1 first shall say3 ,i judge myself to know nothing but ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified2 and that afterwards his life should prove the truth of his same infirmity in himself3 ,with ,christ ,i am nailed to the cross1 ,footnote #gb ,i die daily2 that he should be stoned and scourged1 and imprisoned and persecuted1 and driven from city to city1 in journeyings often1 in perils of waters1 in perils of robbers1 in perils from the ,jews1 in perils from the ,gentiles1 in perils in the city1 in perils in the wilderness1 in perils in the sea1 in perils from false brethren1 in labor and painfulness1 in long watchings1 in hunger and thirst1 in fastings often1 in cold and nakedness2 ,footnote #gc and1 added to all these sufferings1 those interior trials and bitternesses of spirit with which ,god invariably purifies the souls of ,his elect4 ,he must preach in the stead of ,christ1 and therefore he must suffer in ,his stead4 ,wherefore he says3 ,i fill up in my own flesh those things that are wanting of the sufferings of ,christ4 ,footnote #gd ,footnote #gb3 ,gal4 ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #gc3 #b ,cor4 xi4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #gd3 ,col4 i4 #bd4 ,nor are we surprised1 if the world be1 that he should please himself in this life of constant suffering in what seems to be1 as men judge1 failures and losses1 and disheartening1 conflicting obstacles to his success4 #ahj ,the world1 to whom the cross of ,christ is foolishness1 would demand for a preacher who could hope for a success equal to ,st4 ,paul's1 invariable good health1 a well-nourished body1 a mind not overtaxed1 popular applause1 and a career of unvarying triumph4 ,but ,i1 who would praise ,st4 ,paul1 will praise him for his life of suffering4 ,when he is weak before men1 then is he powerful with ,god4 ,god and the whole court of heaven is the audience of the suffering man2 and he who would sway the ,divine ,mercy must take counsel from the ,crucified ,incarnate ,wisdom1 and find an advocate in his own blood4 ,for thirty long years did this ,victim dear to heaven suffer a daily death1 yet rejoicing always that he was counted worthy to suffer for the name of the ,lord ,jesus2 and as we follow him about from country to country1 and from city to city1 we can number his successes by the number of his adversities--adversities which had no power to subdue his exalted soul1 or shake for one instant the constancy of his superhuman love for ,christ and ,his cross4 ,hark to that outburst of generous love from his undaunted heart--,who1 then1 shall separate us from the love of ,christ8 ,shall tribulation1 or distress1 or famine1 or nakedness1 or danger1 or persecution1 or the sword8 ,i am sure that neither death nor life1 nor angels nor principalities1 nor powers1 nor things present1 nor things to come1 nor might1 nor height1 nor depth1 nor any other creature1 shall be able to separate us from the love of ,god1 which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,footnote #ge ,footnote #ge3 ,rom4 viii4 #ce-ci4 #aha ,thirty years of restless labor and fatigues1 and now this aged and worn-out ,apostle1 to whom we would fain grant some days of sweet repose for his declining years1 must gird up his loins and prepare to meet the crowning suffering of his life--a martyr's death4 ,rome1 imperial ,rome1 palace of pride and sensuality1 thou boastest that thou art the mistress of the world2 that thy name and power is honored and feared by every nation1 and none dare refuse thee tribute6 ,proud throne of the world1 tremble6 for there is coming into thy gates a conqueror who will humble thee in the dust1 who will take away all thine armor in which thou trustest1 and compel thee to pay tribute to him2 and1 through him1 constrain thee to bring the world under another ,ruler1 whose kingdom shall be without end1 and whose principality no man shall take away4 ,go1 ,o captain of many victories6 ,prospere procede1 et regna4 ,rome will laugh at thy apostolic folly1 but thou shalt make her weep4 ,rome is the world's citadel of error2 thou shalt make her the ever-enduring and infallible chair of truth4 ,rome will bring thee into her as a prisoner in chains1 but thou shalt prove her liberator4 #ahb ,rome will put thee to death1 but the voice of thy martyr's blood shall cry to heaven and give her eternal life4 ,take glory to thyself1 ,o holy ,paul6 and rejoice and exult in thine infirmities1 for now is the hour when thy strength shall be divine6 ,though dead1 he yet speaketh4 ,from his tomb ,st4 ,paul is still the preacher of the truth to the whole world4 ,still he announces the truth as it is in ,christ ,jesus and ,him crucified4 ,still he confounds the ,gentile philosophies of every age1 still draws with irresistible eloquence the hearts of men to the sacrifices of an heroic love for ,christ4 ,the text of ,st4 ,paul living and suffering was1 ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified4 ,he who to-day approaches the vast temple beneath whose majestic dome repose the sacred ashes of the divine preacher1 descries upon the base of a lofty obelisk that confronts the portals of the ,apostle's world-renowned sepulchre the text of ,st4 ,paul dead and triumphant3 ,ecce crucem ,domini6 ,fugite partes advers4 ,behold the ,cross of the ,lord6 ,let all its adversaries be put to flight4 ----------------------- #ahc ,sermon ,,xii4 ,the ,value ,of ,faith4 7,for ,the ,feast ,of ,st4 ,peter's ,chains47 ,i ,cor4 xvi4 #ac4 ,watch ye2 stand fast in the faith2 do manfully1 and be strengthened4 ,we celebrate to-day the feast called ,st4 ,peter's ,chains1 to commemorate the miraculous union which took place between the two chains that had bound ,st4 ,peter in prison--the one under ,king ,herod1 and the other at ,rome1 under ,nero--when they were brought together4 ,why was ,st4 ,peter willing to be bound and imprisoned for the faith of ,christ8 ,because he esteemed it more precious than liberty1 or any thing else that the world prizes2 as he says when he writes to others suffering for the same cause1 ,that the trial of your faith 7much more precious than gold which is tried in the fire7 may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the appearing of ,jesus ,christ4 ,footnote #gf ,footnote #gf3 ,i ,ep4 ,st4 ,peter i4 #g4 #ahd ,what is it that gives to faith its priceless value8 ,why is it to be esteemed above liberty1 the possession of wealth1 more than friends1 parents1 the whole world1 and even more than life itself8 ,there are those who do not possess this gift1 and who1 to all appearances1 are as happy as those who do4 ,nations have existed1 and now exist1 strong and prosperous1 and are without faith4 ,what is there in faith that makes it worthy of being praised as the pearl of great price1 as more precious than fire-refined gold1 as something better to be desired by men--yes1 even by nations--than power1 rank1 or glory8 ,the value of things may be got at in two ways4 ,the first is by estimating them according to their real qualities2 the second1 according to what men are willing to give or sacrifice for their possession4 ,let us consider the value of faith weighed in each of these balances4 ,there are many things which men prize highly4 ,at certain seasons they cross the seas1 endure fatigue1 spend a great deal of time and money--and what for8 ,to gaze on beautiful scenery1 view works of art1 and visit great men and places renowned in history4 ,they are charmed with the aspect of the mountains1 the trees1 the flowers1 the streams1 the glowing sunsets1 and are filled with admiration4 ,these moments of joy outweigh with them all the fatigue1 expense1 and time expended in reaching these favored spots of nature4 #ahe ,it is the same at home4 ,we leave our busy cities in the summer1 and hasten to our mountains1 our lakes1 and the sea-shores4 ,and why do men prize these beautiful scenes8 ,there must be1 there is something valuable in them4 ,their charms1 the joy and pleasure derived from nature1 spring not from ourselves4 ,what attracts us in creation is the traces of ,god's beauty1 and in contemplating these the soul is drawn nearer to ,god1 and its joy increased4 ,it is ,god in nature who dilates the soul4 ,why do men love poetry1 music1 architecture1 painting1 and sculpture8 ,why have the verses of a ,homer1 a ,dante1 a ,shakespeare1 been the delight of ages8 ,why is it that a whole nation feels honored in the possession of a work from the chisel of ,michael ,angelo1 or a ,madonna of ,raphael1 or a ,cathedral of ,cologne1 or in having given birth to ,dante or ,shakespeare8 ,why are our souls enlarged and raised above the senses in listening to strains of music composed by a ,palestrina or a ,beethoven or a ,mozart8 ,it is because art is a higher expression of the ,divine1 and brings us nearer to the ,all-,true1 ,holy1 and ,fair4 ,we know how men are devoted to science1 to philosophy2 how they rival the severest ascetic in their self-denial1 in order to advance knowledge4 ,the astronomer1 gazing on the heavens1 discovers new planets1 and finds out the great laws which govern all material things4 #ahf ,the geologist digs deep down into the bowels of the earth1 and reveals to us its secrets and its ages of growth4 ,the philosopher analyzes thought and the secret folds of the soul1 and teaches us its laws and dignity4 ,why all these studies--why so much time1 energy1 patience1 and devotion to the sciences8 ,what sustains these men of science8 ,what pays them for all their trouble8 ,what is it that stimulates them in their pursuits8 ,is it pride and love of fame1 or selfishness8 ,no6 it is the hope of the discovery of unknown truths4 ,what is ,truth8 ,god is ,truth4 ,then1 at last account1 these men are seeking ,god4 ,you perceive that nature1 art1 science1 are only different channels of arriving at the one source of all truth and beauty--,god2 for all truth is in harmony4 ,the truth1 whether in nature or art or science1 is derived from the same source1 as is also the truth in our souls or in the sacred ,scriptures1 which the ,holy ,church infallibly teaches4 ,if men sometimes fancy there is a discrepancy between religion and science1 it arises chiefly from this1 that either the doctrines of faith are not understood and set forth as the ,church holds them1 or that the vain devices and opinions of men are mistaken for the dictates of reason4 ,footnote #gg ,footnote #gg3 ,vatican ,council4 #ahg ,this capacity to perceive the true and beautiful in nature1 in art1 and from the discoveries of science1 belongs to our natural reason1 and cannot be esteemed too highly4 ,it is a sin against its ,giver not to improve it4 ,it is the glory of the ,holy ,church that1 by her institutions of learning and her encouragement and fostering care1 she has ever been the promoter of science and of the fine arts4 ,but what unaided reason can know in nature of ,god does not satisfy man4 ,the soul seeks to know more of ,god1 to come nearer to ,god4 ,nature1 art1 and science do not suffice to satisfy its aspirations--aspirations after the real1 of which nature1 art1 and science are only imperfect images or limited conceptions4 ,it is to meet this want that the divine light of faith is given to the soul4 ,it gives to the soul a greater knowledge of ,god1 by revealing to it truths above nature and beyond the utmost reach of man's reason4 ,the strength which faith imparts brings the soul nearer to and in closer union with ,god4 ,if1 therefore1 men value things because they give a clearer knowledge of ,god1 and bring them closer to ,him1 how much more ought they to value the light of ,christian faith8 ,if men love nature1 art1 and science1 that is the reason why they should be ,christians1 and all the better ,christians1 because ,christianity brings us nearer to the object of all our seeking than reason1 art1 and science can ever possibly do4 #ahh ,reason brings us to ,god as ,his creatures1 and makes ,him known to us as ,providence4 ,faith brings us to ,god as ,his children1 and leads us to cry to ,him with the inmost affections of our hearts1 ,abba1 ,father6 ,reason1 by science1 art1 and philosophy1 leads the mind to the contemplation of ,god as the great ,first ,cause and the ,archetype of all beauty4 ,but faith makes us participators in the ,divine nature1 heirs of ,god1 and1 when perfected by the light of glory1 enables the soul to gaze on the ,divine ,essence1 fills it with torrents of delight1 and bathes it in the sea of ,god's own beatitude4 ,is not everything else as nothing compared with the ,divine light of faith6 ,o inestimable faith6 the crown and glory of human reason6 the best of ,god's gifts to man6 ,having learned that faith is inestimable on account of its inherent qualities1 now let us test its value by what men have done and suffered to keep so great a possession4 ,look upon the crucifix above the altar1 that tells you what the ,god-,man suffered to bestow this gift upon man4 ,his wounds1 ,his blood1 ,his life1 is the price ,he paid in our stead for it4 ,if a thing can be estimated by what men pay to suffer or do for it1 look at ,calvary1 at what ,god has paid and suffered for it1 and tell us what is comparable with faith4 #ahi ,the ,apostles1 before they obtained it1 were weak and timid2 but when they had received it1 they suffered and gloried therein4 ,they lived1 labored1 suffered1 and in turn laid down their lives in testimony of the priceless value of that gift of all gifts4 ,and when the faith was preached in pagan ,rome and throughout its ,empire1 honors1 riches1 and all earthly joys and ties were1 by all classes of men1 renounced for its sake1 so highly did they prize it4 ,for it ,stephen1 ,ignatius1 ,lucy1 ,agnes1 ,cecilia1 ,anastasia1 and the millions of martyrs1 full of faith1 poured out their blood like water1 and cheerfully laid down their lives4 ,it was the wish to communicate this rare gift to others that stimulated the zeal of the apostles of the nations--a ,st4 ,patrick in ,ireland1 a ,st4 ,augustine in ,england1 a ,st4 ,boniface in ,germany1 a ,st4 ,francis ,xavier in the ,indies1 and led the saintly ,father ,jogues to our land1 who was martyred by the ,indians on the banks of the ,mohawk4 ,columbus prized so highly the gift of faith1 that1 to bring its light to the benighted savages whom he supposed existed on this hemisphere1 he encountered unknown dangers1 and sustained heroic sufferings1 in the enterprise of its discovery4 #aij ,most of you1 my dear brethren1 are from the old country1 and have come to this strange land--and why8 ,did your native hills lose their charms for you8 ,did the ruins of your land and the graves of your ancestors awaken in your bosoms no longer any feelings of attachment and veneration8 ,have you no affection left for those parents1 those brothers and sisters and kindred1 left in the old home8 ,have you forgotten the glories of your history1 and think it nothing to lose your nationality1 and see your children after you grow up the sons and daughters of another soil8 ,why1 then1 have you renounced all that men hold so dear8 ,it is because you loved your faith above every consideration in life4 ,you counted all else as nothing compared with it1 and so that you might keep it1 you were ready to endure suffering1 poverty1 and persecutions1 and abandon all that men hold dear4 ,this is why you are here to-day and not in ,ireland4 ,had your forefathers1 or you1 chosen to apostatize from your ,catholic faith1 and deny the truth of ,christ1 you could be this moment prosperous and smiling under the favor of kings and princes in your native country4 ,look1 again1 at the throng of converts who have cast aside position1 wealth1 and fame for that holy faith1 and in turn become the heralds of truth to the world4 ,a ,prince ,gallitzin chose banishment and the sacrifice of a princely fortune in becoming a ,catholic2 and when a priest1 hiding even his rank and name1 lived and toiled like an apostle in the wilds of the ,alleghany ,mountains4 #aia ,look at an ,ives1 who esteemed it greater to possess the faith in the humble position of a ,catholic layman1 than to hold the rank of ,bishop in the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church without it4 ,thousands have given up parents1 brothers1 and sisters1 and kindred1 become poor and outcasts1 to gain this pearl of great price1 the gift of faith1 thus fulfilling the words of our ,lord1 ,he that loveth father or mother more than ,me1 is not worthy of ,me2 and he that loveth son or daughter more than ,me1 is not worthy of ,me4 ,footnote #gh ,footnote #gh3 ,st4 ,matt4 x4 #cg4 ,o holy faith for which the martyrs died1 the missionaries and saints toiled1 and for which houses1 lands1 parents1 and friends1 and all things1 are counted as nothing6 ,do we prize thee1 ,o divine gift1 as these have done8 ,art thou to us above all price8 ,if so1 then to us the words of the apostle have a true and living meaning3-- ,watch ye1 or else this gift will be stolen from you4 ,nations to which the ,church gave birth1 and under whose fostering care they have grown great1 have lost the faith4 ,there is not a people upon earth to-day1 as a nation1 to whom the ,holy ,church can look for defence against persecution1 spoliation1 and downright robbery4 #aib ,as in the days of paganism1 she is surrounded by enemies1 and has no one to rely on but her ,divine ,founder4 ,why has the faith been stolen from the nations8 ,because it has first been stolen from the people4 ,it will be stolen from each one of us1 unless we keep a constant watch over ourselves4 ,watch over what we read4 ,the literature of our time is filled with misrepresentations1 calumnies1 and falsehoods concerning our holy faith4 ,the press1 the most powerful engine of modern times1 is on the side of the enemies of our faith4 ,the very atmosphere we breathe is poisoned with scepticism1 infidelity1 and atheism4 ,stand fast in the faith4 ,claim our rights4 ,to claim these1 we shall be charged with stirring up strife4 ,but this must not disturb us4 ,the same charge was made against our ,lord4 ,he stirreth up the people1 said the envious priests4 ,as to our rights1 they are equal1 if not prior1 to all others4 ,catholics discovered this continent4 ,the feet of ,catholics first trod the native soil of these ,united ,states4 ,catholic missionaries first reddened it with their blood for the ,christian faith4 ,catholics fought and bled for our independence1 and for its maintenance4 ,our right to breathe freely the air of heaven1 to religious liberty1 to equal political rights1 and equal privileges with all other ,american citizens1 is indisputable4 ,we ask for these--no more2 and with no less will we be content4 #aic ,do manfully4 ,can men say what they please against our holy faith1 and we not lift up our voices in its defence6 ,it is our joy that our holy faith can never be opposed except by ignorance or calumny4 ,shall all we hold sacred be caricatured1 calumniated1 and we sit with folded arms in silence8 ,shall the literature of the day undermine the faith of our people1 and the press caricature and falsify it1 and we not employ this most efficient weapon in its defence and for its propagation8 ,a ,catholic invented the printing-press4 ,catholics first used it4 ,are the children of darkness always to be wiser than the children of light8 ,shall we not turn their own weapons against them8 ,let us be up and do manfully4 ,be strengthened4 ,our faith is our force4 ,our forefathers knew how to die for the faith4 ,can we not live for it8 ,be strong in our convictions of its truth6 ,defend it publicly1 politically1 and privately6 ,we cannot suffer by so doing1 for no man is esteemed who is false to his own convictions4 ,acting thus1 we shall be strengthened1 and though every one of the enemies of our holy faith were ten thousand1 we shall be victors4 ,the hour of death will then be the crowning point of our lives4 #aid ,we shall be able to say1 with our great patron ,st4 ,paul1 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith3 and1 as to the rest1 there is laid up for me a crown of justice1 which the ,lord the just judge will render to me in that day4 ,footnote #gi ,footnote #gi3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #g1 #h4 ---------------------- #aie ,sermon ,,xiii4 ,the ,supremacy ,of ,st4 ,peter4 7,feast ,of ,ss4 ,peter ,and ,paul47 ,st4 ,matt4 xvi4 #ah4 ,and ,i say to thee3 ,that thou art ,peter2 and upon this ,rock ,i will build ,my ,church4 ,the shortest1 most direct1 most conclusive1 and most intelligible method of proving the truth of any system is to find its principle1 its fundamental idea1 and to establish the reality and certainty of this idea4 ,when this is done1 the whole system which is logically and justly built on this foundation is already proved4 ,in the case of the ,christian religion1 we have only one thing to establish1 in order to convince all pagans1 ,mohammedans1 modern ,jews1 and unbelievers1 who are truly rational1 of its divine truth4 ,that one thing is the divine mission of ,jesus ,christ4 ,when that is established1 there is but one question which can be reasonably asked--,what is the authentic doctrine and law promulgated by ,jesus ,christ8 #aif ,in the same manner1 in order to convince all rational men that the ,catholic religion is entirely true1 and the real ,christianity established by the ,apostles1 it is only necessary to prove its fundamental principle1 the ,supremacy of ,st4 ,peter and his successors1 the ,roman ,pontiffs4 ,this doctrine1 held and understood in its strict and complete ,catholic sense1 distinguishes the ,catholic religion from every other4 ,this once established in the conviction and belief of the mind1 the truth of the whole ,catholic religion1 in all its parts1 follows as a necessary consequence4 ,it follows that the communion of which the ,pope is the ,supreme ,head1 is the true ,church established by ,jesus ,christ--,one1 ,holy1 ,catholic1 and ,apostolic1 incapable of falling away1 and infallible in doctrine4 ,the foundation of this great and world-wide ,church is the ,papal ,supremacy of ,st4 ,peter and his successors1 and its principal portion is the ,roman ,see4 ,if ,i prove that this foundation was laid by ,jesus ,christ1 it will be evident that the ,church founded upon it is the true ,catholic ,church1 and the faith of that ,church the true ,christian and ,catholic faith4 ,i will then endeavor to prove1 first1 that ,jesus ,christ appointed ,st4 ,peter as ,prince of the ,apostles1 ,his ,vicar1 and the ,supreme ,pastor and ,ruler of the ,church2 and1 second1 that the ,bishop of ,rome is ,st4 ,peter's successor4 #aig ,first1 ,jesus ,christ appointed ,st4 ,peter as ,prince of the ,apostles1 ,his ,vicar1 and the ,supreme ,pastor and ,ruler of the ,church4 ,this will be the theme of the present discourse4 ,the title1 ,prince of the ,apostles1 signifies that ,st4 ,peter was the chief and head of the ,apostolic college1 and enjoyed a pre-eminence of honor and authority over the other ,apostles4 ,this preeminence of ,st4 ,peter is everywhere manifest in the ,new ,testament4 ,he was not the first called1 for ,st4 ,andrew was before him1 yet he is always placed first in the catalogue of ,apostles1 and is expressly called the ,first by ,st4 ,matthew4 ,he generally appears as the leader and spokesman of the other ,apostles1 and is always mentioned as the first of the three ,apostles who enjoyed the peculiar confidence of ,jesus ,christ1 were witnesses of ,his transfiguration and agony1 and in other ways were preferred before the rest1 the other two being ,james and ,john4 ,he was the first of the apostles who saw the ,lord after ,his resurrection1 and the angel at the sepulchre sent him a special message by name1 ,go1 tell the disciples1 and ,peter4 ,he was the first who pronounced in the ,council of the ,apostles his judgment that they must elect another ,apostle in the place of ,judas--the first who preached ,christ to the ,jews1 and the first who admitted the ,gentiles to baptism4 ,he pronounced sentence in the ,council of ,jerusalem4 #aih ,while the other ,apostles confined themselves within a particular circle1 he visited the ,church everywhere--pertransivit universos4 ,he approved the writings of ,st4 ,paul1 and the same ,st4 ,paul went expressly to ,jerusalem1 as he says1 to see ,peter1 commanded by a revelation2 that he might submit his gospel to the judgment of the ,prince of the ,apostles1 of ,st4 ,james the ,patriarch of ,jerusalem1 and the other ,apostles there1 in order to obtain the approbation of ,st4 ,peter and his fellow-bishops--lest perhaps1 as he writes to the ,galatians1 ,i should run1 or had run in vain4 ,perhaps the most striking proof that ,st4 ,peter had a real oversight over the other ,apostles1 as the pastor of pastors1 is found in the fact that ,jesus ,christ1 immediately before ,his passion1 committed the other ,apostles to his care1 and offered up a special prayer for him1 to obtain the grace necessary for this high trust4 ,he said to all the ,apostles1 speaking to ,st4 ,peter by name as their representative1 ,simon1 ,simon1 behold ,satan hath desired to have you in the plural number1 designating the eleven1 that he may sift you as wheat4 ,but ,i have prayed for thee in the singular number1 that thy faith fail not3 and thou being once converted1 confirm thy brethren--,aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos4 ,a remarkable passage6 ,our ,lord1 at this awful moment1 disclosed a portion of ,his divine knowledge1 and gave ,his ,apostles a glimpse into futurity4 #aii ,he showed them ,satan1 exerting his utmost to destroy them as the guardians of the faith1 and the custodians of all the hopes of the human race4 ,he intimates very plainly that but for ,him they would be inevitably swept away4 ,but ,he had prayed for them1 and1 when ,he prayed with an unconditional will that ,his prayer should be heard1 its effect must be infallible4 ,his prayer was especially for ,st4 ,peter1 that his faith should not fail1 in order that he might confirm his brethren4 ,so that it was by a special grace conferred on ,st4 ,peter1 by which he was enabled to watch over them1 that they were to be confirmed in faith4 ,who does not see here that pre-eminence of ,st4 ,peter over his colleagues which is expressed by the title1 ,prince of the ,apostles8 ,footnote #hj ,footnote #hj3 ,matt4 x4 #b2 ,mark iii4 #af2 ,luke vi4 #ad2 ,john i4 #cc-da2 ,luke xxiv4 #cd2 ,acts i4 #ae et seq42 ii4 #ad et seq42 x4 #cd2 xv4 #g2 ix4 #cb2 #b ,pet4 iii4 #ae1 #af2 ,gal4 ii4 #b2 ,luke xxii4 #cb4 ,conf4 ,perrone ,loc4 ,theol4 ,de ,primatu4 ,i cannot sum up all this testimony of ,scripture better than in the grand1 concise language of ,bossuet1 in his sermon on the ,unity of the ,church3 ,peter appears in every respect as the first3 the first to confess the faith2 the first in the manifestation of love2 the first of all the ,apostles who saw the ,saviour raised from the dead1 as he was the first witness of the fact before all the people2 the first1 when it was necessary to fill up the number of the ,apostles2 the first who confirmed the faith by a miracle2 the first to convert the ,jews2 the first to receive the ,gentiles2 the first everywhere4 #bjj ,it is impossible for me to mention every proof4 ,everything concurs to establish his primacy2 yes1 even his very faults4 ,when power is given to several1 the exercise of the power by each one is restricted by the fact that others share it with him4 ,but power given to a single individual over all1 and without exception1 necessarily implies the plenitude of power4 444 ,all the apostles receive the same power1 but not in the same degree1 or with the same extent4 ,jesus ,christ commences by the first1 and in this first one ,he develops the whole1 in order that we may learn that the ecclesiastical authority which was originally constituted in the person of one man is not imparted to others1 except on the condition of remaining always subordinate to the principle from which its unity is derived1 and that all those who shall be charged with its exercise are found to remain inseparably united to the same chair4 ,this is enough to show what some of the most eminent ,protestant writers even have acknowledged1 that ,st4 ,peter was the first1 the chief1 the most pre-eminent1 the ,prince of the ,apostles4 ,st4 ,peter was also the ,vicar of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,supreme ,pastor and ,ruler of the ,church4 #bja ,the title of ,vicar of ,christ implies that ,jesus ,christ delegated to him ,his own jurisdiction over the ,church4 ,a vicar is one who exercises the authority vested in the principal by delegation from him4 ,a viceroy or vice-king governs a subordinate kingdom1 vice regis1 in place of the king4 ,a vicar-general exercises episcopal jurisdiction1 vice episcopi1 in place of the bishop1 and governs the diocese during his absence4 ,so when ,st4 ,peter is said to have been made by our ,lord ,his ,vicar1 it means that he received jurisdiction to govern in the place of ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 ,who is by personal and inherent right the ,high ,priest of the ,catholic ,church1 but ,who1 being absent from the earth1 must exercise ,his functions by a substitute4 ,it is unquestionable that1 under the ,old ,law1 the high-priest was the vice gerent of ,god1 and the supreme head of the ,jewish ,church4 ,it is equally unquestionable that1 in establishing the ,new ,law1 ,christ appointed ,st4 ,peter ,his ,vicar and the ,supreme ,head of the ,christian ,church4 ,there is nothing clearer in the ,new ,testament than this4 ,jesus ,christ distinctly promised to ,st4 ,peter that ,he would build ,his ,church upon him1 and would give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven2 and ,he actually fulfilled these promises before ,he ascended into heaven1 by committing ,his universal flock to him alone to feed and rule it4 ,this promise is recorded in the sixteenth chapter of ,st4 ,matthew's ,gospel3 #bjb ,jesus saith to them3 ,but whom do you say that ,i am8 ,simon ,peter answered and said3 ,thou art ,christ the ,son of the living ,god4 ,and ,jesus answering1 said to him3 ,blessed art thou1 ,simon ,bar-,jona3 because flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee1 but ,my ,father who is in heaven4 ,and ,i say to thee3 ,that them art ,peter2 and upon this rock ,i will build ,my ,church1 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it4 ,and ,i will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven4 ,and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth1 it shall be bound also in heaven2 and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth1 it shall be loosed also in heaven4 ,in this magnificent promise1 ,jesus ,christ evidently declares ,his intention to delegate supreme power to ,st4 ,peter1 and constitute him ,his ,vicar in the ,christian ,church4 ,this supreme power is signified by a double metaphor1 viz41 a foundation and keys4 ,first1 ,he says3 ,thou art ,peter2 and on this rock ,i will build ,my ,church4 ,in order to understand the force of this declaration1 it is necessary to call to mind that the name of ,peter1 which signifies ,rock1 was not the proper name of the ,apostle4 ,his name was ,simon4 ,the ,lord gave him the name of ,peter when ,he first called him to the apostleship1 as an appellation significant of his character and office in the ,church4 #bjc ,but it was on the occasion of his noble confession of ,christ1 made by a special inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost1 that ,he first announced the full import of that mysterious name4 ,st4 ,peter said1 ,thou art ,christ--by this title1 which signifies the ,anointed ,one1 acknowledging all those divine attributes and prerogatives which are implied in the character of the ,messiah of ,god and ,redeemer of the world4 ,the ,lord replied in a manner denoting the solemnity of the occasion1 and speaking with all the dignity and authority of a ,legislator and a ,prophet1 by conferring on ,st4 ,peter1 in return for the honor which he had just rendered ,him1 the highest honor which was in ,his gift3 ,thou art ,peter i4e41 a ,rock3 and on this ,rock ,i will build ,my ,church4 ,the plain and natural sense of these words of ,christ is1 that ,he appoints ,peter to occupy a position in the spiritual edifice of the ,church corresponding to that occupied by a foundation in a material building4 ,the foundation sustains and1 as it were1 rules the whole edifice--i4e41 by its strength it keeps the whole building in order1 and every portion of it in its proper place1 thus keeping it from crumbling into ruin--and losing all structural form in a mass of shattered fragments4 ,the foundation is to the building the principle of its unity1 repose1 order1 and durability4 #bjd ,therefore1 ,peter must be the same to the ,church4 ,by him the ,church must be sustained1 ruled1 kept in order1 and prevented from falling in pieces1 and thus losing its organic form4 ,his authority must be the principle of its unity1 strength1 and perpetuity4 ,all the force of its laws must be derived from him1 and all its authority must ultimately rest on him as its final ground and basis4 ,this is the first portion of our ,lord's divine decree concerning ,st4 ,peter4 ,let us now examine the second4 ,i will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven4 ,among the principal nations of antiquity1 and particularly among the ,hebrews1 it was a received usage that the tradition of the keys denoted the transfer or acknowledgment of supreme power over the house1 citadel1 or city to whose gates they belonged4 ,these keys1 when made of precious metal1 and1 as was often the case1 richly ornamented1 were a symbol of power and dignity1 and carried only by kings1 princes1 and magistrates4 ,in the ,hebrew monarchy1 the chief of the royal household1 who was a kind of grand chancellor of the kingdom1 or vicar of the king1 carried a large key on his shoulder as a badge of his office4 #bje ,in the ,prophecy of ,isaias1,c4 xxii4 we read this prediction concerning ,eliacim1 son of the high-priest ,helcias3 ,i will place upon his shoulder the key of the house of ,david1 and he shall open and there shall be no one who shall shut1 and he shall shut and there shall be no one who shall open1 and he shall be on the throne of glory of his father's house4 ,this probably signifies that ,eliacim should become high-priest in his father's place2 and gives us a plain proof that the keys were an emblem of the sovereign pontificate in the ,jewish ,church4 ,in the ,apocalypse of ,st4 ,john1 the same emblem of the keys is used to designate the sovereign pontificate of ,jesus ,christ ,himself3 ,these things saith the ,holy ,one and the ,true ,one1 ,he that hath the key of ,david2 ,he that openeth1 and no man shutteth2 shutteth1 and no man openeth4 ,footnote #ha ,footnote #ha3 ,apoc4 iii4 #g4 ,,usccb3 ,revelation iii4 #g4 ,our ,lord1 as the lineal descendant of ,david1 was the lawful ,king of the ,jews1 and this royal lineage according to earthly and temporal laws1 was typical of ,his inherent royalty as the ,son of ,god4 ,therefore1 the key of ,david1 or the outward and visible sign of ,david's royalty1 is taken as expressive of ,his supreme dominion as ,lord and ,redeemer of the world4 ,when ,christ promised to give the keys of the kingdom of heaven--the keys of ,his own kingdom1 and the symbols of ,his own ,sovereignty--to ,st4 ,peter1 ,he must have intended to delegate that sovereignty to him1 and to constitute him ,his ,vicar on the earth3 ,to make it still more plain that ,he meant this1 our ,lord made a distinct and express declaration to this effect1 in these words3 ,and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth1 it shall be bound also in heaven2 and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth1 it shall be loosed also in heaven4 #bjf ,these words designate the plenitude of power to be conferred on ,st4 ,peter1 of making laws1 and binding the consciences of all to observe them1 punishing transgressors1 abrogating these same laws and pardoning offenders1 and doing whatever else the good of the ,church or its individual members may require1 according to the diversity of times and circumstances4 ,jesus ,christ gives before hand the seal and warrant of ,his divine authority to all these laws4 ,this is what is called1 in the language of commerce and politics1 giving carte blanche4 ,king ,charles ,v4 of ,spain1 when he sent commissioners to ,america to inquire into the abuses and cruelties perpetrated by the avaricious ,spanish colonists against the ,indians1 gave them a number of blank sheets already signed and sealed with the royal sign-manual1 that they might promulgate royal edicts according to their own judgment4 ,in the same way1 ,jesus ,christ promises that ,he will give to ,st4 ,peter this unlimited power of exercising jurisdiction1 in ,his name1 in the ,catholic ,church1 with the sealed sign-manual of heaven4 #bjg ,but ,jesus ,christ not only promised to bestow this power on ,st4 ,peter3 ,he made to him1 after ,his resurrection and before ,his ascension1 a formal grant of this power1 and solemnly delivered up the care and government of ,his universal flock into his hands4 ,this fact is recorded by ,st4 ,john1 in the twenty-first chapter of his ,gospel4 ,everything about this chapter is mysterious and sublime in the highest degree1 and every word1 every circumstance1 points to that high office of the ,chief ,pastor1 and1 after ,christ1 principal founder of the ,christian religion1 which was given to ,st4 ,peter4 ,it was an awful moment2 like that mysterious and solemn period of twilight1 when the sun has set1 but still leaves some lingering gleam of his light behind him1 before the dark hour of night draws on1 and the milder and fainter radiance of the moon succeeds to the brightness of day--the brief period of transition from day to night--from light to darkness--the holiest hour of the day1 when the soul1 as it were1 naturally withdraws from the world towards ,god and heaven4 ,such a moment had now come in the progress of time1 the twilight of the world4 ,jesus ,christ1 the ,light of the world--the ,sun of ,justice1 who had risen in the ,east with healing in his beams--had gone down to the grave1 had closed ,his earthly career1 and the world henceforth1 so long illuminated by the presence of the bright ,sun of truth and grace1 would have no longer any other light to shine upon it except the reflected light of the ,catholic ,church4 #bjh ,the time of night and of the absence of ,jesus ,christ from ,his disciples was approaching4 ,and yet ,he was not altogether withdrawn4 ,still1 in ,his spiritual and glorified body1 ,he lingered on the earth1 coming and going1 approaching and vanishing before ,his disciples4 ,he was still with them1 but no longer as an inhabitant of the earth1 but of heaven4 ,at this time it was that ,st4 ,peter said to his fellow-disciples1 ,i go a-fishing4 ,who can fail to see here1 with all the wisest and holiest interpreters of the ,scripture1 a mysterious foreshadowing of that great fishery for the souls of men1 in which the ,apostolic net was to draw so many into the ,church8 ,it was ,peter who was the leader and chief here1 and by his orders the nets were cast4 ,suddenly1 ,jesus ,christ appeared standing on the shore1 and commanded them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat4 ,they did so1 and1 although they had before this caught nothing1 their net was immediately so filled with large fishes that they could not draw it4 ,it required the assistance of all those who were on board several other boats to draw the net4 ,and yet1 when the ,lord commanded some of these fishes to be brought1 ,st4 ,peter1 alone1 went and drew the net up on the beach4 #bji ,evidently do these emblematic events indicate ,st4 ,peter as the one who should command the ship of the ,church1 and preside over the grand fishery of souls1 and by his supernatural power should pull the net by which the elect of ,god were drawn from the waves of perdition to the shore of eternal life4 ,jesus ,christ assembled ,his disciples around ,him on the beach1 by the seaside1 and they dined together from the fish which they had taken4 ,then1 when this mysterious meal1 the parting banquet of ,jesus and ,his disciples1 was finished1 the ,lord exacted from ,st4 ,peter three times a profession of his love1 and of his peculiar love--a love greater than that of the other ,apostles4 ,simon ,peter1 lovest thou ,me more than these8 ,and thrice ,he gave him the solemn charge3 ,feed ,my lambs4 444 ,feed ,my lambs4 444 ,feed ,my sheep4 ,in these words1 ,jesus ,christ evidently committed not one or the other portion of ,his flock1 but ,his entire flock1 all ,his people1 the universal ,church throughout the world1 to his pastoral care4 ,the expression1 ,feed ,my lambs--feed ,my sheep1 indicates much more than simply to give them their food1 namely1 by teaching salutary doctrine4 ,two different words are used in the original ,greek1 ,greek text2 which is literally in ,latin1 ,pasce in cibo1 agnos meos--,feed ,my lambs4 #baj ,but after using this expression1 which indicates the tender and paternal care of the pastoral office1 ,he uses another expressing its authority1 ,greek text2 this signifies1 as a learned theologian 7,perrone7 remarks1 pascere cum imperio1 pascere prsidendo1 to feed by ruling1 to feed by presiding1 or to feed1 rule1 and preside over at the same time1 as a shepherd over his flock4 ,this is in accordance with the usage of ancient writers and the ,scriptures4 ,in ,homer and other ancient authors1 kings are called shepherds or pastors1 and poimaine1 feed1 signifies to rule or exercise kingly authority4 ,in these words1 then1 ,jesus ,christ constituted ,st4 ,peter chief pastor and supreme ruler over ,his universal flock--sheep and lambs together2 not merely the lambs1 who represent the laity1 but the sheep1 those to whom the lambs are subject1 and by whom they are fed--that is1 the bishops and pastors of the ,church4 ,it is in vain that the enemies of ,st4 ,peter's chair exert all their ingenuity to escape the force of these passages4 ,they are too plain and clear to be evaded1 and1 after centuries of exertion to heave the ,rock of ,peter out of the ,scriptures1 there it stands1 an immovable and unquestionable fact that the ,rock of ,peter is the foundation of the ,catholic ,church1 that the ,catholic ,church is built on the ,rock of ,peter1 that ,peter received the keys of heaven from ,jesus ,christ1 and was constituted by ,him chief pastor over ,his universal flock4 #baa ,and here allow me to remark how singular it is that ,protestants should be ready to build up with out hesitation a vast pyramid of doctrine on the narrow foundation of a few texts of ,scripture1 and at the same time reject the most clear and unequivocal statements of the ,new ,testament4 ,for example1 they will most positively assert the transfer of the ,sabbath from ,saturday to ,sunday1 because the word ,lord's ,day is once used1 and the assembling of the faithful on the first day of the week is once casually mentioned1 although nothing is said of their being an observance of divine obligation intended to supersede the ,sabbath4 ,they will prove the baptism of infants from the circumcision of ,jewish children1 and from the fact that some entire families were baptized1 although there is no evidence that there were any infants in these families4 ,some will prove ,episcopacy1 and others ,presbyterianism1 and others ,congregationalism1 from the ,scriptures4 ,and yet they will reject without hesitation the evidence of the supremacy of ,peter1 which is so clear that even some ,protestants are forced to admit it in a partial sense2 and the celebrated ,jewish infidel ,salvador1 a man who perhaps excels all the modern advocates of infidelity in perspicacity of intellect and ingenuity of reasoning1 declares with out hesitation that the supremacy of the ,see of ,st4 ,peter is an institution of ,jesus ,christ1 and an essential part of ,christianity4 #bab ,it is one among many proofs that those who profess to make the ,bible their only rule do not really derive their doctrine from a candid examination of the ,scriptures2 but that they receive what they have been taught by their parents and religious teachers1 and search the ,scriptures to find proof and confirmation of these doctrines4 ,thus1 each one1 in stead of conforming his belief to the ,scripture1 bends the ,scripture into conformity with his belief4 ,those parts of the ,scripture which are not easily bent into this conformity remain to him a dead letter1 they make no impression on his mind1 and1 no matter how clear and plain they may be1 he forgets them if he can1 and1 if he is forced to pay attention to them1 he explains them away4 ,thus it has been with the passages of the ,new ,testament which prove so clearly the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter4 ,there is nothing in the ,new ,testament more clear1 more plain1 more explicit1 more obvious1 than this supremacy2 when these various passages have been once collated1 placed in juxtaposition with each other1 carefully examined and reflected on1 and confronted with the great fact of the perpetual existence of the supremacy of the ,roman ,pontiffs as the acknowledged successors of ,st4 ,peter4 ,this last topic ,i have not directly considered in this discourse1 but have reserved it for another4 #bac ,nevertheless1 whoever will attentively consider what is involved in the very idea of ,st4 ,peter's supremacy will see at once that this supremacy must be1 by its very nature1 perpetual4 ,it was made the foundation of a perpetual structure2 it extended over all bishops and all the faithful1 without any limit of time or place2 it provided for the exercise of that power of the keys which is necessary in all ages2 and it was made the means of keeping the rulers of the ,church in unity of faith under the severest assaults of ,satan1 which are undoubtedly those of the last days of the world4 ,our ,lord in establishing the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter gave to ,his ,church a constitution and a government4 ,he placed ,his kingdom under one monarchical head4 ,he made the sacerdotal hierarchy subject to one chief4 ,this law must therefore last as long as the ,church lasts1 that is1 through all time4 ,there is no power which can change the divine law of our ,lord4 ,the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter must therefore be perpetual in his successors4 ,and that these successors are the ,roman ,pontiffs ,i shall proceed to show in my next discourse4 ---------------------------- #bad ,sermon ,,xiv4 ,the ,roman ,pontiffs ,the ,successors ,of ,st4 ,peter4 ,st4 ,matt4 xvi4 #ah4 ,and ,i say to thee3 ,that thou art ,peter2 and upon this ,rock ,i will build ,my ,church4 ,i have proved in a former discourse that ,st4 ,peter was constituted ,prince of the ,apostles and ,vicar of ,jesus ,christ1 with supreme jurisdiction over the ,catholic ,church1 by the ,lord ,himself4 ,it remains now to show that this supremacy was given also to the successors of ,st4 ,peter1 and that the ,bishops of ,rome are his successors1 and consequently inherit his supremacy4 ,that the ,holy1 ,catholic1 ,apostolic1 ,roman ,church is the ,see of ,st4 ,peter1 and the ,mother and ,mistress of ,churches2 and that the ,bishop of ,rome is the ,vicar of ,christ1 and ,supreme ,visible ,head of the ,church--this is what ,i now undertake to prove4 #bae ,this is proved1 in the first place1 by an argument1 the force of which is admitted in all courts of law1 viz41 the argument of prescription4 ,the ,roman ,church is in possession of this claim1 and has been from time immemorial4 ,a claim on a certain property or to a certain right1 which is so ancient that the mind of man runneth not to the contrary1 is always admitted as valid in a law court4 ,now1 it is evident that the ,roman ,church now asserts this claim2 that she asserted it before the ,reformation2 that she asserted it before the ,greek schism2 and that not a single ,church exists in the world which has not at some time admitted this claim1 and submitted to it4 ,if we go back1 then1 to the earlier centuries1 we find the ,roman ,church always in possession of this supremacy1 and we can never find its beginning4 ,protestants and others1 who wish to prove that it began after the ,apostolic age1 can never agree together as to the epoch of the rise of the ,papal power1 although all give it a very early date4 ,now1 ,i say that1 according to all sound principles of reasoning1 the fact that this claim had been made and assented to from time immemorial is a certain proof that it is just4 ,it could not have been established so early and so universally without violence and without resistance1 unless it existed under the ,apostles1 and was established by them in the infancy of ,christianity4 #baf ,just as it would be impossible for the ,governor of ,virginia to take peaceable possession of the ,presidential chair and govern the ,united ,states1 as its acknowledged chief magistrate1 without any election of the people2 so it would have been equally impossible for the ,bishop of ,rome to make himself peaceably the supreme ruler of the ,catholic ,church1 unless he were appointed by ,st4 ,peter and the ,apostles1 according to the divine constitution of the grand ,christian commonwealth1 with the knowledge of all ,christians4 ,this argument alone would be perfectly conclusive1 even if the ,new ,testament were altogether lost1 or were entirely silent on the subject4 ,but when we compare the fact that the ,roman ,church1 under the name of the ,see of ,st4 ,peter1 has always existed as the principal edifice of a vast agglomeration of smaller but similar edifices1 with the prophecy of ,christ that ,he would build the ,church on the ,rock of ,peter1 the conclusion is irresistible that the fact is the fulfilment of the prophecy4 ,here is the prophecy of ,christ1 that ,he would build ,his ,church on ,peter as a foundation1 and that the gates of hell should not prevail against it4 ,there is the ,roman ,church1 evidently built on ,peter as its foundation1 which has endured through eighteen centuries1 and is now as firm and immovable as ever4 ,it is impossible to escape the conclusion that this is the ,church built by ,christ4 ,the fact corresponds exactly with the prophecy1 and there is no other fact which does1 therefore the fact is the fulfilment of the prophecy4 #bag ,let me illustrate this by a comparison4 ,suppose you describe the ,moro of ,havana to some one who has never seen it1 and who is about taking a voyage to ,cuba4 ,you tell him it is a castle of large size and great strength1 built on a rock which rises perpendicularly from the sea1 at the mouth of the bay4 ,there is no castle similar to it3 on his route4 ,now1 when this traveller comes on deck some morning1 and sees a castle founded on a rock at the mouth of a harbor1 with a large city in the distance1 is it not evident that this is the ,moro8 ,if you sail from the city of ,new ,york1 knowing that there is an ,american ship of the line anchored in the bay1 and you pass a large man-of-war with the ,united ,states flag1 and the broad pennant of an admiral flying at her mast-head1 is it not evident that this is the ship in question8 ,though a hundred smaller vessels are anchored in the vicinity1 you cannot hesitate a moment1 you can not for an instant imagine that any of these is a man-of-war4 ,the first glance tells you which is the line-of-battle ship1 for there is only one which makes any pretension to that character1 which has the size1 the armament1 or in any aspect the appearance of a man-of-war4 #bah ,precisely so it is with the ,roman ,church1 which professes to be the ,see of ,peter1 the only one which bases a claim of universal jurisdiction on the supremacy of ,peter2 which pretends puts forward a claim to be the ship of ,peter1 and to bear his standard4 ,it is unique1 unrivalled1 and alone in its character and claims4 ,it must be1 then1 that ,church which the ,lord promised to build on the rock of ,peter1 with such immovable firmness that all the assaults of hell could never overthrow it2 it must be that ,church which the ,lord committed to the guidance of ,peter1 and which is destined to outride all the storms of time4 ,but1 although ,i consider that the claim of the ,roman ,church to supremacy is fully proved by this argument from prescription1 ,i will not confine myself to it1 but proceed to adduce some positive testimonies4 ,the perpetuity of ,st4 ,peter's supremacy in the ,church can be clearly proved from ,scripture1 and the fact that the ,bishops of ,rome have inherited this supremacy is not only evident from the fact that no other supremacy has ever existed1 but from a clear chain of historical facts and evidences1 running back to the very age of the ,apostles4 ,in the first place1 it is clear from the ,scripture that ,st4 ,peter's supremacy was to continue4 ,a number of the ablest ,protestant writers have proved most conclusively what is called the ,apostolic succession1 that is1 that ,bishops are the successors of the ,apostles1 tracing their authority and descent in an unbroken line of ordination to the ,apostles4 ,this is perfectly evident from the commission of ,jesus ,christ to the eleven ,apostles3 #bai ,going therefore teach ye all nations3 baptizing them in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost1 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you3 and behold ,i am with you all days1 even to the consummation of the world4 ,footnote #hb ,footnote #hb3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai4 ,,usccb3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai-bj4 ,if the ,apostles by virtue of the commission of ,jesus ,christ were the perpetual pastors of the ,church1 and enjoy the perpetual presence of ,jesus ,christ to the end of time1 the ,apostolic office is by its own nature perpetual in the ,church1 and the original ,apostles have been succeeded by others4 ,for the same reason1 the office of ,prince of ,apostles must be perpetual4 ,the plenitude of the ,apostleship was given to ,st4 ,peter alone1 under the similitude of the keys1 and afterwards the same power was given to the others by participation and in subordination to him4 ,the supremacy of the chief enters1 then1 into the primary constitution of the ,apostolate or ,catholic ,episcopate1 as one of its essential and component parts1 and is therefore perpetual4 ,jesus ,christ committed the government of ,his ,church to one supreme ,ruler1 whose authority was signified by the symbol of the keys4 ,he committed ,his flock to one chief ,pastor1 when ,he said to ,st4 ,peter3 ,feed my lambs--feed my sheep4 #bbj ,if1 therefore1 the authority of ,st4 ,peter expired with his person1 then a total and fundamental change took place after his death in the constitution and government of the ,church1 a supposition not to be admitted for one moment without clear evidence4 ,but there is none such4 ,on the contrary1 our ,lord declares without distinction or limitation that there shall be one fold and one shepherd4 ,footnote #hc ,footnote #hc3 ,john x4 #af4 ,the metaphor of a foundation which ,he uses to express the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter1 of itself shows the perpetuity of his office4 ,this supremacy is the ,rock on which the ,church is built4 ,but a foundation must last as long as the building itself2 it can neither be removed nor changed2 therefore the supremacy of ,peter must endure with the ,church itself4 ,again1 the reason for which ,christ instituted the ,primacy exists always1 and1 indeed1 demands much more imperatively its continuance than it did require at first its foundation4 ,the reason is thus expressed by ,st4 ,jerome3 ,ut capite constituto1 schismatis tolleretur occasio--,that a head being constituted1 the occasion of schism might be removed4 ,footnote #hd ,footnote #hd3 ,lib4 i4 adv4 ,jov4 #bf4 #bba ,the preservation of unity was the reason for instituting the primacy4 ,what is the reason of a central government1 with a president at its head1 in ,washington8 ,the preservation of unity among the ,states4 ,it is the unanimous teaching of tradition that ,christ established the ,primacy in the ,church for the same reason--the preservation of unity among all particular churches and ,bishops1 by their dependence on one ,mother ,church and one ,chief ,bishop4 ,but there was far less necessity to guard against schism1 and to watch over the preservation of unity by means of a head or central authority1 in the days of the ,apostles1 who were all saints and inspired1 in the days of persecution1 of primitive zeal and piety1 and when the members of the ,church were few and her extent limited1 than at any subsequent period4 ,the ,primacy was more necessary after the ,apostolic age than during it1 therefore it was intended to continue4 ,the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter once admitted--and it is proved by invincible arguments--the continuance of this power in his successors follows necessarily4 ,the seat of power is the ,roman ,church1 of which ,st4 ,peter was the founder and first ,bishop4 ,this requires no proof2 for the ,bishop of ,rome is the only one who claims the power of ,st4 ,peter1 and his title is admitted by all those who admit any supremacy in the ,church1 according to the universally received tradition4 #bbb ,st4 ,peter1 after having preached in different regions without having fixed himself in any particular see1 for about six years1 founded the ,patriarchal ,see of ,antioch1 which he governed for seven years1 and then1 having consecrated another ,bishop in his place1 went to ,rome1 where he fixed his ,see permanently1 and1 having presided over it for twenty-five years1 was crucified1 in the year of our ,lord #fg or #fh1 under ,nero2 ,st4 ,paul being at the same time beheaded4 ,the ,new ,testament contains no regular or complete history of the events of the ,apostolic ,age1 but only some fragmentary annals of some of the acts of the ,apostles1 chiefly of ,st4 ,paul1 and some allusions in the ,epistles4 ,it is not surprising1 therefore1 that it gives no account of the foundation of the ,roman ,church4 ,st4 ,paul1 however1 in his celebrated ,epistle to the ,roman ,church1 already speaks of that ,roman ,faith1 fides ,romana which has been in every age so admirable and so renowned throughout the world3 ,first1 ,i give thanks to my ,god1 through ,jesus ,christ1 for you all1 because your faith is spoken of in the whole world4 ,footnote #he ,he also predicts the future greatness of the ,roman ,church3 ,and the ,god of peace crush ,satan under your feet speedily4 ,footnote #hf ,this is a form of speech which expresses a prediction under the form of a prayer4 ,footnote #he3 ,rom4 i4 #ah4 ,,usccb3 ,rom4 i4 #h4 ,footnote #hf3 ,rom4 xvi4 #bj4 #bbc ,now1 how was ,satan crushed under the feet of the ,roman ,christians1 if it were not when1 by the conversion and victory of ,constantine1 this great capital of the world and seat of idolatry was changed into the capital of ,christendom1 the heathen temples transformed into ,christian churches1 and the cross everywhere erected in triumph over this proud and pagan city8 ,there is no event in history better established than the episcopate and martyrdom of ,st4 ,peter at ,rome4 ,it is admitted by a great number of the most learned ,protestants4 ,it is proved by the catalogues of ,roman ,bishops in ancient writers all tracing back the succession to ,st4 ,peter4 ,it is proved by pictures1 statues1 and other ancient monuments2 by the pilgrimages which from ancient times were made to the tomb of the ,apostles1 of which even ,eusebius in the fourth century makes mention4 ,it is proved by the testimony of ,st4 ,clement1 the immediate successor of ,st4 ,peter2 ,st4 ,ignatius1 ,papias1 ,st4 ,dionysius1 ,st4 ,irenus1 ,caius1 ,clement of ,alexandria1 ,origen1 ,st4 ,cyprian1 ,eusebius1 ,lactantius1 ,st4 ,athanasius1 ,st4 ,epiphanius1 ,julian the ,apostate1 ,st4 ,augustine1 ,palladius1 and others4 ,indeed1 any one who would dispute the fact1 that the ,bishops of ,rome have succeeded each other in that see in a direct line from ,st4 ,peter1 might as well dispute the succession of the ,roman emperors from ,julius ,csar1 of the ,english kings from ,alfred1 and the kings of ,france from ,charlemagne4 #bbd ,the fact that the ,bishops of ,rome succeeded also to the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter over the whole ,catholic ,church is also proved by a crowd of testimonies in every age4 ,it is1 as every one will see1 not convenient1 in a discourse like the present1 to cite and explain at length those passages from the ancient writers1 especially after having already taxed your patience so severely4 ,i will therefore cite only a few passages as samples of the manner in which ancient writers have spoken on this subject1 and leave it to yourselves to read over the testimonies more carefully in some of the various works where they are collected4 ,st4 ,irenus1 ,bishop of ,lyons1 who conversed with the immediate disciples of the apostles1 says3 ,with this ,church1 on account of the more powerful principality1 it is necessary that every ,church1 that is1 the faithful who are in every direction1 should agree4 ,footnote #hg ,footnote #hg3 ,l4 iii4 c4 #c4 ,kenrick4 ,tertullian1 about the end of the second century1 exclaims3 ,from no other cause have heresies arisen and schisms sprung up1 except from a want of obedience to the priest of ,god1 and because they do not remember that there is one judge for the time being in the ,church1 in the place of ,christ4 #bbe ,the great and general ,council of ,nice1 ,a4,d4 #cbe1 in one of its canons says3 ,the ,roman ,church has always held the ,primacy4 ,the ,council of ,sardica1 in a letter to the ,pope1 says3 ,this seems excellent and most suitable1 that the priests of the ,lord from the respective provinces should report to the ,head1 i4e41 to the ,see of the ,apostle ,peter4 ,in the fifth century1 all the ,bishops of the province of ,aries1 in ,france1 in a letter to ,pope ,leo1 say3 ,the ,holy ,roman ,church1 through the most blessed ,peter1 ,prince of the ,apostles1 has the principality above all the churches of the world4 ,the grand ,council of ,chalcedon1 where six hundred ,bishops were present1 mostly from the ,east1 and out of the limits of the particular patriarchate of ,rome1 when the letter of the same ,pope ,leo was read1 defining the faith of two distinct natures1 divine and human1 in ,christ1 exclaimed with one voice1 ,peter has spoken by the mouth of ,leo4 ,at the beginning of the sixth century1 the ,bishop of ,patara said to the ,emperor ,justinian3 ,there may be many sovereigns on the earth2 but there is one ,pope over all the churches of the universe4 ,not only ,christian bishops and councils speak in this way of the ,roman ,see1 but emperors1 and even pagans1 use the same language4 #bbf ,in the year #bfh1 when ,paul1 ,patriarch of ,antioch1 was condemned of heresy by a council1 the pagan ,emperor ,aurelian directed that the ,church of ,antioch should be delivered up to those whom the ,bishops of ,italy and the ,bishop of ,rome should appoint4 ,ammianus ,marcellinus1 a pagan writer of the fourth century1 affirms that the ,bishops of the ,eternal ,city enjoy a greater authority4 ,the ,christian ,emperor ,valentinian1 in a decree of the year #dee1 says3 ,the merit of the blessed ,peter1 who is the ,prince of priestly order1 and the dignity of the ,roman city1 the authority also of the ,synod1 strengthened the ,primacy of the ,apostolic ,see4 ,these testimonies extend from the sixth back to the second century1 when the disciples of the ,apostles still lived4 ,they are not merely the testimonies of the ,bishops of ,rome themselves1 or of those who lived in the vicinity and under the immediate influence of ,rome1 but they are collected from ,italy1 ,france1 ,africa1 and the whole ,eastern ,church1 where those great ,patriarchs flourished who afterwards renounced their subjection to ,rome4 ,thus1 it is evident1 from these and a host of similar testimonies1 that1 during the first six centuries1 the ,bishops of ,rome claimed to exercise the supremacy in the place of ,peter1 and that this claim was universally acknowledged4 #bbg ,this is only a confirmation of the texts of ,holy ,scripture which ,i have already cited1 and was foreshadowed when ,christ chose the bark of ,st4 ,peter in preference to the rest1 to preach from it to the multitude on the shore4 ,the conversion of nations through missionaries sent by the ,pope is ,peter superintending the miraculous draught of fishes and drawing them upon the shore4 ,his exercise of authority over patriarchs1 bishops1 and churches throughout the world is only the fulfilment of the commission1 ,feed my lambs--feed my sheep--be the pastor of my entire flock1 the prince of pastors1 the ,bishop of bishops4 ,the might1 the power of the ,roman ,see1 is the fulfilment of the prophecy1 ,on this rock ,i will build ,my ,church4 ,on the foundation of ,peter1 the ,catholic ,church was built1 and on this foundation she has ever rested4 ,to ,peter was given the power of the keys1 of binding and of loosing1 and his successors have ever exercised this supreme authority4 ,if time permitted1 ,i should now go on to show that this authority committed to ,st4 ,peter and his successors is the same1 and equally of divine right in his present glorious successor1 ,pius ,,ix41 as it was in the times of the martyr popes of the first century2 that the ,roman ,church has never failed1 never fallen1 never forfeited her supremacy1 and never will while the world shall stand4 ,but ,i must waive all further consideration of the attributes and notes of the ,catholic ,church4 ,at present1 ,i will only allude to the concluding part of our ,lord's promise to ,st4 ,peter3 ,the gates of hell shall never prevail against it4 #bbh ,here there is the divine assurance that this rock on which the ,church is founded shall stand until the end of the world1 and the ,church itself1 on account of the firmness of its foundation1 shall never be overthrown4 ,the supremacy of his successors shall endure until the last day1 and that ,church which is governed by the successors of ,st4 ,peter shall alone continue to be the true ,church4 ,the gates of hell shall wage perpetual warfare against it1 but in vain4 ,that rock shall remain immovable and impregnable4 ,by this rock it is that ,jesus ,christ has provided for the preservation of the ,faith and for the salvation of the world4 ,let us recall to mind the object which we had before our minds at the commencement of these discourses3 it was to find the sure and immovable basis of the ,catholic faith and religion4 ,and how admirable is the provision of ,almighty ,god for this purpose6 ,he has taken the greatest and most powerful city of the earth1 the capital of the world2 there ,he has erected the beacon-light of faith2 there ,he has fixed the immovable seat of truth2 there ,he has established the capital city of ,christianity1 the chief city of ,his kingdom on earth2 there ,jesus ,christ has placed ,his ,vicar1 the pastor and teacher of the world1 that ,rome1 once the mistress of the world by her arms1 might rule by her faith as the ,mother and ,mistress of churches1 and that title of the ,eternal ,city which was given her by her pagan soothsayers might be literally fulfilled4 #bbi ,happy those who1 amid the storms and winds of error1 doubt1 and ever-changing doctrine1 take refuge within the walls of the ,eternal ,city2 whose faith is built not upon the shifting sands of private judgment1 but on the immovable basis of church authority2 whose wanderings terminate1 like those of ,st4 ,paul1 at ,rome1 whence1 like him1 they ascend to that celestial city whose builder and maker is ,god6 ,such a person is like the wise man of whom our ,lord speaks1 that built his house upon a rock1 and the rain fell1 and the floods came1 and the winds blew and beat upon that house1 and it fell not2 ,,for ,,it ,,was ,,founded ,,upon ,a ,,rock4 --------------------- #bcj ,sermon ,,xv4 ,the ,thought ,of ,heaven4 7,for ,the ,fourth ,sunday ,after ,easter47 ,heb4 iv4 #i4 ,there remaineth therefore a rest for the people of ,god4 ,these words1 my dear brethren1 are full of consolation to each and every one of us4 ,they lift our minds1 at this ,paschal season1 far away from this earth1 and fix them in contemplation on that happy land1 the heavenly ,jerusalem1 where there is no sorrow1 no pain1 no sickness1 and no death2 they take us with the beloved disciple to see that celestial country1 the city of ,god1 in which stands the tree of life1 and where flows the river of life1 beside whose banks are seated all those who have died in the ,lord1 and rest from their labors4 ,they open those pearly gates to allow us to behold the white-robed army of saints who stand before the ,lamb2 and we can almost hear their anthems of praise1 set to music which no human heart can conceive of1 that swell the courts of heaven with the celestial cry of1 ,holy1 ,holy1 ,holy ,lord ,god ,almighty1 who was1 and who is1 and who is to come6 #bca ,heaven1 a rest after the toils of life are over6 ,heaven1 a reward for fidelity6 ,oh6 how good is the thought of heaven6 ,how necessary to many as a stimulant to practise virtue and persevere therein6 ,what a reward for a good life6 ,the thought of heaven is very good1 for it encourages us when we grow faint-hearted2 the thought of heaven is that which prompts a man to abstain from evil and do good1 because he knows that heaven will be his reward1 and the loss of it his punishment4 ,it is necessary2 for1 without this thought being before the mind of a ,christian1 he might give way to many an enticing temptation4 ,it is far more meritorious1 also1 than the thought of hell1 just as an act of contrition is more meritorious than an act of attrition2 for the former excites us to sorrow for having offended a good ,god1 who has created us for heaven1 and the latter excites us to fear lest we incur the displeasure of an angry ,god and be condemned to hell4 ,the ,holy ,church1 as a stimulant to the doing of good1 as an encouragement to persevere under many difficulties and temptations1 and as a reward for all our labors in saving our souls1 ever keeps the thought of heaven before our minds4 ,in the ,sacraments she does this4 #bcb ,the unregenerate cannot go to heaven because there is an obstacle--original sin2 it is removed in ,baptism2 and the strength to fight in the spiritual warfare1 is given by ,confirmation4 ,she calls us to ,confession1 because something is again between the soul and heaven1 and that is mortal sin4 ,she absolves us1 and sends us to ,holy ,communion1 which is a foretaste of heaven4 ,she anoints the dying1 that all the peculiar temptations which attack them in the hour of death may be overcome4 ,she unites the children of the saints in ,matrimony1 because marriage is a sign of the union of heaven and earth1 and gives the grace for the married couple to marry in the ,lord4 ,she ordains her clergy1 that they may teach the way to heaven1 and distribute all those means of grace that are sure to bring us there4 ,so you perceive that this seems to be the leading thought in the mind of the ,church4 ,it is the development of the response to the question that every ,catholic child can answer--,why did ,god create you8 ,that ,i might know ,him1 and love ,him1 and serve ,him here in this world1 and be happy with ,him for ever in the next4 ,the thought of heaven conveys the greatest consolation to those who in this world find but little happiness1 and are surrounded by peculiar difficulties in the practice of virtue4 ,it gives strength to those who grow tired of the spiritual life1 and who would give up were it not for this thought4 ,hence the thought of heaven is good1 necessary1 and comforting4 #bcc ,the rest spoken of in the text is not for all1 but only for the people of ,god4 ,who are the people of ,god8 ,they are the people of ,god who are baptized and made members of the ,catholic ,church4 ,but not all will enter into that rest prepared for them1 because something more is necessary than simply being called by that name4 ,baptism is a sacrament which requires those whom it admits to be heirs of the kingdom of heaven1 first to answer certain questions1 and imposes certain obligations to be observed4 ,the priest says to the person to be baptized1 ,if thou wilt enter into life1 keep the commandments1 love the ,lord thy ,god with thy whole heart1 and thy neighbor as thyself4 ,so you see that1 at this very instant1 the thought of heaven is suggested to the person1 and the way to arrive there is clearly shown4 ,and1 before the priest pours the sanctifying water on the brow of the person1 he says1 ,dost thou renounce ,satan and all his works and all his pomps8 ,when the person promises1 ,yes1 ,i do renounce them1 then baptism is administered1 and that person takes his place in the world a ,christian4 ,but not all who are called ,christians are ,christians indeed4 ,many do not live as though they believed in a ,god1 a church1 a heaven1 or a hell4 #bcd ,they follow the inclinations of their own sinful hearts1 and live up to the false maxims of this wicked world4 ,they do not walk according to the ,spirit1 but rather according to the flesh4 ,they look on life as something to be enjoyed to the utmost1 and when that is ended they consider all ended1 body and soul4 ,ah6 foolish people6 who thus deceive themselves1 who are ashamed of the religion of ,jesus ,christ1 who violate without any remorse their baptismal vows1 who treat our ,lord far worse than did the ,jews of old1 for they never professed to believe in ,him4 ,the way1 then1 to be a ,christian in deed as well as in name is to live up to that perfect law of liberty1 that law which was made and given by ,god1 which allows the highest kind of freedom to its observers1 and which ennobles and elevates man rather than degrades him4 ,this law is simple1 and1 if it is observed1 all things will go on peaceably4 ,as of old1 the saying was1 ,all are not ,israelites that are of ,israel1 ,footnote #hh so they are not heirs of the kingdom of heaven who do not walk in the path marked out for them to follow1 or who do not fulfil the conditions required for a holy life4 ,not every one that says to me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven3 but he that doeth the will of ,my ,father who is in heaven4 ,footnote #hi ,footnote #hh3 ,rom4 ix4 #f4 ,footnote #hi3 ,st4 ,matt4 vii4 #ba4 #bce ,and that will is made known to us all by the ,catholic ,church4 ,she is the ark that will bring us safe to the haven of rest4 ,she sets herself in array against the powers of this world and wicked men1 because she is holy2 she is born of ,god1 and divine2 she does this by her sacraments1 her sacrifices1 her laws1 instructions1 missions1 and her institutions of charity4 ,she teaches men reverence for holy persons and holy things2 she teaches them to venerate the name of their ,creator2 she tells them to sanctify ,sundays and holydays2 she enjoins1 under pain of eternal death--which includes the loss of heaven--honesty1 justice1 purity1 sobriety1 and all the other requirements of the decalogue4 ,she is not conformed to this world or its ways4 ,the world says3 ,an eye for an eye1 a tooth for a tooth4 ,if your enemy strike you1 strike him back2 if he calumniate you1 never forget it2 if he do you an act of injustice1 if he slander you1 treasure it up1 do not forgive1 but pay him back some day with interest4 ,the world says3 ,eat and drink1 grow rich in this world's goods1 have a gay time1 make the most of life3 heaven is far away1 and you will have opportunity to prepare when the time comes for it4 ,make plenty of money1 says the world1 no matter whether the business be just or lawful1 you may get to heaven after all2 others worse than you have had time to do penance before they died4 #bcf ,but the ,holy ,church says differently4 ,she enjoins charity1 meekness1 poverty of spirit1 preparation for death4 ,if thine enemy hunger1 give him to eat2 if he thirst1 give him to drink4 ,footnote #ij ,if a man strike thee on one cheek1 turn to him the other4 ,footnote #ia ,blessed are the poor in spirit3 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven4 ,footnote #ib ,these are her lessons of heavenly doctrine1 which all must learn and put in practice1 if they would obtain entrance into the kingdom of heaven4 ,and every day she writes in letters of fire before our eyes3 ,in the hour that ye think not1 the ,son of ,man cometh4 ,footnote #ij3 ,rom4 xii4 #bj4 ,footnote #ia3 ,st4 ,matt4 v4 #ci4 ,footnote #ib3 ,st4 ,matt4 v4 #c4 ,so we perceive that man needs to pay attention to that immortal soul of his just as much as to attend to his mortal body4 ,and a man cannot attend to a business of importance in a short time1 of which he has been ignorant all his life1 and in which he has had no practice1 and therefore very little experience4 ,it would be a difficult task1 indeed1 for a man who has been nothing but a salesman in a store all his life1 to become a scientific artificer1 or to undertake to discharge the duties that devolve on a professor of the higher branches of science1 because he has never given any thought or study to these things4 ,so will it be very1 very difficult for that ,catholic to properly prepare for heaven after long years of neglect of the means to obtain it1 and1 because he has never thought about it1 it will be hardly possible for him in his last hours to make proper preparation for it4 #bcg ,the mind will be so absorbed with the past1 and so perplexed as to the future1 that he cannot give his famishing soul the nourishment that it needs4 ,the death-bed scenes of worldly-minded men certify to the truth of this4 ,they have viewed heaven as something to be thought about in the future1 and intended to prepare for it1 but all of a sudden sickness prostrates them1 and when told they will never hear another sermon1 never attend another ,mass1 the trouble begins not so much about their soul as about their body and the business of this world4 ,but thanks be to ,god6 while there are those who are walking on that broad and pleasant way which many1 too many1 find1 and which leads to destruction1 there are many faithful ,christians who1 even though some of them have but little or no comfort here1 are looking forward1 and hastening unto that reward which awaits those who love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,heaven1 to them1 is no gloomy word4 ,heaven does not make them regret leaving this world1 with all its fleeting joys1 for heaven is a most interesting and important subject to them4 ,heaven is the reason of all their hopes1 the reward of all their prayers1 fastings1 and other good works4 #bch ,to the pious and virtuous1 the thought of heaven is the polar star which guides them to their eternal happiness1 ,to the poor and desolate1 it opens the celestial country where flow milk and honey1 and where the foot is never weary1 where all tears are wiped away from their eyes1 and where the sweetest consolation of an eternal reward awaits them4 ,the thought of heaven brings the young to give their hearts early to ,god4 ,it leads them to their first ,confession1 and encourages them to make their first ,communion1 so that1 by keeping ,god's holy laws1 they may receive the crown of life4 ,the thought of heaven helps the old1 who are weak and trembling1 for they receive new strength when they see the evening of their lives1 and view the dawning of that happy land1 the ,canaan of the children of ,god4 ,how comforting1 indeed1 then1 is the thought of heaven1 for then all our hopes will be realized1 and our love made perfect6 ,o you who thirst for human love6 your desire is to love and be loved4 ,love is the object of your life1 the light of your hearts2 but know this3 that no earthly love will ever bring you perfect happiness2 and if it should so happen that you should find a joy in possessing some creature1 tell me1 how long will that joy last8 ,not long1 for ,god sends death1 and ,he takes away the objects of your love1 the idol that you have placed between ,him and your soul4 #bci ,a mother finds the greatest joy in beholding the child to whom she gave birth4 ,it may be her first-born2 she loves it1 caresses it2 she spends days in caring for it1 and1 if at night she awakes1 the first thought is of that child3 but some day death comes in1 and lays his icy hand on the life-strings of its tiny heart1 and severs the link that binds it to this life1 and it is no more4 ,but the ,christian mother willingly gives it up to ,god1 for she knows that in heaven she will again embrace that child4 ,it is the thought of heaven that brings her consolation4 ,a friend has found unspeakable joy in living with his companion1 they were boys together1 they grew up together1 they received the ,holy ,sacraments together1 and1 just as they suppose their happiness to be complete1 death terminates the existence of one1 and the other is left alone to learn the lesson all men must1 sooner or later1 learn--all persons1 all things are perishable1 and the heart1 as ,st4 ,augustine says1 is at unrest until it rests in ,god4 ,no matter what bereavement comes over the ,christian1 he is animated with hope1 and his joy speedily returns when he thinks of heaven as a place where he will meet and recognize his loved ones4 ,here1 my dear brethren1 we grow tired of the most costly and beautiful objects4 ,it is impossible for us to keep up our enthusiasm for a long time1 as we are creatures of change and chance4 #bdj ,in heaven1 we shall never grow tired2 for1 in beholding ,almighty ,god and all the glories of heaven1 we shall be so entranced that nothing will be able to distract us4 ,in heaven1 time will pass away unnoticed1 and its events will have no power to weary us4 ,there is a beautiful legend told of a ,franciscan friar1 which will illustrate my meaning better4 ,he thought that he would become tired of heaven itself and its occupations2 for by his time of life he1 too1 had learned the secret that nothing in this world can bring real1 lasting happiness4 ,so1 one day1 his superior sent him out to gather fuel for the fire4 ,as he was picking up the wood1 he heard a far sweeter warble than ever came from the throat of a bird2 but it was not a bird of the earthly forest2 it was some sweet strains of celestial music that he heard4 ,he must pause one moment to hear the end of the song before making up his bundle of wood4 ,so he stood still1 and the warbling went on1 so full1 so sweet1 so rich1 that he almost held his breath in ecstasy4 ,when it ceased1 ,how short it was6 he said1 then picked up the arm-load of sticks and returned to the monastery4 ,he rang the bell at the gate1 but a brother came whom he did not know4 ,who are you that takes the place of ,brother ,john8 he inquired4 ,but rather who are you8 was the reply4 #bda ,ah1 ,i am ,brother ,francis4 ,brother ,francis6 ,there is no ,brother ,francis4 ,then the oldest monk in the monastery was called1 and he tottered in on his cane1 and told how1 when he was a boy1 he had heard some old gray-haired monks tell that1 long1 long ago1 when they were young1 ,brother ,francis had gone1 one afternoon1 for wood1 and never returned3 killed doubtless by the wild beasts4 ,so they counted the years1 and found that ,brother ,francis had listened to the bird's song one hundred and fifty years1 and thought that too short4 ,now1 if the sweet singing from the voice of an angel could so entrance this holy man that he thought so many years to be but a moment1 how much more will our soul be enraptured with the sight of heaven1 with the song of the choir of the redeemed1 and by the vision of the ,blessed ,trinity6 ,in heaven1 the heart will stand still1 and in the fulness of its joy remain transfixed for ever4 ,then why is it that we give way under our sufferings1 our daily trials and crosses8 ,why do so many grow faint-hearted1 and think that there is no rest1 no peace1 for them8 ,why do people despair of ever being happy8 ,it is because they forget the very object for which they were created4 ,they lose sight of the eternal joy and the unending happiness that ,god has prepared for those who love ,him4 #bdb ,at ,holy ,mass1 whether it be a festival1 fast1 or funeral1 these sublime words are sung by the sacrificing priest at the altar1 ,sursum corda--,lift up your hearts1 and the faithful answer1 ,habemus ad ,dominum--,we have lifted them up to the ,lord4 ,now1 these words are kept before our minds1 on a festival1 to remind us of the eternal joys of heaven2 on a funeral1 to call our attention to that home above where there is no death1 no parting1 and where all tears are wiped away from the eyes4 ,then let ,sursum corda when it is sung this morning1 revive this thought of heaven in your hearts--you who are sad1 who are sick and poor1 you who are in the midst of severe temptations2 and carry these words with you through the week1 and1 whenever you are tempted to murmur against your lot1 ,lift up your hearts4 ,think of ,paradise4 ,we were made for ,paradise1 and we ought always to remember how joyful the thought of ,paradise is to the ,christian's heart4 ,o most happy mansion of the city above6 ,o most happy and bright day1 that knows no night1 but is always enlightened by the ,sovereign ,truth6 ,the citizens of heaven know how joyful that day is2 but the banished children of ,eve lament that this our day is bitter and tedious4 ,oh6 that this day would dawn upon us1 and all temporal things would come to an end6 #bdc ,then1 at this time1 let us all look up1 and be more vigilant in the service of ,god while on earth4 ,let us so live here that our lives may be a foretaste of heaven4 ,let the ,church on earth be the vestibule of heaven in which we wait patiently for the time of our admission therein4 ,let us be faithful to the laws of ,god and the ,church3 ,laying aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us1 by patience let us run the race set before us2 looking unto ,jesus the author and finisher of our faith1 who1 having the joy proposed to ,him1 underwent the cross1 despising the shame1 and now sitteth down at the right hand of the throne of ,god1 ,footnote #ic to whom let us lift up our hearts1 and offer that beautiful prayer which the ,holy ,church is chanting throughout the world on this ,fourth ,sunday after ,easter3 ,o ,almighty ,god1 who alone canst make the faithful to be of one mind3 grant that they may love those things which ,thou dost command and desire1 those things which ,thou dost promise1 that so among all the changes of this world their hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord ,amen4 ,footnote #ic3 ,heb xii4 i4 ------------- #bdd ,sermon ,,xvi4 ,the ,clergy ,the ,teachers ,of ,the ,people1 7,for ,the ,seventh ,sunday ,after ,pentecost47 ,st4 ,matt4 vii4 #ae4 ,beware of false prophets1 who come to you in sheep's clothing1 but inwardly they are ravening wolves4 ,by the word prophet is meant a teacher or leader of the people2 any one who sets himself up1 or is commissioned by those in authority1 as an expounder of the sense of the ,scriptures1 or of the principles of morality or of religion1 so as to lead others to adopt his opinions1 and act according to his directions4 ,the office of prophet1 or teacher1 is the most important of all in human society4 ,for1 if we are rightly taught and follow the teaching1 everything goes on harmoniously1 and conduces to the best result2 the greatest amount of substantial happiness in this world1 and the securing of our immortal destiny in heaven4 ,if we are wrongly taught1 our great blessings are turned into curses1 and our lives are failures1 both for this world and the next4 #bde ,and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ took especial pains to provide for this great need of ours4 ,he selected ,his twelve ,apostles1 kept them with ,himself during all the time of ,his public ministry1 instructed them by word and example1 and sent them out to teach with this full and explicit commission1 ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature1 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you3 and lo ,i am with you all days1 even to the consummation of the world4 ,footnote #id ,footnote #id3 ,st4 ,mark xvi4 #ae and ,st4 ,matt1 xxviii4 #bj4 ,if we desire to know them who are the true prophets1 we have the means of finding out3 they are the lawful successors of the ,apostles1 the priesthood of the ,holy ,church4 ,and1 on the other hand1 we have the means of determining who are the false prophets or teachers3 all those who are in opposition to this lawful body of teachers1 commissioned by ,god ,himself to teach us4 ,the priesthood of the ,holy ,church1 then1 are our teachers in the principles and practice of religion1 and of morality1 which is embraced in religion4 ,they are the ones to teach us our duty1 in all respects1 as individuals1 and as members of society2 our duties to ourselves1 to our fellow-men1 to our families1 to the government or state in which we live1 as well as to ,god4 #bdf ,this is what many people do not seem to understand4 ,they say1 ,let the clergy confine themselves to their own sphere1 to the teaching of religion1 and let other things alone4 ,why should they meddle with questions of politics or government8 ,why should they interfere with private or family affairs8 ,why should they say anything about a man's business1 or try to interfere with his personal liberty to do this or that8 ,now1 whence do these objections arise8 ,from the mistaken notion that religion deals exclusively with the relations of the individual to his ,god1 and has nothing to do with society or government2 that there is divorce between politics and religion2 that the law of ,god is separable from human laws4 ,nothing can be more untrue than this idea4 ,the divine law is the rule according to which all human laws must be conformed4 ,these laws derive all their authority and sanction from the divine will4 ,religion cannot be divorced from politics1 from government1 from legislature1 from the family1 from business1 or from any of the affairs of life4 ,wherever a moral question is involved in politics1 there religion is involved4 ,every ,christian is bound to carry the law of ,christ into his politics4 #bdg ,every voter is bound to vote for those who sustain this divine law1 and never for the opponents of it2 and every legislator is bound not to make any law which is in opposition to it4 ,and the authorized teachers of the divine law are the ones to expound what the law is1 and to lay down the duty of each one in reference to it4 ,they are to teach1 and to insist upon the observance of what ,christ has taught them3 in the state1 the duty of obedience to the civil authority1 and the wickedness of resisting it1 in the lawful exercise of its power2--in the family1 the sacredness of the marriage-tie1 in spite of any human laws contrary to ,god's law1 and the obligation of the religious education of children2--to the individual1 the sin of unlawful or immoral combinations1 and many other things which will readily suggest themselves to any one who will reflect4 ,those1 then1 who try to depreciate the influence of the clergy1 and to bring their teaching into contempt1 or to set themselves up as independent judges of the morality and right of all questions relating to politics and society1 are false prophets1 boasting of their liberty1 appealing to pride1 worshipping themselves in place of ,god1 and flattering the passions of others4 ,they are ravening wolves1 destroying the spirit of religion and the souls of men1 and leading their victims to anarchy1 riot1 and bloodshed4 #bdh ,do not misapprehend my meaning4 ,i do not mean that the clergy should come down into the arena of party politics to advocate the claims of this or that candidate for office1 or convert the ,church into a political debating-room4 ,thank ,god1 they have a better idea of their sacred office than that4 ,but where the duties of the individual or the general interests of religion are involved1 they are bound to speak out1 and they should be listened to as the ambassadors of ,god4 ,let the clergy mind their own business1 is sometimes said4 ,well1 and what is the business of the clergy8 ,it is to seek the salvation of souls4 ,it is to keep the people1 as far as possible1 from any violation of the commandments of ,god2 from the commission of sin1 which leads to the destruction of souls4 ,if they can foresee that this or that course of action will involve their people in sin1 they are bound1 disregarding all self-interest or any worldly consideration1 to raise their voice in protest against it4 ,if the people rush into any unlawful combination1 which1 perhaps1 involves loss of property or loss of life1 or1 at any rate1 is sinful and tends to the destruction of the soul1 then1 whether the thing is popular or not1 they are bound1 as far as they can1 to set their face against this evil1 and warn the people to keep from it4 #bdi ,if they do not do this1 then they do not mind their own business4 ,they are no better than the hirelings who flee when the wolf cometh4 ,but why are the clergy especially fitted to exercise this office of prophet or teacher8 ,because1 in the first place1 they are1 as a class1 men of education and thought4 ,they have withdrawn from other pursuits1 and passed many years in study4 ,they have had particularly to study questions relating to morality2 of right and wrong2 of the meaning of the law of ,god1 and are better fitted than any other class of men to give decisions on such questions4 ,this is reason enough why the mass of the people1 who have not the time1 the freedom from other occupations1 the books1 or the habit of reasoning correctly1 should defer with great respect to the opinion of the clergy on any important question4 ,it argues a great want of humility--an antichristian and unreasonable pride1 when their opinion is treated with contempt and brought into ridicule4 ,in the second place1 they are disinterested parties1 and are able to decide1 for the most part1 free from prejudice4 ,the only prejudice they can have is1 that ,god's law be observed and ,his honor vindicated4 ,they are a body of men independent1 free from family ties1 and cares1 and obligations2 freed in an unusual degree from what prejudices other men--the desire of heaping up wealth4 ,in short1 they have every inducement to love right and hate wrong4 #bej ,thirdly1 they are the fathers of their people4 ,having no wives or children of their own1 the people are their children4 ,the term father by which they are addressed is a true expression of the feeling which the people have towards them1 because they have a truly parental affection for them4 ,that priest must be a monster who does not love his people1 as a general thing so devoted and affectionate to him4 ,our ,saviour says1 ,the good shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep4 ,the ,catholic people are the flock of the priest2 it is his business and his happiness to look out for their interests2 to advise them and warn them of dangers2 to go after them and bring them back when they go astray2 and it is only natural for them to look up to him for advice1 for counsel in doubt1 for consolation in trouble4 ,there is no sweeter or more beautiful tie than that which binds the priest and people together4 ,but lastly1 and above all1 the priest is the representative and agent of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this last reason includes and carries with it all the others2 they all grow out of it4 ,hear what ,st4 ,paul says3 ,and some he gave to be apostles1 and some prophets1 and some evangelists1 and others pastors and teachers4 #bea ,for the perfection of the saints1 for the edification of the body of ,christ4 ,footnote #ie ,all that relates to the building up or edification of the faithful belongs to their sacred office4 ,in the direction of ,st4 ,paul to ,titus1 he tells him3 ,admonish them to be subject to princes and powers1 to obey at a word1 to be ready to every good work4 ,footnote #if ,and again3 ,these things speak1 and exhort1 and rebuke with all authority4 ,let no man despise thee4 ,footnote #ig ,once more he says3 ,let a man look upon us as the ministers of ,christ1 and the dispensers of the mysteries of ,god4 ,footnote #ih ,and when our ,lord sent out ,his ,apostles1 ,he used these emphatic words3 ,he that heareth you heareth ,me1 and he that despiseth you despiseth ,me4 ,footnote #ie3 ,eph4 iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #if3 ,ep4 ,tit4 iii4 #a4 ,footnote #ig3 ,ep4 ,tit4 ii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ih3 ,i ,cor4 iv4 #a4 ,who are the false prophets we have the most need to be warned against at this present time8 ,not the professed teachers of heresy1 because they are too well known2 their doctrine and their principles have lost all attraction for ,catholics4 ,their hatred and opposition to the ,holy ,church and her doctrines is too violent and untruthful to have any power of attraction for the ,catholic heart4 ,i should say they are not wolves in sheep's clothing1 but rather wolves in their own skins4 ,no1 it is not they4 #beb ,it is rather the irreligious1 unprincipled newspapers which are sowing the worst principles broadcast in the community1 which are ridiculing all that we hold most sacred1 which make all religion to consist in the present and laugh at the future world2 which are prating all the time about clerical influence1 and extolling a purely secular education2 which are talking everlastingly about progress and enlightenment1 and this nineteenth century1 and the dark ages and superstitions2 whose infernal doctrine may be summed up in one sentence3 ,let us eat1 drink1 and be merry1 for to-morrow we die4 ,these are the false prophets who clothe themselves with sheep's clothing1 that is1 with professions of liberty1 enticements to pleasure1 and to the gain of worldly goods1 as if there was no hereafter1 no responsibility1 but each one was free to do as he pleased4 ,and who are some of the other false prophets8 ,they are leaders of secret societies2 interested persons who make a living out of professions of patriotism and love of country2 who live in luxury--many of them1 out of the hard earnings of the poor laborer and the girls at service2 who beguile the ignorant into unlawful and forbidden ways1 sinking them down deep in mortal sin1 and hindering them from getting out of it1 because they impose a distrust and dislike of the clergy and of the ,church which condemns them4 ,like the ,pharisees1 they move heaven and earth to make one proselyte1 and1 when they have made one1 they make him more a child of hell than themselves4 ,avoid them1 for they are truly ravening wolves4 #bec ,and lastly1 avoid another false prophet within yourself3 the spirit of pride and self-will4 ,without this1 all the others ,i have mentioned above would be powerless to hurt you4 ,this is the very evil one himself who stirs up within you every evil passion4 ,be cautious1 weigh well the thoughts of your hearts4 ,try them by the standard of the ,gospel and of the example of ,jesus ,christ1 and1 if they cannot abide the test1 no matter how fair an appearance they have1 abandon them4 ,ah6 if we would only stop to consider calmly what we are about2 if we would only utter one sincere prayer to ,god for guidance1 and to obtain a good-will1 this false prophet of self-will would be detected and driven out1 and we would be quickly delivered from destruction4 ,finally1 give good heed to the ,scripture which says3 ,obey your prelates1 and be subject to them1 for they watch as being to give an account of your souls1 that they may do this with joy1 and not with grief4 #bed ,obey the ,vicar of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,pope1 the ,head of the ,church and ,father of the faithful4 ,when he solemnly pronounces his judgment as to the lawfulness or unlawfulness of anything1 obey as you would if you heard it from the lips of ,christ ,himself4 ,it is a fearful thing for any one to put himself in opposition to ,christ's ,vicar and the ,successor of ,st4 ,peter1 to whom our ,lord gave the charge to feed both ,his sheep and ,his lambs4 ,obey your ,archbishop1 who is more immediately placed over you4 ,it is his place to judge what is for the good of religion1 and to foresee the evils likely to arise at any time among ourselves4 ,let those who disregard his admonition look well to it1 lest they implicate themselves in grievous sin1 and in inflicting great injury upon the religion of ,christ4 ,such men are a scandal and cause of ruin to the faithful1 and our ,lord has denounced the anger of ,god upon those who are guilty of it4 ,obey your priests1 who will have to give an account of your souls4 ,give no cause of offence or scandal in your parish1 but rather co-operate with your fellow-parishioners in the extension of ,christ's kingdom upon earth4 ,it is by this spirit of docility and obedience you will break through all the snares of ,satan1 and be delivered from error4 ,thus1 walking in the clear light of truth1 you will finally be united to the ,eternal ,truth1 ,god1 the fountain of all joy1 forever4 ------------------ #bee ,sermon ,,xvii4 ,humility ,in ,prayer4 7,for ,the ,tenth ,sunday ,after ,pentecost47 ,st4 ,luke xviii4 #ac4 ,god1 be merciful to me1 a sinner4 ,one of the chief lessons our blessed ,lord intended to teach us by the parable told in to-day's ,gospel is the necessity and power of humble prayer4 ,let us see this1 and try to draw some useful thoughts from it4 ,the great positive precept of prayer goes hand in hand with a man's salvation4 ,nothing can excuse the neglect of it1 nothing is promised except through it1 and therefore one cannot hope for anything without it4 ,yet it is not every spirit of prayer that is of ,god4 ,in spite of a professed total disregard for it by some1 nevertheless men have an instinctive faith in prayer4 ,the hardiest blasphemer and scoffer at religion will often be found the first to pray when in imminent danger of death4 #bef ,he prays in fear4 ,others1 with out any spirit of devotion1 will be found praying at stated times1 like the ,pharisee1 because it is a highly respectable thing to do1 and keeps up their credit and good character1 who apparently regard prayer as a sort of business transaction with ,god1 the fulfilment of certain conditions of barter with ,providence1 by which they may expect to hold their own1 and be further well rewarded4 ,these pray in pride4 ,others are full of themselves and their own desires4 ,they wish to be happy1 let others be as miserable as they may4 ,they want no sickness1 no accident1 no reverse of fortune1 no contempt1 no temptation1 let ,god try other souls with ,his chastening hand as ,he pleases4 ,these pray in selfishness4 ,and yet all these are the first to complain that their prayer is not heard and instantly answered4 ,they become petulant over delay1 and utterly discouraged if their desires are not fulfilled4 ,god's will is nothing to them4 ,it is not ,thy will1 but ,my will be done4 ,listen1 my brethren1 to the true spirit of prayer1 the only kind of prayer which will infallibly be heard4 ,it is the prayer of those who pray in humility4 ,the very essence of prayer consists in the acknowledgment of ,god's supreme dominion and government over us1 and our complete dependence upon ,him as the source of all blessings1 spiritual and temporal4 ,the better this is acknowledged by the soul1 the more perfect must be the prayer2 and1 if this be the spirit which inspires only a few words of prayer1 or even a silent aspiration of the heart1 then more is accomplished than if hours had been consumed in the recitation of forms of prayer1 where this high and reverent thought of ,god is wanting4 #beg ,now1 this is also the fountain thought of humility3 that ,god is all in all to us1 that it is ,he1 and not we ourselves1 who has made us1 and prospered us1 and blessed us1 and raised us up1 and obtained peace and forgiveness for our erring hearts2 that ,he is the ,truth2 that the true religion is ,his making1 not what we may fashion to ourselves4 ,these are the thoughts to bring the heart into a proper relation with ,god1 the relation of an humble hope1 trust1 and reverence for ,him1 and in this we need lose nothing of a proper and just esteem for ourselves4 ,it is the secret of the making of great saints and heroes in religion 7all of whom were renowned for their humility71 that a man is always the gainer by just so much as he gives to ,god4 ,so we see in the case of the humble publican1 that ,god regarded him the more because he did not so much as lift his eyes to heaven4 ,god drew the nearer to him1 the farther he stood off4 ,god comforted him1 and justified him1 the more he acknowledged his own wretchedness1 and condemned himself4 ,not without reason1 it is true1 because he was a sinner4 ,while he1 who was not a sinner1 went up in his pride and sinned in his very prayers4 ,the humble sinner went away justified2 the proud1 just man went away condemned4 #beh ,and hence we may conclude that1 if one does not pray in humility1 his prayer is of no value1 and he moreover runs a great chance of committing sin by praying1 and of receiving curses instead of blessings in answer4 ,god resisteth the proud1 says the ,apostle1 but giveth grace to the humble4 ,footnote #ii ,he is1 as it were1 shocked and indignant to see a man approaching him in presumption or pride4 ,he has no grace for such an one1 and then without that he will infallibly commit sin and be lost4 ,footnote #ii3 ,st4 ,james iv4 #f4 ,for what happens8 ,he who prays without humility thinks that he has done a great thing1 for which ,god honors him1 and holds him up as an example for the admiration and imitation of others1 especially for those who seldom or never go to their knees1 or pray so quickly and unobtrusively that no one notices them4 ,so he rises from his prayer puffed up with self-conceit4 #bei ,look at the ,pharisee4 ,he came to the treasure-house of ,god with a large sack2 he extolled its capacity1 and stretched it out to its utmost dimensions2 he made his prayer long1 wordy1 and full of self4 ,as he really did not profess himself to be in want of anything1 ,god sent him away1 with his sack empty of everything but his own windy words1 which ,god despised and returned to him for his pains4 ,his load was not heavy1 and he could walk with head and shoulders proudly erect4 ,as he passed out he gave a scornful glance at the miserable publican1 crouching in the porch1 and thought within himself3 ,what bad people there are in the world1 to be sure6 ,the humble object of his disdain followed him out with bent shoulders and downcast head4 ,he had come empty-handed to ,god's treasury4 ,but something had passed between him and ,god which the proud ,pharisee little imagined3 and he might well go away still humbly bending to the ground1 for ,god's mercies and blessings lay heavily upon him4 ,so sang the humble ,virgin3 ,he hath filled the hungry with good things1 but the rich he hath sent empty away4 ,many imagine that the wealthy are the chief ones who pray like the ,pharisee2 but this is a great mistake4 ,there are quite as many poor rich ,pharisees as wealthy rich ones4 ,being in humble circumstances does not make one humble4 ,the ,blessed ,virgin did not mean the rich in this world's goods1 but those who were rich in their own conceit4 #bfj ,so we see many who have not much money to boast of1 yet will boast pretty loudly of their piety4 ,they come to pray to ,god for forgiveness of their sins2 and what do they say8 ,i don't do much4 ,i don't curse4 ,i don't steal4 ,i don't slander my neighbor4 ,and if ,god did not rouse them up to a sense of the sins they do commit by questioning their consciences1 they would go away fully persuaded that they were out-and-out saints1 while all the rest of the world were thieves1 and liars1 and extortioners1 and workers of all kinds of iniquity1 especially that quarrelsome neighbor who has just taken their place in the confessional1 and who1 they hope1 will meet with severe and righteous treatment4 ,o self-sufficient1 rich ,pharisee6 it is true ,i have seen you in silk and broadcloth1 but ,i have seen you also in a cotton gown1 and a coat out at the elbows4 ,not a few are found lacking in this requisite to make prayer of any value1 because they pray in fear4 ,at first sight1 fear would seem to be almost identical with humility2 but it is quite a far different thing1 for humility brings the soul nearer to ,god1 while fear drives it away4 ,humility recognizes the greatness and goodness of ,god1 and1 while it reverences ,him1 holds ,him for that knowledge in the highest esteem2 but fear hides itself1 and1 in place of esteem1 holds ,him in slavish dread4 #bfa ,humility is hopeful2 fear is full of despair4 ,see those sinners who find themselves in shipwreck1 or in some imminent danger of death from disease4 ,they pray1 it is true1 but how8 ,is it in sorrow for their sins8 ,do they want to get back the lost love of ,god8 ,oh6 no2 that is the last thought they have4 ,it is to be saved from death2 it is to be cured of their diseases2 and what does it all amount to1 but that they are trying to make a truce with ,god8 ,their whole lives have been at enmity with ,him2 and now1 when ,god compels them to acknowledge ,him1 when ,he conquers them and brings them down1 it is not peace they want1 but a cessation of hostilities4 ,it is plain enough ,god is the master4 ,such souls tremble at death1 because it is bringing them nearer to ,god2 the humble souls fear life1 because it is so full of the danger of losing ,him4 ,such was the prayer of the wicked ,king ,antiochus1 who prayed to ,god and made great promises2 but it was only fear that wrung the prayer out of him4 ,he cared for nothing but to be restored to life and health2 but ,god rejected his prayers1 and left him to die a horrible death1 being eaten up by worms4 ,the ,scripture says of him3 ,then this wicked man prayed to the ,lord1 of whom he was not to obtain mercy4 ,footnote #ajj ,footnote #ajj3 #b ,macc4 x4 #ac4 ,,usccb3 #b ,maccabees ix4 #ac4 #bfb ,now and then the judgments of ,god hang over sinners4 ,hell gapes underfoot1 and they pray and cry to the ,lord for mercy1 yet are not heard1 because they have no contrition2 and are wanting in contrition1 because they have no humility4 ,their fear is the fear of those sinners described by the prophet3 ,the sinners in ,sion are afraid2 trembling hath seized upon the hypocrites4 ,footnote #aja ,but the humble soul is not afraid to draw near to ,god1 for the promise encourages it3 ,an humble and contrite heart1 ,o ,god1 ,thou wilt not despise4 ,such are not afraid1 because their contrition is founded on the love of ,god1 and is real and hearty4 ,perfect love1 says ,st4 ,john1 casteth out fear4 ,footnote #aja3 ,isa4 xxxiii4 #ah4 ,,usccb3 ,isa4 xxxiii4 #ad4 ,look at ,mary ,magdalen4 ,there was an example of boldness in a truly contrite1 humble heart4 ,she dared a good deal4 ,jesus1 her ,lord1 the ,god of infinite purity1 is the honored guest of a wealthy and proud citizen2 she1 an abandoned woman4 ,yet she dared enter the rich man's door4 ,she dared the sneers and contempt of the servants4 ,she dared enter the banqueting hall as an unwelcome intruder1 at the risk of being ignominiously expelled4 ,she dared approach the ,spotless ,one1 and touch ,his sacred feet with her polluted hands4 ,but perfect love casteth out fear4 #bfc ,her tears were so many eloquent words of prayer that went straight to the heart of ,jesus4 ,her penitent love chased all fear away1 and moved the ,lord to say of her3 ,many sins are forgiven her1 because she hath loved much4 ,but the most common want of humility is seen in those who pray in selfishness4 ,has ,god seen fit to send them a trial--say1 a defect in their hearing or sight1 or one of their children is born deformed or sickly--then they act as though the like had never been seen before1 so querulous are they under the affliction4 ,they pray--a good long string of complaints--over it4 ,or else the selfishness takes another shape1 and1 while they can look with indifference upon hundreds who suffer worse1 they cannot bear to have the hand of the ,lord touch them4 ,they come to beg of the priest to cure them2 they come humbly enough in their manner1 will go down on their knees1 and even kiss the ground1 but they have not a particle of humility in their hearts4 ,they are so selfish about their pains and aches that they are quite surprised and vexed if the priest does not profess himself quite ready and able to perform a miracle in their favor2 as if the ,almighty owed them miracles1 or as if they were the only people in the world about whose ease and comfort ,he was concerned4 ,and then they go away disappointed1 giving no heed to the holy words with which the priest tried to teach them to profit by their affliction1 and instruct them how to pray to ,god to be relieved of it1 if it be ,his holy will4 #bfd ,very probably1 such people are not in the grace of ,god at all2 and it is plain even to human wisdom that1 if ,god heard and answered their selfish prayers1 they would go away puffed up with pride1 never think of returning ,him any thanks1 and lead a worse sinful life than they have before4 ,for it is a proverb3 ,do a proud man a favor1 and he hates you for it4 ,he dislikes the idea of being laid under an obligation2 and this is just what would happen to such4 ,they would dislike ,god for putting them under the obligation to serve ,him the more strictly in return for ,his favors4 ,god sees this1 and1 because they have no humility1 their prayers are not heard4 ,it is the same with many spiritually minded persons too4 ,they are led to look for mortifications and crosses1 and1 when these are sent1 then they are both mortified and crossed in another sense4 ,they are humiliated1 but not humbled4 ,oh6 how hard they pray to be delivered from these very means of their sanctification4 ,but it is selfishness that makes them pray4 ,they thought themselves saints1 and it galls their pride to be treated as though they were yet far from perfection4 ,they suffer1 and keenly too1 ,i know4 ,so did our ,blessed ,lord in ,his agony1 and dereliction on the ,cross4 ,but when ,he prayed1 ,he said to ,his ,father1 ,not ,my will1 but ,thine be done4 #bfe ,the want of humility in prayer is the bane of those living in heresy4 ,heresy1 you know1 is the offspring of pride4 ,souls fall into it1 and wilfully remain in it from an undue opinion of their own wisdom4 ,all heresy must have private judgment as its basis of religion4 ,if the true religion ever comes up before them for examination or acceptance1 they are almost afraid to pray at all1 lest they should pray themselves into submission to it4 ,they see that the road before them is the road of humility4 ,they start back at the hard sayings4 ,wanting humility1 they have very little conviction of sin2 and1 like the ,pharisee who went up to the temple to recount his good deeds1 you will not unfrequently hear such persons1 in speaking of the confessional1 say with unaffected surprise3 ,why1 what in the world can you have to tell8 ,i don't think ,i have any sins to confess4 ,oh6 if they could once be brought down to pray humbly for light and guidance1 how differently would they talk1 and how quickly all their fancied difficulties and impossibilities would fade away6 #bff ,a celebrated master in the spiritual life used to send persons away to pray who came to him to talk controversy4 ,if they were humbly seeking the truth1 they found all their objections answered in prayer before they returned4 ,if not1 he knew their pride would be proof against both prayer and argument1 however long the one or powerful the other4 ,my brethren1 we have all got to pray for what we want1 and to pray humbly too1 if we expect our prayers to be heard4 ,to pray like the ,publican1 ,o ,god1 be merciful to me a sinner1 and not like the ,pharisee1 ,o ,god1 ,i thank thee ,i am not like the rest of men4 ,i recollect an instance1 on one of our ,missions1 which will be a lesson for all those whom ,i have been addressing this morning4 ,a young man came to me1 whom ,i soon learned to be one of those unfortunate ,catholics whose parents do nothing more towards making them ,christians than to get them baptized4 ,the first words he said to me were these3 ,father1 ,i'm a mighty hard case4 ,i found he was quite ignorant of the principal doctrines of the faith1 and sent him away for a few days to learn them4 ,when he presented himself again1 he was surprised ,i did not recognize him4 ,why1 don't you know1 said he1 ,i'm the mighty hard case8 ,it was necessary not only to instruct him1 but to give him some serious warnings1 that he might keep out of bad company1 and live thenceforward a good life4 #bfg ,perhaps ,i was led to speak in a tone that appeared to him rather severe2 and it went to my heart to hear the poor fellow repeat the humble judgment he had passed upon himself3 ,yes1 father1 ,i told you so4 ,i told you ,i was a mighty hard case4 ,the mighty hard case got his communion with great joy and a holy pride2 and ,i remembered the words of the ,lord3 ,amen1 ,i say to you1 this man went down to his house justified 444 for every one that humbleth himself shall be exalted4 ,reflect upon this touching example of an humble soul1 and1 when you go to pray1 think of the necessity of humility1 and of patience and resignation to ,god's will in all things4 ,pray6 ,not in proud self-conceit1 for ,god will despise you1 and resist your supplications1 and withhold ,his grace4 ,without grace you will find yourself falling so repeatedly and grievously into sin that you will lose faith in prayer4 ,when it comes to that1 you are on the road to hell4 ,pray6 ,not in fear4 ,that is a bad sign4 ,it looks as though you did not love ,god2 and1 it such be the case1 you cannot expect ,him to hearken to you1 or grant you any favors4 ,pray6 but not in selfishness4 ,let ,god and ,his holy will be all in all to you4 ,take what ,he sends4 ,learn to trust ,him in humility and patience4 ,the ,lord does not always tell us the reasons why4 #bfh ,whether ,he commands us as a ,master1 chastises us as a ,father1 or teaches us to imitate ,him in some hard lesson of humiliation--as when ,he ,himself washed the ,apostles feet--,he very often has but the same answer to us that ,he gave to the astonished ,peter3 ,what ,i do thou knowest not now2 but them shalt know hereafter4 ,pray in humility1 ,o ye doubting1 distrustful souls6 ,god's truth is near enough and plain enough4 ,it is you who are too high-minded to see it1 too proud to pray that you may know it4 ,ask not with ,pilate1 ,what is truth8 what is truth8 in the presence of the ,infinite ,truth1 and then1 like him1 turn away and never hear it4 ,cease not to pray1 though the morn is long in dawning1 and the day of redemption be delayed2 but cease not to pray humbly1 for1 says the wise man1 the prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds1 and he shall not depart until the ,most ,high behold4 ,footnote #ajb ,footnote #ajb3 ,ecclus4 xxxv4 #ba4 ,,usccb3 ,sirach xxxv4 #ag4 --------------------- #bfi ,sermon ,,xviii4 ,preparation ,for ,a ,good ,death4 7,for ,the ,fifteenth ,sunday ,after ,pentecost47 ,isaiah xxxviii4 #a4 ,put thy house in order1 for thou shall die1 and not live4 ,when ,i read the ,gospel for to-day1 which describes the raising of the widow's son to life1 ,i ask myself the question--,did he die prepared8 ,when his friends could no longer give him any hope of recovery--when he was forced to make that bitter acknowledgment to himself1 ,my time is come1 then did he make ready to die8 ,did he put his house in order8 ,had he time to do it8 ,was he in a fit state to do it8 ,when his soul had departed1 could his widowed mother console herself with the thought--,he lived a good life1 and he died a good death8 ,we can not answer for the young man1 as the ,gospel tells us nothing either of his life or of his death1 but we can answer for many whose lives and whose deaths we know2 and1 knowing our own lives1 we ought to be able to answer for the kind of death we would die if the word of the ,lord came to us as it came to ,king ,ezechias3 ,put thy house in order1 for thou shalt die1 and not live4 #bgj ,a friend1 about to take a journey to ,europe1 remarked3 ,i have arranged all my affairs1 so as to have a pleasant journey4 ,he did well4 ,we will do better when we shall have arranged all our affairs for a pleasant journey to that far-off land from which we shall never return4 ,let us see1 brethren1 what it is to arrange one's affairs that one may die a good death4 ,this preparation may be summed up in the fulfilment of three obligations--the first1 to ,god2 the second1 to our neighbor2 and the last1 to one's self4 ,to die well and happily1 we must fulfil our obligations to ,god4 ,here ,i must confess ,i am somewhat troubled to answer how a man who is near death1 whether he be in good health at the present moment or given up by his physician1 shall satisfy this demand1 if he has not already done so4 ,the last1 and usually the most useless1 hours of one's life are hardly the time to give ,god his due4 ,god's obligations are fulfilled in living not in dying1 well4 ,our ,lord compares the dealings of ,god with us to a man who hired workmen to labor in his vineyard2 to another who gave certain talents to his servants which they were to improve2 and1 again1 to a husbandman who sowed his seed expecting to reap a harvest from it in due time4 #bga ,these are very apt figures of the duties and the fruits of life4 ,the heavenly reward will be bestowed upon him who labored at ,god's work in life4 ,he shall enter into so much of the heavenly joy of his ,lord as he has fitted himself for by the improvement of the talents which ,god gave him4 ,god will reap just so much of a harvest as the seed of ,his divine grace has been cultivated and allowed to grow in the heart4 ,now we are sent to begin our work1 to improve our talents1 and ,his grace is sown in our hearts when life begins4 ,god's obligations begin when we begin to live1 not when we begin to die4 ,oh6 this is a startling truth6 ,what a fearful thought this must be to him who has never realized it as life went on1 and only now begins to think about it when the terrors of the coming judgment are casting their shadows before1 and darkening the last hours of his misspent life6 ,i hardly know what to say to that man to whom religion has never been a reality in life1 who has shirked its duties1 and deafened his conscience to its appeals1 who thinks of it only when life is not worth thinking of2 who makes use of it only to smooth his dying pillow1 to bless his grave1 and pray for him when he is gone4 #bgb ,the thought that his life1 the only life he has had or will have upon which ,god has such a heavy claim for his service1 for the worship and love of his heart1 upon his personal exertions and sacrifices for the cause of ,his holy faith--has simply been allowed to wear away1 day after day and year after year1 and that nothing has been done1 must be a thought of misery and dismay1 such as would overwhelm the mind of a merchant who1 after making a long and1 as he supposed1 prosperous voyage across the ocean1 finds1 to his disappointment1 that he has forgotten to bring either the money or the letters of credit wherewith to purchase his expected cargo4 ,i hardly know what to say to that man whose life has been little more than a mockery of the ,god whom he pretended to serve2 whose principles and faith were indeed ,christian1 but whose practice and works have been heathen4 ,he has been a ,catholic--oh6 yes1 in name1 but not in deed4 ,it would be better to say of him that he was not a ,protestant1 nor a ,jew1 nor an infidel4 ,that is all4 ,that he is a ,catholic seems to be a happy accident2 for1 to judge from the indifference he manifests in its practice1 it is to be feared that1 had circumstances made him anything else1 the ,catholic faith would be the last thing to which he would give a serious thought4 ,when such are suddenly surprised with the message1 ,put thy house in order1 for thou shalt die1 and not live1 indeed it is hard to say how they are to prepare to answer to ,god for their life4 #bgc ,their memory brings up little else than despised warnings1 grace trifled with1 neglected sacraments1 prayerless days1 and desecrated ,sundays2 and ,i know not where they are to find the fruit that ,god comes seeking of them4 ,you see1 my brethren1 that the first condition of being able to prepare for a happy death is to have lived well4 ,but you ask--,is one who begins late in life to serve ,god1 who knows that he has but a short time to do something for ,him1 to give up his case as hopeless1 and despair of fulfilling this great obligation8 ,must he say ,i have1 alas6 made no life-preparation of this solemn account1 and it is too late now8 ,far be it from me to say that2 but this ,i know3 he must begin now all the more earnestly1 and do what he can with all the greater effort1 as the time is the shorter4 ,o my dear brethren6 that these late workmen in ,god's service1 and the dying1 would understand this6 ,such an one falls sick4 ,he is attacked with a disease which will soon run its course4 ,he sends for a priest4 ,he makes his confession as well as he can--he would have made a better one if he had been well1 for he is not in a condition to remember the events of so many years2 he is sorry for his neglect and his sins2 sorry for all the comforts of religion that he has lost2 but1 tell me1 is he sorry for what ,god has lost by his careless life8 #bgd ,does he express one regret that ,god has not only not had ,his own1 but that ,he has also been dishonored by his bad life2 that the ,church of the faith he professes has been a loser by him2 that he1 by his inconsistent conduct1 has been a stumbling-block and a rock of scandal to the unbeliever and the scoffer8 ,no1 this is the last thing that troubles him4 ,what is one to do8 ,plainly this3 ,religion ought now to be his all-absorbing thought4 ,every moment should be employed with a holy jealousy in prayer1 lest ,god might be forgotten again4 ,one1 and only one1 desire ought to fill his heart1 and that is a desire to love ,god as perfectly as he may before he die4 ,he should frequently call to mind that comforting assurance which our blessed ,lord gave to the penitent ,magdalen3 ,many sins are forgiven her1 because she hath loved much4 ,it is not the time for excuses1 as so many seem to think it to be1 but a time of humble abandonment to the will and the mercy of ,god4 ,it is a painful sight to witness the contrary2 to see the sick and the dying full of complaints1 resisting the will of ,god1 and praying for a few more years of a miserable life4 ,if it were for the purpose of living in the love of ,god1 and repairing the bitter past1 it would be well4 ,but no1 their hearts are breaking to think they are forced to part with the world that they have loved too well4 #bge ,but oh6 how sweet it is to see a soul1 at the close of life1 striving to detach itself from the world1 and1 as it were1 reaching forward to throw itself into the embraces of its ,god4 ,true1 it may have been idle for many long years1 and it may have come only at the eleventh hour1 but that hour1 at least1 is well spent4 ,these are they of whom the ,master will say3 ,i will give to these last even as to the first4 ,footnote #ajc ,such may also say1 in the language of the wise man3 ,i awaked last of all1 and as one that gathereth after the grape-gatherers4 ,in the blessing of ,god ,i also have hoped2 and as one that gathereth grapes1 have ,i filled the wine-press4 ,footnote #ajd ,footnote #ajc3 ,st4 ,matt4 xx4 #ad4 ,footnote #ajd3 ,ecclesiasticus xxxiii4 #af1 #ag4 ,,usccb3 ,sirach xxxiii4 #af1 #ag4 ,to die well and happily1 we must1 in the second place1 fulfil our obligations to our neighbor4 ,scarcely a day of our life passes in which we do not find that our neighbor has had somewhat against us4 ,debts accumulate1 disputes arise1 the incautious word is spoken1 the scandal is given1 the character of our neighbor suffers from our folly or our spite1 reconciliation is not made1 forgiveness is neither asked nor given1 friends are alienated1 the sun goes down upon our wrath1 and on the morrow we must die4 ,who is there who is able to say1 when he comes to die--,i owe no man anything2 my debts are all paid2 ,i never wronged any one to whom ,i did not make full restitution2 ,i never lost a friend but ,i found him again2 ,i have not an enemy on the face of the earth8 #bgf ,happy is that man1 for he will die a happy death4 ,but how many there are who find themselves at the hour of death as they have always been1 both unwilling and unable to pay their just debts6 ,how many leave behind them an unsettled inheritance to their relatives1 which becomes an inheritance of discord1 law-suits1 enmities1 and deadly feuds6 ,how often men die1 and show no fear to go to ,god with unclean hands--hands stained by the contact of ill-gotten goods and stolen money6 ,how many die unreconciled with their neighbor1 and with no earnest wish to be so6 ,how lightly the wrongs of a lifetime weigh upon their conscience6 ,how many die and make no restitution of all the detraction and the calumny of which they have been guilty1 and go to their grave amid the secret jeers and curses of their neighbors6 ,blessed is he that is defended from a wicked tongue1 says the ,holy ,scripture1 that hath not passed into the wrath thereof1 and that hath not drawn the yoke thereof1 and hath not been bound in its bands4 ,for its yoke is a yoke of iron3 and its bands are bands of brass4 ,the death thereof is a most evil death3 and hell is preferable to it4 ,footnote #aje ,footnote #aje3 ,ecclus4 xxviii4 #bc1 #bd4 ,,usccb3 ,sirach xxviii4 #ai-ba4 #bgg ,do you wish to escape such a lamentable end8 ,would you die the death of the just1 leaving your name in benediction1 your loss sincerely mourned1 and your soul defended with prayers at the bar of judgment8 ,deal with thy neighbor now whilst thou art in the way with him4 ,put thy house in order1 and especially when you come to die4 ,let no worldly consideration1 no thought of pride1 hinder you from a perfect reconciliation with all men--a full payment of every debt--a free forgiveness for every wrong you have suffered4 ,the few moments that remain to you1 you will need to pray for ,god's forgiveness for your own sins4 ,remember the ,lord's words3 ,for with what judgment you have judged1 you shall be judged2 and with what measure you have measured1 it shall be measured to you again4 ,footnote #ajf ,footnote #ajf3 ,st4 ,matt4 vii4 #b4 ,lastly1 to die well1 we must fulfil the obligations we owe to ourselves4 ,we are ,christians1 and should meet death like ,christians4 ,that is1 we owe it to ourselves to show at that supreme moment some evidence that we are not being forced out of life as if there were no existence beyond it1 but that we are ready to answer the call that ,god makes to us to come home2 not that we are setting out upon a journey of darkness and lonely misery1 but that we are following ,jesus1 who has overcome the sting of death and robbed the grave of its terrors4 #bgh ,that we may be encouraged in this1 we should bring to mind the examples which the holy martyrs and the other saints of ,god have left us in their deaths4 ,death1 in its very nature1 is humiliating and degrading to human nature4 ,it conquers us2 it leaves us not a trace of our beauty nor a vestige of our power4 ,no wonder that the flesh is weak and trembles before it2 but the spirit1 ennobled with ,christian faith and hope1 and strengthened with ,christian charily1 is willing and courageous4 ,the ,christian's death is then no longer an ignominious defeat1 but a glorious sacrifice4 ,the flesh goes1 indeed1 to the prison of the grave2 but the spirit1 set free from its mortal bonds1 mounts to the skies to be crowned with power and immortality4 ,one thought alone should occupy our minds in our last hours--the thought of uniting our souls to ,god1 whom we are so soon to meet4 ,it is painful to see a dying person thinking of nothing but how to give some momentary relief to his body1 each instant calling for some new comfort1 as anxious and careful as if he were preparing for a long life1 instead of employing the precious moments in prayer1 in acts of contrition for the sins of his past life1 and in acts of love to ,god4 ,i know that many persons think it useless to try to pray at such a time1 when the strength is failing and the senses are growing dull2 but it is not so4 #bgi ,they can pray in their soul1 as a saintly woman told me on her death-bed4 ,seeing that ,i noticed the beads in her hands1 she said to me3 ,i am not able to say my beads1 father2 but1 when ,i feel lonesome1 ,i take them out to keep me company1 and ,i pray in my soul4 ,we may make all our acts acts of prayer1 if we will4 ,our acceptance of sickness and death in the spirit of penance is prayer4 ,our resignation to the will of ,god--our patience in suffering--our gentleness and mildness with those who are tending and watching us--all these things are prayer1 if we practise them with the thought that they are pleasing to ,god4 ,then1 there are the holy sacraments of the dying1 full of grace1 comfort1 and strength to our souls4 ,i know few ,catholics wilfully neglect these1 but it is a source of grief to the priest to be called1 so often as he is1 to administer the last sacraments to those who ought long ago have received the first ones they need4 ,i think it is one of the most discouraging events in the ministry to go to a dying man and find that it is years since he confessed or received the ,holy ,communion4 ,confession6 ,i tell you that it is very seldom that one on his sick-bed makes as good a confession as he would if he were well4 ,he cannot do it4 ,his mind is not as clear2 his memory fails him2 and1 worst of all1 he makes little or no effort to prepare himself for it4 ,what is the consequence8 #bhj ,his contrition is as vague and indifferent as is his confession4 ,with how much devotion does he receive the ,holy ,viaticum and the ,extreme ,unction8 ,alas6 this man did not begin to pray or to think about either till an hour ago1 when the doctor told him he had to die4 ,the priest absolves him1 and he and his friends are content4 ,but did ,god absolve him8 ,tell me if he made a good confession1 or was sincerely sorry for his sins1 and then ,i will tell you whether ,god absolved him4 ,woe be to him if he did not1 for it is the last chance he has to confess1 and but too frequently it is the last appeal he makes to ,god for forgiveness4 ,the priest gives him the ,holy ,communion4 ,does he receive it worthily8 ,not1 of course1 because he is going to die1 or because this is his last ,communion4 ,does he receive it in as good dispositions as would make it a worthy ,communion if he were well1 and had received it in the church at the altar8 ,if not1 he makes an unworthy ,communion1 and eats and drinks damnation to himself4 ,the priest anoints him4 ,is he signed and consecrated to ,god1 and are his senses purified1 and his soul strengthened8 ,yes1 if he be in the grace of ,god4 ,if not1 he is signed and delivered over to ,satan by it1 and his soul is prepared for hell4 ,oh6 if one wishes to be able to fulfil these obligations well at the hour of death1 he must not neglect the preparation for them in life4 #bha ,beautiful is the happy death of a ,christian6 ,death6 ,he does not die4 ,he enters into life2 he rests from his labors2 he falls asleep in the ,lord4 ,not long ago1 ,i received an invitation to attend the funeral of a priest4 ,it was couched in these words3 ,you are invited to attend the funeral of the ,very ,rev4 ,patrick ,moran1 who entered into his rest at half-past eight on ,wednesday morning last4 ,fitting sentence1 indeed1 to describe the death of that venerable and holy old man6 ,through a long life he lived and labored only for ,god4 ,full of years and of merit1 ripe for heaven1 and ready to begin his eternal life1 he ceased from work at the call of his divine ,master1 and entered into his rest4 ,thus should every ,christian die4 ,it is what the ,holy ,church wishes for us all4 ,when the solemn dirges are chanted over us1 again and again she prays3 ,requiem ternam dona eis1 ,domine4 ,requiescant in pace4 ,eternal rest grant unto them1 ,o ,lord6 ,may they rest in peace6 ,my brethren1 ,i have tried to-day to lay before you the duties of the dying ,christian4 ,soon will some of you be called upon to put them in practice4 ,are you all ready for the last preparations8 ,is your life to-day such as you would like it to be1 if to-morrow you are to die8 ,is your confession made for this year8 ,have you received the ,easter ,communion8 ,are you at peace with ,god and men8 #bhb ,these are questions which you will wish to be able to answer in the affirmative when you call upon the priest for your holy rites and his parting blessing4 ,prepare now1 that you may be prepared then4 ,begin to-day1 for the hour may come sooner than you imagine in which you shall hear this awful message from the ,lord3 ,put thy house in order1 for thou shalt die1 and not live4 ------------------------ #bhc ,sermon ,,xix4 ,the ,king's ,marriage ,feast4 7,for ,the ,nineteenth ,sunday ,after ,pentecost47 ,st4 ,matt4 xxii4 #ad4 ,for many are called1 but few are chosen4 ,there are some ,catholics who1 with the smallest quantity of the spirit of the ,catholic religion1 are very boastful of the name4 ,they look down upon those who are out of the fold of the ,church with scorn and contempt4 ,their whole demeanor indicates that they consider themselves immensely superior to these unfortunate creatures1 who are all doomed necessarily to eternal destruction4 ,as to themselves1 they deem it impossible that they should incur the same doom1 because they are ,catholics4 ,they are not members of the ,church so much by a special divine favor1 but rather they have conferred a favor on ,god by belonging to it4 ,the ,church belongs to them by the right of birth1 and the fact of their parents having been ,catholics gives them the privilege of sneering at all not born under similar circumstances4 #bhd ,i have even heard such persons call converts to the faith by the sweet and charitable epithet of turncoats1 and say they should have remained where they were1 and that it is a disgraceful thing to abandon the religion of one's forefathers4 ,catholicity with such is a thing of descent and of family pride2 not a thing of the heart and of the will4 ,the ,holy ,ghost understood this spirit1 and1 by the mouth of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 rebuked it severely3 ,bring forth fruits worthy of penance1 and do not begin to say1 ,we have ,abraham for our father4 ,footnote #ajg ,these words1 applied to the ,jews of old1 might well be translated for the benefit of many ,catholics nowadays--,do not begin to say1 ,we are born of ,catholic parents1 our forefathers have been ,catholics for many generations1 if you are living like the heathen2 but bring forth fruits worthy of that holy and sacred name of ,catholic2 otherwise you will never come to enjoy the presence of ,god1 but be everlastingly cast out4 ,footnote #ajg3 ,st4 ,luke iii4 #h4 ,the parable of to-day gives us the most useful instruction on this very subject4 ,a certain king made a marriage feast for his son4 ,this king is the ,god of heaven and earth4 ,the marriage feast ,he makes is the participation of the creature in ,his own glory2 a boundless and inconceivable happiness1 which shall never have end or diminution2 a realization of more than we have dreamed of1 or could possibly imagine4 #bhe ,this is the marriage feast of ,his ,eternal ,son1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 because ,he1 by taking our flesh upon ,himself and becoming man1 by suffering and dying upon the cross1 has redeemed us from sin1 elevated us far above the capacity of nature1 and enabled us to aspire to this magnificent destiny4 ,it is ,his marriage feast1 because it is the celebration of the eternal nuptials of ,himself with the soul4 ,it is the marriage feast in which the ,omnipotence of the ,eternal ,beauty is exercised to render the guests eternally and supremely happy1 filling them with an ocean of unbounded joy and contentment4 ,the king sent out his servants into the highways and public streets1 with directions to call or invite to his feast all they should meet1 and urge them to come in4 ,this is what ,god does now every day4 ,he calls1 indiscriminately1 the rich and the poor1 the noble and the lowly1 into the fold of ,his ,church4 ,it is no merit on their part which brings them the invitation4 ,they are all ragged and dirty in the sight of ,god4 ,not one of them but would be a disgrace to the ,king's feast2 but ,god does not look at that4 ,he is moved only by ,his desire to do them a great favor1 and confer upon them great happiness4 #bhf ,when ,he invites them1 ,he intends to make them fit2 to wash off the dirt1 and put suitable clothing upon them1 so that they may be made fit to enter ,his banqueting-hall4 ,he has them brought to an outer room1 where are baths and precious ointments1 and splendid garments1 and servants in abundance to put them on4 ,they need not trouble themselves with the expense of providing anything1 for the ,king provides all4 ,a child is brought to the priest for baptism4 ,that child is of ,catholic parents1 and they bring it4 ,the child knows nothing at all of what is done for it4 ,it had no choice in the matter4 ,it might have been born of another race and of another religion1 but ,god1 and not itself1 has caused it to be born of ,catholic parents1 and to be brought by them to baptism4 ,it is1 as it were1 met on the highway and called in1 all stained by original sin1 to be washed in baptism1 endowed with the right to the sacraments1 and invested with an immortal inheritance4 ,so likewise ,jesus ,christ has commanded ,his ministers to go and preach the ,gospel to every creature2 to go and invite everybody who hears their voice to come in and enjoy the same privileges4 ,those who accept the invitation have as much right as those who are invited in the other way1 by the accident of their birth2 for no one has any other right than what comes from the pure bounty and goodness of the ,king4 #bhg ,those who are born of ,catholic parents1 and those who are ,catholics by their own free choice in later life1 stand on the same footing4 ,we are all a crowd of beggars1 who were in the broad highway1 and have heard the invitation of the ,king of kings1 and have come in in obedience to it4 ,we are now all standing in the outer hall of the eternal banquet1 or rather in the banqueting-room itself1 waiting for the ,king to come in1 when the music will begin1 and all its grandeur be lighted up by ,his presence4 ,it is a most solemn reflection1 my friends4 ,you and ,i have received this invitation4 ,the ,king's messengers have met us on the highway1 and they have forced us to come in4 ,we have been compelled to come in1 for ruin and death were the alternative of staying out4 ,we have no longer the liberty of ranging the highways4 ,we are no longer in the position of the heathen--without the knowledge of the true religion1 and without baptism4 ,the indelible mark1 or character as it is termed1 of baptism has been imprinted on our souls2 all the ages of eternity will not suffice to wipe it out4 ,poor as this privilege was to be hungry and ragged and miserable1 it is ours no longer1 but we are in the banqueting-hall of the marriage feast4 #bhh ,there we are1 and we cannot go out into the highway again4 ,once in1 the door is shut behind us1 and there is no key to unlock it4 ,once removed out of the state of our birth and made heirs of the kingdom of heaven by baptism1 it is impossible to put us back again in our former relations4 ,the mark of baptism1 stamped upon our souls1 will remain with us either in heaven or in hell4 ,elevated by ,god's goodness far above the condition of our nature1 if we fall1 it must be down1 deeper far than the condition from which we were first taken4 ,a man may neglect his duty to ,god1 and try to persuade himself that the end and object of his existence is to get money1 or fame1 or power1 or pleasure1 but he will find to his cost that it was no such thing4 ,the end and object of his existence was to learn to love and serve ,god in this world1 in order to be happy with ,him in the next2 to prepare to be a worthy guest at the marriage feast of the ,lamb1 the ,son of ,god1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,and now we are all in at the feast1 and the ,king comes around to see the guests4 ,he discovers one without a suitable garment on2 one who has had the brazen-faced shamelessness to intrude himself into the company all ragged and dirty1 without the least pains to make himself look decent1 and pay respect to the ,king and his guests4 ,could there be a more outrageous insult8 #bhi ,could anything be more wanton and impudent than such conduct8 ,the ,king had provided everything2 all they needed was at hand2 ,he had warned them to make themselves fit before going in3 and here is this man1 in spite of all this1 deliberately walking into this splendid entertainment1 with old tattered clothes and unwashed face and hands4 ,the ,king is justly indignant1 and commands him to be bound hand and foot1 and cast into a dismal prison4 ,is it not so8 ,has not ,god provided the ,holy ,sacrament of ,penance1 where1 with little trouble1 the soul can be washed and cleansed from all its defilements8 ,the ,holy ,sacrament of the altar1 where the soul is nourished1 and strengthened1 and adorned by feeding on the body and blood of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ8 ,are not innumerable graces and virtues waiting for us1 ready to be given1 if we will only take the trouble to ask for them8 ,yes1 the ,king of ,glory will come around to see the guests at the eternal feast4 ,he will inspect each one of us4 ,when will ,he come around8 ,when we die4 ,then it is the ,judge of the whole human race will come around to see if we are in the banqueting-hall of the eternal feast with the marriage garment on4 #bij ,we came up to the door of the church1 and we received a ticket of admission4 ,all right so far4 ,we entered the door1 and we remained within among the rest4 ,still all is right1 and no doubt we felt pleased to be in such good company1 and no one turned us out4 ,but what good will all this do if we have not the wedding garment on8 ,what good will it do us to have gone to the church and heard the sermons1 if we have not on the wedding garment8 ,what good to have had the sacraments in life1 or even at the hour of death1 if we have not on the wedding garment8 ,what is this wedding garment8 ,the grace of ,god4 ,if we are in mortal sin1 we have not the wedding garment on4 ,we pulled it off when we committed sin1 and rendered ourselves utterly unfit for the company of heaven4 ,if we are in mortal sin at this moment1 we are now in the marriage feast of the ,king's ,son without the wedding garment1 and woe be to us if the ,king should happen to come around4 ,at any moment ,his eye may fall upon us1 and we may hear the words1 ,friend1 why camest thou in hither with out having on a wedding garment8 ,you will be struck dumb with confusion and have nothing to reply2 and then will go forth the irrevocable sentence1 ,bind him hand and foot1 and cast him into the outer darkness2 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4 #bia ,oh6 who can comprehend the folly of the human race--a race of beings so feeble and miserable1 and limited by its nature1 and yet so unlimited and unbounded in its cravings for happiness-- who can make so little of that offer which lifts them out of all this misery and exceeds their highest expectations8 ,one would think this offer would fill them with delight and a noble enthusiasm to avail themselves of it4 ,and yet1 what do we see8 ,god's offer is despised4 ,an immortal destiny is thrown away4 ,man1 created to the image and likeness of ,god1 makes himself like the beasts that perish4 ,he boasts and prides himself on the fact that he lives for the body1 and despises eternity and ,god4 ,many are called4 ,many are placed in the way of salvation4 ,many have an abundance of means in their hands to attain to it4 ,with a little attention1 with light exertion1 many would be saved who are lost4 ,what inexcusable folly6 ,let us not be guilty of it4 ,let us live for our immortal souls4 ,let us put on the wedding garment of truth1 and sincerity1 and justice--that white garment that we received at baptism--and see that we keep it unspotted until the end4 ----------------------------- #bib ,sermon ,,xx4 ,good ,use ,of ,sickness4 7,for ,the ,twentieth ,sunday ,after ,pentecost47 ,ecclesiasticus xxxviii4 #i4 ,,usccb3 ,sirach xxxviii4 #i4 ,my son1 in thy sickness neglect not thyself1 but pray to the ,lord1 and he shall heal thee4 ,the ,gospel of the day relates the miracle of the healing of the ruler's son4 ,that this man had the right kind of faith which pleases ,god1 and obtains extraordinary favors from ,his hand1 is shown by the promptitude of his belief in what our ,lord said to him4 ,although he had urged and insisted upon our ,lord's going down to ,capharnaum with him1 yet1 no sooner did he hear the words1 ,go thy way1 thy son liveth1 than he immediately returned home alone without further doubt or remonstrance4 ,i do not think1 my brethren1 that we exercise enough of this faith in ,god in our sicknesses2 not1 understand me1 that we are to look for miraculous cures of our ailments and diseases1 or that we are to condemn ourselves for want of faith if our prayers for relief are not answered on a sudden2 but what ,i mean is1 that we too often misapprehend the cause of our sicknesses1 and do not make the good use of them we might4 ,let me say a few words which may be for our instruction and edification on these points4 #bic ,in any event1 whatever may be the direct cause of our sickness1 it is1 after all1 the will of ,god4 ,if we fall sick through our own culpable neglect or criminal excesses1 it is still the will of ,god4 ,we have1 in this1 disturbed the good order of ,his ,providence1 and suffer the natural consequences of it4 ,there are1 besides1 those countless forms of disease and phases of ill health which afflict us1 and which we are not able to trace to any fault of ours4 ,we fall sick1 and cannot tell how or why4 ,an invisible hand has touched us at a moment we knew not1 and our strength is gone1 the light has fled from our eyes1 and the color from our cheek4 ,a secret poison has insinuated itself into our blood1 and dried up the fountains of health and vigor4 ,fierce and rapid in its destruction1 a week1 a day1 or even a few hours suffice to bring us to the point of death1 and shatter the boasted glory of our strength4 ,then1 if the danger passes and the prospect of returning health smiles upon us1 we have yet to pass through the long and tedious days and nights of convalescence1 gathering but slowly1 and with great labor and suffering1 that which we lost so quickly and so easily4 #bid ,the first and most necessary truth for a ,christian to reflect upon in the time of sickness is that1 in some way or other1 ,god's hand is in it1 and that the stroke falls either in chastisement1 in mercy1 or as a special favor and blessing4 ,we must never forget that life is given to us with all its vicissitudes of joy and sorrow1 of prosperity and adversity1 of pains and pleasures1 more because of eternity than on its own account4 ,sickness comes in its proper turn at fitting times as a part of the life that we are to lead here below2 and when it is good for us1 then ,god sends it4 ,he has ends in view that we may be wholly ignorant of4 ,he knows our souls well and watches over them1 and a ,christian ought to believe that he is never sick in body but for the sake of the health of his soul4 ,but some one may say that is bringing sickness1 health1 and the like within the pale of religion4 ,o ye sons of men6 how long will ye be dull of heart8 ,why do you love vanity1 and seek after lying8 ,we are cunning enough in the ways of the world1 but why so slow to understand the ways of ,god8 ,is there anything that we are1 or have1 or can be that is not of ,god8 ,why forever trying to lie to ourselves1 and leave ,him out of account8 ,are we sick or well1 rich or poor1 learned or ignorant1 honored or despised1 that ,god does not know it1 has not so appointed it1 and has not good reasons for it8 ,and is not the referring of any or all of the states of our being to ,him an act of religion8 #bie ,the truth is1 my brethren1 that the manner in which one receives and bears an attack of illness is a good test of one's religion4 ,you will see some giving away to inordinate fear and anxiety upon the approach of the first symptoms of disease4 ,they are not in the habit of referring even their health to ,god1 or of thanking ,him for it4 ,they imagine they live of themselves4 ,so1 when they feel their own strength leaving them1 and are forced to say--,i can hold up myself no longer1 then terror seizes upon them1 as if all aid1 human or divine1 was wanting1 because they can no longer help themselves4 ,see1 too1 how the positively irreligious and wicked man generally acts in the commencement of sickness4 ,he talks about his fate1 his ill-luck1 and curses it4 ,he utters incoherent cries of impatience1 and is full of anxiety to discover the act of indiscretion on his own part1 or the fault of others1 through which he has fallen ill4 ,but the true ,christian1 whose soul is prepared for tribulation1 with whom ,god is no stranger in the time of health1 recognizes instantly the hand of ,god when that health is threatened4 ,with holy ,job1 he exclaims3 ,if we have received good things at the hand of ,god1 why should we not receive evil8 ,footnote #ajh ,footnote #ajh3 ,job ii4 #aj4 #bif ,he may be surprised1 as all are1 at the unlooked-for blow1 but there is no sign of angry complaint or of envious repining4 ,it is all right1 he says1 ,god knows best4 ,this one thought satisfies his heart1 ,god knows about it4 ,he knows why ,he sends it4 ,he knows how long it will last2 how much ,i shall suffer1 and how it will end4 ,may ,his holy will be done6 ,you see1 my brethren1 that what ,i desire to impress upon your minds is that1 in all sickness1 from whatever cause1 the will of ,god is to be acknowledged4 ,it is not every ,christian1 ,i regret to say1 who does so look upon it4 ,too often you will find it regarded as a grievous misfortune1 having no good reason why it should be1 and without any compensation for the loss of worldly enjoyment and advantages which it necessarily entails2 and1 even if they do agree that ,god has sent it1 then it is because ,god is angry with them4 ,he is taking vengeance upon them4 ,there appears to be no other possible reason that can be given for it4 ,as ,i said before1 we are afflicted with sickness not only as a chastisement for sin1 but sometimes also in mercy1 as an act of loving-kindness and forethought on the part of ,god2 and again very frequently1 as in the case of holy ,job1 as an opportunity to try our faith1 to enable us to show our constancy and love to ,god1 and is therefore to be looked upon as a mark of predilection1 and a positive blessing and grace4 #big ,certainly1 sickness is sometimes sent as a punishment for sin4 ,it comes as a natural and just consequence of sinful excesses4 ,look at the drunkard and the debauchee4 ,they have gone on for awhile in seeming impunity1 but every debauch was a blow struck upon the citadel of life and health4 ,soon it is shattered1 and totters and falls into ruin4 ,go into the streets1 and you may meet them1 with haggard faces and trembling limbs4 ,go to the hospitals and the insane asylums1 and see those wrecks of humanity1 almost soulless men and women1 drivelling idiots1 and sickening masses of corruption4 ,go to many a sick bedside1 in palace or in hovel1 in this great city1 and you may see how sin is punished by an outraged ,god4 ,and1 though you yourself could not trace the fever that blighted you for many long weeks to any natural cause1 you know that you deserved it all4 ,your alarmed conscience did not fail to tell you that there were crimes of your life that demanded retribution4 ,your overweening pride1 your ungovernable anger1 has been humbled in the dust4 ,your days are shortened because of your disobedience and cruelty to your parents4 #bih ,the money you have stolen and would not restore has been wrested from you by the heavy charges of your illness4 ,your disorderly appetites and lusts are now punished with compulsory and exhausting fasts from all food4 ,he hath struck you as being wicked1 in open sight2 who as it were on purpose hath revolted from ,him1 and would not understand ,his ways3 so that you have caused the cry of the needy to come up before ,him1 and ,he has heard the voice of the poor4 ,footnote #aji ,footnote #aji3 ,job xxxiv4 #bf1 #bh4 ,you thought in your sin that you were stronger than ,god4 ,now ,he has rebuked you by sorrow on the sick bed1 and has made all your bones to wither4 ,bread is become abominable to you1 and to your soul the meat which before you desired4 ,you have trampled on ,god's holy law2 you would not go to ,mass to worship ,him4 ,now1 though you would gladly go any distance1 and suffer any pain to be present at it1 you are denied that joy and consolation4 ,you are as one upon whom the church doors are closed1 for whom the altar is thrown down1 and the priest departed4 ,in whatsoever a man sins1 says the ,holy ,scripture1 in that also shall he be punished4 #bii ,sickness has come upon you4 ,why8 ,in mercy1 ,god sees how indifferent you have become to ,him4 ,he sees how your soul has become absorbed in worldly things4 ,your heart is following after strange gods1 and your footsteps are leading down to hell4 ,as ,eliu said to ,job1 ,your guardian angel has spoken to ,god for you1 and said1 ,deliver him1 that he may not go down to corruption4 and ,god in mercy has heard his prayers1 and your way is stopped4 ,it is because ,god loves you1 and would save you1 that this has come upon you4 ,in the days of pain1 and during the long1 feverish nights1 you will remember ,god4 ,in your anguish you will turn to ,him for comfort1 and in your fear you will put your trust in ,him4 ,this world has had too much of your heart4 ,on a sick bed you will be able to judge how much it is worth4 ,you will condemn the vanity of your life4 ,the past will be repented of4 ,new resolutions will be made4 ,you will come back to health with a refreshed and chastened spirit4 ,what the friend of ,job said to him1 you will say of yourself3 ,my flesh is consumed with punishments1 that ,i may return to the days of my youth4 ,i will pray to ,god1 and ,he will be gracious to me3 and ,i shall see ,his face with joy4 ,when ,i look upon men1 ,i shall say1 ,i have sinned1 and indeed ,i have offended1 and ,i have not received what ,i deserved1 hath delivered my soul from going into destruction1 that it may live and see the light4 ,footnote #aaj ,footnote #aaj3 ,job xxxiii4 #be-bh4 #cjj ,yes1 my dear brethren1 ,i think this is the cause of a great deal of the sickness that is sent upon us4 ,the fever1 the cholera1 the accident1 are good preachers1 and they make themselves heard4 ,i do not wonder1 then1 to see men compelled to listen to their threatening tones1 and their souls terrified at their menacing gestures of death1 and their eloquent descriptions of the coffin and the grave4 ,the words of ,god's appointed preacher fall unheeded upon their ears4 ,as long as they have strength enough to hear us1 they have courage enough to disobey us4 ,but ,god shows them a vision of a newly made grave1 and causes their feet to totter upon its brink1 that they may not go down into it unabsolved4 ,o blessed sickness6 how many wandering souls have you not brought back to a forgotten ,god6 ,how many almost lost have you not snatched from the jaws of hell6 ,god is a kind and thoughtful ,father to us1 when we often think ,him a hard and cruel ,master4 ,like a surgeon1 the deeper and more hidden the wound1 the more resolutely does he cut down upon it1 and lay it open1 in order to effect a radical cure4 ,he chastises us in mercy here1 that ,he may spare us at ,his judgment-seat in the day of ,his wrath4 #cja ,why are you sick1 you who have no grievous crimes to expiate--you whose whole heart has belonged to ,god this many a day8 ,because you are the object of ,his special graces1 and a chosen vessel of election4 ,what is the secret of this apparent contradiction8 ,god wishes to try you1 and prove your constancy4 ,not that ,he doubts you4 ,on the contrary1 ,he knows how true your heart is4 ,he has every confidence in your fidelity4 ,but ,he wishes to glorify that fidelity4 ,he wishes to give you a chance to show that you can trust ,him in the darkness as well as in the light4 ,he strikes you1 that you may have glorious wounds to show at the last day4 ,do you not know that to suffer for any one is to give a better proof of love than to confer favors and benefits8 ,you have done a good deal for ,god1 ,i know4 ,he does not forget it4 ,he asks you to give up that which it is the hardest thing in the world to sacrifice--your health4 ,it seems the most unreasonable thing to sacrifice4 ,your friends and neighbors pity you4 ,they know how much good you were able to do when you were strong and well4 ,they regret to see your usefulness cut off4 ,that usefulness was your constant self-sacrifice for the good of your neighbor4 ,they would like to see that go on4 ,they forget that ,god wants you to do a little self-sacrifice for ,him1 for ,him alone1 just as if there were no one in existence except you and ,he in the whole universe4 ,this is why you are sick and suffering4 #cjb ,rejoice1 then1 ,o ,christian sufferer6 and bear your cross1 not only with patience and resignation1 but with holy joy and a thankful heart4 ,your labors are accepted in ,his sight1 and only this is yet wanting to you--the merit of suffering for ,him4 ,my brethren1 this is1 ,i well know1 a strange doctrine in the ears of the world1 and especially to the unbelieving world around us in our day4 ,meritorious suffering is something which our ,protestant friends not only do not comprehend1 but laugh at1 so that to most of them1 even the very passion and death of our ,lord is an enigma4 ,they may believe it1 but it is an unreasonable belief on their part1 for they ridicule the very principle upon which its reasonableness is founded4 ,the ,catholic ,church teaches us that there is a merit in suffering1 in voluntary mortification1 in fasting and abstinence1 in giving up the world1 its friendships and its pleasures2 that it is meritorious and pleasing to ,god for the priest and the virgin to deny themselves the joys and comforts of the married state2 in a word1 that ,god is glorified as well by suffering as by act4 ,this is her principle4 ,it is the only principle which can give any reasonable explanation of the atoning sacrifice of our ,lord1 and to deny it is to deny ,christ4 ,accidental1 or rather ,providential1 suffering1 such as we have in sickness1 is turned to the same account1 and sanctified by our offering it to ,god in the spirit of sacrifice2 for it is not in the act of suffering itself1 but in the will1 that merit is obtained4 #cjc ,now1 my brethren1 you see in what spirit we should receive and endure sickness4 ,the will should accept it at once1 calmly1 willingly1 without murmur or complaint4 ,it is ,god's will4 ,that should be sufficient4 ,our own will must respond and make an entire and generous offering of it4 ,in the beginning of sickness1 then1 let us say1 ,o my ,god6 ,i accept this at your hands with all the pain ,i shall suffer1 whatever may be the reason you have so willed it1 in satisfaction for my sins1 as an admonition to lead a better life1 and as a happy chance to suffer something for your sake in union with the sufferings of my ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,help me by your grace to profit by it as you desire4 ,while the sickness lasts1 let us often look back upon ,god1 as a gallant knight upon a perilous journey thinks upon his liege lord1 whose behests are his law1 and whose honor is in his hands1 renewing again and again our first fervent offering and oath of fidelity4 ,there will be times when we need to think upon ,god--times of trial and temptation1 when nothing but the thought of ,god will support us4 ,for there are moments of suffering1 when our nearest and dearest friends are dumb in our presence2 when the friendly hand1 uncertain1 stops and hesitates before us1 fearing lest too rudely it may draw aside the veil that shrouds our anguish--agonizing moments when all human thought and language dies upon the threshold4 #cjd ,happy the soul who then knows whither to turn for that longed-for comfort which the world in its weakness cannot give6 ,happy is he who has learned the secret of sanctifying suffering6 ,for such the ,lord's words have a meaning3 ,blessed are they that mourn3 for they shall be comforted4 ,these thoughts and the lessons they teach appear to my mind not inappropriate to the season through which we are passing4 ,nature is putting on her autumn garb of sombre tints1 telling us that her strength and beauty are passing away1 and that her days of brightness are declining4 ,the woods1 once vocal with the song of birds1 now begin to look lonely and deserted4 ,their stillness is broken only by the rustling fall of the dry and withered leaves1 like the stealthy and hushed footsteps heard in the sick chamber4 ,the sighing of the winds through the branches robbed of their crown of verdure is mournful in the ears of the listener1 as the low1 dreamy moanings in a sick man's sleep4 ,they both speak of decay and whisper of death4 ,of those of us1 my brethren1 for whom ,god is preparing the couch of sickness1 against whose sight the light of day will be shut out1 and upon whose prostrate form the shadows of suffering will soon fall1 some will rise and walk forth in the warm sunshine of a hopeful spring1 and some1 like the fallen leaves1 will never flourish again1 but lie1 like them1 to crumble1 decay1 and mingle with the dust4 #cje ,their white pall of the winter snow shall also be ours4 ,the fierce winter storm shall howl its doleful requiem over our heads as it passes by1 but we shall not heed it4 ,the earth shall smile in beauty again1 but not for us4 ,oh6 be it for us as it may--,god knoweth6 it will be well for us to have thought upon sickness1 and to have prepared our souls for the trial4 ,if health be again granted to us1 we shall return to it again all the better for having known how to receive it and how to improve its time4 ,if not1 then1 when our name shall have become a memory1 and our form a vision of the never-returning past1 we shall look back from the further shore of the dark river of death over which we have passed1 and be glad that we learned how to lean upon ,god in those last dreadful hours in life1 glad that we offered to ,him beforehand the willing sacrifice of health and strength and life1 and thus ascended from the altar of the bed of suffering1 as a victim of acceptable merit in the sight of ,him who rewards1 more than tongue can tell1 the least we ever do or suffer for ,his sake4 ---------------------- #cjf ,sermon ,,xxi4 ,thoughts ,for ,advent4 7,for ,the ,third ,sunday ,of ,advent47 ,philippians iv4 #h4 ,for the rest1 brethren1 whatsoever things are true1 whatsoever things are modest1 whatsoever things are just1 whatsoever things are holy1 whatsoever things are amiable1 whatsoever things are of good repute2 if there be any virtue1 if there be any praise of discipline1 think on these things4 ,the ,christian is so deeply impressed with the truth1 that a time will come when his faith will be changed to sight1 his hope be realized in reward1 and his charity be perfected in the enjoyment of all that is good1 that he may be said to have this thought always uppermost in his mind4 ,it regulates his conduct1 consoles him in affliction1 cheers him in the hour of darkness and of doubt1 and puts in his mouth and hands the words and deeds of encouragement to his fellows4 ,it is a magnetic thought1 which1 amid the storms and tempests of life1 and through all its weary wanderings1 keeps one's heart ever turned towards ,god and eternity4 #cjg ,this blessed time for which we are all looking is the coming of the ,lord1 the manifestation and glorious consummation of the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,as the ,apostle expresses it3 ,looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great ,god and our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,footnote #aaa ,footnote #aaa3 ,ep4 ,titus ii4 #ac4 ,the holy season of ,advent brings this truth more strongly before us1 and directs our thoughts to it by the ,gospel prophecies of the second advent of ,christ1 and by the warnings to prepare for it which ,st4 ,paul gives so often in his epistles4 ,the words of the text follow immediately the admonition of the great ,apostle which the ,church has chosen for the third ,sunday of ,advent3 ,the ,lord is nigh4 ,let us to-day1 then1 think on these things1 and endeavor to make these thoughts profitable4 ,i4 ,whatsoever things are true4 ,here is a thought worth thousands4 ,we look around us1 and see so much insincerity1 duplicity1 and double-dealing2 we meet so many who will overreach us with a friendly smile on their countenance1 and cheat us without a blush1 that we are tempted both to exclaim with ,david1 in haste1 ,all men are liars1 and to descend from our ,christian stand-point of high integrity and noble frankness1 in order to cope with the world after its own fashion1 and meet it with its own weapons4 #cjh ,but it is an unfortunate day for the ,christian when he begins to forget or disbelieve in what is true1 and to think on what is false4 ,his mind is quickly pervaded with a subtle poison1 which induces a meanness towards his fellow-men--a distrust of their good faith1 and ends in a practical disbelief of the ,providence of ,god4 ,to him such unmerited success as attends the corrupt and swindling practices of the day is at first astonishing4 ,the wicked seem to have it all their own way1 and profit by the delay1 and despite the coming of the hour when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed before the judgment-seat of ,christ4 ,his ,christian simplicity and candor gives way little by little before the attacks of this lying spirit2 his faith in truth1 honesty1 and pure motives is gone1 and his practice is not slow to follow his faith4 ,it is a trite saying that the world is full of humbug1 but it is a degrading thought2 and to accept this saying as a universal truth1 or as the guide of his actions1 is unworthy of the ,christian man4 ,i envy not the man who acts on the despicable maxim1 ,treat every man as a rogue until he has proved himself honest4 ,rather1 a thousand times1 would ,i trust in the power of truth1 be true to myself1 and1 if need be1 suffer the loss thereby2 for he who has cheated me is the loser in the end1 while ,i have preserved1 for a small price1 that which is above value1 my ,christian honor and loyalty to truth4 #cji ,sincerity and candor are not dead1 neither has humbug killed them4 ,there are many true people in the world1 be there ever so many hypocrites2 and truth is always living1 real1 indestructible1 for it lives with a divine1 immortal life4 ,remembering our blessed ,lord's words1 then1 let our speech be always yea1 yea1 and nay1 nay2 for that which is over and above these is of evil4 ,footnote #aab ,whatsoever things are true1 let us think on these4 ,footnote #aab3 ,st4 ,matt4 v4 #cg4 ,from another point of view1 what a thought that is for those who are out of the pale of the ,catholic ,church6 ,have they the true faith8 ,have they now that truth which shall stand the trial at the coming of ,jesus ,christ8 ,do they consider their present state a true one in all respects--true before their conscience1 and without doubt before their intelligence8 ,do they regard their religion as a sure religion8 ,what a serious thought it ought to be for many of them who are even now struggling with the strong power of duty1 which bids them make their calling and election sure1 by embracing1 at all hazards1 and with ready obedience and trust in ,god1 that truth in the ,holy ,catholic ,church1 without which they would not now dare to die4 #caj ,oh6 how earnestly1 sincerely1 and courageously ought they to listen to the ,apostle's words1 and think upon those things which are true6 ,there is one of the eight beatitudes for those who think upon the truth4 ,it is the first3 ,blessed are the poor in spirit3 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven--the poor in spirit2 the simple in heart and mind2 a heart and mind to which cunning1 duplicity1 or falsehood is both strange and repulsive4 ,theirs is the kingdom of heaven which ,christ will bring at ,his coming1 who are poor and humble in spirit1 receiving ,god's truth as a little child1 and not rejecting it with high-minded and arrogant self-will1 or with proud disdain4 ,brethren1 whatsoever things are true2 let us think on these things during the ,holy ,advent time4 ,,ii4 ,whatsoever things are modest4 ,modesty is a marked and well-known characteristic of the ,christian4 ,no one would ever think of using the expressions1 heathen modesty or ,mohammedan modesty1 simply because it is neither a heathen nor a ,mohammedan virtue4 ,the ,apostle evidently uses it here in the sense of reservedness of action which springs from true humility of heart4 ,this displays itself in a most pleasing manner to us in the persons of those who1 though endowed with some remarkable talent or accomplishment1 yet1 through the ,christian humility they possess1 are not on that account arrogant and puffed up1 but bear their honors meekly1 and with gentle1 unassuming manners4 #caa ,so with their natural gifts4 ,god has given to some1 more than to others1 beauty of face or form1 or some personal qualification which excites our admiration or affection4 ,and in those who are thus favored1 how much all this beauty is enhanced by the softened halo which ,christian modesty and reserve throws about them6 ,who would pretend to compare the beauty of the haughty and sensual ,magdalen1 flaunting her profane charms in the streets of ,capharnaum1 the theme for the toasts of libertines1 to the beauty of the saintly and almost angelic penitent1 bathing the feet of ,jesus with her tears1 and wiping them with her dishevelled hair6 ,he whose thoughts are modest cultivates an unselfish spirit4 ,alas6 what with our fund of pride1 our intolerant self-will1 and ungovernable temper1 how much we need to think on whatsoever things are modest6 ,how prone we are to stand upon our rights2 how ready to quarrel with and grumble about our neighbors6 ,a profitable thought for the ,advent time1 ,st4 ,paul urged this especially3 ,let your modesty be known of all men4 ,and why so8 ,because the ,lord is nigh4 ,yes1 ,he is nigh who taught us a similar lesson3 ,learn of ,me2 for ,i am meek and humble of heart4 ,footnote #aac ,footnote #aac3 ,st4 ,matt4 xi4 #bi4 #cab ,at ,his coming ,he will recognize for ,his own flock1 not the wolves1 but the sheep2 not the bold-faced and giddy votaries of fashion and pleasure1 but the meek and humble ,christians1 whose beauty is the beauty of their holiness4 ,it is not the useless thorns and briers1 which no one can approach without being wounded1 but the hidden and inoffensive wheat that will be gathered into the garner of the ,lord4 ,there are two beatitudes for the modest-minded--the second and the third3 ,blessed are the meek3 for they shall inherit the earth4 ,and again2 ,blessed are the mourners3 for they shall be comforted4 ,for the meek and modest1 who possess as though they had not2 who teach as though they learned2 who rule as though they obeyed2 whose beauty of body and soul shines among men as though they but reflected that of others2 whose inheritance is renunciation1 and whose wealth is in their gifts2 for them is the whole earth reserved1 in its beauty and its glory1 at the coming of the ,lord4 ,for the blessed mourners1 whose perfection in ,christian modesty has led them to fly all worldly honors and escape its flatteries2 to exchange the gay paths of life for the tearful road of penance1 and whose contrite and humble hearts ,god has promised not to despise--for them is dawning an everlasting day of comfort4 #cac ,,iii4 ,whatsoever things are just4 ,the just man always desires to act honorably and fairly in his dealings4 ,the ,christian is required to give anxious thought as well to the obligations he has contracted towards his neighbor4 ,the closing year naturally brings these obligations to mind2 the debts that are owing1 the promises made1 and the claims for support which others hold against us2 and it is a mark of the good1 conscientious ,catholic that he is anxious about these things1 and is earnestly striving to discharge them4 ,a wise thought for ,advent4 ,for now the ,lord is nigh1 the day of ,his ,judgment approaches1 when all wrongs will be made right4 ,the unjust escape payment here1 through some quibble in the law1 or through practices of chicanery and partial testimony of which they take an unfair advantage1 but whose unpaid debts and hidden thefts will not escape the memory of their righteous ,judge on the last day4 ,let our thoughts be1 then1 to render quickly unto every man his due1 because the ,lord cometh1 because he cometh to judge the earth4 ,he shall judge the world with justice1 and the people with ,his truth4 #cad ,he who thinks upon whatsoever is just will think upon the poor4 ,it is the word of ,god1 that the just taketh notice of the poor1 but the wicked is ignorant of them4 ,footnote #aad ,footnote #aad3 ,prov4 xxix4 #g4 ,god has given to the poor and needy rights which no ,christian man can ignore4 ,they are committed to him by his ,master1 and their ,friend and ,protector1 to be taken care of1 to be thought about1 to be sought out and ministered unto4 ,oh6 a thousand times happier is he who in ,advent time thinks upon the poor3 when winter1 with his icy blasts1 is making the poor shiver with cold and nakedness2 when the poor man goes sadly home to find the cupboard bare and his little ones moaning for hunger2 when lonely widows and friendless girls1 whose homes are in hovels and cheerless garrets1 sit up far into the night with no fire in the stove1 warming their weary and chilled fingers over the candle1 that they may be able to ply the needle that keeps them from starvation4 ,oh6 blessed is that man who1 knowing no hunger or thirst for his body1 yet hungers and thirsts in his soul after justice for the poor2 whose thoughts revert to them when the weather grows colder1 and the storm howls more fiercely1 and can say when he lays his head upon his pillow at night3 ,thank ,god1 ,i have not forgotten them to-day6 #cae ,you all know the beatitude in store for those who think on what is just4 ,it is the fourth3 ,blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice3 for they shall be filled4 ,yes1 ,god will reward them plenteously4 ,the ,psalmist says of them3 ,the just shall flourish like the palm-tree2 he shall grow up like the cedar of ,libanus2 they shall increase to a fruitful old age1 that they may show that the ,lord our ,god is righteous4 ,footnote #aae ,footnote #aae3 ,ps4 xci4 #ac1 #ae4 ,,usccb3 ,ps4 xcii4 #ac1 #ae4 ,,iv4 ,whatsoever things are holy4 ,the vice of the world is irreligion4 ,its votaries do not believe in sanctity4 ,unholy in their lives1 so are their thoughts4 ,they are ever ready to scoff at holy persons and things1 and to stigmatize the pious as hypocrites4 ,but the ,christian is slow to suspect evil4 ,to his pure mind all things are pure4 ,his religion1 which is the law of his life1 he knows to be replete with holiness2 that it is holy in doctrine1 holy in its moral teachings1 and glorious in the great multitude of its saints4 ,and just so far as his religion guides him1 and exercises its hallowing influence over him1 just so far will he delight to think upon what is holy and pure4 ,there are times when the evil we are forced to witness becomes a severe trial to us4 ,scandals are now and then brought to light which grieve the saints1 bring the blush of shame to the cheek of the good ,christian1 and not unfrequently destroy the faith of the lukewarm4 #caf ,scandals must needs come1 said our ,saviour2 but is it1 therefore1 necessary for us to think about them and brood over them8 ,no2 there is good enough for our thoughts1 good enough for us to glory in1 and for which to praise ,god4 ,the ,church never bears her name in vain4 ,she is always the ,holy ,catholic ,church2 and we should rather be striving to prove that holiness in our own lives1 pressing forward towards the mark1 for the prize of the high calling of ,god in ,christ ,jesus1 than stay and linger on the way1 losing our time in mourning an evil we see and cannot remove4 ,there is a beatitude for those whose thoughts are holy4 ,it is the sixth3 ,blessed are the clean of heart3 for they shall see ,god4 ,the pure-minded1 the holy in heart1 are those who are most dear to ,god4 ,brethren1 this is a blessing worth winning1 and it is easily won4 ,remember that the ,lord is nigh4 ,keep your thoughts in the presence of ,god1 and you will prepare your hearts and minds to see ,him in the clear vision of ,his glory1 which is promised to the clean of heart4 ,v4 ,whatsoever things are amiable4 ,to the ,christian there is something sacred in all the beauties of nature and of grace4 ,in everything he sees the hand of ,god1 and all the acts of ,providence are admirable1 and he does not need to be told that they are the best that could happen4 #cag ,one who has such thoughts is sure to be a kind-hearted soul4 ,the world wears easily with him1 for he sees only what is pleasant1 is long mindful of favors1 and quickly forgets and forgives injuries4 ,if his friends happen to be at a disagreement with him1 or even among one another1 it is a positive pain to him4 ,he is uneasy until it is all made up again4 ,it gives him unfeigned delight to bring about a reconciliation between people at variance4 ,oh6 charming and beautiful is such a soul6 ,sweet is the interior peace which it enjoys4 ,he is filled with thoughts of kindness and gentleness because he thinks on those things that are amiable4 ,there is a beatitude for such4 ,it is the seventh3 ,blessed are the peace-makers3 for they shall be called the children of ,god4 ,let us strive1 dear brethren1 to merit this blessing during holy ,advent time1 when we are preparing to meet our ,lord1 who came to bring peace on earth to men of good-will4 ,,vi4 ,whatsoever things are of good repute4 ,i love to see good honest pride4 ,it tells me that there is a desire not only to be respected by men1 but to stand well and blameless before ,god4 ,how much sin would be avoided if ,christians would only be more thoughtful of the character and name they bear6 ,and how many could easily be rescued from shame and degrading despair if one could inspire them with true self-respect6 #cah ,one day1 there came to a priest a young man in the lowest state of moral cowardice from drunkenness4 ,he thought it was of no use to try to retrieve himself1 and his friends looked upon him as a hopeless case4 ,the priest1 however1 did not say one word of reproach to him4 ,he did not need that1 poor fellow2 he was down enough already4 ,but he shook him warmly and encouragingly by the hand1 and said to him1 ,why1 my dear sir1 you have only to think what ,i believe about you1 and in three months time you will be one of the most respectable members of the church4 ,he heard himself called sir1 and my dear sir1 and it would have delighted you to see the change that came over him4 ,he brightened up immediately1 his eyes filled with tears1 and1 returning the pressure of the priest's hand1 he said1 with a voice choked with emotion1 ,so ,i will1 father2 and he departed full of hope1 and strengthened to make good his resolution4 ,thoughts of good repute will shut the mouths of backbiters and slanderers1 and will school the tongue to speak well of every one4 ,the love of our own good repute should teach us to be merciful to others4 ,for1 if there was one who knew all our sins as we ourselves know them1 and threatened to expose us before the world1 how piteously would we cry to him for mercy1 and beseech him to spare the good name we hold6 #cai ,he who would have that mercy shown to him1 let him show it to others1 and bury the knowledge he possesses of their shame in that deep oblivion and secrecy in which he would wish to hide his own4 ,there is a beatitude for such4 ,it is the fifth3 ,blessed are the merciful3 for they shall obtain mercy4 ,,vii4 ,if there be any virtue1 if there be any praise of discipline4 ,the presence and influence of the ,holy ,ghost in the ,church has infused into her members a spirit whose manifest workings have made the world stand in awe4 ,it is ,christian fortitude4 ,this has enabled the martyr to smile in the midst of torture1 and changed the dungeon into an ante-chamber of heaven4 ,this has nerved the missionary to bid an eternal farewell to home1 friends1 and kindred1 and carried him with a fearless heart into the haunt of the savage1 to the shore of the cannibal1 and to the land of the relentless and cruel pagan who gloats over the horrible death he makes a ,christian die4 ,this it is that gives strength to timid1 weak woman to put on the habit of sacrifice1 and enter the pestilential wards of the hospital with a cheerful step1 and watch through the long and weary night by the bedside of the dying stranger1 whose contagious disease carries death to her own brave heart4 #cbj ,this gives her courage to face the cannon's mouth1 and stand amid shot and shell ready to bind up the bleeding wounds of the soldier1 or to waste and wear her life away in seeking out1 teaching1 and reforming the vilest outcasts upon the streets4 ,this it is that covers the ,little ,sister of the ,poor with a panoply of heroism as she goes from door to door begging for the superannuated and bedridden wretches whom she has picked up out of the gutters1 or from the purlieus and filthy alleys of the city1 degraded1 friendless1 and miserable from want or disease2 and it wreathes her head with a halo of glory as she sits down with a merry laugh to eat the scraps of food which they have left1 or puts on the thin and ragged dress which is not warm enough or good enough for her dear old poor4 ,this ,christian fortitude1 this heavenly virtue1 this divine power of discipline and mastery over souls1 is seen in the earnestness and the fearlessness of all the deeds of charity and mercy1 of all the admonitions and exhortations1 and even of the threats and warnings of ,god's ,holy ,church to the nations of the earth4 ,she is able to teach her children to carry out the lesson of the ,lord3 ,fear not them that kill the body1 and after that have no more that they can do4 ,footnote #aaf ,footnote #aaf3 ,st4 ,luke xii4 #d4 #cba ,oh6 let us think a little upon this virtue1 this discipline worthy of all praise1 and it will lead us to be more trusting and loyal to the ,church1 and also to obey her commands the more readily who1 like her ,divine ,founder1 speaks as one having authority4 ,a thought for the ,holy ,advent time3 for at the bottom of it all lies the grand reason of the ,church's existence and work4 ,she prepares men for the coming of the ,lord4 ,she is looking for the establishment and triumph of the kingdom of our ,lord on the earth4 ,the principle of her actions1 which she learned at the foot of her ,master's cross and with which she inspires her children1 is this3 ,sacrifice for love2 suffering for justice's sake4 ,she wins a blessing for it4 ,it is the last3 ,blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice's sake3 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven4 ,i have not brought the beatitudes to mind in connection with these ,advent thoughts without reason4 ,st4 ,paul has a promise of beatitude to those who think on these things--a comprehensive beatitude1 the sum of all happiness3 ,and the ,god of peace shall be with you ,footnote #aag--;a blessing1 my dear brethren1 which ,i hope we may all enjoy when the coming ,christmas shall bring the angelic salutation to our ears3 ,pax hominibus bon voluntatis6 ,footnote #aag3 ,phil4 iv4 #i4 -------------------- #cbb ,sermon ,,xxii4 ,fraternal ,charity4 7,for ,the ,festival ,of ,st4 ,john ,the ,evangelist47 ,i ,epistle ,st4 ,john ii4 #aj4 ,he that loveth his brother abideth in the light1 and there is no scandal in him4 ,we celebrate to-day the ,feast of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 the ,apostle who is distinguished in ,holy ,scripture as the disciple whom ,jesus loved1 and who is represented as leaning on the bosom of the ,lord at the ,last ,supper4 ,now1 we may ask what is the reason the ,lord showed this marked preference and especial affection for ,st4 ,john above the other ,apostles8 ,it must have been because ,st4 ,john was more like the ,lord than any of the others1 for ,god must always love us in proportion as we approach ,his divine image and likeness4 ,the more we put on ,christ--that is1 the more we are clothed with the thoughts1 ideas1 feelings1 and dispositions of ,christ1 the more is ,christ attracted to us in love4 #cbc ,now1 what was the characteristic virtue of this great ,apostle1 which rendered him so like to ,christ and so dear to ,him8 ,it was his tender and overflowing love to his neighbor--that is1 to all his fellow-men4 ,he is pre-eminently the ,apostle of fraternal charity1 or of the love of one's neighbor4 ,nothing1 then1 will please ,st4 ,john better today than to speak of the excellence of this virtue1 which was the continual subject of his discourse4 ,what1 dear brethren1 is the end and object for which we live in this world8 ,undoubtedly it is to acquire the love of ,god4 ,this divine love will render us for ever blessed1 and we shall be blessed just in the proportion we have acquired it4 ,the greatest saints are those who have loved ,god best2 the least in heaven are those who have loved ,him least2 but all must love ,god in some degree1 or there is no place in heaven for them4 ,now1 ,i assert that the easiest1 shortest1 and most efficient road to the love of ,god is the love of our neighbor1 or of our fellow-man1 who is designated by the word neighbor4 ,i assert it on the authority of ,st4 ,john himself1 who has laid it down in the clearest manner4 ,we read in the breviary of to-day this beautiful narrative of ,st4 ,jerome3 ,the blessed ,john the ,evangelist1 whilst he was living at ,ephesus1 in his extreme old age1 was scarcely able to be brought to the church by the hands of his disciples1 and could not weave together many words into a sentence4 ,he did nothing at the different assemblies but repeat the same words1 ',my little children1 love one another4' ,at last the disciples and brethren who were present1 getting tired of always hearing the same thing1 said3 ,master1 why do you always repeat this8 ,he replied in a sentiment worthy of ,st4 ,john3 ',because it is the precept of the ,lord1 and if this alone be observed it is sufficient4' #cbd ,how beautiful is this6 ,little children1 love one another1 and1 ,this alone is sufficient4 ,we must love one another with the sincerity1 the artlessness1 of little children4 ,there must be no hypocrisy about our love2 it must be genuine1 and flow from the right fountain4 ,and what is this fountain8 ,it is the love of ,god4 ,our love of our fellow-men must proceed from the love of ,god4 ,we must love him for the sake of ,god1 and because ,god wishes us to love him1 and because he represents ,god to us4 ,there is a love which is not on account of ,god1 but1 on the contrary1 opposed to ,god1 and which destroys the love of ,god in us4 ,a parent1 for example1 is distractedly fond of a child because the child is beautiful1 or talented1 or amiable1 and this child is consequently indulged and spoiled2 is educated for show and vanity1 or1 to sum it all up1 exclusively for this short-lived world and its object4 #cbe ,such love as this does not lead to ,god1 but turns the soul away from ,him4 ,with passionate eagerness it fixes it on the present1 as its last end and chief good1 and quenches its thirst for ,god1 who is the only last end and chief good for which it was created4 ,we must love our neighbor1 because we see in him an immortal soul1 created to the image and likeness of ,god1 and destined to participate at last in the glory and happiness of ,god4 ,we must love our neighbor1 because he has been bought by the blood of ,jesus ,christ1 his ,god1 who was willing to lay down ,his life for him1 after thirty years of toil and hardship1 suffering the agony of the cross4 ,now1 dear brethren1 let me explain this a little more practically4 ,you see a person who is in some respects repugnant to you4 ,his manners and ways of acting are not pleasant to you2 indeed1 some of his actions are very disagreeable4 ,well1 then1 if you are actuated in loving your neighbor by the love of ,god1 you will not allow your mind to dwell on these things so far as to conceive a dislike or hatred1 but1 on the contrary1 you will rise above such thoughts1 by considering his relation to ,god4 ,you will see ,god in him1 and this will keep your mind sweet1 gentle1 and kind towards him4 #cbf ,this is what our ,lord says3 ,you have heard what has been said3 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor1 and hate thy enemy2 but ,i say unto you1 ,love your enemies2 do good to them that hate you1 and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you1 that you may be the children of your ,father who is in heaven2 who maketh ,his sun to rise upon the good and the bad1 and raineth upon the just and the unjust4 ,for if you love those that love you1 what reward shall you have8 ,do not even the publicans the same8 ,and if you salute your brethren only1 what do you more8 ,do not also the heathen the same8 ,be ye perfect1 therefore1 as your heavenly ,father is perfect4 ,footnote #aah ,footnote #aah3 ,st4 ,matt4 v4 #dc-dh4 ,there1 ,christians1 is the doctrine of our ,lord and ,master1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,if it is not yours also1 is it proper to call you by ,his name1 ,christians8 ,should you not rather be called1 according to ,his way of naming1 heathens and publicans8 ,but how many objections are raised against this plain and heavenly doctrine8 ,how much repugnance and fighting against it6 ,you see a poor man in the street1 or in his miserable shanty4 ,he is ragged and dirty1 for rags and dirt are often necessary accompaniments of poverty4 ,do you see in him ,jesus ,christ8 ,no2 only an object of disgust4 ,instead of relieving him1 you begin to reason4 ,why does he not go to work8 #cbg ,he is idle and shiftless4 ,if he is relieved1 he will be just the same4 ,instead of helping him1 let him be forced by stress of poverty and starvation to find work4 ,and after all1 the poor man has done his best1 and at least should not have to bear undeserved reproach1 as well as his poverty4 ,my dear brethren1 how is it possible that we should have this right love of our neighbor1 which is supernatural1 unless we love him for ,god's sake2 unless we hunger and thirst to please ,god and acquire ,his justice1 and unless we pray constantly to ,god to grant us this wonderful effect of ,his goodness8 ,let us understand1 then1 that1 if we will acquire the love of ,god1 we must pray for the love of our neighbor1 and then act it out in all sincerity whenever an opportunity offers itself to us4 ,st4 ,john tells us in his epistle3 ,how can we love ,god whom we have not seen1 when we love not our neighbor whom we have seen8 ,this text deserves an explanation4 ,you desire to love ,god more2 you feel that this love is of more value to you than anything else2 this prompts you to fall upon your knees and beg earnestly for it4 ,you say ,my ,god1 give me ,thy love2 give me a great decree of this love4 ,then comes the natural thought ,what shall ,i do to acquire this treasure8 ,how shall ,i conduct myself and order my life1 so as constantly to preserve and increase it8 #cbh ,if ,god would only show ,himself to me1 and ,i could behold ,his beauty1 and experience ,his goodness1 then ,i should know how to love ,him4 ,why does ,he not reveal ,himself8 ,but all is dark1 all is silent4 ,god is hidden3 we cannot form a picture of ,him in our minds4 ,we have never seen ,god at any time1 and we shall not see ,him as long as we remain in the flesh4 ,but ,god and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ walk the streets every day4 ,we meet them whenever we go abroad4 ,how is that8 ,it is in the person of every one we meet1 particularly of the poor1 the miserable1 and the despised4 ,the promise is absolute3 ,inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these1 ye did it unto ,me4 ,love one of these poor men1 entertain a sentiment of compassion for him1 and you have made a genuine act of love of ,god4 ,entertain an habitual love for him1 and respect him for the sake of the ,one he represents1 and you will form the habit of ,god's love in your soul4 ,when ,st4 ,martin cut his cloak in two1 and gave half of it to a poor man he met on the roadside1 our ,lord appeared to him the same night with the half cloak upon his shoulders1 and said3 ,martin the catechumen 7,st4 ,martin was at that time under instruction for his baptism7 has clothed ,me in this garment4 #cbi ,in the account of the last judgment1 everything is described as being settled on this one principle4 ,then the ,king shall say to them that shall be on the right hand3 ,come1 ye blessed of ,my ,father1 possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world4 ,for ,i was hungry1 and you gave ,me to eat3 ,i was thirsty1 and you gave ,me to drink3 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took ,me in3 naked1 and ye clothed ,me3 sick1 and ye visited ,me4 ,i was in prison1 and ye came to ,me4 ,then shall the just answer3 ,lord1 when did we see ,thee hungry1 and fed ,thee2 thirsty1 and gave ,thee drink8 and when did we see ,thee a stranger1 and took ,thee in8 or naked1 and covered ,thee8 or when did we ever see ,thee sick or in prison1 and visit ,thee8 ,and the ,king answering1 shall say to them3 ,amen1 ,i say to you1 as long as ye did it unto the least of these1 my brethren1 ye did it unto ,me4 ,footnote #aai ,footnote #aai3 ,st4 ,matt4 xxv4 #cd-dj4 ,this is what the saints understood and fully realized4 ,st4 ,catharine of ,sienna found an old woman sick of the leprosy4 ,she was so disgusting and loathsome an object that everybody had deserted her1 and she was perishing of neglect and starvation4 ,the saint gladly took charge of her1 cleansed her sores1 prepared her food1 and lavished upon her every possible attention4 #ccj ,the mother of the saint was not so charitable4 ,she heard of her daughter's proceedings1 and became very angry4 ,in her fear of the infection1 she forbade her to attend the sick woman any longer4 ,but ,st4 ,catharine pleaded our ,lord's case so strongly that her mother was obliged to yield4 ,then the old woman1 overcome by her miseries1 took a dislike to her1 and repaid her kindness by a constant torrent of the foulest abuse4 ,st4 ,catharine1 in spite of all this1 never relaxed her kindness a moment4 ,as a further trial1 she caught the infection1 and her hands were all covered with the loathsome disorder4 ,but nothing deterred her from her purpose until she had the satisfaction of receiving the last breath of this poor creature1 who died in sentiments of the deepest contrition4 ,then the saint finished her work by burying her with her own hands1 and1 as she cast the earth into the grave1 those hands became instantly freed from all traces of disease1 and became white and more beautiful than ever before4 ,if we love for ,god's sake1 we shall love all1 and no one will be excluded from our love4 ,love will flow from our hearts1 like the water from a perpetual1 inexhaustible fountain1 which makes all the soil it waters fertile1 producing rich fruits and beautiful flowers1 ,these fruits and flowers of divine charity are well enumerated by ,st4 ,paul3 ,charity is patient1 is kind3 charity envieth not1 dealeth not perversely3 is not puffed up2 is not ambitious2 seeketh not her own2 is not provoked to anger2 thinketh no evil3 rejoiceth not in iniquity1 but rejoiceth in the truth3 beareth all things2 believeth all things2 hopeth all things2 endureth all things4 ,footnote #abj ,footnote #abj3 ,i ,cor4 xiii4 #d-g4 #cca ,dear brethren1 let us reflect on this virtue of fraternal charity1 and resolve to increase in it4 ,let us be more pleasant and kinder in our way of speaking4 ,let us look more kindly upon others1 and their ways of acting4 ,let us endeavor to maintain towards all such a manner of speaking and acting as we suppose our ,lord ,jesus ,christ to have had1 and1 altogether1 be more amiable than we have ever been before4 ,indeed1 let us set no bounds within our own hearts to our love of our fellow-men4 ,every action of love1 no matter how small1 will increase the love of ,god in our hearts4 ,everyone will be another stroke of the oar which drives forward the little boat of our soul toward the kingdom of heaven4 ,every one will be an increase of merit and of eternal reward4