Pulpit Orator
CONTAINING SEVEN ELABORATE SKELETON SERMONS,
OR,

HOMILETIC, DOGMATICAL, LITURGICAL, SYMBOLICAL,
AND MORAL SKETCHES,

FOR EVERY SUNDAY OF THE YEAR.
ALSO ELABORATE SKELETON SERMONS

FOR THE CHIEF FESTIVALS AND OTHER OCCASIONS

BY THE REV. JOHN EVANGELIST ZOLLNER.
TRANSLA TED FROM THE GERMAN, WITH PERMISSION OF
THE AUTHOR, AND ADAPTED BY
THE REV. AUGUSTINE WIRTH, O. S. B.
WITH PREFACE BY THE REV. A. A. LAMBING.

Fifteenth Revised Edition

VOL. IL
From

the

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany to Easter Sunday.

Jfrebetttfc gustet & Co.,
Printers to the Holy Apostolic See and the Sacred Congregation of Rites
RATISBON

ROME

NEW YORK

CINCINNATI

CONTENTS.
Page

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.
1. Homiletic Sketch.—What the Apostle particularly praises in the
Thessalonians.....................................................................................
7
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The two Parables of the Gospel.................... 13
3. Dogmatical Sketch. —The Catholicity of the Church....................20
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Feast-days of the Church.................... 26
5. Symbolical Sketch.—The Church a Grain of Mustard-seed . . 31
6. Moral Sketch.—Sins which many people think trivial....
36
7. Moral Sketch.—Venial sins, a great evil......................................... 41

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
l. Homiletic Sketch.—We must be zealous in working out our Sal­
vation .............................................................................................................46
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The call of the Laborers into the Vineyard and
the payment of their Hire......................................................................... 52
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Apostolicity of the Church
....
58
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Week-days.......................................................... 63
5. Symbolical Sketch.—The Householder and his Vineyard. ...
68
6. Moral Sketch.—The Service of God.......................................................... 74
7. Moral Sketch.—How much God has honored Labor .....
79
SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

1. Homiletic Sketch.—In what the Apostle glories................................ 85
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Why the Word of God has so little effect at
the present time........................................................................................ 91
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Reading of the Bible..................................... 96
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Ceremonies at the preaching of the Word
of God................................................................................................. 102
6. Symbolical Sketch.—The Thorns, a symbol of the riches and plea­
sures of this life.............................................................................108
6. Moral Sketch.—Why the Word of God with many Christians
yields no fruit..................................................................
113
7. Moral Sketch.—"What we must do so that the Word of God
which is preached to us may produce fruit ........ 117
QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
1. Homiletic Sketch.—The necessity, qualities, and duration of Charity 123
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Jesus foretells his Passion, and heals a blind
man................................................................................................................ 129
3. Dogmatical Sketch.—Original sin ........... 135

CONTENTS.
QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.—Continued.
4. Liturgical Sketch.—How we are to keep the Carnival .... 140
5. Symbolical Sketch.—We go up to Jerusalem.................................. 146
6. Moral Sketch.—The sad condition of the Sinner; how he can
amend it . . ....................................................................................... l^C
7. Moral Sketch.—What we must avoid in Shrovetide........................ 156

1. Homiletic Sketch.—The Apostle gives us salutary Admonitions,
and encourages us to imitate him...................................................... 1C2
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Jesus fasts, and overcomes Satan.........................168
3. Dogmatical Sketch.—The assaults of Satan and the means of
rendering them ineffectual...........................................
174
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The blessing and distribution of Ashes as an
introduction to the holy season of Lent............................................180
6. Symbolical Sketch.—What weapons we must use to overcome
Satan.................................................................................
184
6. Moral Sketch —Thr duty and value of fasting.................................. 190
7. Moral Sketch.—Why we must fast.......................
195
SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.
1. Homiletic Sketch.—Why we must shun the vice of Impurity. . 201
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The Transfiguration of Christ............................. 206
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Examination of conscience........................ 213
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Institution of the forty days’ fast . . 219
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Spiritual Transfiguration.................................. 223
6. Moral Sketch.—It is good to be in Heaven.......................................229
7. Moral Sketch.—We may have a Heaven upon earth........................ 235

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.
1. Homiletic Sketch—On Impurity.......................................................... 241
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Jesus casts out a devil and confutes his enemies 247
3. Dogmatical Sketch.—Contrition.......................................................... 253
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Sanctification of Lent. ...... 258
5. Symbolical Sketch.—The maid-servant, sweeping the house with
a broom, a Pattern for penitents..........................................................264
6. Moral Sketch.—The Evil of relapse..................................................... 269
7. Moral Sketch.—The Adversaries of Christ............................. · . 276
FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.
1. Homiletic Sketch.—Agar and Sara, types respectively of the
Jewish and Christian Church.............................................................. 282
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The miraculous Multiplication of the loaves
and fishes ................................................................................................289
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The firm Purpose of Amendment .... 295
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Lenten Masses............................................ 301
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Five loaves of bread for the Sanctification
of Man.................................................................................................... 305
6. Moral Sketch.—How we are to go to Communion.............................313
7. Moral Sketch.—Christian benevolence ··.······· 818

H
CONTENTS.

PASSION SUNDAY.
1. Homiletic Sketch.—The High-Priesthood and Sacrifice of Christ. 324
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Explanation of the Gospel, and lessons from it 331
3. Dogmatical Sketch.—Confession.............................................................336
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The celebration of Passion Sunday.... 342
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Two stones, which in our time are cast at
the Church.................................................................................
347
6. Moral Sketch.—God abandons the incorrigible Sinner ..... 351
7. Moral Sketch.—The Way of the Cross...................................
858

SUNDAY.
Homiletic Sketch.—The humiliation and exaltation of Christ . . 864
Homiletic Sketch.—Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem . .871
Dogmatical Sketch —On Satisfaction................................................... 378
Liturgical Sketch.—The celebration of Palm Sunday .... 383
Symbolical Sketch.—The Sinner, a tethered ass. . . . · . . 388
Moral Sketch.—The difference between Easter communicants . . 395
Moral Sketch.—How we are to receive Jesus in the most Holy
Sacrament of the Altar ................................
400
EASTER SUNDAY.

PALM
1.
2.
8.
4.
5.
6.
7.

1. Homiletic Sketch.—How and why we are to keep Easter . . . 406
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The Apparition of an angel to the women who
visit the Sepulchre of our Lord............................................................. 412
3. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Resurrection of Christ ...... 418
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The celebration of Easter................................... 425
5. Symbolical Sketch.—The Resurrection of Christ, an emblem of
our spiritual resurrection......................................................................... 431
6. Dogmatic-Moral Sketch.—The Resurrection of Christ : its import
for our faith and life.......................................................................
437
7. Moral Sketch.—The Easter joy and sorrow of the Church . . . 443

GENERAL INDEX.
See Volume VI., Page 473

i. Homiletic Sketch.

7

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

Epistle. I. Thess. 2-10. Brethren: We give thanks to God
always for you all; making a remembrance of you in our prayers
without ceasing, being mindful of the work of your faith, and
labor, and charity, and of the enduring of the hope of our Lord
Jesus Christ before God and our Father; knowing, brethren, be­
loved of God, your election; for our gospel hath not been to you
in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in
much fulness, as you know what manner of men we have been
among you for your sakes. And you became followers of us,
and of the Lord : receiving the word in much tribulation, with
joy of the Holy Ghost: so that you were made a pattern to all
that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you was spread
abroad the word of the Lord ; not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
but also in every place, your faith which is towards God is gone
forth, so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves
relate of us, what manner of entering in we had unto you; and
how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true
God. And to wait for his Son from heaven (whom he raised from
the dead), Jesus, who hath delivered us from the wrath to come.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
WHAT THE APOSTLE PARTICULARLY PRAISES IN THE
THESSALONIANS.

The lesson for this day, the sixth Sunday after Epiphany, is
taken from the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.
Thessalonica was not only the capital, but also one of the most
renowned and opulent cities of Macedonia. Its inhabitants were
composed of Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Pagans. St. Paul
preached the gospel in this city with great success. But the un­
believing Jews, envying his success, raised such a commotion
against him that he was obliged to quit the city. He then went
to the very cradle of art and science and preached in the Areo­
pagus of Athens. Hearing that his converts in Thessalonica had
been undergoing a severe persecution ever since his departure,

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

and fearing that they would lose courage, he sent Timothy to
strengthen and comfort them in their sufferings.
In the meantime St. Paul hurried on to Corinth, where Timothy
was to meet him. After a few months Timothy arrived, bringing
the joyful tidings that the Christians, in spite of the Jewish per­
secution, were in a flourishing condition, but that unfortunately
they were not sufficiently instructed in some doctrines. Then it
was that St. Paul wrote his first Epistle to them, in the nineteenth
year after our Lord’s Ascension. I should remark also that this is
the first of his fourteen Epistles in the order of time. It will be,
then, our pleasant task to-day to consider the portion of this
inspired letter which the Church proposes to us on this occasion.
The Apostle assures the Thessalonians that he gives thanks
to God always for them all, and prays for them especially on
account of the work of their faith, and labor, and charity, and of
the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and
our Father. What he praises in them is :
I. The work of lheir faith. As we read in the Acts of the Apost­
les, a great multitude of the Pagans at Thessalonica had embraced
Christianity. These converts were conspicuous for the strength
and earnestness of their faith. The Apostle gladly recognizes
their preeminence in this divine virtue, giving thanks to God for
it. Had we no other instructions on the subject, the words of St.
Paul in this day’s epistle would abundantly suffice to convince
us of the necessity of faith, its meritoriousness, and its exalted
character. Faith, indeed, is the foundation of all Christian virtue.
It is faith that leads us to the knowledge of God and of all super­
natural truth, discloses to us our temporal and eternal destiny,
furnishes us with courage and strength to overcome all obstacles
to salvation and always to walk in the path of virtue. Faith is
the first requisite for salvation, since “without faith it is impos­
sible to please God.”—Heb. 11: 6. We possess this faith from our
infancy ; we received it in baptism. Let us give thanks to God
for this unmerited gift of faith, and let us take care not to lose
it in these faithless times.

2. The Apostle praises the Thessalonians on account of the
work of their faith. They manifested their faith by a pious, vir­
tuous life. A living faith, not a dead one, saves us. “By works
a man is justified, and not by faith only.” St. James 2: 24. “As
he who wishes to go to a certain place needs two things for the
attainment of the object of his journey —namely, eyesight and
feet—so he who wishes to go to heaven needs the eye of faith
and the feet of good works.”—St. Gregory the Great. A Christian
who does not live according to his faith may expect a severer
lot hereafter than the heathens, because he knows God and his

J-

-Λ:·

i. Homiletic Sketch.

9

holy law better, and receives more graces for his salvation. “That
servant who knew the will of his Lord, and hath not prepared,
and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many
stripes.”—Luke 12: 47. Do not believe only, but act up to your
belief.

3. The labors of love,
(a.) The Apostle here speaks of the love of God and our neigh­
bor. It is the greatest of all virtues, for it comprises all others
and is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13: 10); it is love that gives
to all other virtues and good works their true value and renders
them meritorious before God (Z Cor. 13 :1, 3); it unites us with
God (Z "John 4: 16), and prepares for us unspeakable happiness.
—Z Cor. 2:9.

(b.) Charity has its labors. It does not consist in pious senti­
ments, but in a faithful performance of the will of God. What
then is the will of God ? That we mortify ourselves interiorly and
exteriorly, that we be patient, meek and humble of heart, that
we overcome all temptations, love even our enemies and those
who injure and offend us, and do good to them that hate and
persecute us. All this costs much labor and self-denial. It in­
volves sacrifices. Charity therefore has its labors. The Thessa­
lonians having assumed these labors of love willingly and cheer­
fully, the Apostle praises them. How do matters stand with us?
Can we with truth say, “O God, I love thee above all things?”
4. The enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(a.) Hope is also a very great and important virtue. Like faith,
it not only shows us the felicity of heaven and the means of ac­
quiring it, but it enables us to await that boon with patience and
at the same time with the most firm and unshaken confidence.
Hope detaches our heart from the fleeting goods and transitory
pleasures of this world, and raises it to the contemplation of the
eternal. It comforts and strengthens us in all the vicissitudes of
life, and is a most powerful incentive to heroic undertakings and
the performance of the noblest deeds. Such is Christian hope.
“A Christian who trusts in God may be tempted, but he can net
be overcome, for, wherever he is, he is not without God, nor
without strength, illumination, consolation and divine assistance.”
—St. Cyprian.
(b.) The Thessalonians possessed the virtue of hope blended
with perseverance in an admirable degree. In expectation of

ΙΟ

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

that eternal felicity which Jesus Christ promised his faithful
followers, they endured with patience and constancy all the suffer­
ings and privations incident to a virtuous life. Like the Christians of
Thessalonica, we too are suffering persecutions at present. The
Catholic Church has numberless enemies to day, who are laboring
incessantly for her downfall. But let us never lose courage ; let
us persevere in Christian hope. She lived to see the end of a
Julian the Apostate, of a Mazzini and a Palmerston; she chanted
the requiem over the graves of a Napoleon and a Victor Em­
manuel, and she will live to see the end of Bismarck and Gam­
betta.
5. The Apostle praises the Thessalonians on account of the
signs of election which they manifested in their lives (4, 5)
Among these signs, besides the three theological virtues,
which they possessed in an eminent degree, were the miracles
which God vouchsafed them, for instance, the gift of tongues,
prophecy, the healing of the sick, especially the extraordinary
zeal with which they received the gospel and lived according to its
ordinances. From this he infers that they are in great favor with
Gcd, and will obtain eternal salvation. St. Paul, without a
special revelation of God, could not with infallible certainty
know the “election" of the Thessalonians to eternal salvation,
but seeing that God enriched them with so many and so extra­
ordinary graces, he had every reason to believe that they were
really of the number of the elect. With regard to ourselves, we
must, as this same Apostle elsewhere says {Philip. 2:12), work out
our salvation with fear and trembling, and this, partly because
of our weakness and inconstancy, and partly because of the many
and great dangers to salvation by which we are surrounded so long
as we live. This fear is most salutary; “for, as in a house in
which there is an armed soldier no thief, robber, or enemy dares
to enter, so, if we have the fear of God in our hearts, no enemy
of our salvation will dare to penetrate thereto.”—St. John Chrys.
At the same time we must hope for salvation with joyful con­
fidence, for, if we be really in earnest ; if we detest and avoid all
evil from the bottom of our hearts; if we watch and pray, remaining
profoundly humble, God will certainly preserve us in his love
and grace and grant us a holy and happy end. “If our heart do
not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God ; and what­
soever we shall ask we shall receive of him, because we keep
his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his
sight.”—I. John 3:21, 22.

6. The Apostle also praises the Thessalonians because they be­
came followers of him and of Jesus Christ, receiving the word in
much tribulation, with the joy of the Holy Ghost. Our divine

.V. ?Λ'

I. Homiletic Sketch.

11

Saviour and St. Paul suffered many tribulations and perse­
cutions in the preaching of the gospel, but endured them all not
only with patience, but with holy joy. Thus, St. Paul says of
himself : “I am filled with comfort, I exceedingly abound w th joy
in all our tribulation/’—II. Cor. 7: 4. Now, because the Thessa­
lonians suffered much for the gospel {Acts 17:5, 9), and endured
all with a holy joy, the Apostle calls them followers of him and
of Jesus Christ and praises them. To suffer persecution for
justice’ sake with joy is a most sublime and therefore most
praiseworthy virtue ; it is possible only to those who by grace
are raised above mere human nature, and who have made their
body insensible to everything that could pain them.
Endeavor that you also may be praised for your joy in suffer­
ings. If for the sake of virtue or faith you are rebuked, des­
pised, mocked, or persecuted, do not lose courage, or become
despondent; above all do not allow any bitterness or hatred of
your enemies and oppressors to arise in your hearts ; rejoice rather
that Jesus Christ has deemed you worthy to suffer ignominy for
the sake of his holy name. “Dearly beloved, think not strange
the burning heat which is to try you, as if some new thing hap­
pened to you; but if you partake of the sufferings of Christ,
rejoice, that when his glory shall be revealed, you may also be
glad with exceeding joy.”—I. Pet. 4: 12, 13.
7. Lastly, the Apostle praises the Thessalonians on account of
the excellent example which they gave to all the faithful.
were
made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.”
The Thessalonians became a pattern to the other Christians by
their conversion and Christian conduct. At the preaching of St.
Paul they had renounced idolatry and embraced the Christian
religion : they had endured with patience and constancy what­
ever trials and sufferings their conversion entailed upon them,
and now having placed all their hope and confidence in Jesus
Christ, and mindful of his coming to judge them, they were leading
most holy lives. This example had the most wholesome influence
upon all the Christian of Greece, for it strengthened them in their
faith and increased their fervor. Even pagans resolved to imi­
tate the Thessalonians and to become Christians.
If St. Paul could write us a letter from heaven would he say of
us that vue were made a pattern for all Christians? If all the
Catholics upon earth were to regulate themselves by us, if they be­
lieved only as we believe, and lived as we live, would they be in
the right way ? Would they be convinced that they were pleasing
to God and would save their souls? Perhaps they would take no
exception to our faith, for at least the majority of us believe what
the holy Catholic Church proposes to our belief, and we are
willing to live and die in that faith. But just look at the lives

ia

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

we lead ! How many are there among us who instead of being
an edification to our co religionists are a scandal to them ? When
we call to mind the shameless discourses which many indulge in,
their extravagant fondness for dress, their carelessness in fulfilling
the duties of their religion and state of life, their dissipation and
vices, must not all these things be described as scandals? Must
not those who take them for a pattern be very far from that
holiness and perfection which the Apostle praised in the Thessa­
lonians?
PERORATION.

Take the Christians of Thessalonica for your pattern and imi­
tate them. Practice the three theological virtues, and make your
faith living, your charity active, and your hope firm and lasting.
Keep with persevering fervor the commandments of God and
the precepts of the Church, endure with patience the tribulations
of your state of life and the afflictions incident to it, and provide
“good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight
of all men.”—Rom. 12; 17. If you do this, you will merit such
praise as the Thessalonians received, and you may hope with
confidence that you will be associated with them in the number
of the elect for ever in heaven. Amen.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

Gospel. Matt. 13: 31-35. At that time: Jesus spoke this para·
bie to the multitudes: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain
of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Which
it the least indeed of all seeds; but when it is grown up it is
greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of
the air come and dwell in the branches thereof.
Another parable he spoke to them. The kingdom of heaven
is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures
of meal, until the whole was leavened. All these things Jesus
spoke in parables to the multitudes, and without parables he did
not speak to them. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the prophet, saying: “I will open my mouth in parables, I
will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”

2. Homiletic Sketch.

13

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE TWO PARABLES OF THE GOSPEL.

St. Matthew remarks at the end of the gospel for this day that
Jesus spoke all things in parables to the multitudes, that the
word might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying.
I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from
the foundation of the world. Among the nations of the East, and
especially among the Jews, parables and similitudes were very
much in use. Our Lord adhered to this manner of speech, cloth­
ing his doctrines in most beautiful figures and similitudes, in order
to give his hearers a clearer perception of the truths he taught,
and to impress them the more deeply on their minds. The pro­
phets had already foretold that the coming Messias would speak
in parables to the people.—Detit. i8: 15; Ps. 77: 2. Now Jesus
made frequent use of parables in his instructions, and we find in
this circumstance, insignificant of itself, a proof that he was the
Messias promised and sent by God.
Let us to-day turn our attention to the two parables of this
day’s gospel and see—

I. What they signify;
II. What they teach us.

Part L

A. The parable of ihe mustard-seed.

I. The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which
a man took and sowed in his field.

(a.) By the kingdom of heaven here spoken of is meant, not
the abode of saints and angels in the kingdom of God in the
next world, but the Church established by Jesus Christ in this
world. She is called the kingdom of heaven, because she came
from heaven, Jesus Christ, the God-man, having founded her, and
because it is her object to sanctify men and to lead them to
heaven. We must therefore make a distinction, as to their found­
ation, between temporal kingdoms and the kingdom of the
Church ; for the former are founded by men and have in view
only their temporal welfare, while the latter is founded by God
himself, and has for its object man’s eternal welfare.
(£.) The man who sowed the grain ot mustard-seed in the field
is Jesus Christ. He founded the Church, and from him comes

14

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

what the Church has and is: her members, her doctrine, her con­
stitution, and means of grace. To him she also owes her dura­
bility to the end of time,—Matt. 16: 18.
The field in which the man sowed the grain of mustard-seed
is the whole human race. For it is the will of Jesus that his
Church be spread over the whole earth, and that all men enter
it: wherefore he said to his Apostles, “Going therefore, teach ye
all nations, baptizing them . . . teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you,”—Matt. 28. 19, 20.
The whole human race is his field, because as the Son of God,
together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, he is the Creator
of heaven and earth; and because the human race belongs in
particular to him as the Redeemer, having purchased it at the
price of his precious blood. “Knowing that you are not redeemed
with corruptible things as gold or silver . . . but with the preci­
ous blood of Christ.”—I. Pet. 1:19, 20.

2. Which is the least indeed of all seeds ; but when it is grown
up it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds
of the air came and dwell in the branches thereof.
(a.) The grain of mustard-seed is so small and insignificant
that it seems to be powder. Very small and insignificant also
was the Church at first. Jesus preached the gospel for three
years with indefatigable zeal, and confirmed his doctrine by
numerous miracles, but how many did he convert ? Only a few.
After his Ascension into heaven the Church in Jerusalem num­
bered only one hundred and twenty souls. Truly, a little grain
of mustard-seed in comparison with the millions of Pagans and
Jews.
(3.) But the grain of mustard-seed does not always remain
small. Sown in the ground it springs up, and in the fertile East
becomes [of all herbs the greatest, tall and strong like a tree.
Like the grain of mustard-seed, the Church grew, and by degrees
became a tree spreading its branches over the whole earth. At
his very first sermon on the day of Pentecost St. Peter converted
three thousand Jews, and shortly after five thousand at one time.
After that the Apostles preached the gospel beyond Judea, and
with such success that after a short time there was scarcely a
city in the Roman Empire without its Christians. Long and
bloody persecutions broke out against the Church, but they could
not stem the tide of its propagation ; “the blood of the martyrs
was the seed of Christians.” After the lapse of two hundred
years Tertullian could say to the Pagans: “We scarcely begin
to appear in the world, and we constitute already the greater
part in all your provinces. We fill your cities, your islands, your

___ ·

2. Homiletic Sketch.

15

towns, your assemblies, your fields, your trades, your palaces,
your councils, your courts of justice ; we leave you nothing but
your temples.” After the Roman emperors had become Chris­
tian, the Church extended itself still further and in the fourth
century the last vestiges of Paganism disappeared. At present
she is spread over the whole earth, and the number of her chil­
dren increases every year. In our days especially, Protestants
in the highest ranks of society and such as have distinguished
themselves and excelled in literature and science, nay, the very
cream of the great Universities, are flocking into the Catholic
Church. Not to tire you with a long list, I need only mention
Manning and the immortal Newman, once the shining lights of a
human Establishment, but afterwards, as the beautiful etymology
of the word Cardinal indicates, among the golden hinges of a
Divine Establishment—placed high on the very top of the watch­
towers of the Church, as beacon-lights for all those at sea who
are floundering in the seething, turbid waters of unbelief or
doubt. Thus the Church in her origin and growth resembles the
grain of mustard-seed.

B. The parable of the leaven.
The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven which a woman took and
hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.

i Leaven is a sort of fermenting mixture equivalent to our
yeast and well known to bakers, who use it in the dough or dead
mass of meal or flour, to ferment and enliven the whole. The
Pagans were a dead mass, and even the Jews had become like
dough. Their exercises of religion were only exterior, without
life and spirit. It was the leaven of Christianity that infused into
them the germ and breath of life. At Pentecost the fermentation
commenced among them. After they had heard the first sermon
of St. Peter, they said to him and the other Apostles: What shall
we do, men and brethren ? And at the admonition of Peter they
did penance for their sins and were baptized.—Acts 2: 37, etc.
This spiritual fermentation continued and extended itself. The
gospel aroused men to the knowledge of their sinful life, and
made them conscious of their inability to help themselves if de­
pendent on their own strength ; it revealed to them doctrines and
truths of which heretofore they had no knowledge, and induced
them to avail themselves of the proffered means for the salvation
of their souls.
2. As leaven changes a mass of sour dough into edible bread, so
Christianity changed the mass of humanity. Let us take a closer
view of human beings before the Christian era. They were of

16

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

the earth earthly. Seeking only what flattered their inordinate
inclinations, they yielded to the evil propensities of their animal
nature, and indulged in vices and crimes of every description.
But mark the change effected in them as soon as they became
Christians. They no longer loved the world and what the world
offered to them; their heart was turned to heavenly things and
belonged to God ; they practiced virtues of which formerly they
had no idea, such as humility, chastity, meekness, the love of
enemies; and their conduct was so pure and exemplary that they
really deserved the name of saints which was given to them.
Christianity produces the same effects to-day in whole nations
and in individuals; it renews the mind and heart of man and con­
verts sinners into saints.
3. Just as leaven seizes all the pulverized particles of flour,
uniting, enlivening, raising, and converting them into proper
dough for good bread, so Christianity collected individual men
into one living organism, and penetrating all human relations,
institutions, and conditions, ennobled and sanctified them. Mark
what I say, the Catholic Church is not a mere organization ; she
is a living organism and has the germ of life inherent in herself.
I shall mention only a few of the effects of this Christian leaven.
In the Pagan states the princes were despots who governed ar­
bitrarily, and whose subjects obeyed from slavish fear and self­
interest. The laws were destitute of a moral basis. The student
of history sometimes loves to dwell upon the erudition and saga­
city displayed in Roman jurisprudence. To make an elaborate
and philosophic disquisition upon the origin of civil law and to
enter into a recital of the defects of the various systems, would
far exceed our present limits. Suffice it to say that there were
most serious defects. Punishments were not proportioned to
offenses. There were no institutions in which a man of moderate
means could be educated, or where the poor could be relieved,
or the sick attended to.
How different is it in Christian states, especially where the
spirit of Christianity prevails ! There the princes rule like fathers,
the subjects obey like children, the laws are an emanation of the
Divine Law, and have the welfare of all for their object. There are
numerous benevolent institutions and societies for the alleviation
of human misery and the promotion of the common good. Let
us cast a glance at the family life. So long as Paganism pre­
vailed man possessed unlimited authority in the house ; the woman
had no rights; she could be maltreated, abused, and dismissed;
parents were allowed to expose and kill their children ; servants
were slaves, who were not considered human beings, but
chattels, with which their owners could do as they pleased.
How different it is in Christian family life. The bond of holy

2. Homiletic Sketch.

17

love twines around husband and wife, the man commands lovingly,
the woman obeys lovingly ; parents consider their children as images
of God, and educate them for heaven; servants are members of the
family and are treated like the children of the house. Christianity
originated and fostered these sanctifying and ennobling effects in all
the conditions of life ; it banished Pagan barbarism and cruelty, soft­
ened manners, encouraged art and science, removed from entertain­
ments everything indecent and obnoxious, and ameliorated all the
circumstances of life. If in our days these beneficent influences of
Christianity are to a great extent missed from society, it is only
because the true Christian spirit is growing rare among men. The
leaven can not produce a complete fermentation if it does not pen­
etrate the whole mass of flour.

Part II.

The parables of the grain of mustard-seed and of the leaven teach
us:
1. That the Church of Christ is a work of God.
from the following facts :

This is evident

(λ.) Jesus, the Founder of the Church, lived in poverty and low­
liness, was despised and persecuted all His lifetime by the great
majority of the Jews, and finally died as a malefactor on the cross.
And behold! to this Jesus, the Crucified, who was a stumbling-block
to the Jews, and a folly to the Gentiles, millions and millions of Jews
and Gentiles are converted, acknowledge him to be the Son of God,
and adore him. Is not this wonderful?

(Æ.) Twelve Apostles, men without any authority or learning,
went forth into the world and preached the gospel of this same Jesus;
they accepted the challenges of the most renowned and learned men,
and overcame them in logical arguments. The doctrine of the cross
triumphed over all the wisdom of the world. Is not this wonderful?
(c.) Jews and Gentiles resisted the propagation of Christianity
with all their might. Persecution raged against the Christians for
centuries and streams of blood flowed ; but Christianity could not be
extirpated, it continually gained new adherents, and finally conquered
all its enemies. Is not this wonderful?

(if.) The Church even to-day makes demands on men, which
are in direct opposition to their deeply-rooted habits, views,
manners, inclinations, and passions; they are required to mor-

2

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
tify their sinful desires, to deny themselves, to carry their cross
daily, to renounce pride, impurity, avarice, desire of revenge,
and enmity; to live humbly, chastely, to give alms to the poor,
to forgive their enemies from their hearts, to return good for
evil; they are not to seek the things of earth, the things dear to
and appreciated by the world, but the things that are above.
And the Jews and Gentiles who heretofore had no idea or con­
ception of these doctrines embrace them and make them the
rule of their life. Is this not wonderful? So the Church in her
foundation and expansion is evidently the work of God.

2. That in the spiritual life we should esteem nothing lightly,
however trivial and insignificant it may appear.
(<j.) We should esteem no good thought, word, or work lightly,
because the apparently trifling good may be the seed of another
and a greater, which, in its turn, may become the seed of a
greater still, etc., etc. Each good act brings to the soul an in­
crease of grace, and a stronger inclination to good, as well as a
greater facility to practice virtue and to perform good works.
Thus each little act of virtue may be a connecting and necessary
link in a long chain of good works, stretching away over our
whole lives, and ending in a peaceful and happy death. Hence,
we should never undervalue the performance of any good deed,
however trifling it may seem, nor neglect any, even the most
trifling, of our religious duties. We know not how much, in God’s
Providence, may depend on these little things. We are eager
enough to make or save a dollar for our worldly benefit. If we
only ponder the matter well, and view it as the saints viewed it,
we shall be, and with good reason, much more eager to make or
save a dollar for our spiritual benefit. In this matter of little acts
—little mustard-seeds of the future—we must be industrious.
We must gather up and save up all we can. It is an old maxim,
“Take care of the cents, and the dollars will take care of them­
selves.” The dollar can not exist without the cent. Those who
neglect little exercises of virtue, will never arrive at a higher
state of perfection. Only very few of us, if any, will ever be
called upon to practice heroic acts of virtue. Our way to heaven
does not lie in that direction. Ours is the easier, the humbler,
the safer way, viz., the faithful performance of the ordinary du­
ties of our state of life, and the practice of those little acts of
virtue connected therewith. These we must endeavor to practice,
otherwise we shall one day appear before God empty-handed.
As cents gathered daily will after many years amount to a large

2. Homiletic Sketch.

19

from apparent trifles are well illustrated by a circumstance in
the life of the great St. Ignatius, for by reading the lives of
Christ and the saints, from a worldly man he became a great
saint and the founder of an Order.

(Æ.) And the lesson gathered from the parable of the mustard­
seed as to the importance of good actions, small as they may be
in themselves, is equally applicable to those so-called little sins
and negligences to which so many pay but slight attention. No
sin is little. One may be less than another, but as we know that
sin is an offense against the eternal Creator, such a thing can
never be little in itself. Consequently, if we do speak of sins as
little, it is not because they are to be reputed such in them­
selves, but only in comparison with others. And as from one
little act of virtue may ensue a series of acts, each one growing
greater and greater as the series is continued, so from even a
single one of those little sins may ensue a series of sins and
crimes, growing more and more heinous till they end in an evil
death. Small faults often repeated finally become great sins, and,
unless they be repented of, merit the punishment of hell. Yes;
small faults, committed thoughtlessly, frequently lead to mortal
sins, which may draw eternal damnation after them. "He that
contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little.”—Ecctus.
19: i. An envious thought, which Cain did not suppress, made
him a fratricide : an unguarded look at Bethsabee led David to
the commission of murder and adultery; a little avarice made
Judas the Apostle a traitor to our Lord and a suicide. Oh,
how many there are among us who must own to a sinful thought
which they did not banish at once; a careless glance of the eye,
which they allowed themselves, a sensual inclination to a person,
which they harbored in their heart. In fine, little things have
always been the cause of many and grievous sins.
PERORATION.

The fruit of our meditation to-day should be, first, to consider
it the greatest grace that you are members of the Catholic
Church ; for she is, as her foundation and propagation testify,
the work of God; believe then what she teaches, do what she
commands. Secondly, to consider all things important that con­
cern our salvation. Avoid carefully every, even the smallest,
fault; and if, from human frailty, you commit one be sorry for it
from your heart, ask God’s forgiveness, and promise amendment.
Make use of the opportunity of practicing little virtues and good
works. By so doing you may safely hope that, with the two
good and faithful servants who were faithful over little things,
you will enter into the joy of your Lord.—Matt. 25: 21. Amen.

20

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE CATHOLICITY OF THE CHURCH.

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed . . . which
is the least indeed of all seeds; hut when it is grown up, it is greater
than all herbs, and becometh a tree. . . . Another parable he spoke
to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven. Matt. 13 : 31-33.

Both parables of the gospel for this day have reference to the
Church of Jesus Christ. The grain of mustard-seed is one of the
smallest of seeds, but, sowed in the earth, it grows up and be­
comes a tall tree. In the same way the Church was small in the
beginning, and numbered only a few members, but by little and
little she spread in every direction, supplanting Judaism and Pa­
ganism and receiving almost all the nations of the earth into her
bosom. A little leaven penetrates a great mass of flour, causes
fermentation, and makes palatable bread. The Church of Christ
also produced a fermentation in the minds of men, and renewed
their hearts, so as to cause them to give up their worldly and
sinful life and to serve God with fervor and devotedness.
Now the question is : Which is this Church of Christ, to which
these two parables apply? It is no other than the Holy Catholic
Church, for she alone possesses the marks of the Church estab­
lished by Christ. Of two of these marks, Unity and Sanctity, I
have spoken on the last two Sundays ; to-day, I shall speak of
the third—namely, the Catholicity or Universality of the Church,
and show you—
I. That the Church of Christ must be Catholic, or universal ;
II That the Catholic Church is really Catholic, or universal;
III. That all the other denominations are destitute of this marki
from which it follows that the Catholic Church alone is the true
Church of Christ.

Part L
The Church of Christ must be Catholic or universal both as to
time and place.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

21

1. As to time. She must exist in an unbroken succession from
the time ot Christ and his Apostles to this very day, nay, “even
to the consummation of the world.” Her universality must em­
brace, as it were, in a unit, the three divisions of time—namely,
the present, the past, and the future. From the days of Christ
and the Apostles there must be no period in the past at which
the student of history can pause, put his finger down and say:
There I can not find the Church of Christ. And this is evident
from her destiny. Christ established his Church in order that the
people of all times should find eternal salvation in her. His
Church he left to mankind as the fruit of his precious blood, as
the means of attaining that salvation which he merited for them
by his life and sufferings and death. He left her upon earth
to carry on the work, which he only inaugurated, of preaching
to and teaching the world. “Go forth,” he said, when commissi­
oning the Apostles, “go forth and teach all nations.” To no
others was such a commission given. The only ones so authori­
zed were Peter and his companions. The only organization in­
stituted by the Redeemer or recognized in any way by him was
that of which Peter was constituted the head, and of which
Peter’s successors were for all time to be the heads—manifestly
the Catholic Church. She is the only institution for the salvation
of men, and whoever does not belong to her, at least to her soul,
can not be saved. Now, since God wills all men to be saved, the
Church of Christ must necessarily continue to exist without any
interruption; for if she perished, or if there were any breach in
her continuity, any period of time in which she did not exist,
there would be a generation or generations of men deprived of
their only means of salvation, and God himself would be the
cause of their eternal perdition ; to entertain any such thought
for a moment would be blasphemy. For this reason Christ promised that his Church should stand for ever.—Matt. 16: 18. 28: 20.
From this it evidently follows that a religious society which did
not always exist from the time of Christ, but came into existence
in the course of time, can not be the true Church of Christ.
2. As to place. She must be found in all parts of the world,
and so constituted as to suit all climes, from the ice-bound regions
of the North to where the luxuriant foliage of the tropics droops
into the warm seas. This universality of place is a necessary
corollary of her destiny. As she is the only institution estab­
lished by Christ for the salvation of mankind, she must meet
men’s wants, and accompany them in all their peregrinations on
the face of the earth, remaining with them wherever they may
think it expedient to dwell, that all may he able to enter her
portals and that her members may all attain sanctity and sal­
vation. Christ himself gives an assurance of this universality

«

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

when he says to the Apostles and their successors : “Go ye into
the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”—
Mark 16: 15. Also when he foretells to them that “they shall
be witnesses unto him in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and even to the uttermost parts of the earth.”—Acts 1: 8. There­
fore a religious society that is confined within the limits of a
particular nation or nations, and has not this universality of
place, can not be the true Church of Christ.
Part IL

The Catholic Church is really Catholic, or universal,

1. As io time. She has existed from the time of Christ and the
Apostles to this very day, and will so exist to the consummation
of the world, when time shall be no more. The very etymology
of the word “Catholic” indicates this, for it means universal.
All the other religious denominations, coming into existence
in the course of time, have particular names, and are generally
called after their founders. But the Catholic Church was never
called anything but Catholic. She was known by this name every
where, even in the most ancient times, and that name she retains
to this very day, and will retain to the end of time.
She has an unbroken, uninterrupted succession of Pontiffs. Leo
XIII. succeeds Pius IX.; Pius IX. succeeds Gregory XVI., and so
on back through the long centuries till we come to Peter, who
received his commission direct from Christ at the Last Supper,
in the year 33.—Luke 22: 31, 32; Matt. 16: 18, 19. If the student
of history will pause in the midst of his deep research and lear­
ned disquisitions, we can tell him who was Pope at the time of
which he speaks, as only a short period intervened between the
death of a Pontiff and the election of his successor. And since
the Catholic Church, as I remarked before, is not merely an or­
ganization, but a living organism, having the germ of life inherent
in herself, a few years of interregnum will not destroy the chain
of succession. Hence St. Augustine says: “We must hold firm
to the Christian religion and the communion of that Church
which is Catholic; and which is also called Catholic not only by
her own members, but even by her enemies.” For even heretics
and the adherents of schism, when speaking among themselves
or with others not belonging to their society, are somehow forced,
whether they will or not, to speak of her as the Catholic Church.
For if they did not call her by the name which the whole world
gives her they would be misunderstood. The Catholic Church
therefore is evidently the true Church of Christ, for if she had
ever fallen away, she would certainly have received some other
designation. Our adversaries, a few of whom have been silly

3· Dogmatical Sketch.

23

enough, or so ignorant of history, as to deny this Catholicity of
Catholic Church as regards time, though always challenged to
name the date after Christ when the Catholic Church came into
existence, have not answered the question to this very day, and we
repeat the challenge, knowing that they never can. It is abso­
lutely impossible, for no matter how far we go back into the
Christian centuries we always find the Catholic Church. It was
on the feast of Pentecost that the grain of mustard-seed began to
grow, and now its mighty trunk fills the world. The Catholic
Church therefore is universal as to time ; but she is also uni­
versal—

2. As to place. Of all Christian denominations, there is not a
single one spread far and wide, North, South, East, and West,
the world over, but the one known as the Catholic Church. Nor
will any of them even pretend to compare with that Church as
regards the number of their adherents. In Europe alone she
numbers one hundred and twenty millions of souls, whilst all the
Protestant denominations taken together number only about
fifty-four millions. It has been estimated by careful statisticians
that there are about two hundred and fifty millions of Catholics
on the globe, the Protestants amounting to about seventy milli­
ons. Moreover, the Catholic Church is spread all over the world.
There is no country in which she has not her faithful children
and in which she is not continually growing. Verily, the Catho­
lic Church does resemble the grain of mustard-seed, which by
degrees becomes a mighty tree, in the branches of which the
birds of the air rest their weary wings. The Church therefore
with justice calls herself Catholic, for she has existed from the
time of Christ, she is spread over all the earth, and the number
of her children increases every year. And even if it should
happen towards the end of the world that whole countries
should fall away from the Catholic faith, the Church nevertheless
would not even then cease to be the Universal, or Catholic
Church. For, according to the express declarations of the Sacred
Scriptures, Matt. 8: 19, and 24: 14, and Rom. 11: 25, it is by no
means required that the Church, in order to prove her universa­
lity of time and place, should embrace all countries at all times.
Just as the sun rises in the East, and gradually progressing illu­
minates little by little the nations of the far distant West, yet
never in such a manner as to shine upon more than half the
globe at the same time, so the Catholic Church, rising in distant
Judea, soon began to cast the vital heat of her grace and the
pure rays of her doctrine on all the inhabitants of the Old World.
When our own Catholic Columbus discovered the New World
the first thing he did was to plant the cross. Thanks be to God !
the Church is shinning with uadi ΓΠη ed splendor here to-day.

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

But if, on account of the sins of the people of some particular
countries, her light has been there extinguished, or the warmth
of her graces has grown cold, it nevertheless remains true that
she illuminated and vivified them, and she will bring them grace
and salvation yet, if she be only permitted to do so, and they
be found worthy in the sight of God. Thus in any imaginable
case the Church remains Catholic or universal.

Part III.
All religious denominations separate from the Catholic Church
are destitute of the mark of catholicity, or universality. They
are not universal—
i. As to time, for they have not always existed from the time
of Christ. It is indeed true that in the early ages of Christianity
there were men who held doctrines which the founders of vari­
ous religious societies of later times have also held and taught.
But those men were denounced by the whole Church in their
own day as blasphemers and heretics; they were men from whom
none of our modern religious denominations would own that
they derive their origin. The present religious parties, however,
can not even derive their origin from those heretics, because
they do not agree with them in all, but only in a few points.
Just as a Protestant is not a Catholic because he receives a few
doctrines of the Catholic Church, so the heretics of former cent­
uries were not Protestants because they agreed with these latter
on some points; for one can belong to a religious society only
when one professes its whole doctrine. But as Church history
proves, there never has been a sect the doctrines of which
agreed completely with those of any other denomination sepa­
rated from the Catholic Church; these new religious societies

j. Dogmatical Sketch.

25

principal doctrine prevents this—namely, that the Bible is the
only rule of faith. According to this doctrine every one who
wishes to be saved must search the Scriptures. But in many
Pagan nations such a thing as reading or literature even in the
most elementary form is unknown. For them, according to the
Protestant theory, the way to faith is barred. Moreover, the
Sacred Scripture, if one wishes to draw one’s faith from it, must
not only be read, but also rightly understood and interpreted.
Now, among a thousand persons there is scarcely one who can
interpret it rightly ; nay, in reality no one, not even the most
learned can be always certain that his interpretation is the true
and right one. Thus it is impossible for Protestantism, according
to its chief doctrine, to become the common property of all men.
Hence, we see that Protestants, although the work of the propaga­
tion of their faith is munificently supported, can effect nothing
among Pagan nations. A single Catholic missionary who possesses
notning on his journey but the courage inspired by faith converts
more Pagans than a hundred Protestant missionary societies.
These societies, instead of sending devoted men to preach the di­
vine word orally to those who “sit in darkness and the shadow
of death,” are content to send tons of bibles to be scattered
broadcast among the poor benighted unbelievers. The duties of
a Protestant missionary may be summed up by saying that he
has to see that his salary comes regularly from the home society
for the maintenance of himself and his wife and children and that
his bibles are duty received and disposed of ; andoccassionally he
has to make up some rose-coored letters for publication and
distribution among the contributors to the funds of the society.
No wonders that the labors of Protestant missionaries have been
so sterile. In this sohere they recognize their want of success
themselves, and do not much care for the conversion of Pagans,
but turn their attention to those who are already Christians, and
try to win them over to their side. Even in this their success is
microscopic, and however painful to zealous Protestants the re­
flection, it remains a stubborn fact, staring them in the face, that
a pious Catholic never becomes a Protestant, but that many
pious Protestants become Catholics. Let us for a moment suppose
that the Protestant denominations were spread over the whole
earth, and the numher of their adherents surpassed that of the
Catholic Church ; they could not even then be called universal,
because they lack the mark of Unity. They constitute not one
whole body, not one Church, for they have not all the same faith,
nor do they admit the same means of grace, or acknowledge any
one common head. They are independent of each other, and re­
semble independent states, which are united only by a common
interest.

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

It is an incontrovertible truth that the Protestant denominati­
ons and the other religious parties separated from the Catholic
Church do not possess the mark of universality as to time and
place; they were not always, nor are they everywhere; therefore
they are not the true Church established by Christ.
PERORATION.

Remember the words of St. Augustine : “Outside the Church
man can have everything except salvation he can have honors,
he can pray and sing, he can have the “gospel” and preach it in
the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost ;
he can have the “sacrament but he can find salvation nowhere
except in the Catholic Ch irch. Thank God, then, daily, that
without any merit of yours., h<j has called you to the knowledge
of the true Church. You know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free. Remain loy 1 to your Catholic faith, and live
up to it. If you do, you may rest assured that you will obtain
life everlasting. Amen.

SIXTH SUNDÆY AFTER EPIPHANY

4. L1TWC1L SKETCH
THE FEAST-DAYS OF THE CHURCH.

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed. . . which
is the least indeed of all seeds; but when it is grown up, it is greater
than all herbs and becometh a tree. . .. Another parable he sfoke
to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven. Matt. 13 : 31, 33.
Both parables in the gospel for this day refer to the Church
of Christ. The parable of the grain of mustard-seed indicates the
small beginning of the Church and its gradual propagation over
the whole earth ; the parable of the leaven symbolizes the won­
derful effects which the Church produced in the human family.
As leaven penetrates the flour, and makes the bread good, so the
Church changes man by purifying and sanctifying him. The
means she makes use of for this purpose are the word of God,
the holy sacrifice, and the sacraments. These three means, the
word of God, or instruction, the holy sacrifice of the mass, and
the administration of the sacraments, are employed daily for our
sanctification. But, in addition to the ordinary Sundays and

4· Liturgical Sketch.

27

week-days there is an extraordinary series—the round uf festivals
which the Church celebrates during the year. By means of these
she not only increases her exertions in our behalf, but keeps be­
fore our minds at all seasons of the year one or other of the
great mysteries of our holy religion. As festival after festival
recurs, all the prominent circumstances in our Blessed Lord’s
life, death, and resurrection, are brought vividly before our
minds and, in commemorating the mysteries of the Immaculate
Conception, the virginal Maternity, the glorious Assumption and
Coronation of our Mother and Queen, as well as the virtues of
the Patriarchs, the sanctity of the Baptist and St. Joseph, the
zeal of the Apostles, the endurance and triumph of the martyrs,
and the holiness of that unnumbered host who are crowned and
with God to-day in the kingdom of his glory, we are unconsci­
ously meditating on the goodness and the mercy of our God,
for truly “God is wonderful in his saints.” These festivals, and
the reflections they give rise to invite us to higher things and
encourage us to persevere in the work of saving our immortal
souls and to bear our burdens with resignation, if not with joy,
during this brief life, knowing that it behoves us, as it behoved
even Christ and his saints, to suffer and so to enter into glory.
These festivals, then, shall be the topic of our remarks to-day,
and we shall consider—
I. Whatfeasts the Church celebrates;
II. How she celebrates them.

Part L

The Church celebrates—
I. The feasts of our Lord, which have for their object some
mystery connected with the work of our Redemption. The
Church does not celebrate a particular feast in honor of the
Father, the First Person of the Blessed Trinity, because this
Person has not, like the other two, revealed himself to men in a
visible form. But Advent is celebrated in his honor, the fund­
amental idea of which is: “God so loved the world as to give
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him may not
perish, but may have life everlasting.”—John 3: 16. Most of
the feasts of our Lord refer to God the Son, because it was he
that assumed human nature, and redeemed us by his sufferings
and death.
There are three principal feasts of our Lord, each of which
forms the centre of a cycle of secondary feasts, viz., Christmas,
Easter and Pentecost. These three feasts form, as it were, the

38

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

central sun, around which all the secondary feasts are clustered
in harmonious constellations, deriving their illuminati on and the
completeness of their mysteries from them. The holi lays of ob­
ligation which occur in the Christmas cycle are the Circumcision
and the Epiphany of our Lord, which disclose to us the truth
that Jesus, the new born Redeemer, is to accomplish, by the
effusion of his blood, the Redemption, not only of the Jews, but
also of the Gentiles. In the Easter cycle occurs the feast of the
Ascension of Christ, which is the completion of the state of glori­
fication into which he had entered by his Resurrection. In the
Pentecost cycle we have Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi.
Pentecost concludes the three principal feasts of the Ecclesiasti­
cal Year, and places the truth before our eyes, that in the work
of our Redemption three Divine Persons cooperated : and the
feast of Corpus Christi, which can not be celebrated as a feast
of joy on Holy Thursday, is postponed to the Thursday after
Trinity Sunday, and represents to us the truth that the Blessed
Eucharist, as a sacrifice and sacrament, is the holiest treasure of
the Church and the source from which unceasingly grace and
salvation flow to her.

2. The feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If we consider that
Mary stood in much closer relation to the work of our Redemp­
tion, as Mother of God, than all the saints, and that in dignity
and sanctity she surpasses by far all angels and saints, and is
their Queen, we shall not be astonished that the Church celebrates
in her honor more feasts than she does in the case of the other
saints. There are five principal feasts of Mary : viz., the Immaculate
Conception, the Nativity, the Annunciation, the Purification, and
the Assumption. Two of these feasts, the Annunciation and Purifi­
cation show us Mary as the Mother of God. The days for celebrat­
ing these feasts are fixed in relation to the feast of Christmas, the
25th of December. The feast of the Annunciation reminds us of
the day of grace on which Mary, by the power of the Holy
Ghost, conceived the Son of God; it is the day of the Incarnation
of Christ in the chaste womb of the Blessed Virgin. Since the
Nativity of our Lord is celebrated on the 25th of December, the
feast of his Incarnation, or the feast of the Annunciation, must
be celebrated nine months earlier, that is on the 25th of March.
In like manner the feast of Mary’s Purification, or Candlemas
day, must be celebrated on the 2nd of February, because from
the birthday of our Lord, on the 25th of December, to the 2nd of
February is forty days, after the lapse of which Mary fulfilled
the Mosaic law of purification. In the other three feasts Mary
appears as the Mother of men, for which reason the dates for
their celebration are not fixed with reference to the feasts
of our Lord. The feasts of the Immaculate Conception and

4. Liturgical Sketch.

29

the Nativity of Mary stand in relation to each other; hence
the former is celebrated on the 8th of December, and the latter
nine months later, on the 8th of September. Both these feasts
shew Mary to us as the Mother of men, since her conception and
birth announced grace and salvation to the world, wherefore the
Church on both these feasts says : “Thy Immaculate Conception
(Nativity) has announced joy to the whole world.” The feast of
the Assumption (15th August) turns our eyes to Mary, since, as
Queen of Heaven, she looks down upon us, her children, with
motherly affection, and is our advocate and intercessor with
Jesus.

3. The feasts of the Angels. The Church celebrates these feasts,
because the angels are not only our friends and protectors, con­
ferring on us many benefits both corporal and spiritual, but also
because they are in intimate connection with the work of our
Redemption. Thus, Gabriel announced to Daniel the time when
Christ would appear, and to the Blessed Virgin that she had
been chosen by God to become the Mother of his Son ; an angel
also appeared to Joseph at the birth of Jesus, in the fields of
Bethlehem. Five feasts of angels are celebrated every year: the
feast of the Guardian angels, two feasts of St. Michael, and the
feasts of the Archangels Gabriel and Raphael.

4. The feasts of the Saints. The Church celebrates daily the
feast of one or more saints, to induce us daily to venerate them,
to beseech their intercession, and to imitate their virtues. The
day which is celebrated in their honor is generally the day of
their death, for this is more appropriate than their birthday.
At their corporeal birth the saints were also contaminated by
original sin, and therefore were not yet holy, neither had they
given as yet any proofs of their sanctity; it was uncertain
what course they would pursue; they were to fight first and
obtain the crown afterwards. On the day of their death they
had been tried as soldiers of Christ; all danger of salvation
ceased for them; they were born again to eternal life. For this
reason the Church calls the day of their death their birthday.
Hence, St. Peter Chrysologus says: “If you hear of the birthday
of the saints, do not think that it is the day on which they were
born of the flesh for the earth, but the day of their transit from
earth into heaven, from labor to rest, from temptations to victory,
from sufferings to never-ending joys, from the vanities of the
world to the crown of glory.”

5. The holy Martyrs were the first whose feasts were celebra­
ted in the Church. The day of their death was commemorated
yearly with great solemnity by offering the sacrifice of the mass

30

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

in their honor, by publishing their names, and by reading the
history of their lives and deaths. It was not until the fourth
century that they began in the East to commemorate the feasts
of saints who were not martyrs.
The feasts of the saints are not accidental in the Ecclesiastical
Year; they constitute an essential part of it. The Church brings
before our eyes the mysteries of our Redemption on the feasts
of our Lord, and on the feasts of the saints she shows us how
by their cooperation they have applied to themselves the grace
of Redemption ; she exhorts us to imitate them that we also may
obtain salvation through Jesus Christ. At the same time she ad­
monishes us to venerate the saints and to invoke their intercession,
that through their merits and mediation we may obtain greater
graces for our salvation.

1

I. The Church celebrates all the feasts of our Lord and of the
saints, both in the mass and in the divine office. In the mass she
refers to these feasts in the introit, in the prayers, in the epistle and
the gospel; and on some feasts of our Lord, even in the preface
and canon. The same is to be said of the celebration of the
feasts in the divine office. The antiphons and psalms are always
chosen with reference to the mystery or the saint whose feast
is celebrated; this is also the case with the lessons. The lessons
of the second nocturn in particular contain a succinct biography
of the saint for the day.
By the celebration of the feasts in the mass and the divine office,
the Church induces us to mediate on the mystery of the feast or
the life of the saint, and to excite ourselves to salutary thoughts
and resolutions. As the mass especially is in itself an effectual
and salutary sacrifice, the Church, by connecting therewith all
the feasts, enables us to celebrate these feasts worthily and
profitably. If. for instance, on the feast of the Ascension of our
Lord, we ask God to infuse into our hearts a heavenly disposition,
we may confidently hope to obtain this grace, because the mass
is a sacrifice of petition.

2. The Church celebrates some feasts with greater, others with
less solemnity. Of course, the feasts of our Lord hold the first
rank in point of solemnity ; then follow in succession those of
the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the angels, apostles, martyrs,
bishops, priests, and other confessors, virgins, and widows.
j. The Church has ordained a preparatory celebration for
some feasts. To this class belong the three principal feasts of
the year, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. The preparation for

5· Symbolical Sketch.

31

Christmas is the time of Advent; for Easter, the Lenten season;
for Pentecost, the nine days intervening between it and the feast
of the Ascension. These three principal feasts and several
others have also an after-celebration for eight days, which is
called the Octave.
PERORATION.

You have heard now what feasts the Church celebrates and
how she celebrates then?. Sanctify those that are of obligation
by abstaining from servile work, and by assisting at mass. Re­
ceive the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, which
will enable you to celebrate these feasts in the right spirit, and
put into practice the holy resolutions which you make or. ’hose
days, that you may become worthy to celebrate, with God and
his elect, an everlasting feast in the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

SIXTH SUNDAY ALTER EPIPHANY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
the church a grain of mustard-seed.

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed . . . which
is the least indeed of all seeds, but when it is grown up, it is greater
tha a all herbs and- becomcth a tree . . . Another parable he spoke to
them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven.—Matt. 13: 31, 33.
Many may wonder why Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven
to a grain of mustard-seed and to leaven. Is the kingdom of
heaven as small, as insignificant, as a grain of mustard seed or a
small quantity of leaven ? No; the kingdom of heaven is large,
indescribably beautiful and glorious, for God there manifests
himself in all his glory and majesty, there the angels and saints
triumph in everlasting joy. But you must know that it is not of
that kingdom that Jesus speaks when he says: The kingdom of
heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, or to leaven. The
kingdom of heaven means here the Church of Christ on earth.
The Church is a kingdom, for it has everything that is required
for a kingdom, officers and subjects, a constitution and laws, and
within itself all means for its own existence and the obtaining

32

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

of its end. She is a kingdom of heaven, for she is established
not for the earth, but for heaven. This kingdom of heaven, the
Church upon earth, our divine Saviour compares with a grain of
mustard-seed and with leaven. Let us consider to-day how the
Church resembles a grain of mustard-seed—

I. In her origin ;
II. In her propagation.
Part I.

The Church, a grain of mustard-seed in her origin. Jesus says
of the grain of mustard-seed, that it is the least of all seeds. It is
so small that you can hold a thousand in your hand ; it is insig­
nificant. Small and insignificant was the Church in the be­
ginning.
(1.) Her founder was lowly. What! the founder of the Church
lowly
not Jesus Christ, her founder, the Son of God? Is he
not God, as the Father and Holy Ghost? Is not all power given
to him in heaven and on earth t—Mait. 28: 18. Is he not the
King of kings, and the Lord of lords? Has not God, his Father,
“given him a name which is above all names, that in the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on
earth, and under the earth; and that every tongue should con­
fess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.”
—Philip. 2: 9-12. Yes, but Jesus wished to be little upon earth,
little among men, like the grain of mustard-seed among other
seeds. “He is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister.”
—Matt. 20: 28. “He emptied himself, taking the form of a ser­
vant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as
a man.”—Philip. 2: 7. He was born and he lived in poverty; he
was despised and forsaken by all; he died on the cross.

(2.) Contemptible in the eyes of the world was her doctrine*
preach,” says the Apostle, “Christ crucified, unto the Jews
indeed a stumbling-block and unto the Gentiles foolishness.”—I.
Cor. i : 23. When Jesus declares himself the Son of God, Caiphas
rends his garments, and full of indignation exclaims : “He hath
blasphemed,” and the whole assembly said : “He is guilty of
death.”—Matt. 26: 65, 66. The Christian doctrine is to the Jews
so odious and hateful that they thought they were doing a ser­
vice to God by persecuting and killing the preachers of it.—
John 16: 2. And how do the Gentiles judge of the Christian
doctrines? They ridicule the Christians and call it the greatest
nonsense to adore a crucified man as God ; to them it is incom­
prehensible that Christians should humble themselves, forgive

5. Symbolical Sketc.h

33

their greatest enemies, return good for evil, give rather than take,
despise temporal goods, and seek the things above. Such doc­
trines were diametrically opposed to their ideas and principles.

(3.) Lowly were her teachers. Jesus chose only twelve Apostles for
his Church, who were to propagate her over all the earth. What
a small numher! How shall twelve Apostles suffice to destroy the
kingdom of error and sin, and to build up in its stead the king­
dom of truth and virtue? And who are these Apostles? Learned
men? Men of high social position ? Kings and princes of the
earth? No; they are common men, poor fishermen, men without
learning, influence, or power. Truly, the Apostle was right in
saying: “There are not many wise according to the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble ; but the foolish things of the world
hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise ; and the weak
things of the world hath God chosen, that be may confound the
strong; and the base things of the world, and the things that
are contemptible hath God chosen, and things that are not, that
he might bring to nought things that are.”—I. Cor. 1 : 26-28.
(4.) Small was the number of her members. Jesus preached the
gospel for three years, and confirmed his doctrine by a most
holy life, so that his greatest enemies could not convict him of a
fault; he did good to all, performed numerous miracles; yet how
few believed in him ! Out of ten thousand Jews, there was scarcely
one converted; nearly all persevered in their unbelief. Even
those who were converted and believed in him showed them­
selves weak and wavering in faith ; when he was in the hands of
his enemies and condemned to death his Apostles and disciples
fled, and even Peter denied him. After Jesus had accomplished
the whole work of the Redemption and had ascended gloriously
into heaven, how did matters stand with his Church ? Oh, the
number of her members was indeed small. In one room, the
Upper Chamber, there was space enough to hold all of them, for
she numbered only about one hundred and twenty souls. The
Church in her origin, then, was like a grain of mustard-seed.

Part Π.

The Church, a grain of mustard-seed as regards her propaga­
tion. The grain of mustard-seed, though small, contains within
it extraordinary vital power. Placed in the earth, it sprouts,
gradually grows up and eventually becomes the greatest of
all herbs. There is also an extraordinary virtue in the Church.
She is ever under the constant watchful power and protection

Π

3

34

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

of the Holy Ghost, who teaches, sanctifies, strengthens, and
guides her.
“I will ask the Father, and he shall g*ive you another Para­
clete, that he may abide with you for ever, the Spirit of Truth."
—John 14: 16, 17. What and how the Holy Ghost operates
in the Church, the first Christian Pentecost at Jerusalem tells us.
Fortified with the spirit of light and of truth and of strength, the
Apostles preach the gospel, and many thousands in Judea and
Samaria are converted to the faith. In Jerusalem, in Samaria,
and many other cities, Christian congregations are formed. The
grain of mustard-seed of the Church springs up and becomes
great, like a tree.

(2.) When the grain of mustard-seed grows up, it shoots forth
its branches, which spread out in every direction. Is it otherwise
with the Church? Was she not in a short time spread over all the
countries of the earth? It was already granted to St. John, who
died at Ephesus in the year 101, to see the Church of his dear
Master propagated over the three then known continents. Pliny,
the Younger, reports to the Emperor Trajan, in the year 106, that
this superstition (being a Gentile, he so calls the Christian reli­
gion) has taken a foothold not only in cities, but that it has
crept into villages and villas, and that the temples of the gods
are left empty. Tertullian, in the second century, says to the
Gentiles: “We are only of yesterday, and yet we fill all places
—your cities, your towns, your fields, the palace, the senate, and
the courts of justice—we leave vou nothing but your temples."
After the mustard-seed of Christianity had sprouted up and
become a great tree, tempests and persecutions overtook the
Church in her onward career; a. three hundred years’ per­
secution broke out ; many Roma a emperors one after the other
issued bloody edicts, and swore 1 7 their gods not to desist from
these persecutions till the last of .he Christians were extermin­
ated. All that the malignant gen us of cruelty could invent was
employed to torment the Christians even to death Their blood
flowed in streams, and about thi -ty millions obtained the palm
of martyrdom.
But the virtue of the Holy Gho^t who dwelt in the Church was
so great, so wonderful, that during the long and cruel persecu­
tions she not only suffered no loss, but even grew stronger every
day, and was propagated more widely. The blood of the mar­
tyrs was the seed of the Church. After the lapse of 300 years
the Church had conquered the world. Thus the word of the
Lord was fulfilled : “From the rising of the sun even to the going
down, my name is a great among the Gentiles, and in every
place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean
oblation."—Malach. 1: 11.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

35

(3.) When it is grown up and becometh a tret, the birds of tht air
come and dwell in the branches thereof. The birds of the air are
the Jews and the Gentiles who entered into the Church. Oxen
and sheep do not climb trees and dwell in their branches; only
the birds, which are more in the air than upon the earth, seek a
dwelling in the trees; only such as aspire to the supernatural
and eternal, and are willing to enter the Church; persons who are
absorbed in temporal things remain far off from her. Our Lord
teaches this truth in the parable of the great supper.—Luke 14:
16, etc. It was always so, and it is so to-day. The great majority
of the Jews did not become Christians. And why not? Because
they were too sensual and carnal. They longed only for a Savi­
our who would free them from the yoke of the Romans and make
them a strong and prosperous people. Jesus, who preached
humility, mortification of the flesh, contempt of the world, found
no favor in their eyes. There are many in our days who are con­
vinced of the truth of the Catholic faith, but they do not em­
brace it, because their heart clings to the world. Yes, this
devotion to temporal and sensual things is the reason why
even some who are children of the Catholic Church from their birth
apostatize from her. Pride, avarice, and sensuality caused the
great defection from the Church in the sixteenth century. It is
the same passions and vices that in our days drive many who
were Catholics into unbelief and heresy. Therefore our Lord
says : “Every one that doth evil, hateth the light, and cometh
not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.”—John
3: 20. In like manner, St. Paul says that some rejecting a good
conscience “have made shipwreck concerning the faith.”—I.
Tim. 1: 19.
PERORATION.

Now you understand how the Church resembles a grain of
mustard-seed. Endeavor, as members of the Church, also to
resemble the grain of mustard-seed. As the mustard-seed
springs up and becomes a tall tree, so you must also grow in the
Christian virtues and become like a cedar of Lebanon, great be­
fore God. ]“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.”—II. Pet. 3:18. Strive daily to attain per­
fection by correcting your faults, by extirpating your inordinate
inclinations more and more, by fulfilling punctually the duties
of your religion and state of life, by practicing more fervently
the Christian virtues and making use of the means of salvation.
A tree that grows no more, becomes dry and fit only for the fire.
A Christian who makes no progress in the spiritual life, and
does not grow in grace, dies to God and grace, and has reason
to fear the fire of hell. The slothful sen-ant.—Matt. 25: 24-30.

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your
labor is not in vain in the Lord.”—I. Car. 15: 58. Amen.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
SINS WHICH MANY PEOPLE THINK TRIVIAL,

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed... which
is the least indeed of all seeds ; but when it is grown uf, it is greater
than all herbs and beeometh a tree. . . . Another parable he sfoke to
them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven.—Matt. 13 : 31-33.
A grain of mustard-seed, a little leaven mixed with flour, are
apparently quite insignificant things. If we did not know by
experience what their effects are, we should be led to disregard
them. So in the moral life there are some things which by many
are looked upon as trivial—nay, as nothing—which, however,
are of the greatest importance. Such are a great many sins.
Many allow themselves to be deluded by their passions, or the
example of others, and consider things which are very sinful
either as no sins at all, or at most, only small defects, hardly
worthy of notice. The consequence of this is, that such persons,
in their unhappy delusion, heap sins upon sins, and perhaps only
in eternity will they open their eyes, when it will be too late
and rescue impossible.

What are the sins that so many disregard ? They are—
I. Sins of the heart. These sins are bad thoughts and desires
which are entertained voluntarily and with pleasure. He who
represents to himself unchaste objects, and takes pleasure in
the mental contemplation thereof, sins by bad thoughts. He who
not only represents to himself something bad, but also desires to
see, to hear, or to do it, sins by bad desires.
Now, there are many who commit such sins of the heart very
frequently without any disquietude. They have, for instance,
vain, proud, revengeful, avaricious, envious, unchaste thoughts

0. Moral Sketch.

37

and desires, entertain them with pleasure, and take no pains to
banish them, imagining· that they are of no consequence, that
they are either no sins at all, or only trivial, venial ones. What
a pernicious error! God looks far more to the will than to the
deed. If exteriorly you lead the life of a saint, but have a cor­
rupt heart, God abhors you, and according to the word of Jesus,
you resemble “whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to
men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of
all filthiness.”—Matt. 23: 27. With God the will goes for the
deed. When entertained deliberately and voluntarily in some
important matter, bad thoughts and desires are, like bad deeds,
mortal sins. Therefore it is said in the Book of Proverbs 15: 26,
“Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord,” and Christ him­
self says : “Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her,
hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.”—Matt.
5: 28. The rebellious angels were damned for ever for enter­
taining only for an instant a thought of pride. How great will
be the number of those who, disregarding the evil thoughts and
desires of the heart, and neglecting to confess and amend, will
perish on account of these sins !

2. Sins of omission. We sin by omission when, through our
own fault, and without a valid excuse, we neglect to perform a
religious duty. This kind of sin, too, is very frequent. Many
neglect the duties of religion ; they are careless in the business
of their salvation, they do not often pray, all their thoughts and
affections are set upon worldly things, and they devote themselves
to the distractions of a worldly life. Of God, of their soul, and of
eternity they seldom think. They find no relish in spiritual read­
ing, they put off the reception of the sacraments till Easter—in
fine, they neglect in many ways their religious duties, or fulfil
them imperfectly and badly. Many neglect the duties of their
station in life. How great is the number of parents who, as re­
gards the education of their children, are guilty of many omissi­
ons. They do not take care that their children say their morning
and evening prayers, attend mass on Sundays, and receive the
sacraments ; they permit them to dress extravagantly, to be out
at unseasonable hours, to entertain bad company, to be too
familiar with persons of the opposite sex, and to engage in im­
modest discourses and sinful pleasures. How many children are
self-willed, stubborn, disobedient? These and many other sins of
omission are little thought of, and are committed again and
again without any disquietude of conscience, or without persons
accusing themselves of them. We have an example in Heli, who
neglected his duty as a father towards his degenerate sons, even
after God by his prophet had threatened him with the severest
chastisement.-—/. Kings 3. Some spiritual writers maintain tha*

38

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

more people will be damned for sins of omission than fir sin* of
commission.
3. Sins against justice and charity. Justice requires that we
give and leave to every one his own, that we take no advantage
of any one, that we do not cheat, steal, nor injure any one in his
property. Whoever has sinned in any way against justice is
bound to make restitution and to repair the damage, otherwise
he will not receive forgiveness from God. Charity obliges us to
assist the poor and needy, and to succor them as far as we can.
How many sins against justice and charity are committed ! Who
can count all the injustices which are committed in business
transactions? Goods are adulterated and sold as genuine; seri­
ous defects in merchandise are concealed, and the buyer is
cheated; the highest price is asked for goods, the charges for
work done are exorbitant, and people live quietly as if everything
were in order. If their conscience is sometimes aroused, or if,
from the pulpit or in the confessional, attention is called to these
injustices, they quiet themselves with the thought: That can not
be wrong; how can one get along? others are doing the same!
Not a few acknowledge their injustices, but they will not be
convinced of the necessity of repairing them according to their
ability. They think they can shirk the duty of restitution and
reparation by saying that the performance thereof is impossible
for them; and yet it would be possible, if they had the will. Or
they say that they will give some alms or contribute something
for a charitable purpose. But they greatly deceive themselves.
Injustice remains injustice, whether few or many are guilty of it,
and every injustice must be repaired, otherwise no forgiveness
of the sin can be hoped for.—Matt 5: 26.
As many sin against justice, so they do against charity. Like that
priest and Levite who left the wounded man helplessly by the road­
side, they have no commiseration for their neighbor, and do not
assist him, although without any sacrifice they could do so ; nay,
frequently they take advantage of his necessity, buying at their
own figure what hard necessity compels him to sell, taking
usurious interest, and charging double prices for what a neigh­
bor is in urgent need of. Their way of acting may appear right
in their own eyes; in the eyes of God it is not. “Judgment with­
out mercy to him that hath not done mercy.”—fames 2: 13.
Sentence of the divine Judge on the unmerciful.—Matt. 25: 41, etc.

4. Profaning Sundays and holidays. Sundays and holidays are to
be sanctified by abstaining from servile work, by assisting at mass
and at the afternoon or evening service, and by pious exercises and
-good works. But in how many ways do not people act against
ihese divine and ecclesiastical ordinances? And some who de

6. Moral Sketch.

39

not keep holy the Sundays and holidays, but neglect their duties
on those days, are not in the least troubled or disquieted in
their conscience; they do not accuse themselves in the confess­
ional of this neglect, but imagine that it is all right, though God
and the Church say that it is all wrong. And why ? Because they
see others doing the same, taking the blind for their guides.
Among the Israelites the desecration of the Sabbath had become
general, and hardly any one considered this desecration a sin.
But the Lord said: “They grievously violated my Sabbaths: I
said, therefore, that I would pour out my indignation upon them
in the desert and would consume them.”—Ezech. 20: 13. On ac­
count of the desecration of Sundays and holidays, many Christi­
ans will die an unhappy death and perish eternally.
5. Lastly, sins which have no serious consequences, which cause
no particular harm, or which even bring a temporal advantage.
Many consider that lying is permissible when it hurts no one.
They take even false oaths, in order to do a favor to a friend
and to extricate him from a predicament. Such false oaths,
which are common in judicial cases of assault, in defrauding the
government of the custom duties or taxes, are in the eyes of
many not sinful, or at least excusable, because by them they do
an act of charity to others. So they also judge of many other
sins; if they cause no damage, but rather an advantage, they
are not considered objectionable and punishable. Especially in
our days actions are judged by their succès and however ob­
jectionable and bad they may be, they are approved of if they
be successfully carried out. Acute men—business men—who
trample human and divine rights under their feet, and who are
not deterred from anything if it only serve their purpose, are
overwhelmed with honor and praise for being successful in their
undertakings and accomplishing what they take in hand. What
a delusion ! An immoral, bad action is and remains immoral and
bad, whatever success it may have. God frequently educes good
out of the worst actions. But it would be ridiculous to attribute
to the evil-doer such good results which were not foreseen,
wished, or intended. In a sense it may be said that Judas by his
treason, Pilate by the condemnation of Jesus to death, and the
Jews by his crucifixion, have done an immense deal of good to
mankind, for they have caused the Redemption of the whole
human race by the death of Jesus. But are they on that account
without sin? What sane man would believe this? St. Augustine
says : “It is not lawful to tell a lie on any consideration, if thereby
even the salvation of a man, nay, the salvation of the whole
world, could be achieved.” Henry VIII. of England wished to
be separated from his lawful wife, Catherine of Arragon, in order
to marry her maid of honor, Anne Boleyn. He applied to Pope

40

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

Clement VII. to obtain from him the dissolution of his marriage
with Catherine. As the marriage was valid, the Pope could not dis­
solve it without violating the divine law; he therefore resisted
the desire of the King. The dissolute monarch, blinded by his
vile passion, disregarded the Pope’s refusal, repudiated the vir­
tuous Catherine, and married Anne. Nor did he stop here. In his
anger, he abolished the papal jurisdiction in England, and find­
ing a pliant tool in a servile parliament, assumed to himself
spiritual supremacy over the English Church (A. D. 1534.) He
persecuted all those Catholics who would not acknowledge his
unwarrantable assumption of spiritual power; many were put to
death, among whom may be mentioned B. John Fisher and B.
Thomas More. His conduct afterwards towards his wives is too
shocking to narrate. Thus was English Protestantism conceived
in lust and cradled in murder. Had the Pope been as pliant in
these matters as Luther was to a certain German prince, he could
perhaps have prevented all these evils. But he could and would
not, for he knew that it is not lawful to do wrong if thereby
even the greatest evil could be averted or the greatest advan­
tage obtained.
PERORATION.

Meditate seriously and see whether you have not suffered your­
selves to be so deluded by inordinate self-love, or the bad ex­
ample of the world, as not to acknowledge something to be a
sin when it really is one. If that should be the case, abandon
this error, which would draw upon you the wrath of God and
eternal damnation. In order not to go astray, hold to the doc­
trine of the holy Catholic Church, for she is infallible in whatever
concerns faith and morals. If ever you be in doubt as to whether
a thing is lawful or not, ask your pastor or confessor and he will
give you the necessary information. Be conscientious in every­
thing, that you may be able to give a good account of yout
stewardship at the day of judgment. Amen.

7. Moral Sketch.

41

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
VENIAL SINS A GREAT EVIL.

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed . . which
is the least indeed of all seeds, but when it is grown up, it is greater
than all herbs and becometh a tree . . Another parable he spoke to
them ; The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven.—Matt. 13 : 31-33.
Little things become great, both in the moral and in the na­
tural world. This is the important truth which Jesus Christ pro­
poses to us in the two parables of the gospel for this day. Insig­
nificant and little is the grain of mustard-seed, but in the course
of time it becomes greater than other herbs, a tree, in the branches
of which the birds of the air dwell. Only a small quantity of
leaven is necessary to cause fermentation in a mass of flour. We
must not disregard and despise what is little; be it ever so
insignificant, it may become something great. The grain of
mustard-seed is little, but it carries within it the germ of some­
thing great; a little leaven has the virtue of changing a tasteless
mass of flour into palatable bread.
We may apply these two parables to venial sins. Many con­
sider these sins as insignificant, because they are little, but they
are not ; on the contrary, they must be considered as something
very important. Let us meditate on this truth to-day : I say :
venial sins are a great evil—

I. In themselves;
IL In their consequences.

Part L
Venial sins are a great evil in themselves—

i. Because they are an offense against God. Every sin, even the
least, is a disobedience to God, if not in great, at least in small
things. No superior is indifferent when he sees that his inferi­
ors do not obey him, although it be only in small things ; he is
offended. The reason is because the inferiors do not show him
that respect and honor which is due him as their superior. God
is our highest Lord, he can and he must demand of us the

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

strictest obedience, otherwise he would cease to be our Lord,
and consequently our God. If we should refuse him obedience
in small things, we should presume to circumscribe his supreme
dominion and disregard his will: we should say, if not in words,
at least by our actions: “I know, O Lord, that the inordinate in­
clinations which I entertain in my heart, and the faults which I
commit, displease thee; nevertheless, I will not amend these in­
clinations and faults; I will do thy will in important affairs, but
in things which do not signify much, and which thou hast not
commanded under the threat of eternal damnation, thou must
not expect me to obey.” I leave it to yourselves to judge
whether persons who are so minded and who so act do not
offend God.
God is infinitely holy. He hates and detests every sin, even
the least. In the days of Noe, God seeing the people had become
degenerate and had not ceased to pile sin upon sin, said that “it
repented him that he had made man.”—Gen. 6 : 6. So much does
God hate sin that he sent his only begotten Son into the world,
that he, as the Lamb of God, might take away the sins of the
world.—John i : 29. If we commit only a venial sin, must it not
grievously offend the infinitely holy God?
God is our greatest benefactor, who can certainly demand of us
to be grateful to him. But if, unmindful of his numerous benefits,
we are cold towards him, and do not mind acting contrary to his
holy will, though perhaps only in little things, must not such
coldness toward his goodness displease him ?

2. Because it could be blotted out only by the death of Jesus. Let
us suppose all men upon earth had committed only one venial
sin, what should be done, in order to satisfy the divine justice
for this sin, and to obtain its forgiveness? Would it suffice for
all men to bewail this sin with many tears, to offer all their good
works in satisfaction for it? nay, to shed even their blood? No:
for even a venial sin is an offense against an Infinite Being, and
will, consequently, demand a satisfaction of infinite value, which
not all mankind together, as finite beings, can effect. If even all
the angels of heaven should offer to God all their merits and
prayers for one venial sin, nay, if they assumed human nature
and were crucified like Christ, this sacrifice would be insufficient
for the atonement of one venial sin, for the angels are finite be­
ings, and therefore incapable of offering to God a sacrifice of
infinite value. Jesus Christ alone could make satisfaction for
venial sins as well as for mortal ones. If he had not become man
and died for us on the cross, neither venial nor mortal sins could
bp forgiven us. And should we hold venial sins to be a small
evil r

7. Moral Sketch. ·

43

No; venial sin is also an evil with which no temporal evil can
be compared ; neither the loss of honor, nor sickness, nor death,
nor any other evil, whatever name it may have; for all temporal
evils refer only to creatures, but sin is directed against the Cre­
ator whom it dishonors and offends. So the saints judged. St.
Anslem and St. Thomas Aquin have repeatedly declared that
they would rather burn in hell in innocence, than triumph in
heaven contaminated by one venial sin. St. Catherine of Genoa
said to our Lord: “I refuse not when I come to die to be shown
by thee all the evil spirits in their terror and pain, for these, as
compared with the sight of the least offense against thee, I esteem
as nothing.” In reality there can be no offense small in itself,
because the supreme Majesty is always offended.

Part II.

The consequences of venial sin are disastrous, for—
1. It prevents many graces which God would otherwise give us.
Venial sin does this in various ways. It weakens, especially if
deliberately and frequently committed, Christian fervor, and the
result is that in the exercise of prayer, in the reception of the
sacraments, in the hearing of the word of God, we become guilty
of many a carelessness, and for this reason do not receive as many
graces as we otherwise should. It leads to lukewarmness, so that
we neglect the good which we could do, or do it very imper­
fectly, and this again causes a loss of grace. It turns the heart
from God, so that he withholds his graces from us. Let us ima­
gine a servant who in the first years of the service is very zeal­
ous in the performance of his duties, but after a while becomes
slothful, does indeed what he is strictly bound to do, but in less
important things is not afraid to be disobedient and displeasing
to his master. Will the master be as kind to him as he was in
the beginning, when he served him with all fervor? Certainly
not; in proportion as the zeal of the servant has decreased, the
love of his master for him will decrease. Thus God will treat us
men. If we love him above all things, and avoid with the great­
est care even the least sin, God will give us his whole love and
impart to us abundantly of his graces; but if we become luke­
warm, and offend him frequently in small things, his love for us
will decrease, and consequently he will not give us the numerous
graces he gave us before.

2. It draws down upon us many punishments from God—
ia.} In this world. The Sacred Scriptures furnish examples.
When fleeing from the burning Cities of the Plain, Lofs wifet

44

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.

contrary to the command of the angel and out of mere curiosity,
looked back. For this act of disobedience she was instantly
turned into a statue of salt.—Gen. 19: 26. Mary, the sister of
Moses, was, on account of a little murmuring, infected with a
terrible leprosy, from which she could be freed again only by
the prayer of her brother.—Num. 12. A little diffidence to which
Moses gave way, when he undertook to draw water miraculously
out of a hard rock, displeased God so much that he never allowed
him to enter the land of promise.—Num. 20. Moses on this oc­
casion did not doubt the power and veracity of God, but dis­
played a little diffidence, for, fearing that the unworthiness of
the people would be a barrier, he grasped his rod and said:
“Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous, can we bring you forth
water out of this rock ?” He then struck the rock twice, whereas
once would have been sufficient. Moses never entered the pro­
mised land, but died on a high eminence, God having only
vouchsafed him a distant view of the long-promised land.
The Lez'ite Oza, who put forth his hand to the ark of the co­
venant to hold it, when it was leaning in the cart wherein it was
being conveyed, fell dead before the ark of God.—II. Kings 6.
Can venial sin be a little insignificant thing, when God punishes
it so severely on earth ?
(Æ.) In the other world. If he who commits venial sins pass
through this life unpunished, a severe chastisement will be meted
out to him in the next if he has not fully satisfied the justice of
God for them. Faith teaches us that all venial sins which are
not satisfied for here, must be atoned for in purgatory. What
kind of penance will that be? A very severe one, for the holy
Fathers unanimously assure us that the sufferings of purgatory
far surpass all the pains and sufferings of this life. St. Augustine
says of the fire of purgatory: “This fire, although it does not las<.
for ever, is painful in a wonderful manner, for it surpasses every
pain which man has ever endured or can endure on earth.” Now,
if God, who is so loving and merciful towards man, punishes
venial sins so severely, who could believe that venial sins are
only trifles ?

3. By little and little it leads to ziortal sins. Those who heed­
lessly commit venial sins are manifestly in a state of lukewarm­
ness, and this always leads to grievous sins. The reason is
evident. The tepid man is not solicitous for his eternal welfare,
he pays no attention to the temptations by which he is frequently
assailed, he practices no mortification and self-denial, he is care­
less and negligent in prayer and the use of the means of grace ;
how easy is it under such circumstances for him to fall into
mortal sin, especially when God, on account of his lukewarmness

7. Moral Sketch.

45

imparts to him his graces more sparingly! Hence we read: “He
that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little,”—
Reclus. 19: I. Gregory the Great says: “if by habit we become
acquainted with venial sins, we shall afterwards not be afraid of
falling into great ones.” St. Chrysostom assures us that he had
known many who appeared as if they were adorned with great
virtues, but not regarding small faults, they fell into the abyss of
vices. This sad truth is corroborated in the fall of our first
parents. AVhat was the cause of this fall? Only insignificant
faults. It was only through a little imprudence and incon­
siderateness that Eve one day went near the tree of knowledge.
This fault was succeeded by another, an unguarded glance at
the fruit of the tree; the conversation into which the guileless
woman entered with the serpent was the third fault. Vanity
and a sensual appetite, which Eve did not resist sufficiently,
were further faults. As she did not regard these faults, and
put the tempter away from her, she finally forgot God, took
of the forbidden fruit, and ate. And not satisfied with having
sinned herself, she went and persuaded Adam, who was still in­
nocent, also to transgress the law of God. What caused this
deplorable sin which produces so much misery and suffering in
the world, and on account of which countless souls perish eter­
nally ? An unguarded glance at the tree, a venial sin. “Behold
how small a fire what a great wood it kindleth.”—James 3:5.
PERORATION.

So you see that venial sins are great evils, for they also are an
offense against God, deprive us of many graces, draw severe
punishments after them in this world and the next, and lead by
little and little to grievous sins. Resolve never to commit a
venial sin knowingly and willingly. The devil is satisfied in the
beginning with a hair ; he knows how gradually to obtain more
and to make a rope of it, with which he draws men to perdition.
If through surprise you have committed a fault, repent of it at
once, and resolve for the future to be more careful and not to
commit it again. Walk in the fear of God and avoid everything
that is sinful, be it little or great, that you may be able to stand
before the tribunal of him who will demand an account of every
idle word. Amen.

46

Septuagesima Sunday.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

Epistle. Z Cor. 9: 24-27; 10: 1-5. Brethren: Know you not
that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth
the prize? So run that you may obtain.
And every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself
from all things; and they indeed that they may receive a cor­
ruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. I therefore so run,
not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air:
but I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection : lest perhaps,
when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway. For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our
fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea.
And all in Moses were baptized, in the cloud and in the sea ; and
they did all eat the same spiritual food, and all drank the same
spiritual drink (and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed
them, and the rock was Christ). But with the most of them God
was not well pleased.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
WE MUST BE ZEALOUS IN WORKING OUT OUR SALVATION.

The Church begins with this Sunday her second cycle of feasts,
the centre thereof being Easter which represents to us the com­
pletion of the work of our Redemption through Jesus Christ.
That we may share the fruit of Redemption we must not be idle,
for God who created us without our assistance will not save us
without our cooperation. We must continually fight against the
enemies of our salvation, mortify ourselves interiorly and exteri­
orly, and diligently avail ourselves of the graces which are
offered to us for our purification and sanctification, serving God
with fervor and perseverance. In the epistle for this day St. Paul
exhorts us to work out our salvation with fervor, and for this
end proposes—

Z. Encouraging., and
II. Warning exampUi.

;

|

ΐ
}

;

i. Homiletic Sketch,

47

PART L

To encourage us to be fervent in the business of our salvation
the Apostle proposes to our consideration the athletes, who con­
tested for the prize in feats of strength or agility at the Olympian
games in the arena of ancient Greece. He then assures us that
he himself was obliged to chastise his body by self denial and
mortification, in order to subdue his flesh and its inordinate desires.
The principal feats in these ancient games were—

I. Foot-racing, wrestling, and boxing.
(λ.) The reference to the first is evident, when he says: Know
you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. Of all these ancient
Grecian athletic sports, foot-racing occupied the first place. It
was held in extensive grounds, which were fenced in on all sides,
and called the race-course. In the presence of an immense mul­
titude of spectators, the competitors all started at a given signal,
each straining every nerve to be first at the goal, to which was
affixed the prize, usually consisting of a wreath of olive branches.
The first to reach the goal grasped the wreath, and, of course,
was declared the victor. Among the Greeks it was considered a
great honor thus to become the champion. His name was taken
up by the poets and celebrated in song throughout the land. You
may well imagine how the runners vied with one another to win
the prize, for only one was crowned with this vain, perishable
wreath. The Apostle reminds us that we are all entered in the
race of life. The goal is heaven. It is the crown than which
there is nothing better or more desirable. If we run, we shall
receive the prize, for not one only, but all who run will be
crowned. Should not this encourage us to strain every nerve
on the arena here below, that is, to be solicitous for our sal­
vation ?

(Æ.) The Apostle, in reference to the pugilists and wrestlers says:
And every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himselffrom
all things ; and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown,
but we an incorruptible one. Besides foot-racing, there were pu­
gilistic feats, that is, pugilists or boxers fought with one
another, parrying with the fists. In order to make their fists
heavier and to deal more violent blows, they wound straps
round their hands, securing pieces of lead or iron. When a com­
batant was knocked down and rendered unfit to continue the
fight, his adversary was declared the conqueror, and received, as
a prize for his prowess, like the champion runner, an olive wreath

48

Septuagesima Sunday.

The same as regards wrestlers. Combatants went into training
and prepared themselves for the combat with all possible care,
abstaining from sensual enjoyments and every kind of food that
might weaken the body or any of its members. They also
practiced frequently. St. Paul accommodates himself to the
times in which he wrote, and proposes these pugilists and
wrestlers to us as patterns. If these underwent such hard priva­
tions, practiced and exercised so frequently, and even jeopar­
dized body and life in order to win a vain, contemptible prize,
should not we willingly and cheerfully make every sacrifice for
the incorruptible crown of heaven ? Will not these ancient athletes
rise up against us on the day of judgment, unless we take at
least as much pains to gain heaven as they took for a mere tran­
sitory crown and a few withered leaves? And how many Chris­
tians are there who may well fear such an accusation ?
(t.) The great Christian athlete then proposes himself as our
pattern : I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty : I so fight, not
as one beating the air; but I chastise my body, and bring it into sub­
jection; lest perhafs, when I have preached to others, I myself should
become a castaway.. The Apostle here again refers to the foot-races
and boxing, and calls our attention to what he, and with him every
Christian, has ahead of him. Although the athletes in the Olym­
pic games did all that was necessary to win, yet it was uncertain
at the start who would win, for in the race any one might get
ahead of the other, while in the pugilistic encounter, he might
meet an adversary who would parry all his blows so dexterously
that it would be like beating the air, and a useless expenditure
of strength, to fight such a one. Not so in the Christian race ;
we do not run in vain as at an uncertainty, nor do we beat the
air ; if we only work zealously for our salvation, heaven will most
assuredly be ours. The Apostle afterwards, at the close of his
life, assures us that he had fought the good fight, had kept the
faith, had run his course, and that the wreath of victory was laid
up for him in heaven. He next names the enemy that he fights
with, the manner how, and the reason why he fights. The enemy
was his own body, its inborn concupiscence, which, being his
worst enemy, must be subdued. Let us then likewise subdue our
body, that it may not plunge us into sin, and finally into ever­
lasting perdition. “Let not sin reign in your mortal body, so as
to obey the lusts thereof.”—Rom. 6:12. We have many sad ex­
amples of the evils of concupiscence, and know to what depths
it drags man when not combated and subdued. Witness Cain,
Saul, Judas, etc. We must chastise ourselves.
This chastisement extends to everything that militates against
sensuality, therefore to interior and exterior mortifications. In­
terior mortifications are the bridling of all inordinate inclina-

i. Homiletic Sketch.

49

tions and desires, especially of self-love. To outward mortifications
belong- the subduing of the senses, the patient endurance of all
sufferings and tribulations, as well as all exercises which are
arduous to our body. St. Paul underwent these interior and ex­
terior mortifications, lest perhaps, as he adds, after having
preached to others, he himself should become a castaway. Now,
if this Apostle, who had worked and suffered so much for Christ
and his gospel, and had received such extraordinary graces from
God, considered it necessary to chastise his body and by interior
and exterior mortifications to bring it into subjection, to avoid
being damned, how much more reason have we, who are so very
imperfect, so weak and prone to evil, to deny ourselves, and mor­
tify all sinful desires, if we wish to escape damnation and be saved I
Therefore our Lord says: “If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.”—Matt. 16 : 24.
Without self-denial and the carrying of the cross there is no follow­
ing of Christ; without the following of Christ there is no hope
of salvation. The Apostle enunciates this truth in these words:
“And they that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh with the
vices and concupiscences.”—Gal. 5: 24. The example of the
Grecian athletes, and especially of St. Paul, should be an en­
couragement to us to work out our salvation with persevering
leal and to make every sacrifice for the sake of heaven.

Part Π.

The Apostle, to encourage us to zeal in the business of our
salvation, brings before us an example by way of warning. This
example is the Israelites in the desert, on whom God had
lavished the greatest benefits, and to whom he had promised the
land of Canaan as their inheritance, but who, on account of their
disobedience, died in the desert and never entered into the land
of promise.
1. For i would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers
were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea ; and all in
Moses were baptized in the cloud and in the sea ; and they did all cat
the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, and
they drank of the spiritual rock thatfollowed them, and the rock was
Christ.
The Apostle here mentions a few of the benefits which the
Jews received from God.

(a.} First, he says of them, that all were under the cloud and
passed through the sea. The cloud of which he speaks was that
wonderful column of a cloud, under the protection of which the
Israelites passed through the Red Sea and the desert. When

Π

4

S©

Septuagesima Sunday.

Pharaoh with his army pursued them, the column of the cloud
• f oved betwen him and the Israelites, and cast a dense darkness
upon his camp, so that during the whole night he could not pro­
ceed; but to the Israelites it was a pillar of fire illuminating the
night, so that without any impediment they could pass through
the Red Sea.—Ex. 13. This cloud was for forty years a guide
to the Israelites on their journey through the desert. During the
day it went before them like an ordinary cloud, but at night it
was a pillar of fire. This cloud was a great benefit to them.
(3.) Secondly, the Apostle says that all the Israelites were bap­
tized through Moses in the cloud and in the sea. This is not to
be understood as if Moses had really baptized the Jews when
under the protection of the cloud they passed through the Red
Sea. This baptism is to be taken in the figurative and spiritual
sense, and refers to the benefits which the Israelites received from
the cloud. For this cloud tempered by its shadow the heat of the
day, and illuminated the way at night; in this sense it was a
figure of the grace of baptism, which moderates concupiscence,
and illuminates the mind of man : the sea was a type of the water
of baptism, out of which the Christian comes forth safely, as the
Israelites came safely out of the Red Sea after their passage
through it. Moses, who led the Israelites through the Red Sea,
is the type of the priest baptizing, or rather of Christ, in whose
name the priest baptizes.

(i.) The Apostle then says that the Israelites ate a spiritual
food. This spiritual food is the manna with which God fed the
Israelites daily, during their sojourn of forty years in the desert.
This manna is a type of the Blessed Sacrament, as Jesus himself
intimates in these words: ‘T am the bread of life. Your fathers
did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread
which cometh down from heaven that if any one eat of it he
may not die.”—John b: 48, 50.

{d.} Lastly, the Apostle says that all the Israelites drank the
same spiritual drink—namely, of the spiritual rock that followed
them, and the rock was Christ. This was the rock from which,
after Moses had struck it with his staff, water flowed in abun­
dance, so all the people could quench their thirst. This rock
followed the Israelites, not really, but in the sense that the people
never again suffered from the want of water, and were provided
by God with everything necessary. The rock is called spiritual,
because it referred to Christ and prefigured him. For Jesus is
the rock that was struck with the staff, that is, with the holy
cross, and out of whose side flowed his precious blood, which
we drink unto eternal life; he is also the invisible 1 ock of the

i. Homiletic Sketch.

51

Church, through whom all graces of salvation flow to us continu­
ally on our earthly pilgrimage.
2. But with the most of them God was not well pleased.
(a.) The Israelites should have shown themselves thankful to God
for these benefits and should have served him the more zealously
But they did not. Bible history describes them as a very fickle, stub­
born people; in spite of all that God did for them they offended
him again and again, and even fell into idolatry. Therefore God
was not pleased with the most of them, that is, with all who
violated his commandments, and the consequence was that out
of the six hundred thousand Israelites who had gone out of
E^rypt, only two, Josue and Caleb, entered the promised land;
all the others died in the desert. Truly, a warning for us Chris­
tians. God loved the Israelites as his chosen people and showered
every blessing upon them; he had called them all to enter into
the delightful country of Canaan that overflowed with milk and
honey. And yet, out of the six hundred thousand who at their
departure from Egypt were already grown up, only two, Josue
and Caleb, entered the promised land. What a small number 1
And why? Because they were ungrateful for God’s graces and
always relapsed into their former sins.
Similar will be the lot of all Christians who do not avail them­
selves of the graces of God for their salvation ; they will be ex­
cluded from the kingdom of heaven. And as, out of more than
half a million of Israelites, only two entered the promised land,
so only a few men, and perhaps only a few Christians, will go to
heaven. Christ emphatically says in the gospel of this day:
“Many are called, but few are chosen.” As the greater part of
Christians do not live in the manner required for salvation, we
need not wonder that by far the greater number will be lost.
PERORATION.

If you wish not to be lost with the crowd, but to be saved with
the few, labor with zeal for your salvation. Take the words of
Jesus to heart: “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and
the violent bear it away.”—Matt. 11: 12. Worldlings in pursuit
of temporal and transitory good spare neither pains nor labor.
To this extent take them for your pattern. Look to the saints
of God also. Let their heroic example animate you. Like them,
work and go on working with courage and perseverance.
Heaven is worth it all. Amen.

Septuagesima Sunday.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
,__________

Gospel. Matt. 20: 1-16. At that time: Jesus spoke to his dis·
ciples this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like to a house­
holder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into
his vineyard. And having agreed with the laborers for a penny
a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the
third hour, he saw others standing in the market place idle.
And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will
give you what shall be just. And they went their way. And
again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in
like manner. But about the eleventh hour he went out and found
others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all
the day idle? They say to him: Because no man hath hired us.
He saith to them: Go you also into my vineyard. And when
evening was come the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward:
Call the laborers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last
even to the first. When, therefore, they were come that came
about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But
when the first also came, they thought that they should receive
more, and they also received every man a penny ; and receiving it,
they murmured against the master of the house, saying : These
last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal
to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats. But
he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong;
didst thou not agree with me for a penny ? Take what is thine
and go thy way : I will also give to this last even as to thee. Or,
is it not lawful for me to do what I will ? is thy eye evil because
I am good? So shall the last be first, and the first last. For
many are called, but few are chosen.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE CALL OF THE LABORERS INTO THE VINEYARD AND THE
PAYMENT OF THEIR HIRE.

The householder in the parable of the gospel for this day is God ;
the market place, the world; the vineyard, the Church; those who
were called into the vineyard are all mankind; the laborers in
the vineyard are the faithful ; the steward is Jesus Christ who
pays every laborer his wages. The householder is said to have
gone out at the third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours. The

2. Homiletic Sketch.

53

ancient Jews and Romans computed time differently from us.
They commenced the day, not at twelve o’clock at night, but in
the morning with the rising of the sun, so that their first hour,
according to our reckoning, was six o’clock in the morning; their
third was our nine o’clock; their sixth, twelve or noon; their ninth,
three o’clock in the afternoon, and their eleventh, four to five
o’clock in the evening. We are therefore six hours ahead of the
Jews in our computation of time. Thus, when it is said that Jesus
died at the ninth hour, it is not our nine o’clock in the morning,
but our three o’clock in the afternoon.

Let us now consider the parable:
I. The call of the laborers into the vineyard;
II. The payment of the wages for their work.

Part I.
According to the holy Fathers and the interpreters of the
Sacred Scripture, we may understand the various times of the
day, at which the householder went out to hire laborers for his
vineyard, to mean the whole space of time from the creation of
the first man to Christ and his Apostles, and the life of each in­
dividual person from his birth to his death.
I. The whole space of time from the creation of the first man
to Christ and his Apostles.

(λ.) The early morning, when the householder went out is the
time from the creation of the world to Noe. God had created Adam
and Eve, not only for the earthly paradise, but for heaven. That
they might merit it in some measure he gave them a command­
ment. This was their call into his vineyard. After their fall, he
promised them a Redeemer, and hired them again for his vine­
yard. They themselves, and many of their descendants, as Abel,
Seth, and all who in the Sacred Scripture are called children of
God, followed the call of the divine Father, and went into his
vineyard.
(<5.) About a thousand years after the creation of the world,
there was an evil time, so evil that it could not be worse. God
himself said, in the bitterness of his heart, that he regretted that
he had made man. He decreed to destroy by a deluge the wicked
human race from the face of the earth, which he did after a hun­
dred years. Only Noe, who was just, with his family, found grace
before him; he was to become the progenitor of a better race.
God promised him that he would no more punish the earth by a

54

Septuagesima Sunday.

deluge, cautioned him and his posterity against idolatry, and in­
culcated on them the duty of serving him alone. This was the
second going-out of the householder, about the third hour of
the day.
(r.) The third time, about the sixth hour, was about two thou­
sand years after the creation of the world; he went out when he
called Abraham. This going-out had again become necessary, be­
cause not only did great immorality prevail among men, but ido­
latry was spreading more and more, and the knowledge and
worship of the true God threatened to disappear from the earth.
God now made Abraham the progenitor of his chosen people,
made a covenant with him, the sign of which was circumcision,
and promised that in him, that is, in the Redeemer, who accord­
ing to his humanity should descend from him, all the nations of
the earth should be blessed.

(</.) About five hundred years later, at the ninth hour, the
householder went out the fourth time to hire laborers for his
vineyard, and this was in the days of Moses, through whom God
liberated the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, and gave
them a written law. This law contained not only the ten com­
mandments but also a multitude of ordinances for the religious
and political life ot the Israelites, its object being to separate
them as his chosen people from all the nations of the earth, that
among them the true knowledge and worship of God and the
hope of a Redeemer might be preserved.
(£.) Lastly, after one thousand five hundred years, at the
eleventh hour, he went out for the last time to hire laborers. This
was that blessed time when Jesus Christ himself, God’s only be­
gotten Son, appeared upon earth, accomplished the work of our
Redemption, and sent his Apostles to preach the gospel to all
men. This was the last going-out ot the householder, wherefore
St. John says: “We know that it is the last hour.”—I. John 2:18.
It is not necessary for him to go out again, because the Church
established by him will exist to the end of time, and never cease
to invite all the nations of the earth to enter his vineyard.

2. We may also understand the various times of the day to
mean the life of each individual person, from his birth to the
grave.
(a.) Those whom the householder calls early in the morn­
ing into his vineyard are the children. It is the will of God that
children serve him as soon as they arrive at a knowledge of him
and of his law. For this reason Jesus says: “Suffer the little

i. Homiletic Sketch.

55

children to come to me.”—Matt. 19: 14. Therefore the children
are purified and sanctified by baptism, and brought into the
vineyard of the Lord, into the Church. To these that were called
early in the morning most of us belong, since shortly after our
birth we received the sacrament of baptism. Do we show that
we are grateful for this grace? Christian parents, be anxious that
your children should serve God in their earliest years.
(£.) To those whom the householder hired into his vineyard
about the third hour belong the sons and daughters who are
growing up. This is the loveliest and most beautiful age in the
life of man, and it should not be spent in levity and sin, but in
the service of God, according to the admontion of the Holy
Ghost : "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before
the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which
thou shalt say: they please me not.”—Eccltes. 12:1. Examples:
Joseph of Egypt, St. Aloysius, St. Agnes. God is especially
pleased with the service of youth. But how small is the number
of young people who serve God ! The great majority of them
live forgetful of God. And what awaits them ? Probably a bad
end. “A young man, according to his way, even when he is old
he will not depart from it.”—Prov. 22 : 6. The sins of their
youth will be on their conscience in their dying hour, like heavy
stones. Young people, consider this.

(i.) About the sixth hour, the householder calls those into his
vineyard who are of mature age. These should follow the call
of grace all the more as they have already reached an age when
youthful levity should give place to seriousness in order that
they may redeem the sins of their youth ; moreover, most of them,
having a family, have the additional duty imposed on them of
giving good example. He who lives on into mature age in for­
getfulness of God, and disregard of his religious duties, gives
little hope that he will ever be converted.
(/Z.) Those that are called at the eleventh hour are the people
of declining age. Who would believe it possible that there are
persons who, although sixty or seventy years of age, do not as
yet think of the salvation of their soul, have still a bad conscience,
and are not willing to provide fortheir dying hour? Oh, that
these wretched people would only enter into themselves, and
employ the grace which God yet gives them for the salvation of
their soul ! Oh, that they would daily say to themselves : I can not
last long, I shall make good use of the remnant of my life by
doing penance and making what atonement I can for my sins.

(£.) Lastly, who are those whom the householder calls at the
eleventh hour, an hour before the close of the day, into the vine·

5*

Septuagesima Sunday.

yard? They are those who are already lying· on their death bed.
Because God wills not that any one should be lost; ho also gives
them the grace necessary for their salvation. But will they make
use of it? That is the question. Dismas was indeed saved on the
cross, but his companion remained obstinate and perished. St.
Augustine remarks that in the case of the penitent thief on the cross
we have an instance showing that no sinner, even at the hour of
death, need despair; but there is only one instance, so that none
may presume. The rule is: “As aman lives, so he dies.” Most
rules, of course, have their exceptions; but there is none, perhaps,
in which the exception is so rare as in this. Let no one, then,
presume and procrastinate.
Part IL
As regards the payment of the wages we must consider—

I. At what time, to whom, and by whom the wages were paid,
(a.) When evening was come. The evening is the end of life,
death. This evening will come to us all; let us frequently think
of it, especially every evening when we go to rest. As we do not
know when it will come, let us live in such a manner that it will
not find us unprovided.

(3.) Call the laborers. Therefore, only the laborers, and not
those who stood idle in the market-place, received the stipulated
wages. And yet there are so many who do not work in the vine­
yard of the Lord. And who are they? All those who live in
mortal sin, as also those who do good not for God, but only for
temporal reasons. Of these it is said; “They have received their
reward.”—Matt. 6: 5.
(c.) The steward is Christ; for “the Father doth not judge any
man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son.” It is right
that Jesus, who is our Redeemer, should also be our judge. If
we make Jesus our friend by faithfully following him we need
not fear him as our judge.

2. What wages did all receive ?
(a.) All received a penny. By a penny, heaven is understood.
Not without reason heaven is called a penny. It was of silver,
therefore of precious metal, to signify the greatness of the feli­
city which the saints in heaven enjoy; it was round, which
intimates the eternity of the heavenly joys.

2. Homiletic Sketch.

57

(bi) All the laborers received a penny; those who came into the
vineyard at the eleventh hour, as well as those who had worked
in it from the early morning. How is this to be understood ? In
this sense, that all who serve God will go to heaven, no matter
at what age they began to serve God, whether in childhood, or
in youth, in middle life or in old age. Thus the penitent thief is
in heaven as well as St. John the Baptist, who in his tender in­
fancy had dedicated himself to the service of God. But from this
you must not conclude that all the saints enjoy the same degree
of beatitude, for that is in proportion to their merits. “He who
soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly, he who soweth in
blessings shall also reap blessings.”—II. Cor. 9: 6. Neither must
you suppose it is all the same whether a person begins early
or late to serve God, since he goes to heaven in the one case as
well as in the other ; for he who delays his conversion to the
uncertain future would sin by presuming on God’s mercy, and
could not expect to go to heaven, but to hell.
3. How did some act when they received the wages ?

(0.) The gospel tells us that the first who had gone into the
vineyard early in the morning murmured because they received
no more than those who had gone in at the eleventh, that is, at
the last hour of the day. How is this to be understood ? Is there
discontent and murmuring among the saints in heaven ? Are some
of them not satisfied with their felicity? Do they envy those
among them who are as happy as they themselves? Oh no, in
heaven there is nothing but gratitude towards God, nothing but
contentment, love, and concord. This dissatisfaction and mur­
muring refers not to the saints in heaven, but to the Jews who,
as the chosen people of God, expected to be preferred to all
the other nations of the earth, and imagined that the Redeemer
would come for them alone, that they alone would be called to
his Church and to his kingdom, and they were dissatisfied when
they saw that the Pagans were treated in all things like them.
(bi) The householder reproved the murmurers, explaining to
them that they had no reason for dissatisfaction, inasmuch as
they had received the wages agreed upon, that it was only malice
on their part to be jealous of others for what he had given gratu­
itously, and that their jealously implied an infringement of his
prerogative, since he can act according to his own free will. This
reproach applies to all who suffer themselves to be ruled by

5®

Septuagesima Sunday.
PERORATION.

At the conclusion of the parable Jesus says: So shall the last
be first, and the first last, that is, the Jews, who were first called
to Christianity, became the last because they continued in their
unbelief; the Pagans, on the contrary, who according to their
vocation were last, became the first because they received the
gospel with a believing heart. This word of Christ is also appli­
cable to the just and to sinners : the just, for the sake of their
justice, are the first; the sinners, on account of their sins, the last;
the former may lose their justice, fall into sin, and become the
last; the latter may be converted and become the first. The just,
then, must beware of building on any false security as to their
salvation, and sinners must equally dismiss all fear as to the
possibility of their being saved. Jesus, by saying: Many are
called, biitfeuo are chosen, enunciates the truth that God wills all
men to be saved, but that only few correspond to the will of God,
avail themselves of the means of salvation, and consequently the
great majority are lost. AVe are all called: let us, then, live in a
pious and penitential manner, that we may be among the few
chosen Amen.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE APOSTOLICITY OF THE CHURCH.

Go you also into my vineyard.—Matt. 20: 4. By the vineyard
in the parable of the gospel for this day we understand the
Church. It is the will of God that all men shall go into the vine­
yard and work in it, for the Church of Christ is the only institu­
tion for the salvation of men. As the householder in the evening
paid only those who had labored in his vineyard, so only those
will receive the penny of life everlasting who entered into the
Church and in her worked out their salvation. St. Jerome says:
“He that is not the ark of Noe, that is, in the Church of Christ,
shall be swept away by the coming deluge.” For this reason
our divine Saviour ordained that his Church should be propa­
gated over the whole earth and exist to the end of time. Thus

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

59

men of all times and climes are to have an opportunity of
entering into the Church of Christ and working out their sal­
vation in her. But which is this Church of Christ ? No other than
the Catholic Church, for she alone possesses the marks which the
true Church established by Christ must have. Three of these
marks have already been explained and to-day I pass on to the
fourth, which is Apostolicity, and shall show you—
I. That the Church of Christ must be Apostolic ;
II. That the Catholic Church is truly Apostolic;
III. That all the other religious societies are destitute of this mark;
from which it follows that the Catholic Church alone is the true
Church established by Christ.

Part L

The true Church must be Apostolic—
1. In her origin, that is, she must be able to prove that she is
founded upon the Apostles. The reason is self-evident. Christ
made only the Apostles his representatives, and gave them the
commission and power to found his Church and to progagate it
throughout the whole world. Now, if we can prove that a religi­
ous society has be‘en founded, not by the Apostles, but by
persons who were not in communion with them and had no com­
mission from them, it is evident that that society is not the true
Church of Christ.

2. In her doctrine, that is, her doctrine must agree in everything
with the doctrine of the Apostles, and must not contain anything
but what the Apostles taught. Christ appointed the Apostles to
be the teachers of men and sent down upon them the Holy Ghost,
who taught them all truth and communicated to them the gift
of infallibility when preaching of the word of God. From this it
follows again that a religious society which teaches anything that
the Apostles did not teach can not be the true Church.

3. In her pastors, that is, she must have pastors who are con­
nected with the Apostles and derive their spiritual power from
them by proving their commission from them. Christ appointed
the Apostles pastors of the Church and invested them, for the
salvation of men, with the same power which he himself had
received from his heavenly Father. Since his Church was to exist
for ever, and the Apostles could not live for ever, the power given
to them by Christ was to pass over to others. These certainly can
be no other than their lawful successors, that is, those who received
their spiritual power from the Apostles. Only the Apostles could

6o

Septuagesima Sunday.

be the founders ef the Church, for they alone were in possession
of the spiritual power; therefore, only those who received their
mission from the Apostles can be considered lawful pastors. The
Apostles recognized none as a pastor of the Church who had not
received his mission from themselves or from one of their lawful
successors. They even imposed hands upon Saul and Barnabas,
whom the Holy Ghost had already selected for the preaching of
the gospel, in order to empower them by this ordination and
mission to perform the duties of the Apostleship. Consequently,
those religious societies whose founders and pastors have no
connection with the Apostles can not be the true Church of

Christ
Part Π.
The Catholic Church is Apostolic—

1. In her origin, for she dates back to the Apostles and was
founded by them. This is an undeniable fact. We can name the
founder, the new doctrine, the time and place of origin of
every religious denomination separated from the Catholic
Church, as well as the councils by which they were condemned.
But of the Catholic Church we know nothing of the kind. We
may go through the history of all centuries, and we shall find no
trace of her having any other founder than Jesus Christ and his
Apostles. In like manner it can be proved that in the Catholic
Church no new doctrine contradicting that which was formerly
believed has ever been promulgated. Moreover, no time can be
named when the Catholic Church had fallen away from the doc­
trine taught by the Apostles, whether as regards dogma or
morals, and all attempts to prove anything of the kind on the
part of our adversaries have proved abortive ; neither can a place
be mentioned where the Catholic Church in the course of time
originated; history can not point to any place where the Catho­
lic Church was founded other than Jerusalem, to no year other
than the year (34) after the birth of Christ. Lastly, no lawful
council can be named in which the Catholic Church with its
doctrine has been condemned. It is, therefore, an incontrovert­
ible truth that the Catholic Church was founded by the Apostles,
and is of Apostolic origin.
2. In her doctrine. She teaches us only what the Apostles
taught, either by word of mouth or by their writings. If she ever
had departed from the Apostolic doctrine we should have an
exact knowledge of it and be able to determine when and where
this occurred. But how much soever our adversaries may exert
themselves to adduce some such proof against the Church, they

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

61

will never succeed, for we can prove that every dogma which
the Catholic Church proposes to our belief now was believed by
the Church of the Apostles in the very earliest days of Christi­
anity. It was the perception of this complete identity of the
doctrine of the Catholic Church to-day with that of the primitive
Church, which, by God’s grace, was the impelling motive for the
return of many in these latter times to the bosom of the Catholic
Church.
3. Lastly, in her pastors, for the Pope and the bishops of the
Catholic Church are the lawful successors of the Apostles. That
the Roman Popes succeeded St. Peter is quite evident, for we
can trace back the line of the Popes from Leo XIII., our present
Holy Father, to Peter, whom Christ himself made the visible
head of the Church.
In the other episcopal sees this uninterrupted succession is
more difficult to trace back, because many of them have long
since ceased, while by far the greater number were erected at a
comparatively late date. Among the former were the once flour­
ishing sees of Africa, while among the latter may be reckoned
all the sees of the New World. Our diocese has seen only its
third bishop, and the succession of its first bishop, the good
and lamented Dr. Bailey, is fresh in our own remembrance.
Possibly every priest could, by great research, trace his own
succession back to the Apostles. He knows the bishop who or­
dained him; he may then find the name of the bishop who con­
secrated that bishop, and so on back through the course of cen­
turies. This, however, is not necessary, for this much is certain,
that no bishop has ever been recognized by the Catholic Church
who was not lawfully consecrated and in communion with the
Pope. The succession is more easily traced as regards the
bishops. Every Catholic bishop can name the bishop who con­
secrated him, as well as the Pope who confirmed him by sending
the Papal bull, all the documents being kept in the Vatican ar­
chives. Hence you see that the bishops are connected directly with
the Apostles and from them derive their power, as if St. Peter
were still living in Rome ! Thus the Catholic Church is Apostolic
in her origin, in her doctrine, and in her Pastors.

Part III.

All religious denominations separated from the Catholic Church
are destitute of this mark of truth and of a divine origin.

1. They are not Apostolic in their origin. History testifies this
incontrovertibly, for it furnishes the names of the founders of

02

Septuagesima Sunday.

every sect, with the time, place and circumstances of its com·
mencement. Thus it tells us of the Protestant sects, that only a
little over three hundred years ago they were founded by Luther
in Saxony, by Zwingli and Calvin in Switzerland, and by other
apostates in this or that place. The Catholic Church had already
existed fifteen hundred years when these religious parties tore
themselves from her and took their place near her. Before that
time no one knew anything of their doctrine ; their first mem­
bers were Catholics up to the time that they apostatized from the
Catholic Church. They became bad Catholics, and if there had
not been bad Catholics there would be no Protestants to-day.
They are all new religious societies and have no connection with
the Apostles.
2. They have not the Apostolic doctrine. If we only superficially
compare their doctrine with that of the Apostles we find that
both essentially differ. The Apostles teach, for instance, that
the commandments of God must be kept. The founders of some
of the sects teach that the ten commandments do not concern
Christians. The Apostles teach, “that neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate . . . shall possess the
kingdom of God.”—I. Cor. 6: 10; they on the contrary, that there
is no sin for the Christian except unbelief. The Apostles ad­
monish us to good works, that by them we may make sure our
vocation and election; but they say that good works are useless,
nay, at least venial sins.

3. They have not Apostolic pastors. They have no Pope; his
place with them is occupied by the king or prince of the country
in which they live, who certainly is not the successor of St. Peter.
Their preachers are not the successors of the Apostles, for they
can trace the line of their predecessors at most only to the author
of their sect; with him the chain breaks, because they had neither
from the Pope nor from a bishop in communion with the Pope the
authority to apostatize from the Catholic Church and to form a
new religious society. Therefore, the religious societies, the old
as well as the new, are in no way or manner Apostolic, for they
are founded neither by the Apostles nor by their lawful succes­
sors; neither does their doctrine agree with that of the Apostles;
nor have they pastors who are connected with the Apostles and
derive from them their spiritual power and mission. They are
without orders, without a commission. From this it follows that
none of these religious societies can be the true Church of Christ,
because they are not Apostolic ; that, on the contrary, the Catho­
lic Church, which possesses manifestly the mark of Apostolicity,
is the only true Church established by Jesus Christ.

4· Liturgical Sketch.

63

PERORATION.

Return thanks to God daily for the inestimable grace of your
Catholic faith and rejoice your mother the Church by your good
conduct. Take an active part in all that concerns her; mourn
with her when God permits her enemies to persecute her; rejoice
with her over the victories which she obtains, and over the con­
quests she makes. Behave as good, faithful Catholics, that the
word of Tobias may be fulfilled in the Church: “Thou shalt re­
joice in thy children, because they shall all be blessed, and shall
be gathered together to the Lord. Blessed are all they that love
thee, and that rejoice in thy peace.”—Tob. 13:17, 18. Amen.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH
THE WEEK-DAYS.

Go you also into my vineyard, and I willgive you what shall be just.
Matt. 20: 4.

The primitive Christians were so zealous that in many places
they commenced the Lenten fast before Ash Wednesday. They
were accustomed in some countries to interrupt the fast for one,
two, or more days in the week, but they always arranged in such
a way as to have a forty day’s fast by the time Easter came
round. Accordingly, the fast began in some places on the seventieth, in others on the sixtieth and in others again on the fiftieth
day before Easter. From this custom of commencing their fast
at different times the three Sundays preceding our Ash Wed­
nesday are distinguished as Septuagesima, the seventieth, Sexa­
gesima, the sixtieth, and Quinquagesima, the fiftieth day before
Easter.
The Church considers these three Sundays, with their week­
days, as a preparation for the holy season of Lent ; for this rea­
son she uses the violet color at mass, and nearly the same rites
as on the Sundays during Lent. We are therefore not to de­
vote this time, with the children of the world, to levity, to sinful
enjoyments and dissipations, but to the service of God for the

Ô4

Septuagesima Sunday.

salvation of our souls. The gospel tor this day, which contains
the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, exhorts us to do this.
If we wish to receive the penny of life everlasting, we must
work in the vineyard, that is, we must serve God zealously as
long as we live, not only on Sundays and holidays but also on
week days. As I have already given you the necessary instruc­
tion as to the observance of Sundays and holidays, I shall speak
to-day of the week-days, and explain to you—
1. What names and what significance they have;
II. How we, as Christians, should sanctify them.

Part I.
The week-days have an ecclesiastical and a civil name.

I. In the language of the Church all week-days, with the excep­
tion of Saturday, which is named the Sabbath, are called fertas.
Sunday is considered the first feria, therefore Monday is called
the second feria, and so on, Friday being the sixth feria, after
which comes the last day of the week, Saturday, or the Sabbath.
The Latin word feria signifies a feast-day, and thus all the week­
days are feast days or festivals.
Whence this name?

(a.) In the first ages of the Church the year was commenced on
Easter Sunday, and all the days in Easter week were kept holy,
the people abstaining from servile work, and assisting at the
divine offices. Thus all these days were ferias, feast-days or
festivals. As every Sunday of the year was dedicated to the
Resurrection of Christ, and on this account was called the day
of the Resurrection, the week days following the Sunday were
named ferias, although they were not kept in the same way as
the ferias of Easter week. In this sense the week-days of the
whole year represent to us the Resurrection of our Lord, and
are, as it were, echoes of this mystery. Hence, Origen, says:
“The Christians look upon all days as the day of the Lord, and
even as Easter day, because the heavenly Lamb offers himself
daily for them, and they receive him every day.”
fb ) It becomes priests to celebrate all days of the year by
prayer, by the performance of their sacred duties, and abstain­
ing from worldly pursuits. Hence we read in the life of Pope
St. Sylvester, that retaining the names of Sabbath and Sunday,
he wished all other week days to be called ferias, to signify that
the priests, free from all worldly cares and occupations, should

65

4. Liturgical Sketch.

serve God. Hence the name feria was given to week days with
special reference to priests. But to the laity also every week day
ought to be a feria, that is, a day on which they should rest from
all sinful works, and celebrate a feast to the Lord, in the exer­
cise of Christian virtues and good works. Servile, that is cor­
poral labor, does not detract from this celebration, for it is
according to the will of God, and if done with the right inten­
tion, is meritorious for heaven.

(r.) Saturday, from the beginning, was called the Sabbath, a
day of rest. This name was given to it because God rested on
the seventh day, the Sabbath, and because in early times the
Christians converted from Judaism celebrated this day by abstain­
ing from servile work. But for more than fifteen hundred years
Saturday has no longer been a holiday with Christians. However,
it is still customary in many countries to cease working earlier
than usual on Saturdays, so as to give people an opportunity
of attending the Saturday evening devotions in the church and
of preparing themselves by suitable family devotions for the fol­
lowing Sunday.
2. The civil names of the week-days are Monday, Tuesday, etc.,
These names are of pagan origin, and are for the most part de­
rived from the old deities which the ancient Romans and Ger­
mans venerated. Monday {dies Lunce) derives its name from the
moon (moon’s day, contracted into Monday by dropping an “o”
and the sign of the possessive case), that planet having been
venerated by the ancient pagans as a deity. Tuesday (dies
Martis) has its etymology from the old German god of war.
“Tir,” or “Tuesco,” whom the Romans called Mars. Wednesday
(dies Mercurii) from Mercury, a god who, according to the pagan
mythology, had instructed mankind in the arts and in mercantile
affairs. He was known by the name of Woden (Woden’s day,
Wednesday). Thursday (dies Jodis') from the old German god,
Thor, meaning thunderer, called by the Romans Jupiter; hence
from Thor’s day we have Thursday. Friday {dies Veneris} from
the German goddess, “Freia,” whom the Romans called Venus.
Saturday {dies Saturni) from the Roman god Saturn, who, it
was said, devoured his own children. I must, for the honor of
Christianity, assure you that these names of the week-days no
longer signify the gods and goddesses of the ancient pagans,
but only those planets or stars which have the names of those
pagan deities.
3. The Church and the piety of our fathers in the faith under­
laid every week-day with a mystery of our holy religion. Thus
Monday is dedicated to the Holy Ghost, because he is the author

II

5

■MM

66

Septuagesima Sunday.

and dispenser of all graces, and we at the beginning of the week
should implore his blessing and assistance for all our labors and
undertakings. On Tuesday the faithful are accustomed to vener­
ate the angels—the guardian angels in particular—in opposition
to the ancient pagans, who invoked their war god Mars, or Tir,
on this day. \Vednesday in the early times was a station-day,
that is, a day on which the Christians assembled at the graves
of the martyrs, where they remained in prayer, fasting, and other
pious exercises, from the morning until three o’clock in the after­
noon. For this reason the Wednesdays in Advent and in the
quarter tenses are fast days and days of abstinence. On Thurs­
day the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is particularly vener­
ated, because Jesus instituted it on Thursday. Friday is the
death-day of the Lord, and from the beginning it has been a day
of fasting and penance, and is still a day of abstinence. Saturday
is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, therefore on this day parti
cular devotions in her honor take place, such as the Rosary, the
Litany of Loretto, the Salve Regina, etc.

Part Π.

We should sanctify the week-days—
i. By work.

(a.) The term week-day in derided from work-day, or working
day, and this reminds us that we must work on those days. It
may not be very pleasant counsel when I tell you to labor,
but it is a dutv imposed upon every one. The name of week or
working days of itself intimates that we must labor on those
days. While yet in the state of innocence our first parents were
commanded to labor. “And the Lord God took man and put him
into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it and to keep it.”—Gen.
2:15. After their sin labor became still more the duty of men.
They were obliged to labor not only to support themselves,
but also in penance for their sins, and in order to keep from sin.
“In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread, till thou re­
turn to the earth out of which thou wast taken.”—Gen. 3: 19.
“Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy works.”—Ex. 20: 9.
To labor is a commandment of God; therefore idleness is sinful.

(Æ.) How must we work that we may fulfil our duty meritori­
ously? We must labor in the first place patiently—that is, we
must accept in our persons the difficulties of labor, remembering
that labor is a work of penance for our sins. Secondly, in the
state of grace, for he that labors in the state of sin need not ex­
pect anything hereafter for all his efforts. “If I should have all

4. Liturgical Sketch,

67

faith, so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I
am nothing·. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the
poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profiteth, me nothing.”—I. Cor. 13: 2, 3. Thirdly,
with a good intention, for this is also necessary, that our labor
may become meritorious for heaven. To those who labor with­
out a good intention, not for God’s sake, but for temporal interest,
the words of the prophet apply: You have sowed much and
brought in little, you have eaten, but have not had enough, you
have drunk, but have not been filled with drink; you have
clothed yourselves, but have not been warmed, and he that
hath earned wages put them into a bag with holes.”—dlgg. 1: 6.

2. By prayer.
(a.) We pray on week-days, that God may bless our labor, for
“neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth, but
God that giveth the increase.”—I. Cor. 3: 7. The most essential
requisite to secure God’s blessing on our labor is prayer. On
week-days we should by no means interrupt the business of our
salvation. Prayer is essential to this, for without it we should
refuse God the homage and adoration due to him, and deprive
ourselves of the first and most necessary means for avoiding
evil and doing good. Prayer on week-days is as necessary as on
holidays.
(£.) When should we pray particularly ? In the morning especi­
ally, to thank God for his gracious protection during the night,
to recommend ourselves with our body and soul to his protection,
and to ask his blessing. We should pray before and after meals,
for food and drink come from God, and it is proper to ask and
thank him for them. We should say our prayers before meals
devoutly, that food and drink may not be used to pamper vice,
but in moderation for the body’s health, and in accordance with
the laws of nature, which are the laws of God. Thus will our
meals be to us a means of honoring God and promoting the work
of our salvation. Lastly, we should pray in the evening before
we go to rest, in order to thank God for all the graces and bene­
fits received during the day, to offer up to him our labor, to ask
his forgiveness for faults committed, and to recommend our soul
and body to his protection during the coming night.
PERORATION.

Sanctify therefore not only the holidays, but also the week­
days, in their own way. The working days have the same end
as the holidays—they are given us by God that on them we may

Septuagesima Sunday.

serve him and work out our salvation. The difference between
them is only this, that we devote the holidays exclusively to the
service of God, whilst on the week-days we attend also to temp­
oral pursuits. Perform diligently the labors of your state of
life, and guard against idleness, for it is the mother of all vices
“If any man will not work, neither let him eat.”—II. Thess. 3 :
10. Join prayer to work, pray in the morning, before and after
meals, and in the evening. If as good Christians you labor and
pray, God will help you. He will help you in life, that you may
have what you need for body and soul; in death, that you may
finish your course happily here, and so enter into eternal rest.
Amen.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE HOUSEHOLDER AND HIS VINEYARD.

The kingdom of heaven is like to a householder, who went out early
in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard—Matt. 20; 1.
On all Sundays from now till Easter exclusively, the clergy,
while officiating at the altar, wear violet-colored vestments. That
beautiful song of praise, the Gloria, is not said, nor the Ite
missa est at the conclusion of the mass. In all the prayers of the
breviary and Roman Missal there is not an Alleluja to be found.
Everything indicates penance. With this Sunday the preparation
for the forty days’ fast commences. What a contrast is presented
by the world. This is its gay, festive time. The high, spacious
halls of every metropolis, city, and town in the land are ablaze
with dazzling lights, in which may be seen fluttering the moths
of pleasure in the dizzy mazes of the dance, and masquerades
and entertainments of every sort. Even to-day it is beckoning
us onto pleasure, at a time, too, when the distant, rumbling sound
of discontent and ill-humor can be heard everywhere. Human
society is standing, as it were, on the very crater of a volcano
that is threatening an immediate eruption, the devouring effects
of whose lurid flames, smoke, and burning lava, the nations of
the earth may very soon sensibly experience. But the world is
blind As in the days of Noe people married and gave in

5. Symbolical Sketch,

69

marriage, ate and drank, made merry and were unconcerned up
to the time of the deluge, so it is to-day; people disregard the
threatening signs of the times and the imminent upheaval of
society, live in levity and impenitence, and seem likely to con­
tinue to do so until the judgment of an outraged God shall come
suddenly upon them.
Let us not walk in the ways of the blind world, alienated from
God; let us rather follow our Mother the Church, who invites us
to-day to go into the vineyard of the heavenly Father and to
earn the penny of life everlasting by diligent labor. Let us for
this end briefly consider—

/ The householder;
IL The vineyard.

Part L
The householder is God. This divine Father has three kinds
of servants for whom he provides: The angels and saints in heaven,
men upon earth, and the souls in purgatory. To the first he gives
the best white bread ; to the second bread of a middling quality;
and to the third, bread of a coarser quality.

i. The divine householder gives to his angels and saints in
heaven only white bread, so white, good, and delicious, that the
like of it can not be got in the world. Of them the divine Savi­
our says, “that they shall eat and drink at his table in his king­
dom, and sit upon thrones.”—Luke 23 : 29, 30. He also compares
the joys of the elect in heaven to a marriage feast. We must
not think that sensual joys, as eating and drinking, are here
meant; the Sacred Scripture only makes use of these sensible
images, in order to make us understand approximately the spiri­
tual pleasures which the blessed enjoy in heaven. Moreover, the
felicity of the least saint in heaven is so great that, in compari­
son with it, all the joys and pleasures of the world are as a mere
nothing. “The joys God prepares for his friends surpass all
faith, excel all hope and love, all our wishes and desires. This
beatitude can be acquired, but not estimated ; it can be merited,
but not described.”—St. Aug.
The rich may eat dainties ; the poor must be satisfied with
coarser diet. As rich people we must appear before God, that
we may buy of him these dainties; we can not get them for
nothing. But the riches with which we must be provided, in
order to obtain them, are not money and temporal goods, but
good, meritorious works. Wherefore, labor the more that by
good works you may make sure your calling and election. Many
save every cent for years that in their old age they may have

70

Septuagesima Sunday

something to live on, and should we not endeavor to become
rich in good works, in order to be admitted to the table of the
Lord in heaven ?

2. As long as we live upon earth, we receive from the heavenly
Father bread made only of middling good flour, that is, bread
which is the medium between the white and coarser kinds. That
is to say: In this life good and bad days take their turn, some­
times it is well, sometimes ill with us; sometimes we are satisfied,
sometimes dissatisfied and sad ; but sometimes, and this is the
case with most people, it is middling, not too good, nor yet too
bad. The question is, how are we to accept this middling bread?
We must receive it thankfully from the hands of our heavenly
Father and eat it contentedly, but always keep in view the best
white bread which is prepared for us in heaven. If things go
well with you, do not forget your destiny ; consider that all the
good things you may have upon earth are only of short duration,
that you must die soon, and that of all you possess and enjoy
you can take nothing with you into the other world. Therefore
have no inordinate love for any temporal thing, and take care
lest you offend God for the sake of temporal goods and enjoy­
ments. But if things do not go well with you, if you must eat
the bread of tears, you must not let your courage fail on that
account, trust in God and be resigned to his holy will; sooner
or later your bread of tears will be changed into the bread of
joy, if not in this world, surely in the next. “That which is at
present momentary and light of our tribulation worketh for us
above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory.”—II
Cor. 4:17.
3. At the same time, remember that if you be obliged to suffer
much, you still have middling good bread to eat, and bear in
mind that the heavenly Father has other domestics, to whom he
gives neither white nor middling, but only coarse bread. And
these are our suffering brothers and sisters in purgatory. Oh,
these poor souls would rejoice and thank God a thousand times,
if they had only a middling good loaf to eat; they would be glad
if sometimes they had only a few days or hours during which they
had nothing to suffer, and if they had no more to suffer than we
on earth. But their sufferings are without intermission ; there is
not a minute in which they are without pain, and the pains which
they suffer every moment are incomparably greater than all the
pains upon earth. “This fire (in purgatory) will not last for ever,
but it surpasses every pain and torture that a person has ever
endured or can endure.”—St. Augustine.
From this a twofold lesson follows for us: First, we should
interest ourselves for the poor souls in purgatory and succor

5. Symbolical Sketch.

71

them by prayer, masses, indulgences, and other acts of charity:
secondly, we should make satisfaction for the temporal punish­
ments due to sin by penitential exercises and good works, and
guard ourselves against venial sins, knowing that we shall have
to suffer in purgatory till we have paid the last farthing.
Part II.

The vineyard in the parable of the gospel for this day is—

i. The Church.
(a.) The householder went out at all hours of the day to hire la­
borers into his vineyard. Our divine Saviour invites men at all
times to enter into his Church. Early in the morning, that is,
immediately after the foundation of the Church, the Apostles,
commissioned by their divine Master, went forth into the whole
world, teaching all nations, and baptizing them.—Matt. 28: 19.
At the third, sixth, and ninth hours, that is, in all centuries,
the successors of the Apostles, the bishops and priests, went out
and preached the gospel to all nations. At the eleventh hour,
that is, shortly before the end of the world, the same will be
done ; even in those last days apostolic men will preach the holy
faith everywhere, and it is to be hoped that many Jews and Pa­
gans will be converted. All of us were received into the Church
immediately after our birth, when we received the Sacrament of
Baptism. Let us thank God for this inestimable grace.

(£.) Only those who went into the vineyard were called in the
evening to receive their wages. Only Christians who are in the
bosom of the Catholic Church can hope for eternal beatitude.
The Catholic Church is the only institution that Christ established
for the salvation of mankind. “If he will not hear the Church,
let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.”—Matt. 18: 17.
“Whoever is separated from the Catholic Church shall not have
life everlasting, but the wrath of God remains on him, because
he is separated from the unity of Christ, though he may think
he leads a laudable life.”—Council of Zitra, 412.
But will all be lost who are not members of the Catholic
Church? Before replying to this question, we must make a
distinction: one may be a member of the Catholic Church either
exteriorly or interiorly. All those who are really Catholics, be­
lieving everything that the Catholic Church teaches, belong to
the Catholic Church exteriorly. All those belong to her interiorly,
who, though not professedly Catholics, yet are so disposed as to
be ready to embrace the Catholic faith so soon as they are con­

vinced of its truth and divine origin ; who err only in a matter of

72

Septuagesima Sunday.

judgment without any fault of theirs, and who endeavor to find
out the truth and actually serve God according to their kno ,vledge and conscience. All such, being Catholic at heart, can be
saved. For no one is damned but by his own fault. And God
will never condemn any one on account of an error of judgment.
Speaking of those outside the pale of the Church, we can not
judge who is in error through his own fault or otherwise, because
we can not look into the heart. God alone can do this. Hence
we neither can nor should condemn any one.
(c.) The wages, a penny, were paid in the evening only to those
who had labored in his vineyard. Let us suppose that some had
gone into the vineyard, but did not work therein, would they
have received wages in the evening ? Certainly not, for laborers,
not idlers, are paid wages. Thus it is not enough to be members
of the Catholic Church ; if we wish to be saved we must work for
our salvation, “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of
my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven.”—Matt. 7: 21. “What shall it profit, if a man say he hath
faith, but hath not works ? Shall faith be able to save him ?”—
James 2: 14. To believe what Christ teaches us by the mouth of
his Church, and to do what he commands, makes the true Catholic.
He that believes as a Catholic, but lives not as a Catholic, will fare
worse on the day of judgment than infidels and heretics, because
he knows God and his holy laws better, and has far more means
of grace than they. Let us take this truth to heart and endeavor
to lead a virtuous life.

2. The vineyard is the heart. A vineyard requires a great deal
of labor and care. If it is to bring forth fruit it must be cultivated,
fertilized, and tilled. It must also be kept free from weeds. The
same must be done with the vineyard of the heart, in order that
the fruits of Christian justice may grow and ripen.

(«.) This spiritual vineyard must be diligently cultivated, and
this is done by frequent and careful examination of conscience.
Without such examination we can never arrive at a true know­
ledge of ourselves, and without this knowledge we shall never be
able to amend our faults and curb our evil inclinations. The exa­
mination of conscience is the first requisite for a well-ordered
life. Therefore, examine your conscience well, not only when
you go to confession, but also every evening, and guard against
being deceived in it by self-love.
(Æ.) This little vineyard is to be fertilized, that is, we must make
use of the means of salvation. Such means are prayer, the word

5· Symbolical Sketch.

73

of God, and the sacraments. If we view the lives of the saints,
we shall not find one among them who was not particular in the
use of these means of grace. They were fond of prayer, all their
labors were one continual prayer, and they were often occupied
in exercises of devotion till far into the night, very often the
whole night. The word of God was everything to them ; they
missed no sermon ; spiritual reading and meditation on the truths
of religion was their favorite occupation. They had the greatest
longing for the holy sacraments, and esteemed themselves happy
in being able to receive them frequently. Let us imitate them.
(c.) The vineyard must be kept free from weeds. It is often a
matter of surprise to the diligent agriculturist to find how
quickly the rank weeds grow up, and where they all come from.
He sees weeds that he never saw before in his ground, and whose
seeds he never suspected were in it. But he makes up his mind
at once to get rid of them, and to do so he doe^ not merely cut or
break them off at the surface, but he pulls them out by the roots.
There are many weeds in our hearts. The seeds are there. There
are our inordinate inclinations, all our passions, such as anger,
ambition, envy, and the rank weed of impurity. These evil in­
clinations are real weeds, for they are bound to come to the sur­
face, and they can never be banished, unless we pull them out
by the roots. If, therefore, we wish to persevere in good, to
make progress in virtue, and to keep our hearts clean and pure,
the subduing of our inordinate inclinations must be our daily­
occupation. Let us, then, be diligent laborers in the vineyard of
our hearts, and let us never grow fatigued in rooting up the
weeds of our evil inclinations, for after all, where the rankest
weeds are wont to grow is very often the very best soil.
PERORATION.

Go you also into my vineyard. Renew the good purpose of
spending this holy season, which is a time of preparation for
the forty days’ fast, not in the service of the world and sin, but
in the sendee of God. You have yet time and grace, and you
can yet merit heaven by working diligently in the vineyard of
the Lord. Work whilst it is day. Cleanse your conscience by a
full and sincere confession of all your sins, mortify all your inordinate
inclinations and passions, free yourselves from all sinful habits
and connections, and work perseveringly for your perfection
and sanctification, that hereafter you may obtain the penny of
life everlasting. Ameu.

74

Septuagesima Sunday.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
THE SERVICE OF GOD.

Go you also into my vineyard. and I will give you what shall be just.
—Matt. 20: 4.

This is our vocation upon earth: we must serve God with last­
ing fervor, and labor at the paramount business of our salvation,
that at the end of our day’s work we may receive the penny of
life everlasting. That this is the will of God Jesus teaches us in
the parable of the gospel for to-day, for the householder who
went out at divers hours of the day to hire laborers into his
vineyard is God, who calls men of all times and persons of every
age and condition into his service, that they may work out their
salvation and be saved. Many of us have heretofore stood idle in
the market place of the world, and have not served God, but our
sinful lusts and passions. Now, as the season of preparation for
the forty days’ fast is upon us, it is time for us to quit the ser­
vice of the world and enter into the service of God. In order to
encourage you to do so, I shall speak to-day about the service of
God, and show you that it is—
I
II
III.
IV.

Our most necessary business ;
Our only business ;
Our unceasing business ;
Our most profitable business.

Part I.
The service of God is our most necessary business—

i. Because God is ozir Lord and Master. Every master requires
his servants to serve him, and justly, because he is their master.
God is our master far more, for from him we have not only
board and wages, like other servants, but also our existence—our
life. God would cease to be our Lord and Creator, he would
cease to be God, if he could permit us not to serve him any more.
As necessarily as God is God, so is it necessary that we serve
him.

6. Moral Sketch.

75

What do those do who refuse to serve God ? They do what the
rebellious spirits in heaven did. They say, if not in words, at
least in their actions: “I will not serve. I do not recognize God
as rny Lord and Master. I will be my own Lord and God.”
2. Because our eternal salvation depends on it. It is not neces­
sary for you to accumulate great wealth and become rich. If you
remain poor all your lifetime you can be saved. Lazarus, who
had not bread enough to satisfy his hunger, is in Abraham’s
bosom, whilst Dives is tormented in the flames of hell. It is not
necessary for you to enjoy good health ; should you be always
delicate and pass through years of sickness you can be saved.
Many saints, as Gregory the Great, Lidwine, Teresa, were afflicted
almost constantly with sickness and bodily infirmities, and yet
they are in heaven. It is not necessary for you to live to old
age ; if you die in your best years you can be saved. St. Aloy­
sius, St. Stanislaus Kostka, and many other saints who died com­
paratively young, were saved. But it is necessary that you serve
God, for if you do not serve him you will surely be damned.
The unprofitable servant in the parable.—Matt. 25 : 24. In ancient
pagan Rome every one who applied for citizenship was obliged
to show his hands to the city fathers. If the hands had a thick,
hard skin, and testified industry, he obtained citizenship ; but if
his hands were tender and delicate, like a lady’s, he was rejected
as an idler. God will treat us in much the same way when we
appear before his tribunal. What folly therefore to wish to go
to heaven, but not to be wilfing to serve him. And how many
are guilty of this folly ?

Part Π.

The service of God is our only business.
1. Jesus Christ several times emphatically declared this truth.
When the devil suggested to him to fall down and worship him,
he said to him: “Begone, Satan, for it is written: The Lord thy
God thou shalt adore, and him only shalt thou serve.”—Matt.
4: 9, 10. Again he said: “No man can serve two masters.”—
Matt. 6: 24. To Martha he said: “Martha, Martha, thou art care­
ful, and art troubled about many things. But one thing is neces­
sary!'—Luke 10: 41, 42. This one thing necessary is the service
of God.

2. Reason also convinces us of this truth. Every laborer and
servant must serve his master or employer. Suppose a servant
worked industriously the whole year round, not on the farm of
his master, but on another man’s farm, would his master be satis-

7*>

Septuagesima Sunday.

fied with him? Certainly not; and if the servant demanded
wages, would he not say to him : “I owe you nothing ; let him pay
you for whom you worked.” All those who worked not for God,
but for some one else, will receive the same answer at the last
judgment. Thus the service of God is our only business.
3. But some will say within themselves, how can the service of
God be our only business? We are not monks or nuns; we live
in the world and have the care of many things. I answer, this
does not alter the case; to whatever state you may belong,
single or married, masters or servants, the service of God is your
only business. To serve God means to do his holy will. If, there­
fore, you diligently perform the duties of your state of life, attend
to your business, do your work, endure the hardships of life,
you serve God, because God so wills it. Nay, when you eat,
drink, sleep, enjoy a lawful pleasure, it is a service of God, be­
cause God so constituted our nature as to make these things in a
measure necessary to us, and it is his holy will therefore that we
satisfy our bodily wants. In every state of life one may serve
God and be saved. There is no state or vocation in life in which
there have not been saints.

Part III.

The service of God is our unceasing business.
I. There are no holidays in the service of God; all days are
working days. Our vocation is to serve God always, all the
years, all the days, and all the hours of our lives. The service
of God begins with the awakening of reason. As soon as the
child has the necessary knowledge of God and his holy com­
mandments, and can distinguish between good and evil, it must
begin to serve God ; and this service of God continues without
any intermission till we draw our last breath. Our Lord demands
this unbroken service, when he says: “No man putting his hand
to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
—Luke 9 : 62. And again : “He that shall persevere unto the end,
he shall be saved.”—Matt. 10: 22. “Be thou faithful until death,
and I will give thee the crown of life.”—Apoc. 2: 10. It is not
enough to serve God only for some time. “If the just man shall
turn away from his justice, and shall commit iniquity. ... he shall
die in his sins, and his justices which he hath done shall not be
remembered.”—Ezech. 3: 20. Examples: King Saul, Judas, etc.

2. Think of this young people. Many of you say to yourselves:
“I am still young; I must enjoy life; when I am older I shall
serve God.” But among ten persons who in their youth lead a

6. Moral Sketch.
wicked life, there is hardly one who will afterwards be truly
converted. Besides, you have no lease of your life, you are not
sure that you will attain the old age you so fondly hope for;
you may not have time to amend your life, because you would
not amend it when you had both time and means to do so.
What has already happened to many, may happen to you—you
may die in your sins. The man of mature age says: I have no
time now to attend to the business of salvation ; I am overwhelmed
with so many affairs, have so many projects before me; but after
a while I shall set my conscience in order. Thus all live in the
hope of having many more years before them. Even the man
bent down with old age, and standing, as it were, with one foot
in the grave, we often see making no provision for his salvation,
under the vain delusion that his time is not yet nigh. And when
the Lord comes like a thief in the night, and calls them from this
life, they are unprepared, like the foolish virgins who had no oil
in their lamps when the bridegroom came.—Matt. 25. If there
be some present who must own in their hearts that heretofore
they have not served God, let them at least begin now to serve
him with redoubled fervor, in order to repair and redeem the
time that has been lost, for this may be for them the eleventh
hour.
Part IV.

The service of God is the most profitable business, for he that
serves God receives even in this life a most glorious reward.
I. In this world. How happy were our first parents so long as
they served God. They lived in paradise and had a heaven upon
earth. How happy would all men be to-day, if Adam and Eve
and their posterity had served God faithfully. There would be
no evil, no pain, no suffering, no death. But even now, when the
curse of sin rests upon the earth, all who serve God zealously
are happy. God is with them; he blesses their undertakings and
grants them quiet and contented days. Proofs from history:
The Israelites, who were happy when they served God. Experi­
ence proves this. Families in which the fear of God prevails
enjoy the divine blessing; everything goes well. How different
in families whose members do not serve God, but the devil.
There is no peace, no holy joy, no contentment, nor any of those
goods that make man truly happy.
It is true the greatest servants of God frequently undergo
hard trials, but they are never unhappy on that account, for the
heavenly consolations which they enjoy sweeten their sufferings.
Examples: The Apostles went from the presence of the council,

where they had been scourged, “rejoicing that they were ac-

78

Septuagesima Sunday.

counted worthy to suffer reproach, for the name of Jesus.”—
Acts 5: 41, 42. St. Lawrence, lying* on a gridiron, jested. St.
Francis Xavier, amidst great deprivations and tribulations which
he was obliged to endure as a missionary, experienced such an
abundance of heavenly consolations that he asked God to cause
them to cease because he could no longer endure them.

2. In the other world. God, in his infinite goodness, has decreed
to reward all his servants with everlasting felicity. What is this
felicity? It surpasses all conception, it is unspeakable. St. Paul,
to whom it was vouchsafed to be taken up into heaven, says
that he there heard secret words, which it is not granted man to
utter (II. Cor. 12: 4) ; that is, he there saw mysteries and experi­
enced joys which can not be expressed in words. Again he says:
“Eve hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into
the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that
love him.”—I. Cor. 2 : 9. Even an angel could not explain to us
the greatness and quality of the felicity which the elect enjoy in
heaven. And why not? Because this beatitude is supernatural,
that is, it surpasses our natural faculty of comprehension. If the
horse had understanding, says St. Alphonsus, and you told him
that you would prepare a splendid meal for him, he would
have visions of good hay and oats, for of other enjoyments
he has no conception. So it is with us, when the beatitude of
heaven is described to us. We call up before our vivid imagina­
tion visions of natural, temporal joys, because in our present
state we have no more conception of the supernatural and
heavenly joys than the horse has of the delicious viands which
are served on royal tables. That we may be able hereafter to
enjoy the beatitude of heaven God must raise us to the super­
natural state, must give to our soul, and, after the resurrection, to
our body, qualities which elevate us far above our present na­
tural state ; he must, as it were, deify us. And this immeasurable
beatitude will last for ever. Earthly joys and pleasures are
transitory and perishable. How different from them are the joys
of heaven ! These have a beginning, but no end ; they will last
without interruption as long as God is God—for ever and ever.
“That which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation
worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of
glory.”—ZZ. Cor. 4: 17.
PERORATION.

This is the reward that God will give us if we serve him. And
who would not be willing to serve for such wages? The wonder
is, that we who know and believe all this can entertain any other
thought during our whole life. Shall I serve God that I may be

7. Moral Sketch.

Ί9

saved? Who, in the contemplation of heavenly things, would not
turn his heart from the vanities of the world, and exclaim with
St. Ignatius : “Oh, how disdainful is the earth to me when I con­
template heaven !” Let us follow the invitation of the Master, and
go into his vineyard and labor diligently till the evening of our
life, that we may receive for our pay the penny of eternal beati­
tude in heaven. Amen.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
HOW MUCH GOD HAS HONORED LABOR.

So shall the last be first, and the first last.—Matt. 20: 16.

This remarkable sentence of Jesus teaches us that God judges
differently from man. Acording to the judgment of the world,
the higher classes of human society, the nobility, clergy, military
and naval officers, physicians, lawyers, professors, artists, are the
first; they are honored, respected, and preferred. The state of the
laborer is the last in the estimation of the world, and, therefore,
little respected. But is not so with God ; before him the last shah
be first. For this reason the Apostle says: “The base things of
the world, and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen,
and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that
are; that no flesh should glory in his sight.”—I. Cor. 1: 28, 29.
Yes, the state of the laborer, mechanic, artisan, and farmer is
highly respected in the eyes of God. I shall prove this—

I. From the fact that the laboring state of life was instituted in
the beginning.
II. From the fact that this state was preferred when Christianity
began.

Part L

God instituted the laboring state of life in the very beginning.
i. Before the fall of man into sin. Man was not to spend his
life in idleness, even when he was yet in the state of innocence

8o

Septuagesima Sunday,

and dwelt in Paradise; on the contrary, it was the will of God
that he should work. The Sacred Scripture assures us of this
in plain words: "And the Lord God took man and put him
into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it.”—Gen.
2: 15. This dressing and keeping of Paradise was not painful,
hard labor, but it was nevertheless labor, which, according to the
express command of God, man was to undergo From this we
see that the laboring state was instituted in those happy days
even when man lived in the purest innocence; it was instituted
in Paradise, that garden which brought forth an abundance of
fruit of every kind—instituted in that happy state when there
was as yet no sin or sorrow, no tribulations or afflictions. And
this precept to till the earth was the first that went forth from
the mouth of God to man ; it was given to our first parents even
before they were forbidden to eat of the fruit of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. A laboring family, therefore, was
the first family upon earth, which is a clear proof that the prin­
cipal task of man. in as far as he belongs to the natural order, is
manual labor, and that the wrhole fabric of human society should
rest on the laboring state, as the edifice on its foundation. Labor,
therefore, is by no means a necessary consequence of sin, but an
institution ordained by God while man was yet in the state of
grace, and if sin had never found an entrance into the world,
and if all men still possessed original innocence and sanctity,
they should work, for “man is born to labor, and the bird to fly.”
—Job. 5: 7.

2. After the fall of man, God renewed the precept of labor,
and made it harder by the addition of these words: "In the sweat
of thy face thou shall eat bread, till thou return to the earth out of
which thou wast taken.”—Gen. 3:19. In the state of innocence
labor was without any exertion, more a recreation than an oc­
cupation, and such as not to diminish, but to increase happiness.
In the state of lost innocence labor was to be a means against
sin, and an exercise of penance; in order to become so, it was
to bring pains and difficulties in its train. If we bear patiently,
and for the love of God, the difficulties connected with labor,
we can atone for the temporal punishments due to our sins,
and gather a great treasure of merits for heaven. Moreover,
labor is one of the most effectual means of guarding ourselves
against sin, for it subdues and weakens the passions of the flesh,
frees us from sinful thoughts and desires, banishes temptations,
and strengthens and encourages us to everything good. "The
roots of labor are bitter, but its fruits are sweet.”—Laertius.
The laboring state is a very important one; it is the first that
was in the world, the state which God instituted before the fall,
and which, after the fall, he remodeled in this way, that, on

MM'

7. Moral Sketch.

81

account of the pains and difficulties connected with it, it should
become a means for the obtaining of eternal beatitude. Should
you not, therefore, highly esteem the laboring state, and consider
yourselves happy in belonging to it?
Part II.
But what must raise the laboring state of life in our estimation
still more is, that it was preferred before all others when Christi
anity began.
How much has Jesus Christ honored the laboring state of
life and preferred it before all others 1
I.

(a.) Whom did he choose for his mother? A virgin, who was
indeed descended from the royal house of David, but who lived
in a state of poverty and gained a livelihood by the work of her
own hands. Whom did he choose for his foster-father? A poor
carpenter. So the salvation of the world, in a certain sense,
came forth from the laboring class.

(Æ.) But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would have not only a
foster father and a mother who belonged to the laboring class,
but he would also belong to it himself up to his thirtieth year.
During all this time he lived in poverty, and worked as hard as
any of you; like every laborer, he earned and ate his bread in
the sweat of his face. Not only because he lived in the house of
Joseph, but also because he underwent all domestic labors and
assisted his foster-father in his shop, he was generally looked
upon as the son of Joseph, the carpenter.

(r.) If we contemplate our divine Saviour in his public life, wt
and that he was principally active for the laboring classes. Who
were they in whose midst he sojourned, among whom he
preached so often and performed miracles? They were the people
belonging to the laboring class. To them he spoke first, for them
he showed special affection, on them he conferred the greatest
benefits. “The poor (people of the laboring class) have the
gospel preached to them.”—Matt. 11:5. It is to the afflicted, and
such as groaned under the burden of labor, that he addresses
himself in these loving words: “Come to me, all you that labor
and are burdened, and I will refresh you.”—Matt. 11: 28. Who
were the thousands that he fed in the desert? They were the poor
people, who belonged to the laboring class, for if they had been of
the higher classes, and rich, they would, scarcely have been
satisfied with such a frugal meal of barley bread and fish, and if
Jesus had sent them away unfed, they would not have been in
danger of fainting on the way, for they would have certainly

82

Septuagesima Sunday.

provided themselves with money for traveling expenses. How
much Jesus loves the laboring state and prefers it to others, we
see exemplified in the sick servant of the centurion of Capharnaum. Jesus declared himself ready at once to come to his house,
in order to heal his servant. He treated quite differently the
royal officer, who requested him to come to him and heal his
sick son. He did not say that he would come to his house, but
healed his son only after repeated entreaties.
(if.) From which class did our Lord choose his Apostles ? From
the class of so-called respectable people, the rich and learned?
No, he took almost all of them from that class of people to
which you belong; several of them were poor fishermen, owning
scarcely more than their fishing tackle ; the rest, with the excep­
tion of Matthew, earned their daily bread by manual labor. And
Jesus chose these poor laborers for vessels of his grace, and
through them renewed the face of the earth.

2. What did the Apostles think of manual labor after Christ
had chosen and sent them to preach the gospel to all the nations
of the earth? Did they lay aside their former occupation? No, on
the contrary, as far as compatible with their holy calling, they
continued their trades. Thus we know that Peter, Andrew and
John, and other Apostles were frequently engaged in catching
fish long after they had become disciples of our Lord. St. Paul,
who had learned the trade of a tentmaker, frequently mentions
that he supported himself by the work of his hands. Thus he
says: “I have not coveted any man’s silver, gold, or apparel, as
you yourselves know, for such things as were needful for me,
and for
are with me, these hands have furnished.”—Acts
od, 34· And again: “For you remember, brethren, our labor
and toil ; working night and day, lest we should be chargeable
to any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God.”
I. Thess. 2:9. We also read in the Acts of the Apostles that he
worked in the city of Corinth for some time as tent-maker for
a certain Jew named Aquila.
The Apostles not only worked themselves, but they also ex­
horted all the believers to lead an active, industrious life. Thus
St. Paul writes to the Christians of Thessalonica : “Use your en­
deavor to be quiet, and do your own business, and work with
your own hands, as we commanded you.”—Z. Thess. 4: 11. And
again: “We declared to you, that if any man will not work,
neither let him eat, for we have heard that there are some among
you who walk disorderly, working not at all, but curiously med­
dling. Now, we charge them that are such, and beseech them
by the Lord Jesus Christ, that, working with silence, they
would eat their own bread.”—IL Thess. 3: 10, 12.

7. Moral Sketch.

83

PERORATION.

The laboring· state of life is, indeed, an honorable one, because
it was established at the beginning of the world, and was pre­
ferred before all other states when Christianity began. Deem
yourselves happy that you belong to this state, and live in such
a way that you may be an honor to it. Labor for Christ, be
active and industrious at your trade or avocation in life, not
merely on account of your temporal subsistence or from earthly
motives, but also on account of God, to do his holy will and to
honor him by your labor. “Whatsoever you do in word or in
work, all things do ye in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”—
Col. 3:17. Labor with Christ, that is, in union with him, in the
state of grace. Guard yourselves against sins which are so fre­
quently committed at work, such as impatience, cursing, blas­
pheming, unchaste discourses and vile jokes, injustice and cheat­
ing, desecrations of Sundays and holidays. Sanctify your work
by pious thoughts and ejaculations, and thus lead a pious life,
that on the day of judgment you may be found faithful servants

of God and worthy of being rewarded with the eternal beatitude
of heaven. Amen.

Sbxagesima Sunday.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.
Epistle. II. Cor. 11:19 to chap. 12,9. Brethren : You gladly
suffer the foolish, whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer
if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if
a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you
on the face. I speak according to dishonor, as if we had been
weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly),
I dare also. They are Hebrews; so am I. They are Israelites;
so am I. They are the seed of Abraham ; so am I. They are the
ministers of Christ; (1 speak as one less wise) I am more ; in many
more labors, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above mea­
sure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty
stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was
stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck ; a night and a day I was in
the depth of the sea ; in journeying often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from
the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in
perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren : in labor and
painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings
often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things which are
without, my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized,
and I am not on fire? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the
things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I
lie not. At Damascus the governor of the nation, under Aretas
the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes to apprehend me.
And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall,
and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient
indeed), but I will come to the visions and revelations of the
Lord. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago
(whether in the body I know not, or out of the body, I know not,
God knoweth); such an one rapt evento the third heaven. And
I know such a man (whether in the body or out of the body I
cannot tell, God knoweth); that he was caught up into paradise ;
and heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter.
For such an one I will glory ; but for myself I will glory nothing,
but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory,

1. Homiletic Sketch.

85

I shall not be foolish; for I will say the truth. But I forbear,
lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me,
or anything he heareth from me. And lest the greatness of the
revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my
flesh, and an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing thrice I
besought the Lord, that it might depart from me ; and he said
to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect
in infirmity. Gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that
the power of Christ may dwell in me.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
IN WHAT THE APOSTLE GLORIES.

The whole epistle for this Sunday is little else than a panegyric
pronounced by St. Paul upon himself. But how does it come that
the great Apostle can, consistently with humility, eulogize him­
self? Does it not appear to savor a little of conceit or vanity?
Oh, no ; in so writing he had nothing in view but the honor of
God and the salvation of the Corinthians. In the Christian con­
gregation at Corinth, which St. Paul himself had founded, false
teachers had arisen, who distorted Christian truth, endeavored
to make the Christians half-Jews, and boasted of being the true
teachers and apostles of Christ, speaking contemptuously of the
Apostles, and particularly of St. Paul. The latter therefore saw
that it was necessary to rise against these false teachers and to
defend himself against their slander and calumny, because the
Corinthians were in great danger of being seduced by them.
Let us study the contents of the epistle for this day.
glories—

St. Paul

I. In his lineage and office;
II. In his sufferings as an Apostle;
III. In his heavenly rapture.
Part I.

St. Paul glories in his lineage and office.

1. The Apostle of the Gentiles reproves the Christians at Co­
rinth for allowing themselves to be duped and treated so infa­
mously by the false teachers, and then says that he could glory in
all those thiugs of which they boasted. They glory, he says, in
being Hebrews, that is descendants of Heber, the great-grand­

s·*

86

Sexagesima Sunday.

father of Abraham, who alone, in the confusion of languages at
Babel, is said to have preserved the true faith and the ancient
language ; they boast of being Israelites, that is, the lineal de­
scendants of Jacob, and not such as before were Gentiles, but who,
being circumcised, afterwards embraced Judaism; they also
boast of having the patriarch Jacob for their progenitor, and
therefore of being children of the promise; and lastly, that they
are ministers of Christ and apostles, and indeed such as alone
understand the gospel and preach it without error. St. Paul, in
reply to these vauntings of the false teachers, shows that he is a
Hebrew, an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, and a minister of
Christ, and that he could glory in these things, if he cared about
glorying. Moreover, he intimates to the Corinthians that, even
if those false teachers were ministers of Christ, which, however,
they were not, he would have a superior claim to this name, be­
cause he had endured far more tribulations than they. The
Apostle never thought of presuming on his pedigree from Abra­
ham, for he knew that with God there is no regard of persons,
and the Gentiles were called to'Christianity as well as the Jews,
and were to have part in the grace of Redemption. Much less
was he proud of his Apostolic office, for he calls himself the least
of the Apostles, and not worthy to be called an Apostle, because
he had persecuted the Church.—I. Cor. 15 : 9.

There are some, who, I know not why, presume a great deal
on their lineage and station in life. How foolish ! Is it any merit
of theirs that they descend from renowned, respectable, or aris­
tocratie parents, occupy a higher station in society, or own more
acres and more money than many of their fellow-beings ? Is not
“every best gift and every perfect gift from above, coming down
from the Father of lights?”—James 1:17. Must we not say to every
one, whoever he may be: “What hast thou that thou hast not
received ? And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if
thou hadst not received?”—1. Cor. 4: 7. Beware of glorying on
account of your station, or temporal goods and advantages,
and beware of boasting of these things, much less of thinking
yourselves better than others and despising them: on the con­
trary give the honor to God, walk in humility and holy fear, con­
sidering that of them to whom much has been given, much will
be demanded.

St. Paul fulfilled all the duties of his vocation with commend­
able zeal. He was ever most active in the preaching of the
gospel; to glorify the name of Jesus, and to save souls, was his
study day and night; all that has value in the eyes of men, honor
and reputation, rest and convenience, liberty and life, he sacrificed
in his service. Let every one fulfil the duties of his state of life
with conscientious fidelity, and not regard the difficulties which

1. Homiletic Sketch.

87

are frequently connected with the performance of those duties,
remembering that our salvation depends on this fidelity.
Part II.

St. Paul glories in his sufferings as an Apostle.
Christ had said of this Apostle at his conversion : ‘ I will show
him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”—Acts
9: 16. St. Paul experienced the truth of the words spoken by
our Lord. His entire apostolic career was an uninterrupted chain
of tribulations, persecutions, and sufferings of every sort. He
speaks to day in general of the prisons, maltreaments, and perils
of death which he endured, and singles out the following:

(a. ) Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes save one.
The Jews were not allowed to give more than forty stripes. Not
to transgress the law (Deut. 25: 2, 3) they always gave thirtynine only. To give stripes was the greatest punishment which
at that time the Jews were permitted to inflict. And if they had
had the power to punish any one with death, St. Paul surely would
have become a victim of their animosity, for they persecuted him
with the direst hatred.
(£.) Thrice was I beaten with rods. This was a seourging which
could be inflicted only by the Romans. The person to be scourged
was bound to a pillar and received the lashes upon his bare
back with a scourge made of leather straps. The punishment
by stripes and rods was considered as painful and dishonorable
as death itself, and very often caused death.

(i.) Once I was stoned. This occured at Lystra, where the po­
pulace, instigated by the Jews, stoned him; severely hurt, he fell
unconscious to the ground; they, thinking he was dead, dragged
him out of the city, but God miraculously preserved his life.—
Acts 14 : 18.
(iZ.) Thrice I suffered shipwreck ; a night and a day I was in the
depth of the sea. To suffer shipwreck far from sight of land, and
to be tossed about by the angry waves, holding on to a piece of
the wreck, or anything else that could be laid hold of ; to see the
forked lightning and hear the despairing shrieks of the dying
rising above the peals of thunder, is a condition so fearful as to
be utterly beyond the power of the most vivid imagination to
portray, or the most gifted artist to depict. St. Paul assures us
that he experienced these terrors three times in his missionary

88

Sexagesima. Sunday.

voyages, having been at one time a day and a night in the
water.
(<?.) St. Paul then speaks of the numberless perils and tribu­
lations in journeying on land and water. The ever-active, neverresting Apostle seldom stayed long in one place, unless his vocation
rendered it absolutely necessary. He was continually traveling:
he went from Jerusalem through Arabia, Greece, Asia, and came
to Rome, nay, to the uttermost parts of the known world, and
preached the gospel everywhere. At that time traveling was
very laborious, and we have no conception in our days of the
hardships he must have endured on his journeys.

(/.) Add to these sufferings and tribulations the business forced
on him by his solicitude for all Christian congregations. St. Paul
had already formed Christian congregations in many places. He
was frequently appealed to by these congregations in different
affairs, to instruct, to advise, to correct. How much time and
labor, how much grief and anxiety did not this cost the Apostle!
If any were scandalized, or led into vice or apostasy, how he
burned with zeal ! He could not rest till the evil was repaired, the
fallen person raised, the erring man corrected, and the sinner
brought to penance.
(£·.) Lastly, the Apostle mentions that the city of Damascus was
guarded to apprehend him, and that he was in danger of death. The
governor of Aretas the king, instigated by the Jews, guarded the
city day and night, to render his escape impossible. St. Paul,
they thought, was caught and doomed, but the Christians passed
him through a window in a basket, let him down over the town
wall, and thus he escaped the hands of his enemies.

2. So much did St. Paul suffer for the name of Jesus, for his
own salvation and for that of others. Reflect what little simil­
arity there is between your pleasant, easy-going life and that of
St. Paul.

(a.) Perhaps you have spent the greater part of your life in
labor and pain, in watching, in hunger and thirst, in heat and
cold, and in tribulations of every description, but for what pur­
pose? For the world, for your temporal prosperity, or much
worse, for the gratification of your sinful passions and desires.
Yes, the devil has also his martyrs. Provide for your temporal
necessities, but at the same time neglect not the salvation of your
soul. “What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world,
and suffer the loss of his own soul.”—Matt. 16: 26.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

89

(Æ.) How is it with your faith ? Are you, with the Apostle, ready
to make every sacrifice? Ah, how many Christians are there to
be found now a days to whom their faith is quite a thing of in­
difference, who care little or nothing how holy Church is daily
slandered, calumniated, reviled, and persecuted, who half side
with the enemies of the Church, are dumb through cowardice
when she and her ministers are calumniated, and would as soon
read the infamous publications, in which all that is holy is day
after day held up to ridicule, as Catholic books and periodicals,
and would perhaps prefer to do so. What an account will not
such lukewarm, faithless Catholics be obliged to give to Christi

(i.) As St. Paul was solicitous for the churches, so those among
you who are superiors must be solicitous for your inferiors.
How do you fulfil your duties in this regard ? Do you see that
your children and those under your charge live according to the
ordinances of the gospel? Do you keep them under good dis­
cipline? Do you see, that they fulfil their duties of religion? “If
any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of
his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
Part HI.

S/. Paul glories in his heavenly rapture.
I. Some fourteen years before he wrote the second epistle to
the Corinthians, and seven after his conversion, St. Paul had a
wonderful vision. He says: “I know a man in Christ abov*- four­
teen years ago (whether in the body I know not, or out of the
body I know not, God knoweth); such an one rapt even to the
third heaven.” The man in Christ, of whom the Apostle here
speaks, is no other than himself. It is from humility and modesty
that he does not name himself. The ancients distinguished a
threefold heaven : the aerial heaven, in which are the clouds ; the
starry heaven or the firmament, where we see the stars ; and
heaven proper, the abode of the blessed. This last or third heaven
is that to which St. Paul was transported. Whether his trans­
port was effected in his body and soul, or in the soul alone, the
Apostle can not say. Suffice it to say, he beheld the glory of God,
and heard secret words, as he himself says, which it is not
granted to man to utter. By these secret words we may understand
the mysteries which were revealed to him and shown to him in
their profundity whilst he was rapt in heaven, but which can
not be expressed in human language, and can not in this mortal
life be conceived and understood. A greater grace was given to
St. Paul than to Peter, James, or John at the transfiguration on

go

Sexagesima Sunday.

Mount Tabor, for they saw but a few rays of the glory of Jesus
whilst St. Paul was rapt even to heaven, and there heard and
saw mysteries of which only the angels and saints have any
knowledge. God granted him this favor to console him in his
combats and sufferings, and to strengthen him in the endurance
of all the tribulations which were yet before him in his Apostolic
labors.

2. We are all called to that third heaven, to which St. Paul was
rapt. Let us frequently meditate on the unspeakable felicity
■which is there prepared for us, and let us desire the enjoyment
thereof. “How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts ! my soul
longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord.”—Ps. 83, 2. Let us
imitate St. Paul, if we wish to go to heaven. Let us constantly
labor for our perfection and sanctification and the salvation of
others, as far as our station in life and Christian charity oblige
us. Let us consider nothing too hard and arduous when there is
a question of serving God and saving our souls, for heaven is
worth it all.
PERORATION.

At the conclusion of the epistle for this day St. Paul mentions
the violent temptations which he endured from Satan, and says
that he thrice besought the Lord to deliver him from them, and
that he received the answer: My grace is stifficient for thee, for
power is made perfect in infirmity. And Paul humbly subjected
himself to the will of God; he prayed, labored, fought, conquered,
and received the crown of justice. For the past eighteen hundred
years he has been in heaven. Let us do as he did. Let us pray,
labor, and fight, and God will be with us and crown us as victors

in heaven. Amen.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

Gospel. Luke
^-15. At that time: When a very great
multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities
to him, he spoke by a similitude: The sower went out to sow his
seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was
trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other
some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up, it with·

i. Homiletic Sketch.

91

ered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell
among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And
other some fell upon good ground, and being sprung up, yielded
fruit a hundred-fold. Saying these things, he cried out: He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him what
this parable might be. To whom he said: To you it is given to
know the mystery of the kingdom of God ; but to the rest in par­
ables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not
understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of
God. And they by the wayside are they that hear: then the devil
cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing
they should be saved. Now they upon the rock, are they who
when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these have no
roots ; for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation they
fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they who have
heard, aud going their way, are choked with the cares, and
riches, and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit. But that on
the good ground are they who in a good and perfect heart,
hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
WHY THE WORD OF GOD HAS SO LITTLE EFFECT AT THE PRE­
SENT TIME.

Nothing grieves the farmer more than to see that the good
seed which he has sown bears no fruit. This is our case as pastors
of souls, when we see that the seed of the word of God, which
we sow every Sunday and holiday, remains without fruit. And
how often is this the case 1 There never was a time in which the
word was preached so often and with so much zeal as in our
days. Things, however, instead of growing better, grow worse,
and a hundred sermons are not sufficient to convert our frivolous,
impious men. Whence comes this deplorable fact? Why has the
word of God, which formerly renewed the face of the earth, so
little effect in our days? Jesus Christ gives the reason in the
gospel of this day. The seed of the word of God frequently
falls—

Z By the wayside, where thefowls of the air devour it;
IL Upon the rocky ground, where it can not take root;
HI. Among thorns, where it is choked.

Q2

Sexagesima Sunday.
Part L

The sower went out to sow his seed. And, as he sowed, some fell by
thewayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured
it.” Explaining tnese words, Jesus says : They by the ways ide are
they that hear; then the devil cometh, and takeih the word out of their
heart, lest believing they should be saved. The failure of many
Christians to profit in any way by the word of God comes from
the devil. Christ emphatically says as much. The Philistines,
after they had reduced the Israelites to subjection permitted no
blacksmiths among the subject people. They took this precau­
tion lest they should make swords and spears for themselves.—I.
Kings 13: 19. The devil imitates the Philistines; if he had the
power, he would destroy all the preachers of the true word of
God, because he knows that they arm men against his attacks.
What does the devil do to render the word of God ineffectual ?

1. He tries io keep man from hearing it. He says: Why should
you listen to a sermon? You already know all that can be said.
For a well-informed man like you it is only nonsense and a sheer
waste of time to sit there, listening to the same old story you
have heard a hundred times before. Have sense, and leave the
sermon to the common people and to those simple, uneducated
women. Besides, you have too much important business on hand,
too much on your mind, to waste your time hearing stale dis­
courses and explanations. Moreover, the Church only obliges you
to hear mass on Sundays and holidays. There is no command to
hear a sermon. Slip in, then, at an early mass, which will last
only half an hour, and the law of the Church is complied with.
It is dangerous to sit in the cold church during the winter,
risking a bad cold. Or, it is summer now and it is too hot. You
will inhale that vitiated atmosphere which must necessarily
arise from so many people assembled together. This, with
many other such suggestions, is the language of the devil, by
which he succeeds in inducing many to neglect the hearing of
the word of God ! And how can the word of God produce an
effect when it is not heard? Oh, that such Christians would pon­
der on the words of Christ: “He that is of God, heareth the words
of God ; therefore you hear them not, because you are not of
God.”—fohn 8 : 47.
2. He tries to prevent the word of Godfrom making an impression»
Many hear the word of God, but do not follow it. Whence is
this? From the devil. The seed which falls by the wayside is
food for the birds ; they come and devour it. So does the devil ;

___

2. Homiletic Sketch.
he takes the word of God out of their hearts. And how does he
doit? By various suggestions he tries to keep man in his im­
penitence. You need not, he says, be disturbed and terrified by
that sermon. Hell is not so bad as the preachers made it. God
is pure mercy, and never created man to damn him ; some of the
greatest sinners are in heaven; look at Mary Magdalen with her
seven devils, and the thief on the cross. These priests exagger­
ate everything. Why, to hear them, one would think no one
could be saved. And even grant that matters do not stand well
with you at present, you need not be in a hurry; after a while
you can set your conscience in order. The priests themselves
teach that, “where sin abounded grace abounds still more,” and
you will become a greater saint. Thus the devil suggests and
lulls many a sinner to sleep, from which state he will never
awake till he receives the demorf’s hot embrace in hell.

3. T he devil has his confederates, and these are the unbelievers,
the scoffers at holy things and holy persons, priest-haters, all of
whom he employs to render his efforts for the destruction of men
more effectual. After every sermon these hirelings of the devil
give vent to their rage, rebuke and criticise, calumniate and
scold, mock and blaspheme, till they have taken the last grain
of the good seed out of the heart of those who heard it. Woe to
those servants of Satan ; the word of Christ applies to them: “He
that shall scandalize one of those little ones that believe in me,
it were better for him that a mill-stone should be hanged about
his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
—Matt. 18:6.
Part Π.
And other some dell tipon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung
np, it withered away, because it had no moisture. . . Now, they upon
the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy;
and these have no roots; for they believe for a while, and in time of
temptation they fall away.
I. Many Catholics hear the word of God every Sunday and

holiday ; they take pleasure in it, and make good resolutions for
the amendment of their life. But as soon as the former tempta­
tions assail jthem, they relapse into the old sinful life: “they
believe for a while, but in time of temptation fall away.” The
priest preaches, for instance, on impurity, on drunkenness, on.
pride, on avarice, and shows that these vices infallibly lead to
eternal damnation; he prea hes on enmities, on ill-gotten goods,
and proves that these sins, unless they are forsaken and atoned
for, draw the punishment of hell after them ; he preaches most

94

Sexagesima Sunday.

eloquently and lucidly on the delay of repentance and the dan­
ger of this delay. What happens? Many hearers who feel them­
selves hit, are seized with a salutary fear; they acknowledge to
themselves the sad condition in which they are living, and
resolve to turn over a new leaf and begin a new life. But there
it stops; it never comes to a real and lasting amendment. They
resemble the trees that blossom but never bear fruit, because, the
blossoms always fall off too soon, before the fruit is formed.

2. Whence cometh this? From the bad soil of the heart. The
seed that falls upon stony ground may spring up, but when the
heat of the sun comes, it withers away, because it has not the
necessary moisture. So it is with many hearers of the word of
God. They have a soft heart; they are easily moved and terri­
fied. This natural sensibility of heart is often increased still more
by the sinful life which they have been leading; for some sins
have the effect of softening one’s nature. People weep for anger
and grief ; the intoxicated and impure weep very easily. Now,
if such sinners, at the hearing of the word of God, are moved in­
teriorly, groan, weep, and promise amendment, this is only an
effect of the sensibility of their heart, but not absolutely a true
spirit of repentance, such as St. Peter and St. Magdalen had
when they bewailed their sins. These mere emotions of nature
usually vanish again as soon as the causes cease that called them
forth. The worst feature is, that such sinners, imagining that their
merely natural emotion and tears are signs of true repentance,
persevere in their sad condition and expose themselves to the
greatest danger of dying penitent only in appearance, and so
they will be lost eternally. Therefore, be not deceived; the
most pious sentiments, the hottest tears, and the best resolutions
can not save the sinner from perdition, unless he truly change
his life, and make a radical amendment.
Part ΠΙ.
Other some fell among thorns, and the thorns groaning up with it
choked it. . . And that which fell among thorns are they who have
heard, and, going their way, are choked with the cares and riches
and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit.

i. The seed, falling among thorns, springs up, grows for some
time, and promises a good yield, but the thorns grow faster than
the tender blade, dislodge and finally choke it altogether. So it
is with many Christians; they have a good and susceptible heart
for religion and virtue; when hearing the word of God they
frequently make the best resolutions, they really put their hand
to the plough, and labor for the salvation of their soul, they lead

2. Homiletic Sketch.

95

retired life, pray much, frequently go to confession and com­
munion, do rood works, and justify the hope of attaining a high
degree of Christian perfection. I shall here only remind you
of what you must yourselves have more than once observed—
the zeal with which some persons enter on a holy life during a
mission or a jubilee, or on a sick-bed. But the thorns, the fatal
thorns, choke the hopeful seed.
a

2. And what kind of thorns are these? They are worldly cares,
the distractions of business, the enjoyments and pleasures of life.
Many, after having sincerely begun the work of amendment,
allow themselves to be overwhelmed again by worldly cares. Then
they forget God for the sake of their business, and, impelled by
their own wicked concupiscence, and intimidated by the bad
example of the world, return again to sin, and the last state of such
persons is worse than the first. Those parents had resolved never
again to appropriate to themselves in their business an unjust
cent, but their awakening avarice and their inordinate love for
their children make them act contrary to their resolutions and
again violate the law of justice in many ways. That man prom­
ised he would curse and blaspheme no more, but how long did
he keep his promise? As long as his hateful passion did not ex­
cite him. But as soon as something excites his anger, he curses
and blasphemes as before. Those young people earnestly
resolved to give up their sinful familiarity and to live chastely.
But, behold, as soon as the old confederate in sin approaches,
the old sinful lust is inflamed in their hearts, and they relapse
into the former life of sin.

In fine, very many have a kind of wish to be converted, but
they are not in real earnest; they lack the courage and resolute­
ness to break with the sinful world, to control their bad passions,
and to walk perseveringly on the apparently rough way of
penance. They resemble those solidiers who, as has so often
occurred in history, make a sudden detour in order to storm and
carry at the first assault a comparatively weak fortress, but who,
as soon as the guns of the besieged begin to thunder from the
parapets, turn cowards, fall back in dismay, and declare that the
fort is impregnable.
PERORATION.

St. Anthony of Padua preached once in the presence of a great
multitude, among which were many hundred public sinners. They
took the sermon so much to heart and the power of his eloquence
was so great, that nothing was heard on every side but weeping,
sighing, and moaning, so that the Saint was frequently obliged

96

Sexagesima Sunday.

to stop in the midst of his discourse. Some cried out: “Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on me!” Others struck their breasts,
exclaiming: “Woe to me, I have deserved hell.” Others, with
uplifted hands, vowed amendment: “No more, O Jesus, no more
will I sin.” And many were converted, and from that moment
to their dying hour led a penitential life. Those were Catholics
with whom the word of God did not fall by the wayside, nor
upon a rock, nor among thorns, but upon good ground ; for “they
heard the word of God, and kept it in a good and perfect heart,
and brought forth fruit in patience.” “Be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only” (James i: 22), and strive to practice
what you hear. Quit your bad habits, subdue your passions and
sinful desires, repair all injury done, practice the virtues of your
station in life, and persevere in grace to the end. If you do this,
you will be of the number of those concerning whom Christ says:
“Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.”—
Luke 11:28. Amen.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

X DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE READING OF THE BIBLE.

The seed is the woid of God.—Luke 8: 11.
The word of God, which Jesus in the gospel for this day com­
pares with seed is principally contained in the Sacred Scripture
—the Old and New Testaments. This has been the constant belief
of the Church. St. Paul already assures us that all Scripture is
inspired of God.ZZ Tim. 3: 16. And St. Peter says: “Prophecy
came not by the will of man at any time; but the holy men of
God spoke, inspired by the Holy Ghost.”—II. Pet. 1: 21. The
Fathers of the Church teach the same. St. Clement of Rome
calls the Sacred Scriptures enunciations of the Holy Ghost, which
contain nothing bad or false. Justin the Martyr calls the authors
of the Sacred Scripture men who speak in the Holy Ghost; and
Clement of Alexandria says that the mouth of the Lord and
the Holy Ghost have spoken everything which the Sacred
Scripture contains.

Dogmatical Sketch.

97

The Bible is therefore a book to be greatly venerated, for it
was written by a special illumination and inspiration of the Holy
Ghost, and contains nothing but the pure, infallible word of God.
But this word of God shares the fate of the sown seed, with
which it is compared by Jesus. Many read the Bible, but the
word contained in it falls upon bad ground, and, therefore, re­
mains without fruit. I shall speak to-day on the reading of the
Bible, and propose and answer the following three questions:
I. Are we allowed to read the Bible ?
II. Ought we to read the Bible ?
III. How should we read the Bible ?
PART L

I. Are we allowed to read the Bible ? No reason can be assigned
why any one, even of the common people, should be absolutely
forbidden to read it. The Apostles and Evangelists did not
write the New Testament for a few individuals or only for the
learned, but for entire congregations and for Christians in every
station of life. The gospels and epistles of the Apostles were
read publicly during the divine offices and the Apostles gave to
the bishop and priests the command to read their letters or epis­
tles to the assembled congregations. As the Sacred Scripture
contains nothing but what is orally preached, I can see no reason
why the reading of the book should be forbidden.

The most learned and pious men most earnestly recommend
the reading of the Sacred Scripture, as well as meditation there­
on. St. Chrysostom says: “Let us devote ourselves diligently
to the reading of the Sacred Scriptures ; for he who reads the
divine truths with all diligence and the holiest desire, certainly
can not be abandoned.” St. Bernard says: “Those who are ac­
customed to hear God often and willingly in the Sacred Scripture,
seem, if not exteriorly, at least interiorly, to carry the sign of
election for eternal life.” St. Ambrose remarks: “The Sacred
Scripture is a rich pasture, the daily reading of it nourishes, ex­
hilarates, and strengthens us, if we taste, and, as it were, masti­
cate over again what we have read.”
2. In the reading of this book, however, we must observe the rules
laid down by the Church.
In course of time the reading of the Bible was greatly
abused ; wherefore the Church saw herself compelled to lay down
certain rules, that the bread of life might not cause the death of
her children. In the middle ages heretics abused the Bible, es-

Ç8

Sexagesima Sunday.

pecially the Albigenses, who tried to prove their errors by it,
namely, that there are two Gods, a good and a bad one, that the
baptism of the Church avails nothing, that matrimony is sinful.
This induced the Council of Toulouse, in the year 1229, to forbid
lay people to read the books of the Old and New Testaments in
the vernacular. The Council of Oxford ordained under penalty
of excommunication, that no translation of the Bible should be
put into circulation unless it was approved by the bishop. At
the time of the so-called Reformation the Church had still more
reason to forbid the general reading of the Bible in the verna­
cular, because the false teachers had been guilty of a gTeat deal
of dishonesty in the translation of it.
3. Now-a-days every one is allowed to read it in the vernacu­
lar, provided the translation, according to the rescript of Pope
Benedict XIV., be approved by the Church and accompanied
by explanatory annotations from the Fathers of the Church.
Consequently, the bare text, without note or comment, is for­
bidden. It would be well for those who wish to read the Bible,
even when accompanied with annotations and the imprimatur of
the bishop, to ask the advice of their pastor or confessor and to
act according to his direction, for he can best judge what por­
tions of the sacred book would be adapted to them, or whether
the reading of it at all would be profitable to them or not. I may
here remark that those who do not read the Bible at all suffer
by no means the loss of the word of God on that account, because
they hear the pure word of God every Sunday in sermons, and
find it in their catechisms and other spiritual books of devotion,
and especially in the History of the Old and the New Testaments,
containing the principal points and events of the Bible.
Part IL

The innovators in the sixteenth century asserted that all men
without exception must read the Bible. The Church rejects this
assertion, and with justice, for—

1. The reading of the Bible is not necessary for salvation.
(a.) Reason alone convinces us of this. The Sacred Scripture
of the Old Testament was, as is known to all, composed by Moses
and other pious men. The world therefore had already existed
for about two thousand five hundred years, during all of which
time there was no Sacred Scripture. In like manner the Apostles
and Evangelists wrote the Sacred Scripture of the New Tes­
tament many years after the death of Christ, when the Christian
religion was already propagated in many countries, and num-

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

99

bered millions of adherents. Now, here is the stubborn query:
How did matters stand with all those people who lived and died
before the Sacred Scriptures were written, if the reading thereof
was necessary for salvation? They could not have been saved.
Thousands upon thousands even now would share the same fate,
for it is an incontrovertible fact that thousands of Christians
never in their life read one page of the Bible, and many more
do not even know how to read. Who will be so foolish as to
assert that all these Christians, because they omit to read the
Bible, will be lost ?
(Æ.) If the reading of the Bible were necessary, we should have
an explicit command to that effect. But such a command was
never given either in the Old or in the New Testament. Christ
commanded the Jews, not to read the Bible, but to hear the
teachers who sit on the chair of Moses.—Matt. 23: 2, 3. In like
manner he commanded his Apostles to teach all nations, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded. The
Fathers of the Church in general recommend the reading of the
Bible, but never once do they say that such reading is of obli­
gation. St. Augustine says: “A man who bases himself on faith,
hope, and charity and immovably holds to it, does not need the
Scripture, except for the instruction of others.” Irenaeus and
Tertullian write in the same sense.
(£.) Our adversaries endeavor to prove by various specious
reasons that every one is bound to read the Bible. They say:
Since Christ said to the Pharisees: “Search the Scriptures” {John
5: 39.), he inculcated and enforced the reading of the Bible on
all. Christ did indeed say to the Pharisees: “Search the Scrip­
tures.” But it was said to them only. It was said by way of re­
proach to the Scribes and the Pharisees, who, reading the
Scriptures as they did, and boasting of their knowledge of them,
thought to find life everlasting in them, and yet they would not
receive him of whom all those Scriptures gave testimony, and
through whom alone they could attain true life. Besides, it fell
to their particular province to read the Scriptures and to know
them, just as it does to Catholic priests, and if they had diligently
read the books of the Old Testament, especially of the prophets,
they would have found out that he was the promised Messias,
and that he spoke the truth. Again, St. Paul commanded the Chris­
tians at Colossa to read the letter which he had written to the
Christians of Laodicea.—Col. 4:17. Our Protestant friends here
rub their hands in glee and jump to the conclusion that the
Apostle obliges all men to read the Bible. But can they not see
that this command does not concern all believers in general, but
only the presiding elders of that particular church? They were

Sexagesima Sunday.

Accustomed in those primitive times not only to read the Apos·
tolic letters to the assembled congregation, but also to explain
them. The Sacred Scriptures of the New Testament consisted
then of these fragmentary writings scattered among the different
churches. And they did exactly what we priests are now doing
every Sunday and holiday when we read fragments or extracts
from the epistles of the Apostles and from the four gospels of the
Evangelists, and then explain them in accordance with the
Fathers and the teaching of the Church.

2. The reading of a Bible is not a universed means of virtue. He
who reads the Bible finds in it in reality no more than what he
has already heard in oral instructions. If he meet obscure pas­
sages he explains them according to the already received in­
struction, or he asks his pastor or some other well-instructed
person for an explanation of them; or omitting to do this, he
passes on, and thus does not come at all to the understanding of
the obscure passage. In all these cases it is better for the ordi­
nary man to make use of oral instruction in matters of religion,
than to read the Bible, in which many things must remain
unintelligible and obscure to him. That most people become no
better by Bible reading history abundantly proves. The inno­
vators in the sixteenth century recommended nothing more
urgently than reading the Bible. What was the consequence ?
The unity of faith, as well as Christian humility and obedience,
were lost, and people became daily worse. It came to pass that
the most ignorant people, with the Bible in their hands, would
regard neither temporal nor spiritual authority, and insisted on
living according to the desires of their own hearts. The Protes­
tant Bible Societies distribute annually an immense number of
bibles among heathen nations, but scarcely one Pagan is ever
converted to Christianity thereby.
3. The unlimited reading of the Bible opens the door to many
evils. History proves that the universal and indiscriminate
reading of it has been the occasion of many aberrations and the
mo.'.t horrible abominations. Examples of this are found in the
daily newspapers. Witness: Freeman in Maine, the Oneida
community in New York, and that other abominable sect in Utah
Territory.
Part III.

1. The Sacred Scriptures must be read with profound reverence.
The Bible is not a common book, it was not composed by the
powers of the human mind; it is holy and divine, for the whole
is inspired by God, and is therefore the word of God in the

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

ΙΟΙ

strictest sense. We must consequently, as St. Chrysostom says,
approach the reading of the Bible as if we were entering heaven,
for the reading of it is a peep, as it were, into heaven, the mouth
of the prophets being God’s mouth. If we have reverence even
for the writing of a temporal king, how much more reverence
do we not owe to the Bible, which has God himself, the King of
heaven and earth, for its author.

2. With childlike humility and simplicity. We may say the
same of the reading of the word of God as of hearing it. The
Scribes and Pharisees frequently heard the word of God, which
Jesus preached, but it profited them nothing, because pride
blinded them. Only the humble disciples comprehended the
meaning of the divine word by degrees and arrived at the
truth. Therefore Jesus said to them: “To you it is given to know
the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables,
that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand/’
Liike 8: io. We must not interpret and explain obscure and
difficult passages according to our own private judgment, but
we must humble ourselves, acknowledge our ignorance, pray to
God for light, and ask advice of our pastors.

3. With a heart solicitous for salvation. He who reads this di­
vine Book only lor the gratification of his curiosity, or from a
motive of pride, in order to shine before others by his knowledge
of the Bible, derives no benefit from his reading, even if he
peruses the whole of the Bible. You must read it to become
better instructed in the truths of our holy religion and its doc­
trines and precepts, and thus be the better enabled to perfect
and sanctify your life. You must read therefore not cursorily,
but carefully, stop frequently in your reading, take to heart the
one or the other passage which suits your case, ponder on it,
apply it to yourselves, and make good resolutions. A beautiful
example as to how we are to read the Bible is found in the
treasurer of Candace, the Queen of the Ethiopians.—Acts 8J
26-40.
PERORATION.

Although yoii are not obliged to read the Bible, yet you may
read it, provided the translation is approved of, and accompanied
by the usual annotations from the Fathers of the Church. If you
be able to read the original, so much the better. Read it then
with reverence, and when you come across certain difficult pas­
sages, hard to be understood, ask your pastor for an explanation
of them, and resolve to make the holy lessons contained therein
the rule of your life, that the word of the Psalmist may be

102

Sexagesima Sunday.

fulfilled in you: '’Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat
in the chair ot pestilence. But his will is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he shall meditate day and night. And he shall
be like a tree that is planted near the running waters, which
shall bring forth its fruit in due season. And his leaf shall not
fall off; and all, whatsoever he shall do, shall prosper.”—Ps. i :
1-4. Amen.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE CEREMONIES AT THE PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD.

The seed is the word of God.—Luke 8: 11.
The sower in the parable of our gospel for this day, who went
out to sow his seed, is the priest and pastor of souls. The priests
of the Catholic Church strew the seed of the divine word every
Sunday and holiday, and wish nothing more ardently than that
this seed should spring up in the hearts of men and bring forth
the fruit of Christian justice. The public discourses which they
deliver are, in truth, the word of God, for they preach nothing
but what God has revealed in the Old Law, through the patri­
archs and prophets, and in the New Law, through his only be­
gotten Son and the Apostles. As the word of God is a constitu­
ent part of divine worship, the Church has ordained in the
delivery of it, as well as in all other functions pertaining to
Divine worship, ceitain ceremonies which shall form the sub­
ject of our meditation to-day ; namely, those which—

I Precede the preachiu^ of the word of God;
IL Accompany it;
III. And follow it.

Part L

The Church has prescribed a sacred attire to be worn by
those who preach the word of God, i. e.f a surplice or alb and
i.

4· Liturgical Sketch,

103

a stole. Pleaching is a duty assigned to the priesthood, and
only priests are allowed to perform it. They announce and
explain the word of God; they speak officially and appear as
the representatives of Jeaus Christ, preaching by his commission and in his name. They can say with the Apostle: “For
Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God, as it were, exhorting
by us.”—II. Cor. 5: 20. To the preachers of the word of God
the word of Jesus applies: "He that heareth you, heareth me;
and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth
me, despiseth him that sent me.”—Luke 10: 16.
The color of the stole accomodates itself always to the feast, and
it is thereby intimated that the sermon belongs to the feast;
those err, then, who imagine that the sermon on Sundays and
holidays is something unessential and superfluous.

2. The place where the sermon is preached is the pulpit. It
was customary from the beginning to deliver the Christian dis­
courses from an elevated place. Standing, like the true sentinels
they are, on the high battlements of the Church, and casting, as
the beautiful etymology of the word “episcopus” indicates, a
watchful and solicitous gaze over the flock that is peacefully
grazing in the pastures of divine grace beneath them, the Catho­
lic bishops in their episcopal robes present a magnificent sight.
St. Augustine says: “The bishops have an elevated seat, that
they may look over all the people and watch them. From that
place they are your teachers.” The place from which the ser­
mon was delivered was called in the beginning cathedra, or throne.
Bishops and priests frequently mounted an ambo, i. e., reading­
desk, when they preached ; it stood at the entrance to the sanc­
tuary, and two or three steps led to it. Our present pulpits are
not of very ancient date, having originated in the thirteenth
century. The elevation of the pulpit is for a particular purpose
namely, that the preacher may look over the assembled faithful
and be more easily heard by them; but it has also a symbolical
signification, indicating the dignity of the preacher as an ambas­
sador of God, urging us, as Christians, to seek the things that
are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. —
Col. 3: I.

3. The preaching of the word of God begins with a prayer. So
it was in the most ancient times. Before the bishops and priests
commenced to preach, they signed themselves with the sign of
the cross, a custom which even the Christian emperors observed
when they delivered a public speech. After that they saluted
the people with the words, “Peace be with you;” and they ans­
wered, “And with thy spirit.”

104

Sexagesima Sunday.

Nbw-a-days a short hymn in sometimes sung· by the choir,
in which the Holy Ghost is invoked for the worthy and effectual
delivery of the word of God. If the sermon is to produce fruit,
both the preacher and the people need the grace of the Holy
Ghost; the preacher, that he may receive light, strength, and
unction from above, that he may preach they word of God con­
vincingly and penetratingly ; the people, that they may receive
what is said, make earnest resolutions, and live accordingly.
4. After the hymn, the preacher signs himself with the sign of
the cross and recites an‘Our Father” and ‘‘Hail Mary” altern­
ately with the people. The sign of the cross is made on this oc­
casion and at the reading of the gospel, because all our actions
should begin in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, and because
we can hope for blessing and fruit only through the merits of
Jesus Christ crucified. Our Lord says in the gospel for this day
that some seed fell by the wayside, and, in explaining it, adds
that they are those who hear the word of God ; then the devil
comes and takes the word out of their heart, lest, believing, they
should be saved. The devil endeavors to hinder the fruit of the
divine word ; that he may not be able to do this wre sign ourselves
with the sign of the cross, which has the sacramental power
of keeping away diabolical influences and temptations, or of
rendering them ineffectual. The “Our Father,” which is said, is
in its proper place, for it is the best prayer, and the petition,
“Give us this day our daily bread,” refers especially to the word
of God, which Jesus compares to bread. We justly also say the
“Hail Mary,” for Mary, the Mother of God, is the Mother of
grace, and it is said of her, “that she kept all these words of
Jesus, pondering them in her heart.”—Luke 2: 19.
5. After the prayer the priest reads the epistle and gospel for
the Sunday or holiday. Collections of epistles and gospels date
back to the earliest times. In proof of this may be mentioned
the collection which Pope Damascus ordered St. Jerome to make,
dating back at least to the 5th century. It certains very nearly
the same epistles and gospels with we now have in the Missal
and Book of Epistles and Gospels.
The preacher then announces his text (generally a passage
from Holy Writ), makes the sign of the cross, saying in a lond
voice: “In the name of the Father”, etc. and commences his
Sermon.

Part IL

At the preaching of the word of God there are but few cere­
monies and I shall mention only two of them.

4- Liturgical Sketch.

105

1. In the first Christian ages the bishops and priests were
seated whilst preaching; they stood only occasionally. In
Italy and in the East the people used to remain seated, but in
France and Africa they were accustomed to stand; only the
infirm and weak were allowed to sit. Now-a days the word of
God is everywhere preached in a standing posture, but the
people sit down.
Both positions have meanings attached to them. Jesus taught
standing and sitting. If the priest preaches standing or sitting,
he imitates the example of Jesus. Sitting, as was formerly
customary, signifies that the preacher is a teacher; for teachers
during the hours of instruction generally sit down. The
standing posture, which is prescribed in our days, indicates the
priest as the ambassador of God, for ambassadors generally
deliver the messages of their princes in a standing posture.
That the people hear the word of God either standing or sit­
ting, has also both its historical and symbolical reason; an his­
torical, because the hearers of Jesus sometimes stood and some­
times sat down ; a symbolical, because the standing posture
indicates the reverence for the word of God ; the sitting posture,
the interior quiet and recollection with which we should hear the
word of God, like Mary Magdalen, who was sitting at the feet
of Jesus when he spoke to her. Some Christians do as the dis­
ciples on Mount Olivet did—they sleep during the sermon! This
is wrong, for it is an offense against the reverence due to the
word of God, and renders it useless.
2. In early times no one was permitted to leave the church during
the sermon. In many churches the doors were locked; in others,
deacons or ostiarii stood at the entrances, so that no one could
go in or out without good reason. In Africa those who
without any reason left the church during the sermon were ex­
communicated. It is true, now-a-days, that Christians who without
a good reason leave the church during the sermon are not
excommunicated, but they sin in several ways, because they
refuse due reverence to the word of God, they deprive themselves
of that which is frequently very necessary for their instruction
and amendment, they disturb people, and give scandal and bad
example.
There are various pretexts put forward by some as an excuse
for going out during the sermon, or staying away altogether.
They say:
(#.) The sermon lasts too long. How long does it last? Generally
only half an hour, rarely over it, and never over an hour. And
is that too long ? If it were an opera, a comedy, a ball, would half
an hour or an hour be too long ?

ιοό

Sexagesima Sunday.

(Æ.) It is laborious to hear a sermon. Are not corporal and spiri
tual works laborious? Is it not a sign of forgetfulness of salvation
and of tepidity to be afraid of the little difficulties incident to
the hearing of the word of God, and, on that account, to
neglect it ?
(i.) The sermons are too tedious, it is hardly possible to ioaitfor
the end of them. You must bear in mind that the preacher does
not speak to you in order to entertain you agreeably like an
actor, but to instruct and amend you. And every sermon attains
this object, if you hear it with a well prepared heart. If one is
abroad or in a place of banishment, and a letter or verbal news
is brought to one about one’s parents, brothers, sisters, friends,
one cares very little whether the letter is beautifully written and
worded, or whether the news be communicated to one in flowery
language; no, the shorter and more succinct the news, the more
readily and joyfully one hears and receives it. The same is the
case with the news from the heavenly country, about God, his
providence, his love and goodness, his promises and command­
ments; the manner is nothing, it is the matter, the thing itself,
which we should have at heart.
Part HL
The sermon is followed by notices and prayers.
Even in primitive times feasts and fasts, and other matters,
were announced to the assembled congregation after the sermon.
This was so much the more necessary during the time of
persecution, as such announcements could not be made in any
other way. In our day the ordinary custom is to announce all the
services for the ensuing week, the names of the dead, communi­
cations from the bishop, collections, jubilees, missions, indulgen­
ces, etc. The bans of marriage have to be published if there are
any persons to be married. This publication of the bans of marri­
age on Sundays and holidays is a strict ordinance of the Church,
and can only be omitted by dispensation from the bishop.
Purely temporal things should not be mentioned.
In the primitive ages of the Church the names of the departed
were read out at the memento after the elevation and commended
to the prayers of the faithful. A reminiscence of this ancient
custom is still retained in the reading of the names of the de­
parted in order that we may remember our faithful fellow-Christians in our prayers.
After the notices come several prayers, first for the dead.
Prayers for the dead are properly said after the sermon, for the
sermon directs our thoughts to eternity, and calls upon us to

4- Liturgical Sketch.

107

pray for our departed brothers and sisters. The memory of the
dead brings home to us the serious truth that we also must die and
appear before the judgment-seat of God, a truth which is well
calculated to encourage us to follow the lessons heard in the
sermon.
After the prayers for the dead come prayers for the living.
First the acts of the three theological virtues, faith, hope, and
charity, with the act of contrition and purpose of amendment.
As faith, hope, and charity, to which contrition and a purpose
of amendment belong, are the three principal virtues, on the
exercise of which the whole Christian life depends, it is proper
that acts of these fundamental virtues be elicited by the faithful
after the sermon. Pope Benedict XIV. ordained in the year 1742,
that on every Sunday after mass they should be read to the
faithful, in order that they might become accustomed to them
and frequently elicit them. And to excite us to a more frequent
exercise of these acts, he granted, in addition to the indulgences
already annexed, two Plenary ones, viz.—
(λ.) A Plenary Indulgence once a month to all those who shall
devoutly recite the acts of faith, hope, and charity every day for
that space of time.

(£.) A Plenary Indulgence at the point of death, if these acts
are made devoutly in the heart, or merely breathed with the lips.
Benedict XIV., in the decree relating thereto, declares that no
particular set form of words or expressions is necessary, but that
any one may use whatever form he pleases, provided it express
distinctly the particular motive of each one of the three theologi­
cal virtues.
After the acts other prayers are frequently recited before the
priest leaves the altar, for instance, in seasons of widespread
affliction or calamity. Thus we pray now for our Holy Father
the Pope, for peace and unity, and for the protection of the
Church, now so grievously oppressed and persecuted.
PERORATION.

My advice to you is: Listen attentively to the word of God.
Do not increase the number of those lukewarm, careless Catho­
lics, who scarcely ever hear an instruction ; make it your rule, if
possible, to hear the word of God every Sunday and holiday.
But hear it as becomes good Catholics, with attention and rever­
ence, and with the firm purpose of regulating your life according
to its teaching. During the week think frequently of what you
have heard in the sermon, renew your resolution, and pray to
God that he may give you the grace to put it into practice. Look

108

Sexagesima S /nday.

upon the word of God as one of the greatest graces of heaven,
listen to it willingly, and practice it, that it may be for you what
it can and should be, the mear s of obtaining life everlasting.
Amen.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE THORNS A SYMBOL OF THE RICHES AND PLEASURES OF
THIS LIFE.

That which fell among lhut ns are they who have heard, and, going
their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this
life, and yield no fruit.—Luke 8: 14.
Remarkable is the explanation which our Lord gives in the
gospel for this day of the riches and the pleasures of this life.
He compares them to thorns which choke the seed, so that it
yields no fruit. St. Gregory the Great says of this passage:
“How could our Lord call the riches and pleasures of this life
thorns? Thorns cause smarting wounds, whilst the riches and
pleasures of this life are pleasant. We shun thorns, whilst every
one wishes to possess riches and to enjoy the pleasures of life.”
The comparison, indeed, seems at first sight scarcely appropri­
ate, but if we look closer we shall find it very significant. Thorns
really are, as we shall see to-day, a symbol of the riches and
pleasures of this life, in so far as they—

I. Cause painful wounds ;
II. Often harbour noxious insects ;
III. Draw to themselves and hold fast everything that comes near
them.
Part I.

That thorns cause painful wounds when one comes in contact
with them, is known to all. In this respect they resemble riches
and pleasures ; for both inflict wounds aud cause pain :
1. If we try to possess and enjoy them.

5- Symbolical Sketch.

109

(a ) Riches. Example: Achab. How angry and fretful did not
this king become when Naboth would not exchange or sell him
his vineyard! And casting himself upon his bed, he turned away
his face to the wall, and would not eat.—III. Kings 21: 2-4.
Like this king are all those who have an inordinate desire for
riches and temporal goods. How disquieted they are lest they
should not obtain what they hanker after. And what vexation,
fretfulness and ill-temper do they display when they see their
hopes frustrated I

{bi) Pleasures of life. Example: Amnon, a son of David. He
became sick and emaciated because he sinfully loved Thamar,
his half-sister, and she resisted his criminal desire.—II. Kings
13: 1-4. Impure love still turns the head and heart of people,
frequently banishes all cheerfulness, and leads to weariness of
life and suicide. Behold the painful thorns 1

2. If we possess and enjoy them.
{ai) Riches. Example : The parable of the rich man, who, full of
disquietude on account of his rich harvest, said within himself:
“What shall I do, because I have not where to lay up my fruits.”
—Luke 12-16, 17. So the rich. Their goods cause them a great
deal of trouble. The thought how to invest their money most se­
curely and advantageously, how to guard it against thieves,
rests like an incubus on their heart, causes them many sad
hours, and deprives them of sound, refreshing sleep. Behold
again the painful thorns 1

{bi) Pleasures of life. Example : Amnon. After he had over­
powered and ravished her, “he hated her with an exceeding great
hatred, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater
than the love with which he had loved her before.”—II. Kings
13: 15. St. Bernard says: “If a man yield to ambition, he sins,
but he sins only like an angel; if he succumb to avarice, he sins,
but he sins only like a man ; if he yield to the impure lusts of
the flesh, he sins, but he sins like a beast.” What self-degradation,
what prostitution of the dignity of man I The lustful feel this;
they blush for themselves when they have accomplished the
shameful deed, and their conscience cries out to them: You are
an abominable, miserable wretch 1 Behold again the painful
thorns 1

3. If we lose them we must separate ourselves from them.
(a.) Riches. It is very painful to have a tooth drawn, because it
has its roots deeply set in the jaw, and is firmly attached to the

110

Sexagesima Sunday.

gum. Some persons cling to their goods with all their souli
therefore they experience great tribulation and anguish when
these goods are diminished, or when they must separate
themselves from them. It is painful to them to have to spend
money even for the support of their family. How grudgingly
they give anything to the Church or for charitable purposes!
What a calamity, what a blow, when their temporal goods are
wholly or partly lost! How often do we read of suicides resulting
from such loss! And when death, the inevitable, comes and lays
his icy hand on these avaricious persons to tear them from their
possessions, from those vain gods they made to themselves, what
a torture is theirs! Behold the painful thorns!

(3.) Pleasures of life. Parable of the prodigal son. Whither did
his debaucheries bring him? Into the deepest poverty and shame.
We see the unfortunate young man hiring himself to feed the
swine of a stranger, and reduced to such intolerable hunger as
to desire to be fed with the husks vrhich were thrown to the hogs.
But even such food he was unable to procure.—Luke 15 : 15, etc.
All who give themselves to impurity share this fate more or less :
they are overtaken by poverty and need, shame and disgrace.
“He that joineth himself to harlots will be wicked; rottenness
and worms shall inherit him, and he shall be lifted up for a
greater example, and his name shall be taken away out of the
number” (of the living).—Ecclus. 19: 3. Behold the painful
thorns !
Part IL
Thorns harbour noxious insects. So riches and lusts nurture
II uch evil and are the hot-beds of sin and vice every description.

(a.) Riches. The Apostle says : “They that will become rich, fall
into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into many
unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men into destruction
and perdition, for the desire of money is the root of all evils.”—I.
Tim. 6: 9. Does not avarice entice to lying and cheating, perjury,
and every kind of injustice, even to robbery and murder ? Again,
is it not avarice that makes the heart adamantine towards the poor
and needy; is it not avarice that makes so many men forget God,
neglect the duties of religion, desecrate the Sundays and holidays,
and lose all sense and feeling for higher and nobler things ? Ex­
ample: Judas. Whither did his insatiable avarice bring him?
What a miserable end he made! St. Basil is right in saying,
“Avarice fills the woods with robbers, houses with thieves, fami­
lies with discontent, the shops with cheats, the halls of
justice with perjuries, the hut of innocence with misery and

5. Symbolical Sketch,

111

poverty, the eyes of the orphan with tears, the heart of the
widow with sighs, the prisons with criminals, and hell with dam­
ned souls.”

(Æ.) Pleasures of life. Impurity leads to the violation of all the
commandments of God, to unbelief and heresy, to presumption
or despair, to false oaths, to the desecration of Sundays and
holidays, to sins against parents and children, to disunion, quar­
rels, fighting, murder, infidelities, thefts, false promises, and to a
vast multitude of sinful thoughts and desires. To what base
devices did Henry VIII. of England stoop, to gratify his lewd de­
sire for Anna Boleyn, one of his virtuous Queen’s maids. He
perjured himself, and thousands of others he bribed or forced to
perjure themselves in order to obtain a dissolution of his marriage
with Queen Catherine. But she was his lawful wife, and the Pope
could not annul the marriage. Then Henry renounced allegiance
to the Pope, proclaimed himself head of the English Church, re­
pudiated Catherine, took Anne to wife, and subsequently
murdered her judicially in order to be free to take a new wife to
suit his fancy. Nor was this the end of it. He sacrificed to his filthy
lust two queens (two others were dismissed by him), two cardi­
nals, twenty-one bishops, twelve abbots, five hundred priests,
more than a hundred canons of cathedral churches and doctors
of divinity, forty-two dukes and other high dignitaries of the
state, three hundred of the lower nobility7·, one hundred and ten
ladies, and a great number of citizens; all of whom he executed
because they disapproved of his debaucheries and schism, which
was a consequence of his adulterous life. Into what an abyss
of crimes and vices did voluptuousness plunge this ruler !
Part III.
Thoms catch and holdfast whatever comes near them. We fre­
quently notice on thorn-bushes wisps of hay, the wool of sheep,
leaves of trees, etc. ; even insects are impaled on the thorns.
Riches and lust do something of the same kind.
(λ.) Riches. Do you not frequently see how the avaricious,
when buying or selling, endeavor by every trick to make the
largest profit, never scrupling, but only too glad to be able
in this way to rob a poor fellow-creature of his hard-earned
money ? Do you not see how they sell things at exorbitant
prices to people who must have the article, or, on the other hand,
squeeze out of a seller fora mere song something that he may be
obliged to part with in order to raise some ready money ? Have

na

Sexagesima Sunday.

you not seen the like of these pounce down on their debtors if
they can not meet their payments to the day, thus putting them to
unnecessary expense? Yes; you have no doubt seen such hard­
hearted personstake advantage of a poor man’s temporary inabi­
lity, in order to get possession of his house for half its worth,
driving him forth homeless. The Emperor Commodus was as
avaricious as he was cruel. He caused a great many of the rich to be
executed with a view to confiscate their property. At the same
time he did not despise the smallest profit. On his birthday every
senator was obliged to make him a present of two gold pieces
for himself, also for his wife and each of his children. Once he pre­
tended to go to Africa, and under this pretext made the state trea­
surer hand him over a large sum of money; but he never went.
When in the year 192 he was again about to have many rich people
executed, a deadly drink was administered to him, and this not
being effective he was murdered. The senate and the people
wished to have his carcass dragged with the gladiators’ hooks
into the Tiber.

(<£.) Pleasures of life. Do they not attract everything? If they
will only look into their conscience and own the truth must not
many say: 1 In voluptuousness I lost my innocence, the peace of
my heart, my honor, my health, my temporal goods, and my
happiness of life?” Must not many parents complain: “The plea­
sures of this life have robbed us of the hearts of our children,
made them our adversaries, and destroyed all our consolation
and joy?” Must not many families sigh: “Voluptuousness has
destroyed our whole welfare?” In the year 310 the Emperor
Galerius was afflicted with an abominable disease, caused by
impurity, which defied the art of all physicians. Every remedy
that was tried only increased the evil. The upper part of the
body withered away, as it were, whilst the legs were so swollen
that they looked like large pillars. The stench from his ulcers
filled the palace, and the vermin that ate him up alive made him
an object of pity and horror. He died in despair.
PERORATION.

You now understand why our Lord compares the riches and
pleasures of his life to thorns. Thorns cause painful wounds; riches
and voluptuousness do the same ; they wound all who desire them
inordinately, possess them wrongfully, or enjoy them sinfully.
Thorns harbor noxious insects; riches and voluptuousness are
the hot-beds of sin and vice. Thorns attract everything that
comes within their reach, and hold it fast ; so on the prickly
bush of riches and voluptuousness remain hanging the sweat of

6. Moral Sketch,

113

the poor, virtue and innocence. O Jesus, grant us the grace so to
pass through that which is temporal that we may not lose that
which is eternal! Amen.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
WHY THE WORD OF GOD WITH MANY CHRISTIANS YIELDS NO
FRUIT.

The sower went out to sow his seed.—Luke 8: 5.
We pastors of souls resemble the sower in the gospel, who
was anything but fortunate in his sowing, for three parts of his
seed fell upon bad ground, and yielded no fruit. A great many
sermons are preached now-a-days; in every church on Sundays
and holidays and often on week-days. Priests devote much time
and labor to the preparation of their sermons ; they strain their
nerves and break their hearts in preaching to those committed
to their charge, and what is the result? scarcely any; the world
goes its own way still ; the people, instead of coming nearer to
God, separate themselves yet further from him, and sink deeper
and deeper into sin.
Whence this deplorable fact? I could give a good many rea­
sons and in particular refer you to the parable in the gospel of to­
day in which it is explained why the seed of the word of God
remains unfruitful; but I shall confine myself to two reasons and
say: The word of God yields no fruit with many persons—

I. Because they bring to church what they should leave at home;
Π. Because they leave in the church what they should take home.

Part I.
Many persons bring to church what they should leave ai home.

i. Disregard of the word of God. Many despise the word oi
God, which we priests preach by the commission of Christ. Their
whole sanctification of the Sunday consists in assisting at a low
mass. Can you say that these Catholics keep the commandment

II

8

Sexagesima Sunday.
of God: “Thou shaltkeep holy the Sabbath day?” Others indeed,
hear the word of God sometimes, but how do they hear it?
Without reverence. To them what the priest preaches is not the
word of God, but the word of man. If he has any faults or defects they criticise him and speak ill of him. But are human
frailties in the priest impediments to his preaching the word of
God? Is wine not wine, whether you drink it out of golden or
wooden vessels? If the priests speaks plainly about certain sins
and vices, and some feel hit, they become indignant and say:
“That is not the word of God, it is nonsense !” Is what the priest
denounces as sin and vice not branded in the gospel as such ?
Does he command or forbid anything Christ has not commanded
or forbidden ? If you wish the word of God to produce fruit in
you, it behoves you above all things to leave the disregard
thereof at home and hear it with reverence and humility.

2. Worldly-mindedness. Wherein does this consist! I shall
illustrate it by examples. If you are always thinking only of the
goods of this world and thereby forget God and the salvation of
your soul, there is worldly-mindedness in your heart. If you de­
sire only to lead a life of pleasure, if in every tribulation you
lose your patience, if you abhor mortification, you are worldlyminded. If you are intent upon the increase of your substance,
upon honor and influence, and disregard God and your consci­
ence, worldliness rules in you. If you neglect your religious
duties, find no pleasure in devotional exercises, seldom make
use of the means of grace, go to confession and communion
only rarely and more from compulsion than from a free im­
tl
pulse, worldly-mindedness
has entered your heart. If you do
no violence to yourself in striving to control your passions,
to live humbly, chastely, and meekly, to observe God’s com­
mandments, you are worldly-minded. In a word, if you think,
speak or act according to the maxims of the world and never
gauge your acts by the precepts of the gospel, if you disdain
devotional practices as the Israelities did the manna, you are
worldly-minded.
That those who are governed by worldly-mindedness draw no
benefit from the word of God is evident they are not susceptible
of it. If the priest in the pulpit speaks of temporal things and
shows how one can in a short time acquire honor and riches, or
lead a pleasant life, they would listen to him with the greatest
interest ; but if he speaks of the vanity of all earthly things, of
penance and conversion, etc., he can put no life into them ; they
remain cold and uninterested. If he is severe, if he calls down woe
upon the world and its devotees they become angry and call him
an exaggerator. If sometimes they are aroused and become
convinced of the necessity of repentance, they lack the power

6. Moral Sketch,

ns

of disengaging themselves from their life of sin, they act like
Felix to whom St. Paul preached. You must leave worldlymindedness at home if you wish the word of God to yield fruit.
3. Impenitence. Who are impenitent? Those who always live
in the state of sin without any earnest desire to be really con­
verted. The impenitent are the unchaste, who carry on sinful
familiarities or yield to carnal lust without making any strenuous
exertion to amend. Those also must be classed among the
impenitent who in their business, trade, or profession render
themselves guilty of various acts of injustice, and will not abstain
from such and repair the injury done ; those who are addicted to
drunkenness and gambling, and continue to commit these sins
from year to year; those who live at enmity with their neighbor
and will not be reconciled. If such impenitent persons hear a
sermon, what will it profit them ? No more than the obdurate
Scribes and Pharisees, to whom Christ preached in vain.
These are three evils which frustrate every salutary effect of
the word of God Reflect and see whether one or the other of
these evils has not been the reason why the word of God pro­
duced no fruit in you. If such be the case, make now the resolution
to remove that which heretofore frustrated the fruitfulness of
the word of God.

Part IL
Many leave in the church what they should take to their homes.

I. The salutary impression which they received at the hearing of
the word of God. Some are convinced of the truth of what is
said ; they come to the conclusion that if they continue their
present mode of life they can not attain their eternal end. The
serious truths which are preached make a great impression upon
them ; with terror they think of the countless sins which lie upon
their conscience; the thought of death, judgment and hell, fills
them with consternation ; they say to themselves, No, I must not
go on in this way. I shall be lost for ever. Such impressions are
indeed good and salutary; they are a seed, which is already
springing up, and which only needs fair weather to grow and
yield fruit. But what comes of it? I will give you an example of
what I mean: Here is a family; all are occupied with something;
the men are working in the shop, the mother and daughters in
the house; one is engaged in the kitchen, another doing the bed­
rooms ; others are sewing, the father is making out an account.
All at once a band of music strikes up, and, behold, all quit their
work, rush to the windows or out of doors, and listen to the

116

Sexagesima Sunday.

music. They are pleased and enraptured by it. When the
music ceases all go back and continue their work. The music
and the impressions which it made on the ear are forgotten little
by little.
So with many hearers of the word of God. The preacher pours
forth the word of God for them, and it is like pouring water
into a sieve which retains none of it and in a few minutes is dry
again. It must be plain to every one that the word of God can
produce no fruit, because the salutary impressions are not pre­
served. St. James compares such persons to a man who looks
at his face in a looking-glass, and, going away, remembers not
how he looked.

2. The good resolutions which they made. In consequence of the
salutary impressions which the word of God makes upon some
hearers, they form good resolutions; they will curse and blas­
pheme no more, they will give up their enmity, they will never
get drunk again, no longer sin against purity ; they will pray and
receivethesacraments more frequently. These resolutions deserve
all praise, but they have one defect, and it is a great one—they
are never put into practice, because they are left in the church
and not taken home. This, then, is the reason why so many
hearers of the word of God make no progress in the way of
amendment and perfection. They are like a weather-cock,
which is moved by every breath of wind, but remains neverthe­
less in the same place.
One day, as an old lady was returning from a sermon she had
heard she was met by a gentleman who asked her if the ser­
mon was already over. “No,” replied the lady. “But why do the
people leave the church before the sermon is ended?” said the
gentleman. “Because the priest left the pulpit,” she replied.
“Whatl” said the gentleman, “is not the sermon over when the
priest has left the pulpit?” “The preacher,” she replied, “has
certainly ceased to speak, but the sermon on that account is not
ended; on the contrary, it now begins, for the people must take
home the sermon they have heard and practice it.”—That lady’s
remark is worthy of our consideration.
PERORATION.

Consider that you have to give an account to God for every
sermon preached to you, and for every sermon which you can
and ought to hear, since it is a grace which God gives you for
your salvation. Take care lest you abuse this grace. Do not
bring to church what you should leave at home, namely, disre­
gard of the word of God, worldly mindedness and impenitence;
and do not’eave in the church what you should take home with

T. Moral Sketch.

you, namely, the salutary impressions made on you, the good
resolutions that occur to you, in order that the seed of the word
of God may fall in your case upon good ground, and yield fruits
for eternal life. Amen.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
WHAT WE MUST DO SO THAT THE WORD OF GOD WHICH IS
PREACHED TO US MAY PRODUCE FRUIT.

The seed is the word of God.—Luke 8 ; 11.

'The parable in this day’s gospel needs no explanation, since
Jesus Christ has vouchsafed to explain it, and all you have to do
to understand it is to read it attentively. But, as your pastor, it
is my duty to see that you not only rightly understand the para
ble, but that as far as in me lies you are induced to put its
teaching into practice. Knowledge does not suffice ; you must
practice what you know ; and therefore I shall briefly explain
what you must do in order that the word of God may profit
you—
I. Before the sermon;
IL During the sermon;
III. After the sermon.

Part L
If the word of God is to profit you, you must—

i. Prepare yourself beforehandfor it. What does the farmer do
when the seed-time comes round ? He clears the field of stubble and
stones, etc., he ploughs and harrows it. That involves labor, but
it is necessary, because otherwise little or no harvest could be
expected. So it is with the spiritual sowing of the word of God.
We must clear away all the weeds from the field of our heart,
that is, inordinate passions and inclinations, so that the seed of the
divine word may sprout up, grow, and bring forth fruit. If, there-

ii8

Sexagesima Sunday

fore, you go to church to hear the word of God, do as St. Ber­
nard did at every visit to the church. He paused a moment at the
church door, recollected himself, and then said interiorly: “Re­
main here, you earthly thoughts and cares, fori must now occupy
myself with my God and the salvation of my soul ; when I return
I will take you back so far as it may be necessary.” Banish all
your temporal thoughts and cares, and suppress all inordinate
emotions and inclinations, that you may devote yourselves
untrammeled to the service of God and the business of your
salvation.

2. Have a hearty desire to be instructed in the Christian religion
and to be guided to piety. He that is not hungry will eat little or
nothing of the bread and meat set before him; the food therefore,
be it ever so palatable, will not do him any good. So it is with
the divine food, the word of God. Hence, Jesus pronounces
those blessed who hunger and thirst after justice.—Matt. 5: 6.
He that has no longing after the word of God, gives us to under­
stand that he is worldly-minded, and such a one may be preached
to a hundred times, and yet he will remain the self-same world­
ling. Examine yourselves and see whether your hear the word
of God with true Christian zeal, or only from habit or compulsion.
3, Invoke the Holy Ghost.
(a.) For the preacher; since “neither he that planteth is anything,
nor he that watereth, but God, that giveth the increase.”—I.
Cor.y.“i. Let the priest preach ever so well, he will effect
nothing, if the Holy Ghost do not enlighten his hearers and
render them susceptible of good. He may labor all the night,
but will catch nothing. St. Augustine says: “We may call, and,
with much noise exhort to good, but if there be none to teach
inwardly, all noise on our part is useless.” For this reason St.
Paul exhorts the Ephesians to pray for him that speech may be
given him, that he may open his mouth with confidence, to make
known the mystery of the gospel.—Ephes. 6: 19.

(3.) For yourselves. We need the grace of God for everything
good. “Without me (without my grace) you can do nothing.”—
John 15:5. The chief means for the obtaining of divine grace
is prayer. <fYour Father who is in heaven will give good things
to them that ask him.”—Matt. 7:11. For this reason we invoke
the Holy Ghost, the Giver of grace, before the sermon. As, ac­
cording to the gospel for to-day, the devil tries to destroy the
fruit of the word of God by taking it out of the hearts of the
hearers, lest, believing, they should be saved, so you must be
earnest in soliciting the Holy Ghost for his assistance.

7. Moral Sketch.

tig

4. Be present from the beginning of the sermon. He who comes
when half the sermon is over will profit very little by the rest,
because he does not participate in the invocation of the Holy
Ghost, on whom the fruit of the sermon especially depends, and
because he has not heard the introduction explaining the principal
object of the sermon, and, perhaps, just what would have been
most important for him ; again, because he violates the honor
due to God, disregarding his holy word so much that he does not
care to hear all of it. It is God who speaks through the preacher
and announces to us his holy word. Who is to wait? God or man?
Coming in late also disturbs those who are already present, and
hinders more or less the utility of the word of God in their
regard. Be in good time.

Part Π.

That the sermon may profit you, you must hear it—
1. With attention. If some one speaks to me and I pay no
attention to his words, I may as well be a thousand miles away.
The same applies to the Sunday sermon. Mere bodily presence
is useless. Inattention at the sermon shows a want of reverence.
A person when talking feels aggrieved and insulted when he sees
that no attention is paid to him; and will God, think you, be quite
indifferent when he sees his holy word so utterly disregarded
that persons will not condescend to pay any attention to it?
Strange that it should be so very difficult to get the attention of
Christians to the word of God. It is only too true what a learned
man once said: “Many bring their ears to the sermon, but not
their heart.” With many who are present at a sermon the mind
is absent; it is at home, at the daily occupations, or in some
other place; or if it remains in the church it is captivated by other
things; it is turned to those present, and is occupied perhaps
with the style of the bonnets or other wearing apparel, or de­
lights in sinful imaginations and desires; and thus it happens
that when the sermon is over they do not remember a word of
it. There are not a few who regularly take a nap during the
sermon. When the priest begins to speak, they close their eyes,
begin to yawn, and are soon asleep ; the sermon is for them a
time of repose, and they sleep till the priest has finished speak­
ing. What profit will they derive from the best sermon ?
2. With humility. God comes with his grace only into the
hearts wherein he finds humility. “God resisteth the proud, and
giveth grace to the humble.—fames 4: 6. Christ says: “I confess
to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast

120

Sexagesima Sunday.

hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them to little ones.”—Luke io: 21. The Christian doctrine, ac­
cording to these words, makes a salutary impression only upon the
humble and produces fruit only in them. Jesus indicates this truth,
saying: “The poor have the gospel preached to them.” By the
poor we must here understand those who, knowing their sinful­
ness and impotence, humble themselves before God, receive his
word with a believing heart, and regulate their life accordingly.
How necessary it is to hear the word of God with humility the
example of the Jewish people teaches us. The humble among
them, especially the common people, as the Apostles and disciples
of Jesus were, received the gospel joyfully and became believers;
but the proud Scribes and Pharisees persevered in their unbelief
and impenitence. So it is to-day. The common people, who are
humble, profit by sermons; the proud, on the contrary, who pride
themselves on their learning, disdain the word of God, criticise
the language, pay more attention to the manner of the delivery
than to the matter of the discourse ; or if they do pay attention
it is not with the wish or hope of being instructed and con­
verted.

3. With a heart solicitous for salvation, that is with the inten­
tion—
(a.) Of being better instructed in religion. In matters of religion
you can always learn something, and if we should live to be a
hundred, we should never cease to perfect ourselves in the
science of salvation, according to the admonition of the Apostles:
“Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.”—II. Pet. 3 : 18. In our days particularly a thorough
knowledge of religion is necessary, in order not to be led astray
by the specious arguments which unbelievers and sectaries bring
against the Catholic Church.

{b.) Of amending and perfecting ourselves. This is the principal
object of sermons. Sinners are to be converted, the lukewarm
to be roused, the weak to be strengthened, and the imperfect
to be led to perfection. This object the hearers of the word of
God should always have in view, because, without exception,
they are themselves either sinners, or lukewarm, or weak, or
imperfect. He who hears sermons with any other intention, as,
for example, to give himself the appearance of a fervent Catho­
lic, or to gratify his curiosity, abuses the word of God.

7. Moral Sketch.

mi

Part HL

111 at the sermon you hear may profit you, you must after­
wards—
1. Meditate on what you have heard. It is not enough to put the
food into the mouth, it must also be masticated and then passed
into the stomach and be digested, for only in this way it preserves,
nourishes, and strengthens the body. It is the same with the
word of God. After having received it into ourselves by hearing,
we must digest it that it may nourish our souls, that is, we must
meditate on it, apply it to our individual case, and keep it in our
memory. This the Blessed Virgin Mary did, for she kept all the
words of Jesus in her heart. It is not a good sign when after the
sermon you yield to distractions, speak only about worldly,
light, or perhaps sinful things, and at once entirely forget the
word of God. How can it yield fruit in such cases?
2. Make good resolutions, practice what has been preached to
you. Every sermon contains, not only general, but also special
instructions and admonitions to virtue. We must therefore make
general and particular resolutions; general, resolving earnestly
after every sermon again to regulate our life according to the
principles of the gospel; particular, resolving to avoid some
particular fault, to perform some good action.

3. Carry out the good resolutions we have made. That is the prin­
cipal point, “for not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified."—Rom. 2: 13. “If a
man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be com­
pared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass: for
he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what
manner of man he was."—James 1: 23, 24. What does it profit
a man to behold himself in a glass, if he do not wash off the filth
he sees on his face? What does it profit a man to believe firmly,
and live badly? The Jews listened to the discourses of Jesus, but
as they did not live according to the precepts therein inculcated,
they were rejected. He who hears the sermon, but changes not
his perverse mind and conversation, will be judged and pun­
ished more severely, for “that servant who knew the will of his
lord, and prepared not himself, and did not according to his will,
shall be beaten with many stripes."—Luke 12: 47.

122

Sexagesima Sunday.
PERORATION.

You know now what you must do, so that the word of God
which is preached to you may profit you. Prepare yourselves
for every sermon by purifying your hearts from all worldly dissractions and cares, from all inordinate inclinations and desires;
be anxious to allow yourselves to be taught and corrected, and
for that end implore the Holy Ghost to give you his grace.
Always hear the word of God with attention, humility, and a
heart solicitous for salvation; meditate on what has been
preached to you, make good resolutions, and put them into
practice. “Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and
keep it.”—Luke n: 28. Amen.

2.

Homiletic Sketch.

123

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
Epistle, Z. Cor, 13: 1-13. Brethren: If I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have
prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I
should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have
not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods
to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient,
is kind : charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed
up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to
anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth
with the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away whether
prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or
knowledge shall be destroyed. For we know in part, and we
prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect shall come,
that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child,
I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.
But when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. We
see now through a glass in a dark manner ; but then face to face
Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known.
And now there remain faith, hope, charity, these three; but
the greatest of these is charity.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE NECESSITY, QUALITIES, AND DURATION OF CHARITY.

In the primitive ages of Christianity God frequently communi­
cated extraordinary gifts to believers, such as the gift of tongues,
foretelling future events, healing the sick, and raising the dead.
Such gifts God had also granted to the Christians at Corinth,
which, however, some ot them did not make use of as they should.
They gloried in those gifts, and exalted themselves over those

124

Quinquagesima Sunday.

who did not possess them. This evidently was pride. Others,
who had not received such gifts, or to a less extent, were ag­
grieved, and envied their more favored brethren. This also was
wrong and sinful. St. Paul, then, considered it desirable to ex­
plain to the Corinthians these extraordinary gifts, and to point
out that they are without any merit whatever unless they be united
with charity. In this epistle he speaks of the love of our neighbor·.
I. Of its necessity ;
Π. Of its qualities ;
ΙΠ. Of its duration.
PART L

To convince us of the necessity of brotherly love, the Apostle
assures us that the greatest spiritual gifts and miracles, even the
most heroic virtues and good works, are valueless before God
and useless for heaven without this love of our neighbor.
i. IJ I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not
charity, 1 am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. The
charity of which the Apostle here speaks is the love of our
neighbor, linked with that of God. Without this charity the most
unlimited and perfect gift of speech is useless, and he who is
endowed with it has as little merit as bells and musical instru­
ments when they produce sounds. The Apostle and many other
Saints, as St. Francis Xavier, St. Dominic, St. Vincent Ferrer,
spoke quite fluently forei ; i languages which they had never
studied, but they did not become saints or save their souls by
this gift of tongues, but by their virtues, and especially by their
love of God and of their neighbor. If we understood and spoke
all the languages of the world, and had not charity, we should
have as little merit before God as a dumb man, whose mouth
never utters an audible, articulate sound.

2. If I should have prophecy and know all mysteries and all know­
ledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove moun­
tains, and have not charity, lam nothing. The meaning of this is:
If a man should have the gift of foretelling future events more
accurately than any prophet previously; if he had a knowledge
embracing all that is natural and supernatural; if he had faith in
its full perfection and in all its strength, so that he could work
miracles that would astound even Moses, but was at the same
time destitute of charity, he would be nothing in the eyes of God,
and would not gain any merit whatever for eternity. Charity
ranks higher than all knowledge, and a simple-minded peasant
who loves God and his neighbor is more in the eyes of God than

1. Homiletic Sketch.

125

the most exalted professor in whose heart pride dwells and not
charity. Nay, charity is more valuable than even wonder-work­
ing faith. It is probable that Judas himself performed miracles,
but, being destitute of charity, he was damned. If, therefore,
for the love of God you assist the poor and needy in their neces­
sities, or forgive an offense magnanimously, you are doing more
than if you raised the dead to life.
3. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if
I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it pro·
fiteth me nothing. The Apostle goes still further, you see, and
says that the most excellent works, even those which are highly
commended in the Sacred Scripture, such as alms and martyr­
dom, are worthless without charity. Let me illustrate this by an
example taken from the Lives of the Saints. Two Christians,
Sapricius and Nicephorus, living at Antioch, were great friends
for a time, but, for some unknown reason, fell out, and lived
in enmity. Sapricius was afterwards cast into prison on account
of his faith, and condemned to death. The Pagans endeavored,
by means of glowing promises and various torments, to shake
his faith, but he remained steadfast, and was therefore led out to
the place of execution. Nicephorus, hearing of this hastened to
him, and casting himself at his feet, implored his forgiveness,
calling him a martyr. He repeated his petition several times,
and always more urgently, but in vain; Sapricius turned his eyes
away from him, and even on his way to death would not hear of
forgiveness. Now notice the punishment. God withdrew his
grace from the unforgiving soul. Sapricius, who up to this time
had so firmly confessed his faith became an apostate; he sacri­
ficed to the idols and lost the crown of martyrdom. Now, let
us suppose that this irreconcilable Sapricius had really died for
his faith, would he have obtained a place among the martyrs
in heaven? No; he would have been cast into hell as a martyr
for the devil. How necessary is the love of our neighbor! how
useless the most heroic virtues, and even martyrdom, without
charity 1 Hence, St. Augustine is right in saying: “You may
have all whatsoever ; if you have not charity it profits you no­
thing; and if you have nothiug but charity, you have fulfilled
the law.”

Part II.

St. Paul now mentions the qualities that the love of our neigh­
bor should have, and thus enables us to know with certainty
whether we have it or not. Charity, he says—

126

Quinquagesima Sunday.

is kind. He who has charity bears with the weak­
nesses and frailties of his fellow-men, does not complain impati­
ently of what he it obliged to endure from them ; does not injure
them, but does them good. Do you love your neighbor in such
a manner?
1. Is patient,

2. Charity cnvieth not. He that has charity wishes well to all,
he rejoices when things go well with them, and he is grieved
when some evil befalls them. How many are there among us
who are envious, and therefore destitute of one of the principal
qualities of chaiity I

3. Dealeth not perseverely. He that has charity does not act
impetuously, presumptuously, or hastily, because he is not go­
verned by his passions but by the spirit of God. We also must
guard ourselves against imprudence and over-hastiness in words
and actions, because otherwise we shall frequently sin against
our neighbor.
4. Is not puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own. He
who has charity never elevates himself above others, though
they be less than he, does not look down upon others with
pride and contempt, does not act from self-interest, but would
rather suffer loss himself than gain an advantage at the expense
of others, especially the poor. Does your conscience not reproach
you with having sinned against the love of your neighbor?

5. Is not provoked to anger, beareth all things, endureth all
things. He who has charity, is meek, not excitable, fosters no
anger or ill-will in his heart, bears patiently with his neighbor,
and even receives injuries with equanimity. Oh, how small is
the number of Christians whose charity has these attributes!
6. Thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the
truth. He who loves his neighbor does not judge rashly, never
misconstrues his actions, takes no pleasure in the evil that is
done, but rather grieves when he hears or sees that some one
does wrong, and rejoices in good actions by whomsoever per­
formed.

7. Believeth all things, hopeth all things. He that has charity
thinks well of his neighbor, and always hopes for the best; he
does not despair of the greatest sinner, but loves to think that
he will eventually amend his life. It is therefore a sign that we
love our neighbor but little or not at all, if we will not believe
the good we hear of him without striking and convincing proofs,
and are inclined to think ill rather than well of him.

1. Homiletic Sketch.

127

These are the qualities which the true love of our neighbor
should have. If we contemplate the love of Jesus on the cross,
we find in it all these qualities. The saints imitate Jesus herein
Let us do likewise. “ He that loveth not, abideth in death.”—I.
John 3: 14.
Part HI.

How long is this charity to last?
1. Charily never falleth away, whether prophecies shall be made
void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge be destroyed.
(al) The gifts of the human mind exist only in the present life.
They will cease hereafter, when the end for which they were
given shall have been attained. They were given to serve as
evidence of the divinity of Christianity; and as the state of im
perfection for which they are intended will have an end, they
too will cease, like a constantly produced effect with its produc­
ing cause. Prophecy will cease, for hereafter there will be no
future that could be revealed. The gift of tongues will cease, for
hereafter the blessed will not speak as we do now. Theii
language will be an inarticulate, spiritual one, and one only.
They will know and understand one another by mutually
beholding and contemplating one another, as it were, in a bright
mirror. Knowledge, such as it exists upon earth, will cease, for in
the life to come none will instruct, or be instructed, investigate,
or study, because every one will know what is required for his
happiness.
(bl) As a reason why prophecy and knowledge will cease here­
after the Apostle indicates their deficiency. All prophecies are
more or less defective, because for the most part they are ob­
scure and disclose but very little of the future. No less defective
is all human knowledge. That which we know in proportion to
that which we do not know is very little, and even our know­
ledge of that which we fancy we do know is very defective and
imperfect. For this reason St. Paul describes all knowledge and
prophecy here as imperfect, and says that our present state
stands in relation to the future like that of a child to a man, that
all our knowledge here below is imperfect, and, as it were,
childish; but in the other world it will be perfect, like that of a
man ; that here we see as through a glass, in a dark manner, but
there we shall see as it is in reality and in truth. A child that dies
immediately after Baptism will have in heaven an incomparably
greater knowledge of natural and supernatural things than the

118

Quinquagesima Sunday.

most renowned scientist or the most learned philosopher po»
sesses here below.

2. Faith and hops will also cease hereafter. There can be no
necessity for faith hereafter, because there we shall see and
know all that we here believe. The blessed in heaven possess
in eternal security what they so long hoped for upon earth ; but
charity remains for ever. They love God and one another, and
find in this love their highest felicity. Failli, hope, and charity
are three sisters. Faith and hope remain upon earth, charity
enters the other world, unites itself most intimately with God,
and is happy in him and with him through all eternity.
PERORATION.

Charity, then, is the greatest and most necessary of all virtues,
for it imprints on all virtues the seal of God’s pleasure, and also
meritoriousness; and whilst all extraordinary spiritual gifts, even
faith and hope, are of a perishable nature and end with this life,
charity never falls away, but has. like God, an eternal existence.
Love God above all things, and your neighbor as yourself. Let
charity take deep root in your heart, love friend as well as foe,
speak ill of no one, revile none, but show in word and deed that
you are disciples of Jesus by loving the brethren. Blessed are
you, if you conscientiously keep this great commandment; for
“he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him.”
—L John 4:16. Amen.

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

Luke 18:31-43. At that time: Jesus took unto him
the twelve, and said to them: Behold we go up to Jerusalem,
and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the
prophets concerning the Son of Man. For he shall be delivered
to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit
upon: and after they have scourged him, they will put him to
death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood
none of these things, and this word was hid from them, and they
understood not the things that were said. Now it came to pass
when he drew nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the
wayside, begging. And when he heard the multitude passing by,
Gospel.

2. Homiletic Sketch.
he asked what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Na­
zareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying. Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me. And they that went before rebuked him,
that he should hold his peace. But he cried out much more: Son
of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus standing commanded him
to be brought unto him : And when he was come near, he asked
him, saying: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said. Lord,
that I may see. And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight, thy
faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he saw, and fol­
lowed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw
it, gave praise to God.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
JESUS FORETELLS HIS PASSION, AND HEALS A BLIND MAN.

We stand at the portal of the forty days’ fast, which begins
next Wednesday. The Church could not have chosen a more
appropriate gospel than that which I have just read to you. It
treats of the passion of Christ, and this mystery of divine love is
to be the principal subject for our consideration during the holy
season of Lent. It also speaks of a blind man, who was healed
miraculously by Jesus. There are always blind, spiritually blind
men, to be found, especially during the days of the Carnival.
Blind indeed are all those who, instead of preparing themselves
during these days for the Lenten season, give full scope to their
passions, and renew the excesses and vices of the ancient Pagans.
Oh, that these blind persons would know their wretched con­
dition, and in humility and contrition have recourse to Jesus, in
order to obtain from him that healing which he is ever ready
to impart and which the blind man of Jericho so happily received!

Let us consider to-day’s gospel which is divided into two
points:—
I. Jesus foretells his passioni
II. Jesus heals a blin d man.
Part I.

I. Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to them : Behold we go
up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were
written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man.

(a.) The twelve whom he took with him on his journey to Je­
rusalem, and to whom he foretold his passion, are the twelve

Π

0

ijo

Quinquagesima Sunday.

Apostles. Jesus had frequently during his life gone to Jerusalem ;
now he went for the last time, for in a few days he was about to
suffer and die for us. When he says that all things shall be ac­
complished which were written by the prophets concerning him,
he refers to his passion and death. The prophets, especially
Isaias and David minutely described, not only his life, but also
his passion. Thus Isaias says (chap. 53) that there is in him
neither beauty nor comeliness; that they thought him, as it were,
a leper, as one struck by God and afflicted, and reputed with
the wicked; and David, that they have dug his hands and feet,
and have numbered all his bones; that they parted his garments
amongst them, and upon his vesture they cast lots; that he cried
out; “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me
that they
laughed him to scorn, and gave him vinegar and gall to drink.—
A. 21 and 68. These and all other predictions of the prophets
were accomplished in Jesus.

(λ) Jesus know very well that the Jews had decreed his death,
and yet he went up to Jerusalem and there made a public and
solemn entry. He did this—
(1.) To show that he was truly the Messias and to give the Jews
an opportunity of doing homage to him as the Messias, so that
if they persevered in their unbelief they would have no excuse.
God gives the necessary grace for salvation to all, but all do not
embrace it. Remember the Jews, and reflect on the terrible con­
sequences which the abuse of divine grace had for them, and
make good use of all the graces which God gives you for your
salvation.
(2.) To show the Jews that without his will they could not have
executed their nefarious design of killing him. On God depends
the success of whatever man proposes. If therefore you see the
wicked oppress the Church and do much evil, be sure that they
could not to it without God’s permission. Everything, however,
which God ordains or permits, will turn out well for those that
love him. This must be our consolation.
2. For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked,
and scourged, and spit upon ; and after they have scourged him,
they will put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again.

(a.) Jesus foretells his passion and death in plain words. Why
does he do so? To strengthen his disciples in their belief in him,
that they might not be led astray when they should see him in
his extreme humiliation. They could say : “What Jesus suffers
does not occur accidentally, nor without his will and knowledge;

a. Homiletic Sketch.

131

he foretold it; he is, notwithstanding his humiliation, the Son of
God. The sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, far from weaken­
ing our belief in his divinity, only strengthen it.” But it may be
objected: The gift of prophecy was not necessary for Jesus to
foretell his passion and death, for he knew that the chief persons
among the Jews bitterly hated him and would endeavor at any
cost to do away with him. But Jesus foretells his passion, not
in general and indefinite terms, but very precisely and circum­
stantially, and especially his resurrection from the dead. All this
is an incontrovertible proof of his omniscience, and consequently
of his Godhead.
(£.) Jesus foretells his passion with perfect tranquillity, although,
being omniscient, the unutterable pains which he was to endure
stood vividly before his eyes. Why? Above all, that he might
not discourage and terrify his Apostles; then to manifest his
resignation to the will of God ; and lastly, to teach us that the
just man has no reason to fear death. If we have to suffer, let
us be calm in the presence of those around us, in order to give
them good example and to spare them as much as possible un­
necessary sadness.

(i.) Jesus spoke, not only once, but frequently, of his passion
and death, in order to give us to understand that they were
always before his mind, whether he preached, worked, or rested.
This should encourage us frequently to meditate on the passion
and death of Jesus. Meditation thereon was from the beginning
the school in which the saints learned Christian perfection. St.
Paul so constantly meditated on the passion of Christ that he
could say of himself that he knew nothing but Christ crucified.
—I. Cor. 2. St. Philp Neri spent some time every day before the
image of the Crucified, in meditation on the passion, and St.
Philip’s biographers say that he learned more from this than
from any other book. Nothing is more profitable than medita­
tion on the passion and death of Jesus. St. Bonaventura says:
“If you wish to step from virtue to virtue, from grace to grace,
from good to better, meditate daily and with all possible devo­
tion, on the passion of Christ, for nothing produces in the soul so
complete a sanctification as the contemplation thereof.” Sanctify,
then, the forty days’ fast by meditating daily, or at least on
Sundays and holidays, on the passion and death of Christ.

3. And they understood none of these things ; and this word was
hid from them ; and they understood not the things that were said.
Jesus speaks plainly of his passion, death, and resurrection,
yet his Apostles understand him not. How is this? Because^

Î32

Quinquagesima Sunday.

being themselves Jews, they had not yet wholly divested them
selves of the prejudices of their nation, and only with difficulty
could they be brought to think of the promised Messias in lowli­
ness and contumely, in suffering and death. They still clung to
the notion of earthly power and majesty. Believing him to be
really the promised Messias, what he said of his passion and
death was quite unintelligible to them, and they persuaded
themselves that it must refer to another person, or be under­
stood only figuratively. Moreover, the Apostles were as yet
worldly minded ; this was the chief reason why they did not
understand their divine Master, for the worldly-minded man
comprehends not that which is supernatural and divine. After
the Holy Ghost had descended upon them on the feast of Pente­
cost the scales fell from their eyes, and they understood all that
he had told them.
Be not governed by your passions, nor by the world, nor by
the spirit of the world, but by the Spirit of God, who speaks to
you through the Church, that you may be protected from all
error and always walk in the path of virtue and truth.

Part Π.
Now il came to pass, when he drew nigh to Jericho that a certain
blind man sat by the wayside, begging. And when he heard the
multitude passing by, he asked what this meant. And they told him
that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

(a.) A blind man, a poor man. It is said with truth that the
poorest man does not feel so unhappy as a blind man, for whom
the glorious sun never rises, but who continually languishes in
the darkness and the shadow of death. Be thankful to God for
the gift of sight, for it is the greatest of all temporal goods, but
make good use thereof. Beware of the sins of the eyes; these have
caused many, many to be cast into everlasting darkness. Pray
daily with David: “Turn away my eyes, that they may not be­
hold vanity.”—Ps. 118:37.

(3.) We can not blame the blind man for begging, because he
was poor, and on account of his blindness he could not earn his
daily bread. If you meet a poor blind person, think of the blind
man of Jericho, and the goodness of Jesus displayed towards
him, and give him for God’s sake some alms
(r.) The blind man was right in asking the people what it
meant. If he had not asked, he would not have been told that
Jesus was passing by, and consequently he would not have in­
voked his mercy. Let this be a lesson to you in every doubt and

2. Homiletic Sketch.

133

uncertainty to ask the advice of prudent and well-meaning persons.
This is always good and expedient.

2. And he cried, out, saying: Jesus, San of David, have mercy on me.
And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace.
But he cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy on me.

(a.) They had only told the blind man that Jesus of Nazareth was
passing by, but he calls Jesus David’s Son, and cries out to him,
not merely to give him an alms, but to free him from his blindness.
Thereby he professes his belief in Christ as the Son of God and the
Redeemer of the world. This man, though physically blind, saw
far better, according to the spirit, than many of those whose sight
was good, but who were spiritually blind, for they would not
acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and the promised Messias.
The number of the spiritually blind is very great in our days, and
includes not only unbelievers and heretics, but also Catholics who
disregard the duties of their religion and state of life, and live in
impenitence.

(b. ) They that want before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace,
either because they thought that this crying out would displease
Jesus, or because it was irksome to them. If anything in your
fellow-men, especially in the poor and sick, be troublesome, pre­
serve Christian charity and patience, “ for charity is,” as we read in
this day’s epistle, "patient and kind, beareth all things, endureth
all things.” Reflect that God has also patience with us.
(r.) The blind man was not to be prevented from crying out; the
more he was rebuked, the louder he cried out. You must also be
constant in doing that which is good, and must not be discouraged
when you meet with obstacles on the path of virtue. If the blind
man had been intimidated by the rebukes of the people and held his
peace, Jesus probably would have passed by without helping him.
Perseverance shows earnestness, and is crowned with success.

3. And Jesus standing commanded him to be brought to him. And
when he was come near, he asked him, saying: What wilt thou that I
do to thee ? But he said: Lord, that I may see.
(a.) Jesus allows himself to be invoked repeatedly without
seeming to notice it. At length he asks :
What wilt thou ?
although he knew beforehand what the man wanted. God al­
ways acts in this way; he knows our necessities, and is ever

134

Quinquagesima Sunday.

ready to help us, but he wishes us, by earnest, constant prayer,
and the avowal of our misery, to exercise confidence, patience,
and humility, in order to make ourselves fit for, and worthy of,
his help. “Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall hear; thou
shalt cry, and he shall say: Here I am.”—Is. 58: 9.

(i.)The words of the blind man, that I may see, comprise the
principal qualities of a good prayer; that is, the acknowledg­
ment of our misery and helplessness, and, therefore, humility,
belief in the power of Jesus, and confidence in his goodness. Let
us always present our corporal and spiritual necessities with hu­
mility, faith, and confidence, and, like the blind man, we shall
attain the object of our prayer.
4. And Jesus said to him : Receive thy sight; thy faith hath made
thee whole. And immediately he saw, andfollowed him, glorifying
God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
(a.) Here again Jesus manifests his divine power. He merely
says: Receive thy sight, and on a sudden the blind man sees. Oh!
what a consolation for us that we have a Redeemer who is mighty
to succor us in all that concerns body and soul.

(£.) Jesus says : Thy faith hath made thee whole. Wherein does
this faith consist? In this, that we receive all that Jesus teaches
us by his holy Catholic Church as divine truth, hold it firmly,
and regulate our life accordingly. Where this faith is wanting,
prayer is not well pleasing to God, and is not heard. This
faith is wanting to many.
(c.) The blind man showed that he was grateful for the wonder­
ful gift he had received, for he glorified God, and followed Jesus.
Let us likewise, by faithfully following Jesus, evince our grati­
tude for the countless graces and benefits which we have received.
PERORATION.

Let us make to-day two good resolutions:

I. During Lent frequently to meditate on the passion and death
of Jesus Christ, that we may bring forth worthy fruits of penance.

2. To receive the Sacraments of Penance and the Blessed
Eucharist, and to live for heaven, showing that though dwelling
on earth we are leading a heavenly life. Amen.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

235

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY-

X DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
ORIGINAL SIN.

A certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging.—Luke 18: 35.

The blind man mentioned in the gospel of this day, who sat
by the wayside begging, signifies the whole human race, which,
in the person of Adam, was cast out of paradise and plunged
into the deepest misery, from which it could be redeemed only
by Jesus Christ, the God-Man. As the first pages of the Sacred
Scripture tell us, our first parents in paradise ate of the forbidden
fruit and thereby sinned grievously against their Lord and
Creator. This sin, with all its fatal consequences, was transmitted
to all men, so that, with the exception of the Blessed Virgin,
every one is conceived and born in sin. This is an article of faith
and it shall be the subject of our reflection to-day. I propose to
prove the existence of original sin and to show its consequences.
I. Its existence ;
IL Its consequences.

Part L

That original sin exists, is evident—
I. From

ihe Sacred Scriptures.

(ai) Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed?
Is it not thou who only art?—fob. 14:4. Job here says that he is
unclean and contaminated even in the very source of his being.
He thus enunciates the dogmatic truth concerning original sin,
and this passage is so explained by the most ancient Fathers of
the Church, such as Clement, Cyril, Basil, and Augustine.
(bi] Behold, I was conceived in iniquities ; and in sins did my
mother conceive me.—Ps. 50: 7. Now, David was born in lawful
wedlock and of pious parents ; the words, therefore, “in sins did
my mother conceive me,” can not be referred to his pious mother^
as if she had sinned at his conception; they must on the contrary,
as all the Jewish and Christian interpreters of the Sacred Scrip-

136

Quinquagesima Sunday.

tures say, be understood of David himself, as referring to his
inheritance of original sin, in which, like all other men, he was
conceived.
(f.) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into this world, and by
sin death, and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have
sinned—Rom. 5: 12. The Apostle deduces the reason why all
men must die, expressly from sin; but, as children also die, who
personally can not have sinned, it is evident that they have in­
herited the sin of Adam, therefore are contaminated by original
sin. The Apostle says: “All have sinned in Adam;” this does
not mean that all have imitated Adam in sin, that all have trans­
gressed the commandments like him, for, besides the children,
there are not a few adults who lead a very holy life from in­
fancy. All have sinned in Adam, in so far as his sin has been
transmitted to them.

(d) We were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest. —
Ephes. 2:3. How could we by nature, that is, from birth, or
rather, from the first moment of our conception, be children of
wrath, children in whom God is not pleased, if we came not into
the world in the state of original sin? We were, therefore, con
taminated with it from the first moment of our existence.
1.

δ
• U
'1

&

g
VI

■ΐ

From Christian tradition.

(a.) This dogma of our faith regarding original sin was already
held by the holy Fathers and ecclesiastical writers of the first cen­
turies. Tatian: “Because of the disobedience of the first man we
lost the Spirit of God, perfect justice and holiness.”—Orat. ad
Grœc. 18. Irenaeus: “Christ acquired salvation for us, so that we
received in Christ again what we had lost through Adam, namely,
the image and likeness of God.”—Iren. lib. III., cap. 20. St.
Augustine, who wrote whole books on original sin, exclaimed to
the Pelagian Julian : “I have not invented original sin ; the Catho­
lic Church from the beginning has admitted it; but you, who
reject it, are an innovator.”—Lib. 2, de nupt. et concup. c. 12.

(b.) The practice of the Church proves the existence of original
sin. From the very beginning of Christianity it was customary
to baptize newly-born children. Since the Church judged bapt­
ism necessary for the salvation of those children, she evidently
must have believed that they were contaminated with original
sin, from which they were to be cleansed by baptism and thereby
enabled to enter into heaven. To this may be added the adjura­
tions which the Church always employed at the baptism of new­
born babes. If they were not already contaminated by original

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

sin and subject to the dominion of the devil, these adjurations
would be not only culpable superstition, but would dishonor
God. If the child were stainless on coming into the world, it was
God’s Why, then, should the words of exorcism and adjuration
be spoken, in order to deliver the child from the power of the
devil?

3. From the belief of alleven Pagan nations. If we journey from
country to country all the world over, and inquire among all
Pagan nations, we shall everywhere find the plainest vestiges
of a belief in the original fall of the human race. The legends
of all Pagan nations agree substantially in this, that in the
beginning the people lived innocently and happily, but that
a woman, at the instigation of the evil spirit in the form of a
serpent, sinned and seduced her husband also; that this sin con­
sisted in the eating of a forbidden fruit; that the cause of the
sin was a vain desire of knowledge; and that in consequence of
this sin the people were cast out of paradise and punished with
various miseries.

(a.) The legend of the Hindoos. According to the legends of
this people, Schiva (God), to try Brahma (Adam), made the
blossom of a tree fall from heaven. Brahma, who wished to be
like God, took the blossom and believed that he was really God.
But God punished him, cast him out of paradise into the abyss,
where he was to do penance, but on account of his repentance
he was pardoned. Moreover, it is said that the first woman, who
proceeded from the body of Brahma, enticed and seduced him
(Brahma) to sin, and his body therefore became fog and darkness,
that is, a mortal body subject to corruption. Lastly, the Hindoos
believe that the wife of the Schiva fought the serpent, or evil
spirit, crushed his head with her foot, and cut it off, and that she
will come again in the end, to destroy the evil spirit, and restore
the government to the old (God) Schiva.
(£.) The legend of the Chinese. These call the woman the first
fountain and the root of all evil. One of their poets says: “We
inhabited a happy region, but a woman cheated us out of it.
Everything was subject to us, a woman plunged us into slavery;
she hates innocence, and loves vice. The wise man built a wall
round about vice, but the woman who wished to know every­
thing better tore it down. She is now like a bird whose song
announces death.” In this woman, Eve is manifestly described,
who, blinded by the devil, desired the knowledge of good and
evil, and wished to be like God, and on that account brought
death on herself and on her posterity.

138

.

Quinquagesima Sunday.

(c.) The legend of the ancient Germans. A woman was the
cause why the happy life in Asgard (paradise) came to an end.
As long as the woman was not there, the gods and men lived in
friendship, and abundance and joy prevailed. But when the wo­
man came, who was in compact with bewitching spirits and be­
longed to the race of giants who rebelled against God, all
happiness was over, and the friendship between God and man
ceased. The result was that God put down the degenerate race,
and rejected it. Asgard’s kingdom of felicity (paradise) was
broken up for ever, and the evil spirits obtained a certain power
upon earth. (Lucken, “Traditions of Mankind.”) There we again
see the history of the fall, which was caused by a woman, and
called down the chastisements of God upon the whole human
race.

Part Π.

The consequences of original sin are—
The loss of sanctifying grace, of our filial relation with God,
and of the right and title to the kingdom of heaven.
I.

(λ.) As original sin defiles man interiorly and makes him
corrupt, God, infinitely holy, can love him no longer, but must
necessarily be displeased with him. The loss of sanctifying
grace or of the love of God is a necessary consequence of original
as well as of every other grievous sin. Hence, the Council
of Trent says: “If any one affirm that the man Adam, after he
had transgressed the law of God, has not lost at once sanctifying
grace with original justice and incurred God’s indignation, or
has lost them only for himself, but not also for us, let him be
anathema.”—5. Sess.

fbi) The loss of our filial relation voith God is necessarily con­
nected with sin. God surely can not regard them as children who
have so grievously offended him, nor be to them any longer an
affectionate father. As long as man is defiled with original sin,
he can not pray to God with filial confidence : “Our Father, who art
in heaven.” The filial relation to God we have obtained again
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer; wherefore the Apostle
says: “You have not received the spirit of bondage again in
fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons,
whereby we cry: Abba (Father).”—Rom. 8: 15.

(r.) Another consequence of original sin is the loss of the right
to heaven, for only children have a claim to the inheritance of
their father. But, as through sin we ceased to be children of G od,

j.

Dogmatical Sketch.

139

we have no longer any right to claim the heavenly goods as an
inheritance. Therefore we must, in order to be able to enter
into heaven, be again made children of God by holy baptism, the
bath of regeneration, as Jesus teaches : “Unless a man be born
again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can not enter into the
kingdom of heaven.”—John 3 : 5. Original sin, then, has, as the
most renowned theologians say, entailed upon us only the loss
of heaven, and not eternal damnation, as a consequence. Pope
Innocent III. says : “The punishment of original sin is the depri­
vation of the sight of God, but the punishment of actual sin is
the eternal torment of hell.” SS. Bonaventure and Thomas of
Aquin teach the same. According to this doctrine, children who
die without baptism are indeed excluded from heaven, but are
not condemned to hell.
2. Ignorance, concupiscence, and inclination io evil.
(λ.) Original sin weakened our understanding, so that it can
comprehend supernatural things only with great exertion and
imperfectly, and is exposed to all kinds of errors. How fatally
original sin operates upon the understanding we can easily per­
ceive from the horrible aberrations of the Gentiles ; in the course
of time they lost almost all knowledge of God, could not distin­
guish between right and wrong, between virtue and vice, adored
men and beasts and hideous idols of wood and stone as God.

(A) If were still in the state of original justice, our will would
be powerful, and we could easily do what is good, because we
should never be assailed by passion, nor have the least inclina­
tion to evil. But as we are now constituted, there reigns in us
concupiscence which, though in itself no sin, yet always vitiates
every good action, and is continually drawing us to what is sen­
sual and bad. This concupiscence manifests itself in us in early
childhood, and, unless it be continually fought against and kept
under control, grows strong with us as we advance in years, and
dies only when the body sinks into the grave. The Apostle
beautifully describes this evil concupiscence : “For I am delighted
with the law of God, according to the inward man, but I see
another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind,
and captivating me in the law of sin, that is, in my members.”
—Rom. 7 : 22, 23.
3. Tribulations, patns, and, lastly, death. We may compare the
earth to a cemetery, in which one tombstone stands near the
other, for the sufferings and afflictions of men are as numerous
as the grains of sand on the sea-shore. There are external
sufferings, the inclemency of the weather, the difficulties of labor

14°

Quinquagesima Sunday.

and of our station in life, sickness and the racking pains of the
body, accidents, misfortunes, losses; again, interior sufferings,
such as sadness, fear, anguish, terror. Justly the wise man says:
‘•'Great labor is created for all men, and a heavy yoke is upon
the children of Adam, from the day of their coming out of their
mother’s womb until the day of their burial into the mother of
all.”—Ecclus. 40: 1. And after man has endured thousands of
hardships and pains in this world, he must offer to sin the last
and most difficult sacrifice—he must die, “for the wages of sin is
death.”—Rom. 6: 23.
Moreover, the earth has been cursed by God on account of
Adam’s sin (Gen. 3: 17, 18, a curse which still rests upon it, and
it was on account of this sin that men came into the servitude of
the devil.—II. Tim. 2: 26; Heb. 2:14.
PERORATION.

These are the fatal consequences of original sin, which, with
this sin, passed on to all men. Frequently represent to yourselves
these terrible consequences, and avoid actual sin, as you could not
possibly have escaped original Think and act as the saints,
who could not be induced for the sake of anything in this world
to offend God by sin. If you have the misfortune to fall into
grievous sin, make an act of contrition and be reconciled to God
without delay by a good confession, and constantly lead a peni­
tential life. Watch and pray that you may not fall into tempta­
tion, and labor to extirpate your sinful inclinations: let no day
pass without some little act of mortification and self-denial, that
you may preserve the grace of God and be called to take pos­
session of the inheritance of heaven. Amen.

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
HOW WE ARE TO KEEP THE CARNIVAL.

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accom­
plished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of
Man.—Luke 18: 31.
The three days immediately preceding Ash Wednesday are
called Shrovetide, and are the conclusion of that twelve days

4« Liturgical Sketch.

i 41

season of festivity called the Carnival. The best definition of a
word is not unfrequently found in its etymology. Now this word
is derived from the two Latin words caro, flesh, and valere, to
live well, and thus it signifies a season in which one indulges the
flesh more than usual. Careless and superficial lexicographers
define it to be “a Catholic feast, or season of festivity,” ignoring
the fact that the Church has always been opposed to these fool­
ish enjoyments and has endeavored to keep the faithful away
from them. The great Pope Benedict XIV. says: “After the
Pagan excesses, which were customary on the first day of
January, had been abolished, another objectionable custom came
into vogue. It generally takes place between Septuagesima and
Lent. In this custom there is so much that is disgraceful and
pernicious that a certain ambassador of the Turks, making a
sojourn in a Christian country during Shrovetide, returned to
Constantinople and officially reported, “that the Christians at
a certain time of the year become insane, but get their senses
back again by the mysterious virtue of a certain dust, which is
strewed on their heads.”
Let us not spend this time in the spirit of the world, but ac­
cording to the ordinance of God. How are we to celebrate
Shrovetide ?

I. What the mass of to-day teaches us ;
II. What certain ordinances of the Church teach us.

Part I.

This Sunday’s mass teaches us how we should keep Shrove­
tide. Let us consider—

I. Its Introit. It reads: “Be thou unto me a God, a protector,
and a house of refuge to save me, for thou art my strength and
my refuge, and for thy name’s sake thou wilt lead me, and nour­
ish me. In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be con­
founded; deliver me in thy justice and set me free.”—Ps. 30.

(a.) This Introit is take from the thirtieth Psalm, which David
sang when he was hotly pursued by Saul, and was in the great­
est danger of losing his life. The Church reminds us by it that
the present is a time of spiritual affliction and peril, and calls
upon us to have recourse to God like David, that he may protect
us. The world’s ways are not the ways of God’s saints at any
time. Wickedness always abounds, but is especially abroad dur­
ing those days with every kind of temptation, masquerades,
balls, parties, dances, theatricals, to allure persons, especially

you, young men and young women, to perdition. St Charles

142

Quinquagesima Sunday.

Borromeo says: “Behold the net, which the devil, our foe, throws
out in these days; behold the ditches of sin, into which so many
people blindly fall, behold the ruin of so many souls, which is
accomplished in these days.”
(à) In the thirtieth Psalm David appears as a type of the suffer­
ing and dying Jesus. The Church, in these days of worldly en­
joyments, places before our mind’s eye the passion and death of
Jesus, in order to keep us away from these sinful pleasures. What
child would devote himself to pleasure and joy if his father or
mother were suffering and dying? And is not Jesus more to
us than father or mother? What kind of Christians should we
be if, at the time when Jesus is about to suffer and die for us,
we were thoughtlessly to enjoy ourselves and renew the ex­
cesses of the Pagans 1

2. Its Epistle, St. Paul speaks therein of charity, of its mean­
ing and necessity, then of its qualities and duration, and lastly of
its superiority over all talents and virtues.

(a.) The Church has undoubtedly selected this epistle on charity
for to-day, in order to fix our thoughts upon our divine Saviour,
who in the work of Redemption exhibits himself as the most
perfect exemplar of love. “Christ hath loved us, and hath deli­
vered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God.”—Ephes.
5:2. If we reflect during these days of Shrovetide on this love
of Jesus, we shall disdain to participate in the vain, sinful doings
of the world. This love will also urge us to pray for our fellow­
men, that during these days they may not offend God.
(à) Examples: St. Madgalen of Pazzi remained almost without
intermission before Jesus in the tabernacle during Shrovetide,
bewailing the offenses against God and the ruin of so many souls,
and praying for the conversion of sinners. St Catherine of Siena
watched and prayed day and night that not many sins might be
committed. St Gertrude was accustomed on these three days,
by prayer, silence, and other pious exercises, to implore God for
the amendment of the people. One day she saw in heaven our
divine Saviour in great glory, sitting upon a throne ; before him
stood St. John the Evangelist, who was writing in a large book.
She asked our Lord what St. John was writing. He answered
that his disciple was writing down all the good works and morti­
fications that Christians performed during Shrovetide, that after
their death they might be more abundantly rewarded.

3. Its Gospel. It corresponds with the Introit, for it also treats
of the passion of Christ. There is no exercise more salutary for

4· Liturgical Sketch.

143

the sinner or for the saint than meditation on the passion of
Jesus Christ.
(a.) For the sinner. A pious priest in Florence possessed a
picture representing· Jesus crowned with thorns. He daily
stood before it, meditating on the infinite love of Jesus towards
man. On the opposite side of the street lived a vain daughter
of the world, who, believing that the priest looked so often in
the glass in order to admire himself, was scandalized and
deridingly asked him to show her that wonderful mirror.
The priest, in compliance with her request, brought his picture
to her house. When she looked at the picture of our Redeemer
with the crown of thorns on his head, his eyes full of tears, his
countenance covered with spittle and blood, she was deeply
moved. The priest said to her: “Here is the desired mirror,
behold yourself in it every day. If it makes no impression upon
you and does not move you to repentance, you will be lost.”
These serious words sank so deeply into her soul that she
wept bitterly over her sins, and, full of contrition, cast herself
at the feet of the priest, and asked for forgiveness. She re­
nounced the world and its vanities, and led a penitential life
for the rest of her days. Such is the powerful effect of the con­
templation of the passion of Christ: “It wounds the hardest and
inflames the iciest hearts.”

(<5.) For the just. In our suffering and dying Jesus we observe
all the virtues which we should practice, such as humility, pati­
ence, meekness, obedience, the love of enemies, resignation to
the will of God, and all in the most consummate perfection;
wherefore St. Augustine calls the cross a pulpit, from which
Jesus instructs us in all virtues. “If you wish to climb from
one virtue to another, and to lead a perfect life, daily meditate
on the passion of Christ, since there is nothing that urges on the
soul to holiness so powerfully as this.”—St. Bonaventure.
Meditate, then, on the passion and death of Christ, that you
may enter with fervor upon the holy season of Lent, and derive
therefrom the inestimable grace of a truly penitential spirit.

Part Π.

As regards the ordinances of the Church, I shall mention only
two :
1. The exposition of the Most Holy Sacrament. During these
three days the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in many places
for the Forty Hours’ Adoration, or Quarant Ore.

‘44

Quinquagesima Sunday.

(a.) This pious custom was begun at Milan in the year 1534 ;
it was introduced into Rome by St. Philip Neri in 1548, and was
sanctioned by Pope Clement VIII., who, on November 26th,
1592, issued a solemn Bull concerning it. The devotion owes its
origin to Father Joseph, a Capuchin friar at Milan.
'They decorated churches and altars, exposed the Blessed
Sacrament, made processions, preached sermons, and held pub­
lic devotions. This was not without fruit. Many ceased to take
part in the pleasures and entertainments of the season, and par­
ticipated instead in the public devotions. In these they found
greater and sweeter joys than in the frivolous enjoyments of the
world. Popes Benedict XIV. and Clement XIII. emphatically
recommended this beautiful devotion to the faithful, and enriched
it with many indulgences. The latter Pope, in particular, granted
a plenary indulgence to all who devoutly visit the Blessed
Sacrament and worthily receive the Sacraments of Penance and
the Blessed Eucharist.

(b.) This should encourage you to visit Jesus in his Sacrament
of love, to adore him, and make what little reparation is in your
power for the outrages heaped on him during these days. Do
not follow the world, which invites to its sinful pleasures and
enjoyments, but follow your divine Saviour, who affectionately
and earnestly invites you, saying: “Come to me, all you that
labor and are burdened and I will refresh you.”—Matt. 11: 28.
I solemnly assure you that you will derive more real joy and
lasting felicity in one hour spent in true devotion before your
divine Saviour in the Blessed Sacrament than is derived by
worldings who spend whole days and nights in fleeting, sensual
pleasures. The truth of David’s words will be verified in you,
and you will exclaim with the Royal Prophet : “'How lovely
are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! for better is one day in
thy courts above thousands (a thousand days in the joys and
pleasures of the world).”—Psalm 83: 1-11.
2. Confession and Holy Communion.

(a.) The Church earnestly desires that the faithful during these
days should go to confession and communion. For this reason
she admonishes priests to hear confessions. She also grants a
plenary indulgence to all who sincerely and penitently confess
their sins.

(b.) The reason why the Church so anxiously wishes you to
confess and communicate during these days, is twofold:
(1.) That you may stay away from these dangerous and fre­
quently sinful enjoyments. If our young people would confess

145

4« Liturgical Sketch.

and communicate at this season, there would be no apprehen­
sion that they would suffer any spiritual loss; they would find
no pleasure in the foolish doings of men, nor be tempted to
participate in them.

(2.) That you may prepare yourselves for Lent as well as pos­
sible. The worthy reception of the sacraments is the best pos­
sible preparation, for the more you purify your conscience from
all stains of sin, the more graciously will God receive your
penitential works in Lent, and the greater benefits will he bestow
upon you. It may also be expected that you will employ the
holy season of Lent more profitably if you sanctify the days im­
mediately preceding it by the reception of the sacraments and
other pious exercises, than if you desecrate them by various ex­
cesses and frivolities. Those who spend Shrovetide in wicked­
ness will generally continue their worldly and sinful lite during
Lent, and will think but little of penance and amendment.
PERORATION.

I have now explained to you how you are to spend Shrovetide
according to the will of the Church. May God grant that you
may spend these days, not with the children of the world in
dissipation and frivolity, but in holy exercises of devotion and in
retirement with the good and and the pious. Consider that you
belong to Jesus, and must not therefore renew the follies and
vices of the ancient Pagans. Consider also that these days are
the proximate preparation for Lent, and dedicate them accord­
ingly by meditating on the sacred passion and death of our Lord.
By frequently visiting and adoring him in the Blessed Sacrament, and by the worthy reception of the holy sacraments, you
ffl a more suitable dwelling-place in your
will prepare for him
hearts. Amen.

10

146

Quinquagesima Sunday.

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
WE GO UP TO JERUSALEM.

We go up to Jerusalem.—Luke 18: 31·

Part L

Jesus says: We go. We must also say the same to one another,
whether we consider our temporal or our spiritual life.

I. Our temporal life.
If we look at the clock, we scarcely notice the hands move;
and yet they do move, and move continually, till the clock runs
down, and must be wound up again. So it is with our life ; it is
continually going, and every minute brings us nearer to eternity,
each step brings us nearer the grave. “We have not here a
lasting city; we seek one that is to come.”—Heb. 13: 14. Our life
is only a lingering death; months and years pass by, and we
scarcely notice them. We often hear people say : How quickly
the time flies ! Ah ! what is our life ? “It is a vapor which appear·
eth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away.”—
James 4: 15. “My days have been swifter than a post: they have
fled away and have not seen good, they have passed by as ships
carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.”—Job. 9: 25, 26
As our life, so everything that it offers us is vain and fleeting
The brother of that great servant of God, Thomas à Kempis, was
proud of a new house he had built for himself; but a friend of
his told him that the house had one great defect. “What de­
fect?” he asked. “The defect is that you made a door in it.”
“How can the door be a defect?” “Oh,” said his friend, “the day
will come when you will be carried out of it a corpse, and must
leave house and all.”
So it is. Everything that this life gives, riches, pleasures, ho­
nors, dignities—all will disappear with it, all ends with death,
and “only the grave remaineth for me.”— Job. 17: 1. Many
things even do not last until death, but vanish after a few years,
weeks, days, or hours. This is particularly true of joys and
pleasures ; they last but a few hours, and leave behind them
nothing but an indistinct remembrance, perhaps a bitter reme f f
brance of having offended God.

5- Symbolical Sketch.

147

2. Our spiritual life.
(λ.) Even here there is no stand-still. There is no such thing as
standing still in the spiritual life. Change is the eternal law of na­
ture; there is a continual going, either backward or forward. St.
Augustine says: “If we begin to stand still in the way of holiness,
we go backward ; and when we make no further progress in virtue,
we quickly become worse.” We can not remain in one or the
other state in such a way that we neither progress nor retrogress
in that which is good ; he that becomes no better, becomes worse.
He who is tepid and not solicitous for·the salvation of his soul,
without noticing it, goes back. In the beginning he commits
perhaps only venial sins, but by-and-by he falls into mortal ones.
It is therefore not only a good counsel but a stern duty to endea­
vor to make progress in virtue, because the salvation of our
soul depends on it.

(£.) You must ‘herefore guard yourselves against retrogarding
in the spiritual life. Some are badly off enough already, with a
conscience loaded down with mortal sins. How deplorable would
be your lot if in these days you should again offend God 1 How
deplorable, should persons, on the very threshold of the holy
season of Lent, the season of sorrow for sin, of forgiveness and
God’s mercy, turn their backs deliberately on God, saying, in
acts if not in words, that they care nothing for the divine mercy,
that they are not and will not be sorry for their sins! Watch and
pray, that you enter not into temptation, and be on your guard
lest in these dangerous days you fall into sin.

Part Π.
Up to. Jesus went up to Jerusalem, which lies considerably
higher than Jericho, whence he started; therefore his way was
upwards.

i. Our way is also upwards. We are obliged to ascend rug­
ged Mount Sinai, which lies eight thousand feet above the level
of the sea, if we wish to attain our last end. On Mount Sinai
the ten commandments were given to the children of Israel. We
ascend this mountain when we keep the commandments of God.
We are bound, much more than the Israelites, to observe these
commandments, for we must keep them not only according to
the letter, but also according to the spirit. Our divine Saviour
teaches us this, saying: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments.”—Matt. 19: 17. All the saints went to heaven
because they kept the commandments, and all the damned were

cast into hell because they followed the broad, easy way, and

148

Quinquagesima Sunday

transgressed the commandments. Examine yourselves seriously
to day, and see whether you go up or not; whether you keep
God’s commandments or not, that you may find out whether you
are on the road to heaven or to hell.

2. Many, perhaps, quiet themselves with the thought that this
is Shrovetide ; that now is not the time to be climbing Mount
Sinai. God, say they to themselves, will not be so particular
about his commandments. This is a wrong conclusion to arrive
at. God’s commandments are always binding, at Shrovetide as
well as on Good Friday, and there is not a moment in life in
which we are allowed to transgress or disregard them. A hun­
dred years ago there was a Shrovetide, as well as now. Many
may have said to themselves then, it is Shrovetide, let us have a
good time of it. And they did probably have a good time of it;
they enjoyed all the pleasures within their reach, and thereby
committed sin. But how was it when they came to die? Did God
take no note of these sins? Indeed he did, and called them to a
rigorous account, and unless they did penance for them he cast
them away for ever. .And the wretched beings, how they now
curse those sins and that good time which caused their damna­
tion! Therefore; upwards take your way; keep God’s command­
ments now as well as at any other time.
Part III

To Jerusalem.
There are two Jerusalems, one ancient and earthly, the other the
new and heavenly Jerusalem. That we may go with Jesus to the
latter we must go up with him to the former.

1. The ancient and earthly Jerusalem. This was the last time
that Jesus went up to this Jerusalem, for the time had come when
he should accomplish the work of our Redemption by his passion
and death on the cross: “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem ; and all
things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets
concerning the Son of Man. For he shall be delivered to the
Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon;
and after they have scourged him, they will put him to death.”
If we desire to be true disciples of Jesus, we must accompany
him on his journey to Jerusalem; for he emphatically says. “If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross and follow me.”—Matt. 16:24. Therefore St. Paul writes*.
“They that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh, with the vices
and concupiscences.”—Gal. 5: 24.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

149

AVhat Jesus and his Apostle say holds good for Shrovetide
as well as for all seasons; the world calls this time the Carnival,
a horrible name, which means nothing else than to serve the
flesh, as the Pagans formerly did, who, wearing masks and bear­
ing torches in their hands, bawling and screaming through the
streets and public thoroughfares, made night hideous with their
frantic bacchanalian orgies, and who yielded without restraint
to dissipation and debaucheries of every sort. Where is the
Christian who would not feel ashamed to spend Shrovetide in
such a manner—a Christian who would not reflect on the word
of St. Peter Chrysologus: “They who will jest with the devil on
earth, can never rejoice with Christ in heaven.” Let us therefore
go up to Jerusalem with Jesus, and show the world that we are
Christians who no longer serve sin {Rom. 6: 6), but “live godly
and justly, and piously in this world.”—Tit. 2: 12.

2. The new and heavenly Jerusalem.
(a.) He who now goes up to the earthly Jerusalem with Jesus,
and crucifies his flesh, with its vices and concupiscences, may
hope that he will go up with him to the new and spiritual Jeru­
salem. St. John, speaking of this Jerusalem, says, “I John saw
the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I
heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the taber­
nacle of God with men ; and he will dwell with them. And they
shall be his people ; and God himself with them shall be their
God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and
death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow
shall be any more; for the former things are passed away.”—
Apoc. 21: 2-4. Oh, how glorious, how beautiful, how blessed will
this new Jerusalem be! When King Theodoric of Italy entered
Rome, surrounded by a thousand courtiers, the splendour of the
scene was so great that St. Fulgentius exclaimed to his com­
panions: “Oh, how delightful must not the heavenly Jerusalem
be, when this earthly Rome is so beautiful ! With what glory will
not Jesus Christ adorn his confessors and saints in heaven, if here
upon earth he permits such a glory to the servants of contemp­
tuous vanity.”

(J.) To this new, spiritual Jerusalem turn your thoughts. If the
world invite you to its enjoyments, and use all exertions to re­
present its joys and pleasures to you in the most alluring manner,
—when you see all around you full of pleasure and joy, think of
the heavenly Jerusalem, and say with St Ignatius: “Oh how
disdainful is this earth to me when I contemplate heaven.” Truly,
the contemplation of the happiness of heaven will make you

150

Quinquagesima Sundaw

stay away from these enjoyments, either entirely, or enjoy them only
so far as they can be enjoyed without offending God.
PERORATION.

Raise your eyes to heaven, for you were created not for earth, but
for heaven. Climb up to Mount Sinai, and keep the commandments
of God at all times. Go up with Jesus to Jerusalem, meditate on
his passion and death, and lead a retired, penitential life, for only by
so doing can you hope to obtain admission into the heavenly Jerusalem.
Amen.

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
THE SAD CONDITION OF THE SINNER;

HOW HE CAN AMEND IT.

Son of David, have mercy on me.—Luke, 18: 39.
Of all temporal evils blindness may be said to be the greatest.
Even the pious Tobias felt his blindness so much that he said to
Raphael the Archangel: “ What manner of joy shall be to me, who
sit in darkness, and see not the light of heaven.”—Tob. 5: 12. And
he asked of God the favor of allowing him to die: “ O Lord, do with
me according to thy will, and command my spirit to be received in
peace, for it is better for me co die than to live.”—Tob. 3: 6. We
need not wonder, then, that the blind man mentioned in the gospel
of this day cried out so loudly and perseveringly to Jesus : Son of
David, have mercy on me.” But by far a greater evil than blindness
is sin, for this evil, unless it be expiated by true repentance, has
eternal perdition as its consequence, whilst blindness renders man
wretched and miserable only for the short space of this life. Let us
to-day turn our eyes to the blind man, in whom the sinner is depicted,
and consider—

I. In what a sad condition the sinner is, and
II. How he can amend it.

6. Moral Sketch.

«5’

Part I.
To understand the wretched condition of a sinner, we need
only apply to him what is said of the blind man in the gospel:
A blind man sat by the wayside, begging.
1. A blind man. This blind man had no eyes at all perhaps, he
may have lost them by some accident or sickness; or he may
have had eyes, but they were so injured as to deprive him of
sight; from whatever cause his blindness originated, his condition
was sad and miserable because he could not see.

Sinners resemble the blind man.
(λ.) Many sinners are entirely destitute of the spiritual eye,
which is faith. To this class belong the Gentiles, of whom there
are about eight hundred millions. How deplorable is their con­
dition ! They have no knowledge of God, and are idolaters; the
greatest sins and vices, such as human sacrifices, bloody revenge,
suicide, debauchery, many of them look upon, not only as lawful,
but even as pleasing to their deities. St. Paul describes their
unfortunate condition.— Rom. i : 23. What thanks do we not owe
God for having called us to the light of the true faith! How so­
licitous we ought to be to aid the blind Pagans in coming to the
knowledge of the true God, by prayer and contributing our mite
to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith 1

(Æ.) There are others whose eyes are covered with a film or
otherwise injured; and they are the infidels and free-thinkers
of our days, who, by associating with impious men, or by the
reading of bad books and newspapers, or in consequence of their
dissipations and debaucheries, have lost the faith. They are so
blind that they call virtue vice, and vice virtue—darkness light,
and light darkness—bitter sweet, and sweet bitter.—Is. 5: 20.
They have caused their blindness themselves, and are therefore
culpable before God. See that you do not lose the faith ; and to
prevent any such woeful calamity befalling you, do not keep
company with the enemies of the Church, and do not read bad
books and irreligious newspapers.

2. He sat. Why did the blind man sit? had he no feet? Yes,
he had feet, but, in order to walk and move around, one requires
not only two feet, but also the light of the eye. As he was desti­
tute of this, he was obliged to sit in the place whither he had
been conducted.

»52

Quinquagesima Sunday,

The sinner also sits. He might walk, but he dare not, because
he is deprived of sight: he dreads the difficulties connected with
a thorough conversion and a penitential life, and for this reason
he can not resolve to rise from sin and traverse the narrow road
of virtue. Examples from life: Tell the avaricious that all the
goods of this world are vain and perishable, that their acquisi­
tion and possession carry with them much pain and disquietude,
that Christ exclaims "woe to the rich,” and declares that it “is
easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” {Matt. i 9: 24);
your avaricious man will hear all in cold blood, but not change
his mind one iota. Say to the drunkard, that by his drunkenness
he degrades himself below the beast, that he brings poverty,
shame, and wretchedness on himself in this world, and hereafter
must share the lot of Dives if he will not amend his life; it is
only waste of time; he will return to his glass as though you had
not uttered a word. Tell the impure man, that by his base pas­
sion he renders himself despicable before the whole world, and
that he rushes headlong into perdition; you will preach to deaf
ears. Tell the unjust man, that unless he makes restitution and
restores what is ill-gotten, he can never be saved; he will pay no
heed. Thus the sinner sits like the blind man and remains sitting.
He is too cowardly a slave to his passions, and therefore can not
resolve to rise and enter on the way of penance. Do you not
resemble the blind man, who sat?

3. By the wayside. The place where the blind man sat was a
public thoroughfare, used by numerous travellers ; it led to
Jericho, a city which, cursed by God, was destroyed by the Isra­
elites {Jos. 6: 21) ; that road was rendered dangerous and inse­
cure by robbers, and, as the gospel informs us, a man who was
going to Jericho fell among them ; whereupon they stripped him,
and having wounded him, went away, leaving him half dead.—
Luke 10: 30.
Such is the road on which the sinner travels. It is not the
narrow way that leads to life, and which only a few find, but the
broad way that leads to destruction, and by which many enter.
—Matt. 7: 13, 14.
Many a sinner quiets himself with the thought: The majority
of people live as I do; it is a universal custom; what I do there­
fore can not be so very wrong; if God should condemn me, no
one would be saved. AVhat insane language! A sin remains a
sin, whether one or a thousand commit it. God is just, and con­
demns millions of impenitent sinners, with the same rigorous
justice, to eternal fire, as he would one. Example : the deluge.
Every one who commits a mortal sin, becomes guilty of eternal
damnation; repentance, a true and speedy repentance, is the

6. Moral Sketch.

153

only means of deliverance. “Unless you shall do penance, you
shall all likewise perish.”—Luke 13 : 3. He who merely confes­
ses his sins, but without sincere contrition and a firm purpose of
amendment, is not truly penitent, and will not escape eternal dam­
nation. He who does not repent in time, but delays his conversion
from one day to another, is in imminent danger of being cast
away, according to the word of the Lord: “Delay not to be con­
verted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day; for his
wrath shall come on a sudden, and in the time of vengeance he
will destroy thee.”—Ecclus. 5: 8, 9. Every one who has once
entered upon the ways of sin, stands in danger of damnation,
for he comes into the power of Satan who will spare no pains to
destroy his soul. The holy Fathers and spiritual writers do not
hesitate to say that the number of those who have never lost
their baptismal innocence and are saved, exceeds the number of
those who are saved by means of penance. Therefore, guard
against committing a mortal sin. You may never be able to re­
cover sanctifying grace by means of penance.
4. Begging. Why did the blind man beg? Because he was
poor, and, in consequence of his blindness, was not able to earn
his bread by work.
The sinner is in such a situation. He is poor, wretchedly poor,
though his broad acres be numberless and he be a millionaire,
because he is destitute of the supernatural goods, which alone
have any value before G-od. He is deprived of sanctifying grace^
that precious pearl which Jesus has purchased and merited by
his precious blood ; he lacks all merit for heaven, for any merits
that he had were lost the moment he fell into grievous sin, as the
Lord says: “If the just man turn himself away from his justices
and do iniquity ... all his justice which he had done shall not be
remembered.”—Ezech. 18: 24. He is deprived of the friendship
of G-od and the right to heaven, for by sin he forfeited this
friendship, and barred heaven against himself by his own hand.
Add to this, that so long as he remains in a state of sin, all the
good works he does are without the least merit for heaven ; he
is separated from Christ, the vine, and therefore can bring
forth no fruit.—John 15: 6. To him, the words of the epistle
of this day apply : “If I should distribute all my goods to feed
the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”—I. Cor. 13 : 3.
Oh, how wretched is the condition of the sinner, how much
more wretched than that of the blind man, who sat by the way·
side beggingl

»54

Quinquagesima Sunday.
Part Π.

What must the sinner do, in order to put an end to his wretched
condition ? He must do what the blind man in the gospel did.

I. He believed. When he heard the multitude passing by, he
asked what it meant, and being told that Jesus of Nazareth was
passing by, he cried out, saying : Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on
me. Hereby he showed that he believed that Jesus could help
him. And Jesus himself testifies that his faith had made him
whole.
Faith is the beginning of salvation, the root and ground of
justification. Without faith it is impossible to please God, with­
out faith we can not be admitted into the number and society of
his children.—(Council of Trent, sess 6, cap. 8.) If, therefoie, the
sinner is to be justified, he must believe all that God has re­
vealed and proposes by his Church to our belief; he must especi­
ally believe that God will be gracious and merciful to him for
Jesus’ sake. A sinner who lacks this faith does not hope in God,
’s not inclined to love him, does not repent of his sins, has no
purpose of amendment—at least, not from supernatural motives,
and can not therefore obtain the forgiveness of his sins. Matters
stand very badly with a sinner who has gone so far as to lose
the faith; he has on his forehead the brand of the condemned.
May the Lord preserve us from such unbelief!
2. He had recourse to -prayer, and cried out repeatedly with a
loud voice: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. On this pe­
tition and crying-out depended his healing. If he had been silent,
no doubt Jesus would have passed him by without helping him.
Thus the first requisite for the sinner, in order to be reconciled
with God, besides faith, is prayer. So long as he does not turn
to God, so long as he does not pray, it is evident that he is still
blind and obstinate, and that he has not the wish to be converted.
How could a sinner of that kind obtain forgiveness? Moreover,
conversion is a grace (indeed one of the greatest) which God
does not grant without prayer. Hence we see that all those whc
were truly converted, prayed. Witness David; the penitent thiei
on the cross; St. Paul. So long as the sinner does not pray in the
spirit of repentance, and with fervor and devotion, there is no
hope of his conversion.

3. The blind man was persistent and persevering. Those that
went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, but he
cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy on me. Suppose
that he had been intimidated and had held his peace, what then i
Very probably he would not have been cured of his blindness.

6. Moral Sketch.

155

If the sinner wishes to effect his conversion he must manfully
surmount all obstacles. The world, the flesh, and the devil exert
themselves indefatigabiy to make him waver in his resolution of
amendment; they tell him that he will be ridiculed, mocked,
abused, and jeered at; they assure him that God is infinitely
merciful, that he does not take things so strictly as the priests
say; they try to persuade him to enjoy himself like others of his
age and condition in life, and suggest that there is time enough
yet for penance. It frequently happens that the sinner, after
having made a resolution of amendment, has violent temptations,
such as fear, despondency, and false shame; his associates in sin
ridicule him, and endeavor to argue or to laugh him out of his
purpose. But all these things must not deter him from the execu­
tion of his design. How much a man will do in order to gain
some little temporal advantage or to avert a temporal loss from
himself! What does he not endnre? What sacrifices does he not
make ? And should the sinner show himself to be weak and
cowardly when there is a question of the salvation of his im­
mortal soul?
4. He commanded him to be brought unto him. Jesus, moved to
compassion by the poor man’s repeated crying-out, stood, and
commanded him to be brought unto him, and then cured him of
his blindness. It was necessary to bring him to Jesus, for if he
had not been brought to him, he would not have been made to
see. As the blind man, so the sinner must be brought to Jesus,
that he may find grace. Jesus himself requires this, saying,
“Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will
refresh you.”—Matt. 11: 28. But who are they who bring us to
Jesus? They are—

(a.) Conscience. That interior voice of God, which urges and
impels the sinner to quit his sinful life, and by repentance to
save his soul.

(bi) The words of the priest and other welt-meaning persons. The
priest exhorts, entreats, persuades, threatens, speaks of God’s
justice and mercy; holds up the joys of heaven as a reward,
points to the abyss of hell as a punishment, that the sinner may
break his fetters and be converted. How often do parents and
kind friends advise him to make his peace with God 1

(t.) Joyful or sad events in his life. God prospers and blesses
his undertakings, gives him good health and old age, or visits
him with various crosses and afflictions, in order to draw him to
himself by benefits and chastisements. Happy the sinner who is
brought to Jesus—he is saved ; but woe to him who stubbornly
resists, and remains sitting by the wayside of sin—he must

'5*

Quinquagesima Sunday,

parish. Ask yourselves how you have acted heretofore, and if
you have allowed yourselves to be brought to Jesus.
PERORATION.

Take the blind man for a pattern, and do as he did, in order
to find wifh Jesus grace and the forgiveness of sin. Make an act
of faith, pray with fervor and confidence ; for faith and confidence
are the first and most necessary requisites for the obtaining of
every grace, and therefore for reconciliation with God. Be not
deterred by any obstacle, trust in God, and full of confidence,
say with the Apostle: “I can do all things in him who strength­
ened me.”—Phil. 4:13. Be governed by the goodness of God,
who in various ways endeavors to purify and sanctify you, and
if you have found grace and salvation with Jesus, glorify him
and foliowhim; be faithful to the end, “and hold fast the con­
fession of your hope without wavering.”—Heb. 10: 23, Amen.

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
WHAT WE MUST AVOID IN SHROVETIDE.

See, therefore, brethren, now you walk circumspectly ; not as unwise,
but as wise, redeeming the time ; because the days are evil.—Ephes.

5 *· IS, 16.
The Church reads for us to-day the gospel in which Jesus
speaks of his passion and death, that by the contemplation of
this mystery of divine love we may be protected from the ex­
cesses to which many Christians yield during Shrovetide. She
also sets before our eyes a blind man, to indicate that Christians
who participate in these sinful entertainments are struck with
spiritual blindness, since they do not know the baseness and per­
niciousness of these enjoyments. Oh, that all would consider the
words of the Apostle in these days of levity and extravagance.
“See, therefore, brethren, now you walk circumspectly ; not as
unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time; because the days are

7. Moral Sketch.

»57

evil.1’ That you may conduct yourselves during these days as
becomes Christians, I shall show—
I. What you must omitt and
II. Whatyou must do.

Part L
What you are obliged to avoid in these days needs no lengthy
explanation. They are the entertainments and enjoyments which
are in vogue in towns and villages, such as balls, dinners, sup­
pers, masquerades, by which God is much and grievously
offended. It is evident that you must keep away from them,
for—

1. They arc of Pagan origin. As all writers agree, they are
nothing but a continuation of the bacchanalian feasts dedicated
to the god of drunkenness and impurity, which had their origin
with the Egyptians, and from them were brought to the Greeks
and Romans, and lastly were introduced and spread in Christian
countries. Now, as all Paganism comes from the devil, the spirit
of untruth, so do the enjoyments and dissipations of Shrovetide.
The Fathers of the Church assert this. “Shrovetide,” says St.
John Chrysostom, “was not invented by those who are destined
for heaven, and whose names are already registered in the
heavenly country, neither is it an invention of man, but of the
devil, who introduced it for the purpose of drawing the soldiers
of Jesus Christ after him and of weakening them.” St. Augustine
calls these Shrovetide pleasures the sacraments of the devil, be­
cause they have effects directly opposite to those of the sacra­
ments of Christ. Who would not detest these enjoyments, which
have the devil for their author?

2. They are very unbecoming to Christians. St. Paul writes: “Let
us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness,
not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy,
but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for
the flesh in its concupiscences.”—Rom. 13:13-14. Do not Christi­
ans who participate in these enjoyments do quite the reverse of
what the Apostle commands? Do they not sin by intemperance
in eating and drinking, by impurity, contention, quarreling, and
even murder ? Do they not add fuel to the concupiscence of the
flesh? And is it decorous for a Christian, who pretends to be an
image of Christ, to act as insanely, extravagantly, and shame­
fully as a Pagan? Judge for yourselves.
3. They are very dangerous and injurious, especially for youth.
St. Charles Borromeo says: “They are the nets which the devil,

158

Quinquagesima Sunday.

our adversary, throws out in these days; they are the ditches of
sin, into which so many men fall blindly ; behold the ruin of the
many souls which is accomplished through them.” Surely, Satan
triumphs in these days; how much he domineers and tyrannizes
over the people of God! And this is the case not only with the
common crowd, but even with such as at other times are earnest
and sedate. In these days people drink to excess, and drunken­
ness is the path that leads to all vices ; they dance, and of danc­
ing St. Epraim says: “Where there is music and dancing and
clapping of hands, there is the obscenity of men, the ruin of
women, the sadness of the angels, and the festival of the devil.”
What renders these enjoyments particularly dangerous and per­
nicious is that they are kept up till far into the night, under
cover of which debaucheries, dissipations, and vices can be more
easily practiced.
4. They prepare great punishments for those toho can not control
themselves. Job (21:12, 13) says: “They take the timbrel and the
harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ; they spend their
days in wealth, and in a moment they go down to hell.” Hell is
threatened as a punishment to those who in these days give full
scope to their passions. A few years ago, in a certain city of Ger­
many, they buried Shrovetide, as it was customary in some places
—a silly farce. Of all the dramatis personce no one sustained his
character so well as the man who impersonated the dying Shrove­
tide. He imitated the actions and gestures of a dying person so
exactly, and in such a perfectly natural way that the spectators in
the midst of their revelry were held spellbound. But the frivo­
lous jest ended in a very tragical manner, for, to the horror of
all, it suddenly transpired that he who had played his part so
well was really dead! Where is his soul now? And where are
the souls of many of those who, twenty, thirty, forty or more
years ago, participated in these enjoyments, and with the sins they
then committed passed into eternity ? And what have you to ex­
pect, who will participate in these enjoyments this year, loading
your conscience with mortal sins? May these enjoyments not be
the cause of your eternal damnation ! Consider this well, and be­
ware of doing anything which might make your dying hour miser­
able, or cause your eternal perdition.

Part Π.
What are you to do at this time? You must,—

1. Watch, and above all,
(a.) Over yourselves. Seeing that the children of the world
enjoy the proffered pleasures to their heart’s content, some of

7· Moral Sketch.

159

you might be tempted also to participate in them; then you
would be in danger of offending God by grievous sins. It may
be that others will persuade you not to make an exception of
yourself in these days, but to take your share in the fun and
frolic, enjoying what is going on like everybody else. You must
therefore be on your guard not to be led astray, either by the
inordinate motions and inclinations of your own heart, or by
frivolous companions. This watchfulness is all the more neces­
sary in case, owing to circumstances, you can not absent your­
selves from such amusements or decline all participation therein.
You must watch over yourselves with redoubled care, that you
may do or say nothing which you would afterward regret.
(Æ.) Over others. Parents must watch over their children, that
they may not suffer the loss of their virtue and innocence. Chris­
tian charity obliges all, without exception, to influence by word
and example their fellow-men, to persuade them to abstain from
amusements which offend God. St. Chrysostom says: “If we have
a feeling of brotherly love, and take an interest in the salvation
of others, we must restrain those who in these days rush into
perdition, fall victims to death and go to hell.”

2. Pray for yourselves, that in this time of levity you may not
offend God, and pray for others, especially those who participate
in these enjoyments, that they may not fall into sin. This inter­
cessory prayer is—
(æ.) Pleasing to God, because thereby we manifest our zeal for
his honor and our love of our neighbor. “Let us pray for one
another,” says St. Chrysostom. To pray for one’s self is, as it
were, an impulse of nature, but to pray for others is a work of
grace. Our misery compels us to pray for ourselves, but to pray
for others is a work of the purest love. St. Stephen, whilst being
stoned to death, prayed for the youthful Saul, and this prayer
was so acceptable to God that by it the conversion of Saul was
effected. Hence St Augustine says: “If St. Stephen had not
prayed, the Church would not have St. Paul.” Stephen was
heard by God, and by his prayer the sins of Saul were blotted
out. If, therefore, in these days we pray for others, especially
young people, we may do much good and perhaps save many a
soul from perdition.

(£.) Very useful to us. St. Catherine of Siena, during Shrovetide,
received an extraordinary grace. She had retired to her cell and
was engaged in fervent prayer. Jesus, accompanied by his Mother
and surrounded by angels, appeared to her, and said: “Because
thou hast despised the vanities of the world, and hast chosen the

ibo

Quinquagesima Sunday.

cross and a life of penance, seeking the highest and only good,
I will espouse myself to thee,”—and in these words he made her
his bride. Thus Shrovetide, which is for the frivolous a time of
many and great sins, is for Christians who retire and devote
themselves to exercises of devotion a time of great and many
graces.
(r.) The wish of the Church. Over three hundred years ago the
Forty Hours’ Devotion was introduced into the Church for the
three days preceding Ash Wednesday. The object of this devo­
tion is that by the prayers of the faithful the numerous sins
which are usually committed during Shrovetide may be prevent­
ed, and that sinners may obtain mercy. To promote this beauti­
ful devotion, Pope Clement XIII., in the year 1765, granted a
plenary indulgence to all those who after a worthy reception of
the Sacraments of Penance and the Blessed Eucharist visit and
adore the Blessed Sacrament solemnly exposed. The wish of the
Church, and the indulgence which she grants us, should incite us
to visit the church frequently during these days, and assist at the
public devotions.

3. Do other good deeds, especially the works of mercy. Thus
the consort of Louis XII. of France in thanksgiving for her re­
stored health, caused fifteen thousand ducats to be distributed
among the poor during Shrovetide. If you give the money, which
others spend for these enjoyments, in alms to the poor and needy,
it will certainly please God greatly, and bring you a reward
both for time and eternity. In former days it was customary for
pious Christians to retire during these three days for a spiritual
retreat, in order to prepare themselves worthily for the ap­
proaching season of Lent.
I will relate to you a remarkable conversion that was once
brought about by such a retreat, and by which a notorious world­
ling saved his soul.
In the house of the Oratorions at Avignon, in France, lived
Father Allard, a very holy man. He wrote a few lines to his friend,
Saze by name, informing him that he was coming to spend
Shrovetide with him. He gave the letter to the porter who thought
the name was Suze, and accordingly sent the letter to him. Suze,
a dissipated worldling, was in his villa, surrounded by several
people who intended to spend Shrovetide with him, when the
letter was handed to him. He read it, looked at the signature,
and was amazed. He could not comprehend why Allard, such a
distinguished and holy man, wished to spend Shrovetide with
him. His friends laughed at his perplexity, but he became only
the more serious and sad. Seeing that they could not bring him
aut of his serious mood, they left him, thinking that his notion,

7. Moral Sketch.

i6j

as they termed it, would pass away during the night. But poor
Suze could not sleep that night, the voice of his conscience
became louder, and he recognized the finger of God. Rising
from his bed, he threw himself on his knees, and bitterly be­
wailed his sins.
In tne morning he was an entirely changed man. He sat down
and wrote to Father Allard, and thinking that he intended to
come for the benefit of his soul, thanked him for the letter and
requested him not to come, as he was unworthy of his visit;
but promised that he himself would visit him at the end of Lent
and make a general confession. Suze then lived in retirement
and in a penitential spirit, not only during the three days, but
throughout Lent. A pious religious who had heard of his con­
version visited him, and persuaded him not to put off his confes­
sion to the end of Lent. Suze at first remonstrated a little, say­
ing that he wished to confess to Father Allard, but owing to the
repeated entreaties of the religious he was induced to make his
confession to him the following day. He did so and with the
most profound contrition. The religious then left him, but had
scarcely reached the main entrance of the castle when he was
called back and told that Suze was dying. He returned to the
dying man, who had been struck by apoplexy, and had just time,
to give him the last consolations of our holy religion, when he
breathed his last, dying the death of the just in the arms of the
priest, another example of the infinite mercy of God.
PERORATION.

Shrovetide was to this man a time of grace and salvation. It
will be the same to you, if you omit what you should omit and
do what you should do. Keep away from all places of sinful en­
joyment, rejoice in the Lord, watch and pray, go to confession
and communion, and redeem your sins by alms and works of
mercy to the poor. Amen.

II

162

First Sunday

in

Lent.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

Epistle. Π. Cor. 6: i-io. Brethren: We do exhort you, that you
receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith : “In an accept*
able time have I heard thee; and in the day of salvation have 1
helped thee.” Behold, now is the acceptable time: behold, now is
the day of salvation. Giving no offense to any man, that our
ministry be not blamed: but in all things let us exhibit ourselves
as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in ne­
cessities, in distresses, in stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labors,
in watchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in long suf­
fering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity unfeigned, in
the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of justice
on the right hand and on the left; by honor and dishonor: by
evil report and good report: as deceivers and yet true: as un­
known, and yet known : as dying and behold we live : as chastised,
and not killed: as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: as needy, yet
enriching many: as having nothing and possessing all things.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE APOSTLE GIVES US SALUTARY ADMONITIONS, AND EN­
COURAGES US TO IMITATE HIM.

We are to sanctify the forty days’ fast, which we began on
Ash Wednesday, by exercises of devotion, of interior and ex­
terior mortification, and of Christian love and mercy, that we
may prepare ourselves worthily for the coming feast of Easter
and become partakers of the fruits of the Redemption. The
Church also exhorts us to this in the epistle of this Sunday, and
urges us not to allow the holy season of Lent, that precious time
of grace, to pass by unprofitably. Let us then briefly consider
the contents of this epistle. The Apostle gives us therein—

I. Salutary admonitions, and
II. Encourages us to imitate him.

t. Homiletic Sketch.

163

Part I.

St. Paul in the epistle for this day gives us a twofold admoni­

tion—
t.
2.

Not to receive the grace of God in vain, and
To profit by the acceptable time to secure our salvation.

I. By grace we here understand the grace of faith, and the
purification and sanctification united with this grace. We have
received this grace in baptism. Before baptism we did not be­
long to Christianity; we were heathens. Hence when the priest
said: What dost thou ask of the Church of God? we responded
by the mouth of our sponsors, Faith. When we received the
Sacrament of Baptism, faith, together with hope and charity, was
infused into our souls; at the same time we were cleansed, sancti­
fied, made children of God and heirs of heaven. What a grace
this is I Millions and millions of men are born, live, and die with­
out baptizm, while we, a few hours after our birth, were bap­
tized without our cooperation, and without any merit of ours. Ohl
how grateful to God ought we to be for this grace, how faithfully
should we preserve it! Example: The holy martyrs, who sacrificed
their lives for their faith.
(afi The other graces which, through the merits of fesus Christy
we receive for our salvation. I mention here the graces which
flow to us from the sacraments, the holy sacrifice of the mass,
and the public worship of God; also the special graces which
we receive according to our state of life. It were easier for us to
count the beatings of our pulse or to number the respirations of
a lifetime, than to enumerate the graces which we continually
receive from God. On the last day, when every secret will be
revealed, all the graces which God has given us will pass before
our eyes, and full of amazement, we shall exclaim: “Oh, how
good God was towards me; what did he not do to rescue and to
save me !”

(Æ.) According to the admonition of the Apostle we should not
receive these graces in vain. What does this mean? It means,
we should highly esteem the graces of God, take care of them,
and employ them for the end for which they are given. How
great is the number of Christians who receive grace in vain ! To
this class belong those who forfeit the grace of baptism—per­
haps in early youth—who, after every confession, relapse into
their former sins, who neglect the sacraments, the hearing of the
word of God, the opportunities and means of salvation, who din­

ιό4

First Sunday

in

Lent.

regard the voice of their conscience, and salutary lessons and
admonitions. Let each of us ask himself : Am I one of the many
who receive grace in vain ? Woe to him who receives grace in
vain, his hopes of heaven are vain, his perdition certain.
2. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of
salvation. This acceptable time, or this day of salvation, is—

(λ.) With regard to the new dispensation, the whole space of
time from the redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ till the end
of the world.

How fortunate are we that the we were not born before this
time, or under the Old Law. How slight were the graces and
means of salvation for those wTho lived then compared with ours.
Their sacrifices consisted of animals, flour, incense ; our sacrifice
is Jesus Christ, the God-man ; their sacraments were empty signs
without grace; our sacraments are expiating and sanctifying:
their entire divine worship was only a shadow and a type ; ours
is life and truth. How repugnant was it not under the Old Law
even for the just to die ; for they departed from this world with
the consciousness that they were obliged to languish for hundreds
and thousands of years in Limbo before they could be admitted
to the vision and fruition of God. How confidently can we die
under the New Law, if we only live piously, since heaven is
opened to us, into which we can enter immediately after death,
or after our purification in purgatory.

(3.) With regard to every individual, our lifetime upon earth is
that acceptable time. As long as man lives he may work out his
salvation, for God gives the necessary grace for it ; but how long
our lifetime will last we do not know; as a rule, it runs down
sooner than we expect. “Man knoweth not his own end, but as
fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with
a snare, so men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly
come upon them.”—Ecrites o: 12.
As we know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of
Man shall come, we must work “whilst it is day ; the night cometh,
when no man can work.”—John 9: 4. As this night may come
upon us at any moment, we must always be solicitous for our
salvation. How much would the damned in hell give for an hour
or a minute in order to make their peace with God 1 And we,
who have not hours and minutes for our salvation, but a long series
of years, shall we let this acceptable time pass away unprofitably ?
(c.') With regard to the Ecclesiastical Year, in particular, the
present holy season of Lent, to which the Church also applies it.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

165

During- Lent we celebrate the most important mysteries of our
holy religion, we call to mind the forty days’ fast of Jesus in the
desert, his combat with Satan, whom he overcame three times,
and especially his passion and death, by which he accom­
plished the work of our Redemption. Should we not avail our­
selves of this holy time for entering into ourselves, for penitential
exercises, and in general for the salvation of our souls ? What
kind of Christians should we be, if we were to spend heedlessly
or desecrate by sin and vice this holy time in which Jesus is re­
presented to us as suffering and dying?
Part II.

The Apostle urges us to follow him. Like him, we must—

1. Not give offense to any man ;
2. Endure sufferings and persecutions courageously ;
3. Preserve the chastity of our station in life ;
4. Keef our heartfree from all inordinate love of earthly things.
1. Giving no offense to any man. St. Paul could say this of him­
self in truth; for, so far from giving offense to any man, his life
and acts were a glorious pattern for believers and unbelievers.
Let us guard against giving scandal or bad example, against
being an occasion of sin to any one. Let us consider the great­
ness of this sin. He that gives scandal is the adversary of Christ,
a murderer of souls, a demon in human form. "Woe to that man
by whom the scandal cometh.”—Matt. 18: 7. Be careful not to say
or do anything which has even the appearance of evil, that you
may not be the occasion, far less the cause, of any person’s sin;
on the contrary, “so let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven.”—Matt. 5 : 16.

2. In all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God,
in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, in
stripes, in prisons, in seditious, in labors, in watchings, in fastings.
The whole life of St. Paul was an uninterrupted chain of tribu­
lations and sufferings, and the words of Jesus were literally
fulfilled in him: “I will show him how great things he must suffer
for my name’s sake.”—Acts 9 : 16. Of the Jews five times did he
receive forty stripes save one; for years he languished in the
prisons at Rome; the Jews several times raised commotions
against him, as in Pisidia (Acts 13 : 50), at Iconium (Acts 14 : 2), at
Thessalonica (Acts 17: 5), where he was in imminent danger of
losing his life. On his journeys and in the preaching of the
gospel he was obliged to endure hunger and thirst, vigils and

166

First Sunday in Lent.

fasting, cold and nakedness, fatigue and shipwreck, contumely
and false accusations, interior and exterior sufferings, in a word,
tribulations of every sort. But all these things did not make him
impatient or discourage him; the more the clouds of adversity
and suffering lowered around him, the more his courage grew,
and full of zeal, he exclaimed: “Who then shall separate us from
the love of Christ? shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or
nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?—Rom.
8:35·

3. In chastity. The Apostle understands here mainly virginal
chastity, which he preserved during his whole life, and which he
recommended to the Christians when he said: “I would that all
men were even as myself (perfectly continent) ... It is good for
them if they so continue, even as I.”—I. Cor. 7: 7, 8. Virginal
purity, or the single state, is preferable to the married state, as
St. Paul says again: "He that giveth his virgin in marriage, doth
well, and he that giveth her not, doth better.”—I. Cor. 7: 38.
Single as well as married persons should take to heart the word
of the Apostle: “Know you not that your members are the
temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from
God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a
great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.”—I. Cor.
6:19, 20.

4. The Apostle in saying: We live; as sorrowful, yet always re­
joicing; as needy, yet enriching many; as having nothing, and pos­
sessing all things, declares that his heart is not attached to
anything earthly, wherefore he also asserts elsewhere: “I count
all things to be but loss, for the excellent knowledge of Jesus
Christ, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ.”—Philip. 3: 8.
The reason why St. Paul counts all earthly goods—riches, hon­
ors, and pleasures—but as dung, is because that which Jesus
Christ promises and gives, infinitely excels all that the world can
giveThis should also be our disposition. We should have no in­
ordinate desire after any temporal things whatsoever, nor should
there be anything we so love and desire, so eagerly seek to
obtain, that, even if we offend God, we will not give it up. The
will of God and the salvation of our soul come first; we are
allowed to seek and to love temporal things only so far as they
may be necessary or useful for our salvation. Let us examine
ourselves and see if we inordinately desire, seek, and love any*
thing earthly.

I. Homiletic Sketch.

107

PERORATION.

Let us put in practice by word and example what St. Paul
teaches us in the epistle for this day. Let us renew our fervor
in the service of God and our solicitude for the salvation of our
souls. Let us make a good use of the innumerable graces which
we receive from God for our purification and sanctification, re­
membering that one day we shall have to give an account of
every grace we have received, and that our eternal salvation
depends on the timely and fervent use of grace. “Providing
good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of
all men” {Rom. 12:17); From all appearance of evil refrain your­
selves” (Z Thess. 5: 22); “Be patient in tribulation” {Rom. 12:
12), and “Be humbled under the mighty hand of God, that he
may exalt you in the time of visitation.”—I. Pet. 5: 6. “Refrain
yourselves from carnal desires, which war against the soul” {/.
Pet. 2: 11), and “Love not the world, nor the things which are in
the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father
is not in him. For all that is in the world is the concupiscence of
the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life
which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world
passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof. But he that doth
the will of God, abideth for ever.”—I. John 2:15-18.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.
Gospel. Matt. 4: 1-11. At that time : Jesus was led by the spirit
into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when he had
fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry.
And the tempter coming, said to him: If thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread. Who answered and
said : It is written. “Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every
word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.” Then the devil
took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of
the temple, and said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thy­
self down, for it is written: “He hath given his angels charge
over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest per­
haps thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him: It
is written again, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,

First Sunday

168

in

Lent.

and said unto him: All these I will grive thee, if, falling down,
thou wilt adore me. Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan,
for it is written: “The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him
only shalt thou serve.” Then the devil left him; and behold,
angels came and ministered to him.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
JESUS FASTS, AND OVERCOMES SATAN.

At the age of thirty Jesus manifested his Divinity, which was
hidden in his infancy and youth. He manifested himself first to
the Jews because the promise of the Messias was first made to
them and to their forefathers. He then publicly received the
baptism of St. John, upon which occasion the heavens wer6
opened and the Holy Ghost was seen to descend upon him in
the form of a dove, and a voice was heard from heaven : “This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately
after his baptism he retired into the desert, where he fasted forty
days and forty nights, and was then tempted by the devil. He who
was God could not sin, yet he permitted himself to be tempted,
that by his complete victory over the tempter of mankind he
might merit for us the grace by which all temptations are
overcome. Let us, then, consider—

I. That Jesus fasts forty days and forty nights;
II. That Jesus is tempted three times by Satan, and that he over­
comes him.
Part I.

When Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he
was hungry.

1. Jesus fasted—

(a.) In order to atone for the sin of our first parents. They had
in a most sinful manner gratified their desire of eating by tasting
the forbidden fruit. By this sin they lost for themselves and their
posterity the love of God and his grace, and plunged themselves
into the greatest misery. Jesus repaired this sin by his fasting.
St. Augustine says: “As the first Adam had forfeited the preroga­
tive of immortality by the indulgence of the palate, so the second
Adam was to recover i Hill Ortality by abstinence.”

2. Homiletic Sketch.

169

(à.) To teach us that we should make use of fasting as a means
of penance. Fasting Λ a means of penance in two respects:
First, it restrains the anger of God and averts the chastisements
which otherwise would fall upon us. Witness the Ninevites.—
Jonas 3: 5, etc. Secondly, it is accepted by Almighty God in lieu
and in satisfaction of the temporal punishment due to us for venial
sins unrepented of, or for mortal sins after their guilt has been
remitted. Like all other good works, fasting, with prayer and
almsgiving, quenches for us the fires of purgatory or abridges
our sojourn in its flames.
(ci) To show us by his example that fasting is the principal
means of guarding against sin. It wonderfully helps the soul to
establish her rightful mastery over the flesh. As the rider guides
his steed by means of a bridle, so the Christian controls his sen­
suality by fasting, subjecting it to the law of God. Hence St.
Cyprian says: “Fasting subdues the flesh, crushes the tyranny of
the palate, and elevates man. It confines inordinate motions
within a grave, binds down extravagant desires, and, united with
humility, teaches the servants of God to despise all worldly
goods.”
2. Jesus fasted in the desert. He might have fasted at Beth­
lehem, at Nazareth, at Jerusalem. Why did he fast in the desert?
(æ.) To teach us that we should do our good works as much as

possible in secret, for he who seeks in them human praise has
already received his reward. Hence Jesus says: “Take heed
that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them,
otherwise you shall not have a reward from your Father who is
in heaven.”—Matt. 6:1. Of fasting he says in particular : “When
thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face, that thou
appear not to men to fast, but to the Father, who is in secret, and
thy Father, who seeth in secret will repay thee.”—Matt.tr. 17, 18.

(Æ.) To give us an example that, during this holy season, we
should spiritually go into the desert, that is, detach ourselves
from earthly things more than at other times, and occupy our­
selves with heavenly things. The Church by now forbidding the
solemn celebration of marriages, and enjoyments, intimates that
we should lead a retired life, and devote ourselves with particu­
lar fervor to the exercises of religion, such as prayer, spiritual
reading, hearing the word of God, and the reception of the sacra­
ments. Alas ! many do not live a holier life during Lent than at
other times; they take the same food, and enjoy themselves as
usual, exhibiting no more fervor than if it were not Lent. These
are not good Christians.

170

First Sunday

in

Lent.

3. Jesus fastedforty days andforty nights,
(ai) Why does the Evangelist say that Jesus fasted forty nights t
Io distinguish the fast of Jesus from that of the Jews, who fasted
only during the day, but ate in the evening. But Jesus kept a
rigorous fast during all the time that he remained in the desert,
not only by day, but also by night. This was indeed a rigorous but
necessary fast for the atonement of our sins, since man sins not
only by day, but also by night.

(3.) Why did Jesus fast just forty days? There is a mysterious
meaning in this number. God gave us ten commandments, which
are transgressed in a fourfold manner : in thought, deed, word,
and omission. This transgression of the ten commandments in
a fourfold manner gives the number forty. Christ fasted forty
days to give us an example that we should do penance for forty
days, because we have sinned in a forty-fold manner. This
forty days’ fast was prefigured by Moses and Elias, for Moses
was upon Mount Sinai forty days without eating or drinking and
Elias, after having been miraculously strengthened by the bread
of angels, walked forty days and forty nights without eating or
drinking, till he reached Mount Horeb.—Ex. 24: 18; III. Kings
19: 8.
(c.) In imitation of the fast of Jesus the Apostles instituted the
forty days’ fast, and the Church imposes it upon us because it is
our duty to imitate, at least to some extent, the example of Jesus,
and to deprive ourselves during this time of some meat and drink.
St. John Chrysostom says: “Before our divine Saviour underwent
the temptations which the devil prepared for him, he fasted
forty days, giving an example to all of as, to teach us that by
fasting and an austere life we must arm ourselves against the
assaults of the devil.” We must keep the forty days’ fast strictly
in order to make satisfation for our sins, to appease God’s wrath,
and to find mercy and grace before his tribunal.

4. The gospel, in saying that afterwards he was hungry, in­
dicates that he was a true man, and therefore experienced
hunger, like every other man who eats nothing for some time.
By merely human power, however, Jesus could not have fasted
forty days and nights, that is, he could not have abstained from
all meat and drink, but he wished to support his human nature
by his Divinity to enable it to sustain the forty days’ fast; the
feeling of hunger, however, he would not suppress, as he ac­
cepted all other interior and exterior sufferings.
Jesus having, for the love of us, fasted so long, shall we refuse
to accept the little difficulties of fasting ? Shall we find it too

2. Homiletic Sketch.

171

arduous, during the holy season of Lent, to deprive ourselves of
a little foot and drink, and to abstain on Fridays and a few other
days from flesh meat? Should we be worthy of the name of Christian) if we would not willingly undergo so slight a mortification?

Part II.
I. The devil tempted Jesus to make him fall, if possible, and
as all temptations are insinuated into our souls either by pleasure,
by honors, or by riches, the devil had the boldness to tempt him
by these three enticements.
(λ.) By pleasure, when he said to him: Command that these stones
be made bread. Jesua was hungry after he had fasted forty days
and forty nights. The devil made use of this circumstance to
tempt him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be
made bread. Satan could have known that Jesus was the Son of
God, since St. John the Baptist had publicly confessed him as
such. — John 1: 34. But as Jesus appeared in great poverty
and lowliness the devil still doubted, and to remove his
doubt he said: If thou be the Son of God. This temptation con­
tained nothing bad in itself, but it would have been humiliating
and unbecoming for Jesus to do what the devil suggested, and to
work a miracle for the gratification of his desire of eating. There­
fore he rejected the enticement, saying: Not in bread alone doth
man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.
In other words, it is not absolutely necessary for man, in order to
preserve life, to have bread or any other kind of food. God is
able to preserve life by extraordinary means. Thus he fed the
Israelites in the desert with manna for forty years ; the Prophet
Elias with bread and meat at the torrent of Carith, brought
daily by ravens in the morning and in the evening; and on his
flight in the desert, with a hearth-cake, which the angel showed
him.—III. Kings 17: 3-6; 19: 5, 6. Jesus wished to indicate by
this answer that we should be more solicitous for the preser­
vation of our supernatural than of our natural life, because the
soul is of greater value than the body.
{bl) By pride, when he suggested to him to throw himself down
from the pinnacle of the temple for vain-glory and ostentation,
that he might be received by the hands of angels; but Jesus re­
jected the tempter saying to him: It is written again, thou shall
not tempt the Lord thy God.

{cl) By riches, and, in fact, by all temptations, when he showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and
promised that he should give him all these, if, falling down,

A
■

172

First Sunday in Lent.

he would adore him. By this temptation the devil really showed
himself to be a devil, a creature who, governed by immeasurable
pride, desires nothing more than to put himself in the place of
God, and to be adored. Jesus, therefore, with holy indignation,
rejected him, saying: Begone, Satan, for it is written : “The Lord
thy God shall thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve." Seeing
himself discovered, the devil, full of confusion and shame, fled;
and behold angels came and ministered to him; that is, they
brought nourishment, which his humanity needed, and adored
him.
2. Here we have some very useful lessons.

(a.) Why did Jesus permit himself to be tempted? To repair the
sin of our first parents, who succumbed to the temptations of
the devil. The devil had enticed Adam and Eve by the concu­
piscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride
of life. By the concupiscence of the eyes, when he turned their
eyes on the forbidden fruit, and excited in their hearts a liking
for this fruit; by the concupiscence of the flesh, when he rep­
resented the fruit as very beautiful to the eye and sweet to the
taste, so that they longed for it; by the pride of life, representing
to them that, by eating it, they would become like God. In the
same manner he tempted Jesus by the gratification of the sen­
sual desire of eating, when he suggested to him to make the
stones bread; by the pride of life, when he suggested to him to
throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple, and thus manifest
himself to the whole world as the Son of God ; and lastly, by the
concupiscence of the eyes, or covetousness, when he promised
to give him all the kingdoms of the world as the price of adora­
tion. Thus the temptation of Jesus is most intimately connected
with that of our first parents, and w’hat Satan had gained with
Adam and Eve he lost again through Jesus.
{b.) As Jesus, the Son of God, himself was tempted, no one
need be surprised that he is tempted, though he may lead a very
holy life. Satan hates men so much that he would destroy them
all by one blow if he had the power. He pursues the good gen­
erally more than he does the wicked. The latter belong to him
already, but he strives to bring the former also under his yoke.
Hence we read of many saints having suffered many great and
lasting temptations. The devil usually tempts those most vehe­
mently who are really converted. As Pharaoh, when the Israelites
had departed from Egypt, pursued them with his whole army, to
bring them back into slavery, so the devil is enraged against
those souls who by a real conversion have escaped his dominion,
and assaults them with all kinds of temptations, to get them into
his power. He, therefore, who wishes to serve God and to save

i. Homiletic Sketch.

173

his soul, must be prepared for temptations. He must not, how­
ever, be wavering in his confidence, for God suffers no one to
be tempted above that which he is able.—I. Cor. 10: 13.
(é.) The devil tempts us by employing the same enticements as

were made use of by him in the case of our first parents and our
Saviour, namely sensuality, ambition, and covetousness, or con­
cupiscence of the flesh, concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride
of life. And how many souls fall victims to these three entice­
ments ! Who can number the sins which are committed by
pleasure, ambition, and covetousness?
(di] Let us learn of Jesus what we are to do, that we may be
able to overcome temptation. We must—

1. Go into the desert’, that is, we must love solitude, lead a
retired life, and shun the proximate occasion of sin.

2. Fast, that is, not only keep the appointed fast-days, but, in
general, live piously and soberly. For as intemperance in eating
and drinking is the cause of many sins, so the mortification of
the sensual appetite by means of sobriety is an excellent pre­
ventive against the enticements to sin, especially against im­
purity.

3. Pray, that we may obtain of God light and strength to
overcome the temptations: Watch and pray, that you enter not
into temptations.”—Mark 14:38.
4. Keep in mind the word of God; for example, when we are
tempted to pride: “Every one that exalteth himself shall be hum­
bled” (Luke 14: 11) ; to impurity: “Neither fornicators nor adul­
terers shall possess the kingdom of God” (7. Cor. 6: 9, 10); to
covetousness: “What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole
world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?”—Matt. 16: 26.

5. Banish the temptations at once. A spark that falls on the
hand will not burn and wound you if you fling it away at once,
but if you leave it on the hand even a few moments it will
burn and pain you. Thus it is with temptations. You must not
parley with them, but banish them at once. The brothers of St.
Thomas of Aquin sent a female into his room to tempt him, but
he took hold of a burning piece of wood and drove her away.
PERORATION.

The gospel of this day concludes with the words: And, behold,
angels came and ministered to him. Behold the reward that awaits

174

First Sunday

in

Lent.

you, if you fight against all temptations and overcome them ; the
holy angels, especially your guardian angel, will look down
upon you with pleasure, and protect you with increased solicitude.
And how happily you will die if you can honestly say of your­
selves that you have fought the good fight I The angels of God
will protect you in the last decisive battle against the final as­
saults, and lead your souls into the joys of eternal life. Amen.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE ASSAULTS OF SATAN AND THE MEANS OF RENDERING THEM
INEFFECTUAL.

Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil,
—Matt. 4:1.

The devil had the temerity to tempt our Lord three times, in
order to induce him to sin and to make void the work of our Re­
demption. Let us, therefore, not wonder if he tempts us, and day
and night lies in wait for our destruction. He knows that we are
called to occupy the place in heaven which he lost by his pride;
therefore he greatly envies us, and uses all his exertions to de­
prive us of heaven. St. Thomas of Aquin says : “The envy which
the devil feels when he thinks of a creature formed of the earth
occupying his place in heaven and enjoying the sight of God,
burns him more than the sulphurous flames of hell.” Hence St.
Peter compares him to a roaring lion, who goeth about seeking
whom he may devour.”—I. Peter 5:8. I intend to speak to-day
of the assaults of Satan and the means of rendering them inef­
fectual, by answering the two following questions:

I. How does the evil spirit pursue us ?
II. What must we do to render his assaults ineffectual?
Part I.

The evil spirit endeavors to render men unhappy lor time and
eternity.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.
i.

175

For time.

(a.) By operating upon them outwardly and endeavoring to injure
them in their goods ana possessions, in their bodies and lives.
Examples from Holy Writ: Job. The devil robbed him of
everything he possessed, and smote him with a terrible disease,
which caused him intolerable pain. In the gospel we read of a
woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; she was
bent down and could not look upwards at all. Jesus healed her.
—Luke 13: 11-13. Again, we read that the devil made a man
deaf and dumb; that the evil spirits, whom Jesus cast out of two
that were possessed, went into a herd of swine and the whole
ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in
the waters.—Matt. 8: 28-32.

(bl) By taking bodily possession of people, and producing in
them all kinds of preternatural and horrible delusions, such as
melancholy, and various corporal infirmities. People who are in
such a way taken possession of by evil spirits, are called pos­
sessed by the devil. That persons may be thus possessed, the
Sacred Scripture proves in many places : Mark 5 : 1-13 ; Luke 11 :
14. The gospel frequently speaks of Jesus having cast out de­
vils. Thus we read in St. Matthew’s gospel (8: 16: “And when
evening was come, they brought to him many that were possess­
ed with devils; and he cast out the spirit with his word; and all
that were sick he healed.” By the possessed with devils we do
not understand sick persons afflicted with natural evils, for the
gospel clearly distinguished between the two, saying that Jesus
cast out the spirit, and all that were sick he healed. Moreover,
we read that the evil spirits spoke from within the persons pos­
sessed; that they went out from them, and went elsewhere—in
short, that they acted as rational creatures. These things are
quite inconsistent with the supposition that possession meant only
some form of natural sickness.
The holy Fathers unanimously teach that the devil can take
possession of the body of man, and in Church history and the
Lives of the Saints there are found so many examples of devils
being cast out, that we should reject historical facts, were we to
call in question the possibility of possession, or deny that such
had ever actually occurred. It is true, there are not so many
possessed by the devil under the New Law as there were under
the Old, because Christ subdued the power of the devil; but
there always have been persons possessed, and there will be
such to the end of the world, because only then will Satan lose
all his power.
Satan may operate upon man from the outside, or take posses­
sion of the body; still he has only so much power over him as

176

First Sunday in Lent.

God allows ; without the will of God he can not hurt a hair of
his head. But God sometimes gives him power over men, either
to punish them for their sins, as was the case with the seven
husbands of Sara [Tob. 6), or to try them and give them an op­
portunity of practicing patience and other virtues. Example:
Job, etc.
2. For eternity.

(a.) The whole endeavor of the devil is to cause man io lose his
soul. With this object he tempts him and uses all exertions to
lead him astray, to keep him in sin, and to ruin him. We can
not doubt this truth for a moment, since we find numberless
proofs of it in Scripture and Tradition. Our first parents sinned,
having been tempted by the devil.—Gen. 3. It was the devil that
put it in the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus.—John 13:2.
It was the devil that tempted Ananias to tell a lie to the Holy
Ghost and to keep part of the price of the land sold.—Acts 5:3. It
was the devil that had the audacity to tempt even Jesus. All men,
but especially the pious, are subject to these temptations of Satan.
St. Paul, who was rapt into the third heaven, says of himself that
an angel of Satan buffeted him, that is, tempted him, for which
thing he thrice besought the Lord, that it might depart from
him.—II. Cor. 12: 7, 8. In the Lives of the Saints we read that
the devil in many ways tempted them, and employed every pos­
sible artifice and stratagem to make them fall. The devil is a
subtle enemy; he does not trouble himself much with sinners who
are already in his snares, but he employs all weapons against
the fervent servants of God, and does all he can to bring them
under his dominion. St. Francis of Sales says: f‘The dogs do
not attack those of the household, but only strangers; thus the
devil does not vehemently assault those who are already his. If,
therefore, he seek one, it is a sign that he does not yet belong to
him, and the greater the virtue of the person, the more vehement
the assaults he may expect from the devil.”
(3.) Ίhe devil tries various plans. He endeavors to spread false
maxims and errors in the world; wherefore Jesus calls him an
enemy, who, while men were asleep, oversowed cockle among
the wheat.—Malt. 13: 25, 28. He tries to take our good resolu­
tions out of our hearts, that we may not carry them out, as Jesus
assures us.—Luke 8:12. Moreover, he operates on the external
senses of man, producing in him various images, motions,
and inclinations, which often become the cause of violent temp­
tations; he uses the particular circumstances and inclinations
of men to tempt them and entice them to evil. He flatters the
young, and paints the joys and enjoyments of the world in the

177

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

most beautiful colors; he makes old people believe that they
will live a long while yet, and therefore have plenty of time to
work out their salvation; he entices the vain to pride, the avari­
cious to covetousness, the unchaste to voluptuousness, the iras­
cible to revenge; in a word, he assaults every one in his most
vulnerable spot and where he can overcome him with the least
difficulty.
I must, however, here remark that not all temptations come
from the devil. There are other sources of temptation—namely,
our own concupiscence and inclination to evil, as St. James says:
“Every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn
away, and allured,”—James 1: 14; then the world with its illusi­
ons, scandals, and bad examples, as St. John says: “All that is in
the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concu­
piscence of the eyes, and the pride of life.”—I. John 2: 16.

Part Π.

To render the assaults of the devil ineffectual we must—
I. Pray.

(«.) Christ himself says: "Watch ye and pray, that you enter
not into temptation.”—Matt. 26: 41. By prayer we obtain the
grace of God, by which we can overcome even the most violent
temptations. What power prayer has against the devil, the
history of young Tobias teaches us. He was to take Sara, Raguel’s daughter, to wife. Now, Sara was possessed by an evil
spirit, who had already killed seven husbands to whom she had
been married, one after the other, on account of incontinence.
Raguel feared the same fate for Tobias, and therefore hesitated
to give him Sara to wife. But Sara and Tobias had recourse
to prayer, and persevered in it for three days, and behold, the
evil spirit could not injure them.—Tob. 8. We have, therefore,
an easy means of rendering the assaults and temptations of the
devil ineffectual, viz., prayer. St. John Chrysostom says: “The
roaring of the lion does not drive away wild beasts as much as
prayer does the evil spirits.”

(/5.) It matters little what prayers we say in time of temptation;
every prayer is good, if said with humility, devotion, and con­
fidence.
Very effectual against the attacks of the devil are—

First, the sign of the cross. St. Chrysostom says : irWe vehe­
mently tremble when we behold places where malefactors were

II

12

178

First Sunday in Lent;

executed; how terrified must the devil be when he beholds
the cross, that weapon which mortally wounded him. The evil
spirits scarcely get the first glimpse of this sign, when, full of
fear, and trembling, they take to flight.”

Secondly, the invocation of the holy name of Jesus. “In my
name they shall cast out devils.”—Mark 16: 17. Numberless
Christians have been freed by the invocation of the holy name
of Jesus, not only from temporal evils caused by the devil, but
also from his temptations. “The power of Christ is so great that
the evil spirits sink back into nothingness before it, and can not
even stand before the invocation of the name of Jesus.”—St.
Athanasius.

Thirdly, the use of holy water. St. Teresa says: “To banish
evil spirits so that they will not return, there is nothing more
effectual than holy water ” There must be great virtue, then, in
holy water. She adds: “It is no vain imagination; I have often
experienced it.” A missionary priest in China mentions it as a
well-known fact that possessed persons, of whom there are many
among the Gentiles, by sprinkling holy water are usually freed
from evil spirits.

2. We must resist earnestly.
(a.) There is a great difference between the attacks of the de­
vil and those of a man. If a man who is our superior in strategy
and strength attack us, our resistance is useless, and we shall be
overcome. But if the devil assaults us, it is in our power to over­
come him, notwithstanding his power and subtlety, for it is not
we alone who fight, but Almighty God who fights in us and with
us, and helps us on to victory. In view of this divine succor, the
Apostle says: “I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me.”
—Phil. 4: 13. Example: St. Justina, having become a Christian,
vowed her virginity to God. Aglaides, a Pagan youth, wished
to espouse her, but she rejected the offer. The youth tried
promises and flatteries, but all in vain. He went to a sorcerer in
order to conquer Justina with the help of the evil one. The sor­
cerer conjured the powers of darkness, and Justina was obliged
to endure the most violent temptations day and night; but she
earnestly resisted, prayed, fasted, and invoked Jesus and Mary
for protection and help, signed herself with the sign of the cross,
and, behold, the temptation ceased. The devil told the sorcerer
that Justina was a Christian, and that he had no power over
Christians who courageously fight and confide in the Lord. The
sorcerer (Cyprian) became a Christian, and obtained with Justina
the crown of martyrdom.

*

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

179

(Æ.) It is therefore groundless for some to lay their sins ex­
clusively to the charge of the devil, and say: “It was the devil
made me do this or that.” If they had not listened to the devil,
he could not have allured them to sin. “The devil is like a
chained dog,” says St. Augustine, “he can bite no one unless he
imprudently goes near him. Yes, he may growl, show his teeth,
and snarl, but he can not bite us, for he can not go beyond the
length of his chain. Show him the cross, and he will fly back
into his fiery kennel in hell.” And again St. Augustine says:
“As the old em ny is strong when dealing with those who
assent to him, so he is weak against those who resist him. If you
consent to his suggestions, you can no more tame him than a
lion, but if you resist him, you can trample upon him as upon an
ant.”
PERORATION.

Make use of those two means, and the devil can do you no
harm. Pray. As soon as you perceive a temptation within you,
act like little children, who, when they see a wild beast, run to
their father and mother, or at least cry for help ; therefore, go to
God in your temptations, and ask his help, grace, and mercy.
Make the sign of the cross frequently, invoke the Holy Name of
Jesus, sprinkle yourselves with holy water, and recommend your­
selves to the protection of the Blessed Virgin, the angels and saints.
Avoid every kind of sin, but especially impurity, cursing and
blaspheming; and live piously, for over pious Christians the
devil has no power ; at all events he cannot injure them as re­
gards their salvation. If you perceive any temptation, resist
manfully, and repeatedly say to yourselves, “Lord, I would rather
die than sin.” If you follow these rules, you will be able to per­
severe in the grace of God, and as conquerors over all the ene­

mies of your salvation, you will receive hereafter the crown of
victory. Amen.

A

180

First Sunday in Lent.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH
THE BLESSING AND DISTRIBUTION OF ASHES AS AN INTRODUC­
TION TO THE HOLY SEASON OF LENT.

When he hadfastedforty days andforty nights^ afterwards he was
hungry.—Matt. 4:2.

The Church begins the holy season of Lent by blessing· ashes
and putting them on the foreheads of the faithful. From this act
Ash Wednesday has its name. The blessing of the ashes begins
with an antiphon and a verse of a psalm, in which the mercy and
grace of God are implored. After that come four prayers, which
express the signification of the blessing of the ashes. The ashes
are to become a remedy for all who penitently confess their sins ;
they are to procure for those on whose heads they are put the
pardon of all their sins and the reward which is promised to the
penitent; they are, moreover, to fill all with the spirit of compunc­
tion, and to give us courage and strength, like the Ninevites,
zealously to do penance. After these prayers the ashes are
sprinkled with holy water and incensed. After the blessing of
the ashes, the priest first puts some of them on his own head and
then on the foreheads of those present, after which he says
another prayer for protection in the forthcoming spiritual combat.
I shall speak to-day of the distribution of the ashes, by which
the Church introduces the forty days’ fast, and explain to you
how the ceremony of Ash Wednesday is—
I. A symbol of penance;
II. An exhortation to penance.

Part I.
1. Ashes are in themselves a symbol of penance. The color of
the ashes reminds us of this, for dark gray is the color of
penance. The ashes, moreover, have a cleansing property and
are used for cleansing soiled clothes. In like manner penance
cleanses our heart and washes away the sins with which it is con­
taminated. Ashes strewed on a field are a good fertilizer; they
fructify gardens and meadows, and make the plants grow
rapidly. So also penance causes us to grow in virtue and bring
forth the fruits of justice.

4· Liturgical Sketch.

i8i

2. Ashes tvere under the Old Law a figure of penance.
(a.) When Jonas announced to the Ninevitesthe destruction of
their city, “they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from
greatest to the least, and sat in ashes y—jon. 3: 4-6.
(à) King David says of himself : “I did eat ashes like bread,
and mingled my drink with weeping.”—Ps. 101: 10. He mingled
his bread with ashes or put ashes on his bread, that he might
even at his meals be reminded of his sins, and, consequently, of
the necessity of doing penance for them.

(<;.) Thamar, David’s daughter, after her disgrace, “put ashes
on her head, and went on crying.”—II. Kings 13: 19. We read
the same of Job (42: 6), of the widow Judith (9: 1), of Mardochai
(Esth. 4: 1), and many others.
(di) When Jeremias the Prophet, in the name of God, announc­
ed to the Jews that great chastisements should come upon them,
he commanded them to put ashes on their heads: “Howl, ye
shepherds, and cry ; and sprinkle yourselves with ashes, ye leaders
of the flock ; for the days of your slaughter and your dispersion
are accomplished, and you shall fall like precious vessels.”—
ferem. 25 : 34.

3. We alsofind ashes to be a figure ofpenance under the New Law.
(ai) As Church history proves, in the earliest times ashes were
put on the heads of public sinners. All those who had the mis­
fortune to sin grievously and who wished to recover the grace
of reconciliation, asked for a public penance on Ash Wednesday.
With this intention, they appeared barefooted and in mourning
garments in the church; weeping and wailing they most humbly
asked pardon of the bishop, who then clothed them in peniten­
tial garments, put ashes on their heads, sprinkled them with holy
water and with the clergy said over them the Penitential Psalms
and the Litany of the Saints. Then he delivered an address to
them, in which, with impressive words, he exhorted them to
penance, and, in procession, led them out of the church, saying to
them in tears: “Behold, you are rejected to-day from the threshold
of the Church, your holy mother, because of your sins and vices,
as Adam, the first man, was cast out of paradise, because of his
transgressions.” Standing upon the threshold of the church, he
finally exhorted them not to despair of the divine mercy, but by
fasting, prayer, pilgrimages, alms, and other good works, to
make themselves worthy to be received into the Church again
itiii
on Holy Thursday. Thereupon they at once commenced
the

l8z

First Sunday

in

Lent.

most rigorous exercises of penance, in order again to become
participants of the grace of reconciliation.
(À)This public penance afterwards became obsolete, but the
custom of putting ashes on the head was retained. Even when only
public sinners were sprinkled with ashes, as a matter of course
other Christians were usually present, who from a motive of humi­
lity and devotion had ashes put on their heads also. In the year
ioQi, the Council of Benevento decreed that the ashes should be
distributed to all, that all might the more emphatically be remind­
ed of the necessity of penance. Since that time the custom of
putting ashes on the head has existed throughout the whole
Catholic Church, and there is now no parish church in which
ashes are not blessed and put on the foreheads of the faithful.
Owing to this ceremony the first day of the forty days’ fast is
called Ash Wednesday.
The ceremony is certainly very proper for us all. We are all
sinners. We all stand in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
“Unless you do penance you shall all likewise perish.” Unless
we do penance, we too shall perish. Expressive of this idea is
the ordinance of Ash Wednesday. Kneeling to receive the ashes,
we profess ourselves sinners indeed, but by God’s mercy contrite
sinners, hoping to obtain pardon from him who will never despise
or desert a humble and contrite heart.

Part Π.
The distribution of ashes is also an exhortation to penance.
This will become manifest to us, if we consider—
I. Whence the ashes come. These ashes are procured by burn­
ing
palms blessed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year,
and which were carried in the procession.

(0.) Why are the ashes of tbe palm-branches used ? The palm
is an emblem of peace, which one enjoys after combats and vic­
tories. Thus the inhabitants of Jerusalem saluted Jesus at his
entrance into the city as King of Peace, carrying palms in their
hands. The saints in heaven are represented with palms in their
hands, to signify that, after their combats and victories here be­
low, they now enjoy peace in heaven. In the ecclesiastical sense,
therefore, the palms indicate eternal rest or felicity in heaven.
The palms, reduced to ashes, remind us, then, that by sin heaven
was lost for us, and that we can no more acquire it by our natural
powers than it is naturally possible for palms burnt to ashes to
become verdant again and grow. What an appalling truth! The
palms burnt to ashes are, however, not entirely destroyed—the

4· Liturgical Sketch.

183

ashes are left. So we, although sinners and deprived of grace, are
not irretrievably lost like the fallen angels; we have a Redeemer,
and through his merits can look up to God with confidence; and
restored to grace by penance we can hope by God’s mercy to
persevere to the end and at last secure the felicity of heaven.

(Æ.) The ashes are from the blessed palms with which we went
to meet our divine Saviour on Palm Sunday in solemn procession.
We are reminded of Jesus, whom we behold no longer at a dis­
tance, as did the people under the Old Law, for he has already
accomplished the work of our Redemption, and remains always
in our midst, giving grace, giving peace and promise of victory.

2. What the ashes are. They are what remains of burnt things
—a figure of the vanity and nothingness of all temporal goods
and pleasures. St. Augustine says: “The fish nibbles at the hook
and devours with joy what it gets from the bait as long as it does
not notice the hook; but as soon as the fisherman pulls in the
line, it finds itself captured, and by its motions in the -water ex­
hibits no longer the joy it did before. So it is with men in regard
to this world. They enjoy the goods which it holds out as a bait
to them, and imagine themselves happy; but this happiness does
not last long; then they feel nothing but pain and remorse in
thinking about those things which they enjoyed, and to which
they remained attached. Witness Solomon, who, in all that he
possessed and enjoyed, found nothing but vanity and affliction
of spirit. The priest, by putting ashes on our foreheads, reminds
us of the vanity and frailty of all earthly things, and exhorts us
to be solicitous for our immortal souls.
3. How the ashes are distributed, {ai) They are put on the head, in
which pride has its seat, therefore we say of a proud man: “He
carries his head high”. Nothing is more opposed to penance than
pride. Witness, the proud Pharisee and the humble Publican
The Church, by putting ashes on our heads, tells us that we have
no reason to be proud, since we are nothing but dust and ashes.
{bi) The ashes are put on tn the form of a cross. The sign of
the cross reminds us of Jesus Crucified, and consequently of the
important truth that we can do penance and escape eternal death
only through the merits of Jesus Christ. The putting on of ashes
in the form of a cross is an exhortation to penance, for if Jesus
died on the cross for the atonement of our sins, ought we to think
it arduous to undergo the austerities of penance in order to ap­
pease God ?
4. Lastly, the priest, whilst putting the ashes on the faithful,
says: “Remember, man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou

184

First Sunday in Lent.

shalt return.” To whom should these words not be an earnest
admonition to penance? If the sinner would think of death and
the terrible lot that awaits him after death, it would be impos­
sible for him to continue in impenitence; his conscience would
be aroused and give him no rest till he breaks the fetters of sin
and is converted. “In all thy works remember thy last end, and
thou shalt never sin.”—Ecclus. 7: 40. “Descend frequently in
thought into your grave, that you may turn your eyes from
vanity, and beware of offending God. By this simple and easy
means yon will be acquiring every day an immortal crown of
glory in heaven.”—St. Ambrose.

The blessing and distribution of the ashes, then, with which
Lent begins, is in effect a very proper and salutary ordinance of
Holy Church, for it is not only a symbol of penance, but also an
admonition to penance. I only wish that you would put into prac­
tice what its signifies, and what it silently but forcibly exhorts
you to do, so that during the forty days’ fast you may bring forth
fruits worthy of penance. Renounce sin, do penance, live piously
and soberly, that you may be reconciled with God, according to
the word of the Prophet: “If the wicked do penance for all his
sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments,
and do judgment and justice, living he shall live, and shall not
die.”—Ezech. 18:21. Amen.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETC
WHAT WEAPONS WE MUST USE TO OVERCOME SATAN.

Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the deviL
Matt. 4: I.

Armed with three weapons, viz., a sword, a spear, and a shield
Goliath the giant advanced from the ranks of the Philistines,
and challenged for forty consecutive days any man of the
armies of Israel to fight him.—I Kings 17: 16. With three weap­
ons does the infernal Goiiath, the devil, attack man, and these

5· Symbolical Sketch.

185

weapons are pleasure, pride, and riches, or ’’the concupiscence of
the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of
life.”—I. John 2:16.
With these three weapons he attacked our first parents in
Paradise, and conquered them ; with these three weapons, four
thousand years later, he attacked Jesus, andivas conquered by him.
The devil remains always the same; the weapons which he
used in the combat with our first parents and with Christ he makes
use of against us to make us fall. The question now is: What
weapons must we use to overcome Satan? This question I will
answer for you to-day. I say—
I. If Satan tempt you to PLEASURE, fight against him by
FASTING.

II. If he tempt you to COVETOUSNESS, fight against him by alms.
III. If he tempt you to pride, fight against him by prayer.
Part L
I. If the devil tempt you to pleasure.
(λ.) By pleasure I understand the predominant desire of man

after that which appears pleasing to his sensual nature, be it
lawful or unlawful. To the latter class belong especially the
sins against holy purity, to which every human being is more or
less tempted. Not only those who are little solicitous about the
welfare of their soul, but also fervent servants of God, frequently
have hard battles to fight against the spirit of impurity, and are
never entirely secure against his attacks. How piously did St.
Benedict, St. Jerome, St. Anthony, St. Francis live, and yet they
were obliged to endure not a few impure temptations. St. Paul
even, who was rapt into the third heaven, complains that there
was given him a sting of the flesh.—II. Cor. 12: 7.
(£.) Need we wonder, then, that the vice of impurity was pre­
valent in the world from the beginning, and caused great and
wide spread moral devastation? Examples: The people in Noe’s
time and their destruction by the deluge. The inhabitants of
Sodom and Gomorrha. The vice of voluptuousness among the
Gentiles was raised to the dignity of a religious practice. What
is the condition of things among Christians now-a-days ? The un­
ripe youth, the mature and the aged are addicted to the vice of
impurity. Pure, chaste, virginal souls—how rare they are !

(c.) And yet nothing is more necessary for a Christian who
wishes to save his soul than chastity according to his state of
life. Those who observe it not, whether single or married, will
be damned. “Do not err; neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor

186

First Sunday in Lent.

the effeminate .... shall possess the kingdom of God."—I, Cor,
6: 9, io.
2. Fight against him by fasting. (a.) It can not be denied that the
unrestrained use of meat and drink is the cause of many carnal
temptations. The body which is fed well resembles a wild horse
whicn kicks, bites, and even runs away with a skilful rider.
Christians who overcharge their bodies with food and drink are
little disposed for prayer and other pious exercises; it is there­
fore an easy task for the devil to tempt them and make them
fall. But he who subdues his appetite by fasting, gives the spirit
the dominion over the animal propensities, and is able to repel
the assaults of the unclean spirit by prayer and other spiritual
exercises. St. Cyprian says : “By fasting the filth ot vice dries
up, lustfulness languishes, evil desires are weakened, voluptuous­
ness flies, and the heat of Ætna is extinguished.” A young man
once complained to an aged religious that he was troubled very
much by impure temptations. The religious replied that he was
never much troubled with them. On asking what means he used,
the old man replied: “I never indulge my hunger and thirst to
satiety, and thus it comes to pass that an impure temptation
hardly ever molests me; for I bring the flesh under the subjec­
tion of the spirit by mortification.”

(3.) You also must employ this weapon by observing the eccle­
siastical precept of fasting during Lent. Abstain from flesh meat
on the days on which its use is forbidden. He who is not so far
master over his sensuality as to be able to abstain from flesh
meat for a few days can not be expected to overcome impure
temptations and live chastely. Be sparing in eating and drink­
ing. All the days in Lent, except Sundays, are fast days, on which
only one meal is allowed with a moderate collation in the even­
ing, nothing being permitted between meals. Hard work, bodily
infirmity and old age admit of exceptions. Live piously and
soberly, that you may tame the concupiscence of the flesh and
preserve that virtue so necessary—the virtue of purity.

Part Π.

I. If the devil tempt you to covetousness.
(a.) We may possess temporal goods, and employ diligence
and care in keeping and increasing them, but we must not set
our hearts and affections upon them, nor love them as we should
love only God and our own immortal souls. We must also in the
acquisition of them avoid all injustice, and willingly give of our
abundance to the poor. He who violates these precepts is in

5. Symbolical Sketch.

187

danger of losing his soul. “It is easier for a camel to pass throug.
the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the king
dom of heaven.—Matt. 19: 24. “They that will become rich, fall
into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into many
unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men into destruc­
tion and perdition.”—I. Tim. 6:9.
(£.) Covetousness is a widely-spread vice, and to it many a lost
soul at this moment in hell may attribute its irreparable and
everlasting ruin. A spiritual writer says: “There are three vices
which plunge man into perdition: pride, voluptuousness, and
covetousness ; so that, by the Sacrament of Penance, out of a
hundred proud persons about fifty are saved; out of a hundred
voluptuous, about thirty ; but out of a hundred of the covetous
scarcely three are saved ; and this because for the covetous an
essential part of the penance consists in restitution, which is very
arduous for man.” Aripart, King of the Lombards, when dis­
satisfaction broke out in his army, wished to flee into France. For
this purpose he took from the public treasury as much gold as he
could carry, and fled at night. He was obliged to swim the river
Tessino, but the great quantity of gold which he carried frus­
trated all his exertions, the weight of the precious metal dragged
him to the bottom, and he met his death in the water. Thus he
who lets his heart cling to gold and the temporal goods of this
world, is drawn into the abyss of hell.
A few years ago the “Britannia,” which had on board a
large consignment of Spanish dollars, was wrecked off the coast
of Brazil. In the hope of saving some of them several barrels
were brought on deck, but the vessel was fast going to pieces,
so that the only way to save life was to take at once to the boats.
The last boat was about to shove off, when a young midshipman
went back to see if any one was still on board. To his surprise,
there was a man on deck with a hatchet in his hand, with which
he had broken open several of the casks, the contents of which
he was heaping up about him. “What are you doing here?”
shouted the youth. “Don’t you know that the ship is fast going
to pieces?” “The ship may go,” said the man, “I have been poor
all my life, but I am determined to die rich.” The officer’s re­
monstrances were answered by another flourish of the hatchet,
and the man was left to his fate. We should consider such a
person a madman, were it not that he has too many imitators
who seem determined at all hazards to die rich. Least of all
risks do they consider that of losing their soul at any moment
during the frantic struggle.

{a.) The strongest weapon against
covetousness is liberality. St. Chrysostom remarks very appro2. Fight against him by alms,

188

First Sunday

in

Lent,

priately: “If wild animals are confined and kept in a dark placel
they become more furious and intractable; but if you let them
out, and accustom them to the sight of men, they lose their innate
ferocity, and become as tame as sheep.” So it is with riches. If
money be hoarded up, it is dangerous, like a lion. But if you
take it out of the dark place, your purse, and distribute it among
the poor it will no longer be dangerous, but will become your
protector and intercessor. Thus it is. The more you hoard money
and the more you guard against spending it, the more the love
of it grows upon you: but the more liberal and charitable you
are towards the poor, the more the love of money disappears,
and the vice of covetousness finds no resting-place in the heart.
“The desire of money is the root of all evil.”—Z. Tim. 6: io.
(3.) With this weapon you must fight in the holy season of Lent.
The Church during this holy season of penance prescribes abs­
tinence from costly meats and drinks. By a conscientious obser­
vance of this ecclesiastical precept you will save something
which you ought to give to the poor. Guard your hearts against
the vice of avarice, and practice the virtue of liberality, which
is so acceptable to God. “Redeem your sins by works of mercy
to the poor.”

Part IIL
I. If the devil tempt you to pride.

(a.) Nothing is more odious to God than pride. “Pride is hate­
ful before God and men. Pride is the beginning of all sin ; he
that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions ; and it shall ruin
him in the end.”—Ecclus. io: 7,15. AVitness the rebellions angels,
our first parents in Paradise, and the Scribes and Pharisees in
the days of Christ.
(3.) Pride is a sin from which only few souls are entirely free.
Most people attribute the good which they do and have, not to
God, but to themselves; they seek the praise and applause of the
world, become dejected and indignant when they meet with hu­
miliations, think themselves better than others, and desire
everywhere to be preferred before others.
(c.) Although pride is not always a mortal sin, yet it brings
many evils in its train ; it takes all the merits from our good
works, deprives us of many graces, leads to many sins, and
prevents all progress in the wTay of virtue. If it once take deep
root in the heart it removes us further and further from God, leads
us into the worst vices, and finally causes our eternal perdition.

5- Symbolical Sketch.

189

1. Fight against him by prayer.
(λ.) Prayer is one of the principal means of defense against

every temptation, especially the temptation to pride. When we
open our lips to pray, it is an exercise of humility, for to pray
means in reality nothing else than to acknowledge that we are
nothing, that we can not help ourselves, and that for this reason
we turn to God, that he may give us what we need. The devil
can not pray, because of his pride. He has not a particle of hu­
mility. Moreover, prayer is the key to the heart of God, by
which we can obtain all goods and graces, and consequently
humility. “Amen, Amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father
anything in my name, he will give it you.”—John 16: 23.
(Æ) As often as the devil allures you to pride, have recourse to
prayer; with this weapon you will overcome his attacks, and
preserve the virtue of humility, which it so necessary. Pray and
meditate. Call to mind all the humiliations which our Lord en­
dured in his passion and death. Consider how he was apprehend­
ed, dragged like a malefactor from one tribunal to another, de­
rided as a fool ; how a robber, a murderer, was preferred before
him, and how he was crucified between two thieves. Such a con­
sideration will be salutary to you, for you will learn of Jesus to
be meek and humble of heart.
PERORATION.

"All that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, the
concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life.” Christ over­
came the world with its concupiscences ; he obtained a complete
victory over sensuality, pride, and covetousness. Let us follow
him ; let us use the weapons which the Church offers us during
this holy season to help us in our combat. Let us fast, that we
may render ourselves capable of subduing our impure desires
and of serving God in purity of body and soul. Let us give alms,
that we may preserve our hearts from all covetousness. Let us
pray and meditate, that we may overcome pride and remain
humble. If we fight against Satan by fasting, prayer, and alms­
giving, we shall, by the aid of God’s grace, overcome all the
enemies of our salvation, and obtain the crown of victory, which
is life everlasting. Amen.

ÎÇO

First Sunday in Lent.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
THE DUTY AND VALUE OF FASTING.

When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was
hungry.—Matt. 4:2.

The holy season of Lent, during which we are to undertake
various penitential exercises, mortifying in particular the craving
of the palate by fasting, has come round once more.. But how little
is the precept of fasting observed ! The freethinker derides
this precept; the sinner, who has much reason to afflict his
soul, thinks himself exempt from this obligation ; the lukewarm
Christian frames excuses in order to exonerate himself from this
imaginary burden. Many excuse themselves on account of bodily
infirmity; many under the pretext of hard work. Many from a
want of conscientiousness disregard the precept of fasting alto­
gether and yield to their immoderate longing after enjoyments,
eating without restraint what is forbidden, to the great scandal
of others.
How does it come that so many Christians disregard the ob­
ligation of fasting? Because they are not convinced of the obli­
gation and the value of fasting. I shall speak to-day about—

I. The obligation, and
II. The value offasting.

Part L

Are we obliged to fast? Yes.
I. The

example of fesus obliges us.

(at.) Jesus went into the desert and fasted forty days and forty
nights, abstaining altogether from meat and drink. Do not ima­
gine that Jesus did not experience the bitterness of fasting in
his body, for as man he felt the necessity of eating and drinking
like any other man, and the Evangelist expressly says, He was
hungry. It was not necessary for him to fast ; he could have ap­
peased his hunger at any moment by a miracle, because he was
Almighty. Moreover, he did not fast to expiate his sins, for he was

6. Moral Sketch.

191

holiness itself. He fasted only for our sake; he fasted in order to
leave us an example and to apply the merits of his fast to us. It
is written, says St. Ambrose, “He that professes to belong· to
Christ must walk as he walked. If therefore you claim to be a
Christian you must do in your weakness what he did in his per­
fection; he, who was without sin, fasted forty days; and you, who
have grievously sinned, refuse to spend forty days in penance.
He fasted for our sins, not for his, and you, Christians, will not
fast for your own sins! How can your conscience be quiet? How
can you call yourselves Christians, if you satiate yourselves
when Jesus was hungry for your sake?”

(£.) Jesus is our model and pattern; according to him we must
regulate ourselves, if we wish to work out our salvation and be
saved. "Whom he foreknew, he also predestinated to be made
conformable to the image of his Son, that he might be the first­
born among many brethren.”—Rom. 8:29. What conformity
should we have to Jesus, if, instead of mortifying ourselves, sub­
duing our sensuality, and fasting, we know nothing of self-denial
and gratify the craving of the palate in every possible way? And
if we have no conformity to Christ, how can we be saved?

2. The Church obliges us to fast.
(λ.) Christ said : “The days will come when the bridegroom 14

shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.”—Matt,
9: 15. Mindful of this prediction of their divine Master, and the
example which he himself had given by his forty days’ fast, the
Apostles undoubtedly practiced this fast themselves, and urgently
recommended it to the believers. Therefore many holy Fathers
call the forty days’ fast an apostolic tradition and ordinance. St.
Jerome says: “We fast forty days according to apostolic tradi­
tion.” Leo the Great says: “Let the apostolic ordinance of a
forty days’ fast be strictly observed.” This ordinance of the forty
days’ fast is a most venerable one, coming down to us through
the centuries, hallowed by the observance and approval of all
the Fathers and Saints of the Church. Lukewarm is the Chris­
tian, and weak his faith, and slight his reverence for Holy Church
and her sacred traditions, if he will not cheerfully comply with
the Lenten regulations.
(/5.) In the primitive ages of Christianity the forty days’ fast,
though not commanded under the penalty of sin, but only re­
commended, was observed in a very rigorous manner by the
faithful. Their fervor rendered a precept superfluous. What
kind of Christians should we be, if in this holy season we de-

192

First Sunday

in

Lunt.

dined to deprive ourselves of some meat and drink, when fast­
ing is not only a counsel, but also a strict precept?
(c. ) When, in the course of time, this Christian fervor began to
decrease more and more, the Church saw herself under the ne­
cessity of prescribing the forty days’ fast as a precept. This was
done in the fourth century, for St. Ambrose says : “During the
rest of the year fasting is a virtue and deserves special reward,
but not to fast during Lent is a mortal sin. In one case it is
voluntary, in the other necessary; the free will resolves to do it
in one case, but a most holy precept commands it in the other.”
This law, though greatly moderated, is in force to-day, and the
Church every year inculcates it on the faithful. Those who do
not keep the forty days’ fast evidently sin grievously against a
precept of strict obligation.

(d.) But some say: As fasting is only an ecclesiastical law it is
not so binding as the commandments. What an error! The
Church is God’s representative upon earth, and disobedience to
her is nothing less than disobedience to God, for Christ says:
“He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you,
despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent
me.”— Luke 10: 16. He that disregards the precept of fasting and
boldly transgresses it, shows that he despises Christ and the
Father, the heavenly Father, and to him the words of Jesus
apply: “ If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the
heathen and publican. ”—Matt. 18: 17.

3. We are obliged to fast in order to prepare worthily for the cele­
bration of Easter.
(a.) Easter is the annual celebration in memory of the accom­
plishment of the work of our Redemption. We must prepare our­
selves for it, in order to apply to ourselves the fruit of Redemp­
tion. The preparation consists particularly in extirpating our
bad habits and passions, changing our perverse will and amend­
ing our lives. But what can be better adapted for this than a
penitential fast by which the rebellious flesh is subdued, fuel
taken from the concupiscence that burns within us, the spirit
encouraged to wholesome meditations, and the heart moved to
repentance! The Church therefore prescribes a forty days’ fast,
that all Christians, by true repentance, may be spiritually
renewed, and by a total conversion prepared for a worthy recep­
tion of the holy sacraments.
(/>.) The most ancient Fathers of the Church looked upon the
Lenten fast as a preparation for the worthy celebration of the

6. Moral Sketch.

<93

Easter festival and for the reception by all the faithful of the Most
Holy Sacrament, as was the custom on that feast. St. Augustine
says: “That we may receive more worthily the sacraments of
Redemption, we prepare ourselves by a salutary forty days’ fast.”
Leo the Great says: “Since at no other time the spirit of per­
dition rages more violently against the members of Jesus than
when they are to celebrate the holiest of mysteries, the ordi­
nance of the Holy Ghost very appropriately warned the Christian
people that during forty days, by penitential mortifications, they
should prepare themselves for the celebration of Easter. He
that does not observe the precept of the forty days’ fast lacks
the Christian spirit and can not be expected to prepare himself
for Easter and receive the holy sacrament with advantage.”
Part IL
Fasting is of great value, for thereby—
1. We make satisfaction to God for sins committed, and avert the

Punishment due to them.
Every sin deserves punishment before God, the Judge and
Avenger of all evil. But if we chastise ourselves, we stay the
hand of God’s avenging justice. “If we would judge ourselves,
we should not be judged.”—I. Cor. n : 31. Such a judgment of
ourselves is the self-chastisement or penance inflicted on our
bodies by fasting, and by this self-condemnation of ourselves for
sins committed the divine punishment is averted. Witness the
Ninevites, whose city was to be destroyed in forty days, but was
spared on account of their repentance and fasting. “God had
mercy with regard to the evil which he had said that he would
do to them, and he did it not.”—jfon. 3:10. So with us. By fast­
ing it is in our power to avert God’s wrath. And as no one can
glory in being without sin, so no one who is able should let
this salutary means for the expiation of the temporal punishments
due to sin pass unprofitably to himself.

2. We protect ourselves from sin.
(λ.) St. Paul says : “The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the
spirit against the flesh.”—Gal. 5:17. There is an incessant war­
fare going on between the higher and nobler faculties of the
human soul and the lower and inferior animal propensities. And
just as a prudent general tries to cut off from the enemy his
source of supplies, to weaken him thereby and make him surren­
der, so the spirit should weaken the flesh, that source of all
ammunition and supplies in the spiritual warfare. This it can do

by a temporary withdrawal of its wonted nourishment from the

Ï94

First Sunday

in

Lent.

body, that the spirit may more easily overcome this, its sworn
enemy. St. Augustine says : “If you had a too spirited horse, that
might throw you off, would you not deprive him of some of his
food, in order to tame him by hunger? Why do you not by fast­
ing tame your unmanageable body ? He that deprives his body
of nothing that is lawful, will soon allow it what is unlawful.”
Such a one, in spite of his good resolutions, will be enticed to
sin often enough by the concupiscence of his well-fed and pam­
pered body. But he who mortifies his flesh withdraws from the
flame of corcupiscence the nourishing oil, so that, by and-by, it
will be extinguished. Hence St. Bernard says: “Fasting not only
blots out past sins, but also prevents future ones.”
(λ) Do not say that fasting is an arduous means, repugnant to
self-love. St. Augustine says : “Do you accuse a father of harsh­
ness or imprudence if he occasionally refuses his child something
for which it longs, in order to exercise him in obedience and
self denial? Or do you call a master imprudent and uncharitable
if he punishes his stubborn servant, and by chastisement keeps
him in subjection?” Should a little mortification, such as the
forty days’ fast prescribed by the Church, appear too arduous,
when there is a question of rescuing the soul, and with it the body,
from the everlasting fire of hell ? How unreasonable are those
Christians who disregard this precept.

2. We render the practice of virtue easy, and obtain the more cer~
tainly God's grace and eternal salvation,

(tf.) In proportion as that which is earthly within us is weak­
ened by fasting, that which is heavenly is strengthened. Nothing
damps our courage more, nothing draws our spirit more violently
from prayer and meditation, nothing cripples our longing for
heavenly things, more than the inordinate desire after sensual
pleasures. He that is controlled by the impulses of his sensual
nature is in danger of exchanging his eternal salvation for a
momentary pleasure. Since by fasting sensuality is weakened
ano mortified, it is the source of spiritual power and of a more
heavenly life.
(Æ.) All holy persons were convinced of this ; therefore they
fasted zealously and rigorously. St. John the Baptist fasted
austerely during his whole life ; the Scripture says that his food
consisted of locusts and wild honey.—Matt. 3: 4. Anna, a widow,
until four-score and four years, served God in fasting and prayer
day and night.—Luke 2: 37. St. Anthony the hermit frequently
fasted for three days and nights, and on the fourth day ate only a
niece of bread. In the time of St. Augustine there were many

J. Moral Sketch,

195

Christians who fasted most rigorously; not only strong men, but
weak youths, tender virgins and aged persons, frequently ab­
stained from all food for the space of three days and nights. In
short, we can not find a saint in the whole calendar of the Church
who was not given to this species of mortification.
PERORATION.

Fast at least in so far as the Church obliges you, for fasting is
useful. St. Bernard says: “Fasting is not only a cleansing from
sin, but also an expiation of it; it not only obtains pardon for us,
but also merits grace, it not only blots out past sins, but also
prevents future ones.” Unite your corporal fast with a spiritual
one. Subdue your passions, avoid sin. During the holy season
of Lent you must give up enmities, restore ill-gotten goods, dis­
solve all sinful connections and familiarities, and avoid the
proximate occasion of sin, that your fasting may be holy and
acceptable to God and profitable to yourselves, and may draw
down upon you God’s favor and blessing. Amen.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

7. MORAL SKETCH.
WHY WE MUST FAST.

Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold) now is the day ofsalvation.
—II. Cor. 6: 2.

With the holy season of Lent, which we commenced last Wed­
nesday, it is the same as with the harvest time ; laborers who are
indolent find no pleasure in it, because it requires a great deal
of exertion and the surmounting of many difficulties. Those, on
the contrary, who love to labor, are glad that harvest time is
coming round, for they know that the rich blessings of the har­
vest are worth a few days’ exertion and trouble. In like manner
the holy time of fasting is a sad time for worldly-minded people,
because all worldly amusements are forbidden and exercises of
mortification are prescribed; but to him who is penetrated by a
true spiritual fervor, the time of Lent is desirable, for he con­
siders it is a spiritual harvest, in which he can reap rich food for
his soul.

196

First Sunday

in

Lent.

Let us be zealous Catholics, and cheerfully submit to the sacri.
fice which Lent demands of us, that it may become for us an
acceptable time and a day of salvation ; let us conscientiously
keep the ecclesiastical precept of fasting, because fasting is, as
we shall consider to-day—
I. Acceptable to God, and
II. Profitable to ourselves.
Part I.

That fasting is acceptable to God he has frequently revealed
in the Old and New Testaments.

1. Under the Old Law.
(a.) We know that God forbade our first parents in Paradise,
under the penalty of death, to eat of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil—Gen. 2: 17. Thus, you see, the precept to ab­
stain, to fast, is of very ancient date, for it was the first precept
given by God to man ; and the first good work that man should
have done was to abstain. From this it naturally follows that
abstaining or fasting pleases God ; but it displeases the devil,
else he would not have seduced our first parents and persuaded
them to transgress the precept. We ought to consider this, and
fast strictly, in order to please God and displease the devil.

(b.) In the Old Law we find two very renowned men whom
God glorified by great miracles, Moses and Elias. Both fasted,
and by their forty days’ fast even became types of Christ. Moses
fasted forty days’ on Mount Sinai, and received from the hands of
God the two tables of the holy law.—Ex. 31: 18. Elias also
fasted forty days till he came to Mount Horeb, where God re­
vealed himself to him.—III. Kings 19. That Moses and Elias
were particular friends of God is evident from the fact that they
were on Mount Thabor at the Transfiguration of our Lord.
(c.) To the pious women who are eminent among all of their
sex in the Old Law belong Esther and Judith: both received
great graces from God through their fasts. The prudent Esther
by fasting frustrated the designs of the proud Aman and saved
her people from destruction.— Esth. 4: 16. By fasting the brave
Judith conquered Holofernes and saved her city; Bethulia.—
Jud. 8:6.

(if.) The Prophet Jonas, by God’s commandment, had already
announced to the city of Nineve its destruction. What saved that

7. Moral Sketch,

197

city? Fasting. Neither king, nor people, nor beasts took either
food or drink; all from the highest to the lowest did penance,
and God spared their city.—Jon. 3.

(tf.) The Israelites had often grievously sinned, therefore God
punished them severely; but as often as they did penance and
fasted they found grace and pardon. In the days of Heli they
suffered many defeats, and when, following the advice of Samuel
the Prophet, they had recourse to fasting, they were converted
from their idolatry, and God showed them mercy and delivered
them from the hands of their enemies.—I. Kings 7: 6.
2. Under the New Law.

(0.) At the inauguration of the New Law we first meet with St.
John the Baptist, of whom an angel said to Zachary before he
was conceived in his mother’s womb, that he would drink no
wine nor strong drink.—Luke 1: 15. In fact, the whole life of
this greatest of all prophets was a continual fast. “John had his
garment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins,
and his meat was locusts and wild honey.”—Matt. 3: 4.
(bi) Jesus Christ himself gives us the example by his fasting,
for, as the gospel tells us, he fasted in the desert forty days and
forty nights so austerely that during this long space of time he
abstained entirely from food and drink. After these things who
can doubt that fasting is a work pleasing to God ?

(ci) Jesus foretold that his followers would fast: The days will
come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and
then they shall fast.”—Matt. 9: 15. As Jesus Christ, the bride­
groom of the Church, is taken away from us, it follows that all
good Christians and followers of Christ must fast. The Apostles
and early Christians observed the forty days’ fast. They would
have been ashamed to call themselves Christians if they had not
imitated Christ in fasting. Read the Lives of the Saints, and, I
assure you, you will not find a single saint who did not fast. And
how austerely did the primitive Christians fast! They ate during
the forty days but one meal daily, and that in the evening. The
meals were poor, for they abstained, not only from meat and
milk, but also from other costly dishes. They never drank wine.
St. Cyril says: “We fast by abstaining from meat and wine.”
They considered that fasting consists not only in enduring hun­
ger, but also thirst, for at their meals they not only drank no
wine, but they even abstained from water. No one exempted
himself from fasting; all, young and old alike, even those who
worked hard, fasted. During Holy Week, as Epiphanius tells

iç8

First Sunday

in

Lent.

us, they used nothing but bread, water, and salt. What a rigor·
ous fast! And shall we not perform this work, which is so pleas­
ing to God ?

Part Π.
The Church in yesterday’s mass prayed thus: “Receive, O
Lord, our humble supplication, and grant that we may celebrate
with true devotion this holy fast which has been instituted for
the benefit of our souls and bodies.”
By this prayer of the Church we are taught that fasting is
salutary both for our soul and body.

i. For our soul.
(a.) Fasting has the virtue of cleansing from sin. The Jews
believed this, and therefore their days of penance were also fast
days. “Every soul that is not afflicted on this day (the great ·
day of propitiation), shall perish from among his people.”—Lev.
23: 29. Among Christians also fasting was considered a means
of obtaining from God the forgiveness of sin. Hence St. Basil
says: “Fast, because you have sinned. By fasting you will blot
out the sins which you have committed against God.” This, how­
ever, is not to be understood as if fasting effected immediately
the forgiveness of sin, as the Sacrament of Penance does. Fast­
ing has not this virtue, but if we fast with a contrite heart, we
may confidently hope that God will give us special graces to
enable us to make a good confession and obtain the forgiveness
of all our sins. By penitential fasting, as well as by other works
of penance, we can blot out venial sins.

(Æ.) Fasting expiates the temporal punishments due to sin. First,
it averts the temporal punishments which God generally inflicts
upon men in this world for their sins. Thus God withdrew the
punishments which he was about to inflict upon the Ninevites,
because they fasted and did penance in sackcloth and ashes.—
fon. 3. In like manner God withdrew the chastisements, which
he had announced to Achab by his Prophet Elias, because this
king, filled with contrition, fasted—III. Kings 21. Fasting in
particular remits the temporal punishment due to sin, and which
would otherwise have to be undergone in purgatory, after the
guilt of the sin has been removed. This was the doctrine of the
Church from the beginning; it is for this reason that she always
imposed upon Christians fasting as a penitential work.
(i.) Fasting prevents sin. Jesus once cast out a devil whom his
disciples after much labor could not expel. To the question why

y. Moral Sketch.

199

they could not cast him out, Jesus replied : “This kind (of evil
spirits) is not cast out but by prayer and fasting.”—Malt. 17 : 20.
For the casting out of devils, besides prayer, fasting is neces­
sary ; but since sins are works of the devil (7 John 3 : 8), we must
not only pray, but also fast, in order to guard ourselves against
them. ‘Our flesh,” says St. Augustine, “is our draught-horse;
generally the flesh draws, and compels us to follow and deviate
from the right road; this animal we bridle by depriving it of
fodder, and we tame it by hunger."

(<Z.) Finally, fasting elevates the soul to God. The more we yield
to sensual enjoyments, the more imperious the flesh becomes and
the weaker the spirit By fasting, the soul, weighed down by the
flesh, is lightened and freed. It becomes possible to mount up to
God. Hence Moses, Daniel, John the Baptist, the Apostles, and
all the saints of the Old and the New Law fasted, in order to
elevate themselves to spiritual things and unite themselves with
God. The Church testifies to this effect of fasting in her prayers,
and especially in the preface during Lent, wherein we read:
“Thou who by a corporal fast dost repress the vicious inclina­
tions, elevate the spirit, grant virtue and reward." St. Ambrose
says “By fasting we lead the life of angels ; it is a ladder by
which we ascend to God."
2. For our body. Proofs;

(#.) The Sacred Scripture. “Be not greedy in any feasting, and
pour not out thyself upon any meat; for in many meats there
will be sickness, and greediness will turn to choler. By surfeit­
ing many have perished, but he that is temperate shall prolong
life.”—Ècclus. 37 : 32-34. Daniel and his companions at Babylon
ate only pulse, and drank nothing but water, and yet “their
faces appeared fairer and fatter than all the children that ate of
the king’s meat.”—Dan. 1: 8-15.
(£.) Physicians. The renowned physician Hippocrates attained
old age. Being asked the reason, he answered : “I never rose
from the table satiated.” Another, a modem physician, says: “I
have practiced medicine for the last sixty years, and during this
long period have sought in vain for three persons, viz., a trades­
man who knows his trade well, works industriously, and yet can
not succeed ; a Christian who loves to hear sermons and yet does
not improve; and a man who is abstemious, and yet dies prema­
turely.” As the industrious tradesman never will suffer want,
nor the diligent hearer of the word of God become wicked, so
the temperate man can not easily die prematurely. Temperance
in eating and drinking prevents all diseases which come from a

200

First Sunday

in

Lent.

disordered stomach ; it moderates and lessens all other bodily
evils, quiets the passions, preserves a spirit of joyousness, and
is therefore the best means for the preservation of health and
the prolongation of life.
(r.) History and experience. Who ever fasted more severely
than the fathers in the desert, the hermits ? They often ate no­
thing but roots and herbs, drank nothing but water and yet
attained an old age. St. Anthony lived to 105, St. Pachomius to
no, and St. Romuald to 120. It is feasting, not fasting, that
brings on sickness. No one ever knew a person who became
sick and died owing to fasting, but many by intemperance in
eating and drinking become ill and sink into an early grave, as
every one knows. St. Jerome therefore is right in saying: “Fast­
ing is the mother of health, but intemperance is the tl other of
sickness.”
PERORATION.

Strictly observe the ecclesiastical precept of fasting during
this holy season, for it is acceptable to God and profitable to you.
But be not satisfied with merely abstaining from flesh meat on
the days appointed, and in depriving yourselves of the usual
quantity of meat and drink, but unite the spiritual fast with the
corporal ; carefully avoid sin, mortify your inordinate inclina­
tions, bridle your senses, the ears, eyes, and tongue ; live as much
as possible a retired life, and occupy yourselves with God and
the concerns of your soul. This is the way to make your fast
truly holy and salutary, and one that will merit the grace of God
and life everlasting. Amen.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

201

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.
Epistle. I. Thess. 4: 1-7. Brethren: We pray and beseech you
in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us, how you
ought to walk and to please God, so also you would walk, that
you may abound the more. For you know what precepts I have
given to you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your
sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication. That
every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sancti­
fication and honor, not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles
that know not God, and that no man overreach nor circumvent
his brother in business: because the Lord is the avenger of all
these things, as we have told you before, and have testified. Foi
God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification;
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
WHY WE MUST SHUN THE VICE OF IMPURITY,

What St. Paul had impressed upon the minds of the Thessa­
lonians orally he also inculcated upon them eloquently and em­
phatically in writing—namely, that they should regulate their
conduct according to the holy will of God, and strive to become
more and more perfect. For, as the Apostle adds, this is the. will
of God, your sanctification. God said to the Israelites : “Be ye
holy, because I the Lord your God am holy.”—Lev. 19: 2. And
what else did Jesus inculcate upon us by his word and example
but that we should continually strive for our sanctification ? “Be
you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.”
—Matt. 5: 48. This was the aim of all his instructions and ex­
hortations. We need not wonder that St. Paul and the other
Apostles exhort us to aim at the sanctification of our lives. But
nothing is more opposed to our sanctification than impurity, and
for this reason St. Paul, in the epistle of this day, warns us
against that vice and gives the reasons why we must shun it
What, then, are the reasons ?

202

Second Sunday

in

Lent.

The Apostle gives as the first reason for the shunning of
impurity, theavZZ of God. This is the will of God, your sanctifi­
cation; thafyou should'dbsfain from fornication.
i.

(a.) The ancient Pagans were so blinded that they considered
the basest offenses against purity no sin, nay, they represented
their gods to themselves as living in impurity and pleased with
obscenitv. This was the reason why they made the vice of im­
purity a part of their religious service, so that in their religous
meetings they allowed themselves the most abominable debauch­
eries, imagining that their gods were pleased with these things.
AVhat horrid blindness! The Christians of Thessalonica had been
but lately converted, and lived among Pagans, who yielded with­
out shame to carnal lusts. St. Paul therefore considered it
necessary to instruct them by letter, assuring them, as he had
already done orally, that the infinitely holy God is grievously
offended by everything unchaste, and that he requires us all to
live chastely. This is the ToilI of God, that you should abstain from
fornication.

{bi) This admonition deserves our most serious consideration.
There was hardly ever a time in the history of Christianity when
the vice of impurity was so prevalent as it is at present. All are
corrupted with this vice, young and old, rich and poor, in town
and country. Many no longer regard this abominable vice as
sinful; they excuse it as a human frailty, nay, they endeavor to
represent it as a natural necessity, which can be as little forbid­
den as eating or drinking. Poets and romancers so adorn this
shocking vice, and throw around it such a glow and glitte’-, while
cunningly concealing its disgusting nature, that the young and
incautious are led to look upon the blackest crimes against God’s
law, which are also crimes against the laws of human society, not
only without a shudder, but with a great measure of indulgence.
And what is said of poets and novelists may be averred even with
still more reason of most of our theatres. And young men and
maidens read such books and frequent theatres, and do so, not
with the connivance only, but with the full knowledge and ap­
proval of their parents ! How great, then, is the danger of corrup­
tion! Since every one by nature inclines to impurity, and
frequently is sorely tempted, how easy is it for one in the midst
of a blind and corrupt world to be infected. Therefore, never
forget the word of the Apostle- This is the will of God, that you
should abstain from fornication. Though you be tempted interi­
orly and exteriorly, think of God, in whose eyes every kind of
impurity is an abomination, and say within yourselves, with Jo­
seph of Egypt: “How then can I do this wicked thing, and sin
against my God?”—Gen. 39: 9.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

203

2. A second motive for the preservation of chastity is, that im­

purity desecrates the body of man and robs him of his honor and
good name. It is the will of God that every one of you should know
how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor} not in the
passion of lust.
(a.) The vessel of which the Apostle here speaks is our body ;
in it the soul is like a jewel in a casket. Our body is sacred,.for
like the^soul, it is created by God, redeemed by Christ, and
sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and is destined to rise again glori­
ous and immortal, and, united with the soul, to enjoy everlasting
felicity in heaven. Should we not keep this body in honor?
Who would dare to use his own body, or that of his neighbor,
for base things? Not only our soul, but also our body, is a temple
of God, as the Apostle says“Know you not that you (both
body and soul) are the temple of God, ancTthat the spiritjof God
dwelleth in you?”—I. Cor. 3: 16. If any one were to commit a
sin of impurity in a church where Jesus Christ is really present
in the Blessed Eucharist, what a sin it would be! Such a church
would be desecrated, and no mass could be said in it until it has
been purified. What an abominable sin, then, is impurity, by
which the body, this temple of God, is desecrated! Need we
wonder that the Apostle adds: “But if any one violate the temple
of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy,
which you are.”—I. Cor. 3 : 16. The Apostle goes still farther,
and says: “Know you not that your bodies are the members of
Christ?”—1. Cor. 6:15. The bodies of Christians are not some­
thing separated from Christ, they are most intimately united
with him by baptism, but more particularly by holy communion;
they are, as it were, flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. Can
we with anything but horror read what the Apostle writes:
“Shall I then, take the members of Christ and make them the
members of an harlot? God forbid.-’—I. Cor. 6: 15.
(h.) It is the vice of impurity that robs man of his honor and
good name. Though the world excuses this vice and tries to pass
it off as a harmless pleasure, it remains true that every man, even
the sinner, despises the impure in his heart. What do people
generally think of a lewd female ? what of the debauchee ? Every­
body despises them ; for we read : “Every woman that is a harlot,
shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.”—Ecclus. 9: 10. Amnon so despised Thamar, after she had yielded to his impure
love, that he commanded his servant “to put her out and shut
the door after her.”—IL Kings 13. Jehu commanded that Jezebel,
who to attract attention had painted her face and adorned herself,
should be thrown out of the window headlong.—IV. Kings 9.
No wonder the unchaste reap shame and mockery, since, when
they themselves think of their crimes, they blush and feel abashed.

204

Second Sunday

in

Lent.

3. And another reason why Christians should shun impurity is
that they know God and his holy law far better than the Gentiles. You
should not burn in the Passion of lust, like the Gentiles that know
not God. If the Gentiles yield themselves to impurity, they have
at least some excuse, because they are in ignorance as to the
baseness and culpability of this vice. But this is not the case
with us, for we know by the word of God that whatever violates
the chastity of our state of life is strictly forbidden. We know
that we sin grievously even in thoughts and desires against
chastity, if we entertain them voluntarily, take pleasure in them,
and consent to them. We know that unchaste glances, words,
touches, and actions, if they are voluntary, exclude us from
heaven and draw eternal damnation after them. “I say to you
that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath al­
ready committed adultery with her in his heart.”—Matt. 5 : 28.
“Fornication and all uncleanness, let it not so much as be named
among you, as becometh saints.”—Ephes. 5:3. "Now the works
of the flesh are manifest, which are, fornication, uncleanness, im­
modesty, luxury, . . . . theywho do such things shall not obtain the.kingdom of God.”—Gal. y. 19,21. We know the'precepts
and ordinances of our holy religion, which enjoin on us the duty
of leading a mortified life and of manfully renouncing everything
that entices to sin, especially to the sin of impurity ; we also be­
lieve that God, the infinitely pure and holy God, inclines with
special love to chaste souls, and that he calls them blessed.
What follows from this? Without doubt, that we are more strictly
bound to preserve chastity than were the Gentiles, and that if
we do not live chastely a worse lot awaits us than shall befall
them. The words of Jesus apply to us: “I say unto you, it shall
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, in the day of judgment,
than for you.”—Matt. 11: 22.

4. As the final motive for avoiding impurity the Apostle refers
to thepunishment that awaits the unchaste : The Lord is the avenger
of all these things, as we have told you before, and have testified.
God punishes the unchaste even here below. Examples: In
the days of Noe the deluge came upon the earth and drowned
the whole human race, with the exception of eight persons. Why?
Because of the vice of impurity, for we read: “All flesh had cor­
rupted its way upon the earth.”—Gen. 6:12. It was on account
of impurity that God rained fire and brimstone upon the inha­
bitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, so that all perished, excepting
Lot and his family. When the Israelites lived in Settim and
committed impurities with the Moabites, the Lord became angry,
and twenty-four thousand men were slain.—Num. 25: 9. “He
that joineth himself to harlots will be wicked. Rottenness and

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

205

worms shall inherit him, and he shall be lifted up for a greater
example; and his soul shall be taken away out of the number.”
—Ecclus. 19: 3. Do not history and experience attest the truth
of this divine sentence? A renowned physician (Tissot) says:
“No contagious sickness destroys so much the natural powers of
the body, debilitates youth, brings on so generaTa decay ~of the
mind, and shortens life, as illicit love.” “The adulterer.’7 says
St. Chrysostom, “though he be accused by no one, never ceases
interiorly to accuse himrelf. The lust lasts but a short time, but
the pain of remorse remains, with fear and trembling, suspicion
and anguish. He lives like Cain, trembling and moaning upon
earth; and though no one sees it, he carries fire in his heart.”
5. And in the other world eternal damnation awaits the un­
chaste, unless they do true penance. “Do not err ; neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate . . . . .
shall possess the kingdom of God.”—I. Cor. 6:9, 10. Whoremon­
gers . . . shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death.”—Apoc. 21:8. Who can
count all the unfortunate persons who will be condemned on ac­
count of impurity ? And how will those condemned souls rage
against themselves, how will they curse themselves and their
accomplices, when they consider that they have plunged them­
selves into eternal damnation on account of abominable and mo­
mentary pleasures, which even here on earth caused them so
much bitterness and woe.
PERORATION.

These are motives why we should avoid impurity. Consider
them well, and shun every shadow of sin against the holy virtue
of purity as you would persons infected with a plague. Take
advice, Catholic young people. You are greatly exposed tr ’he
dangers of impurity, you live in a world that is full of snares;
the vivacity of your age, your want of experience and prudence,
render it easy to the tempters to poison your heart and to rob
you of your innocence. Walk, therefore, cautiously on the slip­
pery ways of this life; have God before your eyes and pray that
you may not lose a treasure which an ocean of tears will not
enable you to recover. And you, Catholic parents, if you have
the temporal and spiritual welfare of your children at heart, and
wish to be able to stand before the judgment-seat of God, watch
over them and do all you can to protect them from ruin. Let us
all strive for purity and sanctity; never forget our Lord’s words:
“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.”—Mail.
5: 8. Amen.

200

Second Sunday in Lent.

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.
Gospel. Matt. 17: i-g. At that time: Jesus taketh unto him
Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up
into a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before
them. And his face did shine as the sun : and his garments be­
came white as snow. A I behold, there appeared to them Moses
and Elias talking with him. Then Peter answering, said to Jesus:
Lord, it is good for us to be here : if thou wilt, let us make here three
tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshad­
owed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him. And the
disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid.
And Jesus came and touched them, and said to them: Arise, and
fear not. And they, lifting up their eyes, saw no one, but only
Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged
them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of Man be
risen from the dead.

2. nOUlLETIC SKETCH.
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST.

Our Saviour upon one occasion said to his disciples: "Amen,
I say to you, there are some that stand here, that shall not taste
death till they see the Son of Man in his kingdom.”—Matt. 16:
28. Several holy Fathers of the Church, such as St. Jerome, St.
Chrysostom, and St. Ambrose, understand by this coming of Christ
in his kingdom his transfiguration on Mount Tabor, -which event
occurred six days afterwards. Many of them interpret these six
days as the six ages, each of which comprises a thousand years.
They are of opinion that the world will last six thousand
years, and that the last judgment, and the glorification of Jesus
in the sight of heaven and earth, will then follow. According to
this opinion, we are living now in the last age, and the last day
is not very far off; it will come in a little more than a hundred
years. Whether this will be really so or not, we cannot say
with certainty, as we have no particular revelation on the
subject; however, it is good for us to watch, because we know
not at what hour our Lord will come.—Matt. 24: 42.

2. Homiletic Sketch.

207

Let us to-day meditate on the transfiguration of Jesus, and
consider what occurred—

I Before the transfiguration ;
II. During the transfiguration;
III. After the transfiguration.
Part I.
What occurred before the transfiguration of Christ the gospel
tells us in a few words : Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James,
and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain
apart.

i. Jesus had twelve Apostles and seventy-two disciples, but of
all these he chose only three, viz., Peter, James, and John, and
brought them up into a high mountain.
(λ.) Why did not Christ take all his Apostles and disciples with
him, but only three ?
First, because Jesus wished his transfiguration to be kept
secret. He would not have attained his object so surely if he had
made all his Apostles and disciples witnesses of it. This ought
to be a lesson to us to keep the secrets which have been confided
to us, and not to be curious and inquisitive about things which we
need not know. He that cares not for things that do not con­
cern him, lives the most quiet life.

Secondly, because presence at the transfiguration was one of
the extraordinary graces which God, in his wisdom, is not ac­
customed to grant to all, but only to a chosen few. Such graces
are not necessary to every man for salvation ; for this reason God
imparts them only to a few, to whom, for certain reasons and on
account of particular circumstances, they are necessary or salu­
tary. From this the important lesson follows, that we must no·
be discontented or lose courage when God showers on others
his goods and graces more abundantly than on us; let us humble
ourselves before him and employ well the graces which we ret
ceive of his goodness; then we shall attain our salvation, as well
as the more favored souls.
(Æ.) Why did Christ take with him Peter, James, and John? Ac­
cording to the interpretation of the Fathers, he did this for two
reasons :

First, because these three Apostles particularly needed to be
Atrengthened in the faith; Peter, as the head of the Church and

2o8

Second Sunday in Lent.

vicar of Christ upon earth; James, as the first martyr among the
Apostles; John, who by his gospel was to defend the divinity of
Christ against the false teachers of the first and following cen­
turies. The faith of these Apostles was especially strengthened
at the transfiguration of Christ, because they beheld him in
heavenly glory, and heard Moses and Elias, and the heavenly
Father himself, giving testimony to him.

Secondly, as a reward for the virtues by which these Apostles
distinguished themselves : Peter, by his constancy and zeal ;
James, by his love of prayer and austerity of life; John, by his
virginal purity and by his intimate love for Jesus. Here we see the
paths by which we can come to God and obtain great graces—
namely, ist, by faith, which for the sake of Jesus and his holy
doctrine makes one ready for martyrdom and death; 2dly, by
mortification and prayer; and jdly, by chastity in one’s state of
life and by the love of Jesus.
2. Christ took the three Apostles, and brought them into a high
mountain apart. The Sacred Scripture does not mention what
mountain it was, but according to most of the interpreters it was
Thabor, a celebrated mountain in Galilee, two miles distant from
Nazareth. It is nine miles in circumference at the base and three
at the top, taking two hours to reach its summit. The ascent of
the mountain by Jesus and the three Apostles is instructive.

(a.) The mountain signifies first of all, Christian perfection, to
which every Christian is bound to aspire, according to the word
of Jesus: “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father
is perfect.”—Matt. 5: 48. It is a duty for us to become daily
more perfect; that is, to avoid our faults more and more, and to
make progress in virtue. How do matters stand with us? Do we
aspire to perfection? Ah! how many are there among us who, in­
stead of going forward, go backward, and who must acknow­
ledge that five or ten years ago they were better than they are
now?

(Æ.) The mountain also signifies heaven, to which we are all
called. Christ wishes to have us all with him in heaven, there­
fore he says himself: “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I
shall go, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will
take you to myself, that where I am you also may be.”—John
14: 2, 3. Oh, what joy, what consolation for us, that we can say:
I am called to heaven I Let us never lose sight of our vocation.
(i.) As every high mountain, so also Thabor is difficult to climb;
it needs great exertion to reach the summit. It also involves

209

2. Homiletic Sketch.

labor to arrive at Christian perfection and heaven. Christ him­
self says: "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent bear it away.”—Matt. 11: 12. And why? First, because
by nature we are inclined to sin, and oar inborn concupiscence
makes the exercise of every virtue difficult; secondly, because
the world by its scandals, illusions, and persecutions endeavors
to deter us from the service of God; and thirdly, because the
devil everywhere lays snares to draw us into sin. But all this
must not discourage us, for "we can do all things in him who
strengtheneth us.”—Phil. 4: 13.

Part IL
At the transfiguration of Jesus upon Mount Thabor, we must
consider—

i. The change of the form of Jesus. The gospel says: He was
transfigured before them ; and his face did shine as the sun, and
his garments became white as snow. This transfiguration was an
effect of the gift of lucidity, which like the other gifts of a glori­
fied body, was proper to the body of Christ and to his soul united
to his divinity from the first moment of his Incarnation. In order
to be able to converse with men and to instruct them, as well as
to suffer and die for them, he concealed under the veil of his
pure humanity the transcendent lucidity upon which now, for
the first time, the Apostles gazed in ecstasy and awe. Here upon
Mount Thabor he interrupted this miracle of his veiled divine
nature, so that his transfiguration must not be looked upon as a
miracle, but rather as the cessation or interruption of a continual
thirty-three years’ miracle. To what an extent does Jesus mani­
fest his humility and love by the institution of the Most Holy
Sacrament of the Altar, in which he hides both his divinity and
humanity, and appears under the species of bread !
2. The apparition of Moses and Elias. And behold, there appeared
unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. These two most
renowned men of the Old Testament, the lawgiver Moses and
the Prophet Elias, appeared, to testify that Jesus Christ was he
who, in the Law and the writings of the prophets, had been
foretold and promised as the Redeemer of the world, and that
the Law and the prophecies, through him, had come to an end
and ceased, being replaced by the New Law with its promises
and graces. These two saints distinguished themselves by their
zeal for God and his holy law; for this reason Jesus wished to
honor them especially, and to make them witnesses of his trans­
figuration. Let us also be zealous for the law of God, and profl ote his honor by word and example. As St. Luke remarks,

Π

14

no

Second Sunday

γν

Leni.

Moses and Elias spoke of his decease which was to take place
in Jerusalem (9: 31). The Apostles were to learn by this, that his
passion and death were not accidental, but willed by God—
something- which he had already foretold to men in the Old Law;
that consequently, when the time for his passion and death
should really come they must not waver in their faith, but be
confirmed in it. The circumstance that Moses and Elias spoke of
his passion and death in the midst of the joys of his transfiguration
may serve as a salutary lesson for us, that in the tribulations of
life we should preserve a cheerful countenance, mindful of the
words of the Apostles, “that the sufferings of this time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be re­
vealed in us.”—Rom. 8:18:
3. The rapture of Peter :—Lord, it is goodfor us to be here; if thou
wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for
Aloses, and one for Elias.
(a.) At the sight of the transfigured Saviour, Peter becomes
entirely beside himself; he is so enraptured that he scarcely
knows what he says; he forgets his vocation and every earthly
thing; his only wish and desire is to remain upon the mountain,
and to enjoy the felicity of the vision of the transfigured Re­
deemer. If the sight of the transfigured humanity of Christ makes
Peter so beside himself and intoxicates him with delight, what will
be the effect of the vision of God and of the full enjoyment of
the eternal celestial joys? We should frequently—nay, daily—
call to mind this unspeakable beatitude which awaits us in
heaven ; for this remembrance will urge us to to practice virtue,
and to bear all sufferings patiently. Example: The Machabean
brothers and their mother.—II. Mach 7. “For that which is at
present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us
above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory.—II. Cor.
4: 17.

(b.) Peter wished to build three tabernacles, and always to re­
main upon the mountain. For this he would deserve rebuke, if
the circumstance that he was beside himself did not excuse him.
How much more do we deserve rebuke when we wish only for
enjoyment, and endeavor to keep everything arduous away from
us as much as possible, even to the violation of our duties, and
nevertheless expect to earn heaven ! But that will never do. He
who wishes to rejoice with Christ in heaven, must carry the
cross with him upon earth. “If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”—Matt.
16: 24. Let us not regard this world as a lasting city, a restingplace, but as a place of warfare, a workshop, in which we must
work, fight, and suffer, if we wish to enter into eternal rest

a. Homiletic Sketch.

>11

4. The voice out of the cloud. Whilst Peter was beside himself
with joy and wished to remain upon the mountain, a cloud
overshadowed Jesus, Moses, and Elias, so that Peter and the
other Apostles could see nothing more of the apparition, but
they heard a voice out of the cloud saying: This is my beloved
Son, in whom lam well pleased; hear ye him.

(a.) God, the heavenly Father himself, declares that Jesus
is his Son, of the same essence, begotten by him from eter­
nity, like him all-wise and omnipotent; in fine, true God. Hold
firm to this fundamental truth of our holy faith, in opposition to
so many unbelievers and free-thinkers, who absolutely deny the
divinity of Jesus, and only regard him as the wise man of Na­
zareth.
(<5.) God the Father in heaven enjoins it on us as a duty to hear
Jesus, that is, to believe what he teaches and to do what he com­
mands. But we hear Christ when we hear the Holy Catholic
Church, for Christ speaks through the mouth of the Church; what
she teaches, is the infallible word of God, therefore he says:
“He that heareth you, heareth me.”—Luke 10: 16. How many
Christians are there now-a-days who do not hear Christ and his
Church, who neither believe nor do what the Church teaches or
prescribes ! But, “If he will not hear the Church, let him be to
thee as the heathen and publican.”—Matt. 18: 17.
5. Thefear of the Afosties.— The disciples hearing, fell upon their
face, and were very much afraid. The Apostles, on account of the
wonderful apparition, and especially on account of the voice of
God, which they heard out of the cloud, were seized with so
great a fear that they fell upon their face. If the gentle voice
of God caused the Apostles to be in such a state of terror,
what dismay will overwhelm the reprobate when, on the general
judgment day, they hear from the divine Judge the sentence of
their condemnation ? “Three things I fear,” the Abbot Elias used
to say, “the first, when my soul shall depart from my body; the
second, when I must appear before God, my Judge; and the
third, when my sentence shall be passed upon me.” Let us fre­
quently think well on these three things, and live in such a manner
that when they come, they may be to us, not an object of terror,
but of consolation and hope.

Part HI.
After the transfiguration we have yet to consider—

1. The calming of the Apostles.—Jesus came and touched them,
and said to them: Arise, and fear not. The Apostles were seized

113

Second Sunday in Lent.

with great terror on account of the heavenly apparition and the
voice they had heard; Jesus approached, touched, and calmed
lhem If, on account of impending sufferings, or evils that happen,
fear comes upon us, it is but natural ; but if Jesus comes to us with
his grace, we have no reason to fear. If, therefore, our avocation
or station in life enjoins on us something arduous as a duty, let
us not be afraid, for in this case Jesus is with us. With his as­
sistance we shall safely and prosperously accomplish that which
seems to surpass our strength, if we only labour with humility
and confidence. Neither must we be afraid when we have to
withstand long and violent temptations; let us put our trust in
Christ, and fight with courage and perseverance, and the victory
will be ours. “If armies in camp should stand together against
me, my heart shall not fear.”—Ps. 26: 3.

2. The circumstance of Christ being alone.—And they, lifting up
their eyes, saw no one, but only Jesus. The voice from heaven,
the bright cloud, Moses and Elias, the shining face of Christ, and
the splendor of his garments—all had disappeared; our dear
Lord in his usual form alone remained. Learn from this, that in
good and evil days, in gladness and in sadness, you must turn
your eyes to Jesus alone. If you are made partakers of some
benefit, even a spiritual one, if everything go well with you, if
you enjoy interior consolations, consider none of this as your last
end; turn your gaze on Christ alone, cling to him and love him
with your whole heart. If tribulation befall you, if the whole
world turn its back upon you, if even Moses and Elias, your
friends, depart from you—still, if you have Jesus, you have enough
and more than enough, for Christ is a superabundant compen­
sation for every loss.

3. The charge of Christ to keep the apparition secret.—And as
they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying:
Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of Man be risen from the
dead.
In giving this charge to the Apostles Christ directly and
plainly intimated that they should not glory in thegrace of
which they were made partakers. Graces received are best pre­
served when we are humbly silent regarding them. He who
without necessity reveals them and boasts of them, betrays pride;
but God withdraws his grace from the proud. It is also very wrong
for us to glory in what is not our own ; but we have nothing
that is good, for from ourselves we have nothing but misery
and sin. And if we possessed the merits of a St. Paul, we should
be obliged to confess with him: “ By the grace of God I am what
lam.”—I. Cor. 15: 10. Let us be humble, and employ the graces

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

213

which God imparts to us for our sanctification, that we may be
able to say with the Apostle : “And his grace in me hath not
been void.”—I. Cor. 15:10.
PERORATION.

In conclusion, I would exhort you to make that ineffable felicity
which the saints in heaven enjoy, the frequent subject of you/
meditation. If the world entice you to sensual and sinful joys,
reflect how foolish you would be on account of contemptible
and fleeting joys risk the everlasting glories of heaven. If
you are obliged to endure tribulations, comfort yourselves with
the thought that heaven is worth suffering something for. Keep
a good conscience, be fervent in prayer, persevere in virtue, and
follow Christ courageously and constantly on the way of the
cross, that you tl ay also follow him into the kingdom of his glory.

Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.

Jesus was transfigured before thein.—Matt. 17: 2.
Our Blessed Lord with three of his disciples ascends a high
mountain, and is transfigured before them. His face shines as the
sun, and his garments become white as snow. Peter, beside him­
self in ecstasy, can only exclaim : Lord, it is good for us to be here.
If this Apostle, who beheld only a few rays of the heavenly light
streaming from Jesus, falls into an ecstasy, what felicity must it be
to behold the glory of God in its fulness and to possess eternally
him who is the author of all that is beautiful and good ! Truly,
this felicity will be unfathomable, therefore St. Paul says :
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into
the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that
love him.”—I. Cor. 2 : a.
That we may be made partakers of this unspeakable happiness,
a transfiguration, in a spiritual sense, must take place in us ; our
soul must be cleansed from all stains of sin and be adorned with

««4

Second Sunday

in

Lent.

sanctifying- grace, so that she may become beautiful and glorious
before God and that God may take pleasure in her. This trans­
figuration of our soul is accomplished especially in the holy
Sacrament of Penance, which all should receive at Easter, ac­
cording to the precept of the Church. Of the requirements for a
worthy reception of this Sacrament I shall speak to you to-day
and on the following Sundays of Lent. To-day I intend to treat
of the examination of conscience, and to answer the following
three questions :

L How must we begin the examination of conscience?
II In what manner should we examine our conscience ?
Ill Against what faults must we guard in the examination of
conscience ?
Part L
We must begin the examination of conscience by imploring
the assistance of the Holy Ghost, that he may give us the grace
rightly to know, to repent of, and to confess our sins. The as­
sistance of the Holy Ghost is necessary—
i. That we may rightly know our sins. If light is wanting to ut,
our eyes are of little use, we see nothing with them ; only when
the light of the sun or some other light shines upon them, can the
objects around us become visible. The same is the case with the
understanding ; we can see our sins as they are only when a super­
natural light is cast upon them. This light proceeds from the Holy
Ghost. He must enlighten our interior, before we can see what
is amiss and sinful in us, before we can see it at least in such a
way as to be able to make a thoroughly good confession.
2. That we may truly and sufernaturally repent of our sins, and
make a firm purpose not to sin any more. With our natural facul­
ties we are incapable of doing or thinking anything meritorious
for eternal life; we therefore can neither be sorry for our sins in
a supernatural manner nor make a good resolution of amendment
based upon supernatural motives. Only the Holy Ghost can
enable us to do this, who, according to the Prophet Ezechiel
(36: 26), can “take away the stony heart out of your flesh and
will give you a heart of flesh
only he can move us to true
repentance, and give us courage and strength to make a fir • t
resolution not to offend our God any more.

3. That we may sincerely confess our sins. We must sincerely
confess all our sins, be they ever so base and shameful. This de­
mands humiliation and self-denial which surpass the powers of

3. Dogmatical Sketch,

215

human nature unaided. If the Holy Ghost did not govern our
tongues and thoughts, and encourage us to a sincere avowal of
our sins, we should conceal the very things that should not be
concealed, and leave the confessional greater sinners than when
we entered it.
4. That we may be excited to a true spirit of penance. We must
have the earnest will to make satisfaction to the divine justice
for our sins. For this end we must repent again and again of our
sins as long as we live, humble ourselves before God, perform
various penitential works, and in particular accept with patience
all the tribulations of life. For this also we need the grace of
the Holy Ghost, “for it is God who worketh in us both to will
and to accomplish.”—Phil. 2: 13.

From all this you must perceive that the imploring of the Holy
Ghost is not a thing of indifference when preparing for confes­
sion, but a matter of the very highest importance, nay, a neces­
sity. He who omits it from levity, exposes himself to the danger
of making a bad confession. Although the Holy Ghost gives us
the first grace without our cooperation, he will not give us the
further graces which are necessary for the worthy reception of
the Sacrament of Penance, unless we petition for them; there­
fore Christ himself says : “Your Father who is in heaven will give
good things to them that ask him.”—Matt. 7:11. Always begin
the important business of confession with devout prayer, and im­
plore the assistance of the Holy Ghost in the following manner:
“Come, O Holy Ghost, enlighten my understanding, that I may
rightly know my sins; and move my heart that I may sincerely
repent of them, faithfully confess them, and truly amend my life.”
Part Π.

I. In what manner should we examine our conscience? We
should call to mind—

(«.) When it was that we last made a good confession, and whether
we performed the penance then given us. We must always mention
when we made our last confession, as the confessor can then
form an approximatively correct judgment of the state of the
soul of the sinner.
(Æ.) But we must examine ourselves particularly as to when
we last made a good confession, and how, in general, matters
stand with our past confessions. If we have good reason to fear
that any of them were bad ones, that is the first thing to be at­
tended to. Should we neglect doing so, our present confession

216

Second Sunday in Lent.

would also be a bad one. Many confess invalidly because they
do not examine themselves as to their former confessions, and
do not care whether they were valid or not. All those who have
never made a general confession, or who always relapse into
their former sins and live carelessly, I would implore to ask
themselves at their Easter confession. How is it with my past
confessions? Was true contrition and a firm purpose of amendment wanting to me in any of those confessions? Did I not con­
ceal something that I should have confessed ? Did I perform the
penance given me by the priest?

2. We should examine ourselves in regard to the commandments
of God, the precepts of the Church, and the obligations of our state
of life, and carefully ascertain in what way and how often we have
offended God in thought, word, deed, and omission ; also in regard
to the number and circumstances of all mortal sins.

(a.) We can sin in thought, if we voluntarily and with pleasure
represent to ourselves something bad and do not banish the
thought, although we know that it is sinful.
(£.) In desire, if we not only take pleasure in bad thoughts, but
have a desire for the act itself, namely, to see, hear, possess, or
do what is bad. These bad thoughts and desires are mortal sins,
if they concern anything that is grievously sinful and if we have
fully consented to them. This examination of ourselves with re­
gard to sins of thought and desire is very important, for on it
frequently hinges the validity of our confession.

(r.) In word, when we use bad or immodest language. The
sins of the tongue are without number and frequently mortal;
therefore we must carefully examine ourselves with regard to
them, especially obscene words, curses, imprecations, blasphe­
mies, calumnies, slander, and detraction.

(if.) In deed, if we really do something bad; and by omission,
if we omit the good which we could aud should do.

3. That we may the better remember the sins which we have
committed—

(a.) We should go through the commandments and the precepts of
the Church. At each of these commandments represent to your­
selves what they command or forbid; examine yourselves and
see if you have not sinned against them.

(5.) Through the obligations of our state of life. Parents, children,
husbands and wives, single persons, superiors and inferiors, met-

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

217

chants, lawyers, physicians, the rich and the poor, etc., have
particular duties. On a conscientious performance of them de­
pends their salvation ; therefore it is necessary that all examine
themselves carefully in regard to them.

(c) Through the other different kinds of sin. These are the seven
deadly sins, the six sins against the Holy Ghost, the four sins
crying to heaven for vengeance, and the nine ways of being ac­
cessory to another person’s sins.

Part ILL
In the examination of conscience we must guard against the
following faults :

1. We must not examine ourselves too hastily and superficially.
The Council of Trent (sess. 14, chapt. 4) expressly requires a dili­
gent searching of every nook and corner of the conscience. In
order to examine the conscience properly, we must employ the
necessary time and diligence, for the examination of the con­
science is an important matter, because on it depends the com­
pleteness, and, consequently, the validity of the confession. You
must, therefore, employ as much diligence in this as in other
important affairs. As to how much time we ought to employ in
the examination of conscience, no general rule can be given. The
more carelessly we have lived, and the longer we have stayed
away from confession, the more time and diligence we ought to
employ in examining ourselves.
2. We must not conceal our favorite sins from ourselves. All
have faults to which they are particularly inclined, and therefore
they frequently commit them. Now, if such persons examine their
conscience, their favorite sin occurs to their mind, but their selflove endeavors to palliate or excuse it in every possible way.
Nay, self-love goes so far as to strip such favorite sins of their
evil nature; and to represent them as praiseworthy actions. Thus
it calls pride and ambition, self-respect; avarice, prudent econo­
my, unchaste love, friendship. This self-love frequently so de­
ceives men that they either do not accuse themselves at all of
the sin to which they are most addicted, or if they do, they con­
fess it without sorrow. In spite of the sermons they hear, in spite
of all the confessor may say, they will not bring themselves to
think it serious. Long habit, coupled with the machinations of
Satan, has brought upon them a perversity of the mind, so that
they can not see themselves in regard to that particular sin as
the angels and even their fellow-men see them. Such persons are
in desperate need of the light of the Holy Ghost. They are in

218

Second Sunday in Lent.

imminent danger of making bad confessions. You must, there*
fore, be on your guard, and in the examination of your conscience
not permit yourselves to be controlled by self-love, or the spirit
of the world, and you must not take everything to be trifling
that the world considers as such, but place yourselves in spirit
before the tribunal of God.

3. We must avoid becoming too scrupulous. The Council of
Trent says
14, ch. 5): “It is impious to say that confession
is impossible, or to consider it as an institution of torture. For
it is known that the Church requires nothing of penitents but
that, having examined themselves carefully, and searched all the
nooks and corners of their conscience, they confess all the griev­
ous sins they recollect; the other sins which, in spite of the
examination, they do not remember, are considered as included
In the confession. Hence they should say with the prophet, “from
my secret sins cleanse me.”—Fs. 18: 13. He, therefore, who exa­
mines his conscience candidly and as well as he can before every
confession, has no reason to be scrupulous. Even if it should
happen that he does not recollect some grievous sin, it is con­
sidered as included in the confession, and is remitted with the
sins confessed. If he remembers it afterwards he has only to
confess this particular sin, without repeating the whole con­
fession.
PERORATION.

These are the rules to be observed in the examination of con­
science before confession. You will facilitate this important
business if you examine your conscience daily and do not delay
confession too long. Follow these two rules, and you will
always receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily.

4· Liturgical Sketch.

21Q

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE INSTITUTION OF THE FORTY DAYS’ FAST.

Lord, it is good for us to be here.—Matt. 17:4.
Peter sees only a weak ray of the divine majesty, and he is in
g, transport of joy and can only exclaim: Lord, it is goodfor us
to be here. Oh ! how glorious and beautiful must it be in heaven,
where our glorified brethren dwell in close proximity to God
and behold him face to face ! I do not doubt that all of you have
the most ardent desire for the blessed vision of God and the un­
speakable joys connected with that vision. But that you may
obtain that blessed end you must follow Jesus. And, as his
whole life was a pure self-denial, mortification and continual
carrying of the cross, nothing remains for us but to mortify our
flesh with its concupiscences, and to walk in the way of the cross.
We must practice these holy exercises during Lent, because it
is a time of penance. I shall speak to-day of this holy time, and
answer the following two questions:

1. Why did the Church institute the forty days' fast?
IL Why does she celebrate this time immediately before Easter?
Part L
The Church instituted the forty days’ fast, which St. Chry­
sostom and Pope Leo the Great declared to be an apostolic or­
dinance, for two reasons—

i. Because the most renowned saints of the Old Law, and fesus
Christ himself, fasted forty days.
(îz.) As we read in the book of Exodus (Ex. 24: 18), Moses
went up into a mountain, and he was there “forty days and
nights, neither eating bread, nor drinking water.”—Deut. 9: 9.
He observed a strict fast. That God was pleased with the fast
of Moses we can not for a moment doubt, for he favored him with
his most intimate conversation, and gave him the two tables of
stone on which he had written his holy commandments with his
own hands. God also transfigured him, in some measure, in his

220

Second Sunday

in

Lent.

mortal body, for rays emanated from his head, and his face shone
as the sun, so that he was obliged to put a veil on his face when
he spoke to the Israelites, because they could not endure his
splendor.
(3.) Elias kept a forty days’ fast on his way to Mount Horeb.
God was also pleased with his fast; for he favored him with a
wonderful apparition, and took him to himself, not by death, but
living, in a fiery chariot. Jesus distinguished both these saints,
Moses and Elias, by making them witnesses of his transfiguration
upon Mount Thabor.
St. Chrysostom points to these two great men of the Old Law,
when he exhorts us to observe conscientiously the forty days’
fast. When the great Moses had fasted forty days, he was worthy
to receive the tables of the law, and, when coming down from
the mountain and beholding the wickedness of the people, he
broke them, he was again obliged to fast forty days, in order to
receive the tables anew from above. An equally long fast was
kept by Elias, who, taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot, never
saw death.

(<;.) Jesus likewise fasted in the desert forty days and forty
nights before he began his public career. St. Chrysostom re­
marks: “Our Lord Jesus Christ himself fasted forty days and
forty nights, before he entered into combat with the devil, and
thus gave us all an example, that by it we should arm our­
selves and gain strength for the combat with the enemy.” Christ
fasted, not for his sake, but for ours, to repair the sin of our pro­
genitors, which, by our descent from them, became also our sin,
and to redeem them and us from the consequences of this sin. It
is therefore but just that we should deprive ourselves of some
food and drink, and observe the forty days’ fast according to
the ordinance of the Church. Therefore St. Ambrose says: “If
you wish to be a Christian, you must do what Christ did. He,
who was without sin, fasted forty days; and you, who sin, will
not fast forty days. He, I say, had no sin, and fasted for our
sins. What kind of Christians are you, according to the testi­
mony of your own conscience, if, during the time that Christ
hungered for you, you satiate yourselves more than once a day?”
2. To remind us of the duty ofacknowledging God as our Supreme
Lord and benefactor, and ofgiving the tithe due to him. St. Gregory
the Great says: “The forty days’ fast should be scrupulously
kept, and the fast should not be broken at all, with the exception
of the Sundays, for these days are the tenth part of the year.
For, counting from the first Sunday of Lent till Easter, we have

im*-·

4. Liturgical Sketch.

121

six weeks, which comprise forty-two days; if we deduct from
them the six Sundays, which are not days of fasting, there re­
main thirty-six fasting days. Since the year comprises three
hundred ang sixty-five days, and we fast thirty-six days, we give
to God, as it were, the tenth part. But, that the holy number of
forty days may be completed, which our Lord consecrated by his
fasting, four days of the preceding week, namely, Ash Wednes­
day, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, are added.”
It is but just that the proprietor receive rent from the tenant.
God is the proprietor of the universe. He owns us. We belong,
with all that we have, to him. He demands what is due to him
out of his property. Shall we unjustly withhold it? He demands
neither our money nor our goods—with these we are to assist
his poor—but a contrite heart. “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted
spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not de­
spise.”—A. 50: 19. This is the tithe which we owe to God; we
must strictly keep the forty days’ fast, mortify ourselves interi­
orly and exteriorly, and bring forth fruits worthy of penance.

Part Π.
There are three reasons why the Church has ordained the
celebration of the forty days’ fast immediately before Easter:

To guard us against the dangers to the soul which the spring­
time brings with it. Easter, as we know, always occurs in the
spring. Beautiful as this time is, it is generally more dangerous
than any other season of the year. As the whole of nature
awakens in spring, and drives the sap from the roots to the ex­
tremities of the boughs and branches, and makes everything
bud throughout the vegetable kingdom, so in that microcosm or
miniature world—man—everything revives, and consequently
motions arise which frequently cause violent temptations. Man,
too, comes forth from the ice-bound solitude in which winter held
him captive, and takes part in various amusements and enter­
tainments which are got up at this season. How easily may the
springtime be to him an occasion of various sins, especially sins
against holy purity!
What does the Church do to protect us from the dangers of
spring? She makes the forty days’ fast precede this time, and
thereby gives an excellent means for preserving us from sin. If
feasting is oil for the fire of concupiscence, fasting is the water
that extinguishes its blazing flame. By the exercises of morti­
fication the lusts of the flesh are not only weakened and kept
down, but the spirit is enabled to overcome sensuality and the
flesh, and to labor more earnestly to secure the one thing neces­
sary—the salvation of the soul.
I.

222

Second Sunday in Lent.

2. To call to our mind the mystery of the bitter passion and death
of our Saviour. Shortly before Easter, on Good Friday, Jesus
died on the cross for us. The entire forty days’ fast is dedicated
to this great mystery of divine love. Therefore during that time
various devotions in honor of the passion and death of Jesus
take place, such as the stations of the cross, the rosary, and ser­
mons on the passion. Is it not quite natural, that whilst we are
commemorating the passion and death of our Lord, we should
fast and pray, renounce worldly joys and pleasures, and practice
penitential works ? Suppose a father of a family is dying. How
will the children behave ? Will they be merry, and enjoy them­
selves as at any other time? AVill they have a good time whilst
their father is groaning on his bed of pain, perhaps in the ago­
nies of death? Certainly not, unless the last spark of filial love
and gratitude be extinguished in their hearts. Who is nearer to
us, our father or Jesus? Who loves us more, our father or Jesus?
Who confers on us greater gifts, our father or Jesus? And ought
we to live a life of frivolity and give way to the desires of the
flesh during the time of Lent, when Jesus is suffering and dying
for us ?

3. To prepare ourselvesfor the toorthy reception of the holy Sacra­
ments of Penance and the Blessed Eucharist. At Easter, or there­
abouts, every Catholic is bound to receive communion ; and in
order to receive this Sacrament worthily he must go to confes­
sion. They who do not comply with this precept of the Church,
commit a mortal sin, and expose themselves to the danger of
being deprived of Christian burial. It is evident that both these
sacraments must be received worthily. Now, the question is,
who are they who will make a good confession and communion?
Perhaps those who up to the day of confession live in frivolity
and forgetfulness of God, and do not give the least sign of re­
pentance? Assuredly not; with good reason it is to be feared
that such persons will receive the sacraments unworthily for
want of contrition and a firm purpose of amendment. Those who
are in earnest exhibit penitential sentiments before receiving
the sacraments, practicing works of mortification, devotion, and
mercy, in order to render themselves worthy of the forgiveness
of sin. Now, as the Church ardently wishes us to confess and
communicate at Easter or thereabouts, she makes the forty days’
fast precede Easter, and prescribes various exercises of penance,
which enable us to receive worthily the holy sacraments.
PERORATION.

Let us, then, to-day earnestly resolve to spend the forty days’
fast in a spirit of penance, according to the example of all who

5. Symbolical Sketch.

223

are solicitous for their salvation. The aim and object of the fast
is simply to arouse us to the necessity of changing our lives for
the better, and awakening in us this penitential spirit. Followadvice which St. Ambrose gave the believers of his time: “Be­
hold, beloved brethren, the holy days and the acceptable time
have come again, of which it is written: ‘Behold, now is the accept
able time, now is the day of salvation.’ Therefore you must be
fervent in watching, fasting, giving alms, and praying. These days
are ordained that the sins of the whole year may be blotted out
in the forty days by penance. Believe it, and believe it firmly ; if,
in these days, you make a sincere confession and do penance, like
the Ninevites, you will obtain the forgiveness of all your sins;
and if, following their example, you call upon the Lord with your
whole heart, you will draw down upon yourselves the divine
mercy ; and thus you will joyfully and securely celebrate the day
of the Resurrection of the Lord, and after this life happily enter
into the heavenly country.” Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
SPIRITUAL TRANSFIGURATION.

He was transfigueed before them.—Matt. it. 2.

The gospel of this day exhibits to us our divine Saviour trans*
figured. His face shines as the sun, his garments are white as
snow ; Moses and Elias, those renowned saints of the Old Law,
appear and give testimony that he is the Messias and the pro­
mised Redeemer. And God, the heavenly Father, announces with
a loud voice from heaven that Jesus is his well-beloved Son, in
whom he is well pleased. Peter, in a transport of joy on account
of what he sees and hears, is beside himself, and cries out, Lord,
it is good for us to be here.
Why does the Church single out a gospel, the contents of which
are so joyous, for this Sunday in Lent ? The better to exhort us
to penance, by pointing to the fruit of penance, which consists
in our eternal glorification in heaven. The history of the trans­
figuration of Jesus shall be to us a fignre of our spiritual trans­
figuration, which is to take place during this holy time. We shall

i>4

Second Sunday in Lent

meditate on this to-day. To attain our spiritual transfiguration,
it is necessary—

I. That we go apart and ascend a high mountain ;
IL That we take three companions with us;
III. That we change our character.
Part L
The gospel says that Jesus took unto him three of his disciples,
and brought them up into a high mountain.
To become spiritually transfigured it is necessary—

1. That we go apart. As long as a man finds pleasure in the
world, participates in its frivolities, does not avoid the proximate
occasions of sin, true repentance and conversion are out of the
question. Hence, we see that all true penitents retired from the
world as much as possible. Examples: Peter, who, leaving
those in whose presence he had denied his divine Master, went
out, and wept bitterly. Paul, who locked himself in for three
days and fasted and prayed. Matthew, who at once left his oc­
cupation and followed Jesus. Therefore we read in the “Follow­
ing of Christ;” “He who wishes to arrive at an interior and spiri­
tual life must with Jesus go away from the crowd, for, as a fish
soon dies out of the water, so he who spends no time in solitude,
is soon distracted and defiled.”
Live, therefore, during Lent as retired as is compatible with
your state of life, and avoid company and entertainments, parti­
cularly places and persons that heretofore have been an occa­
sion of scandal to you. If it costs you some self-denial, think of
Jesus, who for the love of us spent forty days in the desert.

2. That we ascend a mountain. Not in this world must we seek
the heavenly and spiritual transfiguration of our soul, but
above, in the heavenly regions ; and all who wish to see God
must not content themselves with a powerless wish, but must,
with an active love for heavenly things, always strive for
the things above. He who is truly converted longs for those
things. It is true, he lives in the world, but not with the world;
he has no inordinate love for it ; he enjoys pleasure sometimes,
but only a lawful and becoming one; he possesses land and
money, but he sets not his heart and affections upon them ; in a
word, he says with the Apostle : “The time is short; it remaineth
that they also who have wives, be as if they had none ; and they
that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if
they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed

—

5- Symbolical Sketch.

325

not; And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the
fashion of this world passeth away.”—I. Cor. 7: 29-31.
3. That we ascend a high mountain. The higher a mountain, the
more difficult it is to ascend it. Penance is a high, rugged moun­
tain; it involves labor and demands sacrifices. It is always ardu­
ous to renounce sin, to which we are inclined by nature, because
the devil and the world throw every kind of obstacle in the way
of conversion. Not a few sinners are obliged to root up old,
deeply-seated, inveterate habits, and what is more difficult than
this ? “If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard his
spots, you also may do well when you have learned evil.”—
Jerem. 13 : 23. “Habitual sin,” says St. Jerome, “fetters the spirit,
and it can no longer rise to do what is right. It tries, and fails,
for when it voluntarily perseveres, it involuntarily yields to
compulsion.” St. Anselm once saw a child who for the sake of
amusement had fastened a thread to a bird’s foot. The bird
flew into the air, but was always drawn back by the child. The
Saint looked on with a sad countenance, compassionating the
poor bird. Finally the thread broke and the bird flew off. The
child commenced to cry, but the Saint laughed, and was rejoiced.
His companions wondered at the behavior of the holy bishop, but
he said to them: “Did you see the boy playing with the bird?
Know that the devil plays with many people in the same way, for
when he has once tied them with his ropes, he usually draws them
at his pleasure from one sin to another.” Many who are ad­
dicted to impurity, injustice, drunkenness, and cursing, know
their unhappy state, and frequently sigh and moan, saying : “Oh,
that I were once again free from this wretched habit.” They
sometimes make an attempt, like the bird, to fly into the air and
earnestly to amend their lives, but what does it profit them?
They are bound. The devil draws them back to their former
sins, and they are not freed until the grace of God overcomes the
bad habit. Let every sinner, especially the habitual sinner, ask
himself if it is not so. To do penance is indeed to ascend a high,
precipitous mountain. Let every sinner consider that if he does
not ascend this high mountain, he must descend into the preci­
pice of hell. Either ascend or descend, either go up or down.
Part Π.
Jesus took with him three companions, Peter, James, and John.
We also need these three companions in order to ascend the
mountain of the spiritual transfiguration, or penance. What do
the three Apostles symbolize? Peter, the rock upon which the

Π

15

22b

Second Sunday

in

Lent.

Church is built, signifies faith ; James, who was the first among
the Apostles that obtained the crown of martyrdom, hope\ and
John, whom the Lord loved, charity. Our companions must be—

i. Faith. Laith is necessary for true repentance and reconcili­
ation with God, because without it we are entirely separated
from God, and by means of it we first approach him; wherefore
the Apostle says: “Without faith it is impossible to please God,
for he that cometh to God must believe.—Heb. 11: 6. It is faith
that convinces us of the necessity of penance and offers us the
strongest motives for penance. It tells us: “Unless you shall do
penance, you shall all likewise perish.”—Luke 13 : 3. “Be peni­
tent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out.”—Acts 3 :19. It directs us to God, who, in his infinite mercy,
is ready to forgive even the greatest sinner who does penance;
but he condemns without mercy all the impenitent. It proposes
the highest motives to us ; to the good, an eternity of joys, which
it represents as a marriage-feast, a kingdom, a heaven, a para­
dise, where delights and joys shall be without end in the sight
and enjoyment of God ; and an eternity of torments for the
wicked, which it represents as a gehenna of fire, a place of dark­
ness, of weeping and gnashing of teeth. But because many
sinners have lost their faith, or are weak in it, and do not take
to heart its truths, only a few of them truly repent and do pen­
ance. Oh, that faith may again become living in the hearts of all,
to prepare for them the path of penance I

2. Hope. Represent to yourselves a sinner who has lost all
hope of obtaining forgiveness of his sins; can he be converted
while in that state? No. And why not? Because he considers
conversion useless. He will say within himself: “Why should I
trouble myself to do penance, since I cannot hope for forgiveness
from God?” Such an unfortunate sinner will remain impenitent;
he may, perhaps, to escape remorse of conscience, take his own
life, like Judas and deliver himself up to eternal damnation be­
fore his time. How necessary, then, for repentance is hope 1 It is
hope that rescues man from despair, encourages him, and in­
spires him with confidence, and impels him to save his soul by
penance. Was is not hope that animated Mary Magdalen to go
to Jesus, and to obtain the forgiveness of her sins? Was is not
hope that gave courage to the penitent thief on the cross to say
to the dying Saviour: “Lord, remember me when thou shalt
come into thy kingdom;” whereupon he heard the answer: “This
day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” Was is not hope in the
goodness of his father that nerved the prodigal son, humble and
contrite, to return to his father’s house?

227

5. Symbolical Sketch.

3. Charity, By its very nature it is essential to a reconciliation
with God. As long as the sinner is indifferent about God and
has no desire to please him, or to labor for him, or belong to
him ; so long as he thinks of God as one with whom he has no­
thing to do, views him as a stranger, as one far removed and not
concerned in him or his affairs, true conversion and consequently
forgiveness of sin is out of the question. The man’s mind is
wholly perverted. Not only has he no love, no fear of God, he does
not even recognize him as his Creator. God has no place at all
in his life or thoughts. He may not deny the existence of God;
he knows or he believes that God exists. But what of that? Such
knowledge or faith will avail him little. Hence St. Augustine
says: “The faith of the Christian must be united with charity; the
devil also has faith without charity.” It is charity that impels
the sinner to do penance, for “love is strong as death.”— Canticle
8: 6. What is earthly love not capable of doing? What does
not man undertake to gratify his ambition, covetousness, and
carnal lust, or his desire of revenge? To what dangers does he
not expose himself, what difficulties does he not overcome, what
obstacles does he not surmount? And what will heavenly and
divine love not be able to accomplish? Oh, if it once rule in the
heart of the sinner, he will experience the most bitter pain and
grief for his misdeeds ; he will break with a strong hand the
fetters of sin; and, full of contrition, implore mercy and grace.
He will be ready to die rather than offend God any more. Ex­
ample : Mary Magdalen. She tears herself from the companions
of her sin, hastens to Jesus, rushes into the dining-hall, where
many guests are assembled, disregards their rash judgment,
throws herself down before Jesus, washes his feet with her tears,
and does not go away till she hears from him the consoling words:
“Thy sins are forgiven thee.”—Luke 7: 48. Oh, that this holy
and divine love would fill the hearts of men; how promptly and
manfully would they enter on the way of penance, and how con­
stantly would they walk in it !
■

Part HI.

The gospel says of the divine Saviour: He was transfigured be­
fore them, and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments be­
came white as snow. This transfiguration is a symbol of the
interior and exterior transfiguration of the true penitent.
i. True repentance changes and transform the whole interior
of -man. So long as man lives in the state of sin, his heart is
turned away from God, virtue is repugnant to him, or at least
indifferent ; he is never occupied with the affairs of his soul, but
lives in forgetfulness of salvation. He loathes all exercises of

aS

Second Sunday

in

Lent

religion, such as prayer, hearing the word of God, spiritual
reading, the reception of the sacraments; he therefore either,
neglects them altogether, or practices them only very seldom
hastily, and without the proper sentiments. On the other hand,
he is pleased with temporal and earthly things, continually enter­
tains bad thoughts and desires, is governed by his passions, and
without any scruple offends God by grievous sins. This is the
interior of a sinner. But how differently minded is the true peni­
tent I Full of contrition, love, and gratitude, he turns to God, he
detests above all things the evil he has done; he is grieved most
profoundly for having offended God so often and so grievously,
and he is resolved never more to sin. He rejoices at virtue, and
devotes himself with fervor and love to the exercises of religion.
This is the transfiguration which must be effected in the sinner
who intends to be counted among true penitents. Therefore the
Lord says by the prophet: “Be converted to me with all your
heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning. And rend
your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your
God for he is gracious and merciful, patient, and rich in mercy.”
— Joel 2:12,13. “Cast away from you all your transgressions by
which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart
and a new spirit”—Ezech. 18: 31. This interior change and amend­
ment of heart was effected in all true penitents. Example : Mary
Magdalen. Her going into the house of the Pharisee, her appear­
ance before the guests, her humble silence despite their contemptu­
ous looks, her tears which she shed lying at the feet of Jesus, gave
testimony that her heart was totally changed and renewed. Let
every one find out whether this change has been wrought in
himself at his confessions, for, if it were wanting, his repentance
may have been only an appearance and a delusion.

2. Repentance changes and transforms also the exterior of man.
At the transfiguration of Jesus upon Mount Thabor, such a bright
light streamed from his sacred body that it permeated his gar­
ments and made them as white as snow. The like may be said
of repentance. The change which it produces in the interior of
man soon manifests itself exteriorly in a well-regulated life.
Above all, the penitent avoids those sins which he committed
heretofore; he lives no longer unchastely, he avoids dissolute
discourses, he refrains from drunkenness and gambling, he
curses and blasphemes no more. He practices with fervor the
good which he formerly neglected, he goes to church regularly,
assists devoutly at divine worship, and frequently approaches
the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. His whole con­
duct is prudent, he walks in the fear of God, and gives good
example. Every one who knew him before must say of him : “He
is a different man altogether from what he was; he is totally

6. Moral Sketch.

129

changed” It is true, even the true penitent may sin again, and
sin grievously, but it happens only very seldom ; as a rule, even
when he does fall he does not long remain in the state of sin,
but aided by the grace of God, rises again ; reconciles himself
anew with God, and walks more cautiously and zealously in the
way of penance. All true penitents do this. If persons after con­
fession always relapse into their former sins and show no amend­
ment, it is an evident sign that they are not true penitents.
PERORATION.

You are aware now how you can attain spiritual transfigura­
tion, that is, true repentance and reconciliation with God. Go
apart, avoid the frivolous company of the sinful world, look up­
wards, disengage your heart from all inordinate love of earthly
things, and spare no sacrifice which a true conversion may de­
mand, for this is a question of the salvation of your immortal soul.
Take, then, for your companions the three divine virtues, faith,
hope, and charity ; change your character by renewing yourselves
interiorly and eyteriorly, and by amending your lives. Employ
the present holy season of Lent for your spiritual transfiguration
that it may become to you a time of grace and salvation. Amen

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.

C. MORAL SKETCH.
ΓΓ IS GOOD TO BE IN HEAVEN

Peter said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us so be here.—Matt. 17: 4.
Last Sunday we found Jesus in the desert, where he fasted
and prayed forty days and forty nights; to-day we see him
transfigured on Mount Thabor. These two events, though dis­
tant from each other with respect to time, follow each other in
the gospels selected by the Church to be read during the holy
season of Lent. And not without reason has the Church so ar­
ranged them, for, by representing to us Jesus fasting and
praying in the desert, she shows him to us as a model to be imi­
tated by us during this holy time ; and by representing him to us
to-day in his transfiguration, she directs our attention to the

230

Second Sunday in Lent.

reward in view, which will most assuredly be ours, provided we
diligently employ this time in the exercise of mortification and
prayer. We may then hope to see the Triune God in his infinite
glory in heaven, and full of rapture, we shall cry out: Lord, it is
goodfor us to Λ·· here.
The thought of the joys of heaven should encourage us to
spend the holy season of Lent according to the ordinance of the
Church, in a spirit of compunction and penance. But not only
during Lent, but at all times, we should call to mind the joys of
heaven, and particularly—

Z In all our works;
II. In all our sufferings.
Part L

We have a double task upon earth, one that refers to our eter­
nal, and the other, to our temporal life. That in both these tasks
we may fulfil our duties, let us remember that it is good to be
in heaven.
I. Laborfor eternal life.

(a.) This consists, above all, in a faithful performance of our
religious duties. But religion obliges us to keep the command­
ments of God and the precepts of his Church, and to avail our­
selves of the means for our purification and sanctification. The
person who does what God, and in his name the Church pre­
scribes, who keeps the ten commandments of God and the six
precepts of the Church, who prays, hears the word of God, and
frequently receives the sacraments worthily, that person labors
for eternal life. But he who violates this or that commandment
of God and of the Church, and is careless in the employment of the
means of salvation, belongs to the class of people who are stand­
ing idle in the market place of the world, and can not hope in
the evening of life to receive the wages of laborers in the vine­
yard of the Lord.
(3.) Alas, there are many who do not labor for eternal life.
They do not keep the commandments, and yet, “If thou wilt
enter into life,” says Christ, “keep the commandments.” Or can
it be called keeping the commandments of God to break out
frequently into curses and blasphemies, to desecrate Sundays
and holidays by gross sins, to be disobedient to parents, and to
grieve them, to live in enmity with our fellow-creatures for
months and years, to yield to the base vice of impurity, and to
commit fraud and injustice in our transactions with others?

6. Moral Sketch.

331

Can any such, or can slanderers, or calumniators be said to keep
the commandments ? Can it be called keeping the precepts of the
Church to eat meat on Fridays and other days of abstinence, to
neglect to hear mass on Sundays and holidays, to keep away
from confession and communion, and even at Easter not to
receive the holy sacraments, or to receive them unworthily?
Can it be called availing themselves of the means of grace, if
prayer, hearing the word of God, or catechetical instruction and
spiritual reading be as a thorn in their side? Oh, many, very
many do not labor for eternal life.

(i.) How shall we account for this? They hardly ever think of
heaven, they never say to themselves: It is good to be in heaven.
They do not consider what a great good heaven is, what un­
speakable happiness the saints enjoy there; they have therefore
no desire for heaven, and because they do not long for heaven,
they do not do what is required for heaven. What will be the
feelings of such worldly persons when, sooner or later, they are
face to face with eternity? If Esau wept so bitterly over the
loss of his birthright and of his father’s blessing, which he had
bartered for a mess of pottage, will not those persons have much
more reason to weep when they realize that they have bartered
their glorious and everlasting birthright of heaven’s joys for the
miserable, transitory pleasures of this word? We need not wonder
that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for they are
compelled to say: “We have lost heaven for fleeting, vain, and
perishable things.” Never, therefore, lose sight of those unfading
glories of the heavenly Jerusalem. Say frequently to yourselves:
“God has created me for heaven, not for this miserable earth ;
therefore I shall labor for heaven.” If you be tempted to sin, say
to yourselves : “How could I be so foolish as to lose heaven on
account of this or that sin ?” Say every morning : “I will endeavor
to-day in all things to do the will of God, that I may merit heaven,
for it is good to be there.”
2. Labor for the temporal life»

(a.) It is good to be in heaven. This must be your favorite maxim
in all your temporal business and labor. To work is a command­
ment of God : “Man is born to labor, and the bird to fly.”—fob.
5 : 7. God himself said to Adam: “In the sweat of thy face shalt
thou eat bread.”—Gen. 3 : 19. It would be a great error to think
that you must toil only to earn your daily bread. No, every one
must work, the rich and the poor, the high and the low, for la­
bor is prescribed, not only as a means of gaining a livelihood in
the world, but also for the service of God and the attainment of
our eternal salvation. Those that do not work when they can,

232

Second Sunday in Lent.

neglect an essential duty of religion, and have reason to fear that
they will share hereafter the lot of the unprofitable servant.

(6.) But that our labor may be meritorious for eternal life, it
must be performed in the state of grace and with a good intention.
They who labor hard from the beginning of the year to the end
thereof, but live in the state of sin, need not expect a reward
hereafter. The same holds good of labors that are not done with
a good intention. They who in their labor turn their eyes away
from God and have their temporal interest solely in view, for ex­
ample, the gaining of their livelihood or the gratification of their
passions, have no part in the service of God, nor can they lay any
claim to a reward in eternity. A Saint once had a wonderful
vision. He saw that the souls of the departed appeared before
the judgment-seat of God and that their works were weighed in
the balance of divine justice. Among many others a man came
loaded down with a huge bundle of good works. The Saint
thought: “Now the bundle will fall heavily into the balance and the
carrier will surely go straight to heaven. “But, lo, when the
bundle was put in the balance it proved to be as light as a feather,
and the balance flew up. And why? Because the bundle con­
tained good works which had been performed in a state of sin
and without a good intention.
See then that you are not wanting in the balance ; and that your
works do not resemble a bundle light as a feather. Labor in the
state of grace and with a good intention. That this may be done,
let us frequently say to ourselves : It is good to be in heaven. If we
consider that by means of our daily labors we can merit heaven
with its unspeakable joys, we shall certainly exert ourselves to
perform them in such a manner that we may obtain the de­
sired end.
Part IL
“A heavy yoke is upon the children of Adam, from the day of
their coming out of their mother’s womb, unto the day of their
burial into the mother of all.”—Ecclus. 40: 1. And so, indeed,
there is. Without pain no one lives upon earth, and without tri­
bulation no one goes out of the world. A-pious life involves many
fains; moreover, we meet with other tribulations. But that we
may be able to bear all disagreeable things patiently and perseveringly, let us think of our maxim, It is good to be in heaven.
I. The pains and hardships of a pious life.

(a.) Christ said not in vain: “The kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent bear it away.”—Matt. 11: 12. He who

0. Moral Sketch.

233

wishes to live in such a manner as to justify a well-grounded
hope that he will one day be admitted to the kingdom of God,
must daily mortify himself and subdue his evil inclinations and
sinful desires. He is variously and constantly tempted. At one
time it is anger that boils over and threatens to burst all bounds;
at another a moody reflection on some real or fancied injury,
prompting emotions of hatred and revengeful desires; then un­
chaste thoughts; again, self-complacency or covetousness, or too
great a longing after honor and praise. All these inordinate mo­
tions and desires must be struggled against and suppressed, else
they will not only be sinful in themselves, but will also afford
the occasion of many sins. But the contest with and the con­
quering of these enemies of our salvation is a difficult work, and
involves many sacrifices. The holy Fathers and spiritual writers
therefore call the Christian who conquers himself a greater hero
than the general who takes fortresses by storm and subdues
mighty kingdoms ; nay, they do not hesitate to say that conti­
nual mortifications and self-denial are an unbloody martyrdom,
which, in merit, can worthily be placed in juxta-position with
actual martyrdom itself. Our interior enemies have confederates
without, the devil with his endless temptations, and the world
with its scandals, bad examples and persecutions, which are no
less aggravating.

(3.) What shall we do to overcome all these difficulties and
obstacles in the way of virtue ? We must look up to heaven and
frequently say to ourselves: It is good to be in heaven. Consider
all that worldly people do and endure in order to enjoy life. How
much trouble they take ! If, for the sake of vain and perishable
goods, they undergo so many hardships and privations, should
we be deterred by the hardships which heaven demands—heaven
with all its ineffable, eternal joys ? What supported St. Paul, the
holy martyrs, and other saints, in all the persecutions and tribu­
lations which they were obliged to suffer for the sake of Christ?
What but the remembrance of the reward in heaven ? “Blessed
are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak
all that is evil against you untruly, for my sake; Be glad and re­
joice, for your reward is very great in heaven?’—Matt. 5: 11, 12.
2. Other sufferings.

Many are languishing in poverty and need, and have no
other prospect than to live and die poor. How many cares and
tribulations children cause their parents. How many annoyances
are to be met with at your daily work, in the household, every­
where ; whether you be a laborer, a tradesman, or in a profession,
it is all the same. There is no state of life that has not its hard­

234

Second Sunday in Lent.

ships, and no man without his cross. The earth on which we live
is, as it were, a cemetery, in which one cross stands in close
proximity to another, a land upon which, since the fall of Adam,
the curse of God rests, a valley of tears. “Great labor is created
for all men.”—Eccles. 40: 1. “Man born of a woman, living for
a short time, is filled with many miseries.”—Job 14. 1.
In all these sufferings and tribulations what is there to inspire
us with courage and give us strength to persevere in patience?
What else but the maxim : It is good to be in heaven. When the life
of Theodosius the Abbot was drawing near its close he suffered
a most painful sickness, which he endured with heroic patience.
A sympathizing friend advised him to ask of God the alleviation
of his sufferings. “Oh, no,” replied the Saint, “such a prayer
would be a sign of impatience, and would deprive me of my
crown.” He was obliged to suffer on for a whole year before
falling quietly asleep in our Lord. St. Teresa frequently re­
peated the words, “Lord, either to suffer or to die.” St. Rose of
Lima, in the midst of the greatest torture, cried out: “More yet,
O Lord, more yet ! Do thy will in me, add pain to pain, but in­
crease also my patience.” How can we account for this patience
and fortitude in sufferings ? By the maxim, It is good to be in
heaven. Heaven, they said, is worth suffering for. They com­
forted themselves with the words of the Apostle: “For that
which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation
worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of
glory.”—IL Cor. 4: 17.
PERORATION.

In 3>\\your toil and sufferings say frequently: It is good to be in
heaven. If you always have heaven with its joys before your
eyes, you will certainly fulfil your duties conscientiously in every
respect; you will also be solicitous to perform them in the state
of grace and with a good intention, that they may please God and
become meritorious for eternal life. Looking forward thus to
heaven will also encourage you to bear the hardships of the ser­
vice of God and the tribulations of this life. This should be
your maxim : It is good to be in heaven. With this maxim on your
lips and in your heart you will be emboldened to dare and to
do, to toil and to suffer, and finally to merit heaven, where with
Peter and all the elect you can exclaim throughout all eternity.
It is good to be here. Amen.

7. Moral Sketch.

233

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
WE MAY HAVE A HEAVEN UPON EARTH.

His face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as
snow.—Matt. 17: 2.

Who would be able to describe the joy and transport of the
Apostles who were deemed worthy to behold Jesus in his trans­
figuration upon the holy mountain ? Their joy and felicity was
so great that Peter, entirely beside himself in ecstasy, cried out:
Lord, it is goodfor us to be here. Forgetting everything in the
world, he had only one wish, to remain always upon the moun­
tain, near his transfigured Saviour.
So long as we live in this world it is not given to us to behold
Jesus in the splendor of his divine majesty, and, as it were, to be
caught up into heaven. Nevertheless, it is possible for us to have
a foretaste of that beatitude which the saints enjoy in heaven;
we, may to quote a common saying, have a heaven upon earth, as
I will show to-day at some length, if we—
I. Have a good conscience ;
II. Resign ourselves to the will of God;
III. And live in peace and concord.

Part L
I. A good conscience seasons our enjoyments, facilitates our labors,
and comforts us in tribulations and stifferings. How merry, how
joyful are innocent little children when they are playing and
amusing themselves! Their play, insignificant as it is affords
them greater pleasure than that derived by grown persons from
most costly enjoyments. Many a one says: “Oh, for the return
of those happy days! Often does my mind revert to those happy
reminiscences of my childhood’s innocent days. Alas 1 I can no
longer be as merry as a child!” But why are children so merry?
Because they are innocent and have not yet drunk of the bitter
chalice of sin. We may often hear the poor woodman sing his
merry songs. Who has not seen the dust begrimed laborer,
bucket in hand, wending his way to his humble cottage, there

236

Second Sunday in Lent.

to eat with cheerful countenance, and surrounded by dear little
ones, his frugal meal ? Whence comes this happy expression of
countenance? From a good conscience. “'He who has a good
conscience,” says St. Chrysostom, “is in the most oppressing
circumstances much happier and more content than others who
are deprived of this good in the midst of riches.”
2. Add to this, that the joy which comes from a good con­
science is not changeable. Solomon compares a good conscience
to a continual feast.—Prov. 15 : 15. Who does not admire
Job in his trials? He loses his flocks, a storm demolishes his
houses and burns his sons and daughters amidst their ruins; he
is reduced from abundance to the most abject poverty, he is
covered with leprosy, derided and calumniated by his own wife,
yet he remains patient and resigned to God in all vicissitudes;
though he lost all, he saved one thing—a good conscience; and
it was this that supported him in his extreme adversity and
abandonment.
3. Even in the hour or death a good conscience is a soft pillow.
He that has a good conscience does not fear death ; he looks
cheerfully and joyfully into eternity, for faith tells him that much
more excellent and precious goods there await him than the
world can give. “With him that feareth the Lord, it shall go well
in the latter end, and in the day of his death he shall be blessed.”
—Ecclus. 1: 13. The holy Joseph Oriolo, a Spanish priest, who,
during his whole life, had ceaselessly labored for his own and
his neighbor’s spiritual welfare, felt that he should soon die ; he
therefore went to a tradesman with whom he was well acquainted,
and, said: “Dear friend, please lend me a bed, that I may lie
down, for I shall soon die.” He lay down on the bed, and grew
visibly weaker. The neighbors visited him, and lamented his
sickness and the great sufferings which it caused. But he cheer­
fully said to them : “My dear friends, be composed, for God will
raise me up again to a new life and receive me into his kingdom,
where I shall praise his holy name and sing to his glory.” Then
he ordered four choir-boys to come with a harp and sing. When
dying he joined his weak voice with theirs, his eyes fixed on the
crucifix; and thus ardently longing for his Saviour, and singing,
he surrendered his soul into the hands of his Redeemer on the
29th of March, 1703.
If you preserve a good conscience, you will have, in all the
vicissitudes of life, and even at the hour of death, in some
measure, a heaven upon earth.

7. Moral Sketch.

»37

Part Π.
1. He who is content with his position, and lives quietly, has,
so far as it is possible, a heaven upon earth. And this is truly
the case with him who submits himself entirely to the will of
God. Whatever God may send him, joy or sorrow, he is content;
for he has what he wishes, because his will agrees in everything
with the will of God. John Tauler, a most zealous servant of
God, met one day a poor man, and saluted him with these words :
“Good morning!” The poor man replied: “1 have never yet had
a bad morning.” The learned man tried to amend his salutation,
and said: “May the good God send you good luck.” The beggar
replied: “I have never yet been unlucky.” Tauler thought the
poor man was jesting; he therefore approached nearer and said:
“I wish that all things may turn out according to your wish.”
“Nothing is done but what I wish, and therefore I am happy,”
replied the beggar. “Why,” said Tauler, “are you so happy, and
yet there is no one on earth who is prefectly happy? Explain
yourself.” The beggar solved the riddle, saying : “I said that I
have never had a bad morning for I am always satisfied with my
lot; I said that I had never yet been unhappy, for I have no de­
sire for the goods of fortune, and this is my fortune. I know that
I have a Father in heaven, who means well with me; therefore
I praise him when hunger torments me, or when I am obliged to
bear heat or cold, or when boys mock me, for I think: Father,
thou wiliest it so ; and hence I also will nothing else. Thus I
always will only what God wills, and because I will what God
wills, whatever happens to me, I will; and is this not the greatest
good luck, that what one wills is always done?”

2. He who resigns himself to the will of God can never be
disquieted or disturbed either by the present or the future.
(a.) Not by the present. There is scarcely a man in this world who
has everything that he wishes, and among all of you here assem­
bled there is certainly not one who can say: “Nothing is want­
ing to me, all my wishes are gratified.” The consequence is,
that no man is perfectly satisfied with his present condition, and,
therefore, no one feels entirely happy, nor yet perhaps entirely
unhappy. But there is a means which enables us always to live
quietly and contentedly—resignation to the will of God. He that
resigns himself to the will of God will think: “It is the will of
an infinitely wise God, to whom I submit myself, and who, in
everything that he ordains, has my welfare in view. My welfare

is the rule of his actions. If he strike me, it is to amend me; if he

238

Second Sunday tn Lent.

spare me, it is for the same purpose.” Thus a Christian who is
resigned to the will of God is always tranquil and content.

(3.) Not by the future. Many persons feel unhappy because they
direct their thoughts always to the future, and on account of
what may perhaps befall them in the distant future are always
full of disquietude and solicitude. Christians who are resigned
to God do not fret about the future and become gray in con­
sequence. They know that the future is decreed in the eternal
councils of Providence, and that all our fears, cares, and solici­
tude can not change in the least what, according to the will of
God, is to come. They also know “that to them that love God
all things work together unto good.”—Rom. 8: 28. They are
therefore tranquil and content; and casting all their care upon
the Lord, they say with David: “The Lord ruleth me, and I shall
want nothing.”—Ps. 22: 1.
Resignation to the will of God is something great and valua­
ble, for he that resigns himself to it, knows nothing of bad humor,
impatience, pusillanimity, or despondency, he is always cheerful,
and possesses undisturbed peace of mind. All discontent among
men proceeds from the want of resignation to the will of God.
How necessary it is therefore that we resign ourselves to his
holy will in all the events and occurences of life.
Λ

Part ΠΙ.

i. If there be anything under the sun that can make man truly
happy and cheerful, it is peace and concord. St. Augustine says:
“Peace is the hilarity of the mind, the rest of the soul, the sim­
plicity of the heart, and the bond of charity.” What salt is to
food, peace is to all the circumstances, ups and downs and ins
and outs, of life. You have costly dishes on the table ; they have
no taste when they are not seasoned with salt. In like manner,
let a man have everything to make him happy, plenty of money
and land, prosperity in business, good health, honor and good
name, if he must live continually in dissension, he can neither
be content nor happy ; he does not relish his food, his sleep does
not refresh him, nor does he find consolation even in prayer. A
sad thing to contemplate is the home of a married couple into
whose house the spirit of strife has entered. As soon as they
□pen their eyes in the morning, hatred and ill-will awake also ;
one will not speak kindly to the other; they talk only to quarrel
and mutually to recriminate each other; the husband reviles the
wife, the wife insults the husband, and then each is, either furtively

7. Moral Sketch.

239

or openly, doing things to spite and torment the other. Some­
times their mutual hatred ends in an assault; they go to law,
and show the world how quarrelsome married people can be,
and consequently what an unhappy life they lead.
From such strife and discord follow, of course, sad consequen­
ces. In the first place, neither of the parties works with a will
for the household. The business and work are neglected or done
carelessly; the man, to get rid of his anger, seeks company,
drinks and gambles; the woman gets disgusted with her work
and lets things go as they will; the children grow up without
discipline and turn out badly; and finally the whole family is
broken up, according to the word of the Lord : “Every kingdom
divided against itself shall be brought to desolation.”—Luke

11: 17.
2. How different is the state of affairs in a family where peace
is found and mutual affection ! It is a heaven upon earth ! They may
not be rich in the goods of this world, yet husband and wife are
content, and the children are good and well-behaved. Everything
looks cheerful and pleasant, as if they had riches in abundance.
When they rise in they morning they say their morning prayers
together, and all go cheerfully to their work. In the evening they
tell one another their experiences, what they have done, what they
have earned, whom they have seen, or what they have suffered.
They converse together, take counsel together as to how they shall
act, so that all things may turn out well for them. Whatever they
earn is common property. If God visit them with afflictions, they
do not lose courage; one consoles the other; they pray, work,
and suffer together, and hope in God who sends them help at the
right time. If one of the family die, they naturally weep over
the loss, but the thought that they have lived in peace and love
with the departed member, and that in the next world they will
meet again, and in sweet peace live together for ever, is a great
comfort to them in their bereavement. If there be upon earth,
this valley of tears, a happy life, it is when it is a peaceable one,
and if there be a family that can be called happy, it is one in
which peace and harmony reign.
PERORATION.

I have now shown you how you can have, as it were, a heaven
upon earth. Above all things, preserve a good conscience, a
tranquil mind, for, as St. Augustine says: “The joy of a good
conscience is a paradise.” In all the circumstances of life resign
yourselves to the will of God, and pray with heart and mouth:
“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Live in peace

240

Second Sunday

in

Lent.

with your neighbors and all around you. Blessed are the meek,
for they shall possess the land. Blessed are the peace makers,
for they shall be called the children of God. It is in your power
to have a heaven here upon earth, and what is still more, to ob­
tain heaven hereafter. All that you are obliged to do is to pre­
serve a good conscience, to be meek, humble, peaceable, and
resigned to the will of God. Amen.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

241

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

Epistle. Eph. 5: 1-9. Brethren : Be ye followers of God, as
Host dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved
us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice
to God for an odor of sweetness. But fornication and all un­
cleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among
you, as becometh saints: nor obscenity, nor foolish talking, nor
scurrility, which is to no purpose : but rather giving of thanks.
For know ye this, and understand, that no fornicator, nor un­
clean, nor covetous persons, which is a serving of idols, hath
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no
man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things
cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye
not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore
darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of
the light: for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice,
and truth.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
ON IMPURITY.

At the beginning of the epistle for this day St. Paul exhorts us
to be followers of God, that is, to become conformable to God,
according to the word of the divine Saviour. “Be_you therefore
perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”—Matt. 5: 48. And the
reâson why’we should be followers of God is because we are his
most dear children. As good children, who love their father and
are loved by him, have the disposition and qualities of their
father and take after him, so we as children of God must become
conformable to God in our conduct. But because charity is the
first and greatest precept and the bond of perfection, we must
imitate him, above all in this, that we walk in love. The most
eminent model of love is Jesus Christ, who hath loved us and

II

16

242

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

hath delivered hintselffor us, an oblation and a sacrifice to Godfot
an odor of sweetness.
After that the Apostle speaks of the vice of impurity, and
shows—

I. How we sin by this vice ;
II. Why we must guard against it.
Part L

Fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so
much as be named among you, as becometh saints ; nor obscenity, nor
foolish talking, nor scurrility, which is to no purpose, but rather
giving of thanks. From these words of St. Paul it is evident that
sins are committed against chastity—
i. By fornication and all uncleanness. To this class belong all
impure actions, whether committed on one’s own body, or with
others, with married or single persons, with blood-relations, or
persons related by marriage, or strangers, with persons of the
same or of the opposite sex, or what is worse, with irrational
animals. Several of these vices, especially adultery, were in the
Old Law forbidden under penalty of death. “If any one commit
adultery with the wife of another and defile his neighbor’s
wife, let them be put to death, both the adulterer and the adul­
teress.”—Lev. 20: 10. If virginity be not found in a damsel,
they shall cast her out of the doors of her father’s house, and
the men of the city shall stone her to death and she shall die,
because she hath done a wicked thing in Israel, to play the
whore in her father’s house.”—Deut. 22: 20, 21. If the Mosaic
Law were in force to-day, many a bride who on her marriageday wears the bridal wreath on her head, would incur the
penalty of stoning. And how criminal must the vice of impurity
be before God under the New Law since we Christians have
sanctified bodies and are members of Christ and temples of the
Holy Ghost! For this reason the Apostle wishes us to be so far
removed from every kind of impurity as not to allow such sins
to be even named among us, much less to defile ourselves with
them. But what a great difference is there between this require­
ment of the Apostle and the reality? Not only grown persons,
but even children, in whom we should expect the innocence of
paradise, are frequently initiated into all the mysteries of im­
purity, and do with themselves and others wicked things which
are an abomination in the eyes of God. Oh, that parents would
watch more strictly over their children, and do their best, that
they may not be corrupted !

i. Homiletic Sketch.

243

2. By obscenity, foolish talking, and scurrility. By obscenity we
understand, not so much immodesty in dress, looks, and conduct,
as in speaking, by foolish talking we understand common, coarse
jokes which refer to something indecent, and among the indecent
cause immoderate laughter; lastly, by scurrility, which is to no
purpose, we understand sly allusions, just enough to set the mind
at work on evil fancies, words which conceal the poison of im­
purity, as it were, under flowers, but which frequently cause
more mischief than open shamelessness and coarse joking. The
Apostle forbids all these sorts of impure discourses, and justly,
for—

(a.) They are in themselves very sinful, because they proceedfrom
a bad heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh. A good man out of a good treasure bringeth forth good
things ; and an evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth
evil things.”—Matt. 12: 34, 35. He that takes no pleasure in im­
purity will not let a filthy word pass his lips, and even such as
are infected with the vice of impurity are frequently disgusted
with obscenities. From this it follows that some of those who
speak unchaste words are even more corrupt in heart, and more
criminal before God, than those unfortunate persons who commit
acts of impurity.
(3.) They are sinful because they defile and dishonor the tongue,
that sanctified member of the human body. Our tongue was sancti­
fied in baptism, when the priest put blessed salt on it, saying:
“Receive the salt of wisdom, may it be to thee a propitiation to
eternal life.” And when we go to communion we receive the
most sacred body of Jesus Christ, with his most precious blood,
soul and divinity, on our tongue. What a desecration of the
tongue to abuse it by filthy talk ! Is this not to sin more grievously
than to desecrate the chalice which serves at mass for the con­
secration of the sacred blood of Jesus Christ?
(cl) They are particularly sinful on account of the scandal they
give. How comes it that the vice of impurity is so prevalent, and
that young and old are contaminated? Principally from filthy,
immodest discourses, for by these the ignorant and innocent
receive the knowledge of this vice, and the fire of unchaste love
is kindled in their hearts ; it is impure words and unchaste dis­
courses that little by little banish modesty, and the fear of God,
those guardian angels of holy purity, and make people shameless
and irreligious, and open the way to the most shameful actions.
“The tongue is indeed a little member and boasteth great things.
Behold how small a fire what a great wood it kindleth”—fames

3 ; 5. One impure word may be the occasion of sin for those who

244

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

hear it; these in turn corrupt others, and so on, thus spreading
the evil. Hence it may happen that numberless souls are lost for
all eternity owing- to a single impure conversation or even a
word. To those who speak unchastely the words of Jesus apply:
"Woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh.”—Matt. 18:7.
He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in
me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged
about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depths of
the sea.”—Matt. 18:6.
Do not forget these words of Jesus. Guard against speaking un­
chastely before any one—especially before children and innocent
persons. Avoid all association with persons who find pleasure in
obscene and filthy talk; and if you can not avoid them altogether,
show them at least by a serious countenance that you take no
pleasure in their obscenity ; call to mind the presence of God,
and invoke in your hearts the protection of Jesus and Mary.
Fathers and mothers, let your words and discourses be modest,
and allow no unchaste conversation in your house. You must
correct and rebuke any one who carries it on there. You owe
this much to your children.
Part Π.

St. Paul in the epistle for this day gives three reasons why
we ought to guard ourselves against impurity.
I. Impurity excludes from heaven;—For know ye this, and
understand, ihat no fornicator, nor unclean person, hath any in­
heritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. This is the fate of
the unchaste ; unless they repent in time they die a miserable
death and lose heaven. What a loss I Reflect a moment what
heaven is and what joy it offers, in order to understand to a cer­
tain extent the greatness of the loss. How much did Esau regret
having sold his birthright to Jacob for a miserable mess of pot>
tage 1 What sorrow and despair will seize the damned when con­
strained to say : “I have lost heaven for a vile, fleeting pleasure.”
A necessary consequence of the exclusion from heaven is eternal
damnation, for the adult that does not go to heaven goes to
hell.“ Whoremongers, etc. . . . shall have their portion in the
pool burning with fire and brimstone.”—Apoc. 21:8. There, in
the abyss of hell, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth,
the unchaste will find their place of habitation, and suffer every
moment pains compared with which all the pains and tortures of
this world are as nothing, and throughout eternity they will be
deprived of all hope of ever being redeemed. Oh, you unfortu­
nate slaves of carnal lust, can you hear this without trembling ?

i.

Homiletic Sketch,

MS

Will the remembrance of hell not move you to shake off the
disgrace lui fetters and chains of voluptuousness, and to live
chastely ?

2. God hates and punishes impurity.—Let no man deceive you
with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of
God upon the children of unbelief. Many consider impurity no sin,
but only a natural necessity, the gratification of which is as lawful
as eating and drinking; or at most that it is only a human frailty,
on which God will look with indulgence. What an error! what a
delusion ! If impurity be no sin, why did God give the sixth and
ninth commandments ? Peruse the whole of the Sacred Scriptures,
and you will not find a single passage in which impurity is spoken
of as lawful; on the contrary, everywhere it is represented as a
vice hateful to God; a vice which is punished not only in the
next world, but even in this. Examples: The people in the days
of Noe, whom God, on account of the sin of impurity, swept
away by the deluge : Sodom and Gomorrha, which were destroyed
by a rain of fire and brimstone; and David, who, although he
repented of his adultery and obtained forgiveness from God, was
yet most severely chastised in this life. Now, if God deals even
in this world so severely with the unchaste, who will deny that
impurity is a grievous sin? And who would not flee from a
vice which renders man unhappy for time and eternity?

3. Impurity is a vice of the Gentiles, wherefore every Christian
must detest and avoid it.—For you were heretofore darkness, but now
light in the Lord. Walk then as children of light. In other
words you were once Gentiles and knew neither God nor his
holy law. You then did the things after which your flesh lusted,
because you knew no better; but now being Christians you are
instructed, and you know that God has strictly forbidden forni­
cation and all uncleanness. Act then according to this know­
ledge, that you may be able to stand before the judgment seat
of God.
PERORATION.

Endeavor, then, to walk honestly, decently and chastely, and
to do nothing against the chastity proper to your state of life.
Although no human eye sees you, yet God sees you. You are
afraid of the eyes of man, why not of the eyes of God ? Walk in
the light. Beware of scurrilous words, unchaste jokes, and im­
modest discourses. Think of the woe which Jesus pronounced
against those who give scandal. Do not burden your souls with the
crime of corrupting rhe innocent ; their blood will be demand­
ed at your hands, and judgment without mercy will come upon

246

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

you if you seduce others, because to them you showed no mercy.
If your conscience tells you that you have contaminated your­
selves by the vice of impurity, make a sincere and good confes­
sion and henceforth lead a life of penance, considering that only
the clean of heart shall see God. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.
Gospel. Luke 11: 14-28. At that time: Jesus was casting out
a devil, and the same was dumb ; and when he had cast out the
devil, the dumb spoke : and the multitudes were in admiration at
it : but some of them said : He casteth out devils by Beelzebub,
the prince of devils. And others tempting, asked of him a
sign from heaven. But he, seeing their thoughts, said to them:
Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to deso­
lation, and house upon house shall fall. And if Satan also be
divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand ? because
you say, that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now if I cast
out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out?
Therefore they shall be your judges. But if, I, by the finger of God,
cast out devils, doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you.
When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things which
he possesseth are in peace. But if a stronger than he come upon
him and overcome him, he will take away all his armor wherein
he trusted, and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with me
is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through
places without water, seeking rest : and not finding, he saith : I
will return into my house whence I came out. And when he is
come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and
taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself,
and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man
becomes worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spoke
these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her
voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the
paps that gave thee suck. But he said: Yea, rather, blessed are
they who hear the word of God and keep it.

3. Homiletic Sketch.

247

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
JESUS CASTS OUT A DEVIL AND CONFUTES HIS ENEMIES.

The gospel read in the mass of to day speaks of a man who was
possessed by a devil. Our Lord had compassion on the poor man
and delivered him from the devil. Did not all that were witnessess of this expulsion of the devil admire the divine power of
Jesus and believe in him as the promised Redeemer of the world?
Far from it; the Scribes and Pharisees took occasion from this
miracle to calumniate and blaspheme him in the most malicious
manner. Jesus defended himself against them and spoke with
such persuasive eloquence, wisdom and power, that a woman
in the crowd, lifting up her voice, called the mother blessed that
had borne such a son. These in a few words are the contents
of the gospel for this day, which we shall consider a little more
closely. I shall divide them into three points:
I. Jesus casts out a devil;
II. He confutes his enemies;
III He speaks of the return of the unclean spirit.
Λ
Part I.
L Jesus was casting out a devil,

and the same was dumb.

(a.) The devil that Jesus cast out was not dumb, but the man was
whose tongue the devil held bound so that he could not speak a
word. That the devil can incorporate himself in man, and act out
of him and in him, is a truth which the Sacred Scripture and
history most clearly attest.—Matt. 4: 24—8: 16; Mark. 1: 32;
Acts 19: 13.

(3.) It is also certain that the evil spirits can injure men in
their body and temporal goods so far as God permits. Proofs of
this are Job ; the seven husbands of Sara ; also the lunatic referred
to by St. Matthew (17: 14).
(é.) God permits people to be injured by evil spirits, either to
punish them for their sins, or to try their virtue. The former was
the case with the seven husbands of Sara, and the latter with
Job. In the Lives of the Saints we meet with many examples in
which these holy servants of God suffered greatly from evil
spirits.

248

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

(<£) To protect ourselves against the assaults of the devil we
must avoid all sins, especially impurity and blasphemy. In houses
in which impurity is committed, or in w’hich there is much curs­
ing and blaspheming, the devil frequently does a great deal of
injury. In such houses the benedictions and exorcisms of the
Church prove ineffectual, unless sin and vice be cast our.
(^.) The man was dumb. This was, indeed, a deplorable state,
yet it had its advantages, for he could commit no sin with his
tongue, and moreover, if he bore his misfortune with patience,
he had an opportunity of paying the penalty due to his sins and
of acquiring merit for heaven.

(Z.) Far worse is spiritual dumbness. To the spiritually dumb
belong those who will not speak with God, that is, who do not
pray; those who conceal their sins in confession, or their num­
ber and circumstances, and lastly, those who keep silence re­
garding the sins of others which they should denounce and cor­
rect; as parents, brothers and sisters. Examine yourselves and
see whether you have not been spiritually dumb in one way or
another.

2. And when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke. What did
he say first. There can be no doubt that he thanked our Lord
and praised him with a loud voice. Do likewise ; show yourselves
grateful for the many material and spiritual benefits which you
daily receive from him. The man would have acted very sinfully
if, instead of thanking Jesus, he had blasphemed him. But this
very thing those Christians do who abuse their body and its
members, their health and other temporal goods, by offending
God. And there are many such.
3. And the multitude were in admiration at it. The poor, illite­
rate people who were witnesses of the miracle recognized in it
the wTork of God; they believed in Jesus. It was always so. Ge­
nerally it was the poor people that adhered to Jesus. Three
hundred years elapsed before an emperor embraced Christianity.
And who are they that now-a-days cling firmly to Jesus and his
Church? Again, the poor people. Thus the words of Jesus are
verified: “The poor have the gospel preached to them.”—Matt.
11:5. Only those who are humble have a heart susceptible to
the grace of faith; the proud despise this grace and pursue in
imaginary wisdom the ways of error and perdition. Our own
times prove this, alas, too welh

i. Homiletic Sketch.

249

Part II.
1. Some of them said: He castelh out devils by Beelzebub, the
prince of devils. What did the Scribes and Pharisees do to efface
the impression this miracle had made upon those present, and to
weaken their faith in Jesus? They misinterpreted it, saying: He
has cast out a devil, it is true ; not, however, by the power of
God, but by the aid of Beelzebub, the prince of devils, with whom
he is in compact. This casting out of the devil served the Scribes
and Pharisees as a means of lowering him in the estimation of
the people, and of rendering him odious. This is envy. If it can
not deny what is good in a neighbor, it misrepresents it, and
when it can do naught else suggests an unworthy motive. Thus
the best actions are distorted and made to appear evil. Let this
abominable passion of envy never reign in your hearts.
Consider that envy destroys the image of God in the soul and
imprints the ugly image of the devil. Be well-disposed towards
all men, especially towards your immediate neighbors and those
who occupy the same station in life that you do ; wish them well
from your hearts, judge and speak well of them, cover their
faults with the mantle of charity and cheerfully do them acts of
kindness.

2. Others tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven. How great
their insolence ! They were witnesses of the public miracle which
Jesus had just performed on the dumb man. There is also no
doubt that many other miracles of his were known to them,
nevertheless they asked of him a sign from heaven. They did
not ask this sign of him as a proof of his divine mission or Messi­
anic character in order to believe in him, but rather to tempt him,
to defy him and to challenge him. Consider that you also tempt
God when you present petitions to him which in his wisdom he
cannot grant you; for example, if you ask him to admit you into
heaven without doing violence to yourselves ; or to be freed from
temptations without avoiding the occasions of sin ; to obtain the
virtues of humility, temperance, patience, prudence, purity, or
any other, without employing the necessary means. If you ask
God for anything, comply with the rules of faith and fulfil the
conditions on which the hearing of your prayer depends.

3. Here were two classes of persons in the presence of Jesus
—the one insisting that the miracle he had just performed was
effected only through Beelzebub, the other asking him to per­
form more wonders, yet to be submitted to their hostile criticism
and perverse interpretation. Perhaps some of these latter were
only actuated like Herod by curiosity, and wished our Saviour

to act the juggler before them. If so, like Herod, they were dis­

250

Third Sunday in Lent.

appointed. He showed no sign from heaven to amuse them. He
did not even deign to answer their impertinent proposal. λVi th
regard to them and their request he was silent. But to the for­
mer class, to those who accused him of working miracles by the
power of Beelzebub, he does reply, and in a few words not only
repels the accusation, but proves the absurdity of their blas­
phemy. He said :
(a.) Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to deso­
lation, and house upon house shall fall. Ana if Satan also be divided
against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say, that
through Beelzebub I cast out devils. The meaning is this : No king­
dom, no family in which union and harmony are wanting, can
stand. Just as little could the kingdom of the evil spirits stand if
they were in strife one with another. And this would really be
the case if I should cast out devils in Beelzebub, the prince of
the devils; for Beelzebub would be in strife with the other evil
spirits, which strife would cause the downfall and dissolution of
their kingdom. But since the evil spirits do not destroy their
kingdom, but rather endeavor to preserve and confirm it, there
can be no dissension among them, and it is an absurdity to assert
that Beelzebub is in compact with me and assists me in casting
out devils.
[b.) Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your chil­
dren cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. According
to the account of Flavius Josephus, there were among the Jews
those who, by the invocation of the name of G-od, by the use of
some herbs or even of the name of Jesus, cast out devils, or at
least asserted that they did so. Alluding to these, Jesus says:
If your adherents cast out devils, you attribute it unhesitatingly
to the omnipotence of God; how then can you deny that I, by the
finger of God, that is, by his power, cast out devils ? Is it not
blind hatred and partiality to acknowledge one and the same
action in your friends as a divine work, and in me to brand it as
the work of the devil?
How often do passion, pride, prejudice and sensual love bring
men to this; in one man they excuse and sanction what in an­
other they bitterly reprehend and discountenance I Beware of all
partiality and “pass a just judgment.”—jerem. Parents particu­
larly should avoid in their conduct towards their children even
the appearance of partiality ; they should treat all alike, for the
contrary might draw terrible consequences after it. Witness:
Joseph’s brothers.
(r.) By the words : But if I, by the finger of God, cast out devils,
doubtless the kingdom of God is ccme upon you, Jesus proves to the

i. Homiletic Sketch.

35>

Jews that he is truly the Messias, and that he has already foun­
ded his kingdom, that is, his Church. It was the task of the
promised Redeemer to destroy the kingdom of Satan, that is,
the kingdom of error and sin, and to establish in its stead the
kingdom of God, to wit, the kingdom of truth and virtue. Now,
as he worked against the devil, cast him out and destroyed his
influence, he evidently showed himself to be the Founder of the
new kingdom, namely, that of the Messias and Redeemer of the
world. This is to-day a palpable sign of the truth and divinity
of the holy Catholic Church, that she has power over the devil,
casts him out, und destroys his influence. And as no other de­
nomination has the power to do this, it is evident that not one
of them is the true Church established by Christ.
(d.) When a strong man armed keefieth his court, those things
which he possesseth are in peace. But if a stronger than he come
upon him and overcome him, he will take away all his armor wherein
he trusted, and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with me is
against me ; and he that gathered not with me, scattereth. The devil,
Jesus says, was up to this time the prince of the world and pos­
sessed it in peace ; he trusted in his armor, unbelief and sin, by
means of which he kept the people in his power. But I am far
stronger than he, and I shall overcome him. I shall take away
his armor, unbelief and sin, and through my disciples take from
him the nations that served him. Then every one will see that
the devil is not with me, but against me, since he will not gather
and convert with me, but scatter, pervert, and drag souls to per­
dition.
These words of Jesus have been fulfilled during more than
eighteen hundred years, and will be fulfilled without interruption
to the end of time. The holy Catholic Church is always com­
bating the devil and his adherents, but after a struggle more
or less severe she always conquers him and extends her
limits further and further, increasing the number of her children
from year to year. How thankful we ought to be that from our
infancy we have belonged to the Catholic Church ! Let us show
our gratitude for this grace by not forgetting that much will be
demanded of him to whom much has been given, and by fulfilling
conscientiously our duties as Catholics.

Part IH.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through
ptaces without water, seeking rest ; and notfinding, he saith: I will
return into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he
findeth is swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him
seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they

252

Third Sunday in Lent.

dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than
the first.

In this passage, in which Jesus speaks of the return of the
devil, reference is made, first, to the Jews, and secondly, to re
lapsing sinners.

1. By sin, all men had come into the power of the devil ; but
God chose the Jews for his people and withdrew them from the
dominion of the devil; and Satan walked through places without
water, that is among the Gentiles. But when these were con
verted to Christianity, he could not remain among them ; he re­
turned to the house whence he had gone out, namely, to the Jews.
He found them swept, to wit, without faith in Jesus and without
obedience to him, and garnished with sanctimoniousness, pride,
self-conceit and imaginary justice. They were a fit dwelling for
him ; he therefore returned to them, but no longer alone, but with
seven other spirits more wicked than himself. The Jews by their
obstinate unbelief and perversity offered a commodious dwelling­
place, not only for one, but for many evil spirits. By this return
of the devil with his companions, the latter state of the Jews be­
came worse than the former—worse than it was before they
were called to be the chosen people. They now fell into blind­
ness and obstinacy of the intellect, into lukewarmness and ob­
duracy of the heart. Their conversion to Christianity became
almost an impossibility, and in that sad state they remain to
this day.
2. What Jesus here says of the Jews is also applicable to re­
lapsing sinners. As long as a man lives in the state of sin he is
in the power of the devil. But if he be converted the devil must
depart from him and surrender dominion over him to the Holy
Ghost. But let us not believe that the devil gives up the con­
verted man entirely, and cares no more about him; no, he returns,
and endeavors to make him relapse and to get him into his power
again. He succeeds if the heart of the converted be swept and
garnished, that is, if in it all heavenly thoughts and good reso­
lutions have vanished, and vanity and a worldly spirit have
settled there By saying that the devil takes with him seven
other spirits more wicked than himself and enters into the heart
of man to dwell there, he declares that the spiritual condition of
one, who, having formerly been a sinner, was by God’s mercy
made penitent, and through penance restored to God’s grace
and love, but then fell away again, turning his back on God and
plunging into his former sins and excesses, is incomparably
worse than it was before he was withdrawn from sin and the
sweetness of grace and holy compunction was made known to

s. Homiletic Sketch.

253

him. For he who relapses into his former sins, loses more and
more the fear of God, he grows more careless, and by-and-by
gets into such a state that he thinks nothing of sin, and finally
falls into blindness and obstinacy. Repeated relapses beget a
bad habit, which becomes a second nature, and makes a real and
lasting conversion almost an impossibility. Such a relapsing
sinner therefore is in the greatest danger of losing his soul; it is
much to be feared that he will remain impenitent and perish
eternally. How true are the words of Jesus 1—The last state of
that man becomes worse than the -first. Guard yourselves against a
relapse into sin. If you have the misfortune to fall into grievous
sin, make a good confession at once and walk cautiously, that
you may not relapse again.
PERORATION

At the conclusion of the gospel the evangelist relates that a
woman, full of admiration at what she had heard and seen, cried
out that that mother was blessed who had borne and reared such
a son. Jesus approved that praise, saying: Yea, rather, blessed
are they who hear the word of God and keep it, for who ever kept
the word of God with a fidelity equal to that of his Blessed
Mother ? Truly Mary is blessed, but not so much for the dignity
of her maternity as for her fervor in hearing the word of God
and keeping it. Behold what value the word of God has I If we
love to hear it and conscientiously keep it, Jesus will call us
blessed, as he did his Mother. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
CONTRITION.

Jesus was casting out a devil.—Luke 11:14.
The miracle of the casting out of the devil, which, as the gospel
for this day informs us, Jesus performed, is to be repeated in a
moral sense in all sinners during the time of Easter. The devil must
must be cast out, that the Holy Ghost with his grace may dwellin
their hearts. This miracle really takes place when we make a good

254

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

confession. But what is the principal requisite for a good con·
fession? Contrition, which consists in an interior sorrow, with a
detestation of the sins committed. It is of all the parts which be­
long to the Sacrament of Penance the most necessary. If con­
trition were wanting, neither mortal nor venial sin could be
forgiven. No sinner has ever yet received the forgiveness of his
sins without true contrition.
Of contrition, the second requisite for the worthy reception
of the holy Sacrament of Penance, I shall speak to-day and ex­
plain to you—

I. What qualities it must have in order that our sins may be
remitted;
II. What we must do in order to obtain true contrition.

Part I.
Contrition, that it may obtain for us the remission of sin,
be interior-, universal and supernatural.

II

ust

i. Interior. That contrition must be interior, is evident from
its definition; for it is a sorrow of the soul and a detestation of
the sins committed. A merely external manifestation of sorrow
and detestation for sins would be hypocrisy, but not contrition.
Contrition must be interior because all sins proceed from the
heart. We say nothing wrong without having first willed it; the
will, the heart, is always the first to turn away from G-od and
God’s law; after that follows the sin in word or deed. If God is
to forgive us our sins, he must require, before all else, that our
will, which had turned away from him by sin, should, by repent­
ing of it, be turned to him again. The word of God also demands
that contrition shall be interior. “Be converted to me with all
your hearts; . .. rend your hearts and not your garments.”—Joel
z: 12, 13. Make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.”—
Ezech. 18: 31. “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a con­
trite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”—Ps.
50: io.
It does not suffice to make an act of contrition merely with the
mouth, or with words ; we must have it in the heart. It is not, how­
ever, necessary that contrition should cause the feelings to be
deeply moved. It suffices that we hate and detest sin above all
things, and are ready to be deprived of every good and to be
afflicted with every evil rather than offend God again by a
mortal sin.
2. Universal. We must be sorry for all the mortal sins we have
committed. By every mortal sin we turn ourselves entirely away

3- Dogmatical Sketch.

255

and separate ourselves from God; we say in effect: Though God
forbids this under penalty of his eternal displeasure, I do not care
what he forbids, and 1 shall do it. As in sinning in this way
we deliberately preferred the pleasure or gain to God, and turned
from him to embrace sin, so in repentance we must turn from sin
and cast it from us to return to God. In other words, we must be
sorry for sin, otherwise a union and reconciliation with God can
not take place. By every sin we deserve the displeasure and in­
dignation of God ; we can not therefore obtain the grace and
love of God if we be not sorry for every mortal sin. By every
mortal sin we lose sanctifying grace, and the inheritance of
heaven ; we therefore remain deprived of sanctifying grace and
the inheritance of heaven if we have not contrition for every
mortal sin. Hence God says by the prophet: “If the wicked do
penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep
all my commandments, and do judgment and justice, living he
shall live, and shall not die.”—Ezech. 18: 21.
Therefore whoever is not sorry for all his mortal sins, makes
a bad confession. It is not, however, necessary to make a special
act of contrition for each individual mortal sin; it suffices that
we are sorry for them all, known and unknown. It is advisable,
however, to make an act of contrition expressly for any particu­
lar sin to which we have been addicted. By so doing our con­
trition is likely to become more perfect; it will reach to and more
thoroughly eradicate that sin, and our resolution of amendment
will be laid on firmer and deeper foundations.
Concerning venial sins, it is not necessary to be sorry for all
of them, or for any one in particular ; if accompanied with mortal
sin we may receive the Sacrament of Penance validly without
any contrition for them. The reason is because venial sins only
weaken, but do not entirely destroy sanctifying grace and the
love of God. If therefore at confession we are sorry only for
grievous sins, we receive the Sacrament of Penance validly and
worthily. But, if a person has only venial sins to confess, and is
not sorry for one of them at least, he would make an invalid and
sacrilegious confession, because contrition is an essential part
of the Sacrament of Penance, and therefore he who has no con­
trition receives the Sacrament uworthily.
It is very advisable that persons who are conscious only of
venial sins since their last confession, especially if it be doubtful
whether they have sufficient contrition for them, should renew
their sorrow for a mortal sin previously committed and already
confessed, and include it in the confession. If the penitent should
not be conscious of having committed even a venial sin since his
last confession, he is obliged to be sorry for a sin already con­
fessed whether mortal or venial, and to confess it, so that the
priest may have matter for absolution.

256

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

3. Supernatural. Contrition is supernatural when we are sorry
for our sins, not on account of their natural evil consequences,
but from a supernatural motive, because thereby we have offend­
ed God and deserved hell. If one were sorry for one’s sins only
from a natural motive, say, on account of a temporal loss, or
from shame, or because sin is base and degrading·, and unworthy
of a rational being, this would be only a natural sorrow. Such a
sorrow is good in itself, but it is not sufficient to obtain the for­
giveness of sins. Examples: King Saul (7. Kings 15: 23, 24),
King Antiochus (7 Mach. 6: 12, 13, and II. Mach. 9: 13). The
reason is because those who have only a natural contrition do
not hate and detest the sin as such, but only the temporal evils
of sin; they are not sorry for having offended God, but only for
tv temporal evils which they have brought on themselves by
sin; and as their heart is not yet averted from evil, God cannot
forgive them. Alasl there are many sinners who have only
natural contrition.
Supernatural contrition is either perfect or imperfect.
(a.) Contrition is perfect when we detest sin more than all other
evils for the sole reason that thereby we have offended God, the
sovereign good. Therefore if our contrition be perfect, we hate
and detest our sins, not because they are hateful and detestable
in themselves, or because we have thereby lost heaven and de­
served hell, but because by sin we have offended God, the so­
vereign good. Although we have no reason to fear eternal dam­
nation for our sins, we should nevertheless hate and detest them.
Ingratitude to God the Father, who loved us from eternity, who
brought us out of nothing, and still loves us as only the Almighty
Creator can love his noblest work; ingratitude to God the Son,
whose whole life and death is the story of his love for us written
by his own divine hand; ingratitude to God the II0I57 Ghost, the
sanctifier of our souls, he who enlightens the mind and moves
the hearts of the faithful, who has bestowed so many heavenly
favors upon ourselves, and who every moment preserves us in
the faith, the hope, and charity of God—this ingratitude to the
Eternal Triune God is the underlying motive of perfect contrition.
(3.) Contrition is imperfect when the fear of hell, or the loss of
heaven, or the heinousness of sin, urges us to detest sin above all
things and to offend God no more. He who has this imperfect
contrition is also sorry for having offended God; he hates and
detests his sins also from the bottom of his heart, but not prin­
cipally because he has offended God, the sovernign good, but
because he has merited the displeasure of God, lost heaven, and
deserved hell. If he had not that fear of God’s retributive justice,
he would not hate and detest his sins above all things, for the

j. Dogmatical Sketch.

257

love of God is yet too weak within him to be capable itself of
producing true contrition in his heart.
Perfect contrition evidently is better than imperfect; the latter
cleanses the soul from all sin only in connection with the Sacra­
ment of Penance; the former, on the contrary, justifies even
without this Sacrament, if we have an earnest desire to confess.
—Co une. Trent, Sess. 24: 4.

Part IL

In order to obtain a true supernatural contrition, we must
1. Fervently petition God for his grace, and

2. Earnestly consider whatfaith teaches concerning the malice of
tin and its evil conseqtcences.
1. As for everything salutary for the welfare of the soul, so for
true supernatural contrition we need the grace of God. But be­
cause God wishes to be asked for his graces, at least for those
subsequent graces by means of which we are saved, we must
pray to him to give us the grace of true contrition. The saints
did so. St. Charles Borromeo every year entered into a spiritual
retreat of at least eight days, in order to prepare himself for his
annual confession. On the day on which he made it he spent
several hours on his knees, in order to ask God for the grace of
true contrition, and yet St. Charles had scarcely a venial sin to
confess. It is therefore desirable not only to invoke the Holy
Ghost at the beginning, but also after the examination of con­
science, to beg God to give us the grace of true contrition.

2. Let us consider,
(λ.) The malice of sin. God is the king of heaven and earth. A
subject who rebels against his king deserves death; what does
the sinner deserve who raises the standard of rebellion against
his God, and with barefaced impudence says to him: “I will not
serve Thee.” God is goodness itself towards us and showers upon
us numberless benefits; is it not the basest ingratitude towards
him to return evil for his goodness and benefits ? What a horrible
crime the Jews committed when they crucified Jesus ? What does
the sinner do ? He renews the crime of the Jews as often as he
commits a mortal sin, for he that sins crucifies Jesus anew.—
Heb. 6: 6.

(£.) The evil consequences of sin. Consider how severely God
punished the rebellious angels whom he cast out of heaven into

Π

17

258

Third Sunday in Lent.

the abyss of hell; Adam and Eve, whom with their whole ρθ3·
terity he chastised with his indignation and tribulations of every
sort; the people in the days of Noe, whom he drowned in the
deluge; the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, whom he des­
troyed by fire and brimstone. Let us consider what we lose by
sin. We lose by every mortal sin sanctifying grace, that grace
purchased for us by the blood of Jesus ; we lose all our previous
merits as well as the supreme prerogative, obtained at our bap­
tism, of being children of God and heirs, with his own divine
Son, to the kingdom of heaven. What a loss! Lastly, let us con­
sider what awaits the sinner. Hell. Hell with all its pains that
will never end. Oh, who would not, considering all this, hate and
detest sin above all things I
PERORATION.

Retain in your memory what I have told you to-day about
contrition. Do all you can to obtain by the grace of God true
supernatural contrition. Without contrition confession is useless
—worse than useless. Without contrition, true and supernatural,
no sinner can be saved. All of them that have ever been saved,
have been saved by contrition, while, on the other hand, every
soul in hell to-day is there for want of contrition. Let us then
follow in the footsteps of the true penitents, excite ourselves at
every confession—nay, daily, to a hearty sorrow for our sins,
that God may pardon us here and give us as penitents a place in
his kingdom hereafter. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

4. LITiraCAL SKETCH.
THE SANCTIFICATION OF LENT,

Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb.—Luke 11:14.
The gospel for this day speaks of a demoniac, whose tongue
the devil held bound, so that he could not speak a word. Our
Divine Saviour cast out the devil and healed the poor man of
his dumbness. In this unfortunate man the Church shows us the
wretched condition of a man who by sin becomes the slave of

4 Liturgical Sketch,

»59

Satan, and she exhorts us to have recourse to Jesus like the
dumb man, in order to be delivered from the power of the evil
spirit, and to be healed. Let us obey the admonition of our Mother,
and employ the present Lent for our reconciliation with God,
since it is a time of penance. For this reason ashes were put
on our foreheads and with earnest words we were called upon
to bring· forth fruits worthy of penance.
The forty days’ fast being a time of penance, the question is,
by what exercises must we sanctify itl· I answer this question by
saying we must sanctify it—

I. By corporal, and
II. By spiritual fasting.
Part L

The corporal fast during Lent consists—
In abstaining on certain days fromflesh meat, (a.) In early times
the Christians abstained during the whole season of Lent from
flesh meat, and even from such food as comes from animals, such
as milk, butter, cheese and eggs. This manner of fasting lasted
till the middle of the fourteenth century. In the year 1344 Pope
Clement VI. made some mitigation and allowed the use of milk,
butter and eggs. The faithful, however, made use of this privilege
only in case of necessity, and even then, when they could not
keep the Lenten fast in all its austerity, they performed in
place of it other good works ; they built churches, made pious
bequests, and gave alms.
I.

(3.) In our days this rigorous precept of fasting is no longer in
force. The Church, accommodating herself to the circumstances
of the times, allows the use of flesh meat during the whole season
of Lent, with the exception of a few days—namely, Wednesdays
and Fridays, the Saturday of Ember week, and the last four days
of Holy Week. Milk, butter, cheese and eggs may also be used,
but fish and flesh meat at one and the same meal are forbidden.
According to the explanation of Benedict XIV., this prohibition
of the use of flesh meat and fish at one and the same meal* is
binding under mortal sin, and extends even to the Sundays
during Lent.

(ci) Persons outside the Church sometimes taunt us, saying that
we might as well eat flesh meat as fast on such a diet. Granted,
but what of it? I may get as fat on salmon as on beef; I may
like my Friday’s dinner even better than any other; what of that?

26ο

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

Why do I not eat meat then ? Because the Church, without con·
suiting me, and centuries before I was born, prohibited the use
of flesh meat on certain days. And her children have observed
the law, and because I am a child of the Church I, too, shall ob­
serve the law. There is no question as to the alimentary or any
other value of the food. I only know that a law of the Church
forbids flesh meat on a certain day. Then, either away with the
Church on that day, or away with the meat. “If he will not hear
the Church let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.”—
Matt. 18: 17.
The Church, however, does not without good reason forbid
the use of flesh meat on certain days. Flesh meat no doubt, is a
somewhat coarse, sensual food. In the beginning men ate only
Lenten food.—Gen. 1: 29. It was only after the deluge, when
mankind had begun to degenerate, that God allowed them to eat
meat.—Gen. 9: 2,3. Nourishment from plants is the nutriment
of innocence; flesh meat is the food of sensuality and ferocity.
The Church, by forbidding us the use of flesh meat on certain
days, wishes to call to our mind the happy state of innocence in
which man lived in paradise where, because he was innocent, he
used innocent food taken from plants ; and to admonish us that
we should return to that happy state in which the spirit ruled
over the flesh.

a. In taking only one full mealy Sundays excepted.
(a.) The Christians of the first ages observed this ecclesiastical
ordinance very exactly. They ate nothing during the whole day,
and took their meal only in the evening, after the setting of the
sun. Nor did they drink water, unless there was a necessity. A
council at Aix-la-Chapelle declares: “Only when necessity re­
quires it, on account of hard labor or weakness, is it allowed to
drink.”
(Æ) This custom of fasting, that is, to remain fasting till aftei
sunset, existed in the Church for twelve hundred years. It was not
till the thirteenth century that there was a departure from the
ancient austerity, when the full meal was allowed to be taken at
three o’clock in the afternoon, and in the fourteenth century, at
noon. This ordinance the Church has adhered to till now, hence
we are allowed daily during the forty days of Lent to take a full
meal about noon. There is a small collation allowed in the even­
ing, which is not to exceed the fourth part of an ordinary meal.
The following persons are exempted from the obligation of
fasting : young persons under twenty-one years of age, and old
persons over sixty years of age, the sick, pregnant women, and
those giving suck to infants, persons engaged in hard labor, and

4*

Liturgical Sketch.

26 î

all those who, through weakness, can not fast without great pre­
judice to their health.
Herein consists the corporal fast, which the Church during
Lent enjoins on us under the penalty of mortal sin. The examples
of the saints of the Old and the New Testament ought to en­
courage us to this fast. In the Old Law we read that Moses, David,
Elias, Judith, Esther, the Machabees, fasted, and by this exercise
obtained of God special graces. Jesus himself fasted forty days
and forty nights in the desert ; the Apostles and Christians of all
periods imitated his example. And if we read the lives of the
saints, we shall not find one who did not keep the prescribed,
fasts, to say nothing of voluntary fasting. If therefore we wish
to be good Catholics, we must conscientiously keep the ecclesi­
astical precept of fasting.
Part IL

The spiritual fast by which we are to sanctify the forty days'
fast consists in—
I.

Renouncing sin.

(a.) Fasting is good and pleasing to God and yet unprofitable,
unless we join to it a penitential life. Pope Leo the Great says:
“We deprive the body of food without any benefit, if we do not
at the same time turn the heart from sin.” We read that the Jews
kept a great fast, but God regarded it not; wherefore they com­
plained, saying : “Why have we fasted, and thou hast not re­
garded : have we humbled our souls, and thou hast not taken
notice ?” And God answered : “Behold, in the day of your fast
your own will is found and you exact of all your debtors; behold,
you fast for debates and strife, and strike with the fist wick­
edly. Do not fast as you have done . . . Loose the bands of
wickedness.”—Is. 58:3, 4,6. The Scribes and Pharisees also
fasted fruitlessly. On account of their ambition and malice Jesus
declared to them that they had already received their reward.
(£.) That our fast may please God, we must renounce sin. The
proud man must humble himself and give to God the honor of
any good that he may fancy he possesses, the avaricious man
must lay aside his inordinate desire tor the goods of this world,
and not set his heart and affections upon them, but must give
alms; the unchaste must renounce his sinful company and all
carnal desires, and live chastely. We must all fast from sin.
Some of you may be dispensed from the rigorous observance of
Lent, but you can not be dispensed from the obligation of doing

tf>2

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

penance and abstaining from sin. The Church expects this kind
of fast from us all, for she thus prays: ‘‘Grant, O Lord, that thy
people who chastise their flesh by abstinence from food, may by
hunger and thirst after justice learn to fast from sin.”
2. Mortifying all inordinate inclinations.
(a.) As long as we do not yield to evil inclinations, which are a
consequence of original sin, they are not sinful, but if we permit
ourselves to be governed by them, they become a fruitful source
of sin. How grievously did the Scribes and Pharisees sin, be­
cause they did not bridle their ambition: Judas, because he did
not put away his avarice; David, who did not banish his impure
desires ! If we neglect the mortification of our evil inclinations,
all corporal fasting is without value. Hence St. Chrysostom says:
“What does it profit to fast, if the irascible do not become meek,
the envious peaceable; if the avaricious do not desist from their
passion and give alms to the poor; if the voluptuous do not be­
come chaste, and the ambitious give up vain honor ?”

(3.) Examine then to-day the evil inclinations which draw you
most forcibly to sin ; and having found them out, use all diligence
in rooting them up during Lent. This is the fast most pleasing to
God. A certain hermit in Thebais had a disciple whom he daily
instructed in the spiritual life. He gave him this instruction
every evening, after which he dismissed him in order to go to
rest. One day some people of the world came to the hermit and
he discoursed with them on spiritual things until evening. When
they had gone, he began to instruct his disciple as usual. Being
very much fatigued, however, the old man was overpowered by
sleep. The disciple wailed till his spiritual father should awake
and dismiss him. But as the old man slept till after midnight, the
disciple was tempted to awake his master, or to leave quietly
and go to rest. Seven times he suffered this temptation, but
each time he resisted it. Finally, long after midnight, the old
man awoke and dismissed his pupil. Afterwards, whilst praying,
he had a vision in which he saw a splendid seat and on it seven
crowns. On asking to whom these crowns belonged, an angel
told him that they belonged to his disciple, who had merited
then? by a sevenfold self-denial. You can do nothing better and
more meritorious during Lent than exercise yourselves in morti­
fication. As often as you banish inordinate inclination or sinful
desire, you gain a crown, which our Lord will give you on the
day of judgment.

3. Performing good works with zeal.

4. Liturgical Sketch.

263

(a.) Heaven is a reward, which is given only to those who have
worked diligently in the vineyard of the Lord. “Every tree
therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down and
cast into the fire.”—Matt. 3:10. Against that servant who buried
his talent was the terrible judgment pronounced: “The unprofit­
able servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness.”—Matt. 25 :
30. The bridegroom said to the foolish virgins who had their
lamps but no oil, that is, faith but no good works: “I know you
not.”
(3.) If therefore you have heretofore been negligent, redouble
your zeal during this holy season in order to make up for the past.
Pray and meditate, read spiritual books, listen to the word of
God, receive the sacraments frequently, perform some of the
corporal and spiritual works of mercy, according to your means
and opportunities, offer your labors to God, and bear patiently
the hardships and tribulations of life. This zeal in good works
will crown your corporal fast, and render you worthy of God’s
grace and love.
peroration.

You know now how you ought to sanctify the forty days’ fast.
Be not content merely with the corporal fast, but practice also
the spiritual, by renouncing sin, by bridling your inordinate in­
clinations, and by performing good works. “Begin, then,” as St.
Leo says, “the holy days of Lent with devotion and render your­
selves worthy of the mercy of God by works of mercy. Extin­
guish the fire of anger, blot out hatred, love concord and peace,
and anticipate one another in works of humility. Masters, be
just to your servants and subjects. Put a stop to the desire of
revenge, forget injuries and offenses, let severity be changed
into mildness, indignation into good-will, and strife into peace.”
if you unite your corporal with your spiritual fast and thus
sanctify the holy season of Lent, you will have reason to hope
If of grace and salvation. Amen.
that it will be to you a time

264

Third Sunday in Lent.

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE MAID-SERVANT SWEEPING THE HOUSE WITH A BROOM, A
PATTERN FOR PENITENTS.

When he is came, hefindeth it (the house) swept and garnished.—
Luke 11: 25.

With the first day of Lent begins the time during which
we must all, receive the Sacraments of Penance and the Blessed
Eucharist in accordance with the precept of the Church. She
reminds us of this by the two gospels which are read on this
and on next Sunday. The gospel for this day, speaking of the
casting out of the devil, refers to the Sacrament of Penance; the
gospel for next Sunday, the narrative of the wonderful multipli­
cation of the loaves, refers to Holy Communion. May God grant
that we mays all during Easter time receive these Sacraments
worthily! Our Lord in the gospel speaks of a house that has
been swept. You know what a servant does when she cleans the
house, or sweeps it, as we commonly say. You must do the same
when you make your Easter confession. I propose to you to-day
the example of a servant sweeping the house, to show you how
you must act in order to make a good Easter confession.
Part I.

1. Before the servant begins to sweep she looks for the dirt
and dust which are to be removed with the broom. This pre­
liminary inspection is necessary, for without it she would not
knowr where the dirt is that is to be removed. What she does
you must also do when you go to confession ; you must begin the
business with a diligent scrutiny of your interior, or in other
words, with a careful examination of conscience. And why?
Because without such an examination of conscience you will not
be able to ascertain properly the state of your soul ; and conse­
quently you would be incapable of making an entire confession,
and equally incapable of making a thorough and sincere amend­
ment of your life; because you can not be sorry for sins which
you do not know, neither can you confess them, nor, as regards
such, make any particular resolutions of amendment. Hence you
see the absolute necessity for this close examination of conscience
to begin with.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

265

t. Just as the servant moves aside tables, chairs, and other ar­
ticles of furniture, in order to discover the dust and to get at it
with the brcom, so must we act at our examination of conscience,
removing everything that might stand in the way of our arriving
at a full knowledge of our sins. Such obstacles are—

(a.) Carelessness and negligence in the examination of conscience.
As the validity of confession, and consequently our eternal sal­
vation, depends on a good examination of conscience, this is
obviously a most important business, and one to which we must
devote the necessary attention. Persons who lead careless lives
and go seldom, perhaps only once a year or so, to confession,
must naturally devote considerable time to this examination.
If they get through the business carelessly and in a few minutes,
they certainly expose themselves to the danger of overlooking
sins which they should confess, and consequently of confessing
invalidly.

(3.) Self-love. This must necessarily be removed, because it
covers the filth of sins, or at least prevents them from being
seen in their proper light. It suggests : This is no sin, you need
not be disquieted about that, you need not confess this thing
or that. And these suggestions may be in regard to matters
that are grievously sinful and that must be confessed if our con­
fession is not to be a sacrilegious one. Again, it is self-love that
infuses false shame into the penitent, and makes him conceal a
sin, or so palliate it as to make it appear altogether different
from what it is in reality. I exhort you to examine your conscience
in the light of faith sincerely and diligently.
Part Π.

I. The servant, having inspected the places that are to be
swept, does not begin at once to sweep, but first sprinkles some
water. Why does she do this? Because it is necessary; if she
did not do so, the dust would rise in clouds and settle every­
where, and the last state of the room would become worse than
the first. Such a sprinkling is also necessary at confession, if
we wish God to forgive us our sins. Thus David sprinkled, who
said of himself : “Every night I will wash my bed ; I will water
my couch with my tears.”—Ps. 6: 7. Mary Magdalen, who “be­
gan to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs
of her head.”—Luke 7: 38. Peter, who after our having denied
our Lord, “going out wept bitterly.”—Luke 22: 62. We must
bewail our sins, if not with external, at least with internal tears,
that is, with true sorrow of the heart. Without contrition, no
valid confession, and no forgiveness of sin, is possible. How

2ÔÔ

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

much do some deceive themselves who believe that their con­
fessions are good, provided they have never knowingly con­
cealed a sin! Though you confess your sins in the most minute
manner, your confession is fruitless, if true contrition be want­
ing. Instead of obtaining forgiveness in the confessional, you
only add a bad and sacrilegious confession to your other sins.
2. The servant is anxious to sprinkle all the spots where filth is;
if she were to leave filthy spots unsprinkled, there would be a
great deal of dust when sweeping, and this would settle every­
where. In like manner we must sprinkle the filthy spots of our
hearts; that is, we must repent of all the sins which we have
committed, at least of all mortal sins, for if we had not contrition
for every mortal sin, our confession would be invalid. Why?
'Explain.) Carefully see, then, that at every confession you are
sorry at least for all mortal sins.

3. The servant uses clean water for sprinkling, for if she took
dirty or foul water, she would only make the floor dirtier, and
spread a bad odor. Our contrition must resemble pure water;
we must be sorry for our sins, not from selfish and natural, but
from pure and supernatural motives. If we repent of our sins
only on account of some temporal loss, temporal shame or punish­
ment, our contrition is of no value, and does not entitle us to for­
giveness. We must be sorry for our sins on account of God,
because we have offended him, lost his love and grace, and
deserved punishment. Ask God earnestly at every confession to
grant you the grace of a true, supernatural contrition, and for
this end consider the baseness and the evil consequences of sin.
Part ΠΙ.

Now, when sweeping, the servant takes a firm hold of the
broom. You must do the same as often as you go to confession,
but especially at your Easter confession; you must make—

A strong and firm purpose of amendment.
(a.) A strong purpose, which consists in your firmly resolving to
avoid at least all mortal sins, as also every proximate occasion of
sin. Where such a purpose is wanting there is no forgiveness of
sin. Ahl how many confess without such a purpose! They con­
fess merely to confess, but not to amend their lives. They are
not resolved never again to offend God, at least by mortal sin;
they have favorite sins, deeply rooted habitual sins which they
never resolve to give up. How great is the number of those who
even at Easier confess unworthily for this reason 1 You must also

4* Liturgical Sketch

267

be resolved to avoid the proximate occasion of sin. What does
that mean? Enumeration of such occasions; familiarity with per­
sons of the opposite sex, intimate friendship and company with ir­
religious, bad people, bad society and houses, sinful enjoyments,
etc. That is difficult, you will say. I grant it; but it must be done,
for Christ says: “If thy hand or thy foot scandalize thee, cut it
off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life
maimed or lame than, having two hands and two feet, to be cast
into everlasting fire.”—Matt. 18:8. Think of the fire of hell,
which you can not escape, unless you give up the proximate
occasiou of sin.
(/5.) A firm purpose. Be resolved never again to offend God.
For this end you ought daily to renew the resolution which you
made at your confession, that it may remain firm and constant.
Many neglect this, and as a consequence relapse soon after their
confession into their former sins. Do not forget the promise and
resolution made at your confession, but renew them daily, espe­
cially in every temptation, that your amendment may be lasting.

Part TV.

1. After those preliminaries, the servant begins the sweeping.
She handles the broom dexterously, and there is no nook or
corner into which it does not go in order to clear away the dirt.
Take the active servant for a pattern, and confess sincerely.
Drag all your sins to the light, and in a spirit of humility and
with contrition of heart accuse yourself of them in simple and
clear language. This is absolutely necessary for the attainment
of forgiveness and grace. St. Augustine says: “Let no one say,
I confess to God alone in secret. It is enough that he who is to
pardon me knows the sorrow of my heart.” If it were so, Christ
would not have said: “What you shall loose upon earth, shall be
loosed also in heaven.” For what purpose would he have com­
mitted the keys to the Church? Therefore it is not enough to
confess to God ; we must also confess to those who have received
from him the power of binding and loosing.
2. The servant who allows dust to remain here and there, or
who, instead of throwing it away, conceals it in a corner, or
hides it somewhere, that it may not be noticed, is certainly not a
good servant, nor would she deserve any praise from her mis­
tress. In like manner, those penitents who, instead of cleansing
their conscience by a sincere confession, conceal a sin out of fear
or shame do their work ill. He who does this knows well that
even if he leave the confessional absolved, he has cc ifessec

168

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

sacrilegiously, and if he die in that state that he will be damned
for ever. Oh, be candid and sincere in your confessions, never
conceal a sin, be it ever so grievous and heinous. It is better
for you not to confess at all, even on your death-bed, than know­
ingly and willingly to conceal anything that ought to be con­
fessed. (Reasons why all should confess candidly.)
Part V.

1. The servant, after sweeping the house, takes a cloth and
wipes the dust from the tables, chairs, and other articles of fur­
niture, in order to clean everything as completely as possible.
The same must be done in the cleansing of the heart. After we
have confessed and have received the priest’s absolution, the prin­
cipal cleaning is done, the sins, together with their eternal
punishment, are remitted, but temporal punishments remain, just
as after sweeping the house some dust remains. We must remove
these temporal punishments by the diligent performance of the
penance enjoined on us by the confessor, just as the cleanly and
careful servant wipes the dust from the furniture. Perform, then,
diligently the penance enjoined after every confession. If a daily
penance be enjoined, perform it every day at a certain time for
fear of forgetting it, and renew every time you perform your
penance the good resolutions you have formed to avoid carefully
the sins confessed. In this way the penance becomes not only a
means for the expiation of the temporal punishments due to sin,
but also an excellent aid to a permanent amendment of life.
2. If the servant, in the cleansing of the house, notices a cobweb,
she removes it, and if she catches the spider, she kills it, so that
it can weave no more webs. Something of the same kind re­
mains to be done after confession. You must avoid the dangers
and occasions of sin and employ the means for penance and amend­
ment. With this object follow the advice of the confessor, prac­
tice prayer and meditation on eternal truths, and receive the
sacraments as often as possible.
PERORATION.

When you go to confession at Easter, or at any other time,
think of what I have told you about the servant sweeping the
house. What she does when sweeping, you must do when you
go to confession. Examine your conscience carefully, make an
act of perfect contrition for all your sins, together with a firm
purpose never more to offend God, confess your sins candidly
and sincerely, and after confession and absolution perform your

6. Moral Sketch.

269

penance. By doing- so, you will make a good confession, and
with souls cleansed from sin and reconciled with God, the blessing,
and care, and love of your heavenly Father will follow you in
your daily duties, and fit you more and more every day to be
received by him at last into the kingdom of his glory. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
THE EVIL OF RELAPSE.

The last state of that man becomes worse than the first.—Luke 11: 26.

The fourth precept of the Church is: To confess our sins at
least once ayear, and to receive worthily the Blessed Eucharist at
Easter or within the time appointed. In our parish, thank God,
there will be only very few, if any, who will not observe this
precept of the Church. But how great will be the number of
those whose hearts the unclean spirit, with seven other worse
spirits, will again take possession of, so that their last state will
become worse than the first? And with whom will this be the
case ? With those who after the reception of the sacraments do
not persevere in virtue, but relapse into their former sins.
I intend to speak to-day about a veryI.
*7 widely spread, and at
the same time very fatal evil, viz., a relapse, and to show you—
I. Its cause,
II. Its consequences.
Part I.

I do not speak to-day of the relapse into lesser faults into
venial sins, for even fervent Christians who are solicitous fortheir
salvation, can not always, without a special grace, keep them­
selves entirely undefiled. If we do not commit these faults care­
lessly, but rather humble ourselves before God for them, and
endeavor to amend them, they do us no particular injury. Neither
do I speak of relapses into extraordinary and unusual sins,
which happen very rarely, and then only on account of some
unfortunate circumstance, for such relapses are generally fol

2 70

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

lowed by a speedy and lasting amendment. I shall speak only of
relapses into those mortal sins which, sad to say of a Catholic
congregation, must be described as ordinary, and which are
committed by many after their confession.
Let us see the principal causes of these relapses.
and sincere conversion at the time of confession,

(a.) There are many who go to confession without being ear­
nestly resolved to forsake their sinful life. Such penitents are
often numerous at Easter time. They confess merely to comply
with the letter of the law, so as not openly to fall under the ex­
communication of the Church; or because their parents or superi­
ors wish them to do so, or because they can not easily evade the
obligation without attracting attention. What is to be thought of
such confessions? They are generally invalid and sacrilegious,
and, of course, not followed by any amendment of life. For how
can those sinners be expected to amend their lives, who at their
confession are devoid even of the will to amend? No one need
wonder that such persons after Easter sin as frequently and
grievously—nay, perhaps more frequently and grievously than
before. It is much to be feared that the Easter confessions will
become for many the cause of their damnation.
(A.) Others are not exactly impenitent; they have a kind of
sorrow for their sins, and make resolutions of amendment, but
they lack the fervor of true repentance; they do not hate and
detest their sins above all things; they can not resolve rather
to lose house and home, life and liberty, than offend God by
mortal sin. Very little reliance can be placed on such. Can you
expect of them a lasting amendment? Certainly not. As soon
as a violent temptation assails them, they waver, and relapse
into the old sins.
Reflect, and see whether this want of real repentance was not
the cause of your so soon falling back into sin. If you find it to
be so, in God’s name I exhort you to rise from your deplorable
state, and prepare to make your Easter confession the great
turning-point for the better in your spiritual life.
2. Another cause of relapse is not avoiding

the occasion of sin.

{ai) Every one is by nature more inclined to evil than to good,
and has some difficulty in controlling his passions and keeping
his soul free from sin. Now, if we expose ourselves imprudently
to the occasion of sin, the temptation becomes stronger, because

6. Moral Sketch.

271

‘•wo enemies, an interior and exterior, assault the heart, and
extraordinary grace will be required to preserve us from sin.
And yet this extraordinary grace, though certainly necessary,
can not be hoped for, because we expose ourselves to danger of
sin presumptuously and without necessity. “He that loveth dan­
ger shall perish in it.”—Ecclus. 3: 27.
(/5.) This is particularly true of the. proximate occasion; if we
do not avoid this when we can do so it is equivalent to being
willing to sin again. Hence St. Augustine says. “To love the
proximate occasion of sin, and to fall into sin, are one and the
same thing.” There are many penitents who are not willing to
give up the proximate occasion of sin. To this class belong
single persons keeping sinful company, drunkards, gamblers,
spendthrifts; these after their confessions regularly relapse into
their former sins, because they do not avoid the occassion. For
this reason confessors are expressly forbidden to absolve peni­
tents who are not willing to avoid the proximate occasion of
sin; absolution is to be withheld till the occasion is avoided, be­
cause otherwise no amendment could be expected. Some peni­
tents promise the confessor that they will avoid the proximate
occasion of sin ; but when they are persons who have made such
a promise several times before and have never kept it, absolution
must be deferred, notwithstanding their promise, till they have
given proofs of their repentance by really avoiding the dan­
gerous occasion.
It is therefore as unjust as it is foolish to inveigh against con­
fessors and to complain when they do not absolve habitual
sinners at once ; they have their rules, which they can not violate
without doing an injury to their own souls and to the souls of
their penitents.

3. A third cause of relapse is the neglect of the means of amend­
ment. I shall mention the principal means.
(ai) Watchfulness, according to the word of Christ: “Watch ye
that ye enter not into temptation.”—Matt. 2ό: 41. We must
watch over our thoughts, emotions, and inclinations, in order
that, if they entice us to evil, we may be ready to combat and
suppress them; we must watch over dangers coming from with­
out, in order to perceive them in time and to guard ourselves
against them. He that omits this watchfulness resembles a sleep­
ing sentinel who is surprised by the enemy and killed. Many
fall more into the snares of Satan because they do not watch,
especially over their exterior senses and their surroundings.

(bi) Prayer. “Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temp­
tation.” Of ourselves we are much too weak to overcome the

5δΛ

/72

Third Sunday in Lent.

enemies of our salvation ; we need the grace of God for this. But
the means of obtaining the grace of God, especially the grace to
overcome all temptation, is prayer. For this reason every con­
fessor exhorts to prayer. But many penitents do not comply with
this admonition; they neglect prayer, or pray without any de­
votion, or they do not pray in the time of temptation; no wonder
then that they relapse after confession.
(c.) Walk in the presence of God. If we wish to keep from sin,
we must have God before our eyes. Example : Joseph of Egypt,
who said : “How then can I do this wicked thing, and sin against
my God.”—Gen. 39: 9. Susanna, who, full of courage, said: “I
am straitened on every side, for if I do this thing, it is death to
me, and if I do it not, I shall not escape your hands. But it is
better for me to fall into your hands without doing it than to sin
in the sight of the Lord.”—Dan. 13 : 22, 23. But how many Ca­
tholics in the pressure of business and the tumult of the world
forget God and the truths of our holy religion, and the conse­
quence is that they become careless and live as if there were
neither heaven nor hell.

{d.} The frequent renewal of good resolutions. In order not to
oecome fatigued or worn out in arduous business, it is necessary
to urge ourselves to it from time to time by strong resolutions.
If we omit such resolutions there is reason to fear that we shall
yield to the temptation of weariness, and shirk or give up the
business. The same is true of the business of our salvation, which
is a very laborious and wearisome one. We must make good re­
solutions daily, strong and particular resolutions too, especially
morning and evening, and in every temptation, in order to per­
severe in virtue. A great many penitents do not do this. They
soon forget the resolutions which they have made at their
confessions; therefore they grow careless and relapse into their
former sins.

G·) Finally, the frequent reception of the holy sacraments. By
frequent confession we learn to know the malice and wickedness
of sin, conceive a more profound detestation of it, and receive
particular grace to overcome temptations. St. Chrysostom calls
holy communion that wonderful food which changes the most
timid into a lion and makes the devil tremble; and the Council
of Trent calls it an antidote which frees us from daily faults and
preserves us from mortal sins.—13; Cap. 2, de Euch. But
many, especially habitual sinners, confess and communicate very
seldom, perhaps once or twice a year, and this is the reason why
they always relapse into their former sins.

6. Moral Sketch.

273

Part II.

What are the consequences of relapse? I shall mention only
three :

1. The loss of the fear of God. A certain man, seeing a lion for
the first time, was seized with such violent terror that he trem­
bled like a leaf. He was greatly frightened the second and the
third time, but by-and-by his fear decreased, and finally he
laughed at his former timidity. It is so with the relapsing sinner.
After the first sin his conscience is aroused; the thought:
“Thou hast grievously offended God, lost his grace and heaven,
and if thou die in this state thou shalt be lost for ever,” fills him
with terror and robs him of all peace. But if he frequently re­
lapse into the same sin, these salutary emotions become much
weaker, and by-and-by he remains as tranquil after every re­
lapse as if he had not the least cause to fear. Unfortunate man I
he feels secure in sin, he laughs and is merry on the brink of the
precipice. The words of the Holy Ghost apply to him: “The
wicked man, when he is come into the depth of sin, contemneth.”
—Prov. 18: 3. Examples from life: the impure, drunkards, gam­
blers, cursers, blasphemers, who always relapse into their old
sins without being in the least disturbed. Hence St. Augustine
says: “Sins even great and horrible, as soon as they have be­
come a habit, are looked upon as little or no sins at all, this is
carried so far that it seems to some unnecessary to conceal them
anymore; they boast of them and make them notorious.” Ah,
how fearful is the state of the sinner who has lost all fear of
God, all fear of the divine justice. That man can hardly be con­
verted. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” [Prov.
I. 7), and this fear the sinner has impiously and defiantly cast
aside.
2. The second consequence that frequently follows relapse into
sin is that the relapse becomes the origin of a habit of sin. What
one frequently does becomes a habit. This is particularly true
of sin, which soon becomes a habit, for man is naturally in­
clined to evil. The habit becomes so much the stronger the more
frequently the relapse into sin occurs, and this habit finally be­
comes a second nature, as it were, so that a true and lasting
conversion, if not absolutely impossible, is at least very improb­
able.

(al) The Sacred Scripture teaches this: “A young man, accord­
ing to his way, even when he is old, he will not depart from it”
—Prov. 22: 6. “If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the
leopard his spots, you also may do well, when you learned evil.”

Π

18

>74

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

—Jer. *3: 2 3- “His bones shall be filled with the vices of hie
youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust.”—fob 20: 11.

(b.) The Λ0Ζ)' Fathers teach this. St. Jerome says: “The evil
does not become so strong by nature that it seems to be changed
into nature, but by the frequent habit and the love of sin.” St.
Chrysostom remarks: “Great is the tyranny of habit, yea, it is so
great that it compels as much as nature.” St. Bernard: “The
frequent repetition of sin begets the habit; the habit, the neces­
sity; the necessity, the impossibility; the impossibility, despair;
and despair, damnation.”
(c.) Experience. Many who are addicted to drunkenness, Im­
purity, gambling, cursing, etc., frequently bewail their wretched
condition, they sigh and moan, saying: “Oh, that I were once
again free from this wretched habit !” They sometimes make an
attempt to reform themselves, but in vain ; the bad habit becomes
daily stronger, and reduces them to the old slavery. A priest
once tried to convert a voluptuous man and bring him back to a
sense of duty. The sinner was moved to tears, which he freely
shed, but while weeping and sobbing, he uttered these awful
words : “If you were to open hell for me, if I were to see the devils
ready to receive me, on tne first occasion that might present
itself I should be unable to abstain from my habitual sin, not even
if 1 knew for certain that immediately after the commission of
it I should die and that my soul should be plunged into hell.” Oh,
the terrible strength of a bad habit !
3. Frequently final impenitence is the consequence. Relapses
repeated for a long series of years—nay, often the greater part
of life, bring the sinner to such a pass that he gives up all hope
of conversion and lives and dies in sin. This impenitence has its
cause—
(a.) In the blindness of the understanding. Sin has this peculi­
arity, that the more frequently it is committed and the longer
it lasts the more it blinds man. St. Eusebius says: “The more one
sins, the less one knows one’s sins.” Witness, the Sodomites,
who, in consequence of their prolonged wickedness, were so
blinded that they believed themselves more just than Lot; there­
fore, they rejected his warning with angry words, saying: “Thou
earnest in as a stranger, was it to be a judge ?”—Gen. 19: 9. St.
Augustine, writing on this passage, says: “So far had it gone
with the habit of this abominable vice that the Sodomites con­
sidered it a virtue, and be who tried to prevent it was rebuked
more than he who committed it.” It is so in our days with the
voluptuous, the drunkards, cursers, blasphemers, gamblers and

6. Moral Sketch.

’75

others who sin almost continuously, or upon all occasions. You
may admonish them with all kindness, or with earnestness and
severity ; you may hold up to them the joys of heaven and the
torments of hell, all will be in vain, they are so blinded that of
all you tell them they believe little or nothing.

(3.) In the obduracy of the heart. As a bodily sickness is aggra­
vated by a relapse and finally becomes incurable, so the oftrepeated sin makes the ruin of the soul more complete and hope­
less at every repetition. At last the man arrives at the point
when virtue becomes not only indifferent, but even hateful to
him, and he finds pleasure only in wickedness. An example of
this hard-heartedness we have in the Scribes and Pharisees, who,
in spite of all the doctrines and miracles of Jesus; continued in
their unbelief. Great is the number of the impenitent. “Know·
est thou not the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance. But
according to thy hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest
up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of
the just judgment of God, who will render to every man accord­
ing to his works.”—Rom. 2: 4-6.
PERORATION.

How evil, how pernicious, are the results of a relapse! The
relapsing sinner loses more and more the fear of God; he be­
comes an habitual sinner, and frequently falls into final impenit­
ence. Beware, therefore, of relapsing into your former sins. At
the coming Easter time make a good confession, promise God and
your confessor, in all the sincerity of your heart, never again to
commit a mortal sin. If you have a firm purpose, a lasting
conversion is possible ; employ the general and particular means
of amendment, and God will assist you with his grace, so that you
will no more relapse, but work out your salvation and be nu

bered among the elect. Amen.

276

Third Sunday in Lent

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
THE ADVERSARIES OF CHRIST.

Re that is not with me, is against me.—Luke 11: 23.
These are significant words of Christ, from which it necessarily
follows that there are two classes of men ; those who are for him,
who belong to him, and serve him, and those who do not serve
him, but serve their own passions, the world and the devil, and
are consequently the adversaries of Christ. Such adversaries
were the Scribes and Pharisees, who hated our divine Saviour,
and, in order to lower him in the estimation of the people,
ascribed his miracles to the devil. The adversaries of Christ
are numberless in our days. Let us speak of them to-day by
answering the question :

Who are the adversaries oi Christ ?
Part L
The indifferent, that is, persons who are indifferent in matters
of faith and morals; they pretend that it matters not what a man
believes, whether he belongs to this or that Church; whether he
is a heathen, a Jew, a Mohammedan, a Protestant, or a Catholic;
provided that he leads an honest life, he will be saved.
This is indeed a very pleasant doctrine but it is not Christ’s.
Nor are they who hold it with Christ. It is as far as far can be
from what the Saviour taught. If what we believe or what
doctrines we hold were a matter of indifference, why did Christ,
for three years, under so many tribulations and persecutions,
preach his gospel, and in order to induce people to believe in
him, perform so many miracles? Why did he commission his
Apostles to preach his divine doctrine to all nations? To what
purpose the Christian faith at all, if any would do, since the Jews,
and even the Gentiles, already had a religion? Moreover, Christ
always speaks of one Church only, which he would found upon
Peter the rock; of one shepherd and one fold, therefore of one faith;
he also declares in the plainest terms that “he that believeth,
and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall
be condemned.”—Mark 16 :16. And what is the language of the
Apostles ? They unanimously declare that we can be saved only
II

7- Moral Sketch.

277

by belief in Jesus Christ and his doctrine. Paul and Silas, in ans­
wer to the prison-keeper at Philippi, who asked what he should
do to be saved, said. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt
be saved, and thy house.”—Acts 16:31. St. Peter says : “Neither
is their salvation in any other. For there is no other name under
heaven given to men whereby we must be saved.”—Acts 4: 12.
The indifferent, then, are open adversaries of Christ, because
by their assertion that it does not matter what one believes they
directly contradict his doctrine. Be not deluded by them when
they tell you to believe what you please as long as you are
honest ; say : “God and his Apostles convict you of a lie ; to them I
shall cling, I shall believe what the holy Catholic Church pro­
poses to be believed, and according to that faith I shall live, for
only by doing so can I obtain my everlasting end.”
Part IL

The self-constituted innovators or Church reformers. They con­
sider the Church as an ancient institution which does not suit our
times, and therefore needs to be reformed, or remodeled, ac­
cording to the spirit of the times. Catholic worship especially,
is to them in many respects a stumbling-block ; they talk of sim­
plifying it, of removing the unmeaning ceremonies, of the intro­
duction of the vernacular into the divine offices. Fools, they know
not that, as a Father of the Church remarks, the Church is heaven
in miniature, that the gorgeous worship is on account of the majesty
of God, whom man can never honor enough; they forget that
every, even the least, ceremony has a spiritual meaning and is
by no means mere gorgeousness for him who endeavors to com­
prehend ecclesiastical usages. These innovators do not consider
that the Latin language adds to the solemnity of the worship
and not only furthers the unity of the Catholic Church, but also
gives a most beautiful evidence of her universality. Truly, there
is nothing grander, more noble, and more worthy of God, than
Catholic worship.
Consequently, all who wish to change her mode of worship,
or, as they think, to simplify and to amend it, are against Christ,
and are enemies of his holy Catholic Church; for she is also in
this point guided by the Holy Ghost.
Part III.

The half educated, or so-called enlightened persons. They draw
their wisdom from newspapers or conversations which they hear
at their clubs or in their intercourse with the world. They wish
to prove that they know something, and gladly jump at an oppor­
tunity to show off. And because now-a-days it belongs, forsooth,

17«

Third Sunday in Lent.

tc the “high toned” to disregard everything pertaining to religion, they like to express their opinion when there is a question
of the Church, its doctrines, its institutions and particularly its
priests. In the Church, of course, they find a great deal that is
worthy of blame; her doctrines and principles are too severe,
and no longer suitable to the times; the Papacy must cease, for
it does not agree with the liberty and welfare of the people.
Bishops and priests hold much too firmly to obsolete ordinances
of the Church ; they must accommodate themselves to the spirit
of the times, if they wish to continue to exist. The precepts of
the Church do not bind ; it is particularly foolish to consider the
precept of fasting, and the annual confession and communion,
as obligatory I
These are enemies of Christ. Christ is the founder of the holy
Catholic Church; he rules and governs her: he promised and
sent her the Holy Ghost, the spirit of Truth, to teach her all
truth and to remain with her till the end of the world. To criti­
cise and blaspheme against the Church is to criticise and blas­
pheme against Christ. Moreover, Christ emphatically says: “If
he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen
and publican.”—Matt. 18: 17. He that rebels against the Church
and despises her precepts and ordinances, is, in the eyes of
Christ, as bad as a heathen and a public sinner. Consider this
well, so that by the mere talk of these men who wish to be look­
ed upon as enlightened you may not be shaken in your rever­
ence for, and obedience to, the Church.

Part IV.
The rationalists. These either deny the necessity of divine revel­
ation absolutely, or assert that we must believe only what we
comprehend with our reason ; or they place reason above reve­
lation by receiving and believing the truths of religion revealed
by God only in so far as they comprehend them by reason. The
rationalists, therefore, set themselves above the Sacred Scrip­
tures and Christian tradition ; they receive neither as the word
of God, or they interpret them according to their own fashion.
Reason is to them everything ; they recognize no other authority,
much less anything superior to reason.
That the rationalists are the adversaries of Christ is evident.
Christ refers all men, in matters of faith and morals, to the teach­
ing of the Church, to which they must submit unconditionally.
“Going therefore teach ye all nations, baptizing in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever 1 have commanded you.”
—Matt. 28 : 19, 20. How clear are these words ! Again : “He that
heareth you, heareth me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth

7. Moral Sketch.

279

me ; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.”—
Luke 10 : 16. He, therefore, who does not submit to the teaching
of the Church, and does not believe and do what she prescribes
does not hear Christ, but despises him. Is not such a one an
adversary of Christ? Strictly speaking, the rationalists have no
supernatural and Christian faith. To believe as a Christian is
simply to receive as truth what Christ, through his Church, pro­
poses to be believed, and because he proposes it. As the ratio­
nalists do not believe many things which the Church proposes
to our faith, and as, whatever they believe, they do not believe
because the Church proposes it to believed, their faith is not
a supernatural or a Christian faith, bat only a natural and human
one, which has no value before God.

Part V.

The atheists, or unbelievers. In our times there are a great
many people who are really very wicked because they do not
believe in God. If you speak to them of God, the Almighty
Creator of heaven and earth, the rewarder of the good and the
punisher of the wicked, they laugh and say : “There is no God.”
And as they do not believe in God, they do not believe in the
immortality of the soul, nor in reward and punishment, nor in
heaven or hell. Man is to them a rational animal; he has no
soul, that is, an immortal spirit, and all ends with death.
It is evident that the unbelievers are adversaries of Christ; in
spiritual matters they stand lower than the ancient pagans; for
they, despite their dreadful errors, believed in gods, in the immor­
tality of the soul, and in a reward or punishment in the next world.
But how can a man come to believe in nothing, and deny even
the existence of God? Christ gives the answer, saying: “This is
the judgment, because the light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, for their works were evil. For
every one that doth evil, hateth the light and cometh not to the
light, that his works may not be reproved.”—John 3: 19, 20. It
is sin and vice that lead man to unbelief. The truths of faith, the
existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, infinitely holy and just
God, of judgment, of heaven and hell, render the life of the
sinner bitter ; in order to get rest and peace, he tries to persuade
himself that there is no God, no eternity. And he frequently
succeeds in shaking off the yoke of faith, or at least in giving
himself the appearance of unbelief. No truly pious and virtuous
man has ever become an unbeliever. Guard against sin and vice,
tnd you need have no fear of becoming unbelievers.

28ο

Third Sunday

in

Lent.

Part VI.
The revolutionistst etc. These stand in the most intimate connec­
tion with unbelievers : they, too, wish not to hear of God, and
religion is to them an abomination. They are libertines, full of
vile passions. Puffed up with intolerable pride, and miserable
slaves of sensuality, they hate all existing order, and wish to
create a new order of things. They are faithful servants of the
devil, whose children they are, and who inflames them daily with
his hellish fury. They are well aware that the Catholic Church
determinediv resists their machinations for the overthow of society, and therefore nothing is more odious to them than the
Catholic Church. They work with all their might for her down­
fall. For this purpose they constantly use the public press. Their
papers and magazines are used to foment dissatisfaction and to
excite innocent people, especially the laboring class, to revolu­
tion. With fiendish hate, and the most impudent and cool effron­
tery, they assail every institution, every class of society. They
drag all that is venerable and holy into the mire, blaspheme
God, and labor to destroy the Church ; they openly preach un­
belief, praise murder and rapine as virtue, whilst they detract
from the most noble deeds, and ridicule, calumniate, and insult
all that are opposed to their wicked chemes.

Part VU.
A great part of Judaism. The Jews, fro tl the beginning, were
the most bitter enemies of Christianity. As history teaches us, they
were always ready to injure the Catholic Church. In our days
it is the Jews who edit the most bigoted papers, papers that
continually attack and misrepresent our doctrines and ordi­
nances, and disseminate the basest lies and calumnies against
priests and religious, to deprive them of the respect paid to them,
and the authority exercised by them, so that their influence for
the welfare of the Church may be rendered nugatory. And as
now-a days they are active in all the relations of civil life, and
possess great riches, they have powerful influence and are able
to oppress the Church and injure her in many ways.
peroration.

I have named the principal adversaries of Christ in our days,
and have briefly shown you what they are, and what they aim
at. Be prudent and circumspect, and guard yourselves against

7. Moral Sketch.

281

falling into their snares and rendering yourselves miserable for
time and eternity. Stand firmly by your holy religion, and by
the Church of God, whose children you have become in your in­
fancy by a special grace of God, for where the Catholic Church
is, there is Christ, and they that hold with the Church hold with
Christ. If you hold with Christ and serve him faithfully, he will
give you his love, protect you from the enemies of your salvation,
and invite you to enter into the joys of eternal life. Amen.

a8a

Fourth Sunday in Lent.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

Epistle. Gal. 4: 22-31. Brethren: It is written that Abraham
had two sons: the one by a bond-woman, and the other by a freewoman : but he who was by the bond-woman was born according
to the flesh: but he by the free-woman was by promise. Which
things are said by an allegory : for these are the two testaments:
the one from Mount Sina engendering unto bondage, which is
Agar : for Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to
that Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother.
For it is written: “Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not: break
forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for many are the child­
ren of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband”;
now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But
as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him
that was after the spirit, so also it is now. But what saith the
Scripture? “Cast out the bond-woman and her son : for the son of
the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.”
So then brethren, we are not the children of the bond-woman, but
of the free : by the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
AGAR AND SARA, TYPES RESPECTIVELY OF THE JEWISH AND
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

St. Paul had founded in Galatia, a province of Asia Minor,
several Christian congregations, which on account of their zeal
caused him many joys. After he had left, false teachers came and
made a great disturbance among them. They wished to unite the
Jewish with the Christian religion, and asserted that the Christians
also were obliged to observe the Jewish laws and ceremonies,
such as circumcision, sacrifices, fasts and feasts, the difference
between clean and unclean food, if they wished to be saved.
Now, to guard the Galatians against being led astray, and to
keep them in the true faith, the apostle wrote them an epistle
proving that the Old Law of the Jews had ceased and that the

i. Homiletic Sketch.

2^

new Law had taken its place, according to the precepts of which
one must live in order to be saved.
The lesson for this Sunday is but a small portion of this epistle,
in which St. Paul proposes the two wives of Abraham, Agar and
Sara, as the types respectively of the Jewish and the Christian
Church, and from what the Sacred Scripture says of these two
women he proves that the Christians are free from slavish bond­
age of ceremonies.
Part L
Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-woman, and the other
by a free-woman ; but he who was of the bond-woman was born accord­
ing to the flesh; but he of the free-woman was by promise.
Under the Old Law God had allowed men to have more than
one wife. Thus Abraham, the progenitor of the people of Israel,
had two wives, Agar and Sara. Agar bore him a son according
to the course of nature, for she was young and could become a
mother. But it was not so with Sara, who, as the Scripture says,
was barren and far advanced in years, so that in the natural and
ordinary course of nature it was impossible for her to bear a
child. And yet she became a mother when she was ninety years
of age, Abraham being then in his hundreth year. This was the
result of a divine promise. — Gen. 17 : 15-21. Sara conceived and
brought forth a son in virtue of a miracle, and consequently her
son Isaac was a child of grace.

Here Agar and Sara appear as the respective types of the
Jewish and the Christian Church. Whoever could prove them­
selves descended from Abraham were Jews and belonged as a
matter of course to the Jewish Church. The descendants of
Abraham were, therefore, according to the course of nature, mem­
bers of the Jewish Church, just as Ismael, according to the course ot
nature, was the son ofAgar. Now, we are notin the Christian Church
as the Jews were in the synagogue ; we are not here by any right
of descent or inheritance; we are not naturally, but by a special
grace of God, members of the Church. Although a child have
Christian parents, it is not on that account a member of the
Church; it becomes such only by Baptism, which is a grace of
God, not earned or merited. The Christian Church, then, is a
picture of Sara, for as she became a mother and brought forth
Isaac only through the intervention of God, so we owe it to
grace that we are Christians and can call the Christian Church
our mother. For this reason Christ says: “No man can come to
me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him.”—John 6:44.

L

j84

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

And St. Paul writes. “Who (Christ) hath delivered us, and called
us, by his holy calling, not according to our works, but accord­
ing to his own purpose and grace, which was given us.”—IL
Tim. 1:9. If therefore, you are asked, of what faith are you?
you must answer: “By the grace of God I am a Catholic,” for
only to grace must we ascribe it that we are Christians and
children of the Catholic Church. Whilst so many millions of men,
Turks, heathens, Jews, heretics, and schismatics, are sitting in
darkness and the shadow of death, and are in extreme danger
of being lost, we walk in the light of faith and are members of
the Catholic Church, that Church in which we possess abundant
means and graces to work out our salvation and be saved. Is
this not a grace for which we can never sufficiently thank God ?
Let us employ it for our salvation, considering that much will
be asked of him to whom much has been given.
Part Π.

Which things are said by an allegory: for these are the two testa­
ments ; the one from Mount Sina, engendering unto bondage, which
is Agar; for Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to
that Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with her children.
But that Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is our mother.

By these words the Apostle again points out that Agar and
Sara, with their sons, are types respectively of the old and the
New Law, or of the Jewish and the Christian Church. As we
know, the Old Law was given on Mount Sina. This law is pre­
figured by Agar and her son Ismael. Agar, indeed, was Abra­
ham’s wife, but she was not a free-woman, but only a servant, a
bond-woman. Being herself a servant, a bond woman, any child
born to her would he born into her condition, that of slavery,
and consequently her son was from his birth a bond man, a slave.
Behold, this Agar with her son Ismael resembled the Old Law
and the Jews for whom it was given. This law, in truth, was
nothing but a law for slaves. Why? Because its provisions were
such as the law makes for slaves. To keep them in subjection
and obedience they are threatened with punishment, or coaxed
with promises of temporal reward. The Old Law did this. It was
given on Mount Sina amidst thunder and lightning and imposes
severe penalties on its violators, and great temporal rewards on
its observers. “If thou wilt not hear the voice of the Lord thy
God, to keep and to do all his commandments .... all these
curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. Cursed shalt
thou be in the city, cursed in the field, cursed shall be thy barn
and cursed thy stores, cursed shall be the fruit of thy womb and
the fruit of thy ground, the hercs of thy oxen and the flocks ef

i. Homiletic Sketch.

285

thy sheep ; cursed shalt thou be coming in, and cursed going out.
The Lord shall send upon thee famine and hunger, and a rebuke
upon all the works which thou shalt do, until he consume and
destroy thee quickly.—Deut. 28: 15, 20. “Now if thou wilt hear
the voice of the Lord thy God, to do and keep all his command­
ments ... all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake
thee. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed in the field:
blessed shall be the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy
ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the droves of thy herds, and
the folds of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy barns, and blessed
thy stores. Blessed shalt thou be coming in and going out.”—
Deut. 28: 1-6. Behold here the law for slaves indicated by Agar
and Ismael.
But Sara, with her son Isaac, is a type of the Christian Law
and of the Christian Church. She was a free-woman, a consort,
and participated in all the rights of Abraham; her son Isaac, too,
was a free-man and had a claim and title to all the rights and
privileges of his mother. Thus the Christian Church, which by
the prophets, and especially by St. John in the Apocalypse, is
designated as the new heavenly Jerusalem, isfree, for her law has
neither threats, fear, nor terror, but love, for its basis. We Chris­
tians are no longer servants, but children of God, as St. John
writes: “Behold what manner of charity the Father hath be­
stowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons
of God.”—I John 3:1. If we adhere to God with filial love and
do his will, we may with reason hope for the everlastings joys
of heaven. How much better off, then, are we than were the
Jews of the Old Testament! Whilst God treated them as servants
and was obliged to treat them as such on account of their in­
tractable disposition, he adopts us as his children; whilst the Jews
approaching God veiled their faces out of terror and dared not
pronounce his name, we draw near him with filial confidence,
praying, “Abba, Father,” Let us highly esteem our dignity, and
let us not pollute it by the gratification of low passions ; let us
exhibit ourselves as good children of our heavenly Father and
cheerfully do his holy will.

Part UL
It is written: Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth
and cry, thou that travailest not, for many are the children of the
desolate, more than of her that hath a husband.

Here again St. Paul draws a comparison between Agar and
Sara, and between the Jewish and the Christian Church. Sara
was barren and to all appearance fated to die childless. This
was not the case with Agar, for she already had a son, and as

■-*· - vs*?·

?86

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

she was in her prime, it might be expected that she would have
more children, and be blessed with a numerous posterity. But,
behold! the contrary happened. Sara, the barren wife, by a di­
vine promise, brought forth a son, Isaac, in her old age, when
she was naturally past child-bearing, and had far more numerous
descendants than Agar; for the people of Israel, who are de­
scended from Abraham and Sara, were far more numerous and
powerful than the people of Ismael, who had Ismael, the son of
Agar, for their progenitor. It is the same with the Jewish and
the Christian Church. The Jewish Church, foreshadowed by
Agar, outstripped the Christian at the beginning in numbers and
authority, for whilst the former counted her adherents by the
million, the latter, on the feast of Pentecost, was so small that
they had room in a single hall at Jerusalem, there being, all told,
only about one hundred and twenty souls. As Sara could have
little hope of a numerous posterity before the birth of Isaac, the
Church apparently could have little hope before the day of
Pentecost of one day counting her millions and being spread over
the whole world. She seemed to be as barren as Sara was, since
her doctrine stood in direct contradiction to the views and passions
of men, and for her propagation no one seemed less fit than the
Apostles, those poor, illiterate, and despised fishermen. But as
God had promised Abraham that he would multiply his descen­
dants as the stars of heaven and the sands on the sea-shore, so
the Church also received the promise that she should be extend­
ed over the whole world and be propagated among all nations.
And this promise was fulfilled. The Church, notwithstanding all
obstacles and persecutions, grew daily, and at present counts
about two hundred and fifty million members.
Thus St. Paul could with justice apply the words of the Pro­
phet Isaias(54: 1-3) to the Catholic Church: “Give praise, thou
barren, that bearest not, sing forth praise and make a joyful noise
thou that didst not travail with child, for many are the children
of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband.” We also
have the great happiness to be her children, therefore the
Apostle calls us children of the promise. We have good reason to
rejoice that God has called us to this blessing of being children
ot his holy Church; but let it be our care that this great grace
be not bestowed on us in vain, that we prove ourselves by a
saintly life true children of Holy Church.

Part IV.

Butas then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted
him that was after the spirit, so also it is now. But what saith the
Scripture ? Cast out the bond-woman and her sont for the son of the
bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

287

As Sacred History informs us, Ismael derided Isaac and injured
him in many ways, for he hated him, seeing that he was pre­
ferred before him and inherited from his father, although he was
not the first-born. Sara, noticing this, importuned Abraham to
cast Ismael with his mother out of the house. Abraham hesitat­
ed to comply with Sara’s wish, but God told him to do so,
whereupon Abraham dismissed Agar with her son Ismael.— Gen.
21: 9-14.
In this occurence the Apostle again beholds a type of the Jew­
ish and the Christian Church. As Ismael persecuted Isaac, derid­
ed and grudged him the blessing of primogeniture, so the Jews
hated and persecuted the Christians as long as they had the power,
as is evident from the Acts of the Apostles. Some of the Jews
who had become believers in Christ were even hostile to the
Christians converted from Gentilism, and despised them; for they
imagined that to them alone, as the children of Abraham and
the chosen people of God, the grace of Christianity was due,
and that the Christians from Gentilism were bound to keep the
Jewish law, otherwise they could not be true Christians and be
saved. The lot of Ismael befell them; they were rejected for
their obstinacy and spirit of persecution, according to the word
of our Lord : “I say unto you, that many shall come from the East
and the West, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven ; but the children of the king­
dom shall be cast out into the exterior darkness; there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.”—Matt. 8:11, 12. While pagan
nations entered the Church, the great majority of the Jews per­
severed in unbelief and impenitence, and therefore were de­
prived of the grace of Redemption, which was intended for
them, the first of all nations.
In Ismael and Isaac we also see depicted the worldly-minded
and the zealous adherents of Christ. The former mock, despise,
and persecute the latter; according to them, there is no other
happiness than that of the children of the world; it is the goods
and pleasures of this earth they seek after. Those who mortify
themselves despise earthly things, and aspire to what is above,
are fools in their eyes. But how wretched should we be if we
shared the opinion of these worldly people ! Like the unbelieving
and hard-hearted Jews, we should be rejected by our Lord,
Do not lose sight of your eternal destiny. In our time the greater
part of mankind live in forgetfulness of God, and give free scope
to their passions. Adhere to Christ and his Church, that you
may not be lost with the many who are called, but saved with
the few who are chosen.
We all have in ourselves an Ismael and an Isaac, the flesh that
fights against the spirit, the old and the new man, who are al­
ways at war with each other ; let us do as Abraham did, let us

288

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

cast out Ismael, the old, carnal man, for flesh and blood can not
inherit the kingdom of God.
PERORATION.

St. Paul concludes the epistle for this day with the words:
So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bond-woman but of
the free, by the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free. That
is, we are no longer subject to the old ceremonial law of the
Jews; for Christ has abolished this law now and for ever and has
made us free. But our liberty does not consist in living accord­
ing to our lusts and passions, for he who permits himself to be
governed by them is a wretched slave. Only then are we truly
free when we mortify ourselves, carry our cross daily, and follow
Christ, whom to serve is to reign. To obtain and preserve this
Christian freedom must be our constant endeavor, that “we have
our fruit unto sanctification, and the end everlasting life.”—Ram.

6: sa. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.
Gospel. John 6:1-15. At that time : Jesus went over the sea
of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias : and a great multitude fol­
lowed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them
that were diseased. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and
there he sat with his disciples. Now the pasch, the festival day of
the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up
his eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he
said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?
And this he said to try him, for he himself knew what he would
do. Philip answered: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. One of his
disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him:
There is a boy that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes; but
what are these among so many? Then Jesus said : Make the men
sit down. Now there was much grass in the place: The men
therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus
took the loaves : and when he had given thanks, he distributed
to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes as
much as they would. And when they were filled, he said to his
disciples : Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost

289

i. Homiletic Sketch.

They gathered up, therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the
fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and
above to them that had eaten. Now those men, when they had
seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the
prophet that is to come into the world. Jesus therefore, when
he knew that they would come to take him by force and make
him king, fled again into the mountain himself alone.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE MIRACULOUS MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES.

The gospel for this day relates that Jesus crossed the Sea of
Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and that there he sat with
his disciples. His apostles whom he had sent out two and two to
prepare the people for his coming, had returned from their mis­
sion and had “related to him all things that they had done and
taught.” He wished to give them some rest and therefore retired
with them into solitude. But the people, on account of the mi­
racles he wrought, were very much attached to him, and followed
him into the solitude and were gathered around him on the
mountain. Here it was that our Lord, after having taught the
assembled multitude till evening and healed the sick that were
brought to him, wrought a great miracle by multiplying five
loaves of bread and two fishes, so that more than five thousand
men were filled ; and after they had eaten there remained a great
deal more than there had been at first.

Let us meditate on this miracle, and consider what occurred—
I. Before it took place;
II. Daring the time of the miracle;
III. After it had taken place.

1. Jesus wished to reward the people, who, with very commend­
able zeal, had listened for days to his divine word, and he resolved
to work a miracle. These people had continued with him the
whole day, eagerly listening to the words of salvation from his
mouth, without regard to the hunger which they must have felt.
This action of Christ and of the people teaches us that we must
always be more solicitous for our soul and our eternal salvation
than for the body and our temporal wants. The soul is more
valuable than the body, and eternal life is of more consequence
than the temporal. But many scarcely seem to think so. With

19

►

2ÇG

Fourth Sunday in Lent.

what are they occupied when they awake in the morning·? Is it
with God and the salvation of their soul ? No. They are occupied
with earthly, and perhaps even sinful things. What do their
thoughts and desires aim at during the day? Again only at
earthly things; they do not care about heavenly things. And
what do they do in the evening? They go to rest without prayer,
or they pray with so many distractions and with so little devotion
that they offend God rather than honor him. How do they
conduct themselves on Sundays and holidays? They do not work,
they wear better clothes, they go to church. But have they on
such days any better spirit and disposition than on other days?
No, their hearts are even on these sacred days engaged with
purely temporal things ; they pray little and ill, they hear the
word of God either not at all or without good resolutions ; the
hour they spend at church appears to them longer than whole
days spent at work. Is not this to invert the order and to act more
foolishly than unwise children who exchange precious pearls for
pieces of stained glass? Oh! act like Christians, act as if you
possessed the sense of grown people ; seek first the kingdom of
God and his justice, and all things which are necessary for your
temporal welfare shall be added unto you.
2. We see that in the gospel for this day Jesus turns to
Philip with the question : Whence shall we buy bread, lhat these
may eat? Behold, how lovingly he thinks of the temporal wants
of the people ; he will not dismiss them without having fed them.
But why does he ask Philip this question? As the gospel says:
This he said to try him, for he himself knew what he would do. He
knew that Philip and the other Apostles were weak in their
faith. In order to turn their attention to the miracle which he
was going to work, and to bring them to the knowledge of the
weakness of their faith, he tried them. Thus God frequently
tries people, leaving them for some time in their distress, although
he is ready to help them, in order to cleanse them from their
imperfections and faults, or to give them an opportunity of prac­
ticing some virtue, such as humility, patience, or self-denial, or to
increase their merits for heaven. When God visits you with such
trials, imitate Abraham, Job, and other saints, and persevere in
patience and confidence in God, for to them that love God, “all
things work together unto good.”—Rom. 8: 28.

3. Philip did not understand the drift of our Lord’s words.
For he said: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient
for them, that every one may take a little. If bread was to be
bought to feed the multitude, two hundred pence, that is,
about forty or fifty dollars of our money, would not have been
sufficient. Fifty dollars’ worth would have given only one

2. Homiletic Sketch.

291

eent’s worth of bread to each man, evidently not sufficient to
appease his hunger. Many a head of a family is sometimes as
sorely perplexed as Philip; he actually needs for the support of
his wife and children and other necessary expenses fifty or a
hundred dollars, and he has not so many cents. What is he to
do in this strait? Trust in God, persevere in patience, and do
what he can do meet the difficulty; then everything will come
right. It would be a mistake, and a great mistake for such needy
fathers of families to become angry and indignant, break out
into curses and blasphemies, and let all go to rack and ruin, say­
ing, It is no use to try; neither would it be right to have recourse
to illicit means, as cheating or theft, in order to alleviate the
distress.

4. Andrew, the brother of Peter, was of Philip’s opinion : There
is a boy here that hath five barley loaves and two fishes, but what are
these among so many I As men judge, Andrew was right; five
loaves of bread and two fishes were not sufficient to feed five
thousand men. But both Apostles erred in deciding according
to their reason alone, and forming a judgment according to what
they saw before them. They should have reflected: “Jesus is the
Son of God, nothing is impossible to him; he has wrought many
miracles before for the good of men; it is easy for him by a mi­
racle to procure bread for these hungry people.” So you must
think when you are in a situation in which you can find no ad­
vice or relief. God need not work a manifest miracle to help
you; he has a hundred other ways and means by which he can
make it all come right again.

Part Π.
Let us now consider the great miracle which Christ wrought.
He ordered his Apostles to tell the people to sit down. This
could be done easily and comfortably, as there was much grass
in the place. “And they sat down in ranks by hundreds and by
fifties.”—Mark 6: 40. So there was no difficulty in seeing all that
were there and in counting them. The number of men who sat
down was five thousand, the number of women and children, who
had separate places, may have been about two thousand. There
they were sitting, the seven thousand, in rows, by hundreds and
by fifties. All were hungry, for the sun was near its setting, and
they were still fasting. But wherewith should they be fed, when
all food was wanting? Could they not say with the Israelites:
“Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” Yes, Jesus, the
Son of God, could and would furnish a table. He took the five
loaves, lifted up his eyes, and when he had given thanks, he dis­
tributed, through his Apostles, to them that had sat down. In

2Qi

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

like manner also of the fishes as much as they would. And all
took and ate and were filled, rind after that they gathered up
the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and
above to them that had eaten, and with they filled twelve
baskets.
This, in brief, is the history of the miraculous multiplying of
the loaves and the feeding of the people. Let us now, for our
instruction, make a few practical reflections thereon.

1. Jesus feeds five thousand men with five loaves of bread and
two fishes; this is a great miracle. But is not this miracle, and a
greater one still, repeated every day ? Who is it that feeds every
day the hundreds of millions of men who live upon earth, to­
gether with the other beings whose number no system of com­
putation can enumerate? Who is it that makes sixty, eighty, or a
hundred grains proceed from one, and who fills our barns every
year with grain? It is Jesus, the one God with the Father and
the Holy Ghost, through whom, as St. John says, all was made
that is made, who daily opens his hands and fills all with bless­
ing. It is our duty to show him the same gratitude, the same
love, and the same devotedness that these people did who were
fed by Christ.

2. Our Lord blessed the bread, and thereby rendered it enough
to allay the hunger of many thousand people. Everything depends
on the blessing of God. What is the use of our labor and toil
without the blessing of God? What does it profit to plough, to
harrow, to fertilize, and to sow, if God does not send favorable
weather and keep everything injurious from our fields ? “Neither
he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth, but God that
giveth the increase.”—I. Cor. 3: 7. Consider this truth and be
not proud of your prosperity and the success of your business,
but give the honor to God alone.

3. Jesus shows us how we can obtain God’s blessing. Holding
the loaves and fishes in his holy hands, he looked up to heaven
{Mark 6: 41). By this he teaches us that prayer is the most effec­
tual means of drawing down the blessings of God upon our
works and undertakings. It is only too certain that many do not
make any advance or progress in spite of all their efforts be­
cause they neglect prayer. They neither say their morning and
evening prayers nor grace before and after their meals; they do
not think of God during the whole day, and are loth to give any
timeto prayer, even on Sundays and holidays; therefore God
withdraws his grace from them. Renew to-day the resolution to
pray with fervor and devotion; and you, Catholic parents, see
that your children say their morning and evening prayers.

a. Homiletic Sketch.

293

4. Our divine Saviour gave to the multitude, in which were
not only common people, but also people from the higher walks
of society, a very common food, barley-bread and fish. This may
be a lesson to us to be satisfied with common food suitable to our
state of life, and not to desire costly and dainty dishes. Christ
himself lived in poverty; he told his disciples to eat and drink
what might be set before them, good or bad, just as it might
happen ; and the greatest saints frequently contented themselves
with a fare that would have been thought too bad for the poorest
people. This much is certain that people who do not restrain the
craving of the appetite will never arrive at perfection.

5. The Apostles gathered more food than there was at first, for
of the fragments twelve baskets were filled. From this you may
learn that alms-giving does not make you poor. “He that hath
mercy on the poor lendeth to the Lord; and he will repay him.”
—Prov. 19: 17. He that lends money or interest receives the
capital with the interest, therefore more than he lent. The same is
true of what we give to the poor; we receive it back with interest.
God blesses the charitable even in this world, and gives them
success in all their undertakings. Everything prospers with them,
and even their children and children’s children enjoy the divine
blessing. But alms-giving is far more profitable for the other
world, for it is rewarded with eternal life. What an encourage­
ment this should be to us for giving alms, according to the ad­
monition of Tobias (4: 8, 9): “According to thy ability, be merci­
ful. If thou have much, give abundantly ; if thou have little, take
care even so to bestow willingly a little.”

Part III.

Let us now meditate a few moments on what occurred after
the miracle—
i. Now those men, when they had seen whai a miracle Jesus had
done, said : This is of a truth the prophet that is to come into the
world. They do not call Christ a prophet, such as Elias, Eliseus,
Isaias, but the prophet, therefore a specified prophet, that is,
that prophet to whom Moses referred in these words. “The Lord
thy God will raise up to thee a PROPHET of thy nation and of
thy brethren like unto me; him thou shalt hear.”—Deut. 18: 15.
This prophet is no other than Jesus Christ, the God Man and
Redeemer of the world. The people by designating him the
prophet expressed their belief that he is the Son of God, the
promised Messias.
How much do those people put to shame so many men of our
time 1 One miracle which they saw is enough for them to become

294

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

believers, and yet all the miracles which the gospel relates of
Christ, and which, in his name, from the time of the Apostles
until now, have been wrought in the Catholic Church, can not
bring these modern unbelievers to fall down before Jesus, and
confess with Peter: “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.”
They also deny modern miracles and those which are performed,
as it were, before their eyes; for example, those at Lourdes in
France, which are attested by thousands of witnesses and the
most learned men. They w/'ZZ not believe, therefore they do not
believe. They also permit themselves to be ruled by their base
passions, especially pride, and this is the principal reason why
they do not arrive at the faith, in fact, apostatize from the faith.
Serve God and walk constantly in the way of his command­
ments, and you will never be in danger of losing your holy faith.
2. The people were not satisfied with acknowledging Jesus as
the Messias: with a believing heart, they were about to take him
by force and make him king. They wished to make him their
prince, guide and protector. Here they showed their gratitude
towards our divine Saviour. And in the same manner we must
manifest our gratitude towards Jesus for the many benefits and
graces which we have received ; we must adore him with the
most profound veneration as our Lord and God, and adhere to
and serve him faithfully. But there are many among us who
do the very opposite. How many refuse the adoration due to
him ; even in the church, where he is really present, they offend
him by their unbecoming conduct ! How many abuse the benefits
of God, such as health, beauty, temporal goods, for the gratifi­
cation of their sinful lusts! How many reject the proffered gra­
ces, or make use of them only to offend him the more grievously!
Oh, consider that the abuse of the graces and gifts of God is the
greatest ingratitude, and that a most rigorous judgment awaits
all those who make themselves guilty of this crime.

3. Jesus knew that they wished to proclaim him king. What
does he do? Does he permit it? No, he flees into the mountain
himself alone. He teaches by his example that we also must
shun the honors of the world. When the people will make him
king, he flees; but when he was about to be humiliated most
profoundly, and to be crucified as the greatest malefactor, he
offers himself voluntarily, for it is his greatest desire to be humili­
ated and humbled. Do we not do the very reverse ? Honor, reputa­
tion, authority, the praise and the applause of the world, are to
us the most desirable of goods, and we seek them ; contumely
and humiliation appear to us as great evils, and we fly from
them as much as we can. And we profess to be disciples and
followers of Jesus 1 Ah, that we might hear him when he ex·

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

295

claims to us: “Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of
heart.”—Matt. 11: 29. If we do not seek humiliation and con­
tumely, let us bear them at least with tranquility and patience as
often as they come upon us; let us never seek honor in the eyes
of the world, so that we may not deprive ourselves of honor be­
fore God and of merit for heaven.
PERORATION.

Keep in mind the lessons you have heard to-day and follow
them. You are more fortunate than the people mentioned in the
gospel of this day, for you need not make a long and laborious
journey to find Jesus. You have him near you, and can come to
him at all times, for he is here in the tabernacle truly present
under the species of bread. Oh, that it were your greatest joy
frequently to visit and adore him I Jesus at this Easter time will
give you an infinitely more precious food than he gave the people
in the desert : he will nourish you with his most sacred flesh and
blood in holy communion. Oh, employ this holy season of Lent
in preparing for a worthy reception of the Most Holy Sacrament
of the Altar, that it may bring you grace and life everlasting.
Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE FIRM PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT.

And Jesus took the loaves ; and when he had given thanks, he dis­
tributed to them that were set down.—John 6:11.
At Easter every Catholic is obliged by a precept of the Church
to receive the Blessed Eucharist. The gospel for this day, which
speaks of the miraculous feeding of several thousand men, re­
minds us of this duty. In a far more miraculous manner does
Jesus feed us, for he does not give us natural bread, but, as our
infallible faith teaches us, his most sacred flesh and blood; he
nourishes not only our body for the preservation of its natural
life, but also our soul for the preservation of its supernatural life ;
he feeds, not a few thousands, but many millions—all who come to

’XT

»?.· -

296

Fourth Sunday γν Lent.

this table. But, that we may receive this bread of Angels for
our salvation, we must have a clean heart, since he who goes un­
worthily to communion, is guilty of the bodjr and blood of the
Lord; for “he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and
drinketh judgment to himself,” that is, damnation. To prevent
such an evil, the Church requires that we should go to confession
before communion, cleanse our soul from every sin, and put our­
selves in the state of grace.
I have spoken of the first two requisites for a good confession,
and I come to-day to the third, i. e., the firm purpose of amend­
ment, which consists in the earnest will to amend our lives and
to offend God no more. In order to give the necessary instruc­
tion on the firm purpose of amendment which is an essential part
of contrition, I shall answer the following two questions:
I. What must be the qualities of our resolutions of amendment?
II. What must he who forms a firm and since) e resolution of
amendment determine to do ?
Part I.

Our resolution of amendment must be like our contrition—

1. Interior, or sincere;
2. Universal; and
3. Supernatural.
(a.) Interior, or sincere: i. e., we must have, not a weak, but a
strong, will to offend God no more. Many sinners are convinced of
the necessity of their conversion ; they desire to break the chains
of sin, but their desire is not strong; they do not desire their
amendment with determination and perseverance. Soon after
confession they return to their former careless life; they forget
what they resolved and promised, and relapse into their old sins.
Such Catholics lack a sincere purpose of amendment, for if they
had it, they would offer greater resistance to temptations, and
would not allow themselves to fall so soon again. They have
reason to fear their confessions have been invalid and sacrile­
gious for the want of a firm purpose of amendment.

(5.) We must have a firm will to renounce sin now, and not after
a while. There are many sinners who will change their life, they
say, not now, but after a while. Many a young man thinks:
When I grow older, w’hen I get married, I will give up my sinful
life. Many business men think : When I have set my temporal
affairs in order, I will attend to the business of my salvation. In
such a disposition of mind they go to confession for years ; every

j. Dogmatical Sketch.

iq7

time they entertain the thought, though they may not express it:
After a while, I will amend my life, not now. What else is this
but to tell God, as it were, to his face: I will offend thee now, but
after a while I will no more offend thee. And ought God to
forgive a man who speaks thus ? Consider that hell is full of
those who wished to be converted but never were.

(c.) We must have afirm will lo suffer all evils rather than again
offend God by a mortal sin. Mortal sin is the greatest evil, for
it deprives us of sanctifying grace, presents us from pleasing
God, shuts heaven against us, and opens hell at our feet. There
is no evil in the world that can be compared with it. From this
it follows that we must detest and shun sin more than all tem­
poral evils, nay, more than death itself. Therefore, a man who
is not determined to avoid mortal sin under all circumstances is
destitute of the sincere purpose of amendment, and can not hope
for God’s forgiveness. For this reason also the confessions of
many penitents are invalid. They wish to amend their life, but
will not, if it involve a sacrifice. If the confessor requires them
to give up a sinful familiarity, avoid a certain house or a certain
companion, forgive their enemies, restore ill-gotten goods, re­
tract calumny, they are discouraged, and assert that they can
not resolve to comply with these conditions. This is a manifest
sign that they have not an earnest purpose of amendment, for
if they had, they would resolve to renounce sin at any cost.

2. Universal.
(ai) We must be determined to avoid, at least, all mortal sins.
Every mortal sin kills the soul by depriving it of its true life,
which is sanctifying grace and the love of God, and makes us
guilty of eternal damnation; therefore, if we wish to recover the
love and grace of God, and escape eternal damnation, we must
be determined to avoid all mortal sins. He who will not do this
can not have a universal purpose of amendment, and, conse­
quently, can not make a good confession. Ask yourselves, then,
at every confession: Is there no sin to which my heart is at­
tached? Do I hate and detest every sin? Can I say with truth
that I will commit no mortal sin any more? Pay particular atten­
tion to your favorite and habitual sins, and promise God sincerely
not to commit them any more.

(Æ.) Concerning venial sins, it is not absolutely necessary that
the purpose extend itself to all without exception, as St. Thomas
of zAquin says: “It suffices if one resolves to avoid some of them,
or to diminish their number.” All theologians agree with him. It
is, however, good and salutary to repent of them all and make the

198

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

resolution, with the help of God’s grace, to avoid them to the
best of our ability. At every confession we should have the pur­
pose not to offend God by a venial sin knowingly and with pre­
meditation If we have only venial sins to confess, the purpose
must extend itself at least to one of the venial sins, because the
purpose of amendment, like contrition, is absolutely necessary
for the validity of every confession.
3. Supernatural.
(a.) We must be determined to sin no more, because faith
teaches us that by every sin we offend God, lose his grace, shut
heaven, and open hell. If any one resolves only from a natural
motive to sin no more, t. e.> on account of some temporal loss,
shame, or punishment, his purpose is only natural, and a natural
purpose no more suffices for the forgiveness of sin than a natural
contrition. By sin God is offended ; for his sake we must be sorry
for the sin and resolve not to commit it any more. For the want
of a supernatural purpose of amendment many confessions are
invalid. Example: Females who in consequence of their dissi­
pation have brought shame and misery on themselves ; habitual
drunkards who in consequence of repeated drunkenness have
contracted serious sickness; gamblers who by their passion for
gambling have lost their money and property. The most sincere
purpose of amendment, the determination to form avoid this or
that sin, avails nothing if it be only natural.

(£.) Like the supernatural contrition, the firm supernatural pur­
pose is either perfect or imperfect. If the love of God is so perfect
and effectual in us that is alone produces the firm purpose to
avoid sin, our purpose it perfect; but if the love of God in us is
as yet weak and imperfect, and on that account the fear of hell
or the loss of heaven, or the malice and turpitude of sin, impels
us to resolve earnestly to offend God no more, our purpose is
imperfect. The perfect purpose of amendment evidently is better
than the imperfect ; in connection with confession, however, the
imperfect purpose is sufficient to obtain the forgiveness of sin.

Part

Π.

He who forms a firm and sincere resolution of
must be determined—

fl

endment

I. To avoid, at least, all grievous sins, so that he would suffei

anything rather than commit even one ; to shun the danger, and espe­
cially the proximate occasion of sin.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

299

We must be determined to avoid, at least, all mortal sins.
Of this I have already spoken. This, however, is not sufficient;
we must also shun the danger of sin, and especially the proxi­
mate occasion thereof. By proximate occasion we understand
such an occasion as exercises so great an influence over persons
that they generally sin. Such proximate occasions of sin are:
Living together with a person with whom one has already fre­
quently sinned carnally ; keeping company with a person, as
it it is called, reading obscene books. Sometimes that which
is a proximate occasion for one is not so for another. Thus, the
visiting of saloons is a proximate occasion for him who gets
drunk, whilst it is not for others, who do not become intoxicated.
For a good purpose of amendment it is necessary to avoid the
proximate occasion of sin. He who is determined to sin no more
must also be determined to avoid that which might entice him to
sin again. As it is impossible to carry fire in the bosom and not
be burned, to touch pitch and not be defiled, so it is impossible
to expose one’s self to the proximate occasion of sin, and not
sin. It is a great delusion to say: I will never sin by impurity
again, but I will not give up the society of that person ; I will never
curse and swear while gambling, but I can not give up gambling :
I will never get drunk again, but I can not give up visiting saloons.
They may be in earnest with their protestations, but will they
keep their promises ? No, for the Holy Ghost assures us : “He that
loveth danger, shall perish in it.”—Ecclus. 3: 27. A spiritual
writer (Drexelius) says: “In vain you drive the flies from sweet­
meats, as long as you leave them uncovered on the table ; you
have scarcely chased them off when they come again.” You
must remove the allurements to sin—the dangerous occasions—
otherwise sin will soon return, and captivate and control you
more than before. Examples: Dina, Jacob’s daughter (Gen. 34:·
I, etc.); David (II. Kings 11); Solomon (III Kings 11); Peter.
2. To avoid excuses. I have frequently had such occasions, but 1
am not aware of having sinned. It may be that you have not
sinned in deed, but have you remained clean of heart? And
though you may not have sinned, who assures you that in the
future you will not do so? Do you know the proverb: “The pit­
cher often goes to the well, but at last comes home broken” ?
As often as you expose yourselves frivolously to the proximate
occasion of sin, you tempt God, and will God protect you? 1 can
not avoid this occasion ; for example, I can not give up the society
of this person, because it would reduce me to poverty ; I can not
remove this person out of my house because my business would
suffer loss; I can not stay away from this society, because my
honor, my position, would be injured. I recommend all such to
consider the words of Christ : “If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck

it out, and cast it from thee ; it is better for thee having one eye to
enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”—
Matt. 18: 9. He, therefore, who does not shun the proximate occa­
sion of sin. which he can shun, although with great difficulty, is
not earnestly determined to avoid sin itself, and no priest can
validly absolve him.
3. To use the necessary means of amendment.

(a.) These means are general and particular. To the general
means belong watchfulness, prayer, the hearing of the word of
God, spiritual reading, the frequent reception of the sacraments,
the bridling of the senses, the mortification of bad inclinations,
especially self-love. All sinners, whatever sins they may have
committed, must employ these means, in order to preserve them­
selves from a relapse, and to make progress in virtue. The par­
ticular means are those which, according to the quality of sin
and the particular circumstances of the sinner, are required for a
thorough and permanent amendment. The confessor usually
prescribes these particular means.
(3.) Every penitent must conscientiously avail himself of these
general and particular means of amendment. He who will not do
this, is destitute of a good resolution, for he who wills the end,
must also will the means. Though sensuality object to these
means, we must not neglect them. If a sick man observes the
strictest diet, takes bitter medicine, and permits cauterizing and
other surgical operations, to escape death and to recover his
health, why should not we use the means indicated, hard though
they be, if they are necessary for our amendment and for the
salvation of our souls ?

4. To make due satisfaction for his sins, and to repair whatever
injury he may have done to his neighbor.

(a.) By every sin we commit we do an injury to God, because
we rob him of what we owe him, honor, love, and obedience. Sin
makes us debtors to God, and it is our duty to make satisfaction
as far as we can. This satisfaction, as I shall afterwards explain at
greater length, may be made by all good works, especially by
works of mercy and mortification. He who is animated by a true
spirit of repentance, endeavors, as far as it in his power, to
make satisfaction to God for the injury done him.
(3.) There are sins by which not only is God offended, but our
neighbor is also injured in regard to his temporal or spiritual

4- Liturgical Sketch.

30 »

welfare. To this class belong scandal, seduction, murder, ca
lumny, slander, detraction, theft, cheating, and any injury to our
neighbor’s property. If a person has committed such as sin, he
is strictly bound to repair the injury done to his neighbor. If he
has calumniated or slandered him, he is bound publicly to re­
tract the slander or calumny; if he has appropriated to himself
unjust goods, he must make restitution; if he has unjustly injured
his neighbor in body, life, or property, he must repair the da­
mage ; if he has led others into sin, he must endeavor to bring
them back to the path of virtue. If he does not determine to do
this, the best resolutions would profit him nothing; nay, it would
profit him nothing if he should even carry out his resolutions to
avoid sin. God will not and can not forgive him because he re­
fuses to repair the injury he has done.
PERORATION.

Remember what I have told you about the resolution of
amendment, and examine yourselves at every confession as to
whether your resolution is such as to entitle you to the forgive­
ness of your sins. Be determined to avoid not only sin, but also
the proximate occasion thereof, to employ the means of amend­
ment, to make satisfaction and to repair the injury. If the carry­
ing out of this resolution appear arduous, say : “It must be done:
I must either carry out the resolution and do penance, or I must
remain in sin and in disgrace with God, and so perish eternally.”
You have your choice between the two. Be prudent, and choose
that which will be for your salvation. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE LENTEN MASSES.

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he dis­
tributed to them that were set down.—John 6: 11.
The fourth Sunday of Lent is called Lœtare (rejoice) from the
first word of the Introit of the Mass—Lcetare Jerusalem, etc. : Re­
joice, O Jerusalem, etc. Lent being half over, the Church gives

301

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

us a little reward for the hardships endured so far, and calls
upon us to rejoice and be glad in view of the graces which the
holy exercises of Lent procure for us. By the gospel which re­
cords the miraculous multiplication of the loaves she reminds us
of the miraculous bread which we receive at Easter time, and of
our duty to prepare properly for its reception by penitential
exercises. We are, moreover, reminded of this duty by the
masses which the Church has ordained for Lent. Let us medi­
tate to-day on these Lenten masses, by answering the following
two questions:

I. Why Jias the Church ordained a proper mass for every day in
Lent ?
IL In what do these Lenten masses differ from others ?
Part L
The Missal contains a proper mass for every day in Lent,
whilst at other seasons proper masses are assigned, with some
exceptions, only to Sundays and holidays. By this ordinance the
Church gives us to understand that we should look upon the
days of Lent as Sundays and holidays, and spend them accord­
ingly. On Sundays and holidays we ?nust pray, hear the word oi
God, and meditate upon it. With these two exercises we must oc­
cupy ourselves during Lent.
i. The fact of the Church having a proper mass for every
day in Lent, should be an admonition to you to devote your­
selves diligently to prayer and devoutly to hear holy mass as often
as possible. The Christians of the first centuries give you a
beautiful example. They assembled early in the morning, and not
only heard mass, but remained after the holy sacrifice for some
time in the church praying. Having finished their day’s work,
they again repaired to the church and persevered there in
prayer and meditation till the priest gave them his blessing
and dismissed them. With the same fervor they performed their
domestic devotions. Thus every day in Lent was to them, as it
were, a holiday, which they employed for the honor of God and
the salvation of their soul.
In like manner we must celebrate the forty days* fast. Νσ
thing is more necessary to us for our repentance and a pious life
than exercises of devotion and prayer. All true penitents
frequently practiced prayer.—David(ZZ. Kings 12:13,i6);thegood
thief on the cross {Luke 23.
St. Paul {Acts 9: 9-11). I am
sure you do not know any Christian who was converted without
prayer, or who did not pray after his conversion. Pray diligently
during Lent, the time of penance. Hear holy mass daily, if poss·

4« Liturgical Sketch.

303

ible; remain somewhat longer in church on Sundays and holi­
days than at other times to adore Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist
and to perform other devotions. Say the Rosary at least once a
week, if you can not do so every day, selecting the sorowful
mysteries; also the holy Way of the Cross at least on Sundays,
as this devotion is particularly adapted for Lent, during which
the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ should be specially
remembered.

2. To prayer you must join the hearing of the word of God and
meditation thereon. You will find in your prayer-books a
proper epistle and gospel for every day in Lent. The priest al­
ways reads this proper gospel at the end of mass, if the mass
be not of the day, but of a saint. Why has the Church ordained
proper epistles and gospels for every day of Lent? To induce us
during this holy time to hear and meditate on the word of God.
The word of God is a powerful means for repentance, piety and
virtue, to which we should aspire, especially during Lent. St.
Jerome says: “The preaching of the word of God is a plough
which loosens the soil, eradicates the roots of vices, and softens
the hardness of hearts.” Examples of the efficacy of the word of
God are theNinevites, who at the preaching of Jonas did penance
in sackcloth and ashes; the Jews, many of whom were converted
by St. John, the preacher of penance; the inhabitants of Jerusa­
lem, of whom three thousand were baptized at the first sermon
of St. Peter. And not only the spoken word, but also the word of
God read and meditated upon, frequently exercises a wonderful
power over the human heart. Examples: St. Augustine, St. Fran­
cis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa, who, by reading
and meditating on the word of God, were so moved that they
renounced the world and dedicated their whole life to God.
Frequent diligently, during Lent, the sermons and instructions,
which are given more frequently during this season than at other
times.
Part Π.

The Lenten masses differ from others, though not essentially.
1. They are said in vestments of a violet color. The forty days’
fast is a time of penance; hence the violet color, for every dark
color, black as well as violet, indicates m iming, penitential
mourning, for our sins. Therefore we read in Church history
that the penitents in former times wore black, or at least dark
garments, by which they gave expression to their sorrow for the
sins they had committed.

?

304

Fourth Sunday γν Lent.

The altars during Lent are also draped in violet. These front
als represent to us the sad truth that sin raised a partition be­
tween us and God, who is represented by the altar, and that we
can not come to him so long as sin is not expiated by true re­
pentance. They are removed on Easter Sunday, because Jesus
has finished the work of our Redemption, blotted out sin and
reopened the gates of heaven, and the Church supposes that by
true repentance during Lent we have made ourselves worthy of
the grace of Redemption. The violet vestments and curtains
should therefore be to us an admonition to penance.
2. The Lenten masses have no Gloria, for this is a joyful chant,
which does not suit a time of penance. Hence the Church has
prohibited the solemnizing of marriages, and all public amuse­
ments whatever. How could -we give ourselves to such worldly
enjoyments, when Lent reminds us of sin and the evil connected
with it on the one hand, and of the bitter passion and death of
Christ on the other? Truly those who at this time live frivolously
and run after the pleasures of the world, prove only too plainly
that they have lost all Christian feeling, that they do not regard
the evil and wretchedness which sin has caused us, and that they
are entirely indifferent to the boundless love which caused Jesus
to suffer death for us. His words aptly applies to such Christians:
“Woe to you that now laugh, for you shall mourn and weep.”—
Ltike 6: 25.
3. In Lent we have a proper Preface, in which is said: “By bodily
fasting thou dost repress vice, elevate the mind, bestow virtue and
rewards.” Fasting, in truth, procures these great advantages. It
subdues vices by weakening the desires of the flesh, and by
strengthening the spirit, so that it can the better maintain its
dominion over the body and its desires It elevates the mind, for
it frees the soul from the burthen and fetters of the body so that
without hindrance it can raise itself to God. It bestows virtue by
weakening sensuality and strengthening the spirit, it fits us for
the practice of Christian virtues and for a pious life ; and lastly, it
bestows rewards, for it is one of the three good works particularly
recommended in Scripture, which are rewarded with many
graces here and with eternal life hereafter. Who, with these
good works in view, will not cheerfully keep the precept of the
Church ?

4. In the Lenten masses the priest says before the prayer after
communion: Humiliate capita vestra Deo, Bow down your heads
before God. By these words we are admonished to humble our­
selves most profoundly before God. When we sinned we exalted
ourselves, and said in deed if not in word: “I will not serve.” If

305

5. Symbolical Sketch,

we wish to reconcile ourselves with God, we must, like the pro­
digal son, humble ourselves before him.
5. At the conclusion of the mass, the priest says: Benedicamus
Domino, “Let us bless the Lord.” As mentioned before, the faith­
ful in former times, during Lent, and on other penitential days,
did not leave the church immediately after mass, but remained
for some time in order to participate in the prayers which were
said by the clergy after mass. The priest therefore did not say:
Ite missa est, “Go the mass is ended,” but Benedicamus Domino,
“Let us bless the Lord.” Let us now remain in church for some
time longer in order to devote curselves to the exercises of de­
votion for the praise and glory of God.
PERORATION.

God grant that you may consider and practice what I have told
you about the Lenten masses. The Church, by ordaining a proper
mass with a proper epistle and gospel for every day of Lent, ad­
monishes you to spend these days like Sundays and holidays,
which also have a proper mass. Although you are not obliged
in Lent to abstain from servile work as on Sundays and holidays,
yet you must abstain from sin and dissipation. As the Church
has ordained in the Lenten masses certain things which differ
from the masses at other times, she calls upon you to lead a pe­
nitential life, for all these differences designate the forty days*
fast as a time of penance. Sanctify Lent therefore and bring
forth fruits worthy of penance. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
VIVE LOAVES OF BREAD FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF MAN.

There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves.—John 6: 9.

In the gospel for to-day we see our Lord surrounded by a
multitude of more than five thousand people, who never tire of
hearing his holy word. The day is already far spent, and they
have not had anything to eat, yet there seems to be no proba-

II

20

306

Fourth Sunday in Lent.

bility that they will obtain a morsel of food, for, far and near,
noteven a hut is to be seen. The Apostles and their Master are
poor; it would have been a great expense to buy food for them
all, and even if they had the money, where could they buy any,
since they were so far away from human habitations? But stop,
there is a boy here that hath five barley loaves—but what is
that for so many! not five, but five thousand loaves, they should
have to satisfy the hungry multitude. But behold! these five
loaves in the hands of Jesus are multiplied in such a manner that
they not only suffice to satisfy all the people, but more is left
than there was at first, for they filled twelve baskets with the
fragments.

Part L
We possess five loaves of bread, which have a still more mi­
raculous effect than the five loaves that were blessed by Christ,
for our five loaves nourish our soul for eternal life.

The bread of doctrine. The bread of doctrine has two effects:
i. It enlightens man, so that he knows what is for his salvation.
“Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths.”—Ps.
118: 105. How this bread of doctrine or the word of God en­
lightens men, we see in David. This king had the misfortune
to committ two very grievous sins, adultery and murder. One
would think that a man who was so well versed in the divine
law as David, would at once have seen the greatness of his sin
and understood into what misery his passion had plunged him.
But no, he lived calmly for weeks and months, and probably would
never have come to the knowledge of himself, if Nathan the Pro­
phet had not healed him of his blindness. One day Nathan went
before the king, and in emphatic words, upbraided him with his
crime: and so the scales fall from his eyes, and his sin stood out
before him in all its heinousness, and full of compunction he
said: “I have sinned against the Lord.”—II. Kings 12: 13. We
have another example in the Jews at Jerusalem. When Peter for
the first time preached to them the gospel on the feast of Pente­
cost “they had compunction in their heart; then they understood
the grievousness of their sin in having crucified Jesus, and they
said to Peter and the other Apostles: “What shall we do, men,
and brethren?” But Peter said to them: “Do penance, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the
remission of yoar sins . . . They, therefore, that received his
word, were baptized.—Acts 2: 37, 38. Now the word of God en­
lightens us to this day. How many sinners by hearing a sermon
come to the knowledge of the wretched and dangerous condition of
their soul, and resolve to do penance!

5. Symbolical Sketch.

307

2. It moves him to conversion. The Apostle expresses this in
these words: ‘Tor the word of God is living and effectual and
more piercing than any two-edged sword; and reaching unto the
division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also, and the mar­
row.”—Heb. 4: 12. St. Jerome says: ‘The preaching of the word
of God is a plough, which loosens the soil of the soul, pulls up the
roots of vice, and softens the hardness of the heart!” St. Peter
Damian: The word of God is a fire that expels coldness and gives
warmth to the soul, it is a hammer that softens the hardness of ob­
stinacy.” History and experience attest the efficacy of the word of
God. Father James Laynes, by a sermon on Mary Magdalen con­
verted upon one occasion eight women, who had publicly led a
shameless life. Father Avila, in a single sermon on the forgiveness
of injuries and offenses made so great an impression upon his hear­
ers that those who had lived in enmity sought each other during
the sermon, and, bathed in tears, shook hands in token of recon­
ciliation. And how often does it happen, even in our days, that
the word of God falls upon good ground and bears fruit? The
preacher by all possible means-tries to make an impression upon
the hearts of sinners; he terrifies them by the tremendous judg­
ment that awaits the impenitent sinner, he encourages them by
pointing to God’s infinite mercy, he describes to them the un­
happy state of the sinner here and hereafter, the inexpressible
felicity of the penitent, and endeavors to lead them back to God
by depicting the joys of heaven, or the torments of hell. And
sinners by the aid of God’s grace return to themselves and begin
to lead a life of penance. Truly, the word of God is bread, which
nourishes our soul for eternal life. Accept this bread, as often
as it is offered to you, with a grateful heart and employ it for
your salvation.

Part Π.
The bread of good example.

This bread is more excellent than that of doctrine, for example
is better than precept ; actions speak louder than words. It is
good example that—

i. Covers worldlings and sinners with wholesome confusion. As
the poor while looking at the treasures of the crown feel their
poverty more sensibly, so we also understand and feel more
keenly our poverty and sinfulness, the more the saints shine be­
fore us by their bright example. Oh, my Christian friend, if you
consider the humility of the saints, which was so great that they
rejoiced when they were treated as the vilest of men ; their meek­
ness, which even by the grossest offenses could not be overcome;

jo8

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

their love of God, which was prepared any moment to sacrifice
everything for Christ, even life itself; their charity, which found
its happiness in wiping away the tears of poverty and wretched­
ness; and if you compare yourselves with them, must you not,
full of shame, cast down your eyes and say with a sigh: “Oh,
what were the saints, and what am 11” And this shame, which
the example of holy and pious Christians awakens in us, will
urge us to correct our faults, forsake sin, and work out our sal­
vation with greater fervor. The venerable Louis of Granada was
one day disciplining himself. Two young men who were leading
a life of debauchery perceived this just as they were on their
way to a house of ill-fame. The sight made the deepest impres­
sion upon them. They said : “This saint, who lives like an angel,
chastises his oody, and we serve the lowest passions of the flesh 1
What kind of men are we ?” And they were filled with so great
and holy a horror of their past life that they renounced it at
once, made a general confession to Father Louis, and hencefor­
ward served God with great fervor.
2. Gives them courage and strength to control their passions and
to renounce their sinful life. Plants, such as vines and ivy, which
can not raise themselves up, take hold of stronger plants or trees,
in order to be supported by them. In like manner, good ex­
ample is for imperfect persons and sinners a support, by which
they can raise themselves up. St. Augustine was for many years
a slave of the lowest passions; by little and little he came to see
how odious his life was, but he felt too weak to break the fetters
of sin. He considered the lives of the saints, and saw that thou­
sands of them in the midst of the world, and under the greatest
temptations, preserved their innocence ; he saw that great sinners
tore themselves away from vice, and dedicated the remainder of
their life to God in the exercises of the most austere penance;—
and these examples gave him courage, so that, full of determi­
nation he exclaimed: “If these could do this why can not I?”
And from that moment he bade farewell to his worldly and sin­
ful life, courageously began to do penance, and became a great
saint. And how many may there be among us to whom good
example was the impulse to conversion ? They saw, for instance,
how, at a mission, or a jubilee, this one or that gave up his sinful
acquaintance, his night-prowling, his drinking and gambling,
etc., made a good general confession, and become completely
converted—and this example encouraged them to do the same.

3. Powerfully works upon them and induces them to amend.
Abraham, the hermit, for a long time had taken all possible
pains to convert the unbelievers, but no success was apparent.
But when he was subjected to blows and calumnies, all of which

5. Symbolical Sketch.

309

he bore with great patience, they felt themselves drawn to him
with irresistible love. “See,” they said, “the patience of this man:
see his love for us ; amidst all these tribulations and injuries he per­
severes in the preaching of his doctrine. If his words were not
of God, he certainly would not suffer so much for them. Come,
let us believe in the God that he preaches to us.” Yes, example
is far better than precept, and, as St. Leo the Great says, we
teach better by actions than by words. St. Chrysostom does not
hesitate to say that by good example more souls are converted
than by miracles and that without the example of the good al
most all sinners would be lost.
From this a double lesson follows for us; first, we must look
only to pious Christiaus and imitate them, and secondly, we must
let our light shine in all our actions by means of a good example:
“Be thou an example of the faithful, in word, in conversation, in
charity, in faith, in chastity . . . that thy profiting may be mani­
fest to all.”—I. Tim. 4: 12, 15.
Part ΠΙ.
The bread of tribulation. Very few care for this bread, “and
when we pray: “Give us this day our daily bread”, there is
surely not one among us who entertains the will and desire
that God should send him afflictions and tribulations for his
daily bread. And yet it is an incontrovertible truth that tribu­
lation is very good bread, and that it would he almost impossible
without it to obtain the life of grace here and the life of glory
hereafter. The bread of tribulation is very wholesome

i. For sinners. If they had always a happy time, they would
never resolve to give up their worldly and sinful life. We see
with our own eyes that most sinners, so long as matters proceed
according to their wish, never think of conversion and penance.
They despise the interior aspirations of grace, neglect many op­
portunities which are given to them for penance, disdain the
means of salvation, such as the word of God and the sacraments,
or abuse them, thereby increasing their offenses against God.
Then God sends them tribulations, and these it is that put a stop
to their sinful life. If they are reduced to poverty, rejected and
abandoned by all; it they are prostrated upon a sick-bed, then
they learn how deceitful the world is, and how vain and perish­
able is everything earthly ; they are unable owing to the want
of means or of health to continue their sinful life. Thus, with the
aid of divine grace they come little by little to the turning-point;
they abandon the world and sin, and like the prodigal son (Luke
15 : 17-20), full of contrition and compunction, they return to God
and to their father’s house. On the general judgment-day we shall

310

Fourth Sunday in Lent.

see with astonishment how many sinners owe their salvation to
the bread of tribulation.

2. For the just. If in summer the air is for a long time calm,
various injurious vapors are formed, from which great storms,
with thunder and lightning, or even plagues and sicknesses, re­
sult. It would be so in the life of men, if they always enjoyed
good times; they would forget God more and more, become
heedless, and fall into the snares of the devil. As long as David
was obliged to undergo the fatigues of wars, and nowhere had
rest, he walked in the fear of God; afterwards when he had rest
and enjoyments in his palace, he went so far astray that he com­
mitted adultery and murder. And what effect had prosperity on
King Solomon? The once wise and pious king defiled himself
with idolatry. What a good thing it is therefore that God gives
the bread of tribulation also to the just to taste, for this is to
them an excellent means of virtue, because it draws their hearts
from the world, enlivens and strengthens their fervor in the ser­
vice of God, and stimulates them to aspire to heavenly goods.
“We are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with
this world.”—Z Cor. 11: 32.
Whether you are among the sinners or the just, receive cheer­
fully the bread of tribulation which God gives you, and eat it,
though it be coarse and bitter to the taste. Consider that Christ
himself entered into his glory by suffering, and no other way
leads you to heaven than the way of the cross. “If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and
follow me.”—Matt. 16: 24.
Part IV.
The bread of confession. Daniel was cast into the lions’ den.
For six days he remained there with seven ferocious lions; al­
though they did not harm him he was in danger of dying of hun­
ger. God had compassion on him and sent the Prophet
Habacuc to him, with the dinner of bread, etc., prepared for the
reapers.—Dan. 14: 30-38. God sends such a one with bread to
the sinner who lies in the den of the seven deadly sins and in
imminent danger of death. This Habacuc with the bread is the
priest, who rescues the sinner from eternal death by the Sacra­
ment of Penance. Oh, how thankful we should be to our Lord
for this bread. If we make a good confession we receive—

I. The forgiveness of all sins committed after baptism, be they
ever so grievous or numerous, for Christ says in general terms:
4Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them.”—John

5· Symbolical Sketch.

311

to: 23. And again: “Whatsoever you shall loose upon earth,
shall be loosed also in heaven.”—Matt. 18: 18. Had we as
many mortal sins on our conscience as there are stars in the fir­
mament of heaven, they are forgiven us, if we make a good con­
fession, the moment the priest pronounces over us the words of
absolution. To him the words of the prophet apply: “If the
wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed . . .
living he shall live and shall not die. I will not remember all his
iniquities that he hath done.”—Ezech. 18: 21, 22.

2. The remission of the eternal, and a part of the temporal, pu­
nishment. He that commits a mortal sin renders himself guilty
of the eternal punishment of hell, and he will most certainly
incur it if he does not obtain the remission of the sin. But he
that makes a good confession receives, besides the forgiveness
of sin, the remission of the eternal punishment, though he may
have deserved it a thousand times. Can a greater grace be thought
of? And is it not also a great grace that in confession th<
punishments of purgatory are at least partly remitted ?

3. Sanctifying grace, and with it adoption as sons of God and the
right to heaven. The soul of him who makes a good confession
is not only cleansed trom the stains of sin, but also adorned with
sanctifying grace. God, who beholds in the soul of the justified
man his image again, takes pleasure in him and gives him his
love. He even adopts him as his son, and gives him the right and
title to heaven with all its joys. Oh, how happy is the sinner, even
the greatest sinner, who makes a good confession ! You all know
what is necessary for a good confession. Endeavor always, and
especially during Easter time, to confess candidly, sincerely, and
with compunction of heart.
Part V.

The bread of holy communion. Of this bread Christ says: “I am
the living bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat
of this bread, he shall live for ever, and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world.”—John 6:51, 52. With
these words our divine Saviour expresses—

i. What kind of bread he gives us. “The bread which I will
give is my flesh.” The bread, therefore, which is given us in
holy communion is not real bread like that with which he fed
the five thousand men in the desert ; it has only the form of bread,
but in reality is the body of Christ, or Christ himself, true God
and true man. Christ himself, the eternal truth, is our guarantee.
God had shown a great grace to the Israelites in the desert,

312

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

where he daily fed them with the manna ; but how infinitely
greater is the grace which we Christians receive in holy commu­
nion, for we truly receive Christ himself, the incarnate Son of
God, as he sits as the right hand of God I Oh ! this is a grace of
which the angels are not deemed worthy, for they are allowed
only to behold Jesus, but not to receive him.

2. What effects this bread produces in us. “If any man eat of
this bread, he shall live for ever.” Therefore, the effect of holy
communion is life everlasting. He that communicated worthily,
preserves the life of grace upon earth. For holy communion, as
the Council of Trent says, has the special effect of preserving us
from mortal sin. The reason is, because holy communion, on the
one hand, weakens our predominant passion and our natural in­
clination to evil, and, on the other, strengthens us that we may
overcome all the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the
devil. He that preserves the life of grace upon earth has the
assurance that he will receive life everlasting in heaven. There­
fore, by holy communion we become partakers of the greatest
goods we can wish for, sanctifying grace and everlasting life.
And yet there are so many who have not the least desire for
holy communion ; who stay away from the table of the Lord for a
whole year, and would not even communicate at Easter if they
were not, as it were, compelled to do so by a precept of the
Church. Oh, follow not in the footsteps of these lukewarm,
negligent Catholics; on the contrary, esteem yourselves happy
that you have the opportunity of being able to go often to com­
munion, but at every communion think of the words of the
Apostle: GLet a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that
bread, and drink of the chalice, for he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not dis­
cerning the body of the Lord.”—£ Cor. II ; 28, 29.
PERORATION.

These are the five loaves of bread which the grace of God has
prepared for the nourishment of your soul. Accept them with a
grateful heart from the hand of God and employ them for your
salvation. Love to hear the word of God, which is preached to
you so often, and make it the rule of your life. Look frequently
at the example of the saints and pious Christians, in order to
be encouraged thereby to serve God. Follow Christ gladly on
the way of the cross, that you may also be allowed to follow him
into the glory of heaven. Receive the holy Sacraments of Pe­
nance and the Eucharist frequently and always with a heart well

6. Moral Sketch.
prepared, that thus you may become partakers of the great
graces which are connected with the worthy reception of these
holy sacraments. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
HOW WE ARE TO GO TO COMMUNION.

Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed
to them that were set down.—John 6: 11.
The Church reads for us to-day the gospel in which is related the
miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes, in order to direct
our attention to the Most Holy Eucharist, which we are to re­
ceive at Easter. Our Lord had wrought a great miracle by
multiplying five loaves of bread and two fishes, so that five thou­
sand men, besides the women and children, were filled, and twelve
baskets of fragments remained. But he works a still greater
and more glorious miracle at Easter. He gives us in holy com­
munion, not earthly bread, but himself, his sacred flesh and pre­
cious blood, as he assures us: “The bread that I will give, is my
flesh for the life of the world.”—John 6: 52. He feeds, not only
five thousand people, but many millions. He feeds all Catholics
who approach his table of grace. He gives us a food which
nourishes the soul and infuses into the mortal body the germ of
immortality and glory, as he again assures us : “He that eateth
my flesh and drinketh iny blood, hath everlasting life; and I
will raise him up in the last day.”—John 6: 55.
Oh, that we all may receive this divine food worthily at this
holy time I Oh, that none may communicate sacrilegiously! As
St. Gregory the Great informs us, it was a custom in the early
days of Christianity for a deacon to cry out with a loud voice to
the faithful when they went to communion : Come with faith,fear,
and love. These words contain the best instruction for a worthy
communion. Let us meditate on them to-day. We must go to
communion—

I. With faith;
II. With fear;
III. With love.

SU

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

Part L
To receive communion worthily a living faith is necessary.

1. God forbade our first parents in paradise to eat of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, and threatened them with
death should they do so. But they believed the father of lies
rather than the word of eternal truth ; they did not believe that
the eating of the forbidden fruit would bring death to them ; they
therefore took of it and ate. The cause of their sin and death,
which came upon them and their posterity, was unbelief. Now
we have in the garden of the Church another tree, the fruit of
which we must eat in order to recover the eternal life which was
forfeited by the eating of the forbidden fruit. This tree of life
with its precious fruit is holy communion. But that we may eat
this fruit for our salvation, we must firmly believe what the
Catholic Church teaches concerning it. We must believe that the
sacred Host, which the priest gives us in holy communion, is
truly Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, that the sacred
Host, which appears to our senses to be bread, in reality is not
bread, but the God-Man, Jesus Christ—the same Jesus Christ that
once lived upon earth, and now sits at the right hand of God in
heaven, and that nothing remains of the bread but only the form;
finally, that Jesus Christ is not present dead, so that he does not
see or hear, but living, with all his divine and human perfections
and attributes. If we do not believe or voluntarily doubt these
and other truths which the Catholic Church teaches concerning
the blessed Eucharist, the food of life will be changed for us into
deadly poison; we shall share the lot of our first parents, who,
because they did not believe, took of the forbidden fruit, and ate
death to themselves.

2. Perhaps you will say: /rWell, we are not destitute of faith.”
I grant it, but is your faith a living faith? Are you, as often as
you go to communion, penetrated by this thought: “I am now
before Jesus, my Lord and my God. I will now receive him into
my heart before whom Peter prostrated himself, exclaiming,
TJepart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’—Luke 5: 8. I
will receive him whom the heavenly spirits adore with the profoundest veneration.” This living faith is required for communion.
Whence does it come that many are so cold, so void of devotion,
and so distracted when they come to the table of the Lord ? Un­
doubtedly from the fact that their faith is not living, they fre­
quently are not conscious of their faith, they do not think of the
presence of their God and Saviour. Hence their distractions and
want of devotion, hence also the deplorable fact that they xeap

■on

_____—

6. Moral Sketch

I

315

little or no benefit from holy communion. Yes, want of faith is
the reason why many receive communion unworthily. If they
would seriously consider what they receive in holy communion,
what sin they commit by receiving communion unworthily, and
what terrible consequences an unworthy communion draws after
it, they would not dare approach the altar with an unclean con­
science. But because they do not consider all this, and conse­
quently have no living faith, they care little or nothing whether
they communicate sacrilegiously or not. On the day of their
communion, though they have sinned so grievously, and laid per­
haps the foundation for their eternal damnation, they are as calm
and cheerful as if they had no reason to accuse themselves of the
anything wrong. Oh, blind and deluded souls!
How necessary, then, it is that, in order to receive our com­
munions worthily and profitably, we should have not only faith,
but a living faith ! Let us, therefore, recollect ourselves before
we go to communion, and consider what we are doing, and who
it is that we are to receive, in order that our faith may be a
living faith.

Part Π.
We frequently read in the gospel that people were seized with
fear when Christ manifested his Godhead by a miracle. We
need not wonder at this ; how could weak, sinful man not be
filled with holy awe when he beheld himself in the presence of
God ? It is also very natural that we should approach the altar
with fear. This is very salutary, because it urges us to communi­
cate with a pure conscience and with profound veneration.

I. Christ, at the Last Supper, before instituting· the Blessed
Eucharist, washed his disciples’ feet, and thereby indicated that
we must approach communion with a clean heart. It is truly a
most solemn act to receive God, who is holiness itself, into our
hearts. In order to receive communion worthily, we ought to be
divinely pure and holy. But as is impossible for us, we must en­
deavor to the best of our ability to cleanse our heart from every
stain of sin. It is absolutely necessary that we should be free
from every mortal sin. He that knows he is defiled with a mortal
sin, or could and should know it, and yet g-oes to communion,
commits a horrible sacrilege ; he renews the crime of the Jews
who crucified Christ, and eats and drinks judgment to himself.—
I. Cor. 11 : 27-29. “A great crime among Christians, a crime that
draws down terrible punishment on itself, is the unworthy recep­
tion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the Sacrament of his love.
The desecrators of this adorable Sacrament will drink the cha

3ï6

Fourth Sunday in Lent.

lice of divine revenge throughout all eternity.”—St. John Da
mascent.
Alas 1 it is to be feared that not a few will receive communion
unworthily at this Easter time. And who will they be ? Those
who confess without contrition and a resolution of amendment;
who are therefore determined to shun the occasions of sin, to
give up their sinful familiarity, to stay away from the places
where they have frequently sinned grievously, to forsake their
bad habits, for example, cursing, blaspheming, getting drunk,
and using immodest language. Those will communicate sacri­
legiously who do not restore ill-gotten goods, who do not desist
from their injustices in dealing with others and do not become
reconciled to their neighbor; lastly, those who knowingly and
willingly conceal a mortal sin in confession, diminish the number
of their sins, or palliate or excuse a mortal sin so that it appears
only a venial one. All these confess sacrilegiously, and, conse­
quently, if they go to communion after such a sacrilegious con­
fession, they make themselves guilty of a still greater sacrilege,
greater by far than the Jews were guilty of when they shed the
blood of Jesus and trampled it under their feet. Let us all con­
sider this and at this time of Easter endeavor to cleanse our con­
science by a sincere and contrite confession, that we may be
enabled to communicate worthily.

2. We must go to the altar with reverence. If we conduct our­
selves before the great of this world with becoming decorum,
and are careful not to violate due respect, with what reverence
should we be filled when we approach God himself and receive
him into our heart! During this holy act beware of the least
levity or disrespect. Show in your whole exterior the holy fear
by which you are penetrated. Cast down your eyes, fold your
hands, say your prayers on your knees, and do not venture to ap
proach in unsuitable apparel the table of him who has said:
“Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart.” Say,
not only with your lips, but also from the bottom of your heart :
“Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Part HI.

·1^

Christ was not content with becoming man, teaching us, and
finally suffering and dying for us ; he also instituted the Blessed
Eucharist, in order, after his departure to his heavenly Father,
to dwell among us—nay, to come into our heart and to unite
himself most intimately with us, that we might become, as it
were, one with him, and say with the Apostle: “I live, now not
I, but Christ liveth in me.”—Gal. 2: 20. This is a love which we

6. Moral Sketch.

317

may admire, but can never comprehend. If Christ so loved us,
what kind of persons should we be if we did not love him, and
if the most ardent love did not animate us as often as we have
the happiness of receiving him in holy communion?
1. But how does this love manifest itself? Principally by an
ardent desire to unite ourselves with. Jesus in holy communion. He
that loves wishes to be united with the object of his love. If,
therefore, we love Christ, we shall long with the greatest ardor
for holy communion, because this enables us to unite ourselves
most intimately with our Saviour. The saints desired nothing so
ardently as holy communion. When St. Philip Neri was lying
on his death-bed, and the holy Viaticum was given to him, he
exclaimed : “Behold here is my love, behold here is my love, oh,
give me my love !”
2. Where there is love, there is a desire for Christ in holy com­
munion, and the greater and more ardent the love, the greater
and more ardent is also the desire. What then shall I say of
those who wait a whole year and even longer without having a
desire for holy communion ; of those who, although they go to
communion at Easter, do not go with a desire for communion,
but because the Church commands it, of those to whom Easter
is the most distasteful season of the year because they can not
well withdraw themselves from confession and communion; of
those who, if Easter were to be every ten years, would go to
confession and communion only every ten years? What can we
say of them but that they have no love at all for Jesus, that they
receive communion either unworthily, or without profit? Look
into your own heart and ask yourselves: How do matters stand
with me? Have I a desire for communion? And accordingly as
you must affirm or deny the question, you can easily judge
whether you love Jesus or not, whether you receive communion
worthily and profitably or not.
PERORATION.

In conclusion, I beg you to consider that on your conduct to­
wards Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist and at holy communion,
depends the salvation of your soul. Make therefore the resolu­
tion to-day, to go to communion at Easter time, and at all times,
with faith·, fear, and love. Communicate with faith saying: Jesus,
my Lord and my God, is present; I receive him the infinitely
holy, my Redeemer and Judge. Communicate with fear, see
whether your heart is free from every mortal sin, tor the infinite­
ly pure and immaculate God can not dwell in an impure heart.
Communicate with love and therefore excite within yourselves

JiS

Fourth Sunday in Lent.

an ardent desire to be united with Jesus as often as your
circumstances allow it. Communicate, not only at Easter, but
frequently during the year, with faithy fear and lovey then you
will always communicate worthily, and the word of Christ will
be verified in you : “He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my
H up in the last
blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him
day.”—John 6: 55. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
CHRISTIAN BENEVOLENCE.

Jesus took the loaves ; and when he had given thanks, he distributed
to them that were sei dowm. — John 6:11.

In the gospel for this day Christ exhibits himself as the friend
and benefactor of men. After healing the infirm who were
brought to him, he went over the Sea of Galilee, again to do
good. There, in the desert, where a great multitude had gathered
around him, he soon found an opportunity of showing his charity
and mercy. The people were hungry ; they had eaten nothing
all day, it was towards evening, and they were still fasting. What
does Christ do ? By his omnipotence he works a great miracle,
multiplies five loaves of bread and two fishes, so that five thou­
sand had sufficient.
This wonderful occurrence is not intended to be the mere re­
cital of a story; no, it is more than this, it is an example—nay,
a commandment—for us; for Christ is our example, and what he
has done we must do also, as he says himself: “I have given you
an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.”—John
13:15- I will speak to-day of Christian benevolence, and explain
to you—

I. That we must be benevolent ;
II. That we can be benevolent.
Part L

Benevolence is considered by all a beautiful and commendable
virtue, but many will not believe that we are obliged to practice

319
tt. And yet we are obliged to do so. It is a strict duty to be bene­
volent. and he that does not comply with it can scarcely be saved,

I. Reason convinces us of this truth. God has given the earth
to men for their common possession, as a father leaves his pro­
perty to all his children in common. “This earth is nothing else
than the common inheritance of men.” The distinction between
mine and thine was first introduced by the law of nations. God
sanctioned the division and appropriation of the originally com­
mon goods, but so that the rich and wealthy should not leave
their poor brethren in a helpless condition. “The rich,” says St.
Gregory, “must give of their abundance to the poor, for they are
not the masters, but only the stewards of the goods entrusted to
them.” The proprietor of all we have is God; it is our strict duty
to make use of everything according to his will. But he has
given us much, for no other reason than that out of our
abundance we should succor the needy and suffering. The steward
acts unjustly when he uses the goods entrusted to him against the

replied to a miser, who said that he was doing no wrong by
keeping his own: “You say you are doing no wrong by keeping
your own. What belongs to you? Did you not come forth naked
from your mother’s womb ? Will you not return into the earth ?
Whence did you obtain your present possessions? If you say,
by a fortuitous accident, you are impious, because you do not
know your Creator. But if you admit that you have received it
from God, forget not for what purpose God gave it to you. God
Is not unjust ; by blessing you with affluence, and placing another
In poverty, he wished that you should obtain the reward of
mercy and of a faithful stewardship, and he the reward of con­
formity to his holy will.”

2. The natural law which God has written in every man's heart.
This is: “Do unto others what you would wish others to do unto
you.” What does every man wish when he is in necessity? Is it
not that he sould be succored? He therefore who is not benevo­
lent, and does not assist the poor and indigent, sins against the
natural law. We see that those who had no special revelation
from God were convinced of the duty of benevolence and prac­
ticed it. Job lived among the Gentiles and before the time of
Moses ; he had, therefore, and could have, no knowledge of the
Mosaic law, and yet he said : “If I have denied to the poor what
they desired, and have made the eyes of the widow wait, if I
have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten
thereof;... if I have despised him that was perishing for want

3 20

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent.

of clothing, and the poor man that had no covering ... let my
shoulder fall from its joint, and let my arm with its bones be
broken.”—Job 31: 16, 17, iq, 22. The better-disposed among the
Gentiles, who observed the natural law, were benevolent to the
poor, and succored the needy. The Emperor Titus considered
every day lost on which he had no opportunity of doing a favor
to somebody, saying: Diem perdidi (I have lost a day.). What
then do you do, O Christian, who stop your ears against the en­
treaties of the poor, the widow and the orphans ? You sin against
the natural law, and make yourself lower than the Gentiles.

3. The Old Lazu of the Jews. Imperfect as this law was, being
given for an unrefined people, it contained a multitude of ordi­
nances which most emphatically inculcated mercy to the poor
and needy. Thus, this law decreed that the land should not be
tilled in the seventh year, and whatever would grow spontan­
eously should be given to the poor.—£x. 23 : 11. Moreover they
were not to cut the corn down to the ground, nor to gather the
ears that remained but some were to be left for the poor and for
the strangers.— Lev. 23 : 22. To induce the Israelites to be bene­
volent, God promised them large rewards for the exercise of
this virtue, and threatened them with great punishments if they
were hard and unmerciful towards the poor. “He that giveth to
the poor shall not want; he that despiseth his entreaty, shall
suffer indigence.”------Prov. 28: 27. “He that stoppeth his ear
against the cry of the poor, shall also cry himself, and shall not
be heard.”—Prov. 21:13.

4. The New Law of the Christians. Christ placed the love of our
neighbor side by side with the love of God, and declared it to
be a new law, by the observance of which we must show our­
selves to be his disciples: “A new commandment I give unto
you, that you love one another, as I have loved you . . . By this
shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love
one for another.”—John 13 : 34, 35. Benevolence is an exercise
of love; he, therefore, who is not benevolent and merciful to­
wards the poor, has no love, and violates the principal law of
Christ. Hence St. John says: “He that hath the substance of this
world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his
bowels from him, how doth the charity of God abide in him?”—
/. John 3: 17.
This is also evident from the parable of the rich man and La­
zarus. It is said of the rich man, that when he died he was buried
in hell, and was grievously tormented in the flames. He died a
bad death and was condemned to the everlasting torments of
hell. And why ? Was it on account of various grievous sins
I

7.

I

«

Moral Sketch,

which he had committed? No, for such are not laid to his charge
in the parable; the reason of his condemnation is to be sought
in his want of mercy to poor Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full oi
sores, desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich
man’s table, and no one did give him. Because he left this poot
man without help he was damned. Therefore, St. Augustine
says: “Reflect on what happened to Dives, who was clothed in
purple and fine linen; he was not condemned because he had
appropriated to himself the goods of others, but because he gave
not of his substance to poor Lazarus ; cast into hell, he was ob­
liged to beg for a drop of water, because he had refused on earth
a crumb of bread.
Moreover, our Saviour declares most emphatically, that the
omission of works of mercy is a sin, which draws eternal damnation after it. Will not the Judge say to those who stand at his
left: “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, which
was prepared for the devil and his angels ; for I was hungry,
and you gave me not to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave me not
to drink ; I was a stranger and you took me not in : naked, and
you covered me not” . And to the question of the reprobate:
“Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or
naked . . . and did not minister to thee?” he will reply: “Amen,
I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least,
neither did you do it to me.”—Mali. 25: 41-45. Here it is plainly
said that not only thieves, robbers, murderers, fornicators, adul­
terers, extortioners, and other great sinners, shall go to hell, but
also those who are unmerciful to the poor and needy. Christian
charity, then, is not only a counsel, but a duty, a strict precept,
on the observance of which depends life everlasting. The question now is :
Can we fulfil this law and be benevolent?”
Part II.

In whatever state of life we are, in whatever circumstances we
live, we can be benevolent.
i. To fulfil the duty of benevolence, it is not required that wi
give much; it suffices to give vohat vie are able. The rule which
the elder Tobias gave to his son holds good: “If thou have much,
give abundantly; if thou have little, take care even so to bestow
willingly a little.”—Tob. 4: 9. Those also who have not much
can fulfil the duty of Christian benevolence, for God regards the
will more than the deed. The poor widow who put only two
mites into the treasury, put in more comparatively than all the
others, some of whom put in much, for, as Jesus says: “All they
did cast in of their abundance, but she, of her want, cast in all
she had, even her whole living.”—Mark 12: 44. He that gives
II

21

322

Fourth Sunday

in

Lent,

the little that he is able to give willingly and cheerfully, has
greater merit before God than have the rich who, frequently
from ostentation rather than for the love of God, give large alms.

Christ reckons among the works of benevolence such as even
the poorest can give. He says : “I was thirsty, and you gave me
not to drink.” Where is there a man so poor that he can not
give a little water to a thirsty man ? It is frequently by something
small and insignificant that we can do an important act of kind­
ness and charity. Examples: Rebecca, who gave the servant of
Abraham and his camels to drink.—Gen. 24 : 17, etc. Moses, who
protected the daughters of the priest of Madian against the vio­
lent shepherds, so that they could water their sheep and return
home early.—Ex. 2:16, etc.
2.

3. Christian charity can be exercised, not only by alms, but
also by various other acts of kindness. If, for instance, you lend
money to a man and thereby help him out of a difficulty, if you
have patience with your debtor and give him time till he can
pay his debt, if you procure work for a poor man who is able
and willing to work, if by good counsel or recommendation you
help him to get a situation, all these are exercises of Christian
benevolence, and frequently are more beneficial than large alms.
4. Even those who have nothing can be benevolent; they need
nothing for this but good will. He that can give nothing to the
poor and needy can at least pity them and have compassion on
them. St. Gregory Nazianzen says: “Give cheerfully and you
have given much. But if you have nothing else, give tears. Com­
passion from a sincere heart is a precious remedy for the unfor­
tunate.” St. Gregory the Great calls compassion a more preci­
ous alms than any other gift, “for,” says the saint, ‘Tie that gives
money, gives what is without him, but he that gives sympathy
to the unfortunate gives something of himself.” Therefore St.
Augustine also says: ‘If you are able to give, give; if you can
give nothing, give friendly words. The Lord crowns the good
will where he finds no worldly substance. Let nobody say: I
have nothing ; love is not taken out of the purse. If you can give
nothing else, give sympathy, and God will graciously receive
your alms.”

5. Lastly, charity can be exercised by prayer. All Christians,
even those who can no longer be active, as the aged and the
sick, can pray with firm faith and ardent love; they can, if they
will, pray always and everywhere, and our holy religion teaches
us that by our fervent and believing prayer we can do more good
to our fellow-men than by alms. In the year 35c the city of Ni-

•j, Moral Sketch.

3*3

sibis was besieged by Sapor IL, King of Persia; Jacob, the holy
bishop of that city, mounted the wall of the city and implored
the help of the Lord against the unbelievers. God heard his
prayer, for suddenly there came swarms of flies which crept into
the trunks of the elephants and the ears of the beasts of burden,
and made them so furious that they caused the greatest con­
fusion in the camp, and Sapor was compelled to raise the siege.
PERORATION.

There is no man upon earth, as you see, who can not in some
way be merciful towards his neighbor; the rich and the poor,
the high and the low, the healthy and the sick, the children and
the aged,—all can practice the virtue of benevolence if they only
have a good will. Remembering the example of Christ, who by
multiplying the loaves in a miraculous manner fed a great mul­
titude, let us be encouraged to do good to all wherever and how­
ever we can. Let us also consider that hard-heartedness towards
the poor and needy is a sin which God particularly hates and
severely punishes, and that we can hope for God’s mercy if we
show ourselves merciful and charitable towards our neighbor.
St. Jerome says: “I do not remember ever to have read that he
who had practiced works of mercy died a bad death. Such a
man has so many intercessors that it is i II possible for their
prayers to remain unheard.”
shall obtain mercy. Amen.

Be you therefore merciful, and you

3 >4

Passion Sunday

PASSION SUNDAY.

Epistle.
11-15. Brethren, Christ being come a high-priest
of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect taber­
nacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, neither by
the blood of goats, nor of calves, but by his own blood, entered
once into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. For if
the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of an heifer being
sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the
flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through
the Holy Ghost offered himself without spot to God, cleanse our
conscience from dead works, to serve the living God? And there­
fore he is Mediator of the new testament: that by means of his
death for the redemption of those transgressions, which were
under the former testament, they that are called may receive the
promise of eternal inheritance in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 HOMILETIC SKETCH
THE HIGH-PRIESTHOOD AND SACRIFICE OF CHRIST.

The lesson for to-day is a small portion of the epistle which
St. Paul wrote to the Hebrews, that is, to the Christians convert­
ed in Palestine from Judaism. Al II ong these there were many
who still clung to the Mosaic Law, who sought to unite the
Jewish religion with the Christian, and who, therefore, wished
to be Jews and Christians at one and the same time. Moreover,
the Jews who stubbornly adhered to the old religion, and by
nothing, not even by numerous miracles, could be induced to
embrace Christianity, had persecuted the newly-converted, their
own brethren, in a terrible manner, depriving them of their pro­
perty and reducing them to the greatest misery. These Jewish
Christians needed very much to be instructed and strengthened
in their faith. The Apostle did this in the epistle which he wrote
to them, and in which he showed them that the Jewish Law waf
abrogated and had given place to the Christian and he admon­
ished them to constancy in faith. The lesson of this day con­
tain» the following truths :

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

I. That the high-priesthood of Christ is much more excellent than
that of the Jews,
II That the sacrifice of Christ is much more effectual than the
sacrifices of the Jews,

I. The Apostle designates Jesus Christ as the high-priest of
the good things to come. By these good things we are to under­
stand the treasures of grace which our divine Saviour has ac­
quired for us, viz., the forgiveness of sin, sanctifying grace, the
love and favor of God, and the inheritance of heaven. They are
called good things to come, in opposition to those things for which
the high-priest in the Old Law offered sacrifice. He could obtain
for them by prayer and sacrifice goods pertaining to this present
life, but for the obtaining of the good things to come, which
refer to the future life and make man eternally happy, he could
do nothing. Here observe one prerogative of the high-priesthood
of Jesus Christ superior to that of the Jews. The Jews could
expect nothing from their high-priest but temporal and perish­
able things; we Christians have a high-priest from whose hands
not only temporal, but also supernatural and eternal goods flow
to us, for to him we owe everything that is necessary for our
salvation.
If Jesus Christ is the high-priest of the good things to come,
we must above all things desire these goods and aspire to them.
To seek and love nothing but what the world has and gives, and
to pray only for temporal things, would betray a low sentiment,
unworthy of a Christian. We may, indeed, pray for temporal
goods, such as life, health, prosperity, and esteem such goods
and try to preserve them, but only in so far as they are necessary
and beneficial for our salvation, or so far as they are not dan­
gerous. Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all
other things shall be added unto you, so far as they are con­
ducive to your eternal welfare.
2. The Apostle says that Christ by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, entered
once into the Holies. By tabernacle we understand, first, the
holy tabernacle of the Israelites. This tabernacle was a portable
temple, somewhat resembling a tent, and so constructed that it
could be easily taken apart; it was similar to the tabernacle of
pastoral tribes, and consisted of a vestibule and sanctuary. The
vestibule, which was two hundred feet long and one hundred
wide, was intended for the people as a place of prayer. Next to
the vestibule came the sanctuary, which had two apartments, of
which the smaller was called the Holy of Holies, and the larger

ja6

Passion Sunday.

the sanctuary proper. The people were not allowed to enter
into the sanctuary proper, but only the priests ; from the Holy
of Holies even the priests were excluded. It contained the Ark
of the Covenant, wherein were placed the two tables of the Law,
a vessel with manna, and Aaron’s rod, over which was the Mercy
Seat Only the high· priest was allowed once a year, on the great
day of Atonement, to enter this place for the purpose of offering
the prescribed sacrifice. The Apostle says: Christ is greater
then the Jewish high-priest, because he entered by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not
of this creation, into the Holy of Holies. What kind of taber­
nacle is this? According to most interpreters of the Sacred
Scripture, this tabernacle is the Church of Christ. The Church
of Christ is a higher, t. e.f a larger tabernacle than that of the
Jews, for it extends over the whole earth, whilst the Jewish
Church was confined to one people; she is more perfect, because
she truly purifies her members from sin, sanctifies them and
shews them the way of eternal salvation, whilst the Jewish
Church had no effectual means of salvation, and only prepared
the way for Christianity ; she is not made with hands, that is, not
of this creation, as the tabernacle of the Jews, but founded by
Jesus Christ, the Grod-Man. The sanctuary into which Jesus
Christ entered after the accomplishment of his work of redemp­
tion, is greater and more excellent than that into which the
Jewish high-priest entered once a year, for it is heaven, where
he sits at the right hand of his Omnipotent Father.
We have the happiness of being in the tabernacle of Christ, in
his holy Catholic Church. Let us conscientiously fulfil our duties
as Catholics and diligently avail ourselves of the means of grace
which the Church offers us, that we may one day have the hap­
piness of entering with Jesus into the Holy of Holies, that is,
into heaven.
3. The Apostle says that Christ entered not into the Holy of
Holies by the blood of goats, nor of calves, but by his own blood.
In the Old Law the high-priest entered the Holy of Holies on
the feast of Atonement, carrying with him the blood of the
slaughtered victim with which he sprinkled the pavement in the
sight of the Lord. Our High-priest did infinitely more: he did
not offer goats and calves, but he immolated himself, shedding
for us the last drop of his blood on the cross. What are all the
sacrifices of the Jews compared with this?
Let us call to mind this sacrifice in this holy season of Lent,
which is instituted in memory of the bitter passion and death of
Christ, and resolve in grateful love to make sacrifices. Let us
mortify our inordinate inclinations, for example, vanity, anger,
avarice, impurity, and bear with patience and resignation the

i. Homiletic Sketch,

32?

hardships incident to our state of life; let us deprive ourselves
of some meat, drink, or sleep, bridle our senses, especially the
eyes and the tongue ; these are sacrifices which please our Savi­
our and merit many graces for us.

4. Lastly, the Apostle says : Jesus entered once into the Holies
having obtained eternal redemption. In the Old Law, the sacrifi­
ces of oxen, goats, and calves were constantly renewed, the highpriest was obliged to enter into the Holy of Holies every year,
to offer the sacrifice of Expiation and to sprinkle the blood. It
is quite different in the New Law. Our High-priest need not
renew his sacrifice yearly and again shed his blood: he entered
only once into the Holy of Holies, he offered himself for us only
once on the cross, a bleeding victim, and effected thereby eternal
redemption. The blood which he once shed on the cross re­
deemed the whole human race for all time. What our Saviour ac­
quired and merited by his sacrifice on the cross can be destroyed
neither by the malice of men nor by the cunning of the devil.
Notwithstanding that countless sins are daily committed, the
sacrifice which Jesus offered for us on the altar of the cross enables
all men, even those who groan in the deepest misery of sin, to
obtain forgiveness and to be saved. This holy sacrifice Christ
renews daily by the hands of his priests in the holy mass, and
by it causes all merits to flow to us which he has acquired by
his bloody sacrifice on the cross. Moreover, he is also our Medi­
ator with the Father in heaven, wherefore St. John writes: “If
any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ,
the just; and he is the propitation for our sins; and not for ours
only, but also for those of the whole world.”—I. John 2:1, 2.
Thus the priesthood of Jesus Christ far transcends that of the
Jews, for the latter was but a shadow and type of the former,
and was to cease as soon as Christ, our High-priest, had offered
his sacrifice on the cross. For this reason at the death of Christ
the veil of the temple was rent in twain, to signify that the old
priesthood, with its sacrifices, was abrogated.
Part Π.

To show that the sacrifice of Christ is more effectual than that
of the Jews, the Apostle first describes the effects of the sacri­
fices under the Old Law, and then the effects of the sacrifice
under the New Law.

He says that: the btood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of
an heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleans­
ing of the flesh. St. Paul here speaks of the sacrifices of the

328

Passion Sunday.

Jews and the purifications according to the law. The blood ol
goats and oxen served, on the feast of Atonement especially,
which was celebrated every year on the tenth day of the seventh
month, for the cleansing of the holy place from the uncleanness
of the children of Israel, of the high-priest and his family, and of
all the people. The high-priest offered a calf as a sacrifice for
the sins of himself and his house, and two goats for the sins of
the people before the sanctuary. Then he slaughtered the calf
and one of the goats, upon which the lot had fallen, and, enter­
ing into the Holy of Holies, sprinkled, first with the blood of the
calf and then with the blood of the goat, the ark and the pave­
ment before it : then he sprinkled, with the blood of both, the
golden altar of incense and its four horns, in order to purify the
holy place from the sins of the Israelites. Lastly, he offered a
burnt offering and sin offering.—Lev. 16. Places and persons
that were legally impure were sprinkled with the blood of the
animals offered in sacrifices at other times, in order to be purified
again. The ashes of the cow were used for this particular pur­
pose. As often as necessary (when the ashes had all been used)
a red cow of full age and without blemish, and which had never
worn a yoke, was selected. The high-priest took her from the
hands of the people, led her before the camp, and later, when
they lived in Palestine, out of the city of Jerusalem. There, be­
fore the eyes of all, she was slaughtered and burnt. The ashes
were gathered and carefully preserved. These ashes, mingled in
water (as with us the salt is put in holy water), served as a means
of purification for those who had defiled themselves in any way.
To this class belonged all who had sinned against the law and
all who had contaminated themselves by certain actions or by
touching certain persons or things declared impure by the law;
as the leprous, women in labor, dead bodies, etc. Such conta­
minated persons were considered to be unholy and no longer
belonging to the chosen people ; they were not allowed to parti­
cipate in the sacred ceremonies, and were excluded from the
temple and public intercourse with the people. If any one needed
purification, he was sprinkled with the water in which some of
the ashes of the cow had been mingled.—Num. ig. By this means
he was freed from the defilement contracted and from the punish­
ments threatened by the law, and was sanctified, in the sense
that he was reinstated in his former rights. The sacrifices of the
Jews had by no means the virtue of purifying man from sin, of
justifying him before God and of sanctifying him; their whole
effect consisted in this, that those who had defiled themselves
were declared clean exteriorly, in the eyes of men.
But it is quite different with the sacrifice which Jesus Christ
offered for us. This, the Apostle says, is an unspotted sacrifice,
'which cleanses our conscience from dead works, to serve the liv

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

329

ing God. By dead works we are to understand sins; they are called
dead works, because they deprive man of the supernatural life,
which is sanctifying grace, and make him guilty of eternal death,
which is damnation. The unspotted sacrifice which Jesus offered
for us on the cross in a bloody manner, and which he daily re­
news in the holy mass, and will renew till the end of the world
in an unbloody manner, frees us from these dead works. All
sins, original as well as actual, are expiated by the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ. Therefore St. Paul elsewhere says: “In whom
(Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the remis­
sion of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”—Ephes. 1: 7.
And St. John says: “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
us from all sin.”—I. John 1: 7.
How much better off are we than the Jews in the Old Lawl
All their sacrifices were without interior effect, they had not
even the virtue of cleansing man from a venial sin, much less
from a mortal one. Our sacrifice has, in truth, a purifying and
sanctifying power, for Jesus Christ has made by his sacrifice a
perfect—nay, a superabundant satisfaction to God for our sins,
and if we but receive the sacraments worthily, we shall be
cleansed from all our sins, even the greatest and most grievous;
we shall be sanctified, and become heirs of heaven. Oh I how
much does the sacrifice of Christ transcend all the sacrifices of

The sacrifice of Christ enables us to serve the living God. So
long as man is not cleansed from sin he can not serve God, that
is, he can do nothing that would have a supernatural value and
be meritorious for heaven. The good works which he performs
may bring him temporal blessings and perhaps graces for his
salvation, but for eternity they are and remain without merit.
But if he is justified and sanctified, a living member of the body
of Christ, he can serve God, and everything he does with a good
intention, even the most insignificant thing, such as giving a
little water to a thirsty person, has a supernatural value, and is
rewarded in heaven. Thus, again, we owe it to the sacrifice
which our divine Saviour offered for us that we can serve God,
as we must serve him, and in this service acquire the eternal
goods of heaven.
PERORATION.

At the conclusion of the lesson for this day the Apostle says
that Jesus Christ because he offered not, as the Jewish high-priest
did, the blood of animals, but himself, became the Mediator of
the new covenant between God and man, that through his death
all that are called, Jews and Gentiles, may receive the eternal
inheritance. Since lesus Christ offered himself on the cross for

33©

Passion Sunday.

all men and merited for all men the forgiveness of sins and the
graces necessary for salvation, all can be saved. Let us do what
is required on our part in order to appropriate to ourselves the
fruits of redemption. Be firm in your faith, obey the com­
mandments of God and avail yourselves of the means of grace
and salvation, and you will attain eternal life. Amen.

PASSION SUNDAY.
Gospel, John 8: 46-59. At that time Jesus said to the multi­
tudes of the Jews : Which of you shall convince me of sin ? If I say
the truth to you, why do you not believe me? He that is of God,
heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because
you are not of God. The Jews therefore answered, and said to
him : Do not we say well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a
devil? Jesus answered: I have not a devil: but I honor my Father,
and you have dishonored me. But I seek not my own glory:
there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Amen, amen, I say to
you : If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever.
The Jews therefore said: Now we know that thou hast a devil.
Abraham is dead, and the prophets ; and thou sayest : If any man
keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever. Art thou greater
than our father Abraham, who is dead ? and the proohets are
dead. Whom dost thou make rhyself? Jesus answered: If I glo­
rify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifieth
me, of whom you say that he is your God. And you have not
known him, but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him
not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know him, and do
keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see
my day: he saw it, and was glad. The Jews therefore said to him:
Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham ?
Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham
was made, I am. They took up stones therefore to cast at him.
But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

a. Homiletic Sketch.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
EXPLANATION OF THE GOSPEL, AND LESSONS FROM IT.

What the gospel for this day relates to us occurred at Jeru
salem, on the feast of tabernacles. The hatred and envy of the
Scribes and Pharisees against Christ had reached its climax.
They had sent their ministers to apprehend him whilst he was
preaching. But these were so captivated by his words that thev
departed without having effected their purpose, and full of ei thusiasm said; “Never did man speak like this man.”—John
7: 46. The next day the Scribes and Pharisees brought before
him an adulteress, and proposed to him the question whether,
according to the law of Moses, she should be stoned or ot.
They thought that Jesus owing to his leniency would acquit her,
in which case they would have had reason for condemning him
as a violator of the law. But Christ confounded their cunning
with the words: “He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her.”—John 8: 7. When, after these occurrences,
Christ continued to teach in the temple, they interrupted him by
various malicious questions, and blasphemies, which the gospel
of this day records. Let us then hear—

I. How this gospel is to be understood;
IL What we ought to learn from it.

Part L
When Christ severely reproached the Scribes and Pharisee
for their unbelief, they began to quarrel with hi It to insult hi II
and to blaspheme in a most horrible manner.

1. Which ofyou shall convince me of sin? If I say the truth to
you, why do you not believe me ? The drift of these words is : He
who lives a perfectly holy life deserves belief, for such a one
does not lie. Now if my life is so holy that even my greatest
enemies can not rise up against me and convince me of sin I
certainly speak the truth and all that I teach is worthy of cre­
dence. Our Saviour also assigns the reason why the Jews do not
believe in him, saying : He that is of God, heareth the words of
God ; therefore y ozi hear them not, because you are not of God.” The
Jews, and particularly the Scribes and Pharisees, did not refuse
to believe in our Lord because they could convince him of a sin
or a delusion, but only because they were corrupt—men who were
not guided and governed by the spirit of God, but by the devil

333

Passion Sunday.

They were not children of God, but children of the devil; there­
fore they would neither hear the word of God, which Jesus
preached to them, nor believe in it
The severe reproach which Christ administered to the Jews
on account of their unbelief made them very angry, and not
being able to refute him with arguments they broke out into
insults and blasphemies: Do we not say well that thou art a Sa­
maritan, and hast a devill The Samaritans, originally Gentiles,
took possession of the lands which the Israelites who were led
into the Assyrian captivity had occupied. In the course of time
they accepted a part of the law of the Jews, but retained a great
deal of Gentilism and were half Jew and half Gentile. The Jews
entertained a violent hatred against them, and to call one a Sa­
maritan was as much as to call him a heretic or an arch-enemy
of the Jews. But the Jews were not content with this insult.
They went still further, and called him a man that has a devil.
A more horrid blasphemy could scarcely be imagined.
2.

3. Christ answered: I have not a devil; but I honor my Father.,
and you have dishonored me. But I seek not my own glory ; there is
one that seeketh andjudgeth.
Peter rightly applied to Christ the words of the Prophet:
“Who, when he was reviled, did not revile; when he suffered,
he threatened not.”—I. Pet. 2: 23. To the first blasphemy, that
he was a Samaritan, he made no reply, because it was directed
only against his person, and its falsehood was evident to every
one from the fact that he fulfilled the law most punctually. The
second blasphemy, that he had a devil, he refuted, because it
affected the honor of God; but he did it without any bitterness;
he proved to his blasphemers the absurdity of their blasphemy,
since he was doing the very contrary to what the devil does, for
he honored God, whilst the devil does not honor him, but endea­
vors to keep man by all the means he can employ from the wor­
ship of God. At the same time he indicated to them that God,
his heavenly Father, does not suffer himself to be dishonored
with impunity, and that they may now expect the severest chas­
tisements for their blasphemies.

4. In order, if possible, to change their hearts, disregarding
their blasphemies, he continues to instruct them and makes them
a most glorious promise, if they receive his word with a believ­
ing heart, and live accordingly: Amen, amen, I say to you: If any
man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever. There is a three­
fold death: the natural, which consists in the separation of the
soul from the body ; the moral, which we incur by every mortal
sin, because it robs the soul of supernatural life, or sanctifying

4

2. Homiletic Sketch.

333

grace; the eternal, which is eternal damnation. If we accept
the word of God and make it the rule of our life it protects us
against this threefold death. It preserves us from the natural
death, not in the sense that we should never die, but in this that
it divests death of all its horrors, and changes it, as it were, into
a gentle sleep, making it appear as a transition to a better life,
and uniting it with the blessed hope of a glorious resurrection.
It preserves from the moral death, for if we observe it conscien­
tiously we commit no sin, but persevere in the state of grace,
and, finally, it preserves from everlasting death, for if we die in
the state of grace we have nothing to fear, for our way leads
directly to heaven.
5. The Jews did not understand the words of Christ; they
thought he promised that if they would receive his word and obey
it, they would live for ever upon earth. This they considered
unheard-of pride, nay, madness. Therefore they said: Now we
know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets;
and thou sayest: If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death
for ever. Art thou greater than our Father Abraham, who is dead?
And the prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make thyself ? They
meant to say, these venerable and holy men, with all their holi­
ness, could not escape death, and you will make all immortal
that adhere to you. Are you not out of your senses? Has the
devil robbed you of all understanding that you assert such non­
sense?
6. Our Lord shows them that he does not exalt himself noi
lay claim to an honor which is not due to him; that, on the con­
trary, God his Father, whom they know not, honors him, but that
he knows him, and would be a liar like them if he should say that
he does not know him. In these words Christ declares that, as
the Son of God, he possesses the most perfect knowledge of God,
his Father—a knowledge such as no created being, whether
man or angel, has, and that it is he through whom men come to
the knowledge of God, as he says elsewhere : ‘ ‘ No one knoweth
who the Father is, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal
him.”—Luke 10: 22. The remark of Christ, that he keeps the
Father’s word, means that he does everything that his Father
wills, and that this is the best proof that he knows him. For the
more one knows God, the more one feels one’s self impelled to
serve him ; and the more one serves God, the more one grows
in the knowledge of God.
7. The Jews having reproached Christ for depreciating their
progenitor Abraham, he rejects the reproach by praising Abra­
ham, but in such a way as to give testimony to the truth and to

334

Passion Sunday.

set himself above Abraham : Abraham, your father, rejoiced that
he might see my day ; he saw it, and was glad. That is to say, when
Abraham was yet sojourning on earth, he rejoiced that according
to the repeated promise of God (Gen. 18: 18, 22: 18), I should
come as the Redeemer into the world. In limbo, where he is
with the rest of the just, he heard of my Incarnation and
Birth, and rejoiced. Thus Christ gives the Jews to understand
that he is truly the Messias whom God promised to Abraham,
and whom he had awaited with a great desire.
8. The Jews, in their blindness, misconstrued these words also,
and thought that he meant to say that Abraham saw him in this
life two thousand years previously, and rejoiced at his appearance;
therefore, full of indignation, they said : Thou art not yet fifty
years old, and hast thou seen Abraham ? Jesus said to them : Amen,
amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, lam. With these
words Christ attests that he is God from all eternity. Although
Abraham lived two thousand years before my Incarnation and
coming into the world, I, nevertheless, have been before him, for
I am the Son of God, I am truly God, and as God I have an
eternal existence. This time the Jews understood what Christ
said, but as they disbelieved in him they were enraged, and took
up stones in order to stone him to death as a blasphemer, for
blasphemy was to be punished by stoning.—Lev. 24: 16. But
the hour of Christ’s death was not yet come; the Jews therefore
could not accomplish their wicked design ; he hid himself by
making himself invisible ; went out of the temple, and visited it
no more during the short time that he stayed in Jerusalem.

This is a short explanation of the gospel for to-day; let us now
see what we have to learn from it.
Part IL

1. Who can convince me of sin ? Thus Christ spoke; first, to
show that he is more than man, that he is the Son of God and the
promised Messias; and secondly, as a lesson for us, that he who
teaches and corrects others must be irreproachable himself,
otherwise people say, “Physician, cure thyself.” Let us not be
content with outward justice and probity, for this avails nothing,
if we are not interiorly just. We are not justified before God
unless our morals are in harmony with our faith.

2. He that is of God heareth the words of God. See here the
mark of the children of God and of the children of the devil. He
that hears and willingly receives the word which God announ­
ces to him by interior inspirations, by spiritual books, by priests

2. Homiletic Sketch.

335

and superiors, has the mark of a child of God; but he that dis
dains the word of God, as the Israelites did the manna in the
desert, who does not love to hear it, of him we must say that he
has the mark of a child of the devil. Examine yourselves and
see what profit you have derived from the hearing or reading of
the word of God heretofore, and consider that, not the hearers,
but the doers of the divine word will be justified.
3. The Jews insulted and blasphemed Christ most horribly, call
ing him a Samaritan and a man who has a devil. How does he
conduct himself towards his blasphemers ? Does he fly into a
passion ? Does he take revenge on them? No, he defends himself
with the utmost calmness, saying merely ; Ihave not a devil. When
we are insulted and reviled, how do we behave ? Do we not fly into
a passion? Do we not become angry? Do we not retaliate and
break out into insults ? And who is Christ, and who are we ? Oh!
let us lay aside our sensitiveness; otherwise we can not be disciples
of the meek Jesus. A look at him, insulted and blasphemed as he
was, should stimulate our heart to meekness. “Oh ! man, what
ignominy can be inflicted upon you that Christ has not first
endured?”—St. Augustine.
4. Our Lord complains of the Jews that they dishonor him by
their blasphemies. Many Christians, too, make themselves guilty
of this grievous sin, by cursing, swearing, and imprecations, and
so often that with many it has become a habit. This cursing and
blasphemy are mortal sins and frequently cause scandal, especi­
ally when children are present. Those that are subject to this
bad habit must strive to give it up, and as often as a curse or a
blasphemy escapes their lips they should say for a penance :
“Blessed and praised be Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the
Altar.” Beware, also, lest you dishonor Christ by unbecoming
conduct in the church, and especially by an unworthy com­
munion.

5. Christ assures us that he does not seek his own glory, but the
glory of his heavenly Father. How differently-minded are we!
We seek our own honor so much, that we scarcely do anything
in which we have not, more or less, our own honor in view. Oh,
what shame, confusion, and grief for us, when the divine Judge
one day exposes us, takes from us the assumed honor, and re­
stores it to God, to whom alone it is due. Oh, let us act always
according to the maxim of St. Ignatius : “All for the greater glory
of God.” Let us not forget that it is our first and only vocation on
earth to glorify God in all we do, and that our good works have
value and merit before God only when they are done for his
greater glory.

336

Passion Sunday.

6. Instead of falling1 down before Jesus and adoring1 him, they
took up stones in order to kill him. What was the cause of this
shocking deed? Nothing else but pride. It was pride that blind­
ed them; it was through pride that the clear arguments that
Jesus gave as to his Godhead and his dignity as Messias did not
open their eyes; it was pride that hardened them so that they
resisted all heavenly graces ; it was fride that made them irrecon­
cilable enemies of our Lord and caused them to take up stones.
Oh! let us beware of pride and ambition, lest we fall into blind­
ness and obstinacy, and finally into everlasting perdition.
What did Christ do when they would stone him ? He hid him­
self and went out of the temple. He was not compelled to do this ;
for what can human impotence do against divine omnipotence?
But he did it to teach us, first, that God departs with his grace
from those who disregard his salutary inspirations ; and secondly,
that we must go out of the way of angry persons, in order not
to aggravate them, and to avoid still greater mischief.
PERORATION.

These are lessons which the gospel for this day contains; re­
member them, and regulate your life accordingly. We live in an
age in which Jesus and his holy Church are greatly reviled, in­
sulted, blasphemed, and persecuted; let us take care that we do
not suffer any injury to our soul. Let us be steadfast in our faith
and in our devotion to Holy Church, and lead a life worthy of
our faith. Let Jesus be our model and type ; let us follow him
on the way of the cross, that we may be worthy to follow him
into the glory of heaven. Amen.

PASSION SUNDAY.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
CONFESSION.

Which of yau shall convince vie of sin ?—John 8: 46.

Christ could justly challenge the Jews in these words: Which
of you shall convince me of sin ? He that had come to take away
the sins of the world was to be himself without sin, and no

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

337

shadow of an imperfection to obscure the splendor of his glory.
Hence the Apostle says: “It was fitting that we should have such
a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens.”—Heb. 7 : 27.
How different is it with us ! Although others may have nothing
to condemn in us, we must confess to ourselves that from our in­
fancy up to this moment we have sinned often and grievously in
thought, word, and deed, and by the omission of many good
works. Therefore St. John writes: “If we say that we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” At the
same time the Apostle indicates a means which we must make
use of to obtain the forgiveness of our sins: “If we confess our
sins, he (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all iniquity.”—I. John 1: 9. Confession, therefore,
or the acknowledgment of our sins, is the means for the forgive­
ness of our sins, and on confession, the fourth part of the Sacra­
ment of Penance, I shall speak to-day, answering the three
following questions :

I. Why we must confess ?
II. What must we confess?
III. How must we confess?

That we should confess, that is, accuse ourselves of our sins
before a priest in order to obtain from him absolution, is not a
human, but a divine ordinance, as the Council of Trent emphati­
cally teaches in these words: fTf any one denies that sacramental
confession was instituted by virtue of divine right, or is neces­
sary to salvation, let him be anathema.”—Sess. 14. Cap. 6»
The divine institution of confession is evident—

i. From the words of Christ: “Whose sins you shall forgive
they are forgiven them and whose sins you shall retain, they
are retained.”—John 20:23. With these words Christ constituted
the Apostles and their successors in the priesthood spiritual
judges; they were either to forgive sinners their sins, or to retain
them. If a judge is to pass a sentence upon some one, he must
know the circumstances of the case in detail ; for t ithout this
knowledge he can neither condemn nor acquit. In like manner
the confessor must know the state of the soul of the sinner, if he
is to judge it. But as the sins, especially those of thought and
desire, are entirely hidden, the confessor can not arrive at the
knowledge of them unless the sinner reveals them, or in other
words confesses them in detail. Moreover, the confessor must
enjoin a penance on the sinner as satisfaction. This penance

22

33 8

Passion Sunday.

must be as far as possible in due proportion to his sins, and
must assist the sinner to amend. How would the confessor be
able to enjoin on the sinner a penance corresponding to his sins
if he had no knowledge of them ? The power therefore of for­
giving and retaining sin, which Christ gave to the Apostles and
their lawful successors, evidently includes the duty of confes­
sing sin.

2. From the testimony of all the Fathers of the Church. St.
Cyprian, a bishop and martyr of the third century, severely
reproaches those who during the persecution had sacrificed to idols
for going to the table of the Lord without having first confessed
their crime, so as to be reconciled with God, and for thus sinning
more grievously against God than when they denied him. Then
he exhorts all those who in any way have sinned in thought or
deed to confess without delay. St. Ambrose of Milan says: “The
poison is sin; the remedy, the accusation of one’s crime; the
poison is iniquity, confession is the remedy against relapse. And,
therefore, it is truly a remedy against poison if thou declarest
thine iniquities, that thou mayst be justified. Art thou ashamed?
This shame will avail thee little at the judgment-seat of God.” St.
Augustine writes: “Let no one say to himself, I do penance to
God in private, I do it before God. Is it, then, in vain that Christ
hath said: “Whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed
in heaven ?” Is it in vain that the keys have been given to the
Church ? Do we make void the gospel ? void the words of Christ?”
St. Chrysostom says : “Lo ! we have now at length reached the
close of Lent; now especially we must press forward in the
career of fasting . . . and make a full and accurate confession of
our sins.... that with these good works having come to the
day of Easter, we may enjoy the beauty of the Lord ... For, as
the enemy knows that having confessed our sins and shown our
wounds to the physician we attain to a perfect cure, he in an
especial manner opposes us.” St. Basil: “We must confess our
sins to those to whom has been committed the dispensation of
the mysteries of God.” In general the Fathers of the Church
teach that the sinner who out of fear or shame omits to confess
his sins, can no more be absolved from them than a sick man
can expect to be cured if he is ashamed to explain his case to
the physician.

3. From the doctrine of the Greek schismatical Church. This
Church, which, under the leadership of Photius, separated from
the Catholic Church and has since remained a distinct body,
having no spiritual relation with us, teaches that private con­
fession is an essential part of the Sacrament of Penance, and
that without it there is no forgiveness of sins. The Greek schis-

3. Dogmatical Skktch.

339

niatic Synod, held at Jerusalem in the year 1672, declares that
“ the Sacrament of Penance, which includes private confession, has
been instituted by Christ when he said : ‘ Whose sins you shall
forgive, they are forgiven,’ ” etc.

4. Lastly y from the fact that the custom of confessing one’s sins
has existed in the Church from the beginning. It is impossible to
mention a time when the custom of confessing one’s sins did not
exist in the Church, or when it was introduced by an ordinance
of the Church. We read in the Acts that “many of them who be­
lieved came, confessing and declaring their deeds to the Apostles.”
Why did they confess their sins unless they were bound to do
so? And they did not declaretheir good deeds, but their evil
deeds, as is evident from the result of their confession, viz.,
burning the wicked books. St. Irenaeus, a disciple of the Apos­
tles, says that some women who had been seduced by a false
teacher named Mark confessed not only their unchaste actions
but also their impure desires. The Fathers of the Church already
quoted prove the existence of confession in the following cen­
turies. We possess several penitential works, or books of confes­
sion, which reach far back, in which is described most minutely
how careful the confessors are to inquire about the number,
the kind, and the circumstances of sins, and how the penitents
are to accuse themselves of all even the most secret sins. Con­
fession is as old as the Church, and is not a human, but a divine
institution.

Part Π.
We

II

ust confess—

I. All mortal sins, howsoever they may have been committed,
in thought, word, deed, or by omission. The Council of Trent
teaches this in these words: “Whereas all mortal sins, even those
of thought, render men children of wrath and enemies of God, it
is necessary to seek for the pardon of them all from God by an
open and modest confession ; . . . . they who act otherwise, and
knowingly keep back certain sins, set nothing before the divine
bounty to be forgiven through the priest.”—Sess. 14, Cap. 5.
By mortal sins, which necessarily must be confessed, are to be
understood those which we remember after careful examination.
This, again, is the doctrine of the Council of Trent. He, there­
fore, who carefully examines his conscience, and does not dis­
cover one or the other mortal sin, or forgets to confess it, makes
a valid confession ; it is, however, his duty to confess the undis­
covered sin at his next confession, after he has come to the
knowledge of it.

340

Passion Sunday.

Venial sins may be kept back in confession without guilt, but
it is useful and salutary to confess them, partly in order to obtain
the remission of them, and partly to afford the confessor a better
knowledge of the state of our soul. If we were in doubt whether
the sin be mortal or venial, for the sake of greater security it
must be confessed, unless the confessor judges the contrary
better, on account of the scrupulosity of the penitent, who sees
mortal sin everywhere, though there is none.

2. The number of mortal sins, i. e., we must say how often we
have committed each of them. This is evident from the fact that
no mortal sin must be kept back. If, notwithstanding a diligent
examination of conscience, we can not exactly remember the
number of sins, it suffices to give it as nearly as we can. In re­
gard to impure words we must give the number of persons in
whose presence they were spoken, because this circumstance
multiplies the sin.
3. The circumstances of a sin.

(a.) The circumstances which change the nature of the sin,
that is, which cause one sin to become of quite another kind, and
therefore to be called by another name, must be explained. Ex­
amples: Theft and sacrilege, fornication and adultery, incest and
bestiality. ‘ ‘ Those circumstances which change the species of
the sin are necessarily to be explained in confession, because,
without them, the sins themselves are neither entirely set forth
by the penitents, nor are they known clearly to the judges, and
it can not be that they can estimate rightly the grievousness of
the crimes, and impose on the penitents the punishment which
ought to be inflicted on account of them.” — Council of Trent, Sess.
4. Cap. 5.
(6.) The circumstances which make a venial sin mortal. This is
self-evident. We must confess all mortal sins, and since in a par­
ticular instance a venial sin, on account of some circumstance
connected with it, has become a mortal sin, it must be confessed.

(c.) The circumstances which do not change the nature of the sin,
but considerably aggravate it. The Council of Trent does not com­
mand us to mention these circumstances in confession, but it is
highly commendable to do so. The first reason is because many
penitents do not know exactly what circumstances aggravate
the sin or change the nature of it. Now, if a circumstance were
such as would change the nature of the sin, and we were not to
mention it, we should expose ourselves to the danger of making
an invalid confession. The second reason is because the con­

3- Dogmatical Sketch.

34»

fessor is better enabled to form an opinion as to the state of the
soul of the penitent and to prescribe for him more suitable means
for preventing a relapse.
It is to be remembered that in explaining the circumstances
we must not mention any person’s name ; we must say nothing
superfluous and express ourselves as decently as possible.
Part III.

We must confess—

1. Sincerely, that is, we must accuse ourselves exactly in accord­
ance with the knowledge of our guilt before God, without con­
cealing or disguising anything, or excusing it by vain pretexts.
The priest in the confessional is the representative of God ; any
insincerity and disguise resorted to in the confessional is an at­
tempt to deceive not the priest but God himself, who detests
nothing so much as a lie. A penitent who for any reason whatever
conceals a mortal sin in confession, or so extenuates it that it
appears only as a venial sin, or does not mention a circumstance
which changes the species of the sin, or diminishes the number
of mortal sins, makes an invalid and sacrilegious confession. In
order to conceal nothing that must necessarily be confessed, con­
sider—
(λ.) That sincerity in confession is absolutely necessary in order

to obtain the forgiveness of sins. Pray as much as you please, per­
form austerities, give your whole substance to the poor, live like
a saint, all is in vain; so long as you conceal one mortal sin in
confession all your confessions and communions are sacrilegious,
and if you die in that state you will surely be lost for ever.
(3.) That it is better to confess your sins to a priest, who is bound
to eternal secrecy and silence, than to live miserably in sin, to die
unhappily, and to be put to shame before the whole world on the last
day. St, Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, says in a sermon:
“If we conceal our sins, God will reveal them. It is much better
to confess our sins to one man than in that terrible judgment to
be accused and humiliated before heaven, earth, and hell, not for
our amendment but for our eternal punishment.”

2. Clearly. We must so express ourselves that the confessor
can readily understand everything, and clearly see the state of
our conscience.
(#.) We must speak neither too softly nor too quickly, but in
such a way that the confessor can understand every word. If we

343

Passion Sunday.

should purposely speak softly or quickly so that the confessof
may not understand or hear certain sins, we should expose our­
selves to the danger of making a sacrilegious confession.

(3.) We must confess every sin definitely, and add whatever is
necessary for a knowledge ofitsnature. Such accusations as, I have
had bad thoughts, I have said something wrong, I have not loved
God, I have sinned against the third, the sixth commandment,
are too general and indefinite, because the priest could not form
an opinion as to the kind of sins you committed in thought, word,
and deed. We must distinctly name and specify the different sins.
PERORATION

In conclusion, I will tell you what you must do in the confes­
sional. Kneel down, make the sign of the cross, and say the
Confiteor as far as “through my most grievous fault.” Mention
when you were last at confession, unless the priest knows it al­
ready; then confess your sins. If at your last confession you
were not absolved, or if you concealed a sin, or if you have a
sacrilegious confession to repeat, tell the confessor this at the
very beginning, that he may know how to act. In conclusion,
make a short act of contrition, and ask for a penance and the
priest’s absolution. Then listen with attention to what the priest
tells you, and if he asks you any questions, answer modestly and
sincerely. Submit willingly and humbly to his judgment and re­
solve to follow his directions, so that you may obtain from God
the forgiveness of your sins. Amen.

PASSION SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE CELEBRATION OF PASSION SUNDAY.

Jesus hid himself\ and -went out of the temple.— John 8: 59.

This is called Passion Sunday because the Church from now
till Easter Sunday occupies herself in a special manner with the
consideration of the passion of Christ. If you cast a look at
the altar, you see that the crucifix is veiled with a people cloth.

4· Liturgical Sketch.

343

What is the meaning· of this? The Church represents figuratively
what the gospel of to-day relates of our divine Saviour. The
Jews, in their rage, pressed forward with stones in their hands
to stone him to death. But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the
temple. The Church calls to our mind this event ; for that reason
she withdraws the picture of Christ crucified from our eyes by veil­
ing it. The cloth is purple, the color of penance, which signifies that
Christ has put on the garment of penance in order to atone for
our sins and to reconcile us with Girod, and that we also must do
penance, that we may participate in the grace of redemption.
This veiling of the picture of the Crucified also indicates the pro­
found sorrow which the Church feels for the bitter passion of
Jesus, her Bridegroom.
Let us, then, to-day make the passion of our Lord the subject­
matter of our pious meditation, and for this end let us consider
more closely the celebration of Passion Sunday, for in it the
Church shows—
I. The greatness of the passion of Jesus
II. The fruits of the passion of Jesus.

Part I.

From the Garden of Olives, where he began his passion, to
Mount Calvary, where he ended it on the cross, Christ endured
unutterable tortures in body and soul. It is these, his interior
and exterior sufferings, that the Church sets before our eyes to­
day in the celebration of Passion Sunday.
I. The priest recites at every mass, unless it be a requiem, the
psalm Judica. This is omitted from this Sunday till Holy Satur­
day, if the mass is of the day itself. The question then arises:
Why is this psalm omitted ? It is because the whole celebration
of Passion-tide is nothing else than the realization of what the
psalm Judica contains, therefore to-day it forms the Introit of the
mass. Passion-tide mainly represents to us the passion and death
of Christ and especially the sufferings and persecutions which
he endured from his enemies; and as the psalm Judica refers to
the sufferings and trials of King David, a type of Christ, the
Church omits it and immediately turns our attention to our divine
Saviour, admonishing us to consider the ignominy and death
which he voluntarily took upon himself in his passion. Let us
briefly consider this interior passion of Jesus.
In the Garden of Olives he said to his three disciples, Peter,
James and John: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death.”—Mark
14:34. Shortly afterwards, whilst he prayed to his heavenly

344

Passion Sunday.

Father, a bloody sweat broke forth from the pores of his sacred
body. "And his sweat became as drops of blood trickling down
upon the ground.”—Luke 22 : 44. What anguish, what oppression
of the heart must it not have been to draw such a sweat from
Christ! This was, however, only the beginning of the interior
suffering which never abandoned him till he died on the cross.
What sadness must not the treason of Judas and his unhappy end,
the flight of all his disciples, and the threefold denial of Peter,
have caused him 1 What must his Most Sacred Heart have felt
when the robber and murderer Barabbas was preferred before
him, and when he was derided and mocked on the cross ! And
who can comprehend the sorrow when he saw himself deprived
of all divine consolation and cried out: “My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me!—Matt. 27: 46.
The suffering of his soul, which certainly was as great, even
greater than that of his body, you should make the subject of
your pious meditations at this holy time, and you should unite
with it salutary exercises, such as contrition for your sins, espe­
cially the sins of the heart, and patience and resignation to the
will of God in the various tribulations of life. Beg of him, for the
sake of his bitter anguish and abandonment, to assist you in your
last struggle, to comfort and strengthen you, that you may per­
severe in faith, hope, and charity, and make a holy and happy
end.

2. In the celebration of Passion Sunday the Church represents
not only the interior but also the exterior sufferings of Christ.
In the holy mass and in the divine office the doxology : “Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,” recurs
very frequently. From this day till Easter it is omitted in the
masses of the day; in the breviary it is also frequently, and in
the last three days entirely, omitted. Why? On account of the
abuse and contumely which Christ endured from Jews and Gen­
tiles in his passion and death. He had scarcely delivered himself
into the hands of his enemies, when he was treated more cruelly
than the greatest malefactor. He was bound with ropes, buffeted,
spit upon; and in the night of Holy Thursday, and Good Friday,
he had not a moment’s rest ! But this ignominy and suffering was
only a prelude to what was to follow. What did he not suffer at
the dreadful scourging, where he was so bruised and wounded
that the prophet says of him: “We have thought him, as it were,
a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.”—Is. 53: 4.
What did he not suffer at the crowning with thorns, and on his
way to Calvary, when, his strength failing, in his agony he fell
under the heavy weight of the cross ! What did he not suffer at
his crucifixion, when his hands and feet were pierced through
with nails under the heavy strokes of the hammer, and during

4- Liturgical Sketch.

345

the three hours that he hung on the cross, till he bowed down
his adorable head and died!
These are the inexpressible sufferings which the Church calls
to our mind during this Passion-tide. She sees her divine Foun­
der and Bridegroom as the Man of Sorrows, humbled to the dust;
therefore she chants no Gloria; sitting at the foot of the cross
she can only mourn and weep. When St. Teresa one day beheld
a crucifix covered with blood and wounds, she felt so great a
sorrow for her sins that she thought she should die. She threw
herself on her knees, and, with many tears, begged Jesus never
to let her again commit a sin. From that hour she leceived
greater graces, which enabled her to combat and overcome all
evil inclinations. Let us also during this time frequently medi­
tate on the passion and death of Christ; it will be an effectual
means for us to love Jesus and to offend him no more.
Part Π.

In the celebration of this Sunday the Church shows us also
the fruits of the passion.
1. In the epistle of the mass (Heb. 8: 11-15), Christ appears as

High-priest, who, in his person and sacrifice, infinitely transcends
the high-priests and sacrifices of the Old Law. The high-priests
of the Old Law were only men, being themselves unclean and
sinful ; Christ, our High-priest, is God and man, pure, innocent,
undefiled, separated from sinners. The sacrifices of the priests in
the Old Law consisted of created things, mostly animals ; they
had no virtue to purify man interiorly and blot out his sins;
but the sacrifice of Christ, which is himself, cleanses us from all
stains of sin ; it justifies and sanctifies us.
2. In the preface of the mass we also behold the fruits of the
passion. It says: “it is truly meet and just, right and available
to salvation, that we should always, and in all places, give thanks
to thee, eternal God, who hast fastened the salvation of the human
race on the wood of the cross, that from whence dead origin­
ated life might arise, that he who conquered by wood might
be overcome by wood, through Christ our Lord.” It was a tree
that caused us all both corporal and spiritual death—the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil in Paradise. Again it is a tree
that brings us new life and grace—and this is the tree of Gol­
gotha, the Holy Cross. Adam by his disobedience plunged us
into the greatest misery ; Christ, the second and better Adam, by
his obedience, has raised, not only himself, but us all, and re­
stored us to the happy state of children of God and heirs of the
kingdom of heaven ; hence the Apostle says: “For as by the dis­

346

Passion Sunday.

obedience of one man, many were made sinners ; so also by the
obedience of one, many shall be made just.”—Rom. 5: 19. By
means of the tree in Paradise the evil spirit seduced our first
parents and made them and us his slaves; by means of the tree
on Calvary Christ destroyed the power of the devil over mankind
and set us free

3. The Church also indicates the fruits of the passion of Christ
by omitting· in the breviary what is called the commemorations
of the saints, that is, those prayers by which they are venerated
and their intercession is invoked. She does not do this as if she
thought it was not good and wholesome to venerate the saints
and to invoke them at this time, but her object is to direct our
attention exclusively to Christ, our only mediator and Saviour.
But for him we should not be redeemed, there would be no
saints whom we could venerate; the holiness and felicity of the
elect and the power of their intercession are the fruits of the pas­
sion, and it is to his merits that the saints owe all they have and
are. The stars disappear when the sun rises. Thus we do not
commemorate the saints now because we have Christ, the Sun of
Justice, the Author of sanctity, before our eyes.
PERORATION.

If heretofore you have been cold and indifferent towards your
Saviour, begin at least now to love him with all your heart; for
this end meditate on his passion ; for nothing is able to warm
your cold heart more than this wonderful mystery of love ; per­
form the Stations of the Cross, and imprint deeply on your mind
what Christ suffered and what graces he merited for you by his
passion and death on the cross. Indeed, meditation on his pas­
sion will produce in you the most salutary effects ; it will make
you hate and detest sin as the only cause of his sufferings and
death, and induce you to lead a life of penance. The boundless
love of Jesus will inflame your heart with the love of him, and
thus, with God’s grace, you will work out your salvation and be
saved. Amen.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

347

PASSION SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH
TWO STONES WHICH IN OUR TIME ARE CAST AT THE CHURCH.

They took up stones therefore to cast at him. — John 8 : 59.

Jesus, in the gospel of this day, declares himself to the Jews, as
the promised Messias whom Abraham, their progenitor, had
ardently expected, and whose Incarnation he had greeted in
Limbo with the other just; and affirms that he is older than
Abraham, that is, the Son of God from all eternity. But instead
of falling down and adoring him, they take up stones to cast at
him. Thus the Jews treated Christ, who, in his infinite love and
mercy, had come to redeem and save them.
This ungrateful feeling of the blind and obstinate Jewish race
is not yet extinct; it is still living, and not only among the Jews,
but also among some Christians. They can no longer cast stones
at Christ, because he is withdrawn from their eyes and sits at
the right hand of God, but they cast stones at the Church estab­
lished by him, in order to destroy her. Two stones especially
are cast at the Church in our days, and they are these accusations:
I. The Catholic Church is dangerous to the State:
II. She is the enemy of progress.

Part L
The Church is dangerous to the State. You can read this in
newspapers, pamphlets and books, and hear it at public meetings
and in the Houses of Legislature. Is it just to cast this stone at the
Church? Let us examine the case a little more closely.
I. If the Church were dangerous to the state, she would be particulary hostile to rulers.
There are various forms of government. In most countries one
person is at the head of the government and governs by right
of succession as emperor, king, duke, etc. The power of the
ruler is either limited or absolute. Some countries are republics,
where one person does not exercise the power of government
in consequence of his right of succession, but a president is elected
by the people for a definite term of years. How does the Church

<

348

Passion Sunday.

regard these forms of government ? She places no impediment
in the way of any, much less does she presume tc designate the
one or the other as unlawful, or teach that her children need
not submit to them. Example: France, which for the last fifty
years has had so many forms of government, and the Church
has always recognized them.
The Church does not even consider whether the rulers are
believers or unbelievers, orthodox or heterodox, good and pious,
or the contrary ; she teaches that her children owe obedience to
every legitimate ruler, no matter what he is from a religious or
moral point of view. Example: The first Christians, who never
rebelled against the pagan authorities, as the Jews did against
the Romans. And why does the Church submit to every existing
government? Only and solely on account of God, for she is
taught by divine revelation that every lawful authority is or­
dained by God, and that every rebellion against it is a rebellion
against God. “Let every soul be subject to higher powers, for
there is no power but from God, and those that are, are ordained
of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the or­
dinance of God; and they that resist, purchase to themselves
damnation.” — Rom. 13: 1-2.
2. But perhaps the Church infringes upon the rights of rulers and
does not regard their odinances and lavas? Neither does she do
this. The rulers have, for instance, the right to enter into allian­
ces with other nations, to make treaties, to declare war, to make
peace; they have the power to establish institutions for the
promotion of arts and sciences, and whatever is necessary for the
common good, and to assess taxes. Does the Church hinder
the government in doing these things? No. On the contrary,
she obliges all her children to obedience, she cooperates with
the temporal authority, and supports and sustains her ordinan­
ces to the best of her power. She teaches in particular that the
temporal authority has the power from God to make laws, and
that all subjects are bound to obey them. She teaches that
Christians must submit themselves even to temporal laws, not
from human respect, but for God’s sake, and that he sins who
violates them for the simple reason that the temporal authority is
the representative of God. He that stands by the doctrine of
the Catholic Church never allows himself to violate a law of the
temporal authority, even if he had no evil consequences to fear,
for he says to himself: I keep this law, not on account of men,
but on account of God; my Church teaches me that I should sin,
and must expect punishment from God, if I transgress it.
There is only one case in which the Catholic would be bound
to refuse obedience to the temporal laws; that is, if by such laws
something were commanded or forbidden that would be contrary

5. Symbolical Sketch.

349

to the divine law, and consequently a sin. In this case obedience
would be morally impossible, because one is never allowed to
act contrary to the law of God, and so to commit a sin. There­
fore St. Peter and the other Apostles said to the high Council
which forbade them to preach the gospel: “We ought to obey
God rather than men.”—Acts 5: 29.
But even in this case a Catholic must confine himself to the re­
fusal of obedience, for it is the express doctrine of the Church that
subjects are in no case allowed to use force against the govern­
ment in power and to rebel against it. They may seek the re­
dress of their grievances in a lawful way, but if in this they do
not obtain their end, nothing remains for them but to persevere
in patience till it pleases God to come to their aid. The weapons
of the Christians, says a Father of the Church, are tears and
prayers.
The accusation therefore that the Church is dangerous to the
state is a stone which is flung at the Church without reason, the
very contrary being the truth. The Church is the best and most
powerful support of the state, because she teaches that it has
its origin and power from God, and urges all subjects to fulfil
their duties towards it conscientiously.
Part II.

Another stone which in our time is frequently cast at the
Church is the assertion that she is an enemy of progress. Is this
assertion true? I answer, yes and no, according to the sense
in which the word “ progress ” is taken.

1. There is a good and true progress -which the Church approves
and promotes. We see that in our time natural sciences and
arts are progressing wonderfully, inventions are brought out,
and things are done which are most creditable to the human in­
tellect. Just look at our railroads, steamboats, telegraphs, machines
for agriculture, factories and trades, the grand and majestic
buildings—all this is indeed an advance which a hundred years
ago nobody ever dreamt of.
Is the Church opposed to this progress? Who would dare to
assert it? The Church has always approved all useful progress,
and she approves it to-day, and not a few priests have taken
part in this progress at all times, and they continue to take part
in it. Was it not the Church that civilized the rude, untutored
nations, that instructed them in agriculture, trades, and arts, and
taught them to erect commodious houses, and to lead an orderly
life, in cities, towns, and villages? Was it not the Church that
established schools everywhere, and founded institutions of learn-

350

Passion Sunday.

ing? And is it not the Church that supports the state in the
education of the people, and especially of youth? The Church
is in no way the adversary of progress; on the contrary, she
sanctions and promotes it as much as she can.

2. But there is also a false progress, a progress which seeks to
triumph in our day, and which, if it should obtain full sway,
would everywhere be fraught with mischief and ruin.

{al) This progess denies the existence of God, says that the
world originated from itself, that man is descended from an ape;
or it makes him originate from the foam of the sea, as birds from
the yolk of an egg; this progess denies that man has an immortal
soul, that there is a heaven or a hell; in short, it subverts all that
Christians, Jews, and even Gentiles, have believed and still be­
lieve. According to this progress there is no moral law, no differ­
ence between virtue and vice. It is therefore one and the same
thing whether I give alms or steal, whether I love or hate, whether
I save a man’s life or take it away. This progress, especially in
large cities, has many adherents, and is acquiring strength in the
country. The fruits of it are a diabolical hatred of everything
Christian, especially the Catholic Church; crimes and vices, than
which there could have been none more terrible in the days of
Noe; a total neglect of all Christian duties; numberless suicides;
and then there is the awful fact that many have sworn to die
without the priest, and without the sacraments, and to be buried
like pagans.

(3.) There is another progress which does not go so far.

It

admits belief in God, in the immortality of the soul, in rewards
and punishments in the next world, but it rejects the divine reve­
lation entirely and asserts that we must not believe anything
unless our reason can comprehend it. But with the aid of our
reason only we can know but little of God and supernatural
things, and that little imperfectly. Without divine revelation
we know nothing of all the mysteries of our holy religion, the
most holy Trinity, the Incarnation of Christ, the work of our
redemption, the sacrifice of the mass, and the sacraments. Hence
it is evident that if we take reason as the only rule of faith, we
must reject all Christianity.
It is evident that the Church cannot sanction such progress as
this and that she must resist and condemn it, using all the means
she has available for the purpose, else she would not fulfil the
commission of her divine Founder to instruct all nations, teaching
them to observe all things which are necessary for salvation.
Infidels and free-thinkers may make these charges against the
Catholic Church, and try to persuade the world that she is the

6. Moral Sketch.

351

enemy of all progress and must be rooted out, but the Church
will always raise her voice, warn the nations against this perni­
cious progress, tear the mask from its face and show it in all its
wickedness.
PERORATION.

You now know the two stones which are unjustly cast in our
days at the Church : that the Church is dangerous to the state, though
she is not; that she is the enemy of -progress, though she is not, if
real progress be meant. On the contrary, the Church is a pillar
and support of the state, because she declares the ruler to
be the representative of God, and exhorts all subjects to sub­
mit in accordance with their duty to the existing government and
to keep its laws for the sake of God. She sanctions all progress
that is good, and condemns only that which destroys Christian
faith, and renders man miserable for time and eternity. The
Church is a good and affectionate mother, who wills only what
is best for us. Let us be good, obedient children, let us con­
scientiously fulfil our duties as subjects of the state and endeavor
to make progress, not only in temporal things, but especially
in the business of our salvation, according to the words of the
apostle: “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.” — II. Pet. 3: 18. Amen.

PASSION SUNDAY.

6. MORAL SKETCH
GOD ABANDONS THE INCORRIGIBLE SINNER.

Jesus htd himself, and went out of the temple. — John 8: 59.
The Jews took up stones to cast at Jesus, in order to kill him.
But he hid himself, and went out of the temple. The Jews were
angry because they could not stone him to death, but afterwards
they comforted themselves with the thought that although they
could not kill him, they had at least driven him off, and he would
certainly come no more into the temple to preach his doctrine
so odious to them. Oh, what blindness 1 What is to them the
• I they
greatest evil is desirable; they rejoice that by stoning him

35*

Passion Sunday.

have compelled him to abandon them, whilst they should weep
and mourn because he has abandoned them. This is the punishft ent of those unhappy ones who despise all graces of heaven
and obstinately persevere in sin. God abandons them.
Let us meditate to-day on this serious truth. God abandons
the incorrigible sinner, and this is—
I. A terrible.,
II. A just,
III. A universal punishment.
Part I.

God abandons the incorrigible sinner and this is a terrible
punishment, for such a one—

I. Will not be converted, although he might be.

Proof:

fa.) The Jews. Christ was still with them, although he went
no more into their temple. He soon came into their city again,
performed miracles anew, healing a blind man; he instructed
them again, and endeavored to convince them of his Divinity
and of his dignity as the Messias. When he was hanging on the
cross they still had an opportunity of being converted like the
penitent thief, the centurion, and others. Moreover, they had
still forty years for their repentance. During that time the Re­
surrection of Jesus occurred, which was known in all Jerusalem
and could not be denied; the descent of the Holy Ghost, which
was accompanied by great signs and miracles, the preaching
and propagation of the gospel in the whole Roman Empire, and
the countless miracles which the Apostles and their successors
performed. Who can think it possible that the Jews would have
persevered in their unbelief? And yet they did so ; only a com­
paratively small number of them embraced the Christian faith ;
the great bulk remained obstinate till the punishments of God
overtook them.

GM

Careless Christians. Conversion is II uch easier for them
than it was formerly for the Jews. As members of the Catholic
Church they are in the possession of all the means of grace by
which they can be purified and sanctified. They have the word
of God, the holy sacrifice of the mass, the holy sacraments;
moreover, God seeks to win them by the voice of their con­
science, by the admonitions of friends, by the good example of
pious persons, by prosperity and adversity. I leave it to yourselves
to judge whether conversion is not easy for a Christian. But
is he converted? No, it is too often the case that he rejects the

é. Moral Sketch.

353

means of salvation, or abuses them by continuing· to offend God.
Among us there are also many incorrigible sinners. No matter
what God does for them they are not converted. Nay, instead
of being converted they—

2. Become only more obstinate, and therefore more culpable. We
see this again —
(ai) In the Jews. The longer Christ remained among them,
the more pains he took to convert them; but the more miracleà
he wrought, the more hostile they became towards him. They
misinterpreted his words, contradicted him, calumniated and
blasphemed him, and sought his life. They did this, not from
ignorance, but from malice; they knew and admitted that he
wrought miracles; they said: “What do we, for this man doth
many miracles?” — John n: 47. Finally they decreed his
death, delivered him to Pontius Pitate, the Roman governor,
and ceased not till he was condemned to die on the cross.
What obstinacy! We need not wonder that Christ said: “Woe
to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and
Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought
in you, they had long ago done penance in sickcloth and ashes.
But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon,
in the day of judgment, than for you.”— Matt. 11: 21, 22.

(3.) In Christians. Many of them resemble bricks, which, whet
they are taken out of the kiln, are not yet particularly hard, but
become the harder the longer they are exposed to the sun. First,
when they fall into a mortal sin their conscience is aroused; a
sermon, a kind admonition, frequently makes an impression upon
them; they are uneasy and desire to get rid of the sin. But the
longer they persevere in evil and the oftener they relapse, the
more careless they become; till finally they go so far that they
hate virtue and find pleasure only in what is evil. If any one
rebukes them and tries to put a stop to their sinful career, they
become his enemy, insult and calumniate him, and if it were in
their power they would treat him no better than the Jews treated
Christ. This is especially true of those who fall away from the
Church and worship the so-called liberalism. It is evident that
such become daily more culpable. What Christ said of his be­
trayer applies to them: “It were better for him if that man had
not been born.”—Matt. 26: 24.
Part Π.
God abandons the incorrigible sinner; it is a just punishment
We shall understand this—

II

23

354

Passion Sunday.

1. When we consider how God might treat the incorrigible sinnerx
and how he treats him in reality,
{a.) If a father has a degenerate son who by his bad conduct
causes him nothing but shame and bitterness of life, no one can
blame him if he renounces him as his son and disinherits him.
And we accuse God of injustice when he withdraws his hand
and abandons those who never cease to offend and outrage him
oy their sins and vices!
(3.) God might abandon the sinner immediately after the first
sin, as he abandoned the rebellious angels the moment they
sinned, and cast them into hell. But, generally speaking, he
does not so treat men. They sin, not only once, but ten, twenty,
a hundred, or a thousand times, and oftener; they pile up sins
mountains high, and God has patience with them, and waits many
years for their conversion. Now if God, after a long series of
years, turns away from the sinner, and abandons him, who can
call it unjust? Where is the man who would be as indulgent
with those who offend him as God is with sinners who frequently
offend him grievously every day?

{ci) Moreover, God does not abandon even the greatest sinner
in such a manner that he withdraws all graces from him. For as
God’s grace is absolutely necessary for conversion, it would, if
God refused him all grace, be impossible for him to be converted
and to save his soul; but, whereas God wills all men to be saved,
even the greatest sinners, it follows that he also gives them suffi­
cient graces. These sufficient graces avail nothing in the case
of men who are hardened in evil; they are not converted, and
therefore they perish; but that is their own fault, for no one, and
least of all a great sinner, can demand that God should give
him extraordinary graces and work miracles to save him from
perdition.

2. If we consider the conduct of the sinner towards Gods grace.
If you hear of a poor abandoned sick man, you go, full of com­
passion, to help him; you give him food, as he is almost starved,
but he refuses your food; you send a physician to him, but he
also repulseshim and his medicine; you offer him your services,
but he drives you from his couch. Now I ask: What will you
do? You will abandon him without reproaching yourselves for
having acted uncharitably towards him, for he rejects your help.
Now, just in this manner, and still more shamefully does the
incorrigible sinner act towards God, who offers him numerous
graces for his salvation, but he rejects them, and not only once,
but a hundred times, and oftener Does God do him any wrong

6. Moral Sketch.

355

if he punishes him by abandoning· him? "We would have cured
Babylon, but she is not healed; let us forsake her.” — Jer. 51:9.
Let us suppose another case. In your charity you assist a
poor man, you give him clothes to cover his nakedness; you
give him money to buy bread and other necessary articles. But
what use does he do with your alms? He sells for a trifle the
clothes you gave him, and buys intoxicating drink with the money
which you gave him for bread. Instead cf thanking you, he calum­
niates and insults you, and even threatens to kill you. I ask again
shall you continue to support such a wretch? Certainly not. Full
of indignation you will withdraw your hand from him and say: He
shall never get a cent from me; I should consider it a sin to give
him anything, because he abuses my benefits and acts so ungrate­
fully. Now, many sinners act thus. They abuse the graces which
God gives them for their salvation. They hear the word of God
merely to laugh at it, or to criticise the speaker. They go to
confession and communion—perhaps once a year, at Easter, but
without a resolution to change their sinful life, and thereby they
commit a double sacrilege. Sundays and holidays they spend
in the service of the devil, in sins and vices of every sort, and
thus they live for years. Now judge for yourselves: Does God
act unjustly when he forsakes such sinners and delivers them to
the perdition which they have deserved a thousand times? Oh,
surely if the good and merciful God forsakes the incorrigible
sinner it is nothing else than a just punishment, as every con­
demned soul must confess on the day of judgment: “Thou art
just, O Lord, and thy judgment is right.” — Ps. 118: 137.

Part ΠΙ.

God abandons the incorrigible sinner, and this is a universal
punishment. This is shown—

i. In the case of individuals. Thus David says of an incorrigible
sinner, among other things: “He loved cursing, and it shall come
unto him, and he would not have blessing, and it shall be tar
from him. And he put on cursing like a garment; and it went
in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.”—Ps.
108: 18. Examples: Cain. God admonished him to control his
passion, and to lay aside his hatred of Abel, but in vain. Cain
carried out his design and slew his brother. What was the result
of this crime? God pronounced his curse upon him, and it came
upon him temporally and eternally. Judas the traitor. With
what love did Jesus treat this Apostle, how much he labored to
turn him from his wicked purpose; he washed his feet, warned
him repeatedly, represented to him the greatness of his sin, said
to him at the very moment when he betrayed him: “Friend,

35ό

Passion Sunday.

whereto art thou come? — Matt. 26: 50. But when everything
failed to induce him to change his mind, Christ left him to his
fate. What was his end? He despaired of pardon and hanged
himself. A dissipated young man in Lancaster, England, who
disregarded all wholesome admonitions, once saw in a dream
his father who had died some time before, and who now with
serious words commanded him to change his wicked life. But
the debauchee continued in his evil ways. He had the same
dream again, but this time his father told him that St. Martin’s
day was the day appointed for his death and judgment. The
youth related his dream to his boon companions and ridiculed it.
St. Martin’s day, till far into the night, he spent in debauchery
and drink. When he awoke late in the morning from his carousal
he jested about the dream, but turned pale and was suddenly
struck with apoplexy, which at once ended his life. If the unfor­
tunate young man had looked in an almanac, he would have
found that this was also St. Martin’s day, as the feast of St. Martin
the Bishop follows immediately after that of St. Martin, Pope
and Martyr. This is the end of every incorrigible sinner. God
abandons him and he is lost.

2. In entire families and races. “ The offspring of the ungodly
shall not bring forth many branches, and make a noise as unclean
roots upon the top of a rock.”—Ecclus. 40: 15. Example: Achab,
who, at the instance of his impious wife Jezabel, caused Naboth
to be stoned to death, in order to take possession of his vineyard.
The prophet Elias went and announced to him that he should
perish with his whole family. And so it came to pass. Achab
was mortally wounded and died in his chariot, and the dogs licked
up his blood.—III. Kings. 22: 38. Jezabel by the orders of Jehu
was thrown headlong out of a window, and the hoofs of the
horses trod upon her, and her flesh was eaten by dogs.—IV. Kings
9. Jehu also commanded the seventy sons of Achab to be killed,
as well as all those that were left of the house of Achab in
Jezrahel, and all the great ones and all his acquaintances and
all his prieste, till not one of them was left.—IV. Kings, 10. We
see to-day how many a family in which there is no religion or
fear of God, nothing but wickedness, injustice, sin and vice,
decays and finally dies out.

In entire kingdoms. Josue, the leader of the Israelites, con­
quered thirty-one kings, broke up their kingdoms, and destroyed
their inhabitants.— Jos. 11, 12. Afterwards, under the judges
and the kings of the Israelites, the adjoining kingdoms were
invaded and many of them destroyed. The cause of their down­
fall was their wickedness. Their measure of sin was full; there­
fore they were rejected by God. In the history of the ancient
3,

6. Moral Sketch,

357

world we read accounts of the great and powerful kingdoms
of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Greeks, and Romans; but all
these kingdoms, which seemed to be founded for eternity, perished,
and on their ruins others arose. All these kingdoms of the ancient
world degenerated in the course of time and sunk into a pool
of vices, and this was the reason why they were forsaken by
God, and perished. The word of the prophet was verified:
“O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be con­
founded ; they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth
because they have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters.”
— Jer. 17: 13. An eloquent proof as to how God rejects whole
nations if they reject him we have in the Jewish people who
for eighteen hundred years have been deprived of their country,
are scattered over the whole earth, and live without a temple
and altar, without prophets and kings, without truth and re­
pentance.
4. In whole Continents. Christ sent his Apostles into all parts
of the world, the gospel was preached everywhere, and the
nations congregated round the banner of the cross, from the
rising to the setting of the sun. How gloriously did Christianity
flourish in Asia and Africa! How many theologians and saints
had the Church in those countries! And now those two conti­
nents for the greater part are sunk in the darkness of paganism
and heresy, and not only in single provinces, but in whole
countries the Christian religion is extinguished. And what is
the aspect of Europe? Has the holy Catholic Church not lost
millions of her children, partly by the Greek schism in the ninth,
and partly by the great defection in the sixteenth century?
Even in our days has not hell sent its emissaries over all Europe
in order to root up Christianity, and to build up a Babel of
unbelief and vice? Unless the nations of Europe give up their
worldly-mindedness, and become more zealous in the affair of
salvation, it is to be feared that God will forsake them, and that
they will entirely lose the grace of faith.
PERORATION.

Thus you see that if man continues his wicked career and is
not amended by admonitions and benefits, by corrections and
punishments, God forsakes him and delivers him to perdition.
It is a terrible^ a just, and a universal punishment. A terrible
punishment; for although the sinner whom God has forsaken
might yet be converted, he is not; he sinks deeper and deeper
into vice, and heaps the anger of God more and more upon his
execrable head. It is ajustpunishment, for such a sinner deserves,

31β

Passion Sunday.

on account of his continued impenitence and the oft-repeated
abuse of God’s grace, nothing else than that God should forsake
him. A universal punishment, which God has inflicted, and still
inflicts, on individual persons, families, races, and entire kingdoms
and continents. Let us ponder these serious truths and beware
of arousing the wrath of God and, as it were, compelling him to
forsake us. If we have sinned, let us do true penance without
delay, and let us employ the holy season of Lent for our r< con­
ciliation with God, that it may become to us a time of salvation.
Amen.

PASSION SUNDAY.

7. JI0R1L SKETCH.
THE WAY OF THE CROSS.

They took up stones therefore to cast at him.— John 8: 59.
This Sunday is called in the language of the Church, “Judica
Sunday” or “Passion Sunday.” It is called “Judica Sunday”
because the Introit of the mass begins with the word “Judica,”
which is the first word of a psalm of David relating to the passion
of Christ. The Church, in using this psalm, or rather two verses
of it, as the Introit of this Sunday’s mass, indicates that at this
holy time particularly we should lovingly contemplate the
passion and death of Christ. Of this we are manifestly reminded
by the other name which this Sunday has, viz., Passion Sunday.
The gospel of to-day also directs our attention to the passion of
our Lord, for what it relates occurred shortly before his death.
The leaders of the Jews had already decreed that Jesus should
die; they only watched for a favorable opportunity of executing
their design. This was the reason why he hid himself, the time
when he should suffer and die not yet having come.
During the last two weeks of Lent you should meditate on the
passion and death of Jesus with greater fervor than ever. For
this the devotion of the Way of the Cross is especially suitable,
and I intend to speak of it to-day. I shall show you that the
holy Way of the Cross is,
I. A very venerable, and
II. A very useful devotion.

7. Moral Sketch.

359

Part I.
The Way of the Cross is a very venerable devotion—

i. On account of its origin.

From whom does this devotion
emanate? From Jesus Christ, who first traversed the Way of
the Cross. Having been condemned to death by Pilate, a cross
was laid on his shoulders, which he carried to Calvary, to
accomplish thereon the work of our redemption. The distance
from the palace of Pilate, where he began the Way of the Cross,
to the place where he was crucified, was about 900 yards, a
little over half a mile. This was a painful way for our dear
Saviour, who on account of the sufferings which he had already
endured, especially during his inhuman scourging, was prostrated
and exhausted; every step he took onward required the greatest
exertion and caused him the most excruciating pains, his whole
body being covered with wounds.
The Way of the Cross is so called because it represents the
way traversed by Christ. As often as we perform the devotion
of the Way of the Cross we call to our mind Christ, who, loaded
with the cross, went to Mount Calvary to die for us poor sinners,
and by his death on the cross to redeem us from eternal death.
We also think of his words: “If any man will follow me, let him
deny himmself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”—Mark
8: 34. As we read in the gospel, Mary, his mother, John, his
beloved disciple, Mary Magdalen and several other pious women,
accompanied him on the Way of the Cross. And in the life of
the Blessed Virgin we read that after the Ascension of her divine
Son into heaven, she often went over the same road contem­
plating with the deepest emotion the sufferings he had endured.
We certainly do well if we follow, with Mary and other holy
souls, our divine Saviour on his painful journey to Calvary, and
diligently perform the devotion of the Way of the Cross.

2. On account of its extension. Even in the earlist times pious
Christians from all countries journeyed to Jerusalem, there to
visit the holy places, and especially to retrace the way on which
Christ, laden with the cross, went to death for us. Later on,
pictures of the stations were erected along the Way of the Cross,
at a distance of thirty, fifty, a hundred or more steps, at which
the people stopped for some time and devoutly contemplated
the mystery represented by the picture. When, at a later period,
the Saracens conquered the Holy Land, and the visit to the holy
places was rendered impossible, pictures of the stations were
also erected in other places, in order to give the faithful an
opportunity of making the Way of the Cross. The first who
did this were the Franciscans. Gradually this custom spread

360

Passion Sunday.

far and wide, and to-day there is scarcely a church in which
you will not find the Stations of the Cross. Five Popes, Inno­
cent XII., Benedict XIII., Clement XII., Benedict XIV., and
Clement XIV., have not only sanctioned, but also very earnestly
recommended the devotion of the Way of the Cross to the faithful.
Part II.

The Way of the Cross is a very useful devotion,

1. For even in the beginning many found their salvation in it.

(a.) Simon of Cyrene. who assisted our faint and exhausted
Saviour to carry the cross. He was a peasant, who had settled
near Jerusalem. Our Lord rewarded him with the gift of faith
for this act of charity. His two sons, also, Alexander and Rufus,
became Christians, and according to reliable accounts, Rufus
died as bishop of Tortosa in Spain, and Alexander as a martyr
in Rome.
(Æ.) The pious woman, Veronica. There can be no doubt that
our Lord repaid the love with which in compassion she wiped
his disfigured countenance, not only by imprinting his countenance
on her veil, but also by calling her to the true faith and to
eternal salvation.

(r. ) The good thief on the cross, called Dismas. Scarcely had
he prayed, full of compunction, faith and humility: “Lord, re­
member me, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom,” when he
heard from the mouth of Jesus the consoling words: “ Amen I
say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.”—
Luke 23: 43.

(<7.) The centurion, who was in command of the soldiers when
Christ was led from Jerusalem to Calvary. Seeing the earthquake
and other miracles at the crucifixion of Christ, he was filled
with a holy fear and exclaimed: '‘Indeed this was the Son of
God.”—Matt. 27: 54.
(<?. ) The people who were witnesses of the crucifixion. “And all
the multitude of them that were come together to that sight,
and saw the things that were done, returned striking their breasts. ”
—Luke 23: 48. This striking of their breasts was undoubtedly
a sign of a believing heart and sincere contrition, and shortly
after, at the sermon of St. Peter on the feast of Pentecost, it caused
several thousands to become converts.

(/.) Finally, the two pious councillors. Joseph of Arimathea. and
Nicodemus, who took the sacred body of Jesus from the cross,

7. Moral Sketch.

361

and laid it in the sepulchre. This work of charity was certainly
rewarded here and hereafter.

2. On the way of the cross, that is, by the devotion of the Way of
the Cross, venerating our suffering and dying Saviour, we also can
obtain ozir salvation. What do we do when we perform the Way
of the Cross? We contemplate the passion and death of Christ;
we are sorry for our sins, which were the cause of his suffering
and death, we thank him for his infinite love and mercy in shed­
ding his blood for us, we ask for grace and pardon, and -we pro­
mise him repentance and amendment. These exercises which we
perform when we contemplate the passion and death of Jesus
are very wholesome—
(æ.) For sinners. How can the sinner not be moved to repent­
ance when he considers the justice of God manifested through
Christ, the innocent one, the infinitely holy and incarnate Son
of God, who, having once taken upon himself the sins of the
world, for the expiation of them was obliged to suffer so much
and die so ignominious and painful a death; and when he con­
siders the boundless love with which Christ suffered and died
for the redemption of sinful man ? For this reason the Fathers
of the Church and all spiritual writers say that nothing spurs us
on so powerfully to repentance and conversion as meditation on
the passion of Christ. St. Bonaventure says: “Nothing is more
salutary than every day to meditate on the excess of the pains
which Christ suffered for the love of us. The wounds of Christ
move even the hardest and inflame the coldest hearts.” Hippolitus Galleatinus, a pious priest of Florence, had a picture which
represented the head of Christ crowned with thorns. He stood
before it many an hour during the day, and with profound
devotion contemplated the infinite love of Jesus towards us. On
the opposite side of the street lived a vain daugter of the world
who was scandalized because she thought the priest was looking
at himself so often in a mirror, and she maliciously hinted to him
that she would like to see the mirror. The priest at once went
for the picture and brought it to her house. But when she
beheld the image of our Redeemer, the crown of thorns on his
head, the tears in his eyes, the livid lips, and his countenance
covered with, spittle, sweat and blood—in 00 pitiable a plight that
he no longer resembled a man—she was deeply moved. But the
priest said: “You have the mirror you desired, look at yourself
therein daily. If it makes no impression upon you and does not
move you to repentance, you will be lost. Contemplating this
countenance, consider how much your Saviour suffered for your
pride and vanity. Behold here with your own eyes him to whom
one day you must give an account of all the souls whom you

361

η·κι IK

Passion Sunday

have scandalized and allured.” The sight of the picture, and
the serious words of the priest, made so deep an impression
upon this worldly-minded woman that she began bitterly to bewail
her sins, threw herself at the feet of the priest and begged his
pardon. She afterwards retired into a convent and led a peni­
tential life. Oh, if all frivolous worldlings and sinners would
frequently meditate on the passion and death of Christ, they
would surely renounce their worldly, sinful life and be thoroughly
converted.
(3.) For the just. Meditating on the passion of Christ we see
what a terrible evil sin is, and we are led to detest it above all
things ; we are moved by the love with which Christ suffered
and died for us, and we promise to love him, to be faithful to
him and to imitate him. We see the most perfect model of all
virtues, and are inspired to practice these virtues. With justice
therefore, St. Bonaventure says: “If you, O man, wish to ascend
from virtue to virtue, and lead a perfect life, meditate daily on
the passion of Christ, since nothing else urges the soul so power­
fully to sanctity. A certain young lady of noble extraction, once
upon a time wished to enter a very austere Order. To try her
vocation, the superior gave her a terrible descriptiori of the
severity of the religious life, conducted her in spirit into all the
apartments of the community, and described to her only those
things which must appear terribly unpleasant to lay people.
The younglady seemed overawed and spoke not a word. “My
daughter,” said the superior, “why do you not answer me?” To
which the young lady replied in an animated manner: “I have
only one question to ask: are there any crucifixes in the convent?
Shall I find a crucifix in that cell, which is so narrow, where I
must sleep on hard wood—in that refectory, where the food is
so coarse—in that chapter-room, where one receives such severe
reprimands?” “Yes, my daughter,” answered the superior, “in
all these apartments there are crucifixes.” Then the young lady
said: “Oh, my Mother! where I find a crucifix I hope to find
nothing difficult.” This is a great truth; the contemplation of
Jesus crucified overcomes everythingand renders the mostdifficult
thing tolerable, nay, easy. He who devoutly contemplates the
passion and death of Jesus is encouraged and receives strength
to follow Christ in every situation of life, so that he can say with
the Apostle: “Who then shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness?
or danger? or persecution? or the sword?” — Rom. 8: 35.

7 Moral Sketch.

363

PERORATION.

.

.......

Yes; the contemplation of the passion and death of Jesus is a
very useful devotion for every one, for the sinner as well as for
the just man. I exhort you, therefore, to esteem and practice
diligently the devotion of the Way of the Cross, in which the
passion and death of Jesus Christ are vividly brought before
our eyes. Many and great indulgences are attached to this
devotion. Popes Clement XII. and Benedict XIV. declared,
“That every one who is solicitous to contemplate the passion of
our Lord by means of this admirable devotion obtains all the
indulgences he would gain by a personal visit to the Stations at
Jerusalem.” This is another reason for the practice of the devotion
of the Way of the Cross. Be not content then with performing
this devotion in Lent only, but perform it also at other times of
the year, at home and in the church, just as it best suits you. But
endeavor to perform it always with great interior recollection,
with compunction of heart and pious sentiments, that you may
gain the spiritual graces and blessings attached to it. Amen.

Λ»

364

PALM

Sunday.

PALM SUNDAY.

Phil. 2: 5—11. Brethren: Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery himself to be equal with God : but abased
himself, taking the form of a servant, being made to the likeness
of men, and in shape found as a man. He humbled himself, be­
coming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a
name which is above every name: that in the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and
under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that the
Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
Epistle.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE HUMILIATION AND EXALTATION OF CHRIST.

St. Paul once had a vision in the night. A man of Macedonia,
standing and beseeching him, said: "Pass over into Macedonia
and help us.” After this vision St. Paul went to Macedonia,
with Luke and Silvanus, being assured that God had called him
to preach the gospel in that country. His labor was blessed; a
congregation was soon formed at Philippi, an important city in
Macedonia. St. Paul knew how to win their hearts, so that all
clung to him with tender affection and gave him large alms.
Hearing afterwards of his captivity, they sent him a zealous
Christian named Epaphroditus, with alms. He brought the
Apostle tidings of the flourishing condition of the Christian
congregation at Philippi, which gave him great consolation.
When Epaphroditus returned, Paul handed him a letter to the
Philippians, in which he admonishes them to humility and concord,
and warns them, with the affection of a father, against false
teachers, who soon after arose among them and caused disturb­
ances.
We shall consider the lesson of to-day, which is a small portion
of this epistle. It treats—

i. Homiletic Sketch.

365

I. Of the humiliation of Christ;
II. Of his exaltation.
Part I.
Concering the humiliation of Christ, the Apostle writes: Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus : who being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery himself to be equal to God,
but abased himself, taking the form of a servant, being made to the
likeness of men, and in shape found as a man. He humbled himself,
becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. I
will first explain these words of the Apostle, and then draw some
salutary lessons from them.

I. Explanation.

(a.) The Apostle says that Christ, when he was in the form of
God, thought is not robbery himself to be equal to God. Christ
was in the form of God, that is, as St. Paul elsewhere says, he
was the splendor of the glory of the Father and the figure of his
substance.—Heb. 1:3. He was, according to his divine nature, of
the same substance with the Father, truly God, and therefore in
possession of all the divine perfections. By his declaration that
he and the Father are one, that the same honor is due to him as
to the Father, in a word, that he is truly God, he did not arrogate
to himself something which was not due to him, as rob­
bers do who unjustly appropriate to themselves the goods of
others. Jesus, being truly God, could call himself God, and
claim divine honor for himself, without infringing on the God­
head of the Father and the Holy Ghost. The Word remained
God after he became man. He became man, but did not on that
account cease to be God ; he only united his humanity, that is,
his soul and body, indissolubly with the Divinity. He was, there­
fore, whilst he sojourned on earth, suffered and died, the Son
of God, true God, as he was before his Incarnation and from all
eternity.
(A) The Apostle says that Christ abased himself, assumed the
form of a servant, being made to the likeness of men, and in shape
found as a man. Christ is and remains God, but he abased him­
self, that is, he laid aside all the splendor of his Godhead, and
made himself, who possessed all, as one who possesses nothing.
He took theform of a servant. He could as man have come upon earth
in worldly splendor and opulence; he could have surrounded
himself with prerogatives; he could have enjoyed all the pleasures
of life, but he refused to do so; he voluntarily chose a poor,
humble state of life, the condition of a servant: as he himself

j66

Palm Sunday.

says, he came, not to be ministered to, but to minister. He would
take upon himself all the infirmities and frailties of men, sin alone
excepted; he would assume a body subject to hunger and thirst,
fatigue and pain, and which could suffer and die, like the bodies
of other men; he would assume a soul which was capable of in­
terior sufferings, such as fear, anguish, sadness, like the souls of
other men. Thus did Christ, for the love of us, abase himself.

(c.) Finally, the Apostle says that Jesus humbled himself and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Jesus
humbled himself. This means that his humiliation was an entirely
voluntary act. No one would have compelled or could compel
him to become man, to live upon earth in such poverty and
lowliness, to endure so many sufferings and tribulations; he did
this of his own free will; his love and mercy for us were the
cause of his humiliation. And how far did this humiliation go ?
Hear, and be amazed:
First, he was obedient. If a king should step down from his
throne, and, instead of commanding, should obey, not a conqueror,
but the least of his subjects, every one would be astonished at
such obedience. But the obedience of Christ is infinitely more
astonishing because he is not a temporal king but the Son of
God and King of heaven and earth. And this great Lord and
God appears in the form of a servant on earth and obeys, not
only his heavenly Father (“My meat is to do,” etc.—John 4: 34),
but also his foster-father, St. Joseph, and his Mother, Mary.—
Luke 2: 5. He even obeys a pagan power and submits himself
to men, who most unjustly condemn him to death. Is there not
an infinite self-humiliation and self-abasement in this incompre­
hensible obedience ?
Secondly, he became obedient unto death. His obedience was not
confined to a few years, but embraced his whole life, and lasted
without any interruption till death. His obedience was so great
that he also resolved to die. Free from even the shadow of sin,
he was not, like the rest of men, subject to death, and if he died,
it was not from necessity, but from choice ; wherefore he says
himself: “No one taketh it (my life) away from me, but I lay
it down of myself.”—John 10: 18.
Thirdly, he became obedient, even to the death of the cross. He
was not content with dying a natural death. His obedience went
so far that he died the most ignominious and painful death, the
death on the cross.
In this manner did Jesus abase and humble himself, leaving
us an example, that we should follow his steps.—Z. Pet.2 : 21.

1, Salutary lessons.

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

367

(a.) Christ was the Son of God, true God, but he abased him­
self, made no display of his prerogatives, boasted not of
them, but rather concealed them, appearing upon earth in the
form of a servant. Let us guard against self-conceit and boast­
ing ; if we have anything good in us, let us not ascribe it to our­
selves, for it is a gratuitous gift of God: “What hast thou that
thou hast not received ? And if thou hast received, why dost thou
glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”—I. Cor. 4:7. If we do
anything good, let us keep it secret, at least let us not seek
human praise for it, that we may not lose our reward from God.
(£.) Christ so far humbled himself that he took theform of a ser­
vant. How humiliating is this for so many Christians, who desire
to be more than they are, who dress beyond their means, who
deck themselves out in the most fashionable clothing, unsuited
to their calling; or who, in order to go forward and ascend
higher, do not hesitate to slander and calumniate others, to un­
dermine them, and to commit various injustices. Consider how
vain and perishable is all human greatness: how Lucifer, because
he would exalt himself above God, was humbled and cast into
the abyss of hell; how no one who is not unpretending and little
in his own eyes can please God and be a true disciple of Christ.
Aspire not to human greatness, but to virtue and sanctity.
(£.) Our divine Saviour humbled himself and became obedient.
Self-humiliation is the foundation of obedience. That there
reigns among men so much self-will and disobedience comes
from pride ; for the proud man pretends to know everything better
than others, wants others to adapt themselves to him, and wishes
to rule, but not to obey. If therefore you wish to acquire the
great and necessary virtue of obedience, you must learn to deny
yourselves and to be humble of heart. Consider how much depends
on obedience; the least work that is done from obedience is
pleasing to God and is rewarded by him, but whatever is done
from self-will and against obedience is worthless before him
and deserves punishment rather than reward. Children should
consider this well.
(<Z.) Christ was obedient unto death, therefore, throughout his
life. There are many who, when they are grown up, will no
longer hear of obedience and submission ; there are children who
tell their parents to their face: “I am no longer a child. I know
what to do; you have no authority to command me.” How
different was the disposition of Jesus! He was obedient for thirtythree years—till the last moment of his life. You must know
that so long as one is a subject and has superiors, one must obey ;
he who does not persevere in obedience to the end, can not be

368

Palm Sunday.

saved. Christ was obedient unto death ; he died voluntarily, out
of obedience to his heavenly Father, in order to accomplish the
work of our redemption. For us death is a stern necessity;
we must die, whether we are willing or not ; let us be ready to
die according to the example of the saints, because God wills it,
so that our death may become a sacrifice acceptable to God and
profitable to ourselves. Let us pray, not only with the lips, but
also with the heart: Jesus, for thee Hive; Jesus, for thee I die;
Jesus, to thee I belong living and dead.
(e.) Christ was obedient unto the death of the cross. God, our
heavenly Father, willed that his Son should become man and
die on the cross, and our dear Lord did on earth the will of his
Father, and became obedient unto the death of the cross. Is
there an obedience in heaven or on earth that could equal this
obedience? If therefore obedience should demand a sacrifice
and oblige us to do something humiliating and painful, we
must make the sacrifice. One look at Jesus on the cross wifi
make every act of obedience light and easy, no matter how
difficult in itself.

Part IL
Exaltation follows humiliation, for Christ says: “He that
shall humble himself, shall be exalted.”—Matt. 23: 12. Because
Jesus had humbled himself he was exalted. This exaltation,
however, is to be understood only of his humanity; for his Divin­
ity being essentially unchangeable could not be exalted. Let
us now consider what St. Paul says of the exaltation of Christ.

r. God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which
is above every name. The exaltation of Christ took place in his
glorious Resurrection and Ascension. God the Father did not
permit his so deeply humbled and crucified Son to moulder in
the grave; he raised him on the third day from the dead, gave
him a glorified and immortal body, assumed him into heaven,
placed him at his right haud, and exalted him as Man above
everything created, making him partake of the power and glory
of his majesty. Of this exaltation the Apcstle says elsewhere:
“(God) Raising him up from the dead, and setting him at his
right hand in the heavenly places, above all principality, and
power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and he
hath subjected all things under his feet, and hath made him head
over all the Church, which is his body.”—Ephes. 1: 20-23. The
Apostle, in saying of Christ that God has given him a name that
is above every other name, intimates his dignity, which transcendi

i. Homiletic Sketch.

369

all created greatness and all the prerogatives of creatures, be­
cause he has made him Lord of heaven and earth.
Here we perceive how pleasing to God is self abasement, and
how richly he rewards it. If sometimes it is difficult to subdue
the motions of ambition and pride and to bear humiliations, let
us remember the great reward which humility will receive here­
after. Why should we not love to be unknown in the world and
to occupy the last place rather than the first, since we shall one
day be the more exalted, the more we now humble ourselves?
Why should we not patiently bear all humiliations, since they
merit for us an eternal glory in heaven ?

2. The Apostle goes on to say, that in the name of Jesus every
knee should bow of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the
earth. All created beings, whoever and wherever they may be,
the angels and saints in heaven, men upon earth, the souls in
purgatory, the evil spirits and the damned in hell, must recognize
the supreme power and glory of Christ and adore him, either
voluntarily and from love, as do the angels and saints in heaven,
the souls in purgatory, and orthodox Christians upon earth, or
involuntarily, as the evil spirits, the damned in hell, and the
wicked upon earth, who now indeed abuse and blaspheme his
holy name, but who will be compelled on the day of judgment
to adore him. This passage of the Apostle attests also the truth
of the article of faith that to Christ, according to his humanity,
is due the same adoration that is due to him according to his
Divinity, because the human nature of Christ is so intimately
united to his divine nature that the humanity does not exist
separately for itself, but has its existence only in the personality
of the Son of God, so that there is but one person, the Divine
Person, uniting in himself two natures, the human and the divine.
Always render to your divine Saviour the reverence and
adoration due him. Never pronounce the most holy Name of Jesus
otherwise than with the greatest reverence, and show it also
externally by bowing your head according to the ordinance of
the Church. If you come into the presence of the most holy
Sacrament of the Altar, bend your knee and adore Jesus, your
Lord and God, present under the appearance of bread. Honor
the name of Jesus also by doing all for his love, according to
the admonition of the Apostle: “Whatsoever you do in word or
in work, all things do ye in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
— Col. 3: 17.
3. Our lesson concludes with the words of the Apostle: Every
longue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of
God the Father. When Christ sojourned upon earth, taught, and
wrought miracles, many did not believe in him or acknowledge

24

370

Palm Sunday.

him as the Son of God; when he hung on the cross, even the
respect which is usually accorded to others was refused him;
he was overwhelmed with contumely and derision, and treated
worse than the greatest malefactor. But now, having risen from
the dead and ascended into heaven, all things are changed,
heaven and earth confess that he is God and possesses the power,
majesty and glory of God. And though there are some who
neither believe in him nor pay him homage as the Son of God
and the Redeemer of the world, the time will come when, in
terror and despair, they must believe in him and adore him.
In our days everywhere, but especially in cities, we meet men
who deny the Divinity of Christ and look upon him merely as
the Wise Man of Nazareth; nay, some go even further and blas­
pheme against him as an impostor. Woe to those wicked men I
Cn the day of judgment, -when Jesus will come again with great
power and majesty as the Judge of the living and the dead, they
will be seized with fear and anguish, and in despair will cry out
to the mountains and hills: “Ye mountains, fall upon us; ye hills,
cover us.” Let us then adhere to him with a believing heart and
confess him before men, that he may also confess us before God,
his heavenly Father.
PERORATION.

I conclude with the words with which the lesson of this day be­
gins: Let this mini be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ humbled himself; he, the Son of God, hid his divine
dignity and lived as man in poverty and humility, suffered con­
tumely, and died as a malefactor on the cross. So profoundly
did the Son of God humble himselfl But this humiliation was
the way to his exaltation; now he sits at the right hand of God,
crowned with honor and glory, and all creatures in heaven, upon
earth, and under the earth, adore him. Let us follow him, despise
the honor of the world, banish all pride and vanity out of our
hearts, and walk in the path of humility and self-denial, so that
the word of Jesus may be verified in us; “He that shall humble
himself shall be exalted.” Amen.

PALM SUNDAY.

Gospel. Matt. 21: 1—9. At that time, when Jesus drew nigh

to Jerusalem, and was come to Bethphage, unto Mount Olivet,

2. Homiletic Sketch.

371

then he sent two disciples, saying to them· Go ye into the village
that is over against you, and immediately ye will find an ass tied,
and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them to me; and if
any man shall say anything to you, say ye that the Lord hath
need of them, and forthwith he will let them go. Now all this
was done, that the word might be fulfilled, which was spoken
by the prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, behold
thy king cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a
colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke. And the disciples
going, did as Jesus commanded them. And they brought the ass
and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made him
sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments
in the way; and others cut down boughs from the trees, and
strewed them in the way; and the multitudes that went before
and that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David!
blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

2. HOMILETIC SKETB.
CHRIST’S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.

The gospel for this day speaks of the triumphal entry of Christ
into Jerusalem. The High Council had decreed his death and
made preparations to apprehend him. But our divine Saviour,
his hour not having yet come, “went into country near the desert
unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his
disciples.”—John n: 54. The pasch being at hand, that is, the
time when he would accomplish the work of our Redemption by
his death on the cross, he left the solitude and sent his dis­
ciples to Jerusalem. On his way thither he distributed cor­
poral and spiritual blessings, healing two blind men at Jericho,
converting Zacheus, and instructing the people that followed
him. He came to Bethphage, a village situated near Mount
Olivet, and only half a mile distant from Jerusalem. This is the
place where the lambs which were to be sacrificed in the temple
on the following Friday were kept, and whence, five days before
Easter, the Paschal lambs were solemnly led into the city. From
this village, and on the same day, Christ would make his trium­
phal entry into Jerusalem, in order to offer himself on the Paschal
feast of the Jews, that is, on our Good Friday, as the true Paschal
Lamb for us, on the cross.
Let us make a short meditation on the contents of to-day’s
gospel :

37*

Palm Sunday.

Z On the preparation of Christ for his entry into Jerusalem;
II. On his entry itself.

Part

L

Christ sent from Bethphage two of his disciples, saying- to them·
Go ye info the village that is over against you, and immediately ye
will find an ass tied, and a colt with her\ loose them, and bring them
to me. And if any man shall say anything to you, say ye that the
Lord hath need of them, andforthwith he will let them go — Matt.
21: i—4.
(a.) The village to which our Lord sent his disciples was proba­
bly Bethania, which, like Bethphage, was situated at the foot
of Mount Olivet, and about three quarters of a mile distant from
Jerusalem. Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead, lived
there and his sisters Martha and Mary Magdalen. Our Lord
had frequently stayed with them, and during the last days of
his life he remained there several times over-night. Enviable
brother and sisters, whom Christ favored with his gracious pre­
sence! Christian parents, if good discipline and the fear of God
be found in your houses, Christ will come to you and bring you
graces and blessings.

(3.) Our Lord sent two of his disciples. According to tradition,
these two disciples were Peter and John. By this it is indicated
that God employs for the execution of his purposes those who
are the roost fit. Peter excelled especially in his faith, and John
in his love. If we have a strong faith and an ardent love, we
shall be capable of doing great things for the glory of G-od and
the salvation of our fellow-men. Examples: St. Francis Xavier,
St Alphonsus.
(cr.) Our Lord sent two of his disciples to bring two asses. A
menial service. This should be a lesson to us that everything is
great and meritorious in the eyes of God which is done from a
It otive of obedience and love. The two disciples who went by
the order of their Master to bring two asses, pleased God as
much as when they afterwards went out to preach the gospel
and to work miracles. We must never be ashamed of humble
occupations, or submit to them ungraciously. Example: Christ
washed his disciples’ feet; many of the saints were of the highest
rank in society, yet, for the love of Christ and to exercise
themselves in patience, they performed menial work, such as
gathering alms, sweeping the house, washing dishes, etc. St.
Bonaventure was washing dishes in the kitchen of the monastery
when the cardinal’s hat was brought to him.

». Homiletic Sketch.

373

(t/.) Christ ordered his disciples to loose the asses which they
would find tied, and to bring them to him. By this the vocation
of the Apostles and their successors is clearly indicated. The
ass, that is, the Jews, and the colt, the Gentiles, and, in them, all
men, were tied with the cords of unbelief and sin; of themselves
they could not loose the bonds, any more than a tethered ass
could loose itself ; this could be effected only through the Apostles
and their successors, to whom Christ gave the grace and com­
mission to preach the gospel and to bring the means of salvation,
whereby men are brought to the knowledge of God and justified.
Be grateful to Christ for having given you priests and pastors
of souls, and be zealous in hearing the word of God and in the
reception of the sacraments.

(*.) Our Lord told his disciples that they would find an ass and
a colt, and upon their assurance that the Lord needed them, the
owner would let them go, Christ here gives a proof of his prescience
and omniscience, and, consequently, of his Divinity, showing
that he had the most perfect knowledge of absent and future
things. Remember always that he is everywhere and knows
all things, and therefore never do anything of which you would
have reason to be ashamed in his presence.
2. The Evangelist refers to the passage of the Prophet Zacharias
in which the entry of Christ into Jerusalem is foretold: All this
was done that the word might be fulfilled, which was spoken by
the prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy king
cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of
her that is used to the yoke.

(a.) The daugther of Sion is Jerusalem, but the king who comes
to her is the Messias. As this prediction of the prophet, who
lived five hundred years before the birth of Christ, has been
fulfilled, it is a proof that he is truly the Messias, and the Redeemer
of the world, foretold and sent by God.
((5.) The prophet says of Christ that he cometh meek’, this means
that the Messias would not conquer and maintain his kingdom
by the force of arms, but by meekness and love. Christ wills not
that the holy faith should be forced upon nations or individuals;
on the contrary, they were to be taught with all meekness and
love, and be induced voluntarly to receive the faith. The Church
of God has never used force or compulsion in preaching the
gospel, and if temporal rulers have sometimes compelled unbe­
lievers and heretics to embrace the faith, she has always disap­
proved it. The Church teaches, admonishes, entreats, and prays
but disdains all compulsory measures, she has martyrs, but makes

374

Palm Sunday.

«z? martyrs. Herein the Church differs and distinguishes herself
from the Turks and many sects that endeavored to propagate
their religion by fire and sword, and under threats and the in­
fliction of the severest punishments. She is unjustly reproached
with intolerance; she combats and condemns only the error, but
not the erring.

(r.) Zacharias, by representing the Messias as sitting upon an
ass, that is, the foal of an ass, indicates the quality of the kingdom
of Christ. In the East, in times of peace, the ass was used for
riding, for work in the field, and for other peaceful occupations:
the ass therefore is a figure of the kingdom of Christ as a kingdo Π
of peace, security, and tranquillity. For this reason Christ came
into the world when there was peace in the whole Roman Empire;
at his birth the angels sang the song of peace, and he says of
himselfthat he brought peace and made his Apostles messengers
of peace. “Into whatsoever house you enter, first say, Peace
be to this house.”—Luke 10:5. Christ is truly the Prince of Peace,
for he has established peace between heaven and earth, between
God and men, making satisfaction for men and reconciling them
with God; he has acquired peace for the heart of man by taking
away sin, the only cause of interior disquietude and a troubled
conscience; finally, he has established peace among men by
making charity the chief law of his religion. Let us make this
threefold peace our own and keep it carefully.
(dt) Zacharias speaks of an ass and her colt As the Evangelists
St. Mark (11: 7) and St. Luke (19: 35) remark, it was a colt upon
which Christ entered into Jerusalem. The ass was only led along,
because the colt was used to her. Why did Christ ride on the
colt, and noton the ass? The ass signifies man, who had already
sinned ; but the colt, those souls who walk in perfect innocence
and purity of morals. Christ does not reject sinners if they do
penance and are converted from their evil ways, but he enters
into more intimate relations with entirely pure and innocent
souls; he prefers them and gives them graces which he does
not bestow on others, for they are his favorite children. Consider
this, young people, and preserve innocence of heart. Those who
have lost their innocence must humble themselves and endeavor
by penance to become worthy to walk beside the innocent, and
with them to enter into heaven.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

375

Part Π.

Let us consider the entrance of the Messias into Jerusalem.
i. The disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them. And they
brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and
made him sit thereon. They laid their garments upon the asses
for the accommodation of Christ, and thus not only furnished
him with a saddle, but also caparisoned the animals out of re­
verence for him. Spiritual writers understand by the garments
which the disciples laid upon the asses the sanctifyng grace with
which the soul is adorned in the Sacraments of Baptism and
Penance, and of which Christ takes possession. How is it with
us? Have we preserved this garment of sanctifying grace? Alas!
most of us possess it no longer; owing to the levity of our lives
and contact with the world we have frequently and grievously
offended God and lost his grace. But we have recovered it again
by a contrite and sincere confession. Should there be any who,
after their confessions, have again lost the garment of grace, let
them avail themselves of the present Easter time for their re­
conciliation with God—make a good confession, and receive com­
munion with a heart well prepared, that they may recover the
garment of sanctifying grace.
2. As the disciples, so also the multitude of people showed
their reverence for Christ, for they spread their garments in the
way, and others cut down boughs from the trees and strewed them
in the way. It may be asked: Why were there so many people
present at his entrance into Jerusalem? This may be attributed
partly to the fact that it was the time of the pasch, for the cele­
bration of which great multitudes of pilgrims journeyed on the
road from Jericho to Jerusalem, and partly because the news had
got abroad that Christ, the prophet endowed with miraculous
powers, who a few days before had raised Lazarus from the dead
after he had been already four days in the grave, was on his
way to Jerusalem; therefore all in the neighborhood flocked
together to see and accompany him. This spreading of the
garments and the strewing of boughs of trees was a custom in
the East by which they expressed their reverence, joy, and loy­
alty at the entry of a monarch. The multitude, therefore, by
divesting themselves of their garments and strewing the way
with them, and by the boughs of trees, manifested their belief
in Christ as the promised Messias, and paid him homage as their
Lord and Redeemer. The garments which the people spread
in the way, according to Albertus Magnus, signify our bodies.
The holy martyrs, he says, spread garments of scarlet, because

376

Palm Sunday.

for the love of Christ they delivered their bodies to a bloody
d ath ; the confessors spread garments of the color of hyacinth,
because they emaciated themselves by fasting and watching, and
raised their hearts heavenward; and the virgins, spread brilli­
antly white garments, because they immolated their undefiled
bodies to their heavenly Bridegroom. What they did we also
must do; with the holy martyrs we must mortify ourselves interi­
orly and exteriorly; with the confessors we must with zeal devote
ourselves to the service of God; and with the virgins we must
observe chastity according to our state of life.
The boughs which the people strewed in the way signify the
works of mercy. The branches were taken from palm or olive
trees. As the palm-tree yields a cooling wine, and the olive a
strengthening and healing oil, so Christian charity consoles and
strengthens the afflicted, and mitigates and heals the sufferings
of the wretched and miserable. Amidst palm and olive branches
Christ entered into Jerusalem; becomes with grace and mercy to
those who do works of mercy out or grateful love for him.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” What
an incentive for us to show mercy towards the poor and needy !

The people accompanied Christ on his entry, going before and
after him, and crying out: Hosanna to the Son of David·, blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lard. The greeting him as
the Son of David means that he was a descendant of David,
through whom, according to the promise of God, an eternal
kingdom was to be established. — Psalm 117: 26. The word
“Hosanna” is a joyous exclamation and means “Hail”: “Hail
to the Son of David!” Literally, “Hosanna” means: “Oh, redeem,
redemption!” so the full meaning is: “Redeem, O God, the
Son of David from his enemies (from the leaders of the Jews,
who seek his life), and grant that he may redeem us.”
The entrance of Christ into Jerusalem was indeed solemn, but
how paltry and puerile when compared with the triumphal trains
of temporal heroes! David and Solomon entered into the city
on splendidly caparisoned steeds, accompanied by a multitude
of proud horsemen, but our dear Lord enters Jerusalem upon a
borrowed ass that had never before been used for riding; and
we see in place of magnificent royal equipages the poor garments
of his disciples, his retinue consisting of people whom the world
looks upon as the rabble and outcasts of society. Here we see
how true are the words of Christ: “My kingdom is not of this
world.”—John î8: 36. The kingdom of Christ, the Church, is to
be spread over all the world and to exist to the end of time, but,
like her Founder, she is always to bear in herself the character
of poverty and lowliness; only on the day of judgment will the
hour of triumph come for this kingdom. We need not therefore

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

377

wonder that the Catholic Church was from the beginning an
object of dis like and contempt in the eyes of the world, and
that especially in our days she is humbled and overwhelmed
with derision and scoffs, for this is a clear proof that she is the
kingdom of God as she is in conformity with her Founder.
Tertullian relates that the Gentiles, to insult Christ and his
followers, caused the figure of our Lord on the cross to be de­
picted with the ears of an ass, whereby they would indicate that
Christians are asses because they adore a crucified man as God,
the cross of Christ being a stumbling-block to the Jews, and
folly to the Gentiles. But this must neither discourage us nor
shake our faith; on the contrary, we should judge ourselves
happy when we are deemed worthy to suffer ignominy for the
name of Jesus.
PERORATION.

In conclusion, I would warn you against the inconstancy of
men, who to-day receive Christ with shouts of joy, and accompany
him to Jerusalem with loud hosannas, but who, after a few days,
will unite with the clamor of his enemies: “Away with him,
away with him, crucify him.”— John 19: 15. Oh, what pain must
he have felt in his soul when he was obliged to say to himself:
“These people who gather around me with so much enthusiasm,
and salute me as their king, will, at the end of this week, forsake
me and demand my death.” Oh, how must he feel when he sees
that many of those who at this Easter time go to confession and
communion and promise amendment of life, will, after a few
weeks, perhaps days, return to their old sins and crncify him
anew. Oh, beware of such inconstancy, which fills the affectionate
heart of Jesus with the greatest sorrow, and strive that your
last state may not become worse than than the first. Hence, I cry
out to you in the words of the Apostle : “Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in
th© Lord.”—I. Cor. 15: 58. Amen.

3 78

Palm Sunday.

PALM SUNDAY.

3. DOGjUTICAL sketch.
ON SATISFACTION.

Hosanna to the Son of David; Messed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord.—Matt. 21: 9.

Our Blessed Lord, who on this day entered Jerusalem in a
Rind of triumph, and was there received with the loud hosannas
and acclamations of the people, will also come to us at Easter.
Yes, in holy communion, which at this season we must
receive in accordance with the law of the Church, he will come
into our hearts and dwell there. But that we may prepare for
him a worthy dwelling and become sharers of bis graces, we
must cleanse our souls from all mortal sins, and place ourselves
in the state of sanctifying grace. For this reason, before we
approach the table of the Lord we receive the Sacrament of
Penance.
Of this Sacrament I have spoken already several times, and
explained to you four parts thereof. I come to-day to the fifth
part, which is satisfaction. By satisfaction we understand the
penance enjoined by the confessor. But we should not content
ourselves with this penance, but should endeavour to satisfy the
justice of God by voluntary penitential works and by bearing
sufferings patiently. I shall speak about—
I. The penance which the confessor imposes upon us ;
II. The penance which we must lay upon ourselves.
Part I.

Two questions are to be answered:

l. For what purpose does the confessor impose a penance on us?

(a.) For the remission of the temporal punishment due to us on
account of sin. In the Sacrament of Penance God always remits the
eternal punishment, with the sin, but he does not always remit the
temporal punishment due to it. We must do penance for it either
here, or hereafter in purgatory. Herein penance differs essenti­
ally from Baptism, in which not only all sins, but also all punish­

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

379

ments, temporal and eternal, are remitted. The adversaries of our
faith assert that the temporal and eternal punishments are always
remitted with the sin, but the Sacred Scripture contradicts this,
and by many examples teaches that God remits the sins, but
nevertheless inflicts temporal punishments. Thus, through the
intercession of Moses, he forgave the Israelites their grievous
sin, but excluded them from the promised land and let them die
in the desert.—Num. 13. He forgave Moses the sin he had com­
mitted, but punished him by not allowing him to enter into the
land of Chanaan.—Num. 20: 12. He forgave David his sins, but
punished him by the death of his son, and inflicted also other
punishments on him. “The Lord also hath taken away thy sin;
nevertheless . . . the child that is born to thee shall surely die.”
—/2. Kings 12: 13, 14.
That temporal punishment frequently remains after the remis­
sion of sin and the eternal punishment, has always been the
doctrine of the Church. St. Augustine very beautifully says : “God
holds three judgments, a judgment of mercy, a judgment of severity
and justice, and a judgment mixed with both, that is, one in which
justice is tempered with mercy and mercy with justice. The first,
God exercises in Baptism, in which he remits sin and punishment,
without satisfaction, to the sinner; the second, Christ will hold at
the end of the world, when justice will preside at the tribunal
and perform its part with the utmost rigor; the third, God exer­
cises in the Sacrament of Penance, in which he forgives the
sinner his sin and frees him from hell, which he had deserved,
but changes eternal into temporal punishment, and demands re­
pentance.” The Council of Trent teaches the same, and shows
how well it becomes the justice and mercy of God that in Bapt­
ism, but not in the Sacrament of Penance, all temporal punish­
ments should be remitted to us.—Sess. 14. Cap. 8.
For this temporal punishment we must make satisfaction to
the divine justice, or, in other words, we must perform peniten­
tial works. Here it is to be remarked, first, that we can satisfy
the divine justice, because our penitential works, although of
themselves incapable of satisfaction, have a satisfying and recon­
ciliating virtue, through the satisfaction of Christ—Council 0f
Trent, Sess. 14, Cap. 8. Secondly, that we must make satisfac­
tion ; for although Christ has satisfied superabundantly for our
sins, this satisfaction will profit only those who apply it to them­
selves by penitential works. The words of Christ remain in
force: “Unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise
perish.”—Luke 13 : 3. We must therefore diligently perform the
penance enjoined on us by our confessor, in order to satisfy the
divine justice for our sins and to make ourselves worthy of God’s
mercy: for he remits the sin and its eternal punishment only on
the condition that we have a sincere desire to satisfy his justice.

380

Palm Sunday.

If we faithfully perform the penance imposed upon us God will
also remit at least a part of the temporal punishment.
(Æ.) For the amendment of our life. Penitential works are a
punishment, and as such a means of amendment, deterring us
from evil. Moreover, all penitential works which the confessor
lays upon us are exercises of virtue and good works, and conse­
quently are means of amendment; for the more we exercise
ourselves in virtue, the weaker do our passions become, the
stronger our Christian zeal and the love of God, and the more
secure we are against relapse.
The penitential works which confessors enjoin comprise prayer,
fasting, alms-deeds. Each one of these is a powerful means of
amendment. By prayer we can obtain every grace, especially
the grace to overcome all temptations, as Christ says: “Watch
ye and pray, that you enter not into temptation.”—Matt. 26: 41.
Concerning fasting St. Augustine says: “Fasting purifies the
mind, elevates the soul, subdues the flesh to the spirit, softens
and humbles the heart, dispels the mist of sensuality, ex­
tinguishes the fire of concupiscence, and kindles the light of
chastity.” The giving of alms is also an excellent means of
amendment, having its foundation in charity, which is the bound
of perfection.
Finally, we must remember that the confessor must have due
regard to the quality of the sin, as well as to the disposition and
the circumstances of the penitents, and prescribe such penances
as appear to him will most likely prevent a relapse and help a
person to attain perfection.
2. What must especially induce us diligently to perform the pen­
ance laid upon us by the confessor ?

(a.) The obedience which we owe him. Christ gave to his
Apostles and their successors the power of binding and loosing.
—Matt. 18: 18. From this it follows that confessors have the
power of imposing upon sinners wnom they absolve from sins
certain obligations, and therefore penitential works. In fact it is
their duty to do so, for God does not remit sin in the Sacrament
of Penance, as in Baptism, without satisfaction: he requires us to
expiate the temporal punishments of sin by penitential -works.
Hence the Council of Trent expressly requires the priest to im­
pose a penance on every penitent. Now, if the priest has the
power, and if it is his duty to enjoin a penance, it is of course an
obligation on our part to receive and perform the penance.

(3.) The thought that the neglect of the penance enjoined might
render the confession invalid. This would be the case if before
absolution one already intended not to perform the penance.

3· Dogmatical Sketch.
The reason is because the will to make satisfaction is a necessary
part of the Sacrament of Penance, and God does not remit sins
to any one who is destitute of this will. From this it follows that
the priest could not give absolution if the penitent declares to
him that he is not willing to perform the penance imposed. It
is, however, lawful to ask the confessor for another penance, if
the one imposed, owing to particular circumstances, could either
not be performed at all, or only with the greatest difficulty.
(f.) The great benefit which is connected with the diligent per­
formance of the penance enjoined. The penance imposed by the
confessor is a part of the Sacrament of Penance ; it has therefore
a sacramental virtue and operates as infallibly as the priestly
absolution. As this Sacrament, if no obstacle be placed in the
way, infallibly effects the forgiveness of sins and the eternal
punishments due to them, so the diligent performance of the
penance imposed by the confessor infallibly effects either the entire
or a partial remission of the temporal punishments of sin. Who,
then, would neglect to perform carefully the penance imposed?
I will here remark that it should be performed at the time ap
pointed by the confessor. If an impediment occur which renders
it impossible or very difficult to perform the penance at the ap­
pointed time, it may be performed at some other time. If the
confessor has not appointed a certain time, we should perform it
as soon as possible ; for the penance is a debt, and the payment
of debts must not be delayed.

Part Π.

With regard to the/^«a«^ we must impose upon ourselves, we
have again two questions to answer :
I.

Why must we impose penance upon ourselves?

(a.) Because the penance imposed by the confessor is, for the most
part, not szifficient for the expiation of the temporal punishment due
to us on account of sin.
In former times far severer penances were imposed upon
penitents than in our days, the penances now being· in no respect
proportioned to the sins. The Church is well aware that far se­
verer penances would be necessary to satisfy the justice of God
and to blot out the temporal punishments due to sin, but owing
to the want of zeal on the part of Christians she enjoins only
light ones. If she proceeded according to the ancient canonical
laws, many, from fear of the severe penances, would not go to
confession, and others after confession would neglect them and

38«

Palm Sunday.

thus, many Christians would lose their souls. The Church, know·
ing this, contents herself with light penances, preferring to send
penitents to purgatory rather than risk their eternal loss. But,
as the penances enjoined by the confessor are so light, we must
impose penances upon ourselves, to supply by voluntary works
what is wanting to the sacramental penance. If we neglect this,
we shall be obliged to suffer so much the more in purgatory, and
that without any merit for heaven. But is it not better to put up
with the little difficulties involved by practicing penance here,
than to suffer the unspeakable pains of purgatory hereafter ?
(3.) Because by the neglect of voluntary works of penance we de­
prive ourselves of much merit for heaven. The poor souls in purgator}7 can in time expiate the temporal punishments of sin by
their sufferings, but they can acquire no more merit for heaven.
In the present life penitential works have a double advantage:
they extinguish the fire of purgatory, and merit a greater
glory in heaven. Who would not zealously perform voluntary
penitential works ?

(c.) Because the neglect of voluntary penances exposes our salva­
tion to danger. He who shuns all austerities, and does not force
himself to restrain his sensuality, will hardly be able to overcome
all temptations and to guard himself against relapse. Moreover,
on account of his tepidity God will not bestow his graces so
abundantly, and thus it may easily happen that he will relapse
into his former sins and perhaps never again change his life.
2. What are the penitential works we must perform?

(a ) Prayer fasting, and alms-deeds. By prayer we understand
all exercices of devotion and piety, private and public, the hear
ing of holy mass and of the word of God, spiritual reading and
meditation, the reception of the sacraments, and daily examina­
tion of conscience. Fasting comprises all interior and exterior
mortifications, alms giving, and all the corporal and spiritual
works of mercy. It is self-evident that these three classes of good
works are very suitable for the expiation of the temporal punish­
ments due to sin. By three things God is offended : by the abuse
of the soul, of the body, and of external goods. It is therefore
expedient that we endeavor to be again reconciled to God by
these three things, offering him a mortification as regards each
of them. This is done by prayer, fasting, and alms-deeds.
By prayer we offer him our soul; by fasting, our body; and by
alms-deeds, our external goods. “Prayer is good with fasting
and alms, more than to lay up treasures of gold; for alms deli-

4. Liturgical Sketch.

383

vereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away
sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.”— Tob 12:8,9.

(£.) The various sufferings and hardships of life, such as labor,
hunger, thirst, cold, fatigue, sickness, pain, misfortune, accidents,
oppressions and persecutions on the part of men ; in short, all
the tribulations of life. If we bear all these things with patience,
in the spirit of penance, and for the love of God, we can daily
blot out a part of the temporal punishment due to our sins and
acquire greater merit for heaven.
PERORATION.

This is the satisfaction which God requires of us after confes­
sion ; you must not only diligently perform the penance enjoined
on you by the confessor, but also lay voluntary penances upon
yourselves. You must repair to the utmost of your power the
scandal you have given and the injury you have unjustly done to
your neighbor. If you perform these penitential works with zeal
and perseverance, you will expiate your temporal punishments
more and more, acquire greater merit for heaven, make progress
in virtue, and hereafter take your places among the elect in
heaven. Amen.

PALM SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE CELEBRATION OF PALM SUNDAY.

Hosanna to the Son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord.”—Malt. 21:9.
With this Sunday we begin the last week of Lent, commonly
called Holy Week. It is so called, because it is holy through
Christ, who in it accomplished the work of our Redemption.
Holy Week opens with Palm Sunday, which has its name from
the blessing of the palms which are carried in the solemn pro­
cession. The procession calls to our mind the entry of Christ
into Jerusalem, where he was received with the loud hosannas
and acclamations of the people: “Hosanna to the Son of David;

384

Palm Sunday.

blessed is that cometh in the name of the Lord.” To-day in the
holy mass the history of the passion is read for the first time, be­
cause during Holy Week we should devote our attention in a
very special way to the passion and death of Christ.
I shall speak to-day of the celebration of Palm Sunday, and
give you the necessary explanation concerning—
Z. The procession with the blessed palm branches:
IL The reading of the passion of our Lord.

Part I.
Before mass the palms are blessed, immediately after which
the procession takes place with the palms. Let us consider the
procession.

I. How it moves out of the church;
IL What takes place outside the church;
III. How it returns into the church.
I The priest and his assistants form in procession ; the people
join in and follow them. All, with blessed palm branches in
their hands, go out of the church. This ceremony has a deep
significance.

(a.) The priest as the principal person in the procession repre­
sents Christ, the head of tne Church. Those in the procession
follow the priest, for Jesus is ‘‘the way, the truth, and the life.”
John 14: 6. We must follow him, if we wish to attain salvation:
“Aly sheep hear my voice; and I know them and they follow
me.”—John 10: 27.
(£.) The priest goes out of the church, whereby we are reminded
ot Che mystery of the Incarnation of Christ. For as the priest
leaves the church, so the only-begotten Son of God left heaven,
as it were, becoming man, and walking upon earth in the form
of a servant. His life for thirty-three years is an uninterrupted
succession of sufferings and persecutions; finally he dies a most
ignominious and painful death on the cross. Yet he suffers and
dies joyfully since it is for the redemption of man, whom he loves
most tenderly, and whose salvation he ardently longs for. You
should think of all this when you see the procession moving out
of the church; and since you also leave the church, you should
consider that, having sinned, you have no longer any claim to
heaven. You should resolve to open heaven for yourselves again
by true repentance.

4. Liturgical Sketch.

385

(<■'.) The priest and the faithful carry palms in their hands. Palm
is the emblem of victory, a victory that can be acquired only
after a hard struggle with the enemy. This sign of victory be­
longs principally to our Saviour, whom the priest represents, for
he has overcome the world and the devil, and he triumphs now
and for ever at the right hand of God. We also carry palms in
our hands, to signify that, after the example of Christ, we will
bravely wrestle with the enemies of our salvation, and assisted
by his grace with him gain the victory.

2. On the return of th procession, two or four chanters enter
the church, and shut the door; then Gloria, Laus, is sung antiphonally by the chanters and those outside; the sub-deacon
knocks three times with the cross at the door, and it is opened
What does all this mean?

(a.) The door of the church signifies the gate of heaven, which
had been barred against mankind since the fall of Adam. No
one under the Old Law could enter into heaven, no one was
there but the angels, praising and glorifying God; and behold,
the chanters, representing the angels, alone remain in the
church, and there sing verses of the hymn Gloria, laus, alter­
nately with there who are outside. Oh, how sad was the lot of
man under the Old Law, how hard his death, since even the just
could not enter into heaven 1

(ό.) The sub-deacon knocks three times with a cross at the door;
it is opened, and the procession enters. The cross on which Christ
died is, as it were, the key that opens for us the portals of heaven.
The sub-deacon knocks three times, and this signifies the three
years of Christ’s public life, also the three hours during which
he hung on the cross, and the excruciating pains which he en­
dured for our sins. Our first parents had no trouble to shut
heaven against themselves and their posterity, but our dear Lord
spent his whole life in suffering and persecution, and shed the
last drop of his precious blood, in order to reopen it for us. Con­
sider this and take to heart the words of Jesus: “The kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away.”—Matt.
11: 12. By an easy, indolent life you can never enter heaven.

3. The procession returns into the church.
(a.') This return into the church signifies the triumphal entry of
Christ into heaven forty days after his Resurrection. Not he
alone entered triumphantly into heaven, but all the just who lived
under the Old Law and who up to that time had been in limbo
followed him. The faithful follow the priest into the church in

Il

25

386

Palm Sunday.

the procession of to-day as those followed their divine Saviour
into heaven. Hence David says : “Thou hast ascended on high,
thou hast led captivity captive” (those that had been detained
in limbo).—A. 67 : 19.
(3.) The procession returning into the church reminds us also
of Christ’s triumphal entry into heaven after the last judgment.
That will be the last and most solemn procession and triumphal
train. The divine Saviour, surrounded by countless angels, as
conqueror over sin, death, and hell, will go before ; all the saints
of God will follow him in dazzling array, with glittering crowns
on their heads, and the palm of victory in their hands, and, sing­
ing canticles of joy, they will enter into the mansions of the
heavenly Jerusalem. Which of us would not wish to participate
in such a procession? By now following Christ faithfully on the
way of the cross, we shall render ourselves worthy to follow
him in his triumpnal entry into heaven.

Part IL
The priest reads to-day the history of the passion according
to St. Matthew We will consider—
1. Why the passion is read to-day, and

2. What signification the ceremonies have.,

1. One might think it premature to read the passion now, for
our Saviour did not commence it to-day, but on Holy Thursday.
To-day is a day of jubilee for Christ, for on this day he made his
triumphal entry into Jerusalem. How then does it come to pass
that the passion is read to-day? The Church has an important
reason for it. She intends to place the fickleness of the Jewish
people vividly before our eyes. These people, full of enthusiasm,
do homage to Christ to-day, but after a few days they will clamor
for his death. The Church knows this fickleness ; for that reason
the procession, which symbolizes his triumphant entry into Jeru­
salem, is followed by the reading of the history of the passion,
as if she would say: Behold, how fickle and inconstant are the
Jewsl To-day they shout to him hosannas and with loud accla­
mations of joy receive him into their city, and five days later
they prefer the murderer Barrabas and nail Christ to the cross.
Oh, that we may not resemble these fickle Jews I Oh, that espe­
cially at this Easter time, not one of us may dare, after confes­
sion and communion, to return to a sinful life! Take to heart the

word of the Prince of the Apostles: “For if, flying from the

4· Liturgical Sketch.

387

pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, they be again entangled in them and over­
come, their latter state is become unto them worse than the
former, forit had been better for them not to have known the
way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back from
the holy commandment, which was delivered to them.”—IL Pet.
2: 20, 21. Let us to-day, when the passion is read make a firm
resolution at this holy time of Easter to devote great attention
to the worthy reception of the holy sacraments, and perseveringly lead a penitential life.
1. There are several ceremonies at the reading of the passion.

(a.) Before the priest begins to read the passion, all the lights
on the altar are extinguished [local custom]. This is done to indi­
cate the extinction of the light of the world in the death of
Christ. When you see the lights on the altar extinguished, think
of the death of Jesus and ask him to grant you the grace to make
a holy and happy end.
(Æ.) The priest does not go, as he usually does, to the middle
of the altar before reading the gospel, to implore the blessing and
grace of God, that he may worthily and suitably announce the word
of God, but he begins at once to read the passion, to signify that
with Christ, whom he have lost by his death on the cross, all
graces are taken from us : Christ being the source of all graces,
if we have him no more, like the branches separated from the
vine, we can produce no fruit, that is, do nothing meritorious for
life everlasting. Consider this, and be solicitous not to lose Jesus
by a mortal sin, or, if you have lost him, seek and find him again
without delay by true repentance.

(c.) Before the reading of the passion the priest does not say:
Dominus vobiscum, “The Lord be with you.” He omits this salu­
tation, because he remembers that Judas saluted Christ saying,
“Hail, Master,” and betrayed with him a kiss. He thinks at the
same time of those Christians who in a state of sin approach
the table of the Lord and commit incomparably greater treason
than Judas, because they not only kiss him, but compel him to
enter into their unclean hearts. Oh, that none of us may burden
his conscience with this horrible treason and sacrilege !

(if.) When the priest comes to the passage which mentions the
death of Christ, he kneels down, bows his head, and adores him
who in his infinite love vouchsafed to die for us on the cross.
Adore your crucified love with the priest.

388

Palm Sunday.

(g.) When the priest has finished the reading of the passion, the
server does not say, as at the end of the gospel, Laus tibi} Christe—
‘‘Praise be to thee, O Christ.” He keeps silence on account of
the scoffs and blasphemies which the Jews heaped upon our di­
vine Redeemer during his passion and death. Think of this con­
tumely, and keep away from those who scoff at our holy religion,
for to scoff at religion and the Church is to scoff at Christ. If you
are abused, insulted, and scoffed at, take Christ for your example,
and be meek and patient. Consider yourselves happy when you
are deemed worthy to suffer ignominy fcr the name of Christ.
PERORATION.

I have now explained to you how Palm Sunday is celebrated.
You know the meaning of the procession with the palms, and of
the passion, which the priest reads to-day. Let me exhort you,
during this week, devoutly to meditate on the passion and death
of Christ, and to consider how dearly he has loved you, and at
what a price he has ransomed your soul. Such a meditation can
not fail to be a powerful incentive for you to thank your Re­
deemer, to love him, and henceforth to devote your life to him.
How happy will you be if now and for evermore you give your­
selves without reserve to Jesus, your Lord and G-od. You will
enjoy the sweetest peace here, and have the blessed hope that
after these fleeting years you will reign with Christ in the king­
dom of heaven. Amen.

PALM SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE SINNER, A TETHERED ASS.

Go ye into the village that is over against you, and immediately ye
shall find an ass tied.—Matt. 21: 2.
Christ sends two of his disciples into an adjacent village, prob­
ably Bethania, telling them that they would find an ass tied,
and a colt with her; that they should loose them and bring them
to him. The disciples did as Jesus commanded them; they loosed

5. Symbolical Sketch.

389

the ass and the colt, and brought them. As the gospel further
mentions, Christ made use of this ass and her colt at his triumphal
entry into Jerusalem, when he was received with the loud ho­
sannas and acclamations of the people, homage being paid him
as the Messias and the Redeemer of the world, in the sight of
the whole city.
The Fathers of the Church and spiritual writers see in the ass
tied, which the disciples loosed by the order of Christ, and
brought to him, a figure of the sinner, who is tied like the ass,
and must be loosed from his sins by the disciples of Christ, that
is, the priests, if he is to come to God and be saved. This figure
shall be the subject of our meditation to-day. I therefore say :
The sinner is a tethered ass. He is—
I. An ass ;
IL A tethered ass.

Part L
The sinner is an ass.

i. The ass everywhere is considered to be a dull, stupid animal.
If you wish to say that a man is very dull and stupid, you com­
pare him to that animal. Now, it is certain that there is no man
duller and more stupid than the sinner. And why?

(a.) A person who would exchange his property worth a million
of dollars for a few broken pieces of glass, which are worth
nothing would certainly be foolish. What does the sinner do ? He
barters the grace of God for a sin. What value has the grace of
God ? It is worth more than all the treasures of the world, for
with all these it can not be bought. It is, in a certain sense, worth
as much as the precious blood of Christ, for he shed his blood
in order to recover for us the grace which we had lost. There­
fore, the Prince of the Apostle says : “Knowing that you were
not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver . . . but
with the precious blood of Christ.”—I. Pet. 1: 18, 19. And what
is sin worth, for which one exchanges the grace of God, this pre­
cious treasure? Nothing, for the sinner gets nothing for it—nay,
less than nothing; he gets shame, misery, and punishment upon
earth, or a fleeting pleasure, which vanishes like smoke; or some­
thing which does not satisfy the heart and which he must leave
behind at his death. Judge for yourselves; is the sinner not fitly
compared to an ass?
(/.) A person is dull of intellect who, knowing that by eating
certain food he will contract a painful sickness or expose himself

jço

Palm Sunday.

to the danger even of death, does not refrain from that food.
What does the sinner do? He sins, although he knows that sin
will make him most miserable and cause his eternal death. To
lose your soul and heaven, and to plunge headlong into eternal
damnation for the sake of the gratification of a vile passion, is
not this the height of folly ? Is the sinner not as dull as an ass?

(f.) A certain man, as we read, once bequeathed one hundred
dollars to the most stupid man that could be found. After his
death his heirs made inquiries for the most stupid man, in order
to give him the legacy. After long searching and many inquiries
they found a man who had been made councillor by the people
though he had recently killed another councilor in the same
place. To this new councillor they handed the legacy, saying:
“The legacy of one hundred dollars belongs to you, for you cer­
tainly are the most stupid man, because you trust this rabble
and allow yourself to be made councillor by them.” If such a
legacy were offered now, we should not be compelled to make
lengthy iniquiries as to whom it should be given ; with a good con­
science it could be handed to any sinner, for every sinner knows
and believes that his sinful life will take him to the place where
already millions of sinners have gone—into the abyss of hell—
and yet this does not deter him from sin. It is said that the ass
goes on the ice but once ; the second time he is suspicious, be­
cause he is afraid of slipping and falling. But the sinner exposes
himself again and again to the sinful occasions which have fre­
quently caused his fall. Is not the sinner duller and more stupid
than an ass ?
2. The ass is a lazy animal. Labor and exertion, especially of
long duration, are repugnant to him ; to hurry on the road is
not his business ; and even to keep him going slowly a driver
must continually be behind him. The sinner too is lazy.
(λ.) He neglects his duties. Many days pass without even a short
morning and evening prayer; he seldom hears a sermon; he
neglects to hear mass on Sundays and holidays ; many a year
passes without confession and communion ; holy seasons and
feasts come and go ; he does not profit by them.

(Æ.) Whatever he does, he does carelessly and only by halves. How
cold and distracted is his prayer! He assists at mass without
devotion ; he is inattentive during the sermon, or gives himself
over to worldly and sinful thoughts; at the reception of the sacra­
ments he lacks all fervor and determination to amend his life.

(f.) Such good works as he does perform are performed more from
compulsion than good will. To this class belong young people

5. Symbolical Sketch,

391

who fulfil their religious duties merely because they are kept to
them by authority of their parents. How many dress plainly,
live temperately, abstain from frivolous enjoyments, because on
account of poverty they can not do otherwise!

3. The ass is a stubborn animal. So is the sinner—
(λ.) As regards God. He has many inspirations and interior

admonitions to virtue, but he disregards them; many means of
grace and opportunities of repentance and amendment offered
to him, but he makes no use of them. An old man of sixty
years of age had for years neglected to attend church and fulfil
his Easter duty; he led an unchristian life, and endeavored by
spreading bad books to instil the spirit of unbelief and irréligion
into others also. A mission was given in the place where he
lived; even great sinners embraced the opportunity, made their
peace with God and were converted; but he remained obstinate.
The mission was scarcely over when he was struck by apoplexy
and lay unconscious for two days, and finally died without a sign
of repentance. So stubborn can man be; but his end is terrible.
(3.) As regards men. How many sons and daughters grieve
their parents by their stubbornness! How many Christians steel
their hearts against the salutary admonitions of their pastors
and superiors, and obstinately abide in their evil ways ! With how
many do even the punishments which God and men inflict on
them produce no effect. What animal could be so stubborn as
many sinners are ? Woe to them, for the word of the Apostle ap­
plies to them: “According to thy hardness and impenitent heart,
thou treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and
revelation of the just judgment of God.”—Rom. 2 : 5. Pharao in
Egypt.

4. The ass has an unpleasant voice; his bray is so disagreeable
that even a lion can not stand it, but takes to flight.

(a.) The voice of the sinner is also unpleasant. How horrid is
the conversation, the songs, and jests which wicked people in­
dulge in ! How intolerable to the ear of a pious Christian are the
curses and blasphemies which a man, in his passion, utters against
God and his creatures! And when vain, conceited men boast
and trumpet forth whatever is praiseworthy in themselves, and like
the Pharisee in the temple take pride in their good works, and
despise others—are not all who hear them disgusted ?
(£.) And not only the words of the sinner, but also his works
axQ hateful to God and man. Are not wilful murder, the

39*

Palm Sunday.

sin of Sodom, oppression of the poor, defrauding laborers of
their wages, sins crying to heaven for vengeance ? Are not all
sins, that are committed in secret or come to the knowledge of
the world, hateful to God and all good people, because they give
scandal and cause much mischief in the world ?
5. The ass is an ungrateful animal. He kicks and bites his own
master who feeds him daily, and he often throws his rider. How
ungrateful too is the sinner:

(a.) Towards God. What use does he make of the gifts of na­
ture ? He uses the M to offend God. The body and its senses and
members serve him for the gratification of his passions; the
faculties of the soul, free-will, reason, memory, he abuses for the
commission of countless sins ; he spends his money to gratify his
pride or his impure desires, or in gething drunk, etc. Is not this
ingratitude towards God ! And how does the sinner act in regard
to supernatural things? Does he listen to the inspirations of grace?
No, he shuts his ears to them. Does he attend to the good
lessons and admonitions which he frequently receives? No, he
disregards and spurns them. Does he avail himself of the sacra­
ments for his purification and sanctification? No, he receives
them either unworthily or not at all. Is not this ingratitude to­
wards God?
(3.) Towards men. How ungrateful are many children towards
their parents! They hardly ever think of the many benefits
which they have received from them ; they treat them, especially
in their old age, most uncharitably and rudely, and not unfrequently wish for their death. How ungrateful are many towards
their benefactors, and especially towards the pastors of their
souls! Rudeness, calumny, mockery, criticism, and contempt are
the thanks for all the benefits they receive from them. Is not
this ingratitude towards men ?
From what has been said it is evident that every sinner, if he
will only acknowledge the truth, must say to himself: “ I am like
the ass.”
Part II.

The sinner is a tethered ass.
When our Lord sent two of his disciples to the neighboring
village he told them that they would find an ass tied and her colt.
The gospel speaks of an ass that was tied.
The sinner is not only an ass, but an ass that is tied and has
no liberty. What are the cords with which he is tied?

5. Symbolical Sketch.

393

(a.) Blindness. Sin blinds man. St. Theophilus says: “Sin is a
mist which darkens the eye of the spirit and veils the splendor
of the sun ; it obscures the soul and takes from her the faculty of
receiving the rays of heavenly light.” There is no more wretched
state than to live in sin, for he who lives in it has no peace with
God, is incapable of doing anything meritorious for heaven, and
is in imminent danger of being lost for ever. But the unfortunate
sinner does not know his terrible state; he is like a blind man
who walks on the brink of a precipice without having any know­
ledge of it. If his conscience sometimes opens his eyes, he strives
in every way to silence it, saying : “Others are not better than
I am, and yet they hope for heaven. God is infinitely merciful,
and has frequently shown mercy to sinners who had sinned more
grievously than I. I am young and strong. There is time enough
yet for repentance.” In such a way the sinner calms his uneasy
mind, his blindness is the cord that keeps him tied so that he
continues in his sinful life.
(£.) Bad habits. If one frequently relapses into a sin, a habit is
formed which exercises so powerful an influence over one that
one can break it either with great difficulty or not at all. Habit
is second nature. “If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the
leopard his spots, you also may do well when you have learned
evil.”—Jer. 13: 23. He sometimes attempts to break the chains
which bind him to sin, but in vain ; the fetters are too strong for
him to tear asunder. If God does not come to his rescue by an
extraordinary grace, he will remain a slave to his evil habit, and
perish. Hence St. Bernard says: “The repeated sin begets habit;
the habit, necessity; the necessity, impossibility; and the impos­
sibility leads to despair ; and despair, to damnation.”

(£.) The occasion of sin. He who is in the proximate occasion
of sin and does not avoid it, will certainly sin, hence St. Augus­
tine says. “To love the proximate occasion of sin and to fall into
the old sin is one and the same thing.” But it is no easy task
to break away from such occasions, especially if they have been
frequent. How often do priests, parents, and others endeavor to
put an end to a sinful friendship between two single persons. The
same may be said of drunkards and gamblers. No advice or
persuasion can induce them to avoid the places where they have
frequently sinned by drunkenness and gambling.
Our Lord ordered the two disciples to loose the ass and to
bring her and the colt to him. This they did. They loosed the
ass and brought her and her colt to him

2. Who looses sinners that are tied with the bonds of blindness,
habit, and the occasion of sin? The disciples of Christ, that is, the

394

Palm Sunday.

priests, to whom it is said : “AVhatsoever you shall loose upon
earth shall be loosed also in heaven.”—Matt. 18 : 18. In order to
loose the bonds of the sinner they preach to him—
(e.) The word of God, This, indeed, is a very effectual means
for the conversion of the sinner, for it opens his eyes, makes
known to him his wretched condition, and moves him to resolve
to do penance. St. John Capistran preached upon a certain oc­
casion on the sad consequences of the passion of gambling, and
on the vain fashions of women. After the sermon many gamblers
brought their cards and dice, and many females their luxurious
ornaments, to the market-place, cast them into the fire, and burnt
them. St. Anthony of Padua was one day preaching to more
than twelve thousand people, among whom were great sinners;
they took the sermon so much to heart that sometimes nothing
could be heard but weeping and sobbing, so that he was obliged
to stop his discourse. Some cried out: “Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me !” Others struck their breasts, saying: ‘‘Woe
is me! I have deserved hell!” Others lifted up their hands to
heaven and said: “My Jesus, I will sin no more! See what power
the word of God has to loose the sinner from his bonds! For
this purpose—

(3.) They administer the Sacraments, I have only two sacra­
ments in view, the Sacraments of Penance and of the Blessed
Eucharist. If you are bound and tied down by a thousand ropes,
and you make a contrite and sincere confession, you will be
loosed; and if afterwards you go to communion, you come to
Jesus, or rather Jesus comes to you, takes possession of your
heart, and giving himself to you enriches you with all graces.
For faith teaches us that the priests have power in the Sacrament
of Penance to forgive all sins without exception, for it is said to
them: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them.”
—John 20: 23. And again, faith teaches us that in the Sacrament
of the Altar Jesus Christ is really présentas God and man under
the appearances of bread and wine, and that he gives himself to
us in holy communion for the nourishment of our souls. “He
that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting
life.”—John 6: 55
PERORATION.

I have now explained to you that the sinner resembles an ass,
and indeed an ass that is tied, and who it is that can loose him.
You do not wish to be in such a condition; if anybody compared
you to an ass, you would feel highly offended, and, perhaps, de­
mand satisfaction. But if you wish to escape this charge, guard

6. Moral Sketch.

395

against being sinners. Employ the present time for your conver­
sion and the amendment of your life, that you may be able to
say joyfully on Easter Sunday: “Our soul hath been delivered,
as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken,
and we are delivered.”—Ps. 123: 7. Amen.

PALM SUNDAY.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EASTER COMMUNICANTS.

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.—Matt. 21:9.

Our divine Saviour entered Jerusalem to-day in a kind of
triumph, and was received with the loud hosannas and acclama­
tions of the populace. The good, simple-hearted people met him
with great joy. The Scribes and Pharisees met him as enemies ;
their hearts being full of envy and hatred they were indignant
at his triumphal entry, and deliberated how to put him to death.
How different was the manner in which Christ was received on
his solemn entry into Jerusalem by those two classes 1
It is now Paschal time, and all Catholics are strictly bound to
receive the Blessed Eucharist. Christ will then also come to us,
but how the reception given him by some Christians at their
Easter communion will differ from that of others !

I. Some will receive him as the simple-hearted -people;
II. Others as the Scribes and Pharisees.

Part I.

1. When the people heard that Christ was coming to Jerusale tl
they went forth to meet him, to manifest their reverence.
Good, simple-hearted Christians now at this Easter time go to
meet their Saviour by a worthy preparation for holy communion.
They take to heart the admonition of the Apostle : “Let a man
prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the
chalice.”—I. Cor. 11:28. Jesus, the purest and holiest, will dwell
only in pure hearts; therefore, in the “Following of Christ” he
says to the Christian soul (Book, tv. c. 12): “I am the lover of

396

Palm Sunday.

purity and the giver of all holiness. I seek a pure heart, and there
is the place of my rest. Make ready for me a large upper room
furnished, and I will make the pasch with thee, together with my
disciples. If thou wilt have me come to thee and remain with
thee, purge out the old leaven and make clean the habitation of
thy heart.” The Emperor Frederick one day went out hunting,
and a nobleman, meeting him, invited him to his castle. But
seeing the room full of cobwebs, he left angrily, saying. ‘-This
room may be good enough for hounds, but not for an emperor.”
How can Jesus, the King of heaven and earth, dwell in a soul
defiled with sin? To receive holy communion worthily we must
be free from every mortal sin. “Let none approach but his friends,
no one who is avaricious, no one who is a usurer, no one who is
unchaste.”—St. Chrysostom. Examine not only your present, but
also your past life, and especially your former confessions, and
see that everything was right, that you may render yourselves
worthy to make a good confession and communion.
2. Some took branches of palm trees (John 12: 13), others cut
down boughts from the trees, and went to meet Jesus.—Mark
ii : 8, 9. With such branches of palm and olive trees, those who
are anxious to receive Easter communion worthily must meet
Jesus. They carry palm branches in their hands as a sign of the
victory which they have won over the world, the flesh, and the
devil. They carry olive branches to indicate that by a good con­
fession they have cleansed their conscience from sin, reconciled
themselves with God, and possess his peace. How are matters
with you on this point ? Are you resolved to give up bad habits,
to avoid the proximate occasions of sin, and to eradicate inordi­
nate inclinations and passions? Have you a true supernatural
contrition for your sins? Are you really in earnest about the
amendment of your life? Do you seriously reflect that only on
these conditions you can worthily confess and communicate? It
is also very important that before the reception of the sacra­
ments you labor with fervor for the amendment of your life.
Avoid the proximate occassions of sin. If you are infected
with a bad habit, free yourselves; if you possess the goods of
others, restore them; if you live in enmity with your neighbor,
become reconciled to him ; in a word, set the affairs of your con­
science in order, that, transformed and renewed in heart, you
may go worthily to confession and communion.

3. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way.
—Matt. 21:8. All who are solicitous to make a worthy confession
do this in a moral sense. They put off the garment of pride,
covetousness, lust, anger, envy, gluttony, and sloth, and put on
the garment of humility, liberality, chastity, meekness, temper·

6.

Morax Sketch.

397

ance in eating and drinking, brotherly love, and diligence, ac­
cording to the admonition of the Apostle: ‘CPut off the old man,
who is corrupted according to the desires of error; and be re­
newed in the spirit of your mind. And put on the new man, who,
according to God, is created in justice and holiness of truth.”—
Eph. 4: 22-24. A worthy communion requires that you renew
your mind and conduct, and become conformable to Christ interi­
orly and exteriorly. The soul must die to the creature and live
to the Creator; you must remove out of the heart what is not of
God and for God. “Although a soul is in the state of grace, it is
captivated by earthly things, the love of God finds less room in
the heart.”—St. Alphonsus.

When the multitudes saw Jesus coming, and while accompany­
ing him on his solemn entry into Jerusalem, they exclaimed:
Hosanna to the Son of David ; blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord. Pious Christians always receive holy communion
with reverence and devotion. They adore Jesus with heart and
mouth, praise and glorify him, humble themselves most pro­
foundly before him, return thanks, vow obedience, love, and
fidelity to him, and ask him with confidence for grace. You must
do the same, if you wish holy communion to bring you grace and
life everlasting. The greater the devotion with which you go to
communion, the greater will be the fruit you will reap and the
greater the benefits you will receive.

Part

Π.

I. The Scribes and Pharisees had also come to the triumpha
entry of Christ into Jerusalem, but it was not from reverence,
loyalty, or love for him, but from worldly considerations. Ah ! how
many Christians are like them, and go to holy communion only out
of human respect, because they fear the people.—Luke 20: 19.
They think: Now it is Easter time the Church strictly requires
every one to go to communion ; I shall get into some trouble if I
omit it. People will think me an unbeliever or a bad Catholic; it
II ight injure my business or trade.
Can it be expected that such
Catholics will receive communion worthily ? I doubt it very much ;
as external compliance with the precept of the Church is their
only aim they will take but little pains to make a good confes­
sion; they will not even think of renouncing their worldly and
sinful life and of serving God with fervor; they will approach
the table of the Lord without the proper preparation, and, con­
sequently, unworthily. How many at this time will go to com­
munion in such a manner I Are there not some among us who
will go more from compulsion than from devotion?

Palm Sunday.
2. Some of the Pharisees were angry when they heard the
loud hosannas of the people, and even demanded that Christ
should rebuke them, saying: “Master, rebuke thy disciples.”—
Lukeig'.^g. It is also a stumbling-block in the eyes of some
Catholics to see how others pray, go to church frequently,
prefer to be with Jesus in the most holy Sacrament rather than
participate in worldly joys and pleasures, and frequently go
to communion. Such pious people in their eyes do not keep
up with the times, and are a century behind the age. Now, if
such Catholics submit to the precept of confession and com­
munion at Easter, will they do so worthily? They may, but
who will venture to affirm it ? If for the worthy reception of the
sacraments no humility, no repentance, no Christian sentiment
or feeling were required, then we might believe that they will
receive them worthily ; but, as these virtues are absolutely ne­
cessary for the worthy reception of the holy sacraments, what
else can be expected but that by their confession and communion
they will load their conscience with a double sacrilege ?

3. The Scribes and Pharisees accompanied Christ at his solemn
entry into Jerusalem, not as his friends, but as his enemies, for
they had already sought to kill him.—John 11: 53. Catholics
who, after a bad contession, approach the table of the Lord, re­
semble them. Receiving unworthily, they sin against the body
and blood of our Lord, crucifying him anew. “Whosoever shall
eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall
be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord” (Z. Cor. 11 :
27), that is, he is as guilty as if he had killed our Lord and shed
hb blood. For every grievous sin is, as the Apostle says, a cru­
cifixion of Christ, because it could be satisfied for only by his
crucifixion ; this is much more true of an unworthy communion,
which is the most sacrilegious abuse of the most holy thing we
possess. Therefore the Apostle declares that the unworthy comII unicant eats and drinks judgment and eternal damnation to
himself: <rFor he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and
drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the
Lord.”—1. Cor. 11: 29. Among the Athenians it was a custom
to compel a person condemned to death to take into his mouth
and swallow a piece of paper on which the sentence of death was
written. By this it was indicated to the condemned that the
sentence of death was irrevocable and that there was no hope of
pardon. In like manner, those who receive unworthily, eat the
sentence of their damnation, and transform, as it were, this
sentence into flesh and blood, and imprint the seal of condem­
nation on their souls.
A great number of Catholic during Paschal time will burden
their conscience with this great and fatal crime of an unworthy

6. Moral Sketch.

399

and sacrilegious communion. How many will confess without
true contrition! They are not in the least sorry for having offend­
ed God, their most rigorous Judge and most kind Father; they
do not change their perverse mind, and are attached to the object
of their sin after confession as before. They receive communion
unworthily, because their confession was invalid for the want of
contrition. How many will confess without a firm purpose of
amendment! They are not resolved to forsake their cursing and
blaspheming, their shameless corversation and obscenities, their
night-prowling, drinking and gambling, and sinful company; to
give up their enmities, to restore ill-gotten goods, and to repair
the injury they have caused by their sins. They receive commu­
nion unworthily, because they are destitute of the resolution to
amend their lives. How many will conceal grievous sins in their
confessions, purposely diminish the number of their sins, or pal­
liate them in such a manner that they appear only as small
faults ? They receive unworthily, because their confession is not
sincere.
PER ORATION.

Take to heart what I have said, and guard against an unworthy
communion. Do not renew the crime of the Jews, and do not
crucify Jesus anew. Endeavor to make a good confession, for
this is the most necessary preparation for a worthy communion.
Whoever upon examining his conscience feels that his former
confessions are invalid, must tell his confessor at Easter, so that
this may be rectified. If you have by a good confession cleansed
your conscience from all sins, approach the altar with a living
faith, profound humility, and the greatest reverence and devo­
tion, that you may receive worthily, and that the word of Jesui
may be verified in you : “He that eateth my flesh and drinketk
blood, hath everlasting life.”—John 6: 55.

400

Palm Sunday

PALM SUNDAY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
HOW WE ARE TO RECEIVE JESUS IN THE MOST HOLY
SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR.

Hosanna io the San of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord—Matt. 21: 9.
For the last time Christ enters Jerusalem, and homage is paid to
him as the Redeemer of the world, in the sight of all the city. As
he approaches, riding on the colt of an ass, there is a joyous com­
motion, and from all sides the people stream out to meet him, and
full of enthusiasm cry out : Hosanna to the San of David; blessed is

he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
In remembrance of this solemn entry of oui Lord into Jerusalem,
the Church every year on this day makes a solemn procession with
palm branches, and offers to her God and Redeemer the sacrifice
of adoration with a joyful heart. By this procession she reminds us
also of the merciful entry which he makes into our hearts in these
days. The holy season of Easter is now at hand, during which, in
compliance with the precept of the Church, wre must receive the
most holy Eucharist. He who on this day solemnly entered into
Jerusalem will come to us in this Sacrament and unite himself most
intimately to us and make us partakers of all the treasures of his
love. The question is: How must we receive him, that his entry
into our heart may bring us salvation? With the answer to this
question we will occupy ourselves to-day. We must receive him
with a heart—

I. Cleansed from sins; and
II. Adorned with virtues.
Part I.

In order worthily to receive Jesus in holy communion, we must
have a heart that is cleansed from all evil, a heart—
I. That is free at least from every mortal sin. As our faith
teaches us, Christ comes to us when we receive holy communion,
with his Divinity and humanity” he who is holiness itself, whom
the trembling angels and saints adore. How pure and spotless
must be the heart which is to serve as a dwelling-place for so

7. Moral Sketch.

|O1

great a guest I David wished to build a temple to the Lord, but
the word of God came to him: “Thou hast shed much blood, and
fought many battles, so thou canst not build a house to my name.”
—I. Paralip. 21: 8, 9. If David, who had shed blood only in
lawful wars, was not clean enough to build a temple to the Lord,
how can a Christian dare to receive his Lord and God into his
heart defiled with mortal sins? This would be a greater sin and
crime than that committed by his murderers. “Whosoever shall
eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be
guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord” (Z. Cor. 11: 27.),
that is, he is as guilty as if he is crucified Jesus and his blood.
Again the Apostle says : “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh judgment to himself.”—Z Cor. 11: 29. Holy
communion, this heavenly medicine which brings grace and life
to the just, is changed in the hearts of sinners into the most injuri­
ous poison, and causes death and perdition. St. Augustine says:
“The Sacrament is one thing, and the virtue of the Sacrament
another. Many take from the altar and die, and they die because
they take. Therefore the Apostle says: He eateth and drinketh
judgment to himself. For the morsel which Christ gave to Judas
was not poison, but after he had taken it, the enemy entered into
him, not because he had taken something bad, but because he
received the good unworthily.”
Examples : St. Cyprian relates how a woman who, having con­
cealed a mortal sin in confession, ventured to approach the table
of the Lord. She had no sooner received the sacred Host on her
tongue, than she was seized with terrible spasms and convulsions
and died immediately. In the year 1833, in Cochin China, a young
man went to confession, but concealed a mortal sin, and after­
wards went to communion. The punishment followed immedi­
ately. He became a raving maniac, ran out of the church, and
cried out: “I am Judas ! I have betrayed Jesus!” They exhorted
him to do penance, but he continued to cry out: “I am Judas! I
have betrayed Jesus !” So he lived and died ; he had eaten to him­
self judgment at the moment he received communion with an
unclean heart.
God sometimes makes such terrible examples, says St. Cyprian,
in order to make us cautious and to deter us from an unworthy
communion. Let no one whose heart is contaminated with griev­
ous sins dare to come to the table of the Lord.

2. In which there is no voluntary inclination to evil. Evil incli­
nations, as long as they involuntary, must not keep us away from
holy communion; on the contrary, they should encourage us, be­
cause communion is a powerful means of weakening evil inch
nations and strengthening us in virtue. “He who frequently and
devoutly receives this heavenly nourishment, receives such power
Zo

401

Palm Sunday,

and strength that the deadly poison of evil inclinations loses its
virulence and can by no means bring death to the soul.”—Si.
Francis of Sales. By the evil inclinations which must be banished
from the soul we understand the delight in sin, which one enter­
tains in the heart and nourishes as an object of affection, although
one does not in reality commit the sin. For example, you no
longer commit a sin of impurity in act, but you are fond of seeing
the person with whom you formerly enjoyed a sinful familiarity;
you seek her company, think of her often with pleasure, and
presents from her are dear tokens to you. You have lived at en­
mity with your neighbor and offended him in word and deed.
You injure him now no more, but you can not look at him with
friendly eyes, you avoid him, and can only think and speak of
him with aversion. You have oftentimes spoken ill of others and
been guilty of many detractions, slanders, and calumnies. You
avoid doing this now, but it gives you pleasure to hear slanders
in regard to them.
These are voluntary inclinations to sin, from which you must
necessarily cleanse your hearts, that you may not receive com­
munion unworthily. God is a jealous God; you must remove out
of your heart everything that displeases him.
3. Which is free from venial sins as far as possible. Although
a venial sin is something insignificant in the eyes of men, it is
not so in the eyes of God ; the smallest fault is to him a greater
offense then the greatest insult offered to us. Therefore the saints
were very scrupulous about venial sins, and dared not go to com­
munion when they were conscious of the least fault. St. Chry­
sostom once become somewhat angry with two persons who mis­
behaved, and on account of this small fault, if fault it was, he dared
not go to communion. St. Ambrose forbade two of his deacons, on
account of a few idle words, to go to communion until they had
done severe penance. We must, however, distinguish between
voluntary and involuntary venial sins. To voluntary venial sins
belong those for which one has an attachment, which one is not
earnestly resolved to avoid, which one commits on every occasion
and even with deliberation. These wholly voluntary venial sins
displease our divine Saviour exceedingly, and prevent him from
giving us his grace abundantly. He who wishes to receive com­
munion with benefit, must be careful not to commit a venial sin
voluntarily. Concerning involuntary venial sins, that is, those
which are committed from human weakness, inadvertence, or
surprise, they are not an obstacle to communion, but, neverthe­
less, we must profoundly humble ourselves on account of them
be sorry for them, and with the help of God’s grace endeavor to
avoid them for the future.

7. Moral Sketch

403

Part Π,
In order to receive communion worthily and with fruit, our
hearts must be adorned with virtues; these virtues are—
Faith. The Fathers of the Church call the most holy Sacra­
ment of the Altar the mystery of faith; and so it is. We see
nothing in this Sacrament but a little white host, which, as every
one knows is prepared from flour and water. And this host,
which looks and tastes like bread, which remains immovable
wherever you lay it, which can be broken and destroyed, is, as
soon as it is consecrated by the priest, Jesus Christ, the GodMan, who once walked on earth, who is now in heaven at the
right hand of his Father, and who will come again at the end of
the world to judge the living and the dead. He assures us of this
most emphatically, saying: “Take ye and eat, this is my body.”
This has been taught by the holy Catholic Church for the last
eighteen hundred years. Our senses may show us only bread in
holy communion, but we must not doubt for a moment that this
bread is not bread, but God made man, and we must believe this
with a stronger faith than if we were to see him present before
us, for our eyes could sooner deceive us than our holy faith.
When St. Thomas of Aquin felt his end approach, he urgently
asked for the holy sacraments. In order to receive the holy
Viaticum, he wished to be laid upon ashes, and upon this couch
of humility he made an act of faith in the Real Presence of Jesus
in the most holy Sacrament, saying: “I firmly believe that Jesus
Christ is present, true God and true man, in this sublime Sacra­
ment. I adore thee, O my God and and Saviour; I receive thee,
who art the price of my redemption and the viaticum of my pil­
grimage.”
Make as often as you go to holy communion an act of faith in
the Real Presence of Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the
Altar, saying with Peter: “Thou art the Son of the living God.”
If you are animated with such a living faith, you will, with the
centurion in the gospel, most profoundly humble yourself, and
with reverence say : “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst
enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall
be healed.”
1.

2. Hope. He who firmly believes that Jesus Christ is truly
present in the Blessed Eucharist places all his hope in him, and
expects from him all good things. Faith tells us that Christ is
present, who in his earthly life gave numberless proofs of his
love for men, who fed the hungry, healed the sick, raised the
dead, showed mercy to sinners, and shed his blood for us all od

404

Palm Sunday.

the cross; who now, in heaven, at the right hand of his Father, is
our mediator and advocate, and who does everything for us in
order to save us; who, to-day, as well as eighteen hundred years
ago, invites us all to come to him : “Come to me all you that labor
and are burdened, and I will refresh you."—Mati. 11 ; 28. Who
would not go to the altar with great confidence ? If we are only
free from mortal sin, if we only detest all sins from the bottom
of our heart, and are sincere, we may hope from him every
blessing. He has his hands full of graces and is ready to give
to every one as much as he desires.
When about to go to holy communion, excite yourselves to
great confidence in Jesus, and say: “O my Jesus, I am a great
sinner, and am not worthy to loose the latchet of thy shoe, much less
to receive thee into my heart, but thy goodness and mercy give
me courage and make me hope with confidence for every bless­
ing from thee. 0 Jesus thou canst and wilt give me everything
that is pecessary and salutary for me ; let thy omnipotence make
me what 1 must become, that I may die to the world and live to
thee alone.”

3. Charity. This is the most necessary and most pleasing virtue
that could adorn our heart in holy communion. It was a great,
nay, an incomprehensible love that impelled Jesus, the only-be­
gotten Son of God, to become man and walk upon earth for
thirty-three years in the form of a servant; but still greater and
more incomprehensible must his love appear when we contem­
plate him in the Blessed Eucharist. Whilst sojourning on earth
he concealed only his Divinity; he appeared as man, but here he
veils even his humanity, and shows himself to us only in the form
of a little wafer of bread. After his Incarnation he remained
thirty-three years upon earth and then returned to his heavenly
Father ; but in the most holy Eucharist he will remain till the end
of time, so that it is literally true : “Behold I am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the world.”—Matt. 28: 20. While
on earth he did good to all and bestowed great benefits on men;
he even died for them on the cross; but here he goes still further;
he gives himself to us and gives us everything he has. Oh! who
can comprehend this love ? How enraptured were the saints when
they contemplated this love of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist!
When St. Philip Neri saw the priest bringing him the holy Viati­
cum, he exclaimed: “Behold my love, behold my love! Oh, give
me my love!”
Before you approach the holy altar, consider for a few mo­
ments the infinite love which Jesus manifests to us in the Blessed
Eucharist, and ponder on these questions. Who is coming? To
whom does he come? How does he come? Why does he come? If you
reflect on these questions, the fire of charity will be enkindled in

7· Moral Sketch.

405

your hearts for him who out of love for you has humbled himself
by taking· the form of bread, and who unites himself most inti­
mately with you, in order to make you participate in his divine
nature.
PERORATION.

I conclude this instruction with the earnest wish that at this
holy season of Easter you may all receive holy communion
worthily. Cleanse your heart from every mortal sin. Oh, that
there may be none among you who will dare receive holy com­
munion in the state of mortal sin ! Cleanse your heart as much as
possible from venial sins. The means by which you can do so
is confession. Take all possible pains to make a good one, that
you may receive holy communion worthily. Before communion
make acts of faith, hope, and charity, or the love of God, for
these three virtues are to Jesus the most acceptable ornaments
of your souls. After such a preparation approach the altar with

ionfidence, and you will obtain grace and life everlasting. Amen.

406

Easter Sunday.

EASTER SUNDAY.

Epistle. (I. Cor. 5: 7, 8.) Brethren: Purge out the old leaven,
that you may be new paste, as you are unleavened. For Christ
our pasch is sacrificed. Therefore, let us feast, not with the old
leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
HOW AND WHY WE ARE TO KEEP EASTER.

The Apostles had a great desire to keep the pasch with Christ,
their divine Master. They therefore came to him, saying:
“Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pasch.”—
Matt. 26: 17. And Christ having appointed the place, they joy­
fully went and prepared the pasch and ate it with him. From the
very beginning of Christianity Easter has been a most beautiful
and joyous time for all faithful disciples of our Lord, for all good
Christians. Therefore the Apostle says in the epistle of to-day:
Let us feast. And as it is not enough merely to keep Easter,
but all depends on our keeping it in the right way, the Apostle
tells us how we are to keep it.
Let us meditate on the contents of the epistle for this day, and
answer the two following questions:

I. Why are we to keep Easter ?
II. How are we io keep Easter ?
Part L

We keep Easter on account of Christ, who, as the Apostle say»
in the epistle, was immolated as our pasch.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

407

I. The pasch which the Jews celebrated under the Old Law
had reference to ours.

You know that God inflicted sundry plagues upon Pharao
and all Egypt, to compel him to let the Israelites go out of the
country, and, lastly, all the first-born males of men and beasts
were slain in one night by the angel of God. But the Israelites,
who, at the command of God, killed a lamb, and with its blood
sprinkled the lintels and door-posts of their houses, were preserved
from this terrible calamity; the angel, seeing the posts and lintels
sprinkled with the blood of the lamb, passed by their houses. The
lamb was to be broiled and eaten by the Jews, and on account of
their speedy departure, in a standing posture, with their shoes on
their feet, their loins girt, and staves in their hands. In memory of
these events, they were obliged to celebrate the pasch every
year in the same way as they had celebrated it immediately be­
fore their departure from Egypt. The feast of the pasch began
on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, which corresponds
to the second half of the month of March and the first half of
April, and lasted seven days.

2. Our Christian Easter was prefigured by the Jewish pasch,
for, as the Jews celebrated their pasch in remembrance of their
deliverance from the servitude of Egypt, so we celebrate our
Easter in memory of our liberation from the slavery of sin and
Satan; for at this season Christ accomplished the work of our
Redemption. The principal part of the celebration of the Jewish
pasch consisted in this, that every family was obliged to kill and
eat a lamb. This paschal lamb was a type of our Easter Lamb,
Jesus Christ, who has been immolated for us. The paschal lamb
of the Jews was to be without blemish; Jesus Christ is without
spot or sin, 11 for it was fitting that we should have such a highpriest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens.”—Heb. 7: 26. The lamb was to
be slaughtered; Christ was slaughtered on the cross as a sacrifice
for the sins of the world. Not a bone of the lamb should be
broken; not a bone of the crucified Saviour was broken, as was
usually done with those who were crucified. The blood of the
lamb with which the Israelites sprinkled the door-posts, caused
the angel not to enter their houses, but to pass by, sparing them;
so the blood of Christ is the price of our Redemption and of our
rescuefrom eternal death. The Jews were to eatïhz slaughtered and
broiled lamb; we also receive Christ, the Lamb immolated on the
cross, in holy communion. The uncircumcised and strangers
were not allowed to participate in eating the paschal lamb, but
only the Jews, and of them only those who were legally clean; sc

4o8

Easter Sunday.

also only the faithful who are free from every grievous sin are
allowed to approach the table of the Lord.
3. The Easter which we keep every year has reference to our
Paschal Lamb, Christ, who was immolated.
(a.) Easter is the time when Christ, the Lamb of God, offered
himself for us on the cross. Could we let it pass by without
calling to mind this great sacrifice for our Redemption, and
without thanking our Redeemer for the superabundant love
which constrained him to suffer and to die for us? What kind of
Christians must we be if we do not celebrate this sacrifice of love
every year at least with a grateful remembrance ?

(3.) Easter is the time of his glorious Resurrection. Our dear
Lord had appeared upon earth in the greatest poverty and lowli­
ness; his whole life here below was nothing but an unbroken
series of tribulations, persecutions, and sufferings; and at last
he died a most ignominious and painful death on the cross. But
how everything was changed after his Resurrection ; his humili­
ation was transformed into exaltation, his contumely into glory;
his suffering into heavenly beatitude ; and his death into live ever­
lasting, because “he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto
death, even to the death of the cross ; for which cause God also
hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all
names: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those
that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And that
every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the
glory of God the Father.”—Phil. 2 : 9-11.
(r.) Easter is the time during which our divine Lord accomplished
thework ofour Redemption. If the Jews celebrated their pasch every
year in grateful remembrance of their deliverance from their
slavery in Egypt, how much more reason have we to celebrate our
Easter, since Jesus Christ freed us from the worst kind of slavery
that can be imagined, from the slavery of sin and Satan, blotted
out our guilt, reconciled us with our Creator, and made us chil­
dren of God and heirs of heaven. How could we, even if we
contemplate only superficially the unspeakable grace of our Re­
demption, allow Easter to pass by without celebrating it with an
equally thankful and joyous heart?
(di) Easter, finally, is the time during which we are reminded of
our own resurrection. “By a man came death, and by a man the
resurrection of the dead ; and as in Adam all die, so also in Christ
all shall be made alive.”—I. Cor. 15: 21, 22. Christ merited the
grace for us, that we shall one day, like himself, come forth from

i. Homiletic Sketch.

409

the grave with glorified bodies, and with our body and soul enjoy
the everlasting felicity of heaven.
Part Π.
The Apostle tells us in the lesson for this Sunday how we are
to keep Easter, exhorting us to purge out the old leaven, that we
may become a new paste, adding, by way of explanation: There­
fore, let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of
malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth.

I. The first thing that we are obliged to do at this holy time
is to purge out the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness.
(a.) The old leaven that is to be purged out, is sin. Sin is justly
designated as a leaven, for as leaven penetrates and ferments a
whole mass of flour, so sin penetrates the whole man and cor­
rupts all the powers of soul and body. It corrupts the under­
standing by darkening it; the memory and the faculty of imagi­
nation by filling it with impure representations; the will by
weakening it, and inclining it to evil. It corrupts the body with
its senses by abusing it as an instrument for evil, and bringing
upon it countless evils, sickness, pain, and finally death. It is sin
that destroys all supernatural merits; for he that commits a mortal
sin immediately loses all the merits for heaven which he had ac­
quired, and can do nothing meritorious for eternal life so long
as he continues in sin.

{bi) The Apostle designates the leaven as a leaven of malice and
wickedness. There is always a great malice in sin, for it is a re­
bellion against God, the Lord of heaven and earth, a base in­
gratitude towards him, our most kind Father and greatest bene­
factor, and in particular a shocking infidelity towards Jesus, our
most loving Redeemer. There is also wickedness in sin, for he
who allows himself to be governed by it, deceives himself and
others ; himself, because he makes a false conscience for himself
and tries to excuse his sinful life by advancing various futile
reasons; others, because he presents the good side, and fre­
quently, under the appearance of rectitude, injures them in
regard to their temporal and spiritual affairs.

(c.) The Apostle, in saying that we should purge out the leaven
of malice and wickedness, refers by this expression to the
Jewish pasch. The Jews were not allowed during the Severn days
of their pasch to eat anything leavened. The transgression of
this law was punished with death. “Seven days there shall not

410

Easter Sunday.

be found any leaven in your houses; he that shall eat leavened
bread, his soul shall perish out of the assembly of Israel.”—Ex.
12:19. Before the beginning of the pasch the Jews were obliged
to remove all leavened bread, and to search carefully to see that
there was nothing with leaven in it, and to sweep and purge, as
it were, the whole house, that nothing leavened might remain.
In like manner, according to the admonition of the Apostle, we
remove out of our hearts everything that is sinful, so that they
become clean, like a vessel that is cleaned with all diligence.
And by what means is this accomplished ? The means which the
Church offers us at this holy time, nay, imposes upon us as a duty,
is the Sacrament of Penance. If we receive this Sacrament wor­
thily, we shall be cleansed from all stains, according to the word
of Christ: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.”
There is leaven in the hearts of all. Some are infected with
grievous sins. Easter, perhaps, has come and gone frequently,
and yet they have not purged out the leaven of sin. They have
not been to confession, or have made an unworthy one. Oh, that
they would avail themselves of the present time to make a con­
trite and sincere confession, in order to purge the leaven of
malice and wickednes out of their hearts ! Others have, if not
mortal, at least venial sins upon their conscience; they also must
endeavor by a good confession to cleanse themselves from all
their sins and faults.
2. The second thing that must be done is to become a new
paste and hee/ Easter with the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth.

(a.) By the leavened bread the Apostle understands an immoral
life. But purity of morals does not consist only in being free
from every sin, mortal and venial, and from every voluntary in­
clination to sin, but also in practicing the opposite virtues. When
Christ calls the clean of heart blessed, those are to be understood
who, on the one hand, detest from their heart and avoid every
sin, and on the other, love and practice everything that pleases
God. Purity of morals, therefore, is nothing else than Christian
justice, which consists in avoiding evil and doing good. He who
does no evil, but omits the good which he could and should do,
is not among the servants of God who have a claim to eternal
beatitude; to him, on the contrary, these words apply: “Every
tree, therefore, that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down
and cast into the fire.”—Matt. 3: 10. “To him who knoweth to
do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.”—fames 4: 17.
(3.) By the unleavened bread the Apostle understands true
justice which stands not only befc re men, but also before God.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

411

Above all, the heart mast be right, for if everything is not right
in the heart, it is only exterior justice, mere show and delusion.
The Scribes and Pharisees knew how to give their justice so
captivating an appearance that they were viewed as saints by the
people, and yet Christ declares: “Unless your justice abound
more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 5: 20. The Scribes and
Pharisees were just exteriorly and in the eyes of the world,
but their hearts were full of malice; such passions as am­
bition and pride, envy and desire of revenge, hatred and enmity,
impurity and adultery, were harbored there. For this reason he
compares them to “whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear
to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of
ill filthiness.”—Matt. 23 : 27. It would be a fatal self-delusion to
content yourselves with a so-called worldly honesty, without
troubling yourselves about interior justice; outward justice and
honesty, without the interior, is nothing but sanctimoniousness
and hypocrisy. True justice, pleasing to God, requires all our
actions and good works to be referred to God, and that in all
things and everywhere we seek the honor and glory of God.
The greatest and most heroic virtues, when they have their
foundation in ambition and pride, are worthless before God and
without fruit and merit for heaven. Hence the admonition of
Christ: “Take heed that you do not your justice before men,
to be seen by them, otherwise you shall not have a reward of
your Father who is in heaven.”—Matt. 6: 1.
PERORATION.

Let us then feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wicked­
ness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The
most important business for you at Easter must be to make a
good confession, that you may cleanse yourselves from all your
sins, obtain God’s grace and love, and worthily receive holy
communion. After that, persevere steadfastly in the service of
God, that you may preserve the grace obtained, and may one
day be deemed worthy to celebrate Easter in heaven Amen.

Easter Sunday.

EASTER SUNDAY.

Gospel. Mark 16: 1-7. At that time: Mary Magdalen and
Mary the mother of James and Salome, bought sweet spices, that
coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning,
the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre, the sun
being now risen. And they said one to another. Who shall
roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And look­
ing, they saw the stone rolled back, for it was very great. And
entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the
right side, clothed with a white robe, and they were affrighted.
Who saith to them: Be not affrighted, you seek Jesus of Na­
zareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the
place w’here they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter
that he goeth before you into Galilee : there you shall see him, as
he told you.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE APPARITION OF AN ANGEL TO THE WOMEN WHO VISIT
THE SEPULCHRE OF OUR LORD.

Our Lord frequently foretold, both to his friends and his ene­
mies, that he would rise from the dead on the third day. “Fro fl
that time Jesus began to show to his disciples, that he must go
to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and the
Scribes and the chief priests, and be put to death, and the third
day rise again.”—Matt. 16: 21. “As Jonas was in the whale’s
belly three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in
the heart of the earth three days and three nights.”—Matt. 12:
40. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
—John 2: 19. That Christ spoke the truth this day proves. His
sacred body had been taken down from the cross on Friday
evening and laid in the sepulchre; the Jews had sealed the grave
and for greater security placed guards around it, so that no one
could steal the body and say that Jesus had risen from the dead.
The morning of Easter Sunday had not yet dawned when Christ
came forth from the grave. The soldiers who guarded the se­
pulchre were the first witnesses of his glorious Resurrection.

The gospel of this day speaks of this important and joyful
mystery of our faith, which treats—

i. Homiletic Sketch.

4U

I. Of the visit to the sepulchre by the women ;
IL Of the apparition o f an angel.
Part I,
I. The gospel relates that Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother
of fames and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might
anoint Jesus.
(a.) Let us first consider the women who are mentioned in this
record. Mary Magdalen was once a great sinner, but bewailing
her sins at the feet of Christ with tears of true contrition, she
obtained the forgiveness of them.—Luke 7:37, etc. After her
conversion she was filled with love and gratitude towards Christ,
zealously listened to his instructions, stood with Mary, the
mother of Jesus, and with John, under the cross on Calvary, and
was the first whom the risen Saviour favored with his appear­
ance. What a consoling example is Mary Magdalen for penitent
Christians of all times. Though they may have frequently and
grievously sinned, yet if they truly repent Jesus loves them as
much—nay, even more than those souls who have not greatly sinned,
but are not particularly zealous in his service. Mary, the mother
of James, the Less and the wife of Cleophas, was a cousin of the
Blessed Virgin, and a faithful companion of Christ, and her son
James was one of his Apostles Mary Salome, the wife of Zebedee and mother of the two Apostles, James the Elder and John,
also adhered to Christ with all fidelity.—Matt. 27: 56. According
to St. Luke (24: 10), Joanna, the wife of Chusa, King Herod’s
steward, was with the three women here mentioned. There were
others present also, whose names are not mentioned.

All these women were followers of Jesus, contributed to his
support out of their substance, according to their ability, adhered
to him with affectionate love and did not forsake him even on
his way to death. They showed themselves more zealous, more
faithful, and more persevering than the Apostles and other ad­
herents of Christ who abandoned him at his passion and death
for fear of the Jews, and dared not show themselves publicly,
much less visit the sepulchre. It is so to-day. There it more de­
votion, more piety, and more Christian zeal and sentiment among
women than among men. Thus the women, by their good ex­
ample, religious sentiment, and especially by the religious train­
ing of their children, are called upon to repair the injury which
Eve, the first woman, caused in the world. Oh, that all women
would comply with their vocation with zeal and perseverance.

4’4

Easter Sunday.

(Λ) It is said that these women bought spices, that they might
anoint the body of Jesus.
With the exception of Alary Magdalen, all these women were
poor: they belonged to the poor and were obliged to earn their
bread by manual labor. Still, they bought spices with their sav­
ings, in order to do an act of charity towards their Saviour and
to anoint his body. What a noble, generous love ! Let us imitate
these women by cheerfully contributing towards the adorning of
the house of God and the relief of the poor, especially of such
as are sick.
They bought spices, not for themselves, but for Christ, that
they might anoint his sacred body. How many are there who
expend large sums of money for their corruptible body, for fur­
niture, clothes, and pleasure, but who hardly ever give anything
for the glory of God, the good of religion, and other pious pur­
poses, or who, perhaps, with Judas, say: “To what purpose is
this waste ?”—Matt. 26:8.

2. Very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came
to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.
(a.) The first day of the week was Easter Sunday. Why did
the women not go on Saturday to the grave, but on Sunday,
since their love for him allowed not a moment’s delay ? From con­
scientiousness in the observance of the precept of the Sabbath,
on which day the Jews were not allowed to make a long jour­
ney, or do any servile work. This should be a lesson to us to
abstain from all servile work on Sundays and holidays, to keep
all the commandments of God conscientiously, and to omit even
good works which are not commanded, if we can not perform
them without violating the duties of our state of life or of reli­
gion. True, genuine piety requires that we do the good which
is commanded, and then that which is recommended and volun­
tary; that we fulfil first the duties of justice, and after that the
duties of charity. Alas! many invert the order established by
God.

(b.) The women must have started very early on their way, for
they were at the sepulchre at sunrise. This is an admonition for
you to rise early on Sundays and holidays that you may do any
necessary work and not be late for church through your own
fault. The love of Jesus, as well as the desire to pay homage to
him must prompt you to hasten, so that you may be too early for
mass rather than too late. In a spiritual sense the example of
the women teaches us that we should dedicate the first part of
our life, our childhood and youth, and the first part of every day,
the morning, to the service o4 God. If some must acknowledge

2. Homiletic Sketch.

4«5

that they have spent the years of their childhood and youth in
levity and forgetfulness of (rod, they should now at least devote
the rest of their life with the greater zeal to his service, in order
to redeem the lost time and to repair their neglect. And if many
have devoted the first thoughts and actions of the day to the
,vorld and the things of the world, let them resolve from this
day forward to direct their first thoughts to God and the business
of their salvation, and never to omit their morning prayers.
3. On their way to the sepulchre they said one to another:
Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre ?
And looking they saw the stone rolled back^for it was very great.
(a.) The women did not think of the stone at first, not until they
were on their way to the sepulchre. This frequently occurs in
good undertakings ; we do not at first discover the obstacles in
the way but only later on. Like the women, we must not be de­
terred from a good work but continue it with confidence; God
will help us. It is a well known fact that the evil spirit, the world,
and the flesh put various stones in the way, but we must not on
that account lose our courage, for “God is faithful who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will
make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear
it.”—I. Cor. 10: 13.

(bi) St. Matthew tells us (28: 2.) how the stone was removed
from the sepulchre: “And behold, there was a great earthquake.
For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming,
rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.” We must not think that
the angel removed the stone from the entrance to the sepulchre
so that Christ could come forth from it. According to the doc­
trine of all the Fathers of the Church, he had risen before the
grave was opened ; the angel merely rolled back the stone, and
opened it to show that his Resurrection had taken place. Thus
divine Providence supports constancy and confidence. By an
earthquake the stone is flung from the entrance of the sepulchre,
and the guards, who might have hindered the women in their
pious work, take to flight. Thus wonderfully does God aid his
servants who ardently long for him. He removes the obstacles
which come from men and circumstances, and drives the devil,
our arch-enemy, away. Therefore always trust in God, who
strengthens the weak, and never forsakes us, if in every peril
we have recourse to him.

4 ιό

Easter Sunday.
Part II.

I. The women had arrived at the sepulchre. As the stone was
rolled back they entered. The sepulchre was not like our graves,
a perpendicular opening into the earth, but it was an excavation
in the side of the rock and had an opening through which one
could enter as into a room. And entering into the sepulchre, they
saw a young man sitting on the right side clothed with a white robe,
and they were affrighted.
(tf.) The young man was an angel.—Matt. 28:2. “An angel of
the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the
stone, and sat upon it.” The angel appears in the form of a
young man, as a sign that in heaven everything is young,
beautiful, and joyous, and that the saints on the last day will rise
as youths, full of strength and beauty, like unto Christ. What
comfort for all pious Christians who have a body afflicted
with numerous infirmities!

(r.) The angel sat, as a sign that the blessed in heaven enjoy
we must have the white garment of innocence and purity, if we
wish to go to heaven, since nothing that is defiled can enter into
the city of God.—Afoe. 21: 27. White is the color of joy; the
angel appeared in a white robe to indicate that the Resurrection
of Christ is a joyous festival for the angels in heaven, as for men
upon earth.
(c.) The angel sat, as a sign that he blessed in heaven enjoy
eternal rest; he sat on the right hand, because he was a good
angel, for the good angels, with the elect, will stand on the right
hand at the general judgment, whilst the devils, with the repro­
bate, will stand on the left. Where shall we stand ? On the right
hand, or on the left? The answer is plain: Where we now stand.
(</.) That the women were astonished at the sight of the angel
need not surprise us. How can man, in his weakness and misery,
help being afraid and astonished when he comes in contact with
a heavenly being ? Even Mary trembled when the angel entered
her chamber to announce to her the heavenly message. Oh, that
a holy tremor may always seize us when we enter a church, in
which Jesus Christ is really present in the Blessed Sacrament,
and may this be the case still more when we receive him in holy
communion.

2. The angel calmed the women, saying to them: Be not
affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is
risen, he is not here; behold the place utere they laid him.

4*7

a. Homiletic Sketch.

(λ.) Those who seek Jesus have no reason to fear. The pious
women were mourning his death; now they are filled with
consolation and what they saw and heard causes them heavenly
joy. Happy the souls who seek the Crucified by detaching
their hearts from the world by humility and penance! Blessed
are they who follow him even to the grave by dying to their
sins and passions. They will have no reason to fear their risen
God when the angel shall announce him as their Judge.

(3.) The angel announces to the women the Resurrection of
Christ and gives a convincing proof of it, saying: He is not here.
We also must give this proof of our spiritual resurrection. If we
can say with truth: lam not here; I am free from this sin, from
this evil inclination, habit, or occasion, free from my former te­
pidity, then we are spiritually risen. Let us rejoice if it be so. If
it be not, let us labor that it may be. Let us take care lest our
zeal for penance resemble afire of straw, which blazes up quickly,
but equally as quickly is extinguished. Our amendment must be
permanent, we must diminish our old faults with the greatest
care, and not allow our zeal for virtue to be extinguished. Let us
for this end avail ourselves of the suitable means, namely, the
frequent renewal of our good resolutions and prayer.

3. Lastly, the angel commissions the women to announce the
Resurrection of Christ to his disciples, especially to Peter, and to
tell them that he goes before them into Galilee, and that there
they shall see him, as he told them.
(λ.) The disciples, who had abandoned our Lord so shamefully,
really did not deserve to have such happy tidings brought to
them. But Christ did not consider what they deserved, but what
his love demanded. He loves those who do not deserve it. What
consolation for us who are so unworthy of the love of Jesus. Oh,
that he may not enter into judgment with us, but treat us accord­
ing to the multitude of his mercies ! May he be merciful to us, in
life and death, and on the day of judgment! But, that we may
render ourselves worthy of his grace and mercy, let us devote
our life to penitential exercises and good works.

(3.) Peter is mentioned by name ; this is a proof of the regard
and love which our divine Saviour entertained towards the
Apostle. Peter is the Prince of the Apostles, and as such Christ
especially honored him. Peter had loved Christ more than the
other Apostles ; therefore Christ showed a particular love for
him. Peter ceased not to bewail his sins; therefore our Lord
wished, by a special sign of his love, to console him. Since Christ

II

27

4ï8

Easter Sunday.

honors Peter on account of his prerogative, we should honor out
superiors, on account of their position, even if they have faults.
Since Christ, on account of his greater love, gives him a special
proof of his love, we should give God special proof of our love
and render ourselves worthy of his love. Since Peter, on account
of his sincere repentance and his subsequent life-long penance,
was so highly favored, should we not be sorry for our sins and
endeavor to expiate them by penitential exercises in order to
find grace with God ?
PERORATION.

As the angel announced to the women, so I have announced
to you to-day the Resurrection of Christ. Rejoice over this most
important and consoling mystery of our holy religion, upon
which rest our faith and hope, and profit by it, so that at this
holy time of Easter you may celebrate your spiritual resurrection.
Remain no longer in the grave of sin, of inordinate inclinations
and passions. Come forth by a true conversion to God; walk in
the life of grace, and “seek the things that are above, where
Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.”—Col. 3; I.

EASTER SUNDAY.

3, DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
μ
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

You seek 'Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is risen, he ii
not here.—Mark 16:6.
The days of mourning and grief are past, and have given
place to days of joy. Every Christian heart, full of holy joy,
joins in the Alleluias. Our divine Saviour, who three days ago
died in unutterable pain and ignominy on the cross, is gloriously
risen from the dead. The pious women, who went early in the
morning to embalm his body, are the first to receive the joyful
tidings of his Resurrection. Entering into the sepulchre, they
behold an angel, who says to them : You seek Jesus of Nazareth,

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

4 ’9

who was crucified; he is risen, he is not here. What the angel
announced to the women I shall also announce to you to-day. I
shall speak of the Resurrection of our Lord, that fundamental
truth of our holy faith, and explain to you—

I. That Jesus is risen ;
II. How he rose.
Part L
Jesus is risen from the dead; the witnesses of this fact are—

I. His apostles and disciples. They gave testimony of it before
Jews and Gentiles, before the high and the low, the learned and
the unlearned, friends, and enemies, and not only occasionally,
but they continually referred to it, and made it the foundation
of Christianity. “If Christ be not risen again, your faith is vain,
for you are yet in your sins. Then they also who have slept in
Christ have perished.”—Z Cor. 15: 17, 18. The evidence of the
Apostles deserves to be firmly believed, for—
(<a.) They were not deceived. If the risen Christ had appeared
only to one or two of them, or only to a few women, they might
have been deceived; but he appeared to all during the forty
days he remained on earth, frequently held long conversations
with them, gave them several instructions and commissions,
showed them the print of his wounds, permitted them to touch
him, and sat at the table and ate with them.—Luke 24: 36-43;
John 21: 15, etc. As St. Paul narrates, he once appeared to five
hundred disciples at once.—I. Cor. 15: 6. How could they be
deceived? The Apostles were anything but credulous; on
the contrary, they were so incredulous and hard of heart that
Christ “upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of
heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him
after he was risen again.”—AfazÆ 16: 14. Who could entertain
for a moment the opinion that the Apostles might have been
deceived ?

(Z.) Nor would they deceive others. This contradicts their char­
acter, for everywhere they proved themselves to be frank, open,
simple, sincere men ; nothing was more foreign to them than dis­
simulation, ambiguity, and falsehood. If we are to suppose that
they had deceived us, some advantage should have accrued to
them, for nobody tells a lie in such an important matter for no­
thing. What advantage did their evidence as to the Resurrec­

4»o

Easter Sunday.

tion of Christ bring- them? Not the slightest. This testimony, on
the contrary, earned for them only hatred, contumely, persecution,
sufferings and death. Judge for yourselves. Would not the
Apostles have been insane, if, for the sake of a lie, they had
chosen a life of tribulation, persecution, and suffering? Where
is there a man in the whole world who tells a lie with the
intention of drawing persecutions, sufferings, and death upon
himself?

(r.) They could not deceive, even if they voould. Where did they
announce the Resurrection of Christ? In Jerusalem, in the land
of the Jews, the theatre of his actions and sufferings. Who were
the men to whom they preached the Resurrection of Christ? The
high-priests, the Scribes and Pharisees, and the Jews in general,
who had an accurate knowledge of Christ, and knew precisely
what occurred during the last days of his life. When did they
announce the Resurrection of Christ? It was only a few weeks
after his death, on the Day of Pentecost. If the Apostles had
really invented the Resurrection of Christ, would not all Jerusa­
lem, have risen against them and branded them as the most
shameless impostors ? But no one did this, not even his most in­
veterate enemies, the Scribes and Pharisees, and the Jewish
priesthood. The evidence, then, of the Apostles in bearing
testimony to the Resurrection of Christ is absolutely incontro­
vertible and could only be contested out of malice or from the
want of common sense.
2. His enemies. First, the Roman soldiers who guarded the
sepulchre, and who reported the great miracle of the Resurrec­
tion of Christ to the high-priests. Their testimony is deserving
of all credit, for the soldiers had no reason for telling a lie ; it
certainly must have been very humiliating to them to give this
testimony, for in doing so they ran the risk of a court-martial,
which might have resulted in their instant death.
The next witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus are the highpriests. When the soldiers reported that Christ was risen, they
did not contradict them, but confirmed their report by giving
them a sum of money, and saying to them : “Say you, his disciples
came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep.”—
Matt. 28: 13. Would they have had recourse to such dishonorable
means, if they had not firmly believed his Resurrection? If there
had been the slightest doubt about the soldiers’ account would
they not have reported the case to Pilate, and insisted upon an
investigation and the punishment of the soldiers ?
Even the shameless lie of the bribed soldiers that the disciples
of Christ came and stole his body when they were asleep, gives

j. Dogmatical Sketch.

411

evidence of his Resurrection. If the soldiers were asleep, how
could they know that the disciples stole the body? Could they
hear or see what occurred whilst they were asleep? How could
it be thought possible that of all the sleeping guards not even
one was awakened by the noise made by rolling back the heavy
stone? Finally, who could believe that the disciples, who were
so timid during his passion and at his death, would on a sudden
display the daring courage required to enable them to perform
so perilous a deed as that of stealing the body of Christ?

3. The whole Christian universe. The Apostles and their suc­
cessors preached, not only in Jerusalem and Judea, but through­
out the whole world, that Christ had died on the cross for the
Redemption of mankind, and had risen again from the dead on
the third day. And the Jews and Gentiles were convinced of this
truth, and believed. And this belief has now existed more than
eighteen hundred years and is spread over all the earth. How
would it be possible for the belief in the Resurrection of our
Lord to rest on error? If the Jews and Gentiles had not been
completely convinced of the truth of this mystery, what would
have induced them to embrace Christianity, which condemned
their vices, and imposed self-denial, abnegation, and the mortifi­
cation of the flesh upon them as a strict duty, and held out to
them nothing in this life but contempt, persecution, and suffer­
ings of every sort ? Moreover, not only the Apostles, but also
their successors, and the Christians of all centuries, have con­
firmed by countless miracles the testimony that Jesus has truly
risen from the dead. What would follow, if they had been
deceived or deceivers? Manifestly this, that God himself has led
men into a great error, and kept them in it for more than eigh­
teen hundred years. Would not such an inference be the greatest
blasphemy? Jesus, therefore, is truly risen from the dead.

Part Π.
Christ raised himself—

1. By his own power. All men will indeed rise out of their
graves on the last day, yet not by their own power, but by the
omnipotence of God. Not so Jesus Christ. With the same divine
power that called back to life the youth of Naim, the daughter
of Jairus, and Lazarus, he reunited his soul with his own body,
which was lying dead in the grave, and raised it up to life. He
expresses this truth in the words : “Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up.”—John 2 : 19. And more emphati­

.

Easter Sunday.

cally still in these: “1 lay down my life, that I may take it again.
No man taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself, and
I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up
again.”—John\Q\ iq, 18.

The raising of the Son is sometimes in the Sacred Scriptures
attributed to the Father. Thus St. Paul says: “God the Father,
who raised him (the Son) from the dead.”—Gal. i: i. But we
must not infer from this that Christ did not raise himself from
the dead by his own power. Because the Son is of the same
essence with the Father, the divine power by which the Son
raised himself from the dead may be called the power of the
Father, and consequently the raising of Jesus Christ is a work of
the Father.
2. With a glorious body, as the Apostle says: “Our Lord Jesus
Christ will reform the body of our lowness, made like the body
of his glory.”—Phil. 3 : 21. The sacred body of Christ was the
same as before the Resurrection, but it was now in a more glori­
ous state than before, and had qualities which it did not previ­
ously possess. These qualities are—

(a.) Brightness. A wonderful transformation in the body of
Jesus took place on Mount Thabor: “His face did shine as the
sun, and his garments became white as snow,”—Matt. 17:2. This
transfiguration of Christ, which upon Thabor was only transient
and partial, after his Resurrection became permanent and ge­
neral; not only his face, but his whole body was diffusing a much
brighter and more resplendent sparkling light than the noonday
sun. If in his apparitions he had not suppressed the rays which
ever streamed forth from his glorified body the disciples would
not have been able to endure the sight.

(Æ.)The incapability of suffering and death—impassibility. Christ
at his Incarnation had assumed a true human body ; his body, as
that of every other man, was capable of suffering. And in his
earthly life he really suffered hunger and thirst, heat and cold,
fatigue and other inconveniences, and lastly a most painful death.
After his Resurrection he was no longer susceptible of any pain­
ful sensation. Before his Resurrection his body was mortal, he
could die a natural, a painful death ; after it his body was im­
mortal; as he could no longer suffer, so he could die no more.
Therefore the Apostle writes: “We know that Christ, rising
again from the dead, dieth now no more; death shall no more
have dominion over him.”—Rom. 6: 9.

3·

Dogmatical Sketch.

423

(f.) Agility. The body of Christ is no longer confined by space
and time, being without weight or heaviness. No time was
needed to go to any place, it could pass in a moment through
the immense space of creation and be at any spot it wished.
(a7.) Subtility. The body of Christ remained after his Resur­
rection a true body, but it laid aside all density, so that, like a
pure spirit, it could penetrate everywhere and render itself invi­
sible to the eyes of men. Hence he came forth from the grave
without breaking the seal which the Jews had fixed upon it;
hence he also appeared to his disciples, the doors being shut,
and disappeared suddenly after every apparition.

All these qualities of the glorified body of Christ, only in a less
degree, the bodies of the just will possess when they rise from
the death. This should be a powerful incentive for us to hold our
body and its senses in honor, and to employ them for the service
of God.
3. He retained in his glorified body the marks of his sufferings,
viz., in his hands, feet, and side the marks of his wounds; there­
fore he said to Thomas: “Put in thy finger hither (into the place
of the nails), and see my hands, and bring hither thy hand, and
put it into my side.”

Jesus retained the marks of the wounds in his body—
(a.) To give us a palpable proof of his Resurrection. If he had
appeared without the marks of his wounds, persons might have
been led to believe that it was only his spirit clothed in an ap­
parent body. But showing himself with the marks of his wounds,
no one could doubt that he was truly risen, as we see in the case
of Thomas. “Happy marks of the wounds,” says St. Bernard,
which attest the truth of the Resurrection and the Divinity of
Christ.”

(b.} For a sign of his victory over death and hell. The glorious
wounds of his body are so many tokens of mankind redeemed,
of heaven reopened, and hell conquered, as the scars and
wounds received in battle are signs of undaunted courage, and
the hero’s proudest decoration.
(c.) /n order by them to move his heavenly Father to mercy towards
us. If God at the sight of the many-colored rainbow remembers
the promise which he made to men. that the waters of a flood

4^4

Easter Sunday.

should never again destroy all flesh (Gen. 9; 12-16), how much
more will he restrain his wrath when he sees his beloved Son
adorned with the precious wounds which he received for our
Redemption. We must not therefore lose courage on account of
our sins; the marks of the wounds of Christ cry louder for mercy
than our sins for vengeance.
(<Z) In order to show them on the day of judgment for the conso­
lation of the just and the terror oj the wicked. At the sight of the
five wounds of Jesus, the just will experience an unspeakable
consolation, for these wounds represent to them the boundless
love of the heavenly Father, who gave his only-begotten Son
for their Redemption, and the equally great love of Jesus, who
shed the last drop of his blood for them. They will also bring
to their mind all the graces which they received for their sal­
vation and zealously made use of, the victories which they
gained over the world, the flesh, and the devil, the virtues
which they practiced, and the sufferings which they endured
with so perfect a patience. They will behold in the marks of the
holy wounds of Christ the pledge of salvation ; therefore at the
sight of them their hearts will be full of consolation and joy. But
the reprobate will be seized with terror and consternation, for
they will be constrained to say that they abused all the graces
which Christ merited for them by his passion and death, and that
by their vices and sins they have crucified him anew.
PERORATION.

That the wounds of Christ may not on the day of judgment be
to you an object of consternation and terror, but a source of con­
solation and joy, renew to-day a firm resolution to lead a good,
pious, Christian life. If heretofore you have defiled your con­
science with various sins, cleanse it by a good confession, sub­
due your passions, mortify all inordinate inclinations, and remove
everything displeasing to God. Be fervent in prayer, and prac­
tice, as far as you can, the Christian virtues. Walk constantly
in the path of justice, that you may one day come forth from the
grave with a glorified body and obtain in heaven the unfading
palm of victory over the world, death, and hell. Amen.

4- Liturgical Sketch.

425

EASTER SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE CELEBRATION OF EASTER.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is risen, he is
not here—Mark 16: 6.

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer, is risen from the dead.
This is the great, glorious mystery of this day’s feast, which fills
the heart of every believer with a holy joy. The Jews every year
celebrated the pasch in grateful remembrance of their deliver­
ance from the slavery of Egypt and the gracious exemption from
death of their first-born. The Jewish pasch was a type of our
Christian Easter. All men were languishing in the slavery of
Satan, but God had compassion on them and sent them another
Moses, his only-begotten Son, who broke their chains and set
them free.— Gal. 4: 5. To-day, coming forth from the sepulchre,
he has overcome Satan, demolished his dominion of four thou­
sand years’ duration, and purchased for us grace, liberty, and
life. Who would not rejoice to-day? Who would not praise and
glorify Christ, and exclaim with the Apostle : “O death, where
is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? Now the sting of
death is sin : and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to
God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.”—I. Cor. 15: 55’57That the significance of Easter may become more apparent to
us, we shall consider how this feast is celebrated, namely—

I. The time of this celebration ;
II. The peculiarities of it.

Part L
With regard to the time of the celebration of Easter two ques­
tions are to be answered, namely, When does it take place? and
how long does it last?

I. After an obstinate controversy of more than a hundred
years between the East and the West the first General Council

426

Easter Sunday.

of the Church, held in the year 3 25, at the city of Nice in Bithynia,
decreed that Easter should every year be celebrated on the first
Sunday following· the full moon after the vernal equinox. In
order, however, that we may be better understood, we must ex­
plain more fully.
By the vernal equinox we understand that day on which the
sun crosses the equator in spring*, and which, by the most care­
ful observation and computation, was found at the time of the
Council to have fallen on the 21st of March; hence if the full
moon falls on the 22nd of March, and this 22nd of March is a Satur­
day, the next day will be the first Sunday after the full moon,
and it will be Easter Sunday. But if the moon be full on the
20th of March, this will not be considered the Easter moon, but
it will be the next full moon, twenty-nine days later, which will
be on the 18th of April. Now, should this 18th of April be a
Sunday, Easter would be the following Sunday, or the 25th of
April. Easter, you see then, can be no earlier than the 23rd of
March, nor later than the 25th of April. But though it may come
earlier or later, it always falls, at least in our hemisphere, in the
time of spring. This time is significant, and symbolizes very
beautifully the mysteries of the Easter festival.
(a.) In winter the days are short and but feebly illumined by the
sun ; the wind is sharp and cold, everything is desolate and dead.
This sad time of winter is an eloquent picture of the wretched
condition of mankind before their Redemption. There was no
knowledge of God any more upon earth; with the exception of
the Jews, all nations were sunk in the most abominable idolatry;
vice and abomination of every description overflowed the world
and all the germs of spiritual life seemed to have died out. Behold
the gloomy winter of the human race! Finally Christ appears, an­
nounces his heavenly doctrine, suffers and dies, rises from the
dead and establishes his Church. Then everything assumes a
more cheerful aspect; a light arises to men: they know how far
they have erred from the way of truth and virtue ; they are con­
verted by the preaching of the Apostles, and embrace Chritianity.
Behold the spring-time of grace which came to men through
Christ, the risen Redeemer.

(<5.) The Resurrection of Christ is the pledge of our future re­
surrection. ‘‘By a man came death, and by a man the resurrection
of the dead. And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall
be made alive.”—I. Cor. 15 : 21, 22. At this holy time of Easter,
seeing Christ triumph over death and the grave, we turn our
gaze to the end of time and rejoice in the thought that we shall
rise again and reign with our Saviour in heaven. Again, it is

4. Liturgical Sketch.

427

spring-time that symbolizes this consoling truth, for in spring
everything revives, grows, and blossoms; so our body will one
day revive, be restored to youth, and come forth from the grave
glorified and immortal.

(r.) At Easter we should celebrate our spiritual resurrection,
according to the word of the Apostle: “We are buried together
with him by baptism unto death; that as Christ is risen from the
dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in the
newness of life.”—Rom. 6, 4. In order to rise to the life of grace,
we must, according to the precept of the Church, go to confession
and communion. Again, it is the spring-time that gives us
a clear idea of this spiritual resurrection. As long as man con­
tinues in sin, he is dead, and resembles winter, which can bring
forth no fruit. But if, animated by the ray of divine grace, he is
truly converted, he resembles spring, which awakens nature
from its deadly slumber and breathes new life into it. As spring
disposes all to joy and hilarity, so the newly-converted Christian
experiences joy in his interior, and enjoys heavenly peace. But
as spring awakens nature from its torpidity and causes every­
thing to blossom, but leaves the maturing of the fruits to summer
and autumn, so a Christian at the beginning of his conversion is
not yet perfect; the new grace must grow and come to perfection
by degrees.
Thus, spring very beautifully symbolizes the mysteries which
this time of Easter comprises. Let us here acknowledge the wis­
dom of the Church, which makes use of natural things to illus­
trate the mysteries of our holy religion and to educate us as
pious Christians.

2. The ecclesiastical celebration includes not only Easter Sun­
day and Easter week, but comprises six weeks, lasting till Pente­
cost.

(λ.) This prolonged celebration of Easter is on account of its
importance, for it reminds us of the mystery which is the found­
ation of our faith and hope, that is, of the Resurrection of out
Lord. If Christ had not risen from the dead, our faith would be
destitute of the last sufficient proof of its truth and divinity, our
prospect of eternity would be obscured, and our Redemption, so
to speak, incomplete. “If Christ be not risen again, your faith is
vain, for you are yet in your sins.”—I. Cor. 15; 17.
But since Christ, as he often foretold, is risen again, the seal
of divinity is stamped on our faith, our hope rests on an immov­
able rock, and the work of our Redemption is complete ; and full

Easter Sunday.

of joy we can exclaim with the royal prophet: “Our soul hath
been delivered, as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The
snare is broken, and we are delivered.”—Ps 123 : 7.
(3.) The Church also endeavors to revive our Easter joy by
the gospels of the six Sundays after Easter, in which she presents
to us the graces and fruits of the Resurrection of Christ. In the
gospel of the first Sunday after Easter, Christ risen gives his
Apostles the power of forgiving sins, the Sacrament of Penance
appearing as the first fruit of the Resurrection. In the gospel of
the second Sunday Christ portrays himself as the good Shepherd
of his sheep; his pastoral care for the faithful, the gradual pro­
pagation of his Church, and the blessings which he brings to all
nations, appear as the second fruit. In the gospel for the third
Sunday Christ speaks of the sufferings of his adherents, which
are only momentary and end when the imperishable joys of
heaven begin. The eternal beatitude after short sufferings is the
third fruit. In the gospel of the fourth Sunday Jesus promises
to send the Holy Ghost, and this is a further fruit of the Re­
surrection. In the gospel for the fifth Sunday Christ assures
us that his heavenly Father will give us all that we shall ask
in his name; the hearing of our prayer, then, is another fruit of
the Resurrection. And lastly, in the gospel of the Sunday
within the octave of the Ascension our Saviour renews the re­
peated promise that the Holy Ghost shall come : that he will
guide the Church and preserve her to the end of time; thus the
perpetuity of the Church through the Holy Ghost is also a fruit
of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Part Π.

The principal peculiarities of the Easter celebration are—
i. The picture of the risen Saviour with a standard in his hand.
Christ fought with the powers of darkness as long as he sojourn­
ed on earth. When he died on the cross he seemed conquered;
hell and its adherent exulted. But on the third day he comes
forth from the grave glorious and triumphant over death and
hell, the head of the old serpent is crushed, and mankind is re­
deemed. The standard in his right hand reminds us of this glori­
ous victory of Christ. As often as we look at that picture we
must heartily rejoice over the victory of our Lord, but also re­
solve courageously to fight against the enemies of our salvation,
so that we may overcome them. “Blessed is the man that eu-

4. Liturgical Sketch.

429

dureth te mptation, for when he hath been proved, he shall re­
ceive the crown of life.”—James 1: 12.

2. The Vidi aquam which is chanted during Paschal time in
place of Asperges me. The words Vidi aquam are taken from
the Prophet Ezechiel (47) and are as follows: “I saw water com­
ing forth from the temple, on the right side, Alleluia; and all to
whom that water came were saved, and shall say, Alleluia.” This
mysterious water reminds us—
(λ.) In general, of all the graces which flem to us continuallyfrom
the Holy Catholic Church, and of which in Paschal time we think
with heartfelt joy, because Christ at this time accomplished the
work of our Redemption.

(5.) Especially of Baptism, by which we have been cleansed
from all stains of sin and become children of God and heirs of
heaven. The reason why we should call to mind at Easter the
grace of Baptism is because in the first ages of the Church the
solemn administration of Baptism took place at Easter and there­
fore baptismal water is still blessed on Holy Saturday.

(s,) Of Easter confession and Easter communion, by which we
aie again cleansed and sanctified. Let us thank God for this
grace, praise and glorify him, and sing a joyful Alleluia. Perhaps
there are some among us who, instead of the joyful Vidi aquam,
should sing Asperges me. Oh, that by a worthy reception of the
holy sacraments they would place themselves in the state of
grace, that being spiritually risen they may sing the joyful Vidi
aquam !

3. The Alleluia, which the Church during Easter time repeats
continually. This Hebrew word means, “Praise the Lord,” and
is therefore an invitation to praise God for the benefits and
graces which we have received. The Jews chanted the six Alle­
luias, that is, the six psalms of praise and thanksgiving of David,
on their great festivals, in order to thank God for his graces, and
to praise and glorify him. From them the word passed into the
Church, and since the time of Pope Damasus (366) it has been in
general use. We have far more reason than the Jews to sing
Alleluia with joyful hearts; they were freed from the servitude
of Pharao, we from the slavery of the devil; the Jews were con­
ducted only to an earthly Chanaan, but we are called to the
heavenly one, in which we shall reign for ever. But if we wish
our Alleluia to please God, it must come not only from the mouth,

430

Eastek Sunday.

but from the heart; otherwise the word of the Lord will apply
to us : “This people draw near me with their mouth, and with
their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me.”—Is. 29: 13.

4. 77m custom of standing at prayer, as at the Regina coeli, said
at this time instead of the Angelus, while at other seasons the
kneeling posture is prescribed. This ecclesiastical ordinance re­
minds us—
(al) Of the Resurrection of Christ, the memory of which wr
celebrate during the whole of Paschal time.

(b. Of our own resurrection, which is to be effected at this holy
time, as well as of the duty of remaining in the state of grace,
according to the word of the Apostle: “He that standeth, let him
take heed lest he fall.”—I. Cor. 10: 12.
(c.) Of the admonition of the Apostle: “If you be risen with
Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at
the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not the
things that are upon the earth.”—Col. 3: 1, 2. After Jesus has
redeemed us from the slavery of sin and Satan, and called us to
his service, we must not again attach our heart to the world and
its vanities, but we must aspire to higher and better things that
we may reach our eternal home.

5. The Paschal candle, which is blessed on Holy Saturday,
placed at the gospel side of the high altar and lighted at high
mass. It represents Christ risen.
(a.) The pure white wax, of which it consists, signifies the
glorified body of Christ.

(3.) The five holes, with the grains of incense therein, typify
the five holy wounds which Jesus retained after his Resurrection.
(c.) The light reminds us of his Divinity and his words : “I a
the light of the world.”

II

(di) It is taken away on Ascension Thursday, to indicate that
Christ by his Ascension into heaven has withdrawn his visible
presence from us.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

431

PERORATION.

The time and the peculiarities of the celebration of Easter remind us of the mystery of the glorious Resurrection of our Lord
Christ, our head, is risen from the dead. Let us also rise from
the grave of sin to the life of grace. Christ dies no more, but
lives for ever. Let us no more die the death of sin, but let us pre­
serve with the greatest solicitude the life of grace to our last
ba eath. Christ is crowned with honor and glory ; let us also fight
the good fight, that as conquerors we may be crowned. Amen.

EASTER SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AN EMBLEM OF OUR SPIRITUAL
RESURRECTION.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is risen, he is
not here.—Mark. 16: 6.

“Christ is truly risen, Alleluia.” This is the song of joy and
exultation which the Church in the joy of her heart intones on
this festival day, and during Paschal time repeats again and
again. Death and the grave could not retain their prey; Jesus
Christ, as he had so frequently foretold, rose from the dead on the
third day. But as Christ rose from the dead to-day corporally, so
we should rise spiritually, according to the words of the Apostle:
“As Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so
we also may walk in newness of life.”—Rom. 6: 4. The Resur­
rection of Christ will profit us nothing if we remain in the state
of sin. But the question is: How can we be convinced that our
spiritual resurrection is real? We can be convinced of this if it
has the marks of the Resurrection of Christ, i. e.,
I. If the stone is rolled back ;
II. If we leave the grave, and
III. If we no more return io it.

45*

Easter Sunday.
Part I.

1. The sepulchre in which Christ was laid, was secured by a
massive stone, on which the Jews fixed the seal of public autho­
rity. It could not be moved from the entrance without great
labor. This stone was the cause of a great deal of anxiety to the
women who went out early in the morning to anoint Jesus, and
they said one to another : Who shall roll us back the stone from
the door of the sepulchre? But having come to the grave, they
saw the stone rolled back. St. Matthew tells us so in these
words : “There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven: and coming, rolled back the stone, and
sat upon it” (28: 2). I must remark here that Christ had already
risen before the stone was rolled back and the grave was opened;
the stone rolled back was only a sign that he was truly risen
from the dead.
2. Our spiritual resurrection must have this sign; the stone
that is lying on our conscience must be removed. Every sinner,
whatever sins he may have committed, has a stone, a heavy
weight, on his conscience. There are sinners who do not confess
sincerely, who, from fear or shame, conceal sins in confession, or
who do not confess a circumstance that should necessarily be
mentioned, or who confess candidly but without true supernatural
contrition, or a firm purpose of amendment, and of avoiding sin
and the proximate occasion of it, of restoring ill-gotten goods, of
repairing damages, of retracting slander and calumny, and of
being reconciled with their enemies. These are heavy stones,
which perhaps lie a long time on the hearts of many. Have you
by a good confession at this holy time rolled back these stones
from your conscience ? Have you overcome yourselves and con­
fessed all your sins with the necessary circumstances ? Have you
repeated and made valid the confessions which were invalid for
the want of contrition and a firm purpose of amendment ? Have
you restored your neighbors’ property and repaired the damage
done him ? Are you reconciled with all your enemies ? Are you
really resolved to avoid sin and the proximate occasion thereof?
If you can answer these questions in the affirmative, things stand
well with you, the stone is rolled back, and I can here congratulate
you on your spiritual resurrection. But if you must answer them
negatively, you are really to be pitied: the stone is still on your
conscience, and you are lying in the grave of sin. Whoever has
a heavy stone on his conscience let him roll it back, that this
Easter may not be to him a time of perdition, but of salvation.

5. Symbolical Sketch»

433

Part Π.

1. Christ proved his Resurrection also by leaving the sepulchre
and not returning to it. The women approaching the sepulchre,
saw the stone rolled back; they went to anoint his body, but he
was not there; they saw an angel, who said to them: You seek
Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is risen, he is not here.
The angel told the women emphatically that Christ was no
longer in the sepulchre, in order to convince them of his Resur­
rection.

2. We must bring the same proof of our spiritual resurrection;
we must come out of the grave of sin. This must be done—

(ai) Interiorly, by a complete and thorough transformation and
amendment of the heart. The whole disposition of the sinner is
perverse ; he takes pleasure in what is evil, virtue is odious or at
least indifferent to him. He must totally change his mind, he must
hate and detest sin from the bottom of his heart, and love virtue
and long for it. God requires this change, for he says? “Be con­
verted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and
in mourning. And rend your hearts, and not your garments.”—
Joel 2 : 12, 13. The Jews used to rend their garments to express
their sorrow and mourning, but, as many rent their garments
without any interior sorrow and detestation of sin, God exhorted
them not to rend their garments, but their hearts; that is, they
should not only exteriorly but also interiorly repent of their sins
and do penance, because the former without the latter would be
unprofitable. This interior transformation and amendment of heart
we find in all true penitents. A certain young man, who for some
time had kept up a criminal intercourse with a young woman and
had grievously offended God, made a good confession at Easter,
and in order to eradicate his passion undertook a long journey.
Returning after a while, he twice met the woman, but he passed
her by without looking at her. The third time she stopped him,
saying: “What is the matter with you; do you not know me any
longer? I am so and so.” He answered: “You may be so and
so, but I am not now the person who knew so and so.”
All who have risen spiritually must be so disposed; they
must be totally changed from what they were formerly. Sin
must no longer be in their heart, as a corpse in the grave. Is
this the case with us? Can every one of us say, I hate and
detest sin above all things? I am resolved to amend my life and
to offend God no more. Ah, how many may there be among
us who must acknowledge the contrary. They confess because

Π

28

434

Easter Sunday

it is Easter and because "they fear the people” {Luka 20: 19);
to keep up their reputation as good Christians; but they do
not earnestly intend to amend their life; they lack the prin­
cipal requirements for a good confession, contrition and reso­
lution ; they have after confession, as before it, a perverse dispo­
sition of mind, their heart is attached to sin, and they have not
the slightest intention of beginning a new life. The poor crea­
tures still lie in the grave of sin, and their last state is worse than
the first, for they have received the holy Sacraments of Penance
and the Blessed Eucharist unworthily, and have added the guilt
of sacrilege to the catalogue of their crimes.

(3.) Exteriorly. He that is transformed and renewed interiorly
manifests it also exteriorly; he carefully avoids everything that
is evil, and does w’hat is good with fervor and zeal. The graci­
ous look that Jesus cast on Peter having brought him to the know­
ledge of his sins and to repentance, he returns no more to the occa­
sion, but goes out and weeps bitterly, to indicate that his heart
is bruised ; he denies his Lord and Master no more, but confesses
him before his greatest enemies, the high-priests, Scribes and
Pharisees, and not only now and then, but again and again, as
long as he lives, and in consequence of his confession cheerfully
suffers imprisonment and death. St. Paul, who entertained a
most bitter hatred against the Christians and persecuted them
most violently, displayed after his conversion a most admirable
zeal; he made long and fatiguing journeys by land and water for
the propagation of the faith, and in all things exhib:ted himself
as a minister of God “in much'patience, in tribulation, in neces­
sities, in distresses, in stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labors,
in watchings, in fastings, etc.” (//. Cor. 6: 4, 5), and nothing,
“ neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,

nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature, was able to separate him fro 1«
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.”—Rom. 8 : 38, 39.
In the same way all true penitents will manifest exteriorly
their spiritual resurrection by an amendment of life. They will
no longer keep any sinful company ; they will not curse, blas­
pheme, use immodest language or give themselves up to drunken­
ness and gambling; in a word, they will most carefully avoid
the sins to which they have been previously addicted and the
proximate occasions thereof, and fulfil with commendable zeal
the duties of their religion and state of life, which they formerly
neglected or fulfilled only very imperfectly. They will be dili­
gent in attendance at church on Sundays and holidays, going
frequently to confession and communion, loving to read spiritual
books and holding pious conversation ; they will dress modestly,

5- Symbolical Sketch,

435

live temperately and soberly, in peace with all members of their
household, obeying their superiors; and if they are fathers or
mothers they will guide their children to virtue by meekness
and a good example.

Thus true penitents show that they have left the grave of sin.
But what shall we say of those who, after their Easter confession
and communion, live as godlessly and wickedly as before, and
in whom not the slightest amendment is noticeable? What else,
indeed, than that they are not spiritually risen?
Part ΠΙ.
Our Lord raised three dead persons to life: The youth of Naim,
the daughter of f'airus, and Lazarus of Bethania. All three after
returning to life were strong and healthy, and lived many years;
but after all they died again and went down into the grave.
Their resurrection from the dead was not lasting. It is not so
with the resurrection of Christ; having left the sepulchre he re­
turns there no more ; he will die no more for ever. “Knowing
that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more;
death shall no more have dominion over him.”—Rom. 6: 9.

Like Christ, so we after our spiritual resurrection must never
again return to the grave, never again die the death of sin, but
always lead a holy life of grace. What would it have profited St
Peter, St. Paul, St. Magdalen, and others, if they had amended
their lives for a time and then relapsed into their former
sins? “If the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do
iniquity ... all his justices which he hath done shall not be re­
membered ;... and in his sins, which he hath committed, in them
he shall die.”—Ezech. 18: 24. Christ himself says : “No man put­
ting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the king­
dom of God.”—Luke 9: 62. This applies to all those who, after
having received the sacraments at Easter, amend their lives for
a little while, and then relapse; they forfeit the grace of God and
render themselves liable to eternal damnation.

Oh, how many are there who, after Easter is passed, will re­
turn to the old grave of sin! In the last days of Holy Week a
candlestick with thirteen candles is placed in the church; all
these candles are alight at the beginning of the office, but during
its progress one after the other is extinguished, till there is but
one burning, and this is taken from the altar and hidden behind
it. As with these candles, so it is with many Catholics at Easter.
They go to confession and communion, the light of grace burns
io their hearts ; but Easter being over, one after the other allows

436

Easter Sunday.

the light of the love and grace of God to be extinguished in his
heart, or, not to speak figuratively, they return to their old worldly
and sinful life. It has been so every Easter, and there is very
uch reason to fear that I will be so again this year. But hew
deplorable the condition of such relapsing sinners I They are
guilty of the greatest ingratitude towards God, for after he has
shown them mercy and forgiven their sins, they offend him
again; they cast away the jewel which is worth more than
the whole world, sanctifying grace, and they compel God, as
it were, to withdraw his hand from them and expose them to
the danger of dying in sin, and being buried in hell. Oh, that
they would take to heart the words of St. Peter: “For if, flying
from the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they be again entangled in
them and overcome, their latter state is become unto them
worse than the former. For it had been better for them not
to have known the way of justice, than after they have known
it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was de­
livered to them
II. Peter 2 : 20, 21.
II

PERORATION.

These are the signs which, according to the example of the
corporal resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, your
spiritual resurrection must have. You must roll back the stone
from the grave, that is, you must cleanse your conscience from
all sins by a humble and sincere confession ; you must come forth
from the grave, interiorly and exteriorly, by the renovation and
amelioration of your mind and life; you must never more return
to the grave, but with constancy and perseverance lead a life of
penance, guarding carefully against every relapse. Well for
you will it be if of every one of you it can be said what the angel
said to-day of Christ : “He is risen F' And if you, like the risen
Lord, die no more, but preserve the life of grace to the end, a
glorious resurrection on the last day and a feast of joy in heaven
will be your reward. Amen.

6.

Dogmatic-Moral Sketch.

437

EASTER SUNDAY.

6. DOGMATIC-MORAL SKETCH.
CHE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST ; ITS IMPORT FOR OUR FAITH AND
LIFE.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is risen.—
Mark 16: 6.
The feast of Easter is undoubtedly the greatest and most joy­
ful of all the feasts of the Ecclesiastical Year, for it represents to
us the accomplishment of our Redemption. Christ came “to
seek and to save that which was lost” {Luke 19: 10), and what­
ever he did in his earthly life had no other end than to atone for
our sins and to redeem us. But according to the decree of divine
Providence the work of our Redemption could be effected only
by the death of Christ on the cross. It was only on the cross that
Christ could cry out to the world: “It is consummated.” To-day,
rising from the grave, adorned with the marks of his sacred
wounds, he appears in the true sense of the word as the Saviour,
the Redeemer of the world. Sin is blotted out, the kingdom of
Satan destroyed, the prince of the world cast out, the power of
hell broken, and redeemed man once more with filial confidence
can look up to heaven and say, “Abba, Father.” Hence the joy
which reigns supreme to-day throughout the whole Christian
world; hence the song of joy and exultation of the Church: “Alle­
luia, this is the day which the Lord hath made ; let us exult and
rejoice in it.”
But Easter is not only a time of joy and exultation for every
Christian heart ; it also contains a mystery which is of the great­
est importance for our faith and life ; for the Resurrection of
Christ is, as we shall consider to-day—
I. The foundation of ourfaith;
II. The most powerJul incentive to a pious life.

Part I.
I.

The Resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith.

No one can doubt the truth and divinity of our faith, if Christ
is risen again.

♦3«

Easter Sunday.

(a.) The prophets foretold that the Messias would rise again from
the dead. “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (that is, in the
grave), nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption."—Ps.
15 : 10. There can be no doubt that this prophecy refers to Christ,
because St. Peter emphatically applies it to him.—Acts 2·. 2"].
The prophets Isaias (11: 10) and Osee (6:3) also speak of the
Resurrection of Christ. The former says that the Gentiles shall
beseech him, and his sepulchre shall be glorious (on account ot
his glorious Resurrection); the latter, that God will receive him
and the third day raise him up. Now, if Christ is risen, the pre­
dictions of the prophets are fulfilled, and he must truly be the
promised Messias.

(£.) Christ frequently and emphatically foretold that he would
die, but would rise again on the third day. “Behold, we go up
to Jerusalem; and all things shall be accomplished which were
written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. For he shall
be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged,
and spit upon, and after they have scourged him, they will put him
to death, and the third day he shall rise again.”—Luke 18: 31-33.
“As Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights,
so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and
three nights.”—Matt. 12:40. “Destroy this temple, and in three
days I mill raise it upS—John 2:19. That the Jews, especially
the Scribes and Pharisees, understood these prophecies of Christ
very well, is evident from the fact that after his death they ap­
plied to Pilate for a guard to watch the sepulchre : “Sir, we
have remembered that that seducer said, while he was yet alive:
After three days I will rise again. Command, therefore, the se­
pulchre to be guarded until the third day lest perhaps his dis­
ciples come, and steal him away, and say to the people, he is
risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the
first."—Matt. 27: 63, 64. If Christ had not risen from the dead
on the third day, we could not believe him to be the Son of God
and Redeemer of the world, because his prophecy would not
have been fulfilled.

{ci) It is true, we have still other evidences of his dignity as
the Messias and of his divinity besides his Resurrection. We
have, for instance, the evidence of the holiness of his life, which
even his enemies acknowledged, for upon his question: “Which
of you shall convince me of sin?" {John 8:46) they kept silence.
Judas confessed : “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood"
{Matt. 27 : 4), and Pilate declared before the multitude of people:
“I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look you to it."—
Matt. 27: 24. But important as is this evidence of the holiness of

6. Dogmatic-Moral Sketch.

439

Christ, it would not of itself be conclusive nor sufficient to prove
his Divinity beyond all doubt, for as there are wolves in sheep’s
clothing, we might be tempted to think that the holiness of
Christ was only an outward semblance and hypocrisy.
Our Lord also proved the authenticity of his divine mission
by miracles, for he healed all kinds of sickness and raised up the
dead; but many objections might be raised against these mir­
acles : one might say that they were only delusions and apparent
miracles, which he did in compact with and by the power of the
devil. He said himself that false Christs and false prophets
would arise, and do great signs and wonders, inasmuch as to
deceive, if it were possible, even the elect.—Matt. 24: 24.
If Christ had not risen from the dead, neither his sanctity nor
his miracles could be a conclusive evidence of the Divinity of his
person and doctrine. But his Resurrection banishes every doubt.
As he is risen from the dead, God his Father has given testi­
mony to him that he is his only-begotten Son ; and as he raised
himself from the dead by his own power, he immediately proved
that he is true God; for this could be done by God alone. The
Resurrection of Christ, therefore, is the foundation of our faith.
He who believes that Christ has risen from the dead has no reason
to yield to doubt on any article of his faith. Hence it was to the
Resurrection of Christ that the Apostles chiefly appealed, to con­
vince the Jews and Gentiles of his divinity and the truth of his
gospel ; and St. Paul gives utterance to this remarkable expres­
sion : “If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain,
and your faith is also vain.”—1. Cor. 15: 14.
2. But is it certain that Christ rose from the dead? Yes; and
the witnesses are—

(#.) His enemies—namely, the soldiers who guarded the sepul­
chre, and the High Council of the Jews. The earth quakes, an
angel in dazzling attire descends from heaven and removes with
ease the ponderous obstruction, opening the grave for the in­
spection of our Lord’s anxious disciples; consternation seizes
the guards and they become as dead men; they have scarcely
recovered from their stupor when they take to flight, hasten to
the Sanhedrim, and exclaim : “Christ is risen.” It is probable
that the members of the High Council contradicted their testi­
mony and reproached them with harsh words, but as the soldiers
continued their assertion, they were placed in a very awkward
predicament, and could find no way to get out of it except by
bribing the soldiers with a large sum of money, so that they
night spread the lie that his disciples came when they were
asleep, and stole his body,

440

Easter Sunday.

(3.) The Apostles, It was hard for them to believe the Resur­
rection of their Master. When the women told them that Christ
was risen, they did not believe them. He was obliged to appear
to them, to discourse with them, to show them the marks of his
wounds, and allow himself to be touched by them, to sit at the
table and eat with them, before they laid aside their doubts and
believed in his Resurrection. Who could reject their testimony,
especially since it did not bring them the least advantage, but
only hatred, persecution, prison, and death ? Who could in the
least doubt their testimony, for they confirmed it with great
miracles and therefore God himself vouched for the truth of their
words?

(tf.) The multitude of people to whom the risen Christ appeared·
He appeared not only to the women, to Peter, and the rest of
the Apostles, and to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus,
but, as St. Paul (Z. Cor. 15: 6) says, to five hundred disciples at
once. Now, if so great a multitude of men saw the risen Saviour,
and, as St. Matthew says (28: 27), adored him, and unanimously
testified to his Resurrection, who can contradict such a testi­
mony?
(di) The circumstance, finally, that the Resurrection of Christ was
universally known, especially in all Jerusalem. When St. Peter,
fifty days afterwards, on the feast of Pentecost, preached pub­
licly of the Resurrection of Christ, there was not one that contra­
dicted him ; even the High Council, the Scribes and the Pharisees,
dared not confront him and the other Apostles, and charge them
with an untruth. All they afterwards did was to forbid them to
preach in the name of Jesus, to scourge them and cast them into
prison.

The Resurrection of Christ is therefore a fact which can not
be reasonably controverted, and consequently the foundation of
our holy faith. But it is also the most powerful incentive to a
pious life.

Part Π.
1. The Resurrection of Christ is a most powerful incentive to a
pious life, encouraging us to do the will of God in every situation
of life.

“ My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, that I may
perfect his work.’ John 4: 34. Our Saviour could say this in
truth, for his whole life upon earth was one continual, uninter­

6. Dogmatic-Moral Sketch.

441

rupted fulfilment of the will of his heavenly Father. For thirty
years he led a hidden life, because his Father willed it; he be­
gan his public life, went about, taught, worked miracles, and
finally died on the cross in unspeakable tortures and sufferings,
because it was the will of his Father. Thus the human will of
Christ was entirely subject to the will of God; he did everything
that God willed, and in the manner he willed. How gloriously
do we see him rewarded for the faithful performance of the di­
vine will ! To-day, coming forth from the grave with a glorified
body, “God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name
which is above all names; that in the name of Jesus every knee
should bow of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the
earth. And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus
Christ is in the glory of God the Father.”—Phil, 2 : 9-11. What
a glorious endl What a great reward 1
If we consider our risen Redeemer in his glory, should we
not be encouraged to do the will of God in all circumstances?
What does not man do to procure for himself a pleasant earthly
life ? What tribulations, what perils and humiliations does he
not undergo, not only for days and weeks, but for years ? And
we can be dilatory in doing the will of God, knowing, as we do,
that if we work and suffer with Christ we shall be glorified with
him!
2. Il encourages us to maintain a constant warfare against the
enemies of our salvation.

(a.) The life of Christ was a continual combat with Satan, the
prince of the world. He had come to crush the serpent’s head,
to destroy the kingdom of Satan, to recover for us the inherit­
ance, which we had lost by sin, and to redeem us from the slavery
of centuries; but Satan resisted with all his might; hence a con­
tinual contest and struggle. In the desert, where he tempted our
Lord three times and was overcome as often, he had found out
that he alone could not prevail against him ; then he looked for
confederates to help him to frustrate Christ’s work of redemp­
tion. And he found willing tools in the Scribes and Pharisees
and the Jews in general. What did not Christ endure from them,
how often did they lay snares to catch him in his speech; how
they calumniated, blasphemed, and insulted him, in order to
destroy all confidence in him and render him odious to the people!
They did not shrink even from brute force, for more than once
they were about to lay hands on him, and to take his life. Fi­
nally the devil entered into Judas, who betrayed his Lord and
Master, and delivered him into the hands of his enemies. Jesus
died on the cross. Hell is apparently successful, and its blind

44*

Easter Sunday.

instruments exult in their triumph, thinking that they have con
quered and destroyed the name of Jesus for ever. But the intoxi
cation of victory is of short duration. Easter Sunday announces
a victory such as heaven and earth never before witnessed. Christ
rises from the dead, glorious and immortal; the nations, from the
rising of the sun to the going down of the same, adore him; Ju­
daism and Paganism fall, and the kingdom of Christ is spread
over all the earth.

(3.) Warfare is our lot upon earth. “The life of man upon
earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hire­
ling.”—Job 7:1. We carry about us a wicked enemy, our con­
cupiscence, which prevents us reposing in God, and prepares
violent temptations for us. We must fight against the devil, who,
full of hatred and envy, pursues and everywhere lays snares,
seeking our ruin. We live in a world which endeavors to seduce
us by its false maxims, scandals, and bad examples. Especially
in our days Infidels and Freethinkers do their utmost to tear re­
ligion and the fear of God out of our hearts. AV ho can listen to
their language, or read their papers and books, without being
horrified at their hatred of Christianity? Who would not be dis­
couraged at the aspect of the persecutions which the Catholic
Church and her children are obliged to endure ! But let us not
be of little faith ; Christ, who crushed the head of the serpent,
forsakes us not ; his victory is our victory, for he has merited for
us the grace to overcome every enemy. Let us gather round the
banner of the cross, and no power, either of man or of the devil,
can harm us. And what a triumph if we are found to be brave
warriors ' we shall enter with him into his glory and receive a
great reward, as he says himself: “To him that overcometh, I
will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my
God.”—Apoc. 2: 7.

3. It encourages us earnestly to aspire to perfection.
The Resurrection of Christ is the pledge and type of our
future resurrection. Christ is our head, we his members ; what
has been done with the head must also be done with the mem­
bers. As certain as Christ is risen, so certain is it that we
shall rise again. “If Christ be preached that he arose again
from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no
resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the
dead, then Christ is not risen again.”—I. Cor. 15: 12, 13. Christ
is also the type of our resurrection. He “will reform the body
of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory.”—Phil.
3:21. The bodies of the just therefore after their resurrection,
will resemble the body of the risen Christ; they will be finally

7. Moral Sketch,

443

transformed and glorified ; they will become impassible, immortal,
spiritual, and united with the soul will enjoy unspeakable feli­
city in heaven.
PERORATION.

“Be mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ is risen again from the
dead.” — II. Tim. 2:8. This truth of our holy religion is the
foundation of our faith and the strongest incentive to a holy life.
If you have temptations against faith interiorly or exteriorly,
say: “What I believe is the doctrine of Christ; he is risen from
the dead, he is the Son of God, the infallible truth ; I therefore
stand firm in my faith and nothing in the world shall ever make
me waver in it.” If it seems hard sometimes to lead a holy life,
and if you must endure hard trials, do not falter, look up to
Christ; having finished his course, he triumphs over sin, death,
and hell, now and for evermore. His infinitely blessed lot will
be ours; therefore follow him courageously, and trusting in his
grace devote yourselves to his service to your last breath; then
the blessed Easter morning will also dawn for you in heaven
where, with the angels and saints, you will sing an everlasting
Alleluia. Amen.

EASTER SUNDAY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
THE EASTER JOY AND SORROW OF THE CHURCH.

You seek 'Jesus of Nazareth, mho mas crucifed; he is risen.—
Mark 16:6.

Our holy mother the Church during the past season of
Lent, and especially during Holy Week, has passed through a sad
ordeal. On Good Friday morning we beheld her clad as a widow
in the black habiliments of grief, with no one to comfort her, as
with disheveled locks she stood sinking, as it were, beneath the
weight of her profound sorrow, mourning the loss of her divine
Spouse. The absence of instrumental music at the celebration of

Easter Sunday.

444

the holy sacrifice of the mass, her bare altars and covered cruci­
fixes, her melancholy office of Tenebrœ, the silence of the bells
for the past three days—all breathed mournfulness and sadness
on account of the passion and death of Christ, our Lord and Re­
deemer. From her maternal breast proceeded that plaintive cry:
“Oh, all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any
sorrow like to my sorrow.”—Lam. 1:12. But to-day her mother’s
sorrow is changed into a mother’s joy; for Jesus Christ is risen
from the dead, lives, and dies no more : therefore she sings : “The
Lord is risen. Alleluia.”
Still another joy is prepared for the Church at Easter. Many
of her children will rise from the grave of sin to the life of grace,
so that she can say of them: “This my son (this my daughter),
was dead, and is come to life again.”—Luke 15 : 24. But as there
is no perfect and unalloyed joy here below, so the joy of the
Church is not perfect; it is mingled with sorrow, and this sorrow
is caused by those of her children who do not rise spiritually
at Easter, or who, after having risen, fall back into the grave
of sin. As we are all of the number of those who cause the
Church either joy or sorrow, it will be profitable to meditate
to-day—
I. On the Easter joy of the Church:
II. On the Easter sorrow of the Church.
»

Part I.

The Easter joy of the Church is caused—
I. By the corporal Resurrection of her divine Founder ; she re­
joices—
i. On account of the intense love which she bears towards him.
No bride loves her bridegroom, no mother her child, as the
Church loves her Spouse and Redeemer. She loves himfor his own
sake, because as God and man he is infinitely loveable ; she loves
him out of gratitude for all the graces and benefits which flow
to her from his hands, and which are boundless. What has he
not done for her! what has he not suffered for her! what power
has he not given her ! how many and what precious means of
grace has he not deposited in her hands! How sublime in her
destiny, to triumph for ever in heaven ! If we love a person much,
we rejoice at his good fortune and prosperity, and our joy is the
greater if he has been struggling in great misery and now sud­
denly attains to honor and riches. Why should the Church not

η. Moral Sketch.

445

rejoice at Easter, when after such humiliation and contumely,
after long sufferings and an ignominious and painful death, she
sees him come forth gloriously from the grave and crowned
with honor and glory ?

2. She rejoices on account of the graces which she owes to the Re­
surrection of Christ. These graces are—
(λ.) Her introduction into the world. Suppose Christ had not
risen from the dead, what would have become of the Church?
She would have, so to say, perished in her cradle, for no one
would have believed in the Divinity of her Founder. His Apos­
tles and disciples, themselves as yet weak in faith, would not
have even dared to preach the gospel and the Divinity of Christ;
and if they had done so, no one would have believed them ; they
would have been rejected as impostors and cheats by both Jew
and Gentile. Only the fact that Jesus is risen from the dead in­
duced men to believe them, and enabled the Church to enter the
world and spread herself all over the earth.

(3.) Her perpetuity to the end of the world. Our Lord’s promise
that .“the gates of hell shall not prevail against her,” obtained full
certainty only by his Resurrection. Christ having proved his Di­
vinity by his Resurrection, the Church can now console herself
in all difficulties and persecutions in these words : “My enemies
may exert all their power and malice for my destruction ; they
can not destroy me, for Jesus has promised me protection from
all my enemies and perpetuity to the end of the world, and his
word deserves the fullest credit, because by his Resurrection
he has stamped the seal of Divinity on his person and doctrine.”
Let us rejoice with her in these days, when we see her circum­
vented and persecuted on every side, and let us console ourselves
with the thought that her enemies can oppress, but not suppress
and destroy her, and that sooner or later the day of triumph will
dawn for her.
(cl) The truth and divinity of her faith and doctrine. The faith
which she teaches she has from Christ, her Founder, who is the
Son of God. She also has the certainty that she will keep this
divine doctrine pure and undefiled to the end of time, because
Christ promised her his assistance and that of the Holy Ghost
for all ages. She can, therefore, say: “As it is impossible that
Christ, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost, can teach an un­
truth, so is it impossible that I can teach falsehood and lead men
into error, because I am under the perpetual guidance of Christ
and the Holy Ghost. The Church, therefore, rejoices that, as

446

Easter Sunday.

the infallible teacher of truth, she is able to instruct the nations
for all time in the true faith, and to conduct them to eternal life.
Let us rejoice at the inestimable grace of being children
of the Catholic Church, and of having, as such, the only true
and saving faith.
(d.) Her power far the salvation of men. Christ made the Church
his representative upon earth, and gave her the power to an­
nounce his doctrine, to offer his holy sacrifice, to administer his
holy sacraments; in a word, to do everything that is required
for the purification and sanctification of man. Whatever she
binds upon earth, is bound also in heaven; and whatever she
looses upon earth, is loosed also in heaven.—Matt. 18: 18. The
great of this world have power only over the bodies of men and
over time; the Church has power over their souls and over eter­
nity. There is no sin so great that she has not the power to for­
give; she closes hell, and opens heaven. Why should the Church
not rejoice at the power entrusted to her by Christ? And why
should we not deem ourselves happy in belonging to a Church
that possesses in abundance the necessary means of salvation?

II. By the spiritual resurrection of her children.
to rejoice—

She has reason

I. On account of the deplorable condition from which her children
are rescued by the spiritual resurrection. All those who are not
yet spiritually risen, that is, who have a grievous sin on their
conscience, are extremely wretched, for—

(a.) They are under the displeasure of God. God can not pos­
sibly be pleased with them, nor love them, because they have
grievously offended him, for as often as they sinned, they insult­
ed him, despised him, rebelled against him; and because they
continue this offense against him as long as they continue in sin.
What an evil is the wrath of God! Two courtiers once misbe­
haved in church during divine worship. It came to the ears of
the king, who called them, and said to them: “Never let me see
you again.” They were so terrified that one was taken ill and
died and the other became insane. If the displeasure of an earthly
king effected this, what will be effected by the wrath of God,
who is the King of heaven and earth? Need we wonder that on
the day of judgment the reprobate, on beholding the wrathful
countenance of the Judge, full of terror, will cry out to the
mountains and hills to cover them and hide them from his face?

(6.) They can do -nothing meritorious. Let them do as much good
as they may, practice the most heroic virtues, they can not ex­

T. Moral Sketch.

447

pect the least reward for it hereafter ; they are destitute of super­
natural life, which is sanctifying grace ; they resemble a dead man,
who can not move. The words of the Apostle apply to them:
“If I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I
should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it
profiteth me nothing.”—7. Cor. 13 : 3. So long as they live in sin,
all their good works, fasting, prayer, alms-deeds, all their pains
and labors, all their sufferings and tribulations are without value
and lost for eternity.
(<;.) They are in great danger of being lost for ever, especially if
they live for a long time in sin without repentance. Death may over­
take them in the midst of their sinful career, as happens every
day. What then? They will share the lot of the people at the
deluge, of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, of Ophni
and Phinees. Unless they cease to offend him, God will turn
away and withdraw his grace from them ; the result will be that
they will never be converted, because they would need, not
ordinary, but extraordinary graces for their conversion. The
longer they continue in sin, the more they fall into blindness and
obstinacy; hence their conversion, unless God gives them extra­
ordinary graces, is rendered very difficult, if not absolutely im­
possible.
Now, when the Church sees so many of her children, who
heretofore have lived in sin, put an end to this deplorable con­
dition by a spiritual resurrection from the grave of sin, shall she
not rejoice and be glad, she, the mother who loves even the
greatest sinner most affectionately, wishing nothing more ar­
dently than that he be converted, and live ? The widow of Naim,
whose only son Christ raised up, certainly had no greater joy
than the Church has over the spiritual resurrection of her child­
ren.

2. On account of the inestimable graces which are imparted to her
children by spiritual resurrection.
{ai) They obtain the forgiveness of their sins and are delivered
from the everlasting punishments due to them. Sin, as faith teaches
us, is the greatest, nay, the only evil, because all other evils
spring from it, and because it makes man miserable for time and
eternity. The fire of hell, in which the reprobate will burn for
ever, was kindled by sin, for if the angels had not sinned there
would be no hell, and if sin had not entered into the world no
one would go to hell. And what a terrible punishment is hell I
To be cast away for ever, to be tortured for ever without the
least cessation or mitigation 1 Now all those sinners who truly

_

Easter Sunday.

44?

and permanently become converted at Easter escape this terrible
state.

(3.) They recover all the merits that had been lost by fin, and the
capacity of acquiringfresh meritfor heaven. The merits which one
has acquired in the state of grace, but which are forfeited through
a grievous sin, are revived as soon as by a true conversion one
is restored to a state of grace; moreover, the good which one
does in the state of grace, and with a pure intention, becomes
meritorious for heaven.
(i.) They again become children of God and heirs ot heaven. To
be a child ot God, to be able to say, God loves me—loves me
ore than ever a father loved his child—is not this the greatest
grace that can be imparted to us ? If a king were to adopt the
child of a poor beggar, would it not be a singular case ? would
not others envy such a child ? But what is an earthly king com­
pared with God? Not as much as a drop of water compared
with the ocean. What a grace, then, to be a child of God ! And
what shall I say of heaven, to the heirship of which the sinner
is restored as socn as he rises from the grave of sin? Is not
heaven, with its eternal, unspeakable joys, worth all ?
It

Now you see that the Easter joy of the Church over the spiri­
tual resurrection of her children is natural. Why should not this
affectionate mother, whose heart is all love, rejoice and be glad
when she sees that in this acceptable time many of her children
leave the broad way that leads to destruction, and enter
upon the narrow road that leads to life? Why should she not
exult over the inestimable happiness of which they become
sharers by their conversion ? Oh, that all who are lying in the
grave of sin would rise to the life of grace in order that their
mother the Church may have a great Easter joy.

Part Π.
The Church has at Easter not only joy, but also sorrow.
causes the sorrow of the Church?

Whai

i. Some ofher children neglect to comply with their Easter duty, i. e.f
to goto confession and communion. It is a strict law of the Church
to confess our sins at least once a year, and at Easter to receive
holy co
Lunion. To receive communion worthily, we must be
free at least from every mortal sin : that we may receive it
worthily it is a universal custom to go, not only to communion,
Hill

T. Moral Sketch.

449

but also to confession. He who neglects the reception of the
holy sacraments at Easter, commits a mortal sin, and if he per­
severes in his disobedience, may be deprived of Christian burial.
Catholics who do not go to confession and communion even at
Easter, give themselves a poor character ; they give us to under­
stand that they have lost all religious sentiment, and perhaps
even the faith itself, for, indeed, it shows great degeneracy and
moral corruption not to go to one’s Easter duty. Such wicked
people generally come to an unholy and unhappy end. The
Church fears this, and hence her sorrow when she sees that some
of her children neglect at Easter to receive the sacraments. She
is greatly grieved at such stubborn children, and breaks forth
with the complaint: “I have brought up children and exalted
them, but they have despised me.”—Is. i : 2.

2. Many of her children receive the sacraments unworthily. The
number of those who neglect their Easter duty is smaller than
the number of those who receive the sacraments unworthily.
The great majority go to confession, but how do they confess?
Without contrition and a purpose of amendment; they do not
detest the evil which they have done, they do not think of giv­
ing up their sinful life, they are not resolved to avoid bad com­
pany, cursing, swearing, blaspheming, drunkenness and gam­
bling, unchaste conversation and songs ; to restore unjust goods,
to give up enmity, not to be unjust in their dealings with others.
They content themselves with a superficial examination of con­
science, so that they are not able to make a complete confession,
they do not rectify their former invalid confessions, they know­
ingly conceal mortal sins, and other things which necessarily
ought to be confessed, and so it comes to pass that they confess
unworthily. And since they go to communion afterwards they
burden their conscience with a double sacrilege. How deplorable
is the condition of such persons I They are worse off after the
reception of the sacraments than they were before, because they
are not only defiled with their old sins, but have added a double
sacrilege to the catalogue of their crimes. Their condition can
not be too much deplored, for there is no greater crime than a
sacrilege, especially the sacrilege of an unworthy communion;
for it is not only the profanation of a sacred thing, but of a thing
most sacred. For if the sinner, having made an unworthy con­
fession, allows the priest to give him absolution, it is the abuse
of the sacred blood of Jesus, which, falling upon a criminal as it
then does, is more profaned, abused, and contemned, than when
the Jews shed it upon the earth and trampled it under their feet.
The Sacrament of Penance is a sentence of absolution, but he
that receives it unworthily for whatever reason changes the sen­
tence of absolution into a sentence of condemnation. He who

45°

Easter Sunday.

goes to communion after such a confession receives unworthily,
and he that receives unworthily becomes guilty of the body and
blood of the Lord, and commits the sin which the Jews comII litted when they crucified Jesus, eating and drinking judgment
to himself, that is, eternal damnation.—/. Cor. 11: 27-30. And as
at Easter many do not confess from a free impulse and in the
spirit of penance, but more from compulsion, from human respect,
it can not be doubted that many receive the sacraments unwor­
thily. Has the Church, then, no reason to be sorrowful ? Why
should she not feel grieved when she sees that so many of her
children, whom she would save, do not permit themselves to be
saved, and that the means which should bring them grace and
salvation cause their perdition?

3. The majority of her children relapse. When the Israelites had
come to the river Jordan and were about to enter the land of
Chanaan, “the waters that came down from above stood in one
place, and swelling up like a mountain, were seen afar off from
the city, but those that were beneath ran down into the sea of
the wilderness, which now is called the Dead Sea.” And all the
people passed over through the channel that was dried up, as
they had done before in the Red Sea, and when they had passed
over, the waters returned into the channel, and ran as they were
wont before.—fos. 3: 16,17; 4: 18-24. The same can be said of
II any Catholics. At Easter, they receive the sacraments and
avoid sin, but Easter is scarcely over when the waters of sin run
as before : they drink, gamble, curse, swear, blaspheme, are un­
chaste, just as before. Tell me, is it not so ? Are there not many
here present who must acknowledge that soon after their Easter
confession and communion they, as a rule, return 'to their old
life of sin ? What kind of a conversion is that which lasts only a
few days or weeks? Such relapsing Catholics can expect no other
end than that of King Saul and Balaam, who perished on account
of their relapsing into their former vices.

When our holy mother the Church, who is so solicitous for our
welfare, sees that so many of her children after Easter commit
the old sins again, and perhaps worse ones, should she not be
grieved ? Should she not mourn and lament, when she has only
too much reason to fear the worst for the salvation of these re­
lapsing sinners ?
PERORATION.

Oh, that there may be none among us who will cause our
• I other the Church this sadness and sorrow. Oh, that we all may

7· Moral Sketch.
celebrate a spiritual resurrection, which is a true image of the
corporeal Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Let us, therefore, feast, according to the admonition of the
Apostle, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Let us cleanse and sanctify our hearts by a worthy reception of
the sacraments, and preserve with the greatest care the treasure
of sanctifying grace. Let us offer ourselves without reserve to
God, and serve him with unwavering fidelity all the days of our
lives, that we may become worthy to celebrate with our holy

“other the Church an everlasting Easter in heaven. Aman
I I